EU model in the UK - software updates - General Questions and Answers

I'm based in the UK and looking to get the Note 9. Prices in the UK are quite high so weighing up whether to go for an EU model from eBay, Tobydeals etc.
Only thing holding me back now is whether getting an EU model will delay getting software updates or cause problems when they do update.
Software updates already take longer than I prefer so don't want to end up with something that just never moves to a newer version of Android.
Anyone have any prior experience with this sort of thing?
Thanks

Related

[Q] OTA Updates ?

Hi there, I am in the UK and as my user name suggests I currently have a Moto Razr Maxx which I bought a few years ago, it was an imported phone from outside the UK and because of its non-EFIGS firmware build the OTA updates were withheld leaving me stuck on ICS4.0.4. I am now looking to update my hardware and the Nexus 5 looks the way to go. What I do NOT want is to fall into the same trap again and have another phone that will not get the OTA updates.
I have sourced a nexus 5 reseller (Google claim out of stock for a long time now) but the phone is imported form 'overseas' it is a LG-D821 model which is sold as the 'international' version. Can anyone tell me if the Nexus phone firmware is regionalised like my Motorola or if I will get all the updates without the need to go the route of ROMs etc?
nonefigs_razr_maxx said:
Hi there, I am in the UK and as my user name suggests I currently have a Moto Razr Maxx which I bought a few years ago, it was an imported phone from outside the UK and because of its non-EFIGS firmware build the OTA updates were withheld leaving me stuck on ICS4.0.4. I am now looking to update my hardware and the Nexus 5 looks the way to go. What I do NOT want is to fall into the same trap again and have another phone that will not get the OTA updates.
I have sourced a nexus 5 reseller (Google claim out of stock for a long time now) but the phone is imported form 'overseas' it is a LG-D821 model which is sold as the 'international' version. Can anyone tell me if the Nexus phone firmware is regionalised like my Motorola or if I will get all the updates without the need to go the route of ROMs etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are only 2 models. North America D820 and RoW D821. None of them are carrier branded, locked or restricted in any way. They all get OTA's exactly as they are intended, no matter where in the world you are.

Potential purchase of LG G Flex 2 from Expansys

Hello
I'll start by saying thank you for taking the time to read my post.
Unfortunately, my Z3 Compact suffered water damage and as a result has been playing up, I'm therefore looking to replace it with a similarly capable device without spending too much money, one device that has stuck out to me is the LG G Flex 2, I'm a big fan of the design and particularly interested due to the price it is currently available for at Expansys.
I am however aware that the G Flex 2 did initially suffer from some performance issues, I've noted that some users on this forum have stated these problems have gone away since the device has been updated, however with Expansys selling a non-UK model (I am based in the UK) and thus shipping an EU one, I'm unsure of whether the device I will receive will actually be able to be updated to fix said issues, is anyone aware of whether or not the retailer is shipping updatable models or whether the device will be stuck on an outdated firmware for a long time? I'd also like to know whether the warranty would be honoured in the UK, although I have noted the site states the warranty is EU wide.
I'd also appreciate any other comments and things you have to share regarding your experiences with the device as well.
Thanks again for your time
M Petterson
mpetterson said:
Hello
I'll start by saying thank you for taking the time to read my post.
Unfortunately, my Z3 Compact suffered water damage and as a result has been playing up, I'm therefore looking to replace it with a similarly capable device without spending too much money, one device that has stuck out to me is the LG G Flex 2, I'm a big fan of the design and particularly interested due to the price it is currently available for at Expansys.
I am however aware that the G Flex 2 did initially suffer from some performance issues, I've noted that some users on this forum have stated these problems have gone away since the device has been updated, however with Expansys selling a non-UK model (I am based in the UK) and thus shipping an EU one, I'm unsure of whether the device I will receive will actually be able to be updated to fix said issues, is anyone aware of whether or not the retailer is shipping updatable models or whether the device will be stuck on an outdated firmware for a long time? I'd also like to know whether the warranty would be honoured in the UK, although I have noted the site states the warranty is EU wide.
I'd also appreciate any other comments and things you have to share regarding your experiences with the device as well.
Thanks again for your time
M Petterson
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Performance problems are mostly fixed with the latest update. You can of course tweak it further with root and the available mods
- I bought a device in Austria and updates work fine in Germany
- I also sent it in to LG in Germany and they honored the warranty
How much are you paying? You can order it from Amazon Germany for 255 Euro.
JadenWSOP said:
- Performance problems are mostly fixed with the latest update. You can of course tweak it further with root and the available mods
- I bought a device in Austria and updates work fine in Germany
- I also sent it in to LG in Germany and they honored the warranty
How much are you paying? You can order it from Amazon Germany for 255 Euro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The price is currently listed at £214.99 (2GB RAM/16GB ROM) from said retailer, although I have found another reputable store here in the UK, which will also sell the same version for £204.99, both include delivery.
My biggest concern with the purchase, is ending up with a device where I can't get updates due to it possibly being from a region, where updates aren't rolled out, seeing as both retailers don't specify which country their EU models are from.
I'm not sure if this is something that LG do with their devices, but I am aware other manufacturers roll out updates at different times dependent upon the region and as I know the updates have fixed many of the problems, it worries me a little that I could have to have those problems for however long I own the device, I don't know if anyone could clear that up for me perhaps or shed some light on the matter?
EDIT: I've taken a look at the Amazon listing, I believe however my bank will charge me for using €, I know I had some pretty big fees abroad, lol.
Like I said. I don't really think it matters where you are within Europe except Russia maybe if you have a EU model. You should get updates everywhere. As far as I know there is only one variant sold in Europe which is the H955. The UK model also seems to be the H955.
http://www.lg.com/uk/mobile-phones/lg-H955
I think they determine the country-related-updates via IP oder IMEI anyway.
As I said I wouldn't be concerned about it. Also there is the possibility to flash the .kdz-file manually via LG Flash Tools. I did so when the 15d version became available in Switzerland but not in Germany which was still on 15c.
Yeah, the banks are greedy bastards when it comes to conversion rates.

