I just ordered the S7 G930U, coming from S4, as I understood that it has support for more frequencies and I wanted the ability to switch between Verizon and T-mobile without a problem. I have a few questions:
Did I understand this correct, or it's based on the firmware? So If I get the G930V phone and flash the G930T firmware, would that use/open all the frequencies on the T-mobile, or the phone has hardware limitations?
I have been reading around, and I got that if I use the G930U on Verizon, I will lose the Wifi-calling and some other options, if I flash the G930V firmware on my G930U phone, would that make them work or not? Is there any way to make those options work on the G930U without changing the firmware?
I see different sub-forums for Verizon, T-Mobile, etc. How about the unlocked G930U? I don't fully understand this. Do I just use the G930V Roms on my G930U if I am using it with Verizon? Can I flash any ROM on my G930U, as it's unlocked, or I am not understanding this right?
If I flash a different Firmware, would that trip Knox/warranty?
beho86 said:
I just ordered the S7 G930U, coming from S4, as I understood that it has support for more frequencies and I wanted the ability to switch between Verizon and T-mobile without a problem. I have a few questions:
Did I understand this correct, or it's based on the firmware? So If I get the G930V phone and flash the G930T firmware, would that use/open all the frequencies on the T-mobile, or the phone has hardware limitations?
I have been reading around, and I got that if I use the G930U on Verizon, I will lose the Wifi-calling and some other options, if I flash the G930V firmware on my G930U phone, would that make them work or not? Is there any way to make those options work on the G930U without changing the firmware?
I see different sub-forums for Verizon, T-Mobile, etc. How about the unlocked G930U? I don't fully understand this. Do I just use the G930V Roms on my G930U if I am using it with Verizon? Can I flash any ROM on my G930U, as it's unlocked, or I am not understanding this right?
If I flash a different Firmware, would that trip Knox/warranty?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can flash Verizon's firmware without tripping Knox if you follow the directions posted on the forums and you will have wifi calling and all other Verizon features. You must flash Verizon's software for those features to work. I'm not sure if you can flash any ROM, and I'm also not sure if you can flash T-Mobile firmware but I don't see why it wouldn't work, make sure to go to T-Mobile's sub forum and read up on it
Thanks Outbreak444. I read in XDA that the hardware is the same for G920U, G930T or G930V, it's just the firmware and you can install it, is that true? The reason I am asking is that the price changes between them.
Can someone that has the G930U confirm that you can flash different Roms on it?
beho86 said:
Thanks Outbreak444. I read in XDA that the hardware is the same for G920U, G930T or G930V, it's just the firmware and you can install it, is that true? The reason I am asking is that the price changes between them.
Can someone that has the G930U confirm that you can flash different Roms on it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, by doing a quick search I see others talking about flashing their U phones with the T's firmware and no problems arising. Make sure to read up on how to do it, download the files you need, read again and make sure you understand everything. If you don't understand a step then ask before moving forward, it will prevent headaches. If you feel good about what you need to do then follow through with it, you shouldn't have any problems and will find it's quite simple. But flashing between multiple firmwares will most likely wipe your phone every time. I could be wrong, I know I've read certain CSC files won't do that but I'm not sure if that's just from rooted or not.
Just FYI, it appears with the new Blv3 firmwares, the device will only accept official firmware. Meaning, no more flashing U1 firmware on the carrier models, or vice versa. No more flashing U or U1 firmware to the Canadian W models. Flashing between carrier firmwares is fine as long as it's on a carrier branded device (running TMB on a VZW device, etc). But running 950U firmware on a 950U1 will result in a brick, that is this far unrecoverable.
If your currently are running U1 firmware on a U device, vice versa, or running W firmware on a U or U1 device, or vice versa, you need to flash back to the firmware version that shipped with your device BEFORE you accept any OTAs that take you up to Blv3. Currently the S series is still on BlV2, but may go to Blv3 like the Note series just did.
This has been tested and confirmed.
Credit goes to @me2151, @FatalONEM8 for discovering this and warning people. I didn't find the issue or test, it just passing on the info to hopefully save some bricks.
Update from @mweinbach:
"EDIT: After being tested by XDA Senior member me2151, it turns out cross region flashing does work. Prince Comsy Odin is working, but we can not test if the factory binary flashing will hard brick your phone. So flashing US unlocked onto a US carrier device should work."
