SM-N9860(HK) or SM-N986N(KR)? - Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Questions & Answers

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...

Related

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

Would this work?

Ok i'm sick of paying 1k for a Samsung exynos phone that's inferior to the SD855 and listening to the SD owners gloating they have a better phone on youtube etc.. I have even heard the Exynos S10 9820 is slower than the S9 SD 845 FFS!
I live in Ireland and we get the Exynos version. So if i went on Samsung USA website and preorder an UNLOCKED Note 10+ by Paypal ( they give that option). Have it sent to my cousins house in the USA ( I'll be visiting in the next couple of months). Put her sim card inside and get her to make that 10 minute call. Bring back to Ireland and good to go?
Micky 22 said:
Ok i'm sick of paying 1k for a Samsung exynos phone that's inferior to the SD855 and listening to the SD owners gloating they have a better phone on youtube etc.. I have even heard the Exynos S10 9820 is slower than the S9 SD 845 FFS!
I live in Ireland and we get the Exynos version. So if i went on Samsung USA website and preorder an UNLOCKED Note 10+ by Paypal ( they give that option). Have it sent to my cousins house in the USA ( I'll be visiting in the next couple of months). Put her sim card inside and get her to make that 10 minute call. Bring back to Ireland and good to go?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see why not... It's an unlocked phone. Just make sure the bands match up with your carrier
Samzebian said:
I don't see why not... It's an unlocked phone. Just make sure the bands match up with your carrier
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. Yeah i have found ( with the S10 phones anyway) that the unlocked versions directly from Samsung USA have the most bands and the ones i need. The carrier branded ATAT and T MOBILE phones have less bands.
Micky 22 said:
Ok i'm sick of paying 1k for a Samsung exynos phone that's inferior to the SD855 and listening to the SD owners gloating they have a better phone on youtube etc.. I have even heard the Exynos S10 9820 is slower than the S9 SD 845 FFS!
I live in Ireland and we get the Exynos version. So if i went on Samsung USA website and preorder an UNLOCKED Note 10+ by Paypal ( they give that option). Have it sent to my cousins house in the USA ( I'll be visiting in the next couple of months). Put her sim card inside and get her to make that 10 minute call. Bring back to Ireland and good to go?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol the note doesnt even use the 9820 its running the new 9825 exynos anyway so your complaint makes no sense.
Also hope you realize the the US snapdragons are all BL locked and the exynos is not.
force70 said:
Lol the note doesnt even use the 9820 its running the new 9825 exynos anyway so your complaint makes no sense.
Also hope you realize the the US snapdragons are all BL locked and the exynos is not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know it uses the 9825 but it's still not up to the 855 and it uses the crap Mali GPU so my " complaint " is a valid one. BL locked? You mean regarding rooting? I have no interest in rooting to be honest.
But do they notice the differences in a real world testing instead of how many it can perform floating point calculus which is totally irrelevant?
If social media subjective opinions matter to you, do the Exynos version also tend to be more battery friendly which is quite more important than the few seconds that it will take to unzip a archive.
(Yes I'm a bit sarcastic.)
Nastrahl said:
But do they notice the differences in a real world testing instead of how many it can perform floating point calculus which is totally irrelevant?
If social media subjective opinions matter to you, do the Exynos version also tend to be more battery friendly which is quite more important than the few seconds that it will take to unzip a archive.
(Yes I'm a bit sarcastic.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the S10+ SD the battery will still have 20% when the exynos version runs out, according to Supersaf on youtube. Anyway the phone will work out cheaper for me from the USA.
Sort of seems like you already know what you want to do. Yeah, long as the bands match up with your carrier, you're good.
Nastrahl said:
But do they notice the differences in a real world testing instead of how many it can perform floating point calculus which is totally irrelevant?
If social media subjective opinions matter to you, do the Exynos version also tend to be more battery friendly which is quite more important than the few seconds that it will take to unzip a archive.
(Yes I'm a bit sarcastic.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you have that a little bit backwards because the Snapdragon version has better battery life than the Exynos. I have the S10+ Snapdragon version just check the forms over there.
force70 said:
Lol the note doesnt even use the 9820 its running the new 9825 exynos anyway so your complaint makes no sense.
Also hope you realize the the US snapdragons are all BL locked and the exynos is not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People still root phones? Man it's like 2011 all over again. Android is pretty mature, I personally haven't had the need for root in like 4 years lol.
The answer to the thread start is quite simply, YES. Simple ask and answer.
