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I'm through with Samsung and their junk!

For anyone wanting to know if they should by a Galaxy S phone or not here is my 2 cents worth. The phone has decent hardware, except maybe for the GPS. The screen is the best I've ever used.
So much for the good stuff. If you are one of those users who reloads phone ROMs every week then by all means, this is the phone for you. If you are a user who wants to buy a phone that does what it is advertised to do then STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE!!!
The first requirement for a phone on my list is to be able to syncronize AT LEAST my contact list. If all you use is Google then you are one of the lucky ones. If you want to syncronize with Outlook you will have better luck buying lottery tickets. I've tried to syncronize 2 different Captivate phones with 5 different computers. On 2 of the computers I was ably to get the phone to sync one time on each computer. The rest of the times it ranges from the phone saying it is connected and the computer constantly looking for a connection to the Samsung software not even running. After spending more than 3 hours with Samsung Tech support, both tier 1 and tier 2, the final resolution was this: We are sorry but Samsung does not support Kies and syncronizing in North America! So if I move to say, Vietnam, Samsung will help me but since I live in North America I'm screwed? Are you kidding me? They recommended going to the Android Market and buying software that will let me do what I want. This isn't even an option for me though since I cannot even get the Samsung USB drivers to load. No amount of aftermarket software is going to fix that but obviously Samsung got my money already so it's not their problem anymore.
I guess this is the way the world works anymore. We already got your money so screw you! That's OK. I'll buy many more electronic devices in my life. Many may be good and many may be bad but I do know one thing...none will ever be Samsung again!!!!!

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Every phone has flaws, and the samsung rep gave the best info available. This phone was never advertised to sync to outlook, nor is it possible to sync it with stock. If you want to sync outlook, google for apps to do that. To say that this phone is junk simply because it won't fit your exact needs is just greedy. If you want a phone that is specifically for business out of the box, then get a blackberry. Crying about what your phone cant do is pointless, go google around and fix it rather than complain.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

iRetard said:
Every phone has flaws, and the samsung rep gave the best info available. This phone was never advertised to sync to outlook, nor is it possible to sync it with stock. If you want to sync outlook, google for apps to do that. To say that this phone is junk simply because it won't fit your exact needs is just greedy. If you want a phone that is specifically for business out of the box, then get a blackberry. Crying about what your phone cant do is pointless, go google around and fix it rather than complain.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, winmo or bb. Sell the phone and get a wp7 in a month and a half.
From a phone on an app

Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. Sour people like this don't know what they have.... go talk to an iphone user with dropped calls and crappy data.... phone is great and works well with exchange. Sure gps could be better but this phone is easily the best phone i have seen and owned.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

I came from an iphone to the captivate. I use this phone for business and it works just fine. I don't rely on my phone for important e-mail, rather I forward from my mail server to my gmail account. It would be foolish for anyone to rely on a phone exclusively for anything of great importance. I took the time to add all of my regular contacts(300+) to my gmail account and eliminated the problem of synchronization with outlook. After the update, my GPS works just fine, but I do have a real gps in my truck if needed. I don't expect my 200.00 phone to replace A real GPS unit(200.00), a real computer(1200.00 give or take) and thousands in software. I only expect it to compliment them and it does this nicely. I enjoy this phone much more than my old iphone or blackberry.
And FWIW, my Samsung BluRay player and TV work great!

I'm just happy that ATT finally got around to offering a high-end Android handset. I waited for so long with my iPhone 3G. I followed press-releases up to the launch of the Galaxy S line, and on launch day went and bought my phone. I also got one for my GF. We both love our phones. Not that they don't have their issues, but I've never had a phone that didn't have some kind of issues.
My GPS works SOMETIMES, which is ok by me as I don't need it all the time, and I can always just look at the maps which are always available if I'm really in a pinch. The only real complaint I have about this phone is the Touchwiz UI. I didn't dump my iPhone to get something thats trying to be an iPhone...but thats ok as ROMs will take care of that!
You can spend your whole life searching for a phone or consumer electronic device that doesn't have problems. They will all encounter issues at one point or another. My next handset will probably be an HTC, but that doesn't mean I'd completely swear off Samsung all together.
Finally, in us coming together and trying to figure out all these problems and ways to improve our phones we are embracing what Android is all about. I like learning about this stuff and trying different things with my phone. If I wanted something that a 3 year old could use, I'd go back to the iPhone.

nooomoto said:
I'm just happy that ATT finally got around to offering a high-end Android handset. I waited for so long with my iPhone 3G. I followed press-releases up to the launch of the Galaxy S line, and on launch day went and bought my phone. I also got one for my GF. We both love our phones. Not that they don't have their issues, but I've never had a phone that didn't have some kind of issues.
My GPS works SOMETIMES, which is ok by me as I don't need it all the time, and I can always just look at the maps which are always available if I'm really in a pinch. The only real complaint I have about this phone is the Touchwiz UI. I didn't dump my iPhone to get something thats trying to be an iPhone...but thats ok as ROMs will take care of that!
You can spend your whole life searching for a phone or consumer electronic device that doesn't have problems. They will all encounter issues at one point or another. My next handset will probably be an HTC, but that doesn't mean I'd completely swear off Samsung all together.
Finally, in us coming together and trying to figure out all these problems and ways to improve our phones we are embracing what Android is all about. I like learning about this stuff and trying different things with my phone. If I wanted something that a 3 year old could use, I'd go back to the iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wanted to mention that you do not have to root and flash ROMS to get out of TouchWiz UI. You can install another launcher like TouchPro which I use and is the best for customizing away from the iPhone feel if you like.

Love threads like this, especially when it is the OP's first post.

Samsung Homers
Flame all you want but when the ATT rep selling me the phone says it will sync I firmly believe it is my right to expect it to sync. If Samsung isn't going to support my phone why make me waste 3 hours talking to them before they tell me to go away. You are free to do as you please but I am also free to let others know what to expect before they make a purchase. Newbies beware. You would be well advised not to listen to only me or these others who would lead you to belive it is the best phone you can buy.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST!!
One thing is for sure. SAMSUNG WILL NOT SUPPORT YOU IF YOU LIVE IN NORTH AMERICA. If you do not believe me then go to Samsungs website and download the Kies app. NOTE: You will have to switch to a region outside of North America to even get to the download. Look through the forums. Other posts will also show this same thing. Once you install Kies, after you finally can find it, then try to go to the Android Market in the app. It will tell you it is not supported in your region. Once you buy this phone you are on your own supporting yourself.
I do think it is funny that you flamers are suggesting if I want a phone that really works I should by WinMo or Blackberry.

Sounds more like it should be " I'm through with AT&T and their crap"
So you listened to an AT&T rep about what a phone could do, the phone didn't do it, so you blame the phone? Why not blame the AT&T rep for lying to you, it's not the phones fault.
I do think it is funny that you flamers are suggesting if I want a phone that really works I should by WinMo or Blackberry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All the things you've complained about are fixable, and most all of them with quick app downloads. This will be the same thing for all Android phones, if it's not there, an app is probably made for it anyways. You seem to be too lazy to look for ways to customize your Android phone for what you need, or even research it, so a different phone OS is probably best for you.