To expand a bit on what @mweinbach*just said, @me2151*did some more testing, and he was able to successfully carrier switch from a 950U to 950W using Comsey ODIN. So it looks like Comsey ODIN is not patched as we originally thought. Not sure exactly what caused the tester's phone to brick, but it HARD BRICKED and had to be RMA'd at his expense. So we jumped on the forums here to warn others until more testing could be done. @mweinbach*wrote the article and @xdanilvaand I began posting here.*
We may have overreacted, but wanted to err on the side of caution to protect people from hard bricks.*
The Blv3 factory binary has not been tested, so still unsure if/how we will be able to use it, or if it will cause issues.*
For now, carry on as usual, but understand we still don't know the full implications of the Blv3 patches. One person has already HARD BRICKED, and @me2151*almost hard bricked testing all of this for us.
There is currently a group working on a fix for bricked devices, but for now consider it a hard brick. Don't chance it.
Is Oreo for the S8/S8+ a Blv3 firmware or is it BLV2?
just curious as I flashed my Verizon branded GS8 to U1 firmware to take the Oreo beta..
So If I own a Sm-G950U1 but I have been running G950U Tmobile Oreo beta and upgrade to the stable oreo I'll brick my phone? In order to prevent this I'll have to first go back to G950U1 on nouget and then go up to oreo?
I don't really want to do this because I am loving using the T-Mobile variant because it gives me multiuser (digits) since it's built in.
Does the same apply to exynos devoces?
As far as I know, if you are on the Oreo beta, at least on the Snapdragon US variant, you are still on v2 (the number after the U in the build number is the bootloader version). Do not accept any OTAs and only update if you are completely certain you want to be stuck.
ironbesterer said:
As far as I know, if you are on the Oreo beta, at least on the Snapdragon US variant, you are still on v2 (the number after the U in the build number is the bootloader version). Do not accept any OTAs and only update if you are completely certain you want to be stuck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does this mean that we can update to a build with Bootloader v3, but don't expect to be able to change carriers afterwards? For example, I switched my S8 from ATT to XAA to get rid of the bloat. Should I restore to ATT on Nougat or can I stay on Oreo beta on the unlocked U1 firmware?
vimerate said:
Does this mean that we can update to a build with Bootloader v3, but don't expect to be able to change carriers afterwards? For example, I switched my S8 from ATT to XAA to get rid of the bloat. Should I restore to ATT on Nougat or can I stay on Oreo beta on the unlocked U1 firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can stay on the unlocked firmware for now, but once you switch to one of the carrier firmwares with v3, you cannot go back to anything other than a carrier firmware with v3. You should be ok for now, but just be sure that the next time you update that it is not on v3 or you'll be stuck permanently or until a fix is found.
ironbesterer said:
You can stay on the unlocked firmware for now, but once you switch to one of the carrier firmwares with v3, you cannot go back to anything other than a carrier firmware with v3. You should be ok for now, but just be sure that the next time you update that it is not on v3 or you'll be stuck permanently or until a fix is found.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My question is I have an ATT unlocked device on Cricket Wireless running the oreo beta since I flashed it to unlocked firmware. Should I revert back to Nougat before the final oreo build or just stick with it?
Mr. Orange 645 said:
If your currently are running U1 firmware on a U device, vice versa, or running W firmware on a U or U1 device, or vice versa, you need to flash back to the firmware version that shipped with your device BEFORE you accept any OTAs that take you up to Blv3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what you're saying is, I'm running U1 on my Note8, if I take an OTA with BL3, it will brick?
raduque said:
So what you're saying is, I'm running U1 on my Note8, if I take an OTA with BL3, it will brick?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I believe so. We are still looking into it. It may just be flashing with Comsey ODIN does it.
Mr. Orange 645 said:
Yes I believe so. We are still looking into it. It may just be flashing with Comsey ODIN does it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I think that the latter is what does it. Are y'all flashing from a fully OTA'd BLv3 Carrier FW to the BLv2 U1 FW using Comsey?
There isn't a U1 FW with BLv3 yet, right?
raduque said:
Honestly, I think that the latter is what does it. Are y'all flashing from a fully OTA'd BLv3 Carrier FW to the BLv2 U1 FW using Comsey?
There isn't a U1 FW with BLv3 yet, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is not.
And I haven't personally tested it, but Comsey is required to flash U1, so we know it will brick the phone once it does reach Blv3.