Micky 22 said:
Ok i'm sick of paying 1k for a Samsung exynos phone that's inferior to the SD855 and listening to the SD owners gloating they have a better phone on youtube etc.. I have even heard the Exynos S10 9820 is slower than the S9 SD 845 FFS!
I live in Ireland and we get the Exynos version. So if i went on Samsung USA website and preorder an UNLOCKED Note 10+ by Paypal ( they give that option). Have it sent to my cousins house in the USA ( I'll be visiting in the next couple of months). Put her sim card inside and get her to make that 10 minute call. Bring back to Ireland and good to go?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Why would you need to make 10 min call in the USA?
2) The unlocked model has mostly USA CSC codes in the firmware. Which carrier do you use in Ireland?
Semantics said:
People still root phones? Man it's like 2011 all over again. Android is pretty mature, I personally haven't had the need for root in like 4 years lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well this is still XDA and yes there is still lots of development ongoing.
Charkatak said:
1) Why would you need to make 10 min call in the USA?
2) The unlocked model has mostly USA CSC codes in the firmware. Which carrier do you use in Ireland?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Phones from different regions are usually region locked. By using a sim from the country a phone is bought and making a call for approx 10 mins usually unlocks it.
2. Vodafone Ireland.
Micky 22 said:
1. Phones from different regions are usually region locked. By using a sim from the country a phone is bought and making a call for approx 10 mins usually unlocks it.
2. Vodafone Ireland.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, could it be that the "region lock" is mainly for EU countries, as I have not seen this on US unlocked phone, then just were unlocked
The US unlocked models have the following CSC codes in the firmware: ATT, SPR, TMB, TMK, USC, VZW, XAA and a few others. I wounder if the phone's firmware doesn't have sim card's CSC in it, how will the phone properly configure the carrier's features/settings.
I couldn't post the website address, so I am including an image
Charkatak said:
Hmm, could it be that the "region lock" is mainly for EU countries, as I have not seen this on US unlocked phone, then just were unlocked
The US unlocked models have the following CSC codes in the firmware: ATT, SPR, TMB, TMK, USC, VZW, XAA and a few others. I wounder if the phone's firmware doesn't have sim card's CSC in it, how will the phone properly configure the carrier's features/settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All the better if no region lock..
Vodafone Irelands CSC is VDI. However my S10+ is on BTU ( unlocked UK/IRL). The phone works perfectly on BTU ( even VoLTE/VoWiFi works). I had a Note 9 from Asia somewhere and it worked perfectly too (not sure about VoLTE because my network didn't support it at the time...)
I know i may have problems with wifi calling on the USA model but i can live without it. What would the USA unlocked CSC be anyone know?
Micky 22 said:
All the better if no region lock..
Vodafone Irelands CSC is VDI. However my S10+ is on BTU ( unlocked UK/IRL). The phone works perfectly on BTU ( even VoLTE/VoWiFi works). I had a Note 9 from Asia somewhere and it worked perfectly too (not sure about VoLTE because my network didn't support it at the time...)
I know i may have problems with wifi calling on the USA model but i can live without it. What would the USA unlocked CSC be anyone know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is XAA, but once you put in the sim card that is included in the firmware, then it will refresh sim data and activate CSC from the sim. So in my case, I use TMB(T-Mobile) and from XAA, the phone switches to TMB after I put in the sim
Interestingly my carriers network isn't listed in "available CSC codes" on the UK/IRL unlocked model on Phone Info. My girlfriend who is on the same network as me bought a phone through the carrier and it's on the unlocked BTU csc.
force70 said:
Well this is still XDA and yes there is still lots of development ongoing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally understand that. I also realize that the improvements are not nearly as necessary as they used to be when Android was a gross mess and needed Devs to really make it run. It's a mature phone OS and most of the development going on is really minor stuff. I do appreciate that people are still interested in flashing ROM's and things like that, the community stays alive, although not nearly as robust as it used to be.
Micky 22 said:
On the S10+ SD the battery will still have 20% when the exynos version runs out, according to Supersaf on youtube. Anyway the phone will work out cheaper for me from the USA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bp328i said:
I think you have that a little bit backwards because the Snapdragon version has better battery life than the Exynos. I have the S10+ Snapdragon version just check the forms over there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I'm certainly wrong indeed because I only compared with what it is said about the Note 9.
I'm still unsure about if it's really relevant to compare the S with the Notes series. ?

Global rom on Snapdragon N20U version ?

