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I haven't decided between the standard edition or forbidden city. Leaning more towards standard because 10gb ram isn't needed and the mythical Lion looking picture isn't worth the few extra hundred. As far as I know, those are the only differences.
However, I do want 8GB Ram. Preferably 256gb storage. Preferably the blue color.
I'm not a tech guy.
Question A: Does anyone know where I can buy it? I found it on ebay, but only the black is available with the specs I want. Shipping also seems to take rather long. I would prefer to get the Mi Mix 3 5g for the better processor. But as far as I know doesn't have 8gb ram so i might pass on it.
Question B: Is it safe to buy the 8gb/256gb global "rom" version? Will it perform just as well? Will i have google play(with apps/games performing normally)? And will it get updates? Will I have to do anything?
Question C: From what I understand, any version of the Mi Mix 3 or Forbidden city will work with all the needed T-Mobile bands. Will it work with all the needed AT&T bands? Again, will I have to do anything?
I really appreciate this. Thank you.
If you're going to run the stock MIUI, then you need the global version. However, if you're going to flash it, there seem to be some advantages with the Chinese firmware, which is able to run the currently-available non-gsi roms without any problems. 6gb/8gb, I wouldn't sweat it over, but if I remember correctly, the 6gb versions have a couple of bands missing, which may or may not make a difference, depending on which carrier you're on. AFAIK, there's no 8gb global version. If you want it fast, the best place to source it is probably either Canada or the UK. If you get the 8gb Chinese version, you'll need to become a tech guy to make it useable. Assuming you buy the global device, you should get the updates without a problem.
invisiblewave said:
If you're going to run the stock MIUI, then you need the global version. However, if you're going to flash it, there seem to be some advantages with the Chinese firmware, which is able to run the currently-available non-gsi roms without any problems. 6gb/8gb, I wouldn't sweat it over, but if I remember correctly, the 6gb versions have a couple of bands missing, which may or may not make a difference, depending on which carrier you're on. AFAIK, there's no 8gb global version. If you want it fast, the best place to source it is probably either Canada or the UK. If you get the 8gb Chinese version, you'll need to become a tech guy to make it useable. Assuming you buy the global device, you should get the updates without a problem.
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On Ebay there's the black one 8gb 256gb and the blue one 8gb 128gb. It says "Unlocked (Global Rom)". Would I be ok? I know I can ask the ebay seller, but i don't trust them.
jkrc717 said:
On Ebay there's the black one 8gb 256gb and the blue one 8gb 128gb. It says "Unlocked (Global Rom)". Would I be ok? I know I can ask the ebay seller, but i don't trust them.
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Click to collapse
Double check, but I don't think the phone was sold by Xiaomi with 8gb and a global rom. Unlocked may be the clue, it may be a Chinese device with the global rom flashed. Having run MIUI, eu-MIUI, and vanilla Android on this hardware, the best option appears to be the Chinese firmware anyway, but only if you're willing to flash. The Pixel Experience rom runs fantastically well on mine, giving the perfect combination for me of stupendous hardware and clean, fast software.
invisiblewave said:
Double check, but I don't think the phone was sold by Xiaomi with 8gb and a global rom. Unlocked may be the clue, it may be a Chinese device with the global rom flashed. Having run MIUI, eu-MIUI, and vanilla Android on this hardware, the best option appears to be the Chinese firmware anyway, but only if you're willing to flash. The Pixel Experience rom runs fantastically well on mine, giving the perfect combination for me of stupendous hardware and clean, fast software.
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Click to collapse
Do you know where I can buy it at a good reputable company? I'm not a tech guy, but I guess I can follow some instructions and flash it.
However, If the global rom is already flashed then wouldn't that mean I'm good to go? Basically as if I bought the global version without me having to do anything? And get regular updates?
I honestly don't care. I want the original OS global or chinese. As long as I can set the language to english, it works flawless with my carrier, has google play and I can get and run all the apps perfectly. Like an other android phone.
I have been using the Forbidden City model for a few months now. The phone itself is very impressive, beautiful, fast, etc. I did a lot of research on this model before I purchased it because I did not want to run into the same issue I had with the Mi Mix 2 Special Edition model. I was only able to get 3G to work on it! Unfortunately, with all the research I have done with the Forbidden City version, I am unable to get LTE with AT&T.
