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I'm looking to buy an S6, probably used or refurb, but that doesn't really matter.
I'm in the US on T-Mobile.
I need to decide between the G920T (T-Mobile model) and the G920I/F (international model)
Some things about me:
I need Band 12 support for good building reception and all 3 models support that, correct?
I will be rooting which removes Samsung Pay as a selling point for the T-Mobile version.
My residence does not get great reception so I am interested in WiFi Calling. As I understand it the T-Mobile version has it, but I also remember reading Google was going to add it to Android natively??
I am potentially also interested in custom roms, but it seems not much progress for any version of the S6, correct?
Thanks for your help
Dont buy s6 its disaster go with nexus 6p i have s6 its sucks ! dont buy s7 too its more suck than s6 do you research before doing any mistake...my advice dont buy s6 or s7 Nexus 6p is the best
Peace
don't get the I version! We are still waiting for MM when most models had it WEEKS ago, plus it also gets fewer updates than the rest!
I have the U.S. T-Mobile version on an international ROM but I am trying to find a MM ROM for it. Not sure if it's out specifically for T-mo. Going to go stock and upgrade to MM because my ROM doesn't let me answer calls sometimes and I a couples other issues. Plus, I want to try out Samsung Pay. (Google pay doesn't work on rooted phones either).
Get a Nexus 6P dude. It already has Project Fi. Custom ROMs for S6 have undefined future (due to Exynos and Sam not releasing source) and with the speculations that the S7 might NEVER get custom ROMs it's probably a good idea to stay away from the flagship series.
me_is_rushin said:
I'm looking to buy an S6, probably used or refurb, but that doesn't really matter.
I'm in the US on T-Mobile.
I need to decide between the G920T (T-Mobile model) and the G920I/F (international model)
Some things about me:
I need Band 12 support for good building reception and all 3 models support that, correct?
I will be rooting which removes Samsung Pay as a selling point for the T-Mobile version.
My residence does not get great reception so I am interested in WiFi Calling. As I understand it the T-Mobile version has it, but I also remember reading Google was going to add it to Android natively??
I am potentially also interested in custom roms, but it seems not much progress for any version of the S6, correct?
Thanks for your help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you need network specific features get the one from the network and resist rooting. This device is great even without root even better now with MM. I have resisted rooting for 10 months in the hopes of samsung pay (and significantly thinning my wallet) and it still isn't even available
Get a G920F. Ignore all the haters telling you to get a Nexus 6P. Huawei are awful and the support and product quality are awful.
Camera is iffy, stock Android has memory management issues, and it bends.
In all seriousness though, if you like rooting and custom roms, get a 6P. If you like good phones out of the box stock, get the G920F.
Hello
I'm looking at replacing my S4 with an S7. My carrier in the US is AT&T and that won't be changing. I've been looking at different unlocked versions and can't find a solid representation of what the real world differences are. I know they have different processors. Some say a band is missing, but does that matter. I don't use android or samsung pay, but i know there is a difference here too. I found one comment about some kind of samsung 'coverage' plan, but what is that?
Best Buy has US unlocked phones for about $700. B&H Photo has an International phone for about $640. Its a lot of money either way. Is one phone really better or different than that other?
I am planning a trip through Canada and maybe to Europe. I assume either would take a SIM from those areas and I could avoid getting raped by international fees.
Here is a summary of question I can think of:
Does the US unlocked phone from BestBuy have a warranty or insurance or anything like that?
Can the US phone be rooted. I only do this to remove apps I don't use.
Is the hardware one vs the other really better or just different?
Does a dual SIM do anything useful?
Does a band being missing make a real world difference?
Is there a good comparison somewhere to that can decide on a phone to purchase?
It comes with a limited warranty as stated on their site:
"This device is not warrantied through the manufacturer. This device has a limited 1 year warranty provided by CCR Warranty. To obtain technical or warranty assistance, please contact CCR Warranty at 866-579-8436."