Hello guys,
in my country (france) if i import a N20U with the snapdragon processor, i know for example samsung pay and volte doesn't work and updates software maybe not in same time (and different?), my question is, can i flash a qualcomm version with a global rom intended for the model with exynos processor? and if it's possible samsung pay volte etc work like the europe version after that?
Maybe it's a stupid question but the last time i used odin for flash a phone it's in 2012 so .. ?
alex47310 said:
Hello guys,
in my country (france) if i import a N20U with the snapdragon processor, i know for example samsung pay and volte doesn't work and updates software maybe not in same time (and different?), my question is, can i flash a qualcomm version with a global rom intended for the model with exynos processor? and if it's possible samsung pay volte etc work like the europe version after that?
Maybe it's a stupid question but the last time i used odin for flash a phone it's in 2012 so ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) I wouldn't assume that Samsung pay and VoLTE wouldn't work - it's actually likely they would, as Samsung Pay appears to work if the phone's CSC is for a country/region with Samsung Pay, and VoLTE appears to work if the phone has your carrier's frequencies and your carrier supports it;
2) Short answer is no, you can't flash an Exynos ROM on a Snapdragon model;
3) if your goal is to get a Note 20 with the Snapdragon processor, I would suggest you also check out the thread on the HK SM-N9860.
jtOttawa said:
1) I wouldn't assume that Samsung pay and VoLTE wouldn't work - it's actually likely they would, as Samsung Pay appears to work if the phone's CSC is for a country/region with Samsung Pay, and VoLTE appears to work if the phone has your carrier's frequencies and your carrier supports it;
2) Short answer is no, you can't flash an Exynos ROM on a Snapdragon model;
3) if your goal is to get a Note 20 with the Snapdragon processor, I would suggest you also check out the thread on the HK SM-N9860.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your answer
alex47310 said:
Thanks for your answer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope it is helpful. I would add that while Samsung Pay likely would work in France using a U.S. N20U, it would be the U.S. version of Samsung Pay, and therefore not all cards from France would necessarily work with it, as again, Samsung Pay appears to be inextricably linked to the phone's CSC (country-specific code).
That said, as you will see in the thread on the HK SM-N9860, users are reporting good success with Samsung Pay outside of HK, for example.
Would welcome others weighing in on the compatibility and pros/cons of different ROMs with the various models of Note, as my knowledge is very limited in that regard.
alex47310 said:
Hello guys,
in my country (france) if i import a N20U with the snapdragon processor, i know for example samsung pay and volte doesn't work and updates software maybe not in same time (and different?), my question is, can i flash a qualcomm version with a global rom intended for the model with exynos processor? and if it's possible samsung pay volte etc work like the europe version after that?
Maybe it's a stupid question but the last time i used odin for flash a phone it's in 2012 so ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in the UK and volte works perfectly. I tried with 2 different mobile operators. The same with wifi calling. Samsung Pay also works perfectly, it just displays Chinese promos.
jtOttawa said:
Hope it is helpful. I would add that while Samsung Pay likely would work in France using a U.S. N20U, it would be the U.S. version of Samsung Pay, and therefore not all cards from France would necessarily work with it, as again, Samsung Pay appears to be inextricably linked to the phone's CSC (country-specific code).
That said, as you will see in the thread on the HK SM-N9860, users are reporting good success with Samsung Pay outside of HK, for example.
Would welcome others weighing in on the compatibility and pros/cons of different ROMs with the various models of Note, as my knowledge is very limited in that regard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for all precisions, i will check the threads about this model
VirtualWaver said:
I live in the UK and volte works perfectly. I tried with 2 different mobile operators. The same with wifi calling. Samsung Pay also works perfectly, it just displays Chinese promos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
chinese promos ? on samsung pay you mean ? you have the SM-9860 ?
alex47310 said:
chinese promos ? on samsung pay you mean ? you have the SM-9860 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just until VirtualWaver replies, that's right - because it is the HK version of Samsung Pay on that model. His point was that he was using it successfully outside of HK, in the UK.
The key differences between the HK model and the N20U you are considering (apart from US vs HK Samsung Pay) is the HK model is dual-SIM, and comes with 256 GB of storage (versus the US base model's 128 GB).
Note as well the discussions in the threads about getting 5G on the HK model, which may be problematic.
alex47310 said:
chinese promos ? on samsung pay you mean ? you have the SM-9860 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, promos related to country of CSC (Hong Kong in my case) - see the attached screenshot.