I have been on the phone, been into a few stores, and so far I am still unable to get LTE. Most of the time I am on 3G but once in a while, I get 4G. Such a disappointment!
This phone came with a Chinese ROM but I did flash it with the Global ROM. You lose a few features when you do that so make sure to research first. You can get the facial unlock to work if you change the region in settings. Why that has to be done seems a bit silly. I wish I would have waited and purchased the Black Shark 2 or one of the 5G models now.
I've come to the conclusion that I probably should not purchase unlocked phones anymore and go with a carrier model if I want LTE speeds.
jkrc717 said:
I haven't decided between the standard edition or forbidden city. Leaning more towards standard because 10gb ram isn't needed and the mythical Lion looking picture isn't worth the few extra hundred. As far as I know, those are the only differences.
However, I do want 8GB Ram. Preferably 256gb storage. Preferably the blue color.
I'm not a tech guy.
Question A: Does anyone know where I can buy it? I found it on ebay, but only the black is available with the specs I want. Shipping also seems to take rather long. I would prefer to get the Mi Mix 3 5g for the better processor. But as far as I know doesn't have 8gb ram so i might pass on it.
Question B: Is it safe to buy the 8gb/256gb global "rom" version? Will it perform just as well? Will i have google play(with apps/games performing normally)? And will it get updates? Will I have to do anything?
Question C: From what I understand, any version of the Mi Mix 3 or Forbidden city will work with all the needed T-Mobile bands. Will it work with all the needed AT&T bands? Again, will I have to do anything?
I really appreciate this. Thank you.
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Click to collapse
I was surprised how well this phone is supported on XDA and it looks quite good on paper, i have 1 question i cannot find answer to:
Does this phone support Carrier Aggregation in Europe? (4G+)
It you buy EU version then yes. If you buy India, China (RMQ) or any other version than EU then definitely not. So I heard.
greenys' said:
It you buy EU version then yes. If you buy India, China (RMQ) or any other version than EU then definitely not. So I heard.
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It's a small world.. lol.
k3lcior said:
It's a small world.. lol.
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I am also planning buying this mobile in Pakistan. Here mostly Global Version are released. Is eu global version?
waqar bukhari said:
I am also planning buying this mobile in Pakistan. Here mostly Global Version are released. Is eu global version?
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Yes i think so, homever i got Mi 9 Lite (got really nice deal 6/128GB variant for $205)
k3lcior said:
Yes i think so, homever i got Mi 9 Lite (got really nice deal 6/128GB variant for $205)
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Nice. But in my country mi 9 lite 6gb and realme xt 8gb are similarly priced. If I decides to increase my budget then I will go for realme xt. Sd712 over sd710.
According to realme support no it doesn't.
Also I'm based in Italy and can confirm you there is no sign of 4g+ even though I live near a Tri-Band bts (3-7-20) and my place is full of two and three bands bts.
Considering to return the phone for exactly this reason. My old op3t had full 4g+ in the same position
k3lcior said:
It's a small world.. lol.
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Click to collapse
Indeed, friend.
Ormad said:
According to realme support no it doesn't.
Also I'm based in Italy and can confirm you there is no sign of 4g+ even though I live near a Tri-Band bts (3-7-20) and my place is full of two and three bands bts.
Considering to return the phone for exactly this reason. My old op3t had full 4g+ in the same position
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I still can't believe eu version doesn't support 4g+. I mean did you check sites if they show whether or not this device supports it or not? I mean I definitely did before buying but I only see which bands does the device support. Not the technology (3g and 4g is present but I don't see 4g+). If you didn't check for it then why did you buy? If you did check but it was written to be present but it is not, shouldn't you get s full refund or device return + refund??
greenys' said:
I still can't believe eu version doesn't support 4g+. I mean did you check sites if they show whether or not this device supports it or not? I mean I definitely did before buying but I only see which bands does the device support. Not the technology (3g and 4g is present but I don't see 4g+). If you didn't check for it then why did you buy? If you did check but it was written to be present but it is not, shouldn't you get s full refund or device return + refund??