I am wondering what phone you will be going to from the captivate.
As i said before, android is for people who like to read manuals, or who know and take the time to program a universal remote. If you don't have patience for that stuff stick with an iphone.
I am loving my captivate with ssh, rdp, vnc, logmein, vpn, keyring, canon printing from my phone... list goes on and on...
These phones are just like blackberries, it is pretty hard to brick them.. so what can't you figure out here, that you would need to call them about?
still easily the best phone i have ever seen or used to date, and after killing the phone all day with 4+ hours of talk, web, twitdroid, weatherbug, facebook, gps, etc.. I still charge at night with about 30% battery life...
I am one happy dood.

I think most of you are being a little harsh with this guy. This guy expects a good experience out of the box and he didn't get it. Whether it was lack of knowledge, something someone told him, whatever. Having been in the technical support business most my life, I expect things to not work as I want even before I get my new phone. I research the issues in the forums expecting to come across them before my new phone is in my hands. It really shouldn't be this way. Perfect example is GPS. This didn't work properly out of the box for MOST people including myself. How can you release anything where a major feature just simply does not work? And on top of that, take over 2 months to come out with an update where no one knows for sure if it was addressed or not? And further, the update fails for most people? And even bricks phones? What happens when an update is forced on you, you are out of warranty and your phone is bricked? This seems like a big problem to me.
I just got my phone and I love it. But I am one that is skeptical on owning another Samsung phone again. My update failed at 100% and I am happy that my phone was not fried. My GPS is now working thank goodness but the failed update has me concerned. What happens when Froyo update comes out? I suspect we will be here again with 1000 threads on how the update fried phones. All issues I blame Samsung, they need to control these updates and take responsibility for failures. Calling ATT for an update failure should automatically send you to Samsung where they need to resolve the issue regardless. If that is a replacing the phone, so be it. ATT and Samsung pointing fingers at each other will not resolve the actual issue or even help to figure out what the issue is. Instead of pointing fingers, technical support should be gathering information and log files, isolate the problem, and come up with a fix. That does not seem to be happening in my opinion.
And on top of all this, there needs to be a supported way to restore the phone back to factory OS regardless of what you do to it. We can do this with our Windows OS! And ODIN does not count. If you flash that to JH6 and try to update, you get 50% failure so that is not a true restore.
I would expect better from a device that is $500+ with no carrier commitment.

well it is easier for a windows device to talk to a windows device.
not so much for linux and windows.
that, not the gps is this phones biggest flaw.(in my opinion)
just hope they got this bug worked out of the tab

keitht said:
Just wanted to mention that you do not have to root and flash ROMS to get out of TouchWiz UI. You can install another launcher like TouchPro which I use and is the best for customizing away from the iPhone feel if you like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I checked out the launchers and decided on ADW Launcher. What a difference!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

catfan said:
for anyone wanting to know if they should by a galaxy s phone or not here is my 2 cents worth. The phone has decent hardware, except maybe for the gps. The screen is the best i've ever used.
So much for the good stuff. If you are one of those users who reloads phone roms every week then by all means, this is the phone for you. If you are a user who wants to buy a phone that does what it is advertised to do then stay away from this one!!!
The first requirement for a phone on my list is to be able to syncronize at least my contact list. If all you use is google then you are one of the lucky ones. If you want to syncronize with outlook you will have better luck buying lottery tickets. I've tried to syncronize 2 different captivate phones with 5 different computers. On 2 of the computers i was ably to get the phone to sync one time on each computer. The rest of the times it ranges from the phone saying it is connected and the computer constantly looking for a connection to the samsung software not even running. After spending more than 3 hours with samsung tech support, both tier 1 and tier 2, the final resolution was this: We are sorry but samsung does not support kies and syncronizing in north america! So if i move to say, vietnam, samsung will help me but since i live in north america i'm screwed? Are you kidding me? They recommended going to the android market and buying software that will let me do what i want. This isn't even an option for me though since i cannot even get the samsung usb drivers to load. No amount of aftermarket software is going to fix that but obviously samsung got my money already so it's not their problem anymore.
I guess this is the way the world works anymore. We already got your money so screw you! That's ok. I'll buy many more electronic devices in my life. Many may be good and many may be bad but i do know one thing...none will ever be samsung again!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
godbless you my brother

Ok just go die a happy death ,att/sam/craptivate

Oma fuhreekin gawd!! Finally someone who understands how much this phone sucks!! I was under the impression this phone would do EVERYTHING.
Well i don't want to try and sell my phone and buy another phone. Let me start and write a long ass story on how my phone ruined my life.
My life sucks and Im alone and my phone isn't filling that void. So i was sold this phone had many free apps to do whatever i want. So i tried when i bought this phone.
Heres my story about that.
I want my phone to be my bestfriend. So i found this app and it talk back to me when i talk to it. But it only speaks spanish. I've been ok with it for the first 30 days i owned the phone, but now its really starting to piss me off and i can't take it back because i waited til after 30 days. If i wanted a phone that speaks spanish i wouldn't have bought this! I want an English phone. Too late, screw you Samsung!
I don't want to have to use apps to make my phone better. I don't even want to mod it a little. Even if it makes it amazing. I want it to be perfect when its out of the box. And only want to use it. No apps. You know what i mean.
Im impatient because my life sucks and i can't wait for updates.
And btw wtf My PHONE doesn't do all the same things my computer does. I hate this.
And like i said, i was under the impression this phone does everything..
Well. It has yet to tie my fawkin shoes. So fawk this phone!!
Can i get a fistpump!!?!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

jasonyump said:
Oma fuhreekin gawd!! Finally someone who understands how much this phone sucks!! I was under the impression this phone would do EVERYTHING.
Well i don't want to try and sell my phone and buy another phone. Let me start and write a long ass story on how my phone ruined my life.
My life sucks and Im alone and my phone isn't filling that void. So i was sold this phone had many free apps to do whatever i want. So i tried when i bought this phone.
Heres my story about that.
I want my phone to be my bestfriend. So i found this app and it talk back to me when i talk to it. But it only speaks spanish. I've been ok with it for the first 30 days i owned the phone, but now its really starting to piss me off and i can't take it back because i waited til after 30 days. If i wanted a phone that speaks spanish i wouldn't have bought this! I want an English phone. Too late, screw you Samsung!
I don't want to have to use apps to make my phone better. I don't even want to mod it a little. Even if it makes it amazing. I want it to be perfect when its out of the box. And only want to use it. No apps. You know what i mean.
Im impatient because my life sucks and i can't wait for updates.
And btw wtf My PHONE doesn't do all the same things my computer does. I hate this.
And like i said, i was under the impression this phone does everything..
Well. It has yet to tie my fawkin shoes. So fawk this phone!!
Can i get a fistpump!!?!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.... lol

