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Advice on buying Galaxy S8+ SM-G9550 6GB version for european market

Hi All,
It's been a long while since I have posted something, but I have been using and reading up on XDA with much gratitude since I joined in 2010. The community represented here is just awesome in every way, and I would like you all to know that. I wanted to ask you guys for advice on the following matter:
I currently own a galaxy note 5 in the Netherlands, which I have purchased in Dubai. I decided on the dual sim model, since I find the dual sim capability for my work and private sim very important. The phone has done me well in the last 18 months (worked without any trouble in NL, and is rooted), but now I think it's time to replace it. My new phone of choice would be the Galaxy S8 plus, preferably the 6GB model. Of course this would also need to be the dual sim version, otherwise I could just buy the normal version here in the Netherlands. I have some friends living over in Hong Kong, which would allow me to buy the phone there.
Now for the hard part. Not only does the phone need to be dual sim, it also needs to support all dutch bands (including volte if possible) and it must be able to be rooted (adblock on its own is enough reason to justify that, let alone all other possibilities). I am used to flashing kernels and roms on my phones, as per the consice instructions found on this forum.
The phone that meets my criteria seems to be the SM-G9550 (6GB) that can be bought in Hong Kong. Would you guys please advise me on whether you think that would function here in the Netherlands and whether I can root it? And if not, what would you advise me to do given the above?
Thanks a ton in advance

@kimi4life
The G9550 is the Chinese/HK variant of the GS8+, and while it does support LTE Bands 3, 7 and 20 (those used by Vodafone NL), the combination of bands, known as Carrier Aggregation (or 4G+), may or may not work. Moreover, VoLTE and WiFi calling (if applicable) will NOT work with this variant.
The reason behind this, is the CSC. Since the G9550 is only sold in China and Hong Kong, it does not have a Netherlands CSC (Carrier Specific Customization), so you'll have all Chinese and possibly even carrier bloatware for China.
There is a way to get a G955FD CSC (EU variant) on your G9550 (CN/HK variant) phone by rooting it and flashing a custom ROM and CSC switcher, you can check Nicholaschum's thread in the Discussion section on how to do that. Do keep in mind that doing all that voids KNOX and there is no way to reset the KNOX counter.
However, the Chinese variant has no custom ROMs, and you'd be better off with the Exynos G955FD variant.
I wouldn't recommend going through all the trouble though, the 64GB/4GB S8+ is pretty good on its own. If you pick up a G955FD, and pop in a Netherlands SIM card, it'll automatically switch to the right CSC based on your country and what carrier you're on. This variant can be rooted, has a few decent stock based custom ROMs, and gets software updates more often than the Chinese variant. You will also have no issues about LTE band compatibility since the 955FD fully supports all networks in Netherlands.

murtaza02 said:
@kimi4life
The G9550 is the Chinese/HK variant of the GS8+, and while it does support LTE Bands 3, 7 and 20 (those used by Vodafone NL), the combination of bands, known as Carrier Aggregation (or 4G+), may or may not work. Moreover, VoLTE and WiFi calling (if applicable) will NOT work with this variant.
The reason behind this, is the CSC. Since the G9550 is only sold in China and Hong Kong, it does not have a Netherlands CSC (Carrier Specific Customization), so you'll have all Chinese and possibly even carrier bloatware for China.
There is a way to get a G955FD CSC (EU variant) on your G9550 (CN/HK variant) phone by rooting it and flashing a custom ROM and CSC switcher, you can check Nicholaschum's thread in the Discussion section on how to do that. Do keep in mind that doing all that voids KNOX and there is no way to reset the KNOX counter.
However, the Chinese variant has no custom ROMs, and you'd be better off with the Exynos G955FD variant.
I wouldn't recommend going through all the trouble though, the 64GB/4GB S8+ is pretty good on its own. If you pick up a G955FD, and pop in a Netherlands SIM card, it'll automatically switch to the right CSC based on your country and what carrier you're on. This variant can be rooted, has a few decent stock based custom ROMs, and gets software updates more often than the Chinese variant. You will also have no issues about LTE band compatibility since the 955FD fully supports all networks in Netherlands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a ton for the clear explanation! It would seem the G955FD would be the best choice then. I'm not sure if these are also sold in HK, i'll just check online if they are. Small bummer on the storage space, since I've heard it is not expendable when using the second sim. Then again, if I go abroad I might as well switch out one of the sims and place an SD card.