I have SM-9860 imported from Hong Kong (via Wondamobile).
All works great, only Hong Kong related ads in the app instead of your local ads and it doesn't allow to use UK transport card, only Smart Octopus (HK travel card) but this is only to touch in in transport without turning on the phone - you can still touch in and pay in public transport by swapping to Samsung Pay in lock screen and authorising the payment via biometrics.
I added my UK bank card and a few store cards and they all work flawlessly.
Confirmed Samsung Pay worked in Canada too ( SM-N9860 ), however not anymore since I rooted
inningsdefeat500 said:
Confirmed Samsung Pay worked in Canada too ( SM-N9860 ), however not anymore since I rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is 5G working for you?
jtOttawa said:
Is 5G working for you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't tested but cannot right? but due to bands
jtOttawa said:
Hope it is helpful. I would add that while Samsung Pay likely would work in France using a U.S. N20U, it would be the U.S. version of Samsung Pay, and therefore not all cards from France would necessarily work with it, as again, Samsung Pay appears to be inextricably linked to the phone's CSC (country-specific code).
That said, as you will see in the thread on the HK SM-N9860, users are reporting good success with Samsung Pay outside of HK, for example.
Would welcome others weighing in on the compatibility and pros/cons of different ROMs with the various models of Note, as my knowledge is very limited in that regard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it's helpful
This csc is annoying because the phone will have updates at the same time as China and I read that the updates are really later than in France
VirtualWaver said:
Yes, promos related to country of CSC (Hong Kong in my case) - see the attached screenshot.
I have SM-9860 imported from Hong Kong (via Wondamobile).
All works great, only Hong Kong related ads in the app instead of your local ads and it doesn't allow to use UK transport card, only Smart Octopus (HK travel card) but this is only to touch in in transport without turning on the phone - you can still touch in and pay in public transport by swapping to Samsung Pay in lock screen and authorising the payment via biometrics.
I added my UK bank card and a few store cards and they all work flawlessly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok i see it's not a big problem for adds if it's just in samsung pay , i saw a lot that website ( wondamobile ) on forums, it's seems more serious than sellers on rakuten, i'm just a little bit scare about warranty

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
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 S22 Ultra esim enable TGY csc

Hello all, new here! Never rooted a device, I'm very technical and confident but would like to ask the question as to why I'm looking to root or change CSC.
Currently my S22 ultra 512 is a Dual sim Hong Kong purchased device. TGY is the current CSC, basically I'd like to use the esim option and phones sold in Asia specifically China, Hong Kong & Macau at least I'm told have this disabled. My note20 ultra dual sim is the same. By changing csc/firmware can I enable this feature that other s22s have? Basically is there another s22 with identical hardware dual SIM and all that I can put on the phone that will enable this feature? I'd like call recordeding if possible as a phone feature rather app but it's not important. I'll attach screen shots of what versions I currently have. Sorry if I'm asking the wrong questions I'm technical but new to android rooting.. Willing to PayPal or donate to anyone who can assist me through the process. SM-S9080 TGY I know the Taiwan sold device is basically the same hardware but have not received a clear answer if esim is enabled, thinking no but figured I'd mention it. I'd also like to do the same to my Note20 Ultra. Thanks in advance
Watching
I think SM-S908E/DS is the same hardware
Dual sim snapdragon variant for midd&le east
hoss_n2 said:
I think SM-S908E/DS is the same hardware
Dual sim snapdragon variant for midd&le east
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, so worth a try? I'm fairly worried and willing to pay for advice. Rather not brick my phone .. [email protected]
Or WhatsApp is +85254440929
Appreciate the quick response.
I'm hoping this works out, I assume if it does my Note 20 ultra 512g dual sim hk spec phone will to using the same principle?
hoss_n2 said:
I think SM-S908E/DS is the same hardware
Dual sim snapdragon variant for midd&le east
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would there be any issues using a UAE CSC such as XSG? Or would another CSC be suggested? I'm aware that in parts of UAE you can not use WhatsApp or equivalent calling ect? Sorry for the basic questions, last one lol.. Doing this will root the phone or just change the software?
Thank you kindly
12453RS3 said:
Would there be any issues using a UAE CSC such as XSG? Or would another CSC be suggested? I'm aware that in parts of UAE you can not use WhatsApp or equivalent calling ect? Sorry for the basic questions, last one lol.. Doing this will root the phone or just change the software?