keitht said:
This guy expects a good experience out of the box and he didn't get it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never seen a powerful multi-use electronic device that has worked perfectly the way it's wanted right out of the box though. A computer does not come with software and accessories. An ipod has never come full of the music you want. A camera doesn't come with the batteries, cards and lenses.
Accessories and add-ons are always needed to customize a device to one's own use. It requires a lot more set up than out of the box.
I respect when someone does not like or recommend something they've used, tried to get it to work right, and could not get it working. We all know that most major companies have horrible customer service, who don't know what they're talking about. But to hate a device and write about it because it doesn't meet the customized standards you want right of the box?
This is what this forum is for. Troubleshooting and creating, without the need of the large companies telling us what to do. He hasn't asked anyone here if there is a solution to the problem, or tried to get help. Even in this thread someone got help with something they wanted changed. People around here are eager to find solutions to problems we have.
I understand not liking the phone out of the box. But the problem is with not understanding the OS, apps, and also an AT&T rep. It may have needed a little research, but usually any high-end electronic device does. This is like me buying a Canon 1D dslr, and saying that it's crap because it doesn't fit the lenses I already have, and someone said my SD card would fit in it, but it doesn't...

[Q] Upgrade/Downgrade/headaches.

This is my first post here so please be gentle. I have a Note pro 12.2 (p900/WiFi) tablet that I purchased last year after 2 months of reading/doing research/and hands on between it and the Surface3 pro. Biggest problem was I had to go to Florida to actually get my hands on a Pro because no one in the tri state area (MD/PA/NJ) had it in stock or even as a display. And when I bought it i HAD to order it.
Past all that, the Note has been invaluable to me, 64GB plus 128GB card. I use it every day, 8-12 hours minimum. I have not rooted it because I am worried about support. I also have a Note 3 running 4.4.2 - I turned off the auto updates and have refused to allow the upgrade to Lollipop on that device because of all the problems I have been reading about. That device works perfectly. My wife's first S4 did and auto update which completely messed up that phone. So I have experience trying to get those children at the Sprint store to try to help. _anyway, I digress. Today, I checked, an update is available for the Note Pro (+1GB file to download by the looks of it) I would not mind trying it but first I want to do a complete backup snapshot of my device. Just like I do on my pc's and laptops. For example, I use Clonezilla and can image the whole thing, perfectly, and restore it COMPLETELY - at will. I have not found ANY tool that allows me to do that to ANY android device. It is like I am being help hostage. I hate it.
1. I want to be able to get a complete (Clonezilla style image) of my NOTE PRO and I want to be able to restore that should the Lollipop experience be Lollypoop.
2. I want to be able to capture that snapshot of the device with all its settings intact - including the Knox
Can this be done? What tool is there that allows a real complete snapshot of an android device and allows you to restore a previous or older version, SHOULD I CHOOSE TO (from 5.02 to 4.4.2 - something the Sprint children told me is not possible with android)
Any useful help and pointing into a direction that can do this would be greatly appreciated. I know that I am not alone in this frustration with Google forcibly controlling EVERYTHING ( I was livid last year when my Notes upgraded to 4.4.2 and I lost the ability to write to the external card on nearly every app that I had paid for, even sent multiple e-mails to Samsung, to no avail)

Following along
I'm curious about whether that is possible as well beyond a nandroid backup. I'm not likely to upgrade to the 5.02 firmware because I have the logitech keyboard case. If
I've been an XDA member for nearly 7 years, but I don't usually ask much in the way of questions. I hardly post at all, actually. I can usually find my answers by searching and reading the forums. This is my first Samsung device (I've always had either Nexus or HTC phones. & Nexus tablets) and I find working with it to be kind of frustrating. I've kept it stock at 4.4 because it works 95% of the time. The only problem I have is with wifi at times.
I'd like to put an alternate ROM on it and find a way to keep most of the S-pen functionality, but so far the array of "X works, but Y" doesn't info associated with various roms I've read about is daunting.

serious lack of understqnding
Can you imagine, making an upgrade and blowing out a major manufacturer like Logitec? Not some hokum chinese knockoff, but a name brand. This is exactly what is wrong with android. It seems inexperienced and oblivious children are driving it. That is one of the major reasons android was lacking serious professional support and respect all these years. Making boneheaded decisions that destroy existing functionality, for what? A new color scheme? A flat screen lay out? Really, thats what we need?
And when they PUSH the upgrades, its like you are trapped. A cloned backup and the ability to restore to a previous good setup is absolutely essential. I have looked at all these mods of the kernel and tweaks, etc. The fact is that NONE of them have 100% functionality. You always lose something, sometimes a lot. And the gains do not seem to be worth destroying the stock setup. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CAN NOT UNDO IT.
The loss of direct access to external sd cards for example, because google is pushing phones with no external sd slots. Really? I avoided apple products EXACTLY because there was no expansion slot. Then google goes and kills it.
Here is a suggestion. NOT ALL DEVICES ARE PHONES. Tablets have been around for years. Enough already with phone upgrades for tablets. Tablets should have their own firmware and operating system.
Here is a novel idea. You want loyal customers? Give them what they are clamoring for. Give them the ability to save their systems. Then upgrade fo your hearts content. BUT IF IT IS A CRAP UPGRADE. Allow them to undo it. Think about how much less bad feedback and emergency support you can avoid. Thats real dollars being save.
And by the way, as unresponsive as Samsung has been, they see the writing on the wall. Android on Samsung devices is heading the way of the dodo. Some skinned version of a tablet/phone linux replacement is coming. It will be one of the first major rejections of google power grab by a major player in the market.
So give us the ability to backup our systems. WITHOUT HAVING TO ROOT, when even that does not guarantee 100% sucess

and the list grows
Judging by the slew of problems, an ever increasing list, Lollipoop is so not a worthwhile upgrade. This is exactly why we need to be able to snapshot/backup the complete system BEFORE ANY UPDATES.
After two days of waiting, it is disappointing to me that no answer has been posted. I thought if any place had it it would be here. I might be wrong.

globalsearch said:
Judging by the slew of problems, an ever increasing list, Lollipoop is so not a worthwhile upgrade. This is exactly why we need to be able to snapshot/backup the complete system BEFORE ANY UPDATES.
After two days of waiting, it is disappointing to me that no answer has been posted. I thought if any place had it it would be here. I might be wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As you've guessed, you're basically looking for an answer that doesn't exist, at least not the specific one you want. The one you don't? . . . Root and install custom recovery? . . that's the only answer at this point . . and yes it trips Knox . . it is what it is . . Trust me, you're not the first or only person to lament about the situation. I've been up on my own soap box many times too.