What I don't know is how useful/limited that warranty is. I'd like the HTC 10 but the unlocked S7 is my runner up, and the warranty issue is one of the major factors in my hesitation.
I do believe it can be rooted.
As far as I know, through research, the only major difference between the two is battery life.
Hello, I'll just go straight to the answers.
1. I'm going to assume that if you go through a carrier (att, t-mobile etc etc.) they will offer an insurance plan. You will have to go to third party insurance for the international version
2. As far I know, the US version does not have a root option yet. Because of the locked bootloader.
3. Hardware will depend on which version you choose. Both are very good.
4. Dual sim is as the name implies, you'll be able to use 2 separate sim cards with their respective #s. that's the only benefit really.
5. Missing radio bands is something you may have to do some research on depending your location.
6. I'm sure YouTube or some online site will have some reviews/comparison of both.
I just looked at the best buy website again and something is different. The S7 listed for $690 is definitely the international version and not the US version. When I looked last month I was positive that the phone was listed as a US phone ... huh
A little late
a little late to the thread but just wanted to share what I learned while researching the matter.
There is an US unlocked version of the S7 (g930u) and available through a few places (Best Buy, B&H, Ebay). It goes for $679.99 retail and I have not been able to find one that goes for less. Probably because it just came out end of June. The biggest benefit of it is that it has a bunch of bands and CDMA-compatible. Thus, you can get full connection with AT&T and TMobile. Downside is no wifi calling or VOLTE (as those seem to be locked by the carriers to their own phones).
The international versions (930f/930fd) are both available on Ebay/Swappa for about $500. Upside are that they have the Exnyos chip and no bloatware. You can also root and flash them with new ROM. Another thing is that you get updates earlier. I got Marshmallow on my s6 a month or so before AT&T released its update. Downsides are no Samsung Pay or WiFi Calling/VOLTE and the biggie...missing bands. I had a g920i and it was missing support for bands 29 and 30 on AT&T...this led to poor LTE and indoor reception at times. I would have to turn on/off the mobile data switch sometimes to get good connection.
Finally, we have carrier based versions, which loads you down with bloatware and has the Snapdragon chip. But, it does support all features of your carrier. Slower updates also an issue and lack of support of all bands internationally are additional drawbacks. Cost is also about $500.
Personally, I am going with an unlocked 930a. Bloatware sucks but I can delete or disable almost all of them. Snapdragon seems pretty powerful to me. Samsung Pay, Wifi Calling, and Band support are just too important for me. Note, make sure you ask the seller on Ebay/Swappa about whether the phone is unlocked.
Hope that helps.
I did a lot of research into this before buying my S7 but was kind of screwed since I'm on Verizon (CDMA)...
Since you're on AT&T you have more options.
There are two different processors in the two different models, Snapdragon 820 in the US CDMA capable and an Eyxnos in the International GSM ONLY phone.
After doing my research, I personally recommend the Eyxnos, which I couldn't get :/
If for nothing else, better battery life, by far. Do some research into the comparison between the two.
However! When buying from Best Buy be careful!
Last I checked, on their website, the black/onyx S7 was an unlocked US Snapdragon 820 phone.... while strangely enough the other two, gold and silver? were both unlocked US (actually international) Eyxnos phones.
Also, last I checked Samsung themselves only sell the CDMA snapdragon processor model to the US.
Unless Best Buy made a mistake listing the Eyxnos processor, it is the only way to get that model without buying an "internationally sourced" phone on ebay.
Just a few notes:
1) The G930u is fully compatible with all the US Carriers
2) VoLTE works on both T-Mobile and Verizon
3) Wi-Fi Calling works on T-Mobile and potentially Verizon (but I am not positive about Verizon).
The big downside to the G930u is that for whatever reason it is not receiving updates from Samsung when its branded siblings are.