Mr. Orange 645 said:
There is not.
And I haven't personally tested it, but Comsey is required to flash U1, so we know it will brick the phone once it does reach Blv3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So somebody flashed a full Odin U/carrier FW onto an actual U1 device and it bricked?
raduque said:
So somebody flashed a full Odin U/carrier FW onto an actual U1 device and it bricked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No on a U1. They tried to carrier switch on either a U or a W.
Ok... so they tried to go from a device running a Carrier fw on blv3 to... what? A carrier fw on blv2?
I know this is still early, but the more questions and answers I see, the more confused I am.
Do we know if all of these scenarios will have the same result?
a) I have a AT&T (950U) branded device. I flashed it to become unlocked software (950U1). The device currently updates OTA with unlocked updates. A BLv3 OTA will brick the device. True/false/not yet known?
b) I have a AT&T (950U) branded device. I flashed it to become unlocked software (950U1). The device currently updates OTA with unlocked updates. Assuming a) is FALSE. Device will operate as normal U1 phone, but I will never be able to put 950U carrier branded software on it (via modded Prince Comsy), because that will brick it. True/false/not yet known?
c) I have a AT&T (950U) branded device. I flashed it to become TMobile (950U) device. It now get updates via Tmobile. Future OTAs will continue as normal and I can even use Odin to flash other carrier software (950U), but I can NEVER use modded Odin to flash unlocked software (950U1)? True/false/not yet known.
Based on what I've read right so far. It seems that the answers all remain theoretical, thus not yet known, but based on the Note8 update, the answers would be a) False. b) True. c) True.
Am I far off base???
The thing right now that I understand the least is the scenario a). I don't understand why if I have a phone that was 950U but is now 950U1, why it would get bricked. I do understand that attempts to change it once BLv3 hit are currently DOA, but that's different than simply keeping your phone in the stream that it is currently.
There are some good questions in this thread, I realize that its an evolving situation... So I have to ask directly... I have a Verizon branded 950U that I followed https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/snap-guide-flashing-standard-fw-carrier-t3625817 to switch to XAA and flash the U1 firmware, and I have taken part in the Oreo beta.
Currently my phone has Baseband Version G950U1UEU2ZRA8. There is an OTA update pending right now that is G950U1EUE2ZRAE/G950U1OYM2ZRAE/G950U1UEU2ZRAE. From what I understand, and what I am reading about this BLV2 vs BLV3 issue, based on the numbers in this, if I take this update, I'll still be BlV2, and be ok? If I should want to return to stock Verizon firmware, I can still do it safely?
What I am unsure of is.. If the phone gets updated to BLV3 while I have the XAA/U1 setup on my Verizon branded 950U phone, will I still be able to flash back to stock Verizon, then just not change to anything else? or once I get on BLV3 I am stuck with whatever firmware I have on the phone? Or is that part still unknown for sure?
KidJoe said:
What I am unsure of is.. If the phone gets updated to BLV3 while I have the XAA/U1 setup on my Verizon branded 950U phone, will I still be able to flash back to stock Verizon, then just not change to anything else? or once I get on BLV3 I am stuck with whatever firmware I have on the phone? Or is that part still unknown for sure?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am basically the same as you except AT&T beginning rather than Verizon. I currently have the ZRAE Oreo beta software running on my phone. Based on everything said so far, there is no danger yet in downloading that OTA because it is still BLv2. The danger would be if the final Oreo version drops with BLv3 and you apply it. Then we're left with these different scenarios that are still being figured out.
Absent any concrete info, I'm going to just avoid the Jan security patch on my Note8.
If I have to flash back the Verizon software to have a non-brick device, well I'll just sell this thing and buy a cheap unlocked phone with microsd, wireless charging and a nice screen.
I'm in the UK and I've acquired three brand new sealed S7's - SM-G930A - which I would like to sell, but they appear to have an AT&T/Sprint specific version of Android - I've booted one and it keeps trying to install DirectTV and other US-centric apps.
Is there a way to put these on a UK or EU ROM that doesn't have all this unnecessary bloat, so that they can be used outside the US WITHOUT breaking KNOX (which would mean I am unlikely to sell them at all?)
Thanks!
The AT&T variant of the S7 is built upon a Snapdragon CPU. All of the European variants are built upon a Exynos CPU. Breaking Knox isn't your biggest issue; you can't install a European version of an S7 ROM at all.