ah..
muzzy996 said:
As you've guessed, you're basically looking for an answer that doesn't exist, at least not the specific one you want. The one you don't? . . . Root and install custom recovery? . . that's the only answer at this point . . and yes it trips Knox . . it is what it is . . Trust me, you're not the first or only person to lament about the situation. I've been up on my own soap box many times too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a premonition, considering how no one touched my question. You can get a lot of answers by just by asking the right question, even when they don't answer.
As long as Android remains attached to this childish, closed sandbox and its restrictions, then its days are numbered. From the standpoint of a business owner, if I was a major company with product in the pipeline that needs something to run as the basic operating system, I WOULD BE LOOKING SOMEPLACE ELSE.
Google is not the end-all be-all of software. There were other operating systems before them and there will be operating systems after they move into the dustbin of history. I hope they are paying attention here. I personally have been in the field since the mid-70's, I see a strong pattern here.
Anyway, thank you for flipping on the light bulb. I will contain my rage and re-direct it to something more productive (like those dweebs at Papyrus - jesus)

I was searching the forum looking for an answer to something like this... I have to say, I'm also shocked there have no answers given
regarding Knox... no you cannot restore that under any circumstances.
snapshot of everything else... yes and no. you cannot snapshot (aka nandroid aka twrp backup) your bootloader or STOCK recovery.
bootloader: you can only change this via Odin or OTA updates, and depending on the specific update cannot downgrade these below a certain point of the currently installed (if at all)
recovery:
you can freely flash new versions without a pc, but you cannot backup the stock recovery in a nandroid because the nandroid is generated using twrp -- a custom recovery that takes the place of stock recovery (mostly useless). if you find a copy of the stock recovery on the forum, you could then flash it back using Flashify from Google Play, but you'd then lose the ability to restore your nandroid until TWRP is restored.
also, you cannot take OTA updates while TWRP is installed, and in some cases at all / ever again after installing TWRP or root.
edit:
I can confirm that OF4 (the initial lollipop update) can be downgraded to NK1 (the newest kitkat update). if anyone can confirm for me whether or not OI1 can be downgraded to kitkat NK1 I would greatly appreciate it!

Depending on what version of Note Pro you have, LTE versions have locked bootloader, so they cannot downgrade.
Wifi Note Pro doesn't have locked bootloader, but downgrade from Lollipop to Kitkat you need bootloader for Kitkat along with the firmware NK1. If you read the threat LogicTech keyboard not working after update to Lollipop, you will see the link to Kitkat bootloader.
Without this bootloader, your tablet will hang at boot up after you flash the Kitkat firmware.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=62371717&postcount=125
This is my current Lollipop OI1
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I downgrade it to NK1, this process only takes 5 minutes
I did it only for demonstration but personally I think Lollipop has a better graphic interface, then I go back to Lollipop .
I can go back and forth from Kitkat to Lollipop with ease as long as right bootloader is loaded.
Since I loaded the OH2, the tablet is updating now to OI1 and it's wifi version SM-P900 Note.

Beut said:
LTE versions have locked bootloader,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not entirely true.
The USA LTE versions have a locked bootloader.
The International P905, however, does not. (Device-locking of any kind is illegal under EU law.)
Now, whether you can downgrade the P905 I really can't say, because mine has been comfortably sitting on 4.4.2, and I have no desire to let Lollipop anywhere near it. :laugh: Just thought I'd clarify that the US and EU devices are not the same

ShadowLea said:
thought I'd clarify that the US and EU devices are not the same
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can post your tablet with back cover removed, I can tell if it's different from US device. I once opened a tablet sold in England, I did not see any differences from US device except the hardware code indicates it's not from US. I swap a mainboard from SM-P907A, an LTE tablet from AT&T to SM-P905V, an LTE tablet from Verizon, it runs normally except the software customized for AT&T. I don't change anything from the Verizon tablet, except the mainboard from AT&T.
Even with a LTE mainboard, I can use any part of a Wifi Note Pro SM-P900 except the rear camera as they are exactly the same.
Or I can change a LTE Note Pro to a Wifi Note Pro by swapping the mainboard and rear camera, the rest are identical.
From my experiences of varieties of Samsung tablets, I don't see any major differences of Note Pro LTE and Wifi versions as they almost use the same parts.
By using a mainboard of Tab Pro in a Note Pro tablet, I can even change a Note Pro to a Tab Pro as they are using the same parts except the Tab Pro mainboard doesn't have S Pen cable connector, it works normally as a Tab Pro.
That means I can downgrade a LTE Note Pro to Wifi Note Pro or Wifi Tab Pro by only swapping mainboard and rear camera.
Given the fact that LTE tablets sold in US have different names but actually they are Identical , I can tell Samsung makes the same tablet but the differences
are software and firmware loaded into it, like SM-P905A, SM-P907V, SM-P907T, they're branded by LTE providers but the hardwares are the same

Think my phone got hacked.

I am only writing this as an advanced reminder to keep your phone as secure as possible, especially when rooting. I can't say for sure, but about a week and a half ago my phone started rebooting non stop. I was on a phone call, hadn't done any mods in a couple of months and all the sudden my phone shut off. I thought initially my battery was dead and so I popped in a new one. It started rebooting and rebooting. I was like what the f and tried a different battery, still persisted. I booted into twrp and restored a backup from a month or so prior. Phone booted up for about two hours, then started crashing again and again, never could get back into twrp long enough. I ended up magically being able to get it booted on normally just long enough to fastboot it back to stock and reset it. I did a warranty exchange and no issues. It wasn't until just a few days ago, I got an email from my bank telling me about suspicious activity on my account. I logged in as I called them, and sure enough, my account was empty. I live in Texas and all of these transactions were from local stores in NY, like a fast food joint for example. I have never lived or been to Ny. After watching a 60 minutes episode about this very thing, it came to me, that's probably what happened to me. Someone hacked into my phone and was able to steal my info. I can't say for sure, but I do want to remind everyone just to remember... Rooting is great and all, but it can make you vulnerable to these types of things. Keep an eye on your ****, please!

Swizzle82 said:
I am only writing this as an advanced reminder to keep your phone as secure as possible, especially when rooting. I can't say for sure, but about a week and a half ago my phone started rebooting non stop. I was on a phone call, hadn't done any mods in a couple of months and all the sudden my phone shut off. I thought initially my battery was dead and so I popped in a new one. It started rebooting and rebooting. I was like what the f and tried a different battery, still persisted. I booted into twrp and restored a backup from a month or so prior. Phone booted up for about two hours, then started crashing again and again, never could get back into twrp long enough. I ended up magically being able to get it booted on normally just long enough to fastboot it back to stock and reset it. I did a warranty exchange and no issues. It wasn't until just a few days ago, I got an email from my bank telling me about suspicious activity on my account. I logged in as I called them, and sure enough, my account was empty. I live in Texas and all of these transactions were from local stores in NY, like a fast food joint for example. I have never lived or been to Ny. After watching a 60 minutes episode about this very thing, it came to me, that's probably what happened to me. Someone hacked into my phone and was able to steal my info. I can't say for sure, but I do want to remind everyone just to remember... Rooting is great and all, but it can make you vulnerable to these types of things. Keep an eye on your ****, please!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure it's not a crazy coincidence? Were the purchases done online or at physical locations?

