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Hey guys, noob to rooting and pretty much anything with android that's custom here,
Just bought a korean version g2 the f320k version. Phone works for making calls and sending text messages, but will not connect to their data network. Not sure if its because I do not have the 700 (lte) band range for an option on the phone when I enter the WCDMA service menu. I work for a subcontractor for AT&T and am somewhat familiar with the equipment they use. the LTE radios run off 700. UMTS and GSM is most common 850 and in higher priority areas 1900. doesn't appear that the phone supports UMTS bands either which might be part of the issue. I have done all sorts of tweaking with the frequency bands and that kind of stuff when you enter "5457#*320#" but none of my combinations seem to be working. Ive tried rooting the phone following the exact instructions on the rootjunkie videos, install seemed to have gone good, but root checker tells me i do not have root access, superuser installed during the root process, but something else must be out of date or something. Was hoping to be able to flash the phone with AT&Ts rom or something and maybe that would work. I live in the Minneapolis, St. Paul MN area...has anyone else had any luck with this version of the g2 working on US carriers? I really don't want to, but pretty much ready to give up on this phone, I've scoured this website for the past few days and cannot seem to find any solutions.
Can anyone confirm this phone, flat out, will not completely work in the US market? Please help android gurus!!! :fingers-crossed:
Hello,
I recently purchased a note 5 duos SM-N9208 from Taiwan. I was led to believe that the device was unlocked GSM, but had EV-DO capabilities. My understanding was that this would work on Verizon's network, because it had both radio chips inside. I was told by Verizon that "there is no approved way" for them to get me up and running on their network. The tech made a point of saying there is a difference between approved, and no way. This leads me to believe that something can be done. I'm wondering if someone would be kind enough to help me out. Phone is running original Rom, unrooted, and is basically useless to me right now, as I'm desperately clinging on to my unlimited data with Verizon. Is it possible to root the device, and flash the modem with Verizon note 5 baseband info? Any help anyone can offer would be very much appreciated.
XDA Visitor said:
Hello,
I recently purchased a note 5 duos SM-N9208 from Taiwan. I was led to believe that the device was unlocked GSM, but had EV-DO capabilities. My understanding was that this would work on Verizon's network, because it had both radio chips inside. I was told by Verizon that "there is no approved way" for them to get me up and running on their network. The tech made a point of saying there is a difference between approved, and no way. This leads me to believe that something can be done. I'm wondering if someone would be kind enough to help me out. Phone is running original Rom, unrooted, and is basically useless to me right now, as I'm desperately clinging on to my unlimited data with Verizon. Is it possible to root the device, and flash the modem with Verizon note 5 baseband info? Any help anyone can offer would be very much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, and welcome to XDA!
When I looked up the specs on the Note 5 Duos, unfortunately it says nothing about CDMA. Having both "radio chips inside" can be taken two ways, in this case, this phone has the capability to handle two GSM carriers (and in this case, like most dual-sim phones, only the first SIM can do 3G/4G/LTE speeds).
Network Technology GSM / HSPA / LTE
2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2
3G bands HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
4G bands LTE
Speed HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE
GPRS Yes
EDGE Yes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems the only option (if you want to use this phone), is to join a GSM carrier like AT&T, T-Mobile, or one of their MVNO's (like MetroPCS).
Hope this helps.
joel.maxuel said:
Hi, and welcome to XDA!
It seems the only option (if you want to use this phone), is to join a GSM carrier like AT&T, T-Mobile, or one of their MVNO's (like MetroPCS).
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, Joel! I'm excited to learn as much as possible from tgis forum. I actually changed over to T-Mobile, and have been good for the most part. The problem i'm having now is related to finding a way to flash the radio to all of their Rf's. I rooted, and attempted to flash the modem and bootloader from N920T, but it failed. I am still having a hard timr understanding why the identical hardware will not accept firmware from different model numbers. Again, very inexperienced, so it may be something very obvious i dont know about. If could offer any assistance, or provide and thread links that may be useful, i wpuld very grateful. Ive been searching nonstop, reading, and still cant seem to find a way.
Rockstah said:
Thank you, Joel! I'm excited to learn as much as possible from tgis forum. I actually changed over to T-Mobile, and have been good for the most part. The problem i'm having now is related to finding a way to flash the radio to all of their Rf's. I rooted, and attempted to flash the modem and bootloader from N920T, but it failed. I am still having a hard timr understanding why the identical hardware will not accept firmware from different model numbers. Again, very inexperienced, so it may be something very obvious i dont know about. If could offer any assistance, or provide and thread links that may be useful, i wpuld very grateful. Ive been searching nonstop, reading, and still cant seem to find a way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the hardware (particularly the modem) is not compatible, hance the failed install. You are lucky it cancelled out as you could have had worse problems on your hands.