Thank you kindly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Egy csc have call recording , but this is only valid for s22 ultra because both are snapdragon , for note 20 ultra different hardware
12453RS3 said:
Would there be any issues using a UAE CSC such as XSG? Or would another CSC be suggested? I'm aware that in parts of UAE you can not use WhatsApp or equivalent calling ect? Sorry for the basic questions, last one lol.. Doing this will root the phone or just change the software?
Thank you kindly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Guys, someone can confirm if CSC TGY have esim activated on S22 ultra SM-S9080? o wich carrier could have it?
I'm having exactly the same issue... just tried out the HK and CN variant. Both don't an eSIM support.
However, I've also read somewhere that Samsung has "dropped" the eSim support in on of the recent Firmware versions, because the had too much trouble with that.
So the quesetion is: Is this a regional issue (e.g. TGY, etc.) or is is a "Version" issue (e.g. an earlier version still might have it)
Best!
hoss_n2 said:
I think SM-S908E/DS is the same hardware
Dual sim snapdragon variant for midd&le east
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi i have a s9080 hk model and tried flashing the s908e/ds firmware through odin buy kept getting failed partition error
i want to share my experience with my note9, it was the N variant - South Korea, i had network issues in which case i had to root my phone and install a custom rom which had csc of my country and i worked great.
if you could do with a rooted phone follow this:
1. check if your phone is listed as rootable.
2. check if your phone has a custom rom:
if YES you could see or ask for what you need ( in the Rom's forum or the developer).
if NO wait and keep researching.
dont flash another region firmware even if its the "same phone" you might break the phone.
Okay, quick info: I've flashed all three regions (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan) on the SM-S9080 (current firmware versions june to Sep) and none of them have eSIM support.
This is really annoying - especially when all the offical samsung websites praise that the phone supports esim.
I'm personally pretty pissed off and the key reason is that I know that other users of the same phone in other regions of the world can use it and I'm not able to do this, because the programmers just want to make their lives easy and "silently" drop this feature from the firmware.
Something similar happened about 15 years back with a Sony device and since then I've never ever bought anything from Sony again (neither phone nor anything else). So the same is probably going to happen with Samsung.
SamLux said:
Okay, quick info: I've flashed all three regions (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan) on the SM-S9080 (current firmware versions june to Sep) and none of them have eSIM support.
This is really annoying - especially when all the offical samsung websites praise that the phone supports esim.
I'm personally pretty pissed off and the key reason is that I know that other users of the same phone in other regions of the world can use it and I'm not able to do this, because the programmers just want to make their lives easy and "silently" drop this feature from the firmware.
Something similar happened about 15 years back with a Sony device and since then I've never ever bought anything from Sony again (neither phone nor anything else). So the same is probably going to happen with Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you flash a different CSC, I read that since basically the firmware reads your sim, grabs the CSC from that, that if you leave it out, on the boot up screen before you start the setup, you can hold Volume down, I believe or some button combo to skip through set up so you don't need a SIM to complete it.. then you have the actual firmwares original CSC and not the one that was read from your SIM card.. Cuz if not no matter what firm u are you flashing, if your SIM card is in there and you run set up it's going to go by that. The firms are supposedly all the same but what's changes is the CSC each time.. now overseas, United States, snapdragon vs Exyno it's a different story. They do have different firmware's...
But I do know that the phones are basically all universally the same all the same hardware but it's the firmware the software that does all the matter of difference... Including the bootloader for instance. We all have the same hardware but I can't unlock mine it's software there that can do it.. if I find the site up forward it for you.. have you gone into the service mode after enabling it? There's a bunch of crap you can do in there that has to do with antennas and SIM cards and ESIM stuff you might just need to enable something.
soyelreyy said:
When you flash a different CSC, I read that since basically the firmware reads your sim, grabs the CSC from that, that if you leave it out, on the boot up screen before you start the setup, you can hold Volume down, I believe or some button combo to skip through set up so you don't need a SIM to complete it.. then you have the actual firmwares original CSC and not the one that was read from your SIM card.. Cuz if not no matter what firm u are you flashing, if your SIM card is in there and you run set up it's going to go by that. The firms are supposedly all the same but what's changes is the CSC each time.. now overseas, United States, snapdragon vs Exyno it's a different story. They do have different firmware's...