RussianBear said:
Are you sure it's not a crazy coincidence? Were the purchases done online or at physical locations?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It could be coincidence for sure, but an extreme coincidence if so... They were at physical locations.

Someone in NY hacked your phone in Texas?
You may want to rethink your hypothesis.

coluccim said:
Someone in NY hacked your phone in Texas?
You may want to rethink your hypothesis.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not necessarily. They could of sold my info.. Like I said above, I can't be sure, but a lot of time we forget how vulnerable we are when we start rooting and granting things access to our system.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-hacking-your-phone/

coluccim said:
Someone in NY hacked your phone in Texas?
You may want to rethink your hypothesis.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Identity theft could happen from the other side of the world.

Airtioteclint said:
Identity theft could happen from the other side of the world.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats true few years ago from canada tried to buy pre-paid tmobile cards from walmart account and someone bought skype credits during the same week.

Swizzle82 said:
Not necessarily. They could of sold my info.. Like I said above, I can't be sure, but a lot of time we forget how vulnerable we are when we start rooting and granting things access to our system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're cc/bank info is stored in browser cache/cookies/whatever. I don't think being rooted has anything to do with this.

Phone crashing - your internal storage got corrupted. Happened to me on multiple devices out of nowhere.
Stolen credit card - one of the websites or even physical stores where you used it had a break-in and your info was stolen. There is an entire black market for stolen credit cards where you can buy a card number with a high credit limit for $200-300. Happens to me regularly, average once a year. My bank just sends me a new card with a new number.
The two are not related, your paranoia makes you want to believe that.

Now that I'm on MM, my chase bank app is asking for root access... I denied it. Never seen that before MM.. any input on that?
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA-Developers mobile app

nieves53 said:
Now that I'm on MM, my chase bank app is asking for root access... I denied it. Never seen that before MM.. any input on that?
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many apps that require a higher level of security (financial apps, Samsung Pay, etc) will check if your device is rooted. The TMO Adapt Client does the same.

Did i also get hacked too? I just got this stupid battery lock screen i have never seen before. WTF is this?
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timoshina said:
Did i also get hacked too? I just got this stupid battery lock screen i have never seen before. WTF is this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That almost looks like the APUS browser charge screen.

nieves53 said:
Now that I'm on MM, my chase bank app is asking for root access... I denied it. Never seen that before MM.. any input on that?
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Protip:
Don't do content sensitive activities on a rooted device. If you can't stomach that ... which is understandable ...
absolutely don't do financial transactions on a rooted device. Stress reduced.

root and security
I've thought about this and curious as to how would having a rooted phone grant someone access to your files? Granting access to a certain app could allow access to your phone or just having a rooted phone period would allow someone access?....if this is true what measure can you take to keep your phone safe?

Swizzle82 said:
I am only writing this as an advanced reminder to keep your phone as secure as possible, especially when rooting. I can't say for sure, but about a week and a half ago my phone started rebooting non stop. I was on a phone call, hadn't done any mods in a couple of months and all the sudden my phone shut off. I thought initially my battery was dead and so I popped in a new one. It started rebooting and rebooting. I was like what the f and tried a different battery, still persisted. I booted into twrp and restored a backup from a month or so prior. Phone booted up for about two hours, then started crashing again and again, never could get back into twrp long enough. I ended up magically being able to get it booted on normally just long enough to fastboot it back to stock and reset it. I did a warranty exchange and no issues. It wasn't until just a few days ago, I got an email from my bank telling me about suspicious activity on my account. I logged in as I called them, and sure enough, my account was empty. I live in Texas and all of these transactions were from local stores in NY, like a fast food joint for example. I have never lived or been to Ny. After watching a 60 minutes episode about this very thing, it came to me, that's probably what happened to me. Someone hacked into my phone and was able to steal my info. I can't say for sure, but I do want to remind everyone just to remember... Rooting is great and all, but it can make you vulnerable to these types of things. Keep an eye on your ****, please!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your device being "hacked" (not confirmed, by the way, merely speculation) has nothing to do with being rooted, ever. Root is actually an advanced security protocol, but it gives you control.

timoshina said:
Did i also get hacked too? I just got this stupid battery lock screen i have never seen before. WTF is this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a very similar screen on my Note 4. It was from GO SMS, showed up after an update. Removed GO SMS and it went away.

How many of you are trying/persevering without root?

So for the first time in my Android life (which is now about 6 years), I am trying to persevere without root. Two reasons... Samsung are of course now refusing warranties for rooted devices.... something which I've previously hammered Apple for doing on their iPhone 3G. How the tables have turned eh? Samsung have almost become everything I hated about Apple.
Other reason, I want to see how much Android Pay enhances (or perhaps not) my life. We'll see whether it's worth keeping in a few weeks. Samsung Pay isn't available in the UK, but I'm not convinced it'll bring much to the party, Android Pay has worked everywhere I've tried so far......
So what lovely features have I lost by being unrooted. #
- Well, losing FolderMount is pissing me off a tad. I like all my WhatsApp junk to be automatically saved on my SD. Instead, I have to copy it periodically via Solid Explorer, a bit time consuming. I think I will also miss the fact I cannot run certain software from the SD card. Pain.
- I've lost the ability to tweak and noodle around with kernel settings etc, although perhaps I'm not missing much as I doubt there's much I would change so far. This phone doesn't seem to get hot and it's running fast enough that I don't think any tweaks to internal SDs etc are needed.
.....
Other than that I don't think I'm really missing it at all. Yeah, I would have liked a circle instead of a bloody bar for my battery and stuff, but grand scheme of things, I'm still able to customize the device loads (hence I'm running Now Launcher) and get it how I want it.
We'll see in a few weeks whether I'm still dancing the same tune, but so far, I'm holding on

To root or to not root is the question I have often!
I miss my lucky patch
I miss the hotspot mod
I moss clearing my bloatware rather than hiding it.
I miss a lot
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

I'm with you on this one Skezza, I was/am mainly holding out for Samsung Pay as I like the integration into the lockscreen so as to avoid having to unlock the phone first. I am in Spain and even though some Banks accept it, mine so far has not :/
Features I am missing from rooting?
Viper4Android!!! Would love to up the sound quality as currently headphone jack output is pretty useless. Using PowerAMP which helps some but its nothing jaw dropping.
Wifi tethering with VPN as I was able to do previously through the app "Wifi Tether Router".
Aside from that, as you say, there is not much else that I would tweak as the phone runs just fine without any performance modding. I would like to edit some visuals here and there such as toggles and battery icon but I can live with the stock look too so no biggie.
Glad to hear that I am not the only one with this dilemma! haha

I have been using root for a while, but have reverted to stock for Android Pay and other non-root features.
I find myself tinkering with the OS less and less as time goes by. I have a bose stereo which makes up for the 'poor' standard output and most of the rooted tweaks I used were cosmetic. There are solutions to most things out there that don't involve root these days too.