kimi4life said:
Thanks a ton for the clear explanation! It would seem the G955FD would be the best choice then. I'm not sure if these are also sold in HK, i'll just check online if they are. Small bummer on the storage space, since I've heard it is not expendable when using the second sim. Then again, if I go abroad I might as well switch out one of the sims and place an SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
955FDs aren't available in HK, but the dual SIM S8+ has been launched in the UK and is available in Dubai as well.
In fact, I bought my 955FD in Dubai as well.

murtaza02 said:
955FDs aren't available in HK, but the dual SIM S8+ has been launched in the UK and is available in Dubai as well.
In fact, I bought my 955FD in Dubai as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has just launched in the Netherlands I heard. Ordered it at the Samsung shop just now - looking forward to it!

kimi4life said:
It has just launched in the Netherlands I heard. Ordered it at the Samsung shop just now - looking forward to it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, congratulations!
You'll really enjoy it.

murtaza02 said:
Well, congratulations!
You'll really enjoy it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again for the advice! I'll get back to you on the best way to root when I received it

my friend is brining me over a G9550 from HK over the weekend. o2 in the UK have not cleared the s8/s8+ for wifi calling and volte yet, but when they do, where is the link to root and install custom rom and csc on it so i can hopefully get it to work with these services?
im getting the phone for free, so i can't complain with free!

mikey_sk said:
my friend is brining me over a G9550 from HK over the weekend. o2 in the UK have not cleared the s8/s8+ for wifi calling and volte yet, but when they do, where is the link to root and install custom rom and csc on it so i can hopefully get it to work with these services?
im getting the phone for free, so i can't complain with free!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check Nicholaschum's thread in the S8+ Forums for the Korean variant.

murtaza02 said:
Check Nicholaschum's thread in the S8+ Forums for the Korean variant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
will the korean exynos firmware or custom rom built for that device even work for the snapdragon G9550?!

No need to root for adblocker, you can get adblocker through "Adhell" or "Disconnect for samsung browser" in play store. I don't think rooting is worth it on such a new device with many functions out of the box. Substratum also got samsung support without root.

mikey_sk said:
will the korean exynos firmware or custom rom built for that device even work for the snapdragon G9550?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it won't.

I have a G9550 (6GB/128GB) from Hong Kong and can confirm Vodafone 4G does not work on it, only 3G

nugget123 said:
I have a G9550 (6GB/128GB) from Hong Kong and can confirm Vodafone 4G does not work on it, only 3G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's odd considering it supports the necessary bands.
Have you set it to LTE mode?

murtaza02 said:
That's odd considering it supports the necessary bands.
Have you set it to LTE mode?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought it would support it straight out the box too but it only connects to 3G:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fsz6fqvop0ke7z3/2017-07-03 08.50.30.png?dl=0

nugget123 said:
I thought it would support it straight out the box too but it only connects to 3G:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fsz6fqvop0ke7z3/2017-07-03 08.50.30.png?dl=0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sure you have the APNs right?
Dial *#2683662# and tell me if a Service Mode menu pops up.

Erm I did get some OTA configurations when I put my Vodafone sim card in but I didn't accept them settings as it was browser changes and I didn't think they affected my data connection, could they be it?
It said:
service mode
menu not exist
press back to continue
current command is 1000
Edited to add:
I just looked in my access point list in settings and it does come up with Vodafones access point settings
Edited again to add:
I spoke to Vodafone who checked my APN settings and assured me they were correct
Edited again again to add:
Added the APN settings manually, restarted my phone and now it works with 4G ?

nugget123 said:
I have a G9550 (6GB/128GB) from Hong Kong and can confirm Vodafone 4G does not work on it, only 3G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i put a vodafone uk sim in it and and it works perfectly on 4G
both slots gve me 4g, o2 in slot 1 and voda in slot 2
only thing i dont get anymore is 4G+ - any help on this?

mikey_sk said:
i put a vodafone uk sim in it and and it works perfectly on 4G
both slots gve me 4g, o2 in slot 1 and voda in slot 2
only thing i dont get anymore is 4G+ - any help on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's because the Chinese variants don't support carrier aggregation on the same bands used by networks in the UK.

I have 4g+ in china and Hong Kong but not here on voda uk

Is it possible to make samsung pay work in another country?

Hello everyone! I got the note 20 ultra in another country where samsung pay isn't supported(i didn't care because it isn't supported in my country either).
But now it is supported (perfect timing), but still isn't supported in origin country where i bought it. I've tried factory resetting with sims installed to trigger region change, didn't work(although 2 sims was installed from different countries, it could be an issue, but I'm tired of resetting the phone and guessing).
Then I tried installing my countries firmware from sammobile.com using odin. It went horrible, odin was stuck 60% at super.img and my phone turned to a brick. But installing original firmware worked and I've managed to restore my phone.
When downloading the samsung pay app from play stores it check for compatibility and then says that it is coming soon.
Tried to download it from galaxy store, but the app isn't there.
Is there anything I can do to make it work here? Am I stuck with samsung phone that doesn't support samsung pay?