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I can't believe it either, it was a BIG surprise to see it lacks it. In 2019, ANY and i mean ANY device you buy got a form of CA, even a Huawei MTK I just bought for dad for 99 euros. Of course this is also specified, for example as you can see there is mention for LTE-A (which is LTE+)
https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_5_pro-9801.php
I couldn't believe it so I sent an email to Realme customer service asking if the phone indeed supported LTE-A like specified and like supported by its chipset (snapdragon 712 is a 3*20mhz capable chipset) and they replied "realme 5 pro doesn't support LTE+"
Then, after more than TEN days, they replied again to the same email by saying that they were sorry for the previous reply and that the phone DOES support LTE+ (is this a professional service?)
I asked them how I can check which bands gets aggregated and why there is no sign of a 4g+ or lte+ icons like all other phones and... they never replied
I've read around that Realme support is a total crap, but I really tried and hoped they can answer about specs of a phone they produce and sell directly.
To dig further another guy here on xda sent some network guru screenshots where it is clearly shown that it only can catch a single band and not multiple.
So at this point I'm thinking about it. I've got until 31/01/2020 to be able to get a full refund but kinda I still like the phone speed, but this network problem and the camera (which is the worst 48Mpixel sensor I've ever tried, but it seems to be a software issue) kills my willingness to keep it. I was also waiting if any new update can fix either of the problems so I guess I'll wait a lil more, but still I can't advice to buy this phone. Xiaomi on the same price level doesn't have any of these major issues even though their chipsets are a little behind.
Ormad said:
I can't believe it either, it was a BIG surprise to see it lacks it. In 2019, ANY and i mean ANY device you buy got a form of CA, even a Huawei MTK I just bought for dad for 99 euros. Of course this is also specified, for example as you can see there is mention for LTE-A (which is LTE+)
https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_5_pro-9801.php
I couldn't believe it so I sent an email to Realme customer service asking if the phone indeed supported LTE-A like specified and like supported by its chipset (snapdragon 712 is a 3*20mhz capable chipset) and they replied "realme 5 pro doesn't support LTE+"
Then, after more than TEN days, they replied again to the same email by saying that they were sorry for the previous reply and that the phone DOES support LTE+ (is this a professional service?)
I asked them how I can check which bands gets aggregated and why there is no sign of a 4g+ or lte+ icons like all other phones and... they never replied
I've read around that Realme support is a total crap, but I really tried and hoped they can answer about specs of a phone they produce and sell directly.
To dig further another guy here on xda sent some network guru screenshots where it is clearly shown that it only can catch a single band and not multiple.
So at this point I'm thinking about it. I've got until 31/01/2020 to be able to get a full refund but kinda I still like the phone speed, but this network problem and the camera (which is the worst 48Mpixel sensor I've ever tried, but it seems to be a software issue) kills my willingness to keep it. I was also waiting if any new update can fix either of the problems so I guess I'll wait a lil more, but still I can't advice to buy this phone. Xiaomi on the same price level doesn't have any of these major issues even though their chipsets are a little behind.
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Click to collapse
Wow... Just wow. All these bits and pieces of info are priceless and shocking to me. Thank you. Me too, I prefer the speed of the phone, the battery and ufs file storage, furthermore vooc charging. Amazingly conformable for my hand as well. Overall I'm really in love with it but kind of hate it at the same tine. My major problems are camera and connectivity. Both are extremely crucial when you take a look at a smartphone. Btw even oneplus uses the same sensor as our device. A developer of rm5p guessed that perhaps the difference is using different lens, not the sensors. I'm not sure. Anyway, we know more now at least. It's a start.
waqar bukhari said:
Nice. But in my country mi 9 lite 6gb and realme xt 8gb are similarly priced. If I decides to increase my budget then I will go for realme xt. Sd712 over sd710.
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Click to collapse
They are not similarly priced at all, mi 9 lite was on sale for 45,000 which is much cheaper than xt 54,000, sd712 vs sd710 very slight difference but 9 lite has its own advantages such as better selfie cam.
If you are looking to buy mi 9 lite box pack you can contact me, I can get you a good deal.
Hi Guys,
I have a possibility to buy an Unlocked version of Note 20 Ultra 5G from the US and ask a friend to bring it to the UK with them.
Apart from Snapdragon advantage, it will be even a little cheaper than buying in the UK.