But I do know that the phones are basically all universally the same all the same hardware but it's the firmware the software that does all the matter of difference... Including the bootloader for instance. We all have the same hardware but I can't unlock mine it's software there that can do it.. if I find the site up forward it for you.. have you gone into the service mode after enabling it? There's a bunch of crap you can do in there that has to do with antennas and SIM cards and ESIM stuff you might just need to enable something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I've (think to have) learned so far:
There are two different hardware combinations: (a) the snapdragon variant and (b) the Exynos combination. For each combination, there are differernt firmwares available
Each firmware (e.g. SN-S9080) is a special combination of modem-settings, software configuration, etc. that is geared to optimize the phone performance and battery consumption
For each firmware, you have then certain CSC variants, wihch then further add which apps are available, etc. (for example in the Taiwan variant, Google is available, while in the China Mainlaind variant it is not)
During the first-time installation process, you can choose the language of the phone (and maybe also the CSC), but you can't change the firmware
Therefore, my problem is this: I've tried all the CSCs which are available for m firmware (SN-S9080) but none has eSIM support. Now I want to flash a differetn firmware (e.g the SM-S908E firnware), but Odin currently doesn't let me flash this onto my phone.
Does anyone have a guidline of how to flash a SN90E firmware onto a phone which currently runs a SN-S9080 firmware?
Best!
SamLux said:
What I've (think to have) learned so far:
There are two different hardware combinations: (a) the snapdragon variant and (b) the Exynos combination. For each combination, there are differernt firmwares available
Each firmware (e.g. SN-S9080) is a special combination of modem-settings, software configuration, etc. that is geared to optimize the phone performance and battery consumption
For each firmware, you have then certain CSC variants, wihch then further add which apps are available, etc. (for example in the Taiwan variant, Google is available, while in the China Mainlaind variant it is not)
During the first-time installation process, you can choose the language of the phone (and maybe also the CSC), but you can't change the firmware
Therefore, my problem is this: I've tried all the CSCs which are available for m firmware (SN-S9080) but none has eSIM support. Now I want to flash a differetn firmware (e.g the SM-S908E firnware), but Odin currently doesn't let me flash this onto my phone.
Does anyone have a guidline of how to flash a SN90E firmware onto a phone which currently runs a SN-S9080 firmware?
Best!
Click to expand...
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i think the chinese s9080 is locked down only because you cant flash other firmware like other models most secret codes like to change bands dont work and this model took agesto get one ui 5.0 update
Well, I can flash different CSC variants, e.g. the Taiwan or the HK variant (and these are not multi-CSC firmwares, but seperate files).
However, does anyone have an idea of how to flash e.g. the S908E firmware onto a phone that is currently running S9080?
I was able to flash all files of the S9080 variant (including BL - the boot loader), so that means that the phone is *not* locked, right?
I've tried to click the repartitioning option (because the S908E is bigger than the S9080), but that also didn't help.
Do I maybe really need need to "root" the phone first for flashing another firmware? This doesn't sound logicall, so I tried to avoid rooting so far ...
Any ideas or a link to a "how to" is warmly welcome ...
soyelreyy said:
When you flash a different CSC, I read that since basically the firmware reads your sim, grabs the CSC from that, that if you leave it out, on the boot up screen before you start the setup, you can hold Volume down, I believe or some button combo to skip through set up so you don't need a SIM to complete it.. then you have the actual firmwares original CSC and not the one that was read from your SIM card.. Cuz if not no matter what firm u are you flashing, if your SIM card is in there and you run set up it's going to go by that. The firms are supposedly all the same but what's changes is the CSC each time.. now overseas, United States, snapdragon vs Exyno it's a different story. They do have different firmware's...
But I do know that the phones are basically all universally the same all the same hardware but it's the firmware the software that does all the matter of difference... Including the bootloader for instance. We all have the same hardware but I can't unlock mine it's software there that can do it.. if I find the site up forward it for you.. have you gone into the service mode after enabling it? There's a bunch of crap you can do in there that has to do with antennas and SIM cards and ESIM stuff you might just need to enable something.
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Click to collapse
with an without SIM card didn't make a dfference. The firmware files for 9080 are all single CSCs anyway.
So after more than five weeks of trying around, I finally have to say that it seems impossible to enable eSIM on a 9080 (i.e. the version bought in China).
I've tried so many things by now (the VN Rom, the Dr Ketan Rom, switching CSC to Hong Kong or Taiwan, etc.).
So my conclusion is this: You have two options
a) Don't buy a Samsung Galaxy phone at all
b) If you really want to by a Samsung, then buy on from a region where there are the least restrictions on your firmware in the first place.
Everything afterwards turns into frustration.

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