So a couple years back on Black Friday I bought a Samsung Galaxy S4 from Cricket Wireless at a price of $200 and at first I felt like I got a great deal. I thought I was going to get the AT&T branded S4 (i337), but instead I got an obscure Cricket branded S4 (i337z). I was frustrated when the AT&T version received the update to lollipop but mine didn't. I'm looking to buy a new phone and have been doing a little research into it, but I still have a few questions.
1. Are unlocked cell phones more likely to get an android OS update than a carrier branded phone? Do they get them faster?
2. If I bought an unlocked Samsung or a Google Nexus, would I be able to update the OS without a Carrier OTA?
3. I've heard that Samsung & Google are now offering monthly security updates, do they rely on the carrier to push these updates or does it update directly from Samsung/Google? Will I still receive these security updates on a prepaid carrier like Cricket?
4. Are carrier branded phones even worth considering in your opinion?
Thank you for your time, and sorry for the newb questions.
Anyone have anything at all to add to this thread?
Related
My current carrier is tmobile and I own a my touch 3g and I am looking for a better android running phone.
So what would be a good unlocked android phone to buy? Other than the ones tmobile offers. I have seen a few sites with unlocked android phones for any carrier.
HTC Espresso: myTouch 3G Slide
thricemin said:
My current carrier is tmobile and I own a my touch 3g and I am looking for a better android running phone.
So what would be a good unlocked android phone to buy? Other than the ones tmobile offers. I have seen a few sites with unlocked android phones for any carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking of grabbing a myTouch if you want to unload yours - send me a message if you do decide to change.
There is a simple two word answer that can't be beat: Samsung Vibrant. It's the T-Mobile version of the Samsung Galaxy S and should be the best/most powerful phone T-Mobile has as of this month when it comes out. $199.99 with a 2-year contract rpice. Not sure how much full retail is but then there is the ATT version which has a crazy low full retail price of $349.99.
You should check out the Nexus One unlocked and start rocken
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=559
http://www.androidcentral.com/galaxy-s4-developer-edition-headed-att-and-verizon
will this help us at all to become fully bootloader unlocked?
Im no dev or know much about this stuff at all but couldnt the google edition bootloader be flashed over the original?
Samsung Galaxy S4 Dev Edition hitting Verizon and AT&T
http://www.android.net/forum/androi...-galaxy-s4-dev-edition-hitting-verizon-t.html
So if you are on ATT or Verizon, and want to flash ROM's and kernels on the S4, without waiting for a hack to fix the lock bootloader, that can be easily patched away down the road, looks like we gotta pay full price for a phone, that is unlocked ?
This next bit of news will come as a huge surprise to Verizon Wireless customers. Samsung has announced that it will be releasing their Galaxy S4 Developer Edition smartphone on both Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Yes you read that right. Verizon Wireless is actually going to allow a bootloader unlocked Samsung Galaxy S4 on their network. Keep in mind though that these phone will not come subsidized, so customers will be paying full retail for the handset. The handset will be available with 16GB of onboard memory and in one color (Black Mist.) There is no official word on release dates or how these handsets will be offered, but that info should be hitting the web sometime soon.
Anyone going to pull the trigger when this handset is released?
I read somewhere saying that Samsung is rolling out Lollipop to all LTE models in the USA. My question is, will this update roll out work like it does for phones....meaning will this update have to go to the carrier first and then to the users? I hate to lose root, but I'm really hoping the update will improve performance. I bought the note pro the day it hit the stores and I am in bad need of better performance.
Please chime in on what you know about this update.
Thanks in advance.
chrispyutec said:
I read somewhere saying that Samsung is rolling out Lollipop to all LTE models in the USA. My question is, will this update roll out work like it does for phones....meaning will this update have to go to the carrier first and then to the users? I hate to lose root, but I'm really hoping the update will improve performance. I bought the note pro the day it hit the stores and I am in bad need of better performance.
Please chime in on what you know about this update.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I'm the only one who has an AT&T LTE version of the note pro. I guess the MOD can go ahead and remove this post being that it appears to be a space waster.