I am, however, a bit worried about 5G support in the UK. I spent many hours torturing different Samsung US Live Chat Agents and BestBuy Live Chat Agents with the same questions and they all advised that the phone is fully unlocked and 5G will work in the UK. They also said there is no Region Lock so I can directly insert a UK sim card to it.
However, I am taking it with a grain of salt as the agents seem to care about sales only. Also, I couldn't find official band specifications for Note 20 Ultra on Samsung's website (correct me, if I am wrong, please).
Does anyone know if the 5G will work in the UK? Will VoLTE work? I know Samsung Pay won't work but I don't care at all - I always use Google Pay instead.
Also, will I get a Samsung firmware if I buy it from BestBuy, for firmware updates?
I really want to import it but don't want to end up getting a phone that will not have 5G or any other significant feature.
Can you please shed some light on this? Thanks.
You need to check the actual 5G bands on the device are compatible with your cellular provider.
ekerbuddyeker said:
You need to check the actual 5G bands on the device are compatible with your cellular provider.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, this is what I was thinking about too but I couldn't find any band specs on Samsung's website apart from generic 5G thing.
Any idea where can I find them? Thanks.
VirtualWaver said:
Thanks, this is what I was thinking about too but I couldn't find any band specs on Samsung's website apart from generic 5G thing.
Any idea where can I find them? Thanks.
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Click to collapse
https://www.phonearena.com/phones/S...he Note 20 Ultra is,a starting price of $1300.
https://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=6280
Thanks a lot for the info.
Surprisingly, neither Samsung Chat nor their Facebook support do not know the specs, saying they are not published on the website which is strange.
According to the phonescoop site it doesn't support n78 which is the UK spec, but what is really surprising that it doesn't even list all 4G bands that are supported in the UK but I remember people were saying S20 Ultra was working fine with UK 4G... I am trying to call their e-commerce department to get a confirmation from them directly.
Man, the Samsung really messed the things up with their rubbish processor policy. To be honest I was not bothering until the point when then started to sell Snapdragon in their home country which really speaks loud on how good it is in comparison with Exynos.
This is also a dilemma I am facing as well. I can choose between a US Unlock or an International Unlock. The question I am wondering is whether I can get Samsung Pay to work. I currently live in Japan. I had a Note 8 unlocked international , connected to a US vpn, that I was able to register my US credit cards on Samsung Pay and it worked flawless here. I was able to use Samsung Pay out in town with no problems. Yet ever since the Note 9 I have not been able to get it to work again. My thinking was to instead of buying an international unlocked version, was to get a US unlocked version and try to activate/register Samsung Pay via US vpn to see if it would work. Do you guys think that is doable? Or should I just go for the international Note 20 Ultra and call it a day?
cezeff said:
This is also a dilemma I am facing as well. I can choose between a US Unlock or an International Unlock. The question I am wondering is whether I can get Samsung Pay to work. I currently live in Japan. I had a Note 8 unlocked international , connected to a US vpn, that I was able to register my US credit cards on Samsung Pay and it worked flawless here. I was able to use Samsung Pay out in town with no problems. Yet ever since the Note 9 I have not been able to get it to work again. My thinking was to instead of buying an international unlocked version, was to get a US unlocked version and try to activate/register Samsung Pay via US vpn to see if it would work. Do you guys think that is doable? Or should I just go for the international Note 20 Ultra and call it a day?
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Click to collapse
I was reading in many places that Samsung Pay is region locked so it won't work properly. But it might be different in case of Japan.
I personally don't use Samsung Pay at all so can't say but hopefully someone else would advise.
So I spent another 30 minutes on the phone with Samsung and am, honestly, shocked to say the least.
Not only they had not idea about 5G and 4G frequencies of their own product, they were just repeating something like "well it says it support mmwave and we googled and saw the UK also supports mmwave so it should work" which is complete nonsense (the UK doesn't even support mmwave yet, its a US thing!). The UK is using band 78 which is 3..5Ghz so all I wanted from them is to confirm if the US version has 3.5Ghz or not. Another disappointment on Samsung....
So I am currently stuck, this is, really, a gamble, not sure if the risk worth it or not. Something tells me the 5G won't work in the UK and this doesn't' worth it.
How come Samsung doesn't know what frequencies their own product supports? Is it that hard for them to get? Its rubbish!