I got mine Wednesday at 1pm, was rooted with a custom rom by half past
I'm not worried about the whole custom rom = warranty void issue, i dare them to not replace my phone for a hardware issue i really do, it was the same with the z2, unlock the bootloader = warranty void yet i had mine replaced by Sony 3 times due to hardware issues with no problem. I expect Samsung to do the same, a hardware issue is a hardware issue irrelevant of software
I am using SupermanRom with Magisk currently, Android Pay works for me, FolderMount however does not so i might try out one of the other roms when i have time/ can be bothered

My S7 Edge is my first Android device that I don't feel the need to root and I have had quite a few. I'm satisfied with the performance the way it is. The only thing I miss is Titanium Backup and no bloat ROMs. I really like Samsung Pay and I'm using it more and more often. Also my understanding is that if you have a hardware issue not related to rooting, they cannot deny your warranty.
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA-Developers mobile app

SomethingCool said:
To root or to not root is the question I have often!
I miss my lucky patch
I miss the hotspot mod
I moss clearing my bloatware rather than hiding it.
I miss a lot
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to be careful mentioning LP, although I do miss that too. Not for nefarious reasons either. LP had a great feature in-which it could detach Amazon apps from the Amazon appstore.... I refuse to use the Amazon appstore, but it has apps that Play doesn't
What's the hotspot mod? Surely they've not blocked hotspots on your phone. I thought those days were long gone.
As for bloatware, I've not actually cleared bloatware since the days of the S1, so not sure if I miss that at all.... yet :fingers-crossed:
pp085ster said:
I'm with you on this one Skezza, I was/am mainly holding out for Samsung Pay as I like the integration into the lockscreen so as to avoid having to unlock the phone first. I am in Spain and even though some Banks accept it, mine so far has not :/
Features I am missing from rooting?
Viper4Android!!! Would love to up the sound quality as currently headphone jack output is pretty useless. Using PowerAMP which helps some but its nothing jaw dropping.
Wifi tethering with VPN as I was able to do previously through the app "Wifi Tether Router".
Aside from that, as you say, there is not much else that I would tweak as the phone runs just fine without any performance modding. I would like to edit some visuals here and there such as toggles and battery icon but I can live with the stock look too so no biggie.
Glad to hear that I am not the only one with this dilemma! haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a genuine dilemma for me too haha and many others I guess. The first thing I felt when I got the phone was not "oooooh wow yay, I've got a new phone" it was "****, do I root it or not", and about an hour of thinking whether I should or shouldn't.
Hopefully your bank will get it soon. NFC debit/credit cards are still convenient of course, it's just nice to know that say I walked out the house to get some shopping and whoops, I forgot my wallet, that I could still pay with my phone. I don't know how Samsung Pay works yet, I'll check it out. For Android Pay you have to hold your finger on the scanner then hold the phone to the NFC device.
Funny you mention Viper, I never used it on my S4 (which I ran custom ROMs on from day one). That said, the sound quality was unimpressive. I often listen to music on my phone though.
WiFi Tethering with VPN, very specific feature I guess. I assume there's no unrooted way of doing that then?
NJ72 said:
I have been using root for a while, but have reverted to stock for Android Pay and other non-root features.
I find myself tinkering with the OS less and less as time goes by. I have a bose stereo which makes up for the 'poor' standard output and most of the rooted tweaks I used were cosmetic. There are solutions to most things out there that don't involve root these days too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that's my feeling too. I wanted to see how root was actually helping me, and actually, I've found that perhaps I didn't require root as much as I actually believed. I do remember on the S4 having to hack the telephony file to unlock certain settings for my network operator, but for some reason, they're already unlocked with the S7 Edge so I can simply edit them from the settings menu. There are other things I might have used root for, but in reality, it was merely a convenience as opposed to a requirement. I'm doing alright without it Touch wood. Fingers crossed haha.
Mr.R™ said:
I got mine Wednesday at 1pm, was rooted with a custom rom by half past
I'm not worried about the whole custom rom = warranty void issue, i dare them to not replace my phone for a hardware issue i really do, it was the same with the z2, unlock the bootloader = warranty void yet i had mine replaced by Sony 3 times due to hardware issues with no problem. I expect Samsung to do the same, a hardware issue is a hardware issue irrelevant of software
I am using SupermanRom with Magisk currently, Android Pay works for me, FolderMount however does not so i might try out one of the other roms when i have time/ can be bothered
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh haha, fair do man. I was like that with my S4, but I noted before rooting that the S4 had a 8/10 repair-ability rating on iFixit. The Edge is just 3/10. Even replacing the USB port is a horrid task, so the need for that warranty is a bit more apparent. Your problem is that Samsung have written it into their T&C's. Root your phone, they can reject warranty claims. Whether they do is a different matter. HTC were very willing to fix my girlfriends phone, despite the fact it was rooted and had the bootloader unlocked. So it does seem to be on a company by company basis. I don't know how Samsung handle warranty claims when a Knox flag has been triggered.
It's an interesting topic of debate though.

Eddie Hicks said:
My S7 Edge is my first Android device that I don't feel the need to root and I have had quite a few. I'm satisfied with the performance the way it is. The only thing I miss is Titanium Backup and no bloat ROMs. I really like Samsung Pay and I'm using it more and more often. Also my understanding is that if you have a hardware issue not related to rooting, they cannot deny your warranty.
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two interesting points. I also missed TB but I've actually realized many of the features I used TB for were actually completely achievable via an unrooted app or two. A good example, I used to use TB to carry my SMS messages from one phone to another. I've done this for years and have SMS going back as far as 2011. Originally, TB was the only way you could do it, as the tools around that time (like Sprite backup) were utter crap.
I used SMS Backup and Restore, free from the Play Store. Within a few seconds, it had transferred 4600 messages perfectly. No need for TB.

This is the first device I've ever owned that I've not rooted, which seems incredible given my track history! Having come from the HTC Hero to the Sensation to multiples of Galaxys S2/S3/S4/S6, the Notes 3 and 4, the Nexus 6P and now the S7 Edge.
The S7 Edge is the only one I've never rooted, simply because I didn't need to with 4GB of RAM.
The lag I am experiencing is of my own making (thousands of images and 4K videos).
Even though I'd like the latest in ROM innovation from the frankly fantastic developers here on XDA, I also want to be part of the power-users who don't root and get their OTA updates.
It's oddly pleasing.
Just my two cents.
I couldn't care less about Samsung/Android Pay, it personally holds no interest for me, but that's just me.