Does anyone know where I can get a SM-P905 (international version, NOT Verizon)?

I did some hunting on the web yesterday and I couldn't find anywhere to buy a SM-P905 tablet - the international version, not the Verizon version. I found one on eBay, but I was outbid. I even tried eBay.UK and eBay.ca, but no luck. It seems like you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Verizon tablet, but the international versions are like hen's teeth.
I prefer manufacturer refurbished or used, due to price. Anyone know where I can find one?
Tom2112 said:
I did some hunting on the web yesterday and I couldn't find anywhere to buy a SM-P905 tablet - the international version, not the Verizon version. I found one on eBay, but I was outbid. I even tried eBay.UK and eBay.ca, but no luck. It seems like you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Verizon tablet, but the international versions are like hen's teeth.
I prefer manufacturer refurbished or used, due to price. Anyone know where I can find one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the Note Pro LTE version are the same, the only difference is software, their hardware is the same. I open the P907A from AT&T and P905V from Verizon, they look exactly the same inside. Other Note Pro P900 also is the same, the only difference is software customized for certain region, like UK version has more languages than US version, they are the same tablet. If I flashed firmware of UK to an US tablet, it will become an UK tablet. I used to flash Korean firmware to an US tablet when its firmware had some issue with bluetooth keyboard.
If you want your tablet has your native language, then just flash the firmware which has that language.
If you want to use different carriers, buy an unlocked one, I have unlocked Verizon which I can use with other carriers such as TMobile, AT&T, or Cricket.
Interesting Beut . . but are the carrier branded versions of the 905 sporting an unlocked bootloader such that custom recovery and custom ROMs can be flashed?
I would venture to guess that this is what the OP is looking for and why they specifically want the international version rather than a US carrier branded one.
Honest question - I have no idea if the bootloaders are still locked, I do recall discussion about the 905V having a locked bootloader at one time though.
Muzzy, you are correct. The fundamental difference between the Verizon P905 and the International carrier versions is the locked bootloader. Verizon has Samsung lock the bootloader. International carriers do not.
I understand what Beut is saying, and yes, the hardware is the same. But that doesn't matter when the software is locked down.
I am also looking for an international P905, I would be very thankful for any tips where to find it in Europe!

Flashing Official Firmware -- Version Confusion

I briefly had a US version of the XZ and flashed it with the UK firmware without giving this much thought. When my SG dual-sim showed up, I thought I'd flash it before setting it up, and noticed that there seems to be some inconsistency between versions.
At the moment, 39.0.A.1.250/R4B is the generic SG version, but I see that China is up to R9B and India is at R11B. So, it got me wondering what the designation meant, and if there's any reason for / against flashing an Indian ROM (for example).
I think the R stands for region. I freely changed between them personally. I think the differences are very minor. I know the kernels are the same. There might be different preinstalled languages.
Languages and bloatware differs. As I remember from Arc S times Indian version had less bloatware then Western ones.
Hmm... Hadn't considered they were region codes.
I may give the Indian one a shot. I was hoping for a possible modem update for signal improvement, but looks like that's not in the cards. Maybe it'll fix the strange behavior when adding a contact from recent calls on the Singapore firmware it shipped with.

Question Buy now or wait?

I live in Europe and have been eyeing this phone since release - but I'm not in a hurry and I've got a few questions:
Is it ok to use China released phone in an EU country?
Is the price likely to drop?
How soon can we expect the availability to root the phone?
Is it best to first wait a few months for at least a confirmation of an international release?
Thanks.
as far as I know, you have to wait one week before you can unlock xiaomi devices.
then its root time, but I dont have the phone yet so can't say for sure.
make sure this phone supports lte and 5g bands your carrier uses.
price is most likely to follow exchange rate since it is in chinese msrp and reseller's pricing.
but I don't think it will chage significantly anytime soon.
I ordered one already and waiting on the package to arrive, but if you are planning to use this device as a daily driver just keep in mind thing can get very experimental.
I've seen reviews saying camera has no big difference over the 11 ultra, but in other reviews, the photos are outstanding. maybe has to do with their skills or the camera is inconsistent at the moment.
will probably get better with software updates though.
its chinese based rom, so maybe it could be wiser to wait until xiaomi EU releases custom version with all chinese stuff gone.
linamus said:
I live in Europe and have been eyeing this phone since release - but I'm not in a hurry and I've got a few questions:
Is it ok to use China released phone in an EU country?
Is the price likely to drop?
How soon can we expect the availability to root the phone?
Is it best to first wait a few months for at least a confirmation of an international release?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have Chinese ROM 12/512 and its working fine in UK (inluding 5G).
Awesome camera and superfast CPU with great battery life.
As for international release, I read there are no plans and this device is China only. (Also any international version will be more expensive!)
However xiaiomi.eu teak are working on an unofficial EU ROM now so users needing a "global" ROM can use that when available
Also, Android Auto won't work
Depending on your country the 4G bands can be an issue (5G is far from being the standard in the EU)
Google Pay won't always work
Chinese Rom has that terrible pull down menu like the Iphone where it's split in a notifications section and a settings section.
And there are other smaller issues.
NOT a device right now for people who don't like to experiment. Especially not at the 1200+ euro price

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