Us Note 20 doesn't work with 5G band in UK. If you want a working snapdragon 5G note 20 or note 20 ultra you have to by N986N model from South Korea, which is one sim only but it has 256gb internal storage....
manager77 said:
Us Note 20 doesn't work with 5G band in UK. If you want a working snapdragon 5G note 20 or note 20 ultra you have to by N986N model from South Korea, which is one sim only but it has 256gb internal storage....
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Yes, it seems to. I will try my luck with Wondamobile and order the HK version once available. Don't want to buy the Exynos...
Thanks for your help!
It seems like a lot of hassle just to get a snapdragon version. You may gain performance (that's probably not even noticeable in normal every day tasks) and a possible gain in battery life... but gain hassles with the UK network bands, import duty, warranty issues and resale value.
There are meant to be tweaks on the Exynos 990 in the Note20 version, so why not wait and see a reasonable handful of reviews on this subject first?
.
apprentice said:
It seems like a lot of hassle just to get a snapdragon version. You may gain performance (that's probably not even noticeable in normal every day tasks) and a possible gain in battery life... but gain hassles with the UK network bands, import duty, warranty issues and resale value.
There are meant to be tweaks on the Exynos 990 in the Note20 version, so why not wait and see a reasonable handful of reviews on this subject first?
.
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Click to collapse
This is also true, especially the resale value part (Wondamobile covers all import duties, etc so no probs from that side).
I am also waiting for the reviews, even though Ice Universe advised the rumors about tweaked Exynos are not legit. Still, hope dies last
Decisions, decisions
apprentice said:
It seems like a lot of hassle just to get a snapdragon version. You may gain performance (that's probably not even noticeable in normal every day tasks) and a possible gain in battery life... but gain hassles with the UK network bands, import duty, warranty issues and resale value.
There are meant to be tweaks on the Exynos 990 in the Note20 version, so why not wait and see a reasonable handful of reviews on this subject first?
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting...I know you said wait for the reviews, yet if you had the choice which version would you get or which version do you normally get? I'm looking at making a decision between the snapdragon or the exynos... I'm pretty sure I've always had exynos, yet this maybe the last year I'm able to afford upgrading to the latest and greatest... I want to ensure I'm getting the best bang for the buck... I'm thinking the Korean unlocked snapdragon maybe the best bet.
cezeff said:
Interesting...I know you said wait for the reviews, yet if you had the choice which version would you get or which version do you normally get? I'm looking at making a decision between the snapdragon or the exynos... I'm pretty sure I've always had exynos, yet this maybe the last year I'm able to afford upgrading to the latest and greatest... I want to ensure I'm getting the best bang for the buck... I'm thinking the Korean unlocked snapdragon maybe the best bet.
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Click to collapse
Depending on where you live though, if in Europe than HK would be a better choice as it has a better network compatibility with European 5g and GSM standards than Korean version. I was also reading that Koren version comes with specific Korean settings and bloatware that cannot be removed, hence, it is cheaper than HK version.
I was reading today that one guy on Twitter apparently tested Note 20 Ultra Exynos and said it is more optimised and faster than the same processor in S20 Ultra, but still not on par with Snapdragon.
I will probably try my luck with Wondamobile once they will have the HK version available.
cezeff said:
Interesting...I know you said wait for the reviews, yet if you had the choice which version would you get or which version do you normally get? I'm looking at making a decision between the snapdragon or the exynos... I'm pretty sure I've always had exynos, yet this maybe the last year I'm able to afford upgrading to the latest and greatest... I want to ensure I'm getting the best bang for the buck... I'm thinking the Korean unlocked snapdragon maybe the best bet.
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Click to collapse
I see you are in the US, so you will automatically get the Snapdragon version. This is technically a better chipset for both performance and battery life, but the evidence seems to point to about a 6% performance boost (on the Galaxy S20) and about 1hr more battery power. But these figures are only relevant if you are pushing the phone to absolute limits. As with all benchmarking, results are clinical and most likely aren't noticeable in every day usage and the majority of people really don't care much.
However what we do care about (here in non US markets) is that we are paying the same amount (often more) for something that technically has an inferior chipset. But Samsung seemed to have addressed this with the Exynos version having a bigger (256Gb) base storage.