GalaxySFUN said:
Hello everyone! I got the note 20 ultra in another country where samsung pay isn't supported(i didn't care because it isn't supported in my country either).
But now it is supported (perfect timing), but still isn't supported in origin country where i bought it. I've tried factory resetting with sims installed to trigger region change, didn't work(although 2 sims was installed from different countries, it could be an issue, but I'm tired of resetting the phone and guessing).
Then I tried installing my countries firmware from sammobile.com using odin. It went horrible, odin was stuck 60% at super.img and my phone turned to a brick. But installing original firmware worked and I've managed to restore my phone.
When downloading the samsung pay app from play stores it check for compatibility and then says that it is coming soon.
Tried to download it from galaxy store, but the app isn't there.
Is there anything I can do to make it work here? Am I stuck with samsung phone that doesn't support samsung pay?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're stuck, at least as far as the phone is concerned (more on that in a minute). Samsung Pay is apparently driven by the point-of-sale country CSC, which you can't change. I have the same issue with my S9+ SM-N9650, which is TPA (Panama) even though I booted it up with a Canadian SIM. As you mentioned, the Samsung Pay app from the Play Store will check for availability (based on the point-of-sale CSC) and then inform you if Samsung Pay is available based on its availability in that country - so you won't be able to use it on the phone until it is.
I get around this by using it on my Gear S3, which has a Canadian CSC, and therefore Samsung Pay, and links to the Wearables app on the phone. I actually prefer using Samsung Pay on my watch, so the availability on my phone is a non-issue for me (except for the fact you can't add debit cards to the watch). That said, one of the reasons I ordered my Note20 Ultra from Hong Kong is that they have Samsung Pay there, so it will work on the phone, which is a plus.

jtOttawa said:
You're stuck, at least as far as the phone is concerned (more on that in a minute). Samsung Pay is apparently driven by the point-of-sale country CSC, which you can't change. I have the same issue with my S9+ SM-N9650, which is TPA (Panama) even though I booted it up with a Canadian SIM. As you mentioned, the Samsung Pay app from the Play Store will check for availability (based on the point-of-sale CSC) and then inform you if Samsung Pay is available based on its availability in that country - so you won't be able to use it on the phone until it is.
I get around this by using it on my Gear S3, which has a Canadian CSC, and therefore Samsung Pay, and links to the Wearables app on the phone. I actually prefer using Samsung Pay on my watch, so the availability on my phone is a non-issue for me (except for the fact you can't add debit cards to the watch). That said, one of the reasons I ordered my Note20 Ultra from Hong Kong is that they have Samsung Pay there, so it will work on the phone, which is a plus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, no...
So if sometime in the future samsung pay will become supported in the country where I bought the phone, I'll be able to change the region of samsung pay and start using it?
And I didn't understand about that I can't add debit cards to the watch, do you mean you can only use credit cards? Cause I don't use credit cards.
God, I switched to android again after 8 years of using ios, last android phone was galaxy s(it's funny how this forum kept my account for all these years). And only thing I'm missing so much is apple pay.

GalaxySFUN said:
Oh, no...
So if sometime in the future samsung pay will become supported in the country where I bought the phone, I'll be able to change the region of samsung pay and start using it?
And I didn't understand about that I can't add debit cards to the watch, do you mean you can only use credit cards? Cause I don't use credit cards.
God, I switched to android again after 8 years of using ios, last android phone was galaxy s(it's funny how this forum kept my account for all these years). And only thing I'm missing so much is apple pay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you will never be able to change the region for Samsung Pay. Folks can use Samsung Pay on the Hong Kong Note20 Ultra because it is available in Hong Kong - but it is the Hong Kong version of Samsung Pay.
And that's correct - at least here in Canada on the Gear S3 (YMMV for newer watches and other countries - suggest you check Samsung's website for what's available on a given watch in your country), you can only use credit cards in Samsung Pay on the watch.

jtOttawa said:
No, you will never be able to change the region for Samsung Pay. Folks can use Samsung Pay on the Hong Kong Note20 Ultra because it is available in Hong Kong - but it is the Hong Kong version of Samsung Pay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you can add your cards even they are not from Hong Kong bank?