The way i see it, you will have to wait for other regions for the Note 5 Duos to open up before you get flashing options. I would even question the need for that, if you get a decent range of bands with T-Mo (I am assuming you can get 4G).
If you want to explore further anyway, please check out this thread:
> Samsung Galaxy Note5 > Galaxy Note5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting > [Help Thread][Galaxy Note5] Ask Any Question, Noob Friendly
Hope this helps.
joel.maxuel said:
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It did, thank you! I get decent service (including LTE) almost everywhere. Problem is, once I get to my.house, I go completely out of service. No call.I no text. It wouldn't be a big deal, but the Taiwanese phone doesn't have a way to turn WiFi calling.
Rockstah said:
It did, thank you! I get decent service (including LTE) almost everywhere. Problem is, once I get to my.house, I go completely out of service. No call.I no text. It wouldn't be a big deal, but the Taiwanese phone doesn't have a way to turn WiFi calling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aha. That and no sign of the 700mHz band (which may not be part of your phone anyway, not just hidden by the current firmware).
Since the firmware would need deep support of Wifi Calling (or VoLTE), as in more than just an App, I am afraid you will have to wait until the Duos releases into an area with that support in their firmware (and hope that, that area's firmware doesn't disable a frequency you use).
Makes scraping all the lead paint[*] off the house the more manageable task, doesn't it?
[*] I really don't know if your house does indeed have lead paint. I am assuming it's coated in something metal, or concrete, which avoids typically high frequency radio waves from entering. I never had that problem with my house (which may be strange, since it was built in the 40's), but maybe creating ways to boost the existing signal may be in order instead.
Sorry, I'm not too much in the know, but I heard there is some sort of new update coming in the near future that will improve various aspects of the S7 like better in building reception etc.
So what do I need to be on the look out for? This deal from Target is pretty fair on top of my 5% Red Card bonus. Would this phone work with whatever update Tmo pushes out to receive the full benefits vs a tmobile puchased S7?
http://www.target.com/p/unlocked-samsung-galaxy-s7-edge-g930f-32gb-gsm-black/-/A-51032209
bump
Nope, your link is for the international version, which won't get VoLTE, wifi calling, or updates. You want either the 930T or 930u. Anything else won't work properly.
Edit for clarification - The upcoming changes for the S7 are for more advanced LTE functionality. The extended range/building penetration are already in place, it's Band 12 LTE. The international version you linked will receive data on this band, but you CANNOT call/sms on it, as it's a data only band. The only calling/SMS that can be done on it would be on VoLTE, which you will not have.
So yeah, you'd be getting a crippled phone with none of the advantages you want.
In the last week, the rom maker below got a Note 7 port working on a 930f with T-mobile VOLTE + wifi calling + video calling. Assuming you root and want custom roms, there is an viable option in the international model.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/s7-edge/development/rom-n7-rom-port-romcontrol-t3430358
That being said for the OP:
Why target, swappa is $200 less on either model.
The international model has no US warranty.
The international model is faster with a better battery life but is slighltly weaker playing games: having both for now, completely stock, the 930f is slightly faster feeling. On the other hand, it is like night and day to compare a custom/tweaked rom/kernel of a 930F to a engineering bootloader based 930t's stock rooted rom (the custom roms seem to remove video calls)
The US model (if root matters) has a root solution that can be negated in future builds.
The international model's root trips knox, unlike the US version, reducing the resale value.
entropism said:
Nope, your link is for the international version, which won't get VoLTE, wifi calling, or updates. You want either the 930T or 930u. Anything else won't work properly.
Edit for clarification - The upcoming changes for the S7 are for more advanced LTE functionality. The extended range/building penetration are already in place, it's Band 12 LTE. The international version you linked will receive data on this band, but you CANNOT call/sms on it, as it's a data only band. The only calling/SMS that can be done on it would be on VoLTE, which you will not have.
So yeah, you'd be getting a crippled phone with none of the advantages you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the title says it all.
I'm on a canadian G935W8 version with Rogers and I was looking to flash some different modems as my call quality isn't the greatest.
I have looked all over and can find some Euro modems, but does anyone have any Idea which modems are both Exynos and LTE compatible that I can flash?