There are rumours banding about that the Exynos 990 has been much improved/ramped up, also addressing the overheating issues on previous devices. So it remains to be seen if this holds true. But the crux of my input here is that is it really worth the OP going to the trouble of importing a phone from the US or S.Korea to the UK, based on all the above? Especially if something goes wrong you most likely don't have a warranty. At the price of a Note 20 Ultra that's a lot of money to lose if you get a fault.
apprentice said:
I see you are in the US, so you will automatically get the Snapdragon version. This is technically a better chipset for both performance and battery life, but the evidence seems to point to about a 6% performance boost (on the Galaxy S20) and about 1hr more battery power. But these figures are only relevant if you are pushing the phone to absolute limits. As with all benchmarking, results are clinical and most likely aren't noticeable in every day usage and the majority of people really don't care much.
However what we do care about (here in non US markets) is that we are paying the same amount (often more) for something that technically has an inferior chipset. But Samsung seemed to have addressed this with the Exynos version having a bigger (256Gb) base storage.
There are rumours banding about that the Exynos 990 has been much improved/ramped up, also addressing the overheating issues on previous devices. So it remains to be seen if this holds true. But the crux of my input here is that is it really worth the OP going to the trouble of importing a phone from the US or S.Korea to the UK, based on all the above? Especially if something goes wrong you most likely don't have a warranty. At the price of a Note 20 Ultra that's a lot of money to lose if you get a fault.
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Click to collapse
Well I live in Japan .. Shipping and importing is not really an issue for me... Even with the improvements to exynos, it still seems the snapdragon is the better chipset (?).. I can source an unlocked 256 snapdragon from Korea, yet now am concerned about the bloatware on the phone... wouldn't the Hong Kong version also include some form of bloatware?
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VirtualWaver said:
Depending on where you live though, if in Europe than HK would be a better choice as it has a better network compatibility with European 5g and GSM standards than Korean version. I was also reading that Koren version comes with specific Korean settings and bloatware that cannot be removed, hence, it is cheaper than HK version.
I was reading today that one guy on Twitter apparently tested Note 20 Ultra Exynos and said it is more optimised and faster than the same processor in S20 Ultra, but still not on par with Snapdragon.
I will probably try my luck with Wondamobile once they will have the HK version available.
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Click to collapse
Wouldn't the HK version include bloatware as well?
cezeff said:
Well I live in Japan .. Shipping and importing is not really an issue for me... Even with the improvements to exynos, it still seems the snapdragon is the better chipset (?).. I can source an unlocked 256 snapdragon from Korea, yet now am concerned about the bloatware on the phone... wouldn't the Hong Kong version also include some form of bloatware?
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Click to collapse
Ah sorry, I was just going by the country flag on your profile.
I don't know if the HK version will be full of bloatware. However, I think Samsung have toned down their bloatware over the past 2-3 years anyway (certainly in the UK versions), instead opting to provide links to downloads of their apps that might interest you. I actually really like the Samsung Browser for example but it's no longer installed by default, so I had to install it from the Galaxy Store.
apprentice said:
Ah sorry, I was just going by the country flag on your profile.
I don't know if the HK version will be full of bloatware. However, I think Samsung have toned down their bloatware over the past 2-3 years anyway (certainly in the UK versions), instead opting to provide links to downloads of their apps that might interest you. I actually really like the Samsung Browser for example but it's no longer installed by default, so I had to install it from the Galaxy Store.
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Click to collapse
I will second the Samsung Browser - absolutely the best and works super fast. My to go browser, in fact.
I am not sure about bloatware content but there was a deal on HotUKDeals website where Wonda was selling S20 from Korea and it was cheaper and people was saying the comments that the reason is that it has many pre-configured Korean bloat that cannot be removed even with package managers.
It looks like (from my research on the web) that HK version doesn't have these.
apprentice said:
Ah sorry, I was just going by the country flag on your profile.
I don't know if the HK version will be full of bloatware. However, I think Samsung have toned down their bloatware over the past 2-3 years anyway (certainly in the UK versions), instead opting to provide links to downloads of their apps that might interest you. I actually really like the Samsung Browser for example but it's no longer installed by default, so I had to install it from the Galaxy Store.