GalaxySFUN said:
But you can add your cards even they are not from Hong Kong bank?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Other users have successfully added a wide variety of cards even though they are not Hong Kong based. That said, in my experience, some cards (particularly debit cards) won't work in Samsung Pay from another country. Suggest you check out the thread on the Hong Kong Note20 Ultra for more info.

jtOttawa said:
No, you will never be able to change the region for Samsung Pay. Folks can use Samsung Pay on the Hong Kong Note20 Ultra because it is available in Hong Kong - but it is the Hong Kong version of Samsung Pay.
And that's correct - at least here in Canada on the Gear S3 (YMMV for newer watches and other countries - suggest you check Samsung's website for what's available on a given watch in your country), you can only use credit cards in Samsung Pay on the watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's sad, I should've been more patient and buy my Note after I got back home. Who would know...

jtOttawa said:
Other users have successfully added a wide variety of cards even though they are not Hong Kong based. That said, in my experience, some cards (particularly debit cards) won't work in Samsung Pay from another country. Suggest you check out the thread on the Hong Kong Note20 Ultra for more info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now I can put up with it. Thank you very much for your time.

GalaxySFUN said:
Now I can put up with it. Thank you very much for your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in Japan, use US debit card and credit cards on HK N20U... Samsung Pay works just fine... It is the HK version but no issues using it... Samsung Pay is based off of the phone's original country... As far I know there is not a way to flash and change it

GalaxySFUN said:
Now I can put up with it. Thank you very much for your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Happy to help. Just so you know, as I think you're new here, hitting the 'Thanks' button on a helpful post is always appreciated...

SM-N9860(HK) or SM-N986N(KR)?

SM-N986N(KR) is being 80$ cheaper than the hong kong version. Should I go for the korean one or hong kong one? Is there any significant difference between the two? Which one usually gets the updates first? Do both of them not support eSim?

HK version as it is dual sim...KR is single sim... No e-sim on HK version., Can't say for the KR, yet it probably won't have e-sim...HK is carrier free, while depending on the version of KR you buy it will have some carrier specific apps installed...Also Samsung Pay has been verified to work in different countries on the HK, while the KR version normally requires a Korean sim for Samsung Pay....Updates just depends, probably KR first but updates from Samsung has been good these days.... As you are be here, there are other threads explaining things extensively, please check those before creating any new threads. I have the HK version and using it in Japan with no problems.
---------- Post added at 06:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:17 PM ----------
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...o-hk-cn-sm-n9860-sd-ultra-5g-dualsim-t4144567
This is a very in-depth thread covering the in and out of the HK version.... If you can swing the extra $80, then it's highly advise to go with the HK version... You also need to verify the frequency bands supported by the HK/KR to ensure they provide the proper coverage for you please cellular service.... frequencycheck.com is a good reference site

cezeff said:
HK version as it is dual sim...KR is single sim... No e-sim on HK version., Can't say for the KR, yet it probably won't have e-sim...HK is carrier free, while depending on the version of KR you buy it will have some carrier specific apps installed...Also Samsung Pay has been verified to work in different countries on the HK, while the KR version normally requires a Korean sim for Samsung Pay....Updates just depends, probably KR first but updates from Samsung has been good these days.... As you are be here, there are other threads explaining things extensively, please check those before creating any new threads. I have the HK version and using it in Japan with no problems.
---------- Post added at 06:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:17 PM ----------
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...o-hk-cn-sm-n9860-sd-ultra-5g-dualsim-t4144567
This is a very in-depth thread covering the in and out of the HK version.... If you can swing the extra $80, then it's highly advise to go with the HK version... You also need to verify the frequency bands supported by the HK/KR to ensure they provide the proper coverage for you please cellular service.... frequencycheck.com is a good reference site
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm also gonna use it in japan too. How is the battery and overall experience so far?

erbold said:
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm also gonna use it in japan too. How is the battery and overall experience so far?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely love the phone and the battery life for me had been great.... Depending on your mobile provider you get in Japan, will affect battery somewhat, yet I think carrier aggregation really helps out..I have NTT Docomo and no issues at all when though the phone over covers 3 out of 5 bands... You have to let the battery optimization work for about a week... As time goes along the phone will learn your patterns and you will see more and more improvements to the battery life... People expect stellar out of the box without realizing the smart tech and learning curve the battery has to go through... I'm able to use Samsung Pay with the HK model in Japan using US cards, so that's a very big win... Any other Japan specific questions just let me know and be sure to use that "thanks" button in these forums, it goes a long way

Samsung pay works flawlessly with my N986O (HK version) BUT. I can't add my UK loyalty cards as it is expecting HK retailers and shops, but both credit and debit cards added and worked 100% fine, you'll be registered with Samsung Pay HK
Edit 1: Far as loyalty cards go, adding a card not on the list, i.e manually seems to work fine