I'm w/o root on my s7 edge, and I don't miss the rooting days even a bit.
I don't use nfc payment, and frankly speaking, Samsung cloud is top notch for backup purpose. Also, touchwiz never bothered me. Rather, I liked it over Nexus interface due to its functionality.
---------- Post added at 03:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:16 PM ----------
skezza said:
Have to be careful mentioning LP, although I do miss that too. Not for nefarious reasons either. LP had a great feature in-which it could detach Amazon apps from the Amazon appstore.... I refuse to use the Amazon appstore, but it has apps that Play doesn't
What's the hotspot mod? Surely they've not blocked hotspots on your phone. I thought those days were long gone.
As for bloatware, I've not actually cleared bloatware since the days of the S1, so not sure if I miss that at all.... yet :fingers-crossed:
It is a genuine dilemma for me too haha and many others I guess. The first thing I felt when I got the phone was not "oooooh wow yay, I've got a new phone" it was "****, do I root it or not", and about an hour of thinking whether I should or shouldn't.
Hopefully your bank will get it soon. NFC debit/credit cards are still convenient of course, it's just nice to know that say I walked out the house to get some shopping and whoops, I forgot my wallet, that I could still pay with my phone. I don't know how Samsung Pay works yet, I'll check it out. For Android Pay you have to hold your finger on the scanner then hold the phone to the NFC device.
Funny you mention Viper, I never used it on my S4 (which I ran custom ROMs on from day one). That said, the sound quality was unimpressive. I often listen to music on my phone though.
WiFi Tethering with VPN, very specific feature I guess. I assume there's no unrooted way of doing that then?
I think that's my feeling too. I wanted to see how root was actually helping me, and actually, I've found that perhaps I didn't require root as much as I actually believed. I do remember on the S4 having to hack the telephony file to unlock certain settings for my network operator, but for some reason, they're already unlocked with the S7 Edge so I can simply edit them from the settings menu. There are other things I might have used root for, but in reality, it was merely a convenience as opposed to a requirement. I'm doing alright without it Touch wood. Fingers crossed haha.
Ahhh haha, fair do man. I was like that with my S4, but I noted before rooting that the S4 had a 8/10 repair-ability rating on iFixit. The Edge is just 3/10. Even replacing the USB port is a horrid task, so the need for that warranty is a bit more apparent. Your problem is that Samsung have written it into their T&C's. Root your phone, they can reject warranty claims. Whether they do is a different matter. HTC were very willing to fix my girlfriends phone, despite the fact it was rooted and had the bootloader unlocked. So it does seem to be on a company by company basis. I don't know how Samsung handle warranty claims when a Knox flag has been triggered.
It's an interesting topic of debate though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had rooted my s4. Bricked the phone due to my own fault. Samsung replaced the motherboard in warranty.
P.S.- I told them I was updating the phone via Kies and it suddenly stopped working.

skezza said:
Two interesting points. I also missed TB but I've actually realized many of the features I used TB for were actually completely achievable via an unrooted app or two.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have found some non-root apps that kind of does some of the things that Titanium backup does. Like Package Disabler that can freeze apps you don't need but can't delete. So I'm getting use to not rooting. I like just using the phone and not spending so much time and energy screwing around with ROM's and recoveries and constantly flashing this and that.

I rooted my S7 edge because of Pokemon - yeah Im here for the blames.
and I do regret it often, my s7 edge was working absolutely great without the need of rooting.
Yeah, I do hate bloat apps that I have to hide instead of remove but I could live with that, and also the performance even with those bloat just hiding is still top north.
Now Im officially out from using Samsung Pay..which is a huge letdown.

For audio, just use poweramp beta with direct hardware output enabled.
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Good day.
I am too trying to not root.
After recently softbricked my phone, with knox tripped, and had to send to Samsung for repairs (fortunately, Samsung repaired it without charging anything).
Miss Titanium backup, lucky patcher, xposed for greenify and mass storage enabler.
Right now i really wanted to go back to ACP8 firmware, but i don't want to lose all the data from my apps and games.

Hansoliv said:
Good day.
I am too trying to not root.
After recently softbricked my phone, with knox tripped, and had to send to Samsung for repairs (fortunately, Samsung repaired it without charging anything).
Miss Titanium backup, lucky patcher, xposed for greenify and mass storage enabler.
Right now i really wanted to go back to ACP8 firmware, but i don't want to lose all the data from my apps and games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So perhaps Samsung are less ruthless than I thought?

skezza said:
So perhaps Samsung are less ruthless than I thought?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It really depends on your location how Samsung's service partner or Samsung is going to handle your warranty claim.

got my s7 edge yesterday ... and haven't rooted it yet..usually all my mobiles are rooted within an hour of getting it
planning to be un-rooted for a while..lets see how long i can resist the temptation

I can't live without root, so my S7E is rooted and the flag tripped, and has been since about a week after I purchased it in March. I've had numerous Samsung devices and generally they've been pretty resilient, hopefully that continues.
However, saying that, Samsung's deliberate decision to effectively refuse warranty repairs if a phone is rooted (as these days it's virtually impossible to root these things without tripping Knox) means this is definitely my last Samsung phone.

I'm using this as my work phone as well, so I have Airwatch installed. I'm trying not to root so that I don't have to mess with Root Cloak or be afraid of the possibility that Airwatch will have an update in the future which breaks the root cloak apps.
So far, I miss:
1) Adaway - tried the non-root option where it opens a VPN connection to block ads, I found it slowed down my internet too much to use it 24/7.
2) Moving apps and their obbs to SD - having only 24+gb, have to be picky on how many games I have installed or I'll run out of space very soon.
3) TiBu - Helium is a good alternative, just don't like that I have to connect it to my PC before Helium will start
4) Ability to power off/reboot the phone via an app. I have visions of wearing down the power button too much.

Excellent suggestion, thanks!

Question Has anyone with an unlocked A53 5G (in the US) received the Android 13 update?

Just as the subject mentions. Curious if it's just me?

Nada. No update. And when I mentioned this on their forum, they deleted the post.
I even tried the thing where you remove the SIM and search for updates then. Didn't make any difference.

Searching with Sammoblie and Frija, only the carrier version(A536U) from Xfinity/Comcast has gotten it in the US.

I don't have it either, what bothers me most is that 13 was released for older A phones including lower priced models already. Is it possible that because this is an enterprise phone (at least in the USA) it requires more time for testing?

pj1980 said:
I don't have it either, what bothers me most is that 13 was released for older A phones including lower priced models already. Is it possible that because this is an enterprise phone (at least in the USA) it requires more time for testing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What bothers me was how quickly Samsung deleted my post on their forum after I asked about this.
It's been like 6 weeks since the same phone in other countries was given this. It's quite annoying.

snark.shark said:
What bothers me was how quickly Samsung deleted my post on their forum after I asked about this.
It's been like 6 weeks since the same phone in other countries was given this. It's quite annoying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung's discussions has a sticky at the top that updates happen whenever (edit: or at least it did before). And that's definitely how it goes for all their devices.
Even Samsung flagships go through silly stuff for updates and Android versions so its not A53 only.
The A53 unlocked has carrier apps on it so its tied to the carrier testing. Why will US carriers release Android 13 for older devices before newer? No idea but that's how their testing is going. They have some reason.
Really, you will get it when you get it. If you just think it won't show up until the year 2721 then it should be easier for you lol.
Its frustrating I know for unlocked to be dependent on carriers. But, waiting, it will at least probably have less bugs so that's fine enough. A buggy device isn't fun at all.
edit: Also A52 appear to be doing better than the A53 in getting Android 13 and listed as Enterprise. So, I don't think Enterprise has anything to do with it.
edit: The end result appears to be what Samsung's sticky said which is updates happen when they happen.

