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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
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...
Hi Folks,
I've benefited from awesome information here over the last few days as I embarked upon a trip down a huge rabbit hole.
However, my issue isn't resolved and I'm at my wits end - so would really appreciate a pointer.
My situation:
1) I have the S21 Ultra 5G (SM-G998B/DS).
2) I purchased the phone in the UK, then subsequently moved to Hong Kong.
3) 5G was working fine in the UK on "3" network. I acquired a 5G "3 HK" contract here.
I am not getting 5G signal at all anywhere in Hong Kong, only 4G+. I have tried all of the normal fault finding - APN settings, clearing cache partition, general settings - nada.
Signal checkers seem to indicate that the SM-G998B/DS should work in Hong Kong with 3.
My main problem - I think I need to remove the NR whitelist from the service mode, but:
1) The standard dialer service mode *#0011# does not have any options for UE menus.
2) The Google Phone dialer service mode *#*#276633683782#*#* is completely empty.
I can't get to any place to remove the NR whitelist.
Does anyone have any suggestions on getting this to work? I've been sitting with Samsung and 3 customer support, but their shop-level support isn't really cutting the mustard, and they don't really know if SM-G998B will work in Hong Kong.
Thanks so much in advance.
Scotty.
scottymac910 said:
Hi Folks,
I've benefited from awesome information here over the last few days as I embarked upon a trip down a huge rabbit hole.
However, my issue isn't resolved and I'm at my wits end - so would really appreciate a pointer.
My situation:
1) I have the S21 Ultra 5G (SM-G998B/DS).
2) I purchased the phone in the UK, then subsequently moved to Hong Kong.
3) 5G was working fine in the UK on "3" network. I acquired a 5G "3 HK" contract here.
I am not getting 5G signal at all anywhere in Hong Kong, only 4G+. I have tried all of the normal fault finding - APN settings, clearing cache partition, general settings - nada.
Signal checkers seem to indicate that the SM-G998B/DS should work in Hong Kong with 3.
My main problem - I think I need to remove the NR whitelist from the service mode, but:
1) The standard dialer service mode *#0011# does not have any options for UE menus.
2) The Google Phone dialer service mode *#*#276633683782#*#* is completely empty.
I can't get to any place to remove the NR whitelist.
Does anyone have any suggestions on getting this to work? I've been sitting with Samsung and 3 customer support, but their shop-level support isn't really cutting the mustard, and they don't really know if SM-G998B will work in Hong Kong.
Thanks so much in advance.
Scotty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to update.
In my desperation, I strutted over to the store to consider buying a Hong Kong S21 Ultra (assuming it would be SM-G998O). Buying a new one would break my tight-fisted Scottish heart, by the way.
Imagine my surprise when the display model - booming along on 5G - was the SM-G998B/DS. My exact model.
The very knowledgeable girl in the store played around with mine but couldn't get it to work on 5G.
She thinks my work profile with the Tunnel VPN might be blocking 5G. Does anyone think that is possible?
I've already started in mode - which did not yield a fix, so I had discounted this option.
The other thing that is on my mind is the CSC.
My current CSC is BTU (UK, I believe). Would switching the to Hong Kong CSC accommodate the 5G connection in Hong Kong?
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...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Hi all! Hope you're well and safe.
I'm moving to the UK soon and bought a S22 Ultra a couple of days ago. Did not find out about Samsung's inexplicable and baffling region locks on the phones and certain features (Samsung Pay, etc.) before I bought the phone. Consequently, I've been researching on all issues I think I could face once I move to the UK later this month. Had a few questions about the same, so thought I'd reach out for help here.
a) I understand that Samsung Pay will not be available in the UK on my Indian S22, due to the region lock. Is this correct? To clarify, I don't intend to change the CSC if I'll only be losing Samsung Pay, as I'm sure Google Pay will be sufficient.
b) I understand that UK S22s are Exynos-based and not Snapdragon-based. Therefore, am I correct in assuming that I will be unable to flash UK firmware on my device, due to the SoCs being different?
c) I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. I tried installing Google Pay on my watch, but was unable to find the app on the Play Store. Further reading led me to Google Pay's website, which states that Google Pay for Wear OS is only available in select countries, including the UK, with India not being included. Would I be correct in assuming that once I change the country on my Google account, I will have access to the app on my watch? Also, would the watch automatically have access to apps in the UK once my Google account's country is changed?
d) I understand that the international version of the S22 Ultra (which I believe is the model I'm using) will have no problems connecting to 5G networks in the UK, since most networks in the UK use band 78. Can anyone who's travelled to the UK confirm if they've been able to successfully access 5G networks in the UK on their Indian S22s?
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Grateful for any help I can get!
Cheers!
If your device is SM-S980E which I belive is the Indian & International model , then it will support 5G in UK for sure. Both the European devices & the International ddevices support the same 5G bands , they used to be the same version before.
Samsung pay should work But you won't get Uk exclusive offers
Google pay will work once you travel to UK
Hi OP. I am moving to UK too in a fortnight. Were you able to change the country code?
a b c yes
d likely because Indian (E model) and UK (B model) have same 4G/5G bands.