Has anyone had the chance to test out the Korean N986N in the UK? What's the experience so far?
I upgraded from the Exynos UK to the HK N9860, but I'm getting disappointed in how slow the firmware updates are. It's still on ATH1, while other devices have gone through ATH3/5/9 and now on ATI2/3/5/6.
The Korean N986N looks like it's been getting updates regularly. I was thinking of returning the N9860 and purchasing the N986N, and flash it with KOO unbranded CSC.
Anyone done a similar thing and can give their experience? 5G working OK (UK)? Does the phone still have bloatware on KOO CSC? Does KOO have Smart Call (Hiya)?
Thanks!

roryh86 said:
The Korean N986N looks like it's been getting updates regularly. I was thinking of returning the N9860 and purchasing the N986N, and flash it with KOO unbranded CSC.
Anyone done a similar thing and can give their experience? 5G working OK (UK)? Does the phone still have bloatware on KOO CSC? Does KOO have Smart Call (Hiya)?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same question here. Would the N986N ever be able to flash another region firmware & CSC in the future? Or it would forever be locked to KR? Thanks!
I'm a totally new Samsung user and regretted not being aware and search about this before getting the KR version, just because it seems to be the cheapest of all Snapdragon variants

peterng1618 said:
Same question here. Would the N986N ever be able to flash another region firmware & CSC in the future? Or it would forever be locked to KR? Thanks!
I'm a totally new Samsung user and regretted not being aware and search about this before getting the KR version, just because it seems to be the cheapest of all Snapdragon variants
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you take a screenshot of your Software Information page (settings>about phone>software information) so we can see which CSC came with your phone? Did it have any logo when you boot up the phone and any bloatware you can't uninstall? Why are you regretting?

roryh86 said:
Can you take a screenshot of your Software Information page (settings>about phone>software information) so we can see which CSC came with your phone? Did it have any logo when you boot up the phone and any bloatware you can't uninstall? Why are you regretting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you go,also no logos. The phone here all present as unlocked. Well I mean they are all unlocked. They don't come tied to a carrier, any software you have to download load on your own as far as carrier specific

roryh86 said:
Can you take a screenshot of your Software Information page (settings>about phone>software information) so we can see which CSC came with your phone? Did it have any logo when you boot up the phone and any bloatware you can't uninstall? Why are you regretting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's KTC, KT Telecom. I have Package Disabler Pro and have disabled most of the KT bloatware. But some stuff are deeply integrated into the OS like Korea localization content in apps & menus, Samsung Daily cards, carrier services in Settings and all. I'm hoping to get rid of them.
Also the inability to use Samsung Pay. At first i thought as long as i buy a variant that's not one of the official models for my country. I won't be able to use Samsung Pay. And that is a trade off I'm willing to make when it comes to performance (my country is Exynos). What I didn't know was there areother Snapdragon variants that can be flashed with an unrestricted CSC from my country and work with Samsung Pay.

pcriz said:
Here you go,also no logos. The phone here all present as unlocked. Well I mean they are all unlocked. They don't come tied to a carrier, any software you have to download load on your own as far as carrier specific
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, that's good news. So the KOO CSC is branding free, no Korean settings integration etc. Have you noticed any features missing? Like Smart Call (Spam identification/Hiya)? VoLTE working outside Korea? 5G working OK?
peterng1618 said:
It's KTC, KT Telecom. I have Package Disabler Pro and have disabled most of the KT bloatware. But some stuff are deeply integrated into the OS like Korea localization content in apps & menus, Samsung Daily cards, carrier services in Settings and all. I'm hoping to get rid of them.
Also the inability to use Samsung Pay. At first i thought as long as i buy a variant that's not one of the official models for my country. I won't be able to use Samsung Pay. And that is a trade off I'm willing to make when it comes to performance (my country is Exynos). What I didn't know was there areother Snapdragon variants that can be flashed with an unrestricted CSC from my country and work with Samsung Pay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Instead of trying to disable the Korean apps, have you tried changing the CSC to the unbranded KOO variant like the user above? I changed my HK N9860 from TGY to BRI, I'm sure you should be able to do the same and change it from KTC to KOO and it will remove all those apps and Korean settings.

roryh86 said:
Ah, that's good news. So the KOO CSC is branding free, no Korean settings integration etc. Have you noticed any features missing? Like Smart Call (Spam identification/Hiya)? VoLTE working outside Korea? 5G working OK?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To clarify I am in Korea with a Korean simcard in my phone. I made no csc modifications.
There is a hiya service but no settings for that or spam calls.
I don't use 5G service but it should be running fine out of the box on any of the carriers here.
As far as volte outside of korea, given the state of the world it might be a bit before I test that.