I'm rooted with TWRP installed on stock rom build APG1 (because rogers is terrible and never updates their stuff)
Thanks.
JG
I believe modem itself has got nothing to do with call quality? Unless if there is a glitch that I am un-aware of. What you could try is download an app called "Phone INFO Samsung" as your phone is rooted and navigate to SERVICE MODE -UE Settings - Setting -Protocol - AS- Release ver - AMR Ctrl -WB AMR Settings - and tap 4.(WB-WB)
Not sure about your provider, but I do believe they are offering VoLTE service to customers, are you not able to use it? Just for your info, I am using SM-G930F(Exynos,Australia,BPHJ build) and don't have any concern on call quality, even I am on 2G Network.
Tbh, I am not really sure if cross-flashing modem would even work or not, even if it works, I do remember that North America uses unique frequency band, and I doubt new modem would be compatible with that(No research have done, so I might be totally being stupid here) .
And finally, as your model is G93"5"W8 you should've posted this question on S7e forum.
Hope these information helps.
As the title says I'm on the latest Panama CSC firmware but I've seen many references to the BTU firmware, which should be this one here at SamMobile? I just traded my Nexus 6P for this phone, I don't want/need to root don't want to flash a custom ROM I just want to make sure that I have the best/most correct stock ROM for me in the US on AT&T. I've noticed that my Tab S2 is running a BTU ROM, granted it's a WiFi only tablet but I know it works here for me, which makes me question if I shouldn't switch from the Panamanian ROM.
Questions:
What advantage does switching to the BTU firmware give me?
Will the BTU ROM get me Nougat sooner than others?
Will OTAs still happen (will they happen on the Panama version for that matter?)
Is it as simple grabbing the firmware from SamMobile and flashing it to the phone using Odin?
Or -- should I just stick with the ROM I have now?
I just got this device to use in the US as well, only with T-Mobile. When I got it, it was running the Italian firmware which worked fine except no Samsung Pay. So, I dug around and found a thread here on XDA on how to get Samsung Pay working on this model. That lead me to flash the Australian firmware (XSA) in order for working Samsung Pay (which it is working beautifully now!). That was my only reasoning for flashing a new firmware ... However, I am seeing certain firmwares have historically had faster updates. (From what I have seen around, people mentioned BTU & XSA have seen faster updates - nothing concrete on this, just something I remembered seeing in a post or two ... I assume (and hope) OTAs will happen as normal)
If you want to flash a new firmware, yes, it's as simple as downloading it and flashing with Odin. It will wipe internal storage, so be sure to backup accordingly.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
I've also seen references to the XSA firmware as well. I think that Samsung Pay is now working on BTU as well. SPay is working, upto the point of actually buying something, on my phone right now with the Panamanian Firmware so I'm assuming that SPay is working most everywhere now. If I do flash I'll go BTU simply because it's an English language native version, yeah I realize it shouldn't matter but I feel better. Also my Samsung Tablet is on a BTU firmware and it gets OTAs so I know that should also work.
Thanks for confirming.
YankInDaSouth said:
I just got this device to use in the US as well, only with T-Mobile. When I got it, it was running the Italian firmware which worked fine except no Samsung Pay. So, I dug around and found a thread here on XDA on how to get Samsung Pay working on this model. That lead me to flash the Australian firmware (XSA) in order for working Samsung Pay (which it is working beautifully now!). That was my only reasoning for flashing a new firmware ... However, I am seeing certain firmwares have historically had faster updates. (From what I have seen around, people mentioned BTU & XSA have seen faster updates - nothing concrete on this, just something I remembered seeing in a post or two ... I assume (and hope) OTAs will happen as normal)
If you want to flash a new firmware, yes, it's as simple as downloading it and flashing with Odin. It will wipe internal storage, so be sure to backup accordingly.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay.. so there's a short answer and a long answer.
The short answer - If you look at all the firmware news and firmware download sites (Sammobile, etc) - you will notice that historically, XSA and BTU variants are the fastest to market with some other variants quickly following and some taking a lot longer. (also go to the end of this reply to see a note about the US market)
Now for the long answer (it's quite long.. so if you don't really care about the details just skip it..)
The CSC is country specific for a reason - it can contain changes to the cellular modem behavior and optimizations (for example, band preference), support advanced features (VoLTE - or HD Voice as it's sometimes referred to, WiFi calling), and compliance with local regulatory requirements (for example, camera shutter sound control, use of Samsung Pay).