Samsung promised 4 years of updates for this phone so they have about 3 more years to give us android 13.

tmeader said:
Just as the subject mentions. Curious if it's just me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3 Days ago, my phone suddenly shut itself off, and then stuck itself in a bootloop and would not boot again. It's a Samsung A53 5G (ATT&T) running android 12 one UI version 4.1 at the time. After booting into safe mode and wiping application config data, it still would not come out of safe mode until I factory reset it and connected it to a wifi network.
Finally after all of this BS, I got it to boot normally, but then, as if by magic, my phone was running Android 13 UI Version 5.0!
WTF!?
So I spent an entire day recovering my bank accounts, cashapp, applications, and various accounts, and chalked this pain in the ass up to the game...
And then this morning, it ****in' happened again.
I'm done with Samsung. This phone has been a $500 piece of **** since day 1. It's not even 3 months old yet. Samsung has gone from the most badass manufacturer of android devices, straight to the bottom of the abyss in terms of quality.
The Bloatware they send with these devices now should be unlawful. The amount of YOUR resources they use to track every single thing you do, every place you go, every dollar you spend is unfathomably creepy and discomforting.
Do yourself a favor and get comfortable with 12. because 13 is an even bigger piece of ****, and in my case, it has totally wrecked my phone twice in 3 days now.
Do yourself an even bigger favor, and throw your samsung into the bottom of the ocean and go buy yourself an IPhone. I'm really sad about the way Samsung has turned out. I'm even more sad about the way Android has gone down the drain. And Google has turned into the world's most powerful creepy stalker with Facebook a close 2nd.
I think if people actually new just how intrusive these tech companies have become, they'd stop using them altogether. There needs to be new and better privacy regulations and trackers and spywares and metadata miners and these 'ad targeting' programs and applications should be illegal.

ImMrMyagiLafAtMe said:
3 Days ago, my phone suddenly shut itself off, and then stuck itself in a bootloop and would not boot again. It's a Samsung A53 5G (ATT&T) running android 12 one UI version 4.1 at the time. After booting into safe mode and wiping application config data, it still would not come out of safe mode until I factory reset it and connected it to a wifi network.
Finally after all of this BS, I got it to boot normally, but then, as if by magic, my phone was running Android 13 UI Version 5.0!
WTF!?
So I spent an entire day recovering my bank accounts, cashapp, applications, and various accounts, and chalked this pain in the ass up to the game...
And then this morning, it ****in' happened again.
I'm done with Samsung. This phone has been a $500 piece of **** since day 1. It's not even 3 months old yet. Samsung has gone from the most badass manufacturer of android devices, straight to the bottom of the abyss in terms of quality.
The Bloatware they send with these devices now should be unlawful. The amount of YOUR resources they use to track every single thing you do, every place you go, every dollar you spend is unfathomably creepy and discomforting.
Do yourself a favor and get comfortable with 12. because 13 is an even bigger piece of ****, and in my case, it has totally wrecked my phone twice in 3 days now.
Do yourself an even bigger favor, and throw your samsung into the bottom of the ocean and go buy yourself an IPhone. I'm really sad about the way Samsung has turned out. I'm even more sad about the way Android has gone down the drain. And Google has turned into the world's most powerful creepy stalker with Facebook a close 2nd.
I think if people actually new just how intrusive these tech companies have become, they'd stop using them altogether. There needs to be new and better privacy regulations and trackers and spywares and metadata miners and these 'ad targeting' programs and applications should be illegal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not the experience of most people. Since you bring up Apple as if that will help you avoid this when it can happen there too: https://myphotoyear.com/ios-16-update-goes-wrong/
Its just a fact of life.
More or less it could be improved or solved by multi-OS versions at the same time (such as dual boot on a computer), slower major OS versions, etc. This is not how Google or Apple thinks though.
To add, you can of course improve loss of data by using system backup and also backing up your stuff separately. Though Android still isn't perfect there.
Of course, if you see an update, avoiding updating for some months might also help though not ideal.
edit: For instance you could have used the Samsung restore which may be presented on first use setup or even manually done in Settings > Accounts and Backups > Restore which will restore much if you used the online backup or backup to sd card. Some apps and data will be missing if apps don't support it, etc. Unfortunately, it seems to only offer one backup at least online so any backup on the account since might have destroyed it.
edit: using that and backing up to sd card includes 10GB of stuff on my phone whereas the online is suggested as 2GB (it backs up files and also eg debug built from source apps). So, if you want the best, it may be what you should do from now on. Then restore it if need be. Still, up to apps to support backup individually. Make sure to run it weekly or something.
Also, I know you're pissed about that. Try not to be pissed with me lol. Thanks.

I'm thinking we're in for weeks, or months, more wait. We haven't even gotten a January Security Update.

Just received the Android 13 (One UI 5.0) update last night on my unlocked phone. Also includes the Jan 2023 security update. Looks like they just made the January cutoff

Hmm I have unlocked a53 on t mobile, I checked for updates today and it said there were none.

I received the update today for Android 13 including dual sim support.

I been checking my A53 unlocked running on Visible every week since Christmas for an update. Today it found the Android 13 UI 5.0 update. downloading it now.
How is the new version? any bugs found?

ok, once my phone updated and rebooted now I am no longer connecting to 5G. I've rebooted a few times and nothing has changed. I'm stuck back on 4G.

tmeader said:
Just received the Android 13 (One UI 5.0) update last night on my unlocked phone. Also includes the Jan 2023 security update. Looks like they just made the January cutoff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
5 days after your post (6 since you got the update), with daily checking, and it's still a No for me.

My A53 arrived this morning and upon turning it on, my device had a lot of firmware updates waiting for me. I just updated to Android 13 not too ago along with January's Security patch.
I happen to live in the US, use T-Mobile, and I'm using the international version with dual SIM support.

snark.shark said:
5 days after your post (6 since you got the update), with daily checking, and it's still a No for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another 3 days...
Still no Android 13 update.
I may wind up going to the Samsung service location in my area. This is ridiculous.

snark.shark said:
Another 3 days...
Still no Android 13 update.
I may wind up going to the Samsung service location in my area. This is ridiculous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They do rollouts on top of things.
You could of course use a sim from a different carrier that has the upgrade available and do it that way. Might just get it immediately or still not. Then switch back. That is a possible workaround.
Of course, if you see a signed image for download for Android 13 for your carrier. That might work too even though it still is a wait for it to show up that way.
I don't know if there's any other way here because of the CSC. It would be interesting to know if a Samsung service shop would do it for you. I can't imagine they would.

Received the update today. Seems to run faster.