pcriz said:
To clarify I am in Korea with a Korean simcard in my phone. I made no csc modifications.
There is a hiya service but no settings for that or spam calls.
I don't use 5G service but it should be running fine out of the box on any of the carriers here.
As far as volte outside of korea, given the state of the world it might be a bit before I test that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh okay.
So when you go to your Phone app, and go to settings, you don't see an option called "Caller ID and spam protection"?
You should also see at the bottom of the Phone app, next to contacts on the right there should be "Places"

roryh86 said:
Oh okay.
So when you go to your Phone app, and go to settings, you don't see an option called "Caller ID and spam protection"?
You should also see at the bottom of the Phone app, next to contacts on the right there should be "Places"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I just have a call recording option there.

pcriz said:
No I just have a call recording option there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn...

Question HK import in the UK

Hi guys,
I want to get the HK version of this phone (because general consensus seems to be the Snapdragon is better than Samsung's processor that comes in all the EU models) and I want to have a solid idea of what potential ramifications there are from doing this.
From what I gather, the HK model is SM-S9080.
I'm pretty clear on the ramifications from the actual importing of the device, such as loss of Samsung's warranty and things like that. What I'm struggling with is the technical aspects of it.
I've done some Google-fu to the best of my ability, but I must admit I'm a little overwhelmed by all the technical jargon, numbers, codes, etc that seem to be involved. Hopefully you can help me understand better...
I know that both Samsung Pay and Samsung Member Benefits will not work in the UK, however this does not bother me as I have no intentions of using those anyway.
The network provider I use in the UK is EE and, from what I can tell, the HK model supports all the necessary bands including 5G (source here: https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/GB/samsung-galaxy-s22-ultra ). However, I have heard that 5G could be arbitrarily deactivated in the UK by the software or hardware in the phone or something like that due to the model differences. Is this true?
Will there be any weird branding issues that can't be easily removed? By this I mean is it going to have weird chinese branding that can't be removed without flashing/rooting/etc (I'd personally prefer not to do any of that stuff). Could I just change the language to English and have it be visually indistinguishable from a 'native' UK model?
Will Google Play be affected? I don't know if there are any china-related politics that would impact my ability to use Google's services. Sorry if that is a stupid question.
What is a CsC and will it matter regarding the function of the phone? I've seen this term being used a lot while googling but I have no idea what it means or how exactly it affects the use of the phone.
How would updates work? Would there be any issues on that front?
Is there anything else I need to consider from a technical point of view that I have missed?
Hopefully these aren't stupid questions. Thank you in advance.

arstulex said:
Hi guys,
I want to get the HK version of this phone (because general consensus seems to be the Snapdragon is better than Samsung's processor that comes in all the EU models) and I want to have a solid idea of what potential ramifications there are from doing this.
From what I gather, the HK model is SM-S9080.
I'm pretty clear on the ramifications from the actual importing of the device, such as loss of Samsung's warranty and things like that. What I'm struggling with is the technical aspects of it.
I've done some Google-fu to the best of my ability, but I must admit I'm a little overwhelmed by all the technical jargon, numbers, codes, etc that seem to be involved. Hopefully you can help me understand better...
I know that both Samsung Pay and Samsung Member Benefits will not work in the UK, however this does not bother me as I have no intentions of using those anyway.
The network provider I use in the UK is EE and, from what I can tell, the HK model supports all the necessary bands including 5G (source here: https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/GB/samsung-galaxy-s22-ultra ). However, I have heard that 5G could be arbitrarily deactivated in the UK by the software or hardware in the phone or something like that due to the model differences. Is this true?
Will there be any weird branding issues that can't be easily removed? By this I mean is it going to have weird chinese branding that can't be removed without flashing/rooting/etc (I'd personally prefer not to do any of that stuff). Could I just change the language to English and have it be visually indistinguishable from a 'native' UK model?
Will Google Play be affected? I don't know if there are any china-related politics that would impact my ability to use Google's services. Sorry if that is a stupid question.
What is a CsC and will it matter regarding the function of the phone? I've seen this term being used a lot while googling but I have no idea what it means or how exactly it affects the use of the phone.
How would updates work? Would there be any issues on that front?
Is there anything else I need to consider from a technical point of view that I have missed?
Hopefully these aren't stupid questions. Thank you in advance.
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the csc is the carrier aspect of the phone , ie what bands of each type of network connections are used,and country specific bloatware , the csc is also what carrires the software restrictions based on the laws of the country it is coded for. you would get hongkong specific updates with a csc from that region as far as i can sumise, you may even need to use a hongkong routed vpn to receive them, but again thats a guess