Additionally snapdragons have a locked bootloader, so you can't use a custom ROM as work around either.
Your best bet would be flashing the G930U firmware, it's the unlocked firmware for Snapdragon that has no carrier specific bloat. It can be flashed via Odin without affecting Knox, but you may need the patched Odin for it to not give mismatch errors. https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/patched-odin-3-13-1-t3762572
Hello.
I have a Galaxy S7 that I got about 5 weeks ago. I paid to have it in the box but the person got a secondhand one. I am in West Africa but someway somehow I got a Verizon one that is unlocked for any carrier. Anyway I checked and some functions were not working. Private mode is not working, there's no software update option anywhere (I checked developer mode) and some features I've seen on YouTube are not even on the phone. I'm stuck on Android 6 and can't update so I made up my mind to flash a custom ROM but turns out Verizon's bootloader is locked which will make such a task impossible. Some days ago though, I found out that official Verizon ROMs can be flashed without unlocking the bootloader and this raised some questions which I want to ask here.
Here's the info at the about phone page
MODEL NUMBER - SM-G930V (there's Verizon on the back of the phone so I think this is true)
ANDROID VERSION - 6.0.1
BASEBAND VERSION - G930VVRU4API3
BUILD NUMBER - MMB29M.G930VVRU4API3
1. Can I really flash a stock Verizon ROM for the Galaxy S7 without bricking my phone and with a locked bootloader?
2. If I were to flash a stock Verizon ROM will the phone be locked to Verizon again? I'm asking this because this is the only phone I have and I'm supposed to use this for 2 years!
3. Should I flash the same baseband version or will another Verizon one work?
4. If all the above questions are true, where can I get official Verizon stock ROM for my device?
If you have any questions for me please let me know.
Thanks
TheMannyzaur said:
Hello.
I have a Galaxy S7 that I got about 5 weeks ago. I paid to have it in the box but the person got a secondhand one. I am in West Africa but someway somehow I got a Verizon one that is unlocked for any carrier. Anyway I checked and some functions were not working. Private mode is not working, there's no software update option anywhere (I checked developer mode) and some features I've seen on YouTube are not even on the phone. I'm stuck on Android 6 and can't update so I made up my mind to flash a custom ROM but turns out Verizon's bootloader is locked which will make such a task impossible. Some days ago though, I found out that official Verizon ROMs can be flashed without unlocking the bootloader and this raised some questions which I want to ask here.
Here's the info at the about phone page
MODEL NUMBER - SM-G930V (there's Verizon on the back of the phone so I think this is true)
ANDROID VERSION - 6.0.1
BASEBAND VERSION - G930VVRU4API3
BUILD NUMBER - MMB29M.G930VVRU4API3
1. Can I really flash a stock Verizon ROM for the Galaxy S7 without bricking my phone and with a locked bootloader?
2. If I were to flash a stock Verizon ROM will the phone be locked to Verizon again? I'm asking this because this is the only phone I have and I'm supposed to use this for 2 years!
3. Should I flash the same baseband version or will another Verizon one work?
4. If all the above questions are true, where can I get official Verizon stock ROM for my device?
If you have any questions for me please let me know.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you can flash Verizon stock firmware without issues, as long as you are not trying to flash an older Verizon stock firmware than the version you already have. In other words, you can upgrade, but you can't downgrade.
As for flashing a west African firmware, Nn, Verizon devices have a locked bootloader, the locked bootloader will not allow you flash anything except Verizon stock firmware. Attempting to flash anything from another region or from a different device will only result in a soft-bricked or hard-bricked device. You can only flash the Verizon stock firmware for your specific model number.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Droidriven said:
Yes, you can flash Verizon stock firmware without issues, as long as you are not trying to flash an older Verizon stock firmware than the version you already have. In other words, you can upgrade, but you can't downgrade.
As for flashing a west African firmware, Nn, Verizon devices have a locked bootloader, the locked bootloader will not allow you flash anything except Verizon stock firmware. Attempting to flash anything from another region or from a different device will only result in a soft-bricked or hard-bricked device. You can only flash the Verizon stock firmware for your specific model number.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi! Thanks for replying! So where can I get a Verizon stock firmware that is an upgrade of mine and what region should I download from? Also which version of ODIN should I use?
Thank you very much!