Hello everyone,
T-Mobile's galaxy avant was my first phone, and being a budget phone, it wasn't all that great. However, I did learn the basics on rooting/flashing on it. I naively upgraded to the T-Mobile s7 edge thinking i could continue my custom roming, only to find out the boatloader was unlockable with research. Out of pure frustration, I downgraded to the s6 edge plus which did have the unlocked bootloader. The battery life, however, is very disappointing, even with deodexed/debloated rom.
So now, I want to upgrade to the s8+, but before I do so I would like your expert opinion on which would work best for me. I know the carrier versions of the phone will have the locked bootloader, so those should be out of question. However, I do need it to function properly on T-Mobile's network, and would like the biggest options in custom roms possible. I would assume that would point me towards the SM-G9550, but I saw various devices with the same model number but different processor exynos/snapdragon.
I don't want to make the same mistake I made with the 7, so all help is greatly appreciated!
LEGONIKES said:
Hello everyone,
T-Mobile's galaxy avant was my first phone, and being a budget phone, it wasn't all that great. However, I did learn the basics on rooting/flashing on it. I naively upgraded to the T-Mobile s7 edge thinking i could continue my custom roming, only to find out the boatloader was unlockable with research. Out of pure frustration, I downgraded to the s6 edge plus which did have the unlocked bootloader. The battery life, however, is very disappointing, even with deodexed/debloated rom.
So now, I want to upgrade to the s8+, but before I do so I would like your expert opinion on which would work best for me. I know the carrier versions of the phone will have the locked bootloader, so those should be out of question. However, I do need it to function properly on T-Mobile's network, and would like the biggest options in custom roms possible. I would assume that would point me towards the SM-G9550, but I saw various devices with the same model number but different processor exynos/snapdragon.
I don't want to make the same mistake I made with the 7, so all help is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The G9550 although does have a Snapdragon 835 and an unlockable bootlooader, has 2 issues:
1) Virtually no custom ROMs available for it.
2) Not fully compatible with T-Mobile.
Get yourself the International model, SM-G955F or FD (Dual SIM).
Both are identical in terms of hardware, have the same custom ROMs, and since you'll be rooted anyway, you can flash the T-Mobile CSC to get T-Mobile features working, like VoLTE and WiFi calling.
You can get the phones off a UK based retailer like Clove, or from eBay.
Sent from my SM-G955F
LEGONIKES said:
Hello everyone,
T-Mobile's galaxy avant was my first phone, and being a budget phone, it wasn't all that great. However, I did learn the basics on rooting/flashing on it. I naively upgraded to the T-Mobile s7 edge thinking i could continue my custom roming, only to find out the boatloader was unlockable with research. Out of pure frustration, I downgraded to the s6 edge plus which did have the unlocked bootloader. The battery life, however, is very disappointing, even with deodexed/debloated rom.
So now, I want to upgrade to the s8+, but before I do so I would like your expert opinion on which would work best for me. I know the carrier versions of the phone will have the locked bootloader, so those should be out of question. However, I do need it to function properly on T-Mobile's network, and would like the biggest options in custom roms possible. I would assume that would point me towards the SM-G9550, but I saw various devices with the same model number but different processor exynos/snapdragon.
I don't want to make the same mistake I made with the 7, so all help is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get yourself a OnePlus 5T, if you insist on custom ROMs and all. Yes, it doesn't have as many features like the S8, resizable Multi Windows, Edge, AOD, etc., but when you unlock bootloader and flash it (i.e. you trip Knox), this time around you lose actual features, Secure Folder, Samsung Pay, a few others, essentially you get a cut-down version of the real thing. Battery life should be on par with the S8+, from what I understand.
Moved away from my OnePlus 3 because got bored with it, and screen was too small. Got the Exynos G955F instead, and for the first time I haven't flashed the new phone as soon as I got it because of these reasons I listed above.
murtaza02 said:
The G9550 although does have a Snapdragon 835 and an unlockable bootlooader, has 2 issues:
1) Virtually no custom ROMs available for it.
2) Not fully compatible with T-Mobile.
Get yourself the International model, SM-G955F or FD (Dual SIM).