Hi, I've got a 12GB/512GB S9080 on the TGY CSC here in the UK. I'm on O2UK but my 5G works fine. I have no weird carrier branding and I don't get any Chinese characters anywhere. I use Google Pay just fine (never used Samsung Pay on any of my devices)
No issues on updates, in fact I got the latest May update on the 28th of April.
I got this phone through techinthebasket and paid over £300 less than the equivalent Exynos version direct from Samsung.
If you have any questions regarding the device just ask

p.dixon0 said:
Hi, I've got a 12GB/512GB S9080 on the TGY CSC here in the UK. I'm on O2UK but my 5G works fine. I have no weird carrier branding and I don't get any Chinese characters anywhere. I use Google Pay just fine (never used Samsung Pay on any of my devices)
No issues on updates, in fact I got the latest May update on the 28th of April.
I got this phone through techinthebasket and paid over £300 less than the equivalent Exynos version direct from Samsung.
If you have any questions regarding the device just ask
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Click to collapse
This is exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks mate.
Funnily enough that's the website I was looking at getting mine from too. I did email them to ask where they source their models from because I've read elsewhere that TGY is ideal for UK use but they haven't got back to me yet (weekend of course). Glad to hear they are selling TGY.
Only question I have would be about techinthebasket themselves. Roughly how long did it take to arrive and did it arrive sealed?

Hi mate, yeah I've used techinthebasket a few times now (I've bought a Note8 and a Surface Pro 4 from them previously) and it does take a little while for the items to arrive, even paying for expedited it still took 5 working days. All items were factory sealed too.
If it helps, I traded the Note8 for the Note9 directly to Samsung when the Note9 came out and I got the full £400 at the time. The SP4 developed the prolific screen shake fault after about a year and Microsoft replaced it free of charge.

p.dixon0 said:
All items were factory sealed too.
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Is this possible? I thought Samsung region-locks their phones until a call is made with a SIM from the 'home' region.
Don't these importers have to open up the box to do this so that you can actually use a UK SIM in it when it gets to you?

p.dixon0 said:
Hi, I've got a 12GB/512GB S9080 on the TGY CSC here in the UK. I'm on O2UK but my 5G works fine. I have no weird carrier branding and I don't get any Chinese characters anywhere. I use Google Pay just fine (never used Samsung Pay on any of my devices)
No issues on updates, in fact I got the latest May update on the 28th of April.
I got this phone through techinthebasket and paid over £300 less than the equivalent Exynos version direct from Samsung.
If you have any questions regarding the device just ask
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're my savior. Thank you a lot!
Buying it today

arstulex said:
Is this possible? I thought Samsung region-locks their phones until a call is made with a SIM from the 'home' region.
Don't these importers have to open up the box to do this so that you can actually use a UK SIM in it when it gets to you?
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Click to collapse
I'm not sure to be totally honest. Both my Note8 and S22U came sealed with what looked like the same seals my Note9 came with directly from Samsung. Maybe techinthebasket open and reseal? Whatever they do or don't do the phone works as expected and didn't show any signs of being opened.
When I first started both phones (without a SIM) they were both in Chinese. When I put my UK SIM in they behave as expected.
The good thing with techinthebasket is that you can only pay with PayPal - as such, if you have any issues you're covered.

p.dixon0 said:
I'm not sure to be totally honest. Both my Note8 and S22U came sealed with what looked like the same seals my Note9 came with directly from Samsung. Maybe techinthebasket open and reseal? Whatever they do or don't do the phone works as expected and didn't show any signs of being opened.
When I first started both phones (without a SIM) they were both in Chinese. When I put my UK SIM in they behave as expected.
The good thing with techinthebasket is that you can only pay with PayPal - as such, if you have any issues you're covered.
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They gotta do what they gotta do, and if that means I get a Snapdragon phone for significantly less than a local Exynos then who am I to complain? Lol.
I just didn't know if they had found some way to circumvent region-locking without opening the box.

Exactly, as I say it's over £300 less for what is technically a better device

p.dixon0 said:
Exactly, as I say it's over £300 less for what is technically a better device
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Too bad that they deliver only in France,UK, Germany and not the rest of Europe...I would instantly sell my S22 Ultra if I have the occasion to buy a Snap S22 Ultra. Also, a big minus: you can't use eSIM which it's a really nice feature.

robi101012981 said:
Too bad that they deliver only in France,UK, Germany and not the rest of Europe...I would instantly sell my S22 Ultra if I have the occasion to buy a Snap S22 Ultra. Also, a big minus: you can't use eSIM which it's a really nice feature.
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There are plenty of websites out there that deal in grey imports. Unless I'm missing something there are probably sites that do deliver to your country.
I don't know if I'd call lack of eSIM a big minus though. Once I put my SIM card in a phone I pretty much just forget it exists until I buy a new phone. Do people really swap out their SIMs that often that an eSIM really matters?