My Moto Z2F has gone insane & I need to replace it. My boss has an S10e that's google locked, ATT but can go to Android12. It's 2 years newer than my Z2F which is stuck at Android8. Good idea? I'm on T-Mobile, but my understanding is that except for firmware, the hardware is identical. Can/should I try to burn T-Mo firmware? What would I gain/lose? If I should do it, how? I've never messed with any phone's firmware before, other than accepting OTA's.
Bill Stuntz said:
My Moto Z2F has gone insane & I need to replace it. My boss has an S10e that's google locked, ATT but can go to Android12. It's 2 years newer than my Z2F which is stuck at Android8. Good idea? I'm on T-Mobile, but my understanding is that except for firmware, the hardware is identical. Can/should I try to burn T-Mo firmware? What would I gain/lose? If I should do it, how? I've never messed with any phone's firmware before, other than accepting OTA's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you can't use the moto firmware on the Samsung device. Android firmware is built specifically for the model number that it is installed on. You could flash S10e AT&T firmware on a T-Mobile S10e and vice versa but not a firnware from a completely different device manufacturer, regardless of how similar the hardware is. There are very rare occassions where firmware is interchangeable between to completely different manufacturers but 99% of the time, this leads to a bricked device. Samsung devices can only flash Samsung firmware for the specific model number of the device or from another Samsung device with the exact same hardware, such as AT&T S10e to T-mobile S10e. Samsung uses Snapdragon and Exynos CPUs, an S10e with snapdragon can flash a firmware from another S10e that has snapdragon CPU but not a firmware from a S10e that has Exynos CPU and vice versa.
If you want to use the S10e, you need to bypass the FRP lock(Google lock) then flash the most up to date firmware available for that specific model number of S10e for your specifc region/carrier.
Droidriven said:
No, you can't use the moto firmware on the Samsung device. Android firmware is built specifically for the model number that it is installed on. You could flash S10e AT&T firmware on a T-Mobile S10e and vice versa but not a firnware from a completely different device manufacturer, regardless of how similar the hardware is. There are very rare occassions where firmware is interchangeable between to completely different manufacturers but 99% of the time, this leads to a bricked device. Samsung devices can only flash Samsung firmware for the specific model number of the device or from another Samsung device with the exact same hardware, such as AT&T S10e to T-mobile S10e. Samsung uses Snapdragon and Exynos CPUs, an S10e with snapdragon can flash a firmware from another S10e that has snapdragon CPU but not a firmware from a S10e that has Exynos CPU and vice versa.
If you want to use the S10e, you need to bypass the FRP lock(Google lock) then flash the most up to date firmware available for that specific model number of S10e for your specifc region/carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I didn't intend to try to use Moto firmware, I meant Samsung TMo firmware on ATT Samsung. But I'm not clear about limitations of ATT firmware with TMo carrier. Will that be a problem? And I don't know which CPU. I've been able to obtain a little info from the S10e via USB, but I don't think I should list it in the open here. Can I PM it to you for info about my exact hardware? And as I said, I'm totally new at trying to flash it. Is this something that can/should be done via a local TMo store? I've been a PC tech for 30+ years, but messing with cell phones is new to me.
T
Bill Stuntz said:
Thanks. I didn't intend to try to use Moto firmware, I meant Samsung TMo firmware on ATT Samsung. But I'm not clear about limitations of ATT firmware with TMo carrier. Will that be a problem? And I don't know which CPU. I've been able to obtain a little info from the S10e via USB, but I don't think I should list it in the open here. Can I PM it to you for info about my exact hardware? And as I said, I'm totally new at trying to flash it. Is this something that can/should be done via a local TMo store? I've been a PC tech for 30+ years, but messing with cell phones is new to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T and T-Mobile are interchangeable, you can flash both ways. But, you should be able to flash AT&T firmware and then use a T.-Mobile SIM to use it on T-Mobile network.
Flashing the firmware is fairly simple.
Do a Google search for:
"Return to stock (your model number)"
That should find the tools and instructions.
Thank you. I've seen something about perhaps not being able to use wifi calling on TMo with ATT firmware because ATT left it out. I've seen other stuff that says it works. Somebody else said that TMo's Visual Voicemail won't work without the TMo firmware. Do you know anything about that? I've seen quite a bit of contradictory information & don't know what to believe. It already has ATT firmware, so if I don't NEED to flash TMo to enable those, I may leave well-enough alone. How do I determine which CPU I have? The info I got via USB doesn't tell me.