Thanks
You're not the only one with the device. Other than iPhones, I believe AT&T always gets the updates from the manufacturers and then adds their bloat before releasing via OTA.
I've got one and have been waiting too, don't know what's going to happen to root. Adding more apps into multi screen is really all i need root for anymore. I used to use it for controllers for games, but haven't used that in awhile.
It sucks being an AT&T kid huh? boooo, we get no love, lol Damn you AT&T!!!!!!
AT&T fail - January 2016 and still no update
If AT&T can't update in a timely manor, they need to stop selling devices.
I'm never buying from AT&T again.
Once Google fiber rolls to Atlanta, I'll be 100% free from the clutches of AT&T.
If they are not selling to you, they are selling you.
I bet the NSA is AT&Ts only repeat customer.
AT&T pushed the Lollipop update quite awhile ago.
Other than the obvious answers such as carrier branding and bloat, are there any disadvantages this time around for getting a carrier S6? I'm specifically talking about the AT&T variant which tends be $80-100 less than the T-Mobile and global variants. Last year, I remember the AT&T S5 had issues with rooting that don't seem to be apparent on the S6 due to the similar hardware among variants. Also, it appears that roms can be flashed to the AT&T S6, quite unlike the S5 at this time last year. So is there really any disadvantage, hardware and software-wise, to not save the money and get the carrier variant this time? All I can really think of is software updates, but I'm considering a few roms at the moment anyway, so that might not matter.
I think the international model will receive more support, the at&t version will get rooted, definitely, but it might not get as custom roms as the international model, or it will not get updates such fast, I dont know why the tmobile version got 5.1.1 before the international but my friend t mobile sgs4 havent recieved lollipop yet, i think they receive updates slower..
The axynos ones are cheap on ebay, but I can also buy an unlocked US version from Samsungs website.
Can you advice me on this?
I'm coming from the LG V20 side with the unlocked US996 model, and just looked at the non-existent G6 forums so please keep it in mind as I say this: I will never ever ever buy a major branded Android phone unlocked, ever again.
Signed, a likely future S8+ owner
midwhiteflava said:
I'm coming from the LG V20 side with the unlocked US996 model, and just looked at the non-existent G6 forums so please keep it in mind as I say this: I will never ever ever buy a major branded Android phone unlocked, ever again.
Signed, a likely future S8+ owner
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
? Why ???
The exynos have an unlocked bootloader, the "unlocked" other version only has unlocked sim. The exynos will allow root, however root trips knox, and therefore breaks Samsung Pay.
I'm using a UK version and it's pretty flawless. Samsung Pay works out of the box. I bought it from a UK authorized reseller so its got a two year warranty (in the UK - I pay to ship it there) and BTU is typically in front of the line for updates. It has no bloatware but none of the unlocked versions do. I had a AT&T version first and the Exynos version seems a tad more fluid and responsive.
It has all AT&T's LTE bands except for 30 and gets better LTE speeds than the AT&T version. Do a search, there's a thread on it.
I'm going to sell it when the Note8 comes out and it was cheaper to buy outright and will fetch more when I resell it. I liked it so much I bought a EU LTE Tab S3 to keep it company. It doesn't do VoLTE or Wi-Fi calling but that too is common to unlocked phones.
BarryH_GEG said:
I'm using a UK version and it's pretty flawless. Samsung Pay works out of the box. I bought it from a UK authorized reseller so its got a two year warranty (in the UK - I pay to ship it there) and BTU is typically in front of the line for updates. It has no bloatware but none of the unlocked versions do. I had a AT&T version first and the Exynos version seems a tad more fluid and responsive.
It has all AT&T's LTE bands except for 30 and gets better LTE speeds than the AT&T version. Do a search, there's a thread on it.
I'm going to sell it when the Note8 comes out and it was cheaper to buy outright and will fetch more when I resell it. I liked it so much I bought a EU LTE Tab S3 to keep it company. It doesn't do VoLTE or Wi-Fi calling but that too is common to unlocked phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to get a phone with a care plan . Is there something like that in the states?