arstulex said:
There are plenty of websites out there that deal in grey imports. Unless I'm missing something there are probably sites that do deliver to your country.
I don't know if I'd call lack of eSIM a big minus though. Once I put my SIM card in a phone I pretty much just forget it exists until I buy a new phone. Do people really swap out their SIMs that often that an eSIM really matters?
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If you're travelling in a country that doesn't support Roaming, then yeah, it's a good feature

The S9080 is dual SIM so you can still use a local SIM as well if you're traveling...

p.dixon0 said:
The S9080 is dual SIM so you can still use a local SIM as well if you're traveling...
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It's easy to say this, but I do prefer esims since I can purchase them online and I don't need to lose time in stores to purchase it.

I'm sure a saving of over £300 would offset the minor inconvenience. Personally, I have a tariff that gives me free roaming in Europe and the USA amongst others so it's a non-issue for me

p.dixon0 said:
Hi, I've got a 12GB/512GB S9080 on the TGY CSC here in the UK. I'm on O2UK but my 5G works fine. I have no weird carrier branding and I don't get any Chinese characters anywhere. I use Google Pay just fine (never used Samsung Pay on any of my devices)
No issues on updates, in fact I got the latest May update on the 28th of April.
I got this phone through techinthebasket and paid over £300 less than the equivalent Exynos version direct from Samsung.
If you have any questions regarding the device just ask
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First time reading 5G working on the SM-9080 outside of Hong Kong. What speeds are you registering?

p.dixon0 said:
I'm sure a saving of over £300 would offset the minor inconvenience. Personally, I have a tariff that gives me free roaming in Europe and the USA amongst others so it's a non-issue for me
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I would save, but I would also throw money since no warranty it's provided to me
Also Widevine L3, so yeah, a big trade-in for some of us...I'll wait for the Honor Magic 4 Pro and get that device since it's superior.

About the same download speed as 4G+ for me, the upload speed is double though.
As a side note. This it's on O2UK in the North East of England in my house, where O2UK say there is poor 5G coverage.

robi101012981 said:
Yeah, I would save, but I would also throw money since no warranty it's provided to me
Also Widevine L3, so yeah, a big trade-in for some of us...I'll wait for the Honor Magic 4 Pro and get that device since it's superior.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a year warranty provided by techinthebasket.
All my streaming services work as expected so not bothered about Widevine.
I'll continue to enjoy my phone while you think of another put down and wait for your superior device.

Question Using an Indian bought S22 Ultra in the UK

Hi all! Hope you're well and safe.
I'm moving to the UK soon and bought a S22 Ultra a couple of days ago. Did not find out about Samsung's inexplicable and baffling region locks on the phones and certain features (Samsung Pay, etc.) before I bought the phone. Consequently, I've been researching on all issues I think I could face once I move to the UK later this month. Had a few questions about the same, so thought I'd reach out for help here.
a) I understand that Samsung Pay will not be available in the UK on my Indian S22, due to the region lock. Is this correct? To clarify, I don't intend to change the CSC if I'll only be losing Samsung Pay, as I'm sure Google Pay will be sufficient.
b) I understand that UK S22s are Exynos-based and not Snapdragon-based. Therefore, am I correct in assuming that I will be unable to flash UK firmware on my device, due to the SoCs being different?
c) I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. I tried installing Google Pay on my watch, but was unable to find the app on the Play Store. Further reading led me to Google Pay's website, which states that Google Pay for Wear OS is only available in select countries, including the UK, with India not being included. Would I be correct in assuming that once I change the country on my Google account, I will have access to the app on my watch? Also, would the watch automatically have access to apps in the UK once my Google account's country is changed?
d) I understand that the international version of the S22 Ultra (which I believe is the model I'm using) will have no problems connecting to 5G networks in the UK, since most networks in the UK use band 78. Can anyone who's travelled to the UK confirm if they've been able to successfully access 5G networks in the UK on their Indian S22s?
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Grateful for any help I can get!
Cheers!

If your device is SM-S980E which I belive is the Indian & International model , then it will support 5G in UK for sure. Both the European devices & the International ddevices support the same 5G bands , they used to be the same version before.
Samsung pay should work But you won't get Uk exclusive offers
Google pay will work once you travel to UK

Hi OP. I am moving to UK too in a fortnight. Were you able to change the country code?

a b c yes
d likely because Indian (E model) and UK (B model) have same 4G/5G bands.