As such, is most cases, you are better off using the version specifically optimized for your carrier and country, which usually translates into better cell performance (signal strength, dl/ul speeds) and the ability to leverage advanced features (VoLTE, WiFi Calling) as supported by your carrier. It's actually something quite annoying with Samsung, iPhones (and even some android phones) don't need all these local adaptations.
The issues with using your country and carrier-specific firmware are that you will probably get some additional bloatware, updates may take longer, and some features like Samsung Pay will not be available. In recent years, the modem optimization part (signal strength, and speeds) has been improving to a point where most firmware work well in most places and networks.
So basically it's a trade off - do you want a phone that is optimized for your network and will give you best cell reception, speeds, and potentially support VoLTE, etc.
or do you care more about timely security updates, and potentially support of services not available in your original firmware.
If it's the latter, than you may consider flashing a different region's firmware.
That changes a when dealing with the US market (and some others)
In the US, the big carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint) actually implement hardware (and / or low level firmware) changes directly with Samsung.
Aside from the obvious changes (using SD820 instead of Exynos 8890) the cellular modem (and supporting software) are completely different and the carriers add specific software to optimize its services and offer advanced features (besides filling your phone with tons of bloatware and taking forever to certify new builds)
So as a US AT&T customer, you will not get any advanced features (HD Calling, Wifi calling) regardless of which firmware region you use. In that case, using XSA or BTU have no downside to them.
The only way to get these advanced features is to get an unlocked SD820 variant (SM-930U) and flash AT&T's (or you respective carrier's) CSC on it (using TWRP) but that means using 3rd party ROMS and manually updating your phone. (and tripping knox).
N-way said:
Okay.. so there's a short answer and a long answer.
The short answer - If you look at all the firmware news and firmware download sites (Sammobile, etc) - you will notice that historically, XSA and BTU variants are the fastest to market with some other variants quickly following and some taking a lot longer. (also go to the end of this reply to see a note about the US market)
Now for the long answer (it's quite long.. so if you don't really care about the details just skip it..)
The CSC is country specific for a reason - it can contain changes to the cellular modem behavior and optimizations (for example, band preference), support advanced features (VoLTE - or HD Voice as it's sometimes referred to, WiFi calling), and compliance with local regulatory requirements (for example, camera shutter sound control, use of Samsung Pay).
As such, is most cases, you are better off using the version specifically optimized for your carrier and country, which usually translates into better cell performance (signal strength, dl/ul speeds) and the ability to leverage advanced features (VoLTE, WiFi Calling) as supported by your carrier. It's actually something quite annoying with Samsung, iPhones (and even some android phones) don't need all these local adaptations.
The issues with using your country and carrier-specific firmware are that you will probably get some additional bloatware, updates may take longer, and some features like Samsung Pay will not be available. In recent years, the modem optimization part (signal strength, and speeds) has been improving to a point where most firmware work well in most places and networks.
So basically it's a trade off - do you want a phone that is optimized for your network and will give you best cell reception, speeds, and potentially support VoLTE, etc.
or do you care more about timely security updates, and potentially support of services not available in your original firmware.
If it's the latter, than you may consider flashing a different region's firmware.
That changes a when dealing with the US market (and some others)
In the US, the big carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint) actually implement hardware (and / or low level firmware) changes directly with Samsung.
Aside from the obvious changes (using SD820 instead of Exynos 8890) the cellular modem (and supporting software) are completely different and the carriers add specific software to optimize its services and offer advanced features (besides filling your phone with tons of bloatware and taking forever to certify new builds)
So as a US AT&T customer, you will not get any advanced features (HD Calling, Wifi calling) regardless of which firmware region you use. In that case, using XSA or BTU have no downside to them.
The only way to get these advanced features is to get an unlocked SD820 variant (SM-930U) and flash AT&T's (or you respective carrier's) CSC on it (using TWRP) but that means using 3rd party ROMS and manually updating your phone. (and tripping knox).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent information, that was exactly what I needed to know. I went into this knowing I wouldn't have all the features I could but I have what I want and need. I was using a nexus 6P prior so none of them were available to me before. I'll grab the BTU firmware and flash that.
Thank you for this detailed and concise answer! This is exactly the kind of information that I have been looking for to help me make a decision on whether to get this device or not!
I'm on AT&T now and wanted the unlocked bootloader in order to use custom recovery (TWRP), which is why I was looking at the Exynos variant of the S7 in the first place. But after reading your explanation, it seems like far too many tradeoffs to make the purchase worthwhile for me.