Both are identical in terms of hardware, have the same custom ROMs, and since you'll be rooted anyway, you can flash the T-Mobile CSC to get T-Mobile features working, like VoLTE and WiFi calling.
You can get the phones off a UK based retailer like Clove, or from eBay.
Sent from my SM-G955F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed you have the SM-G955F. What are your impressions on the phone?
sirobelec said:
Get yourself a OnePlus 5T, if you insist on custom ROMs and all. Yes, it doesn't have as many features like the S8, resizable Multi Windows, Edge, AOD, etc., but when you unlock bootloader and flash it (i.e. you trip Knox), this time around you lose actual features, Secure Folder, Samsung Pay, a few others, essentially you get a cut-down version of the real thing. Battery life should be on par with the S8+, from what I understand.
Moved away from my OnePlus 3 because got bored with it, and screen was too small. Got the Exynos G955F instead, and for the first time I haven't flashed the new phone as soon as I got it because of these reasons I listed above.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok I hear what you're saying about the features cut. I thought I would've had the same issue on my s6, but with this custom rom I flashed (Khongloi's s8 port) samsung pass, health, and secure folder worked perfectly fine! I feel like pay would have worked if I had gotten magisk working right before i uninstalled it, but still. I've done a little research on the forums as to how to fix everything after root, but all I found was a fix for health. If there could be a way to extract whatever the hell that rom had for other roms, I think that would be great.
I was thinking about the OP 5T, but then the cost to feature ratio just didn't make it for me. I know for sure I would've bought the OP 3T when it was new atless than 400 USD.
LEGONIKES said:
I noticed you have the SM-G955F. What are your impressions on the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing bad to say about it. Great display, great battery life, great camera as well. Only thing I want is for Samsung to put a bit more effort into the software updates, but other than that, it's perfect.
Sent from my SM-G955F
My wife's S5 is almost dead - so many problems it's close to bricked. The plan is to give her my current rooted SM-G930U (rooted and up to 7.0). I'm quite happy to replace my S7 with another S7 but... no effin' VZW!! We're condemned to using VZW, so the new S7 has to be able to live with VZW (CDMA needed). And it must be root-able without resorting to custom ROM's. I need support for FX, V4A, TI, and one or two other apps - life without them is a deal breaker.
I looked into a Pixel 2. $750 for a 128 Gb version with no phone jack or SD slot? Fail.
Question: what are my options for buying an S7 that meets the above requirements?
ADDED: Oreo isn't a requirement. 7.0 works just fine here.
I'm not entirely clear on the question. Any US model will work with any US carrier so long as it has been carrier unlocked.
You can also flash any CSC from any US model onto another US model to maximise carrier support.
I've done some more reading. Check me on this: The SM G930U is carrier unlocked and supports CDMA for VZW. This phone's bootloader is /not/ unlocked and never will be. I can root this phone and bring it to Andy 7.0. (Don't need or want 8.0)
Hi,
I'm sorry if I overlooked a similar thread, but I'm looking in to buying a galaxy s7 and I wanted to buy one that has an unlocked bootloader and will work with USA metro pcs. is there such phone? lol I've heard usa s7's don't unlock. just wondering.
The Exynos models G930F/G930FD/G930W8, and the hong kong snapdragon model are the only ones can be bootloader unlocked
They will work in the USA, but the USA uses different network carrier standards than the rest of the world, so your connectivity won't be as good as using a USA specific device. You may also lack carrier features like VoLTE.
Thanks! Are the s8's like this as well? I'm trying to figure out if I want a 7 or 8. is there much difference between the phones?
Same for S8 through to S10. International gets unlockable Exynos, USA gets locked Snapdragon, HK gets unlockable Snapdragon.
Main difference would be the bump in specs and build. S7 also won't get official Android Pie, I believe the S8 will/has.
S8's were also a bit unique in that unlocking the Exynos bootloader is harder on them but still possible, S9 and S10 went back to easy as far as I'm aware.