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Click to collapse
No problem. I do agree that Samsung has toned it down. I think I'll go ahead and pre-order the Korean snapdragon with 256gb in mystic white... mystic bronze looks great, yet I can't do much with it, even putting on a skin the frame would stick out like a sore thumb... If anything I can disable bloatware via ADB shell without root... One of the reasons I buy unlocked phones is because the bloatware on Japanese locked phones are absolutely crazy... The system is also proprietary, losing much of the customization other regions have, along with super long delayed updates...
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VirtualWaver said:
I will second the Samsung Browser - absolutely the best and works super fast. My to go browser, in fact.
I am not sure about bloatware content but there was a deal on HotUKDeals website where Wonda was selling S20 from Korea and it was cheaper and people was saying the comments that the reason is that it has many pre-configured Korean bloat that cannot be removed even with package managers.
It looks like (from my research on the web) that HK version doesn't have these.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll roll with the Korean version for now.. If there is any excessive bloated I'll ADB shell it and if anything else maybe flash a universal ROM later down the road... Thanks for you guys input
cezeff said:
No problem. I do agree that Samsung has toned it down. I think I'll go ahead and pre-order the Korean snapdragon with 256gb in mystic white... mystic bronze looks great, yet I can't do much with it, even putting on a skin the frame would stick out like a sore thumb... If anything I can disable bloatware via ADB shell without root... One of the reasons I buy unlocked phones is because the bloatware on Japanese locked phones are absolutely crazy... The system is also proprietary, losing much of the customization other regions have, along with super long delayed updates...
---------- Post added at 07:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:01 PM ----------
I'll roll with the Korean version for now.. If there is any excessive bloated I'll ADB shell it and if anything else maybe flash a universal ROM later down the road... Thanks for you guys input
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please let us know how once you get it
I will also hold on and wait for Exynos review. Hope it will be available soon.
I am not a gamer at all, but am a power user and do appreciate when the phone heats less and consumes less battery. Also, apparently, Snapdragon's reception is better. So will wait for reviews before getting. For now, I cancelled my Samsung order from the UK.
Hello everyone,
I have a Mi A3. Lasted update was August on Android 11. Google Pixel is not officially supported in Romania and I was wandering if I will get one, will I be able to make 5G, VoWIFi and VoLTE to run in the future using root and custom rom?
I am at the point when I would ditch Android and buy a cheaper Iphone (SE or 11) just to get rid of the Android problems.
I really don't have time anymore to test different builds but, if there is a way to activate in the future I would seriously consider the 6a.
Before the A3 I had Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4 and so on. I don't want to buy a Samsung Android just to have the options mentioned above. Thank you!
natzy85 said:
I am at the point when I would ditch Android and buy a cheaper Iphone (SE or 11) just to get rid of the Android problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go ahead then, buy an iPhone
What "Android problems" are you referring to?
Lada333 said:
Go ahead then, buy an iPhone
What "Android problems" are you referring to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all sorts of bugs, for example right now my Mi A 3 won't start the assistant via voice command.
A lot of times the phone will block while charging and I would miss the alarm in the morning.
Not to mention battery drain, I now use the phone with battery saver activated all the time to last a day, and the battery has 4030 mAh.
I know I will miss Android for the customization part, and if there is a chance I can enable 5G and voice over Wifi in the future, I am going to get the 6a.
But my main grip is with the OS, my wife has Iphone and I didn't see any bugs. Although I never had a Pixel before, I was hoping to be a very stable system, but what I'm reading worries me a lot.
natzy85 said:
all sorts of bugs, for example right now my Mi A 3 won't start the assistant via voice command.
A lot of times the phone will block while charging and I would miss the alarm in the morning.
I know I will miss Android for the customization part, and if there is a chance I can enable 5G and voice over Wifi in the future, I am going to get the 6a.
But my main grip is with the OS, my wife has Iphone and I didn't see any bugs. Although I never had a Pixel before, I was hoping to be a very stable system, but what I'm reading worries me a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind, that you're comparing a super cheap budget Android phone (that even runs a stripped down version of AOSP) to an iPhone, that I'm sure cost at least three times the price of your A3.
The 6a is supposed to have one extra year of official software support than the iPhone 11, but you mentioned flashing custom ROMs, so I'm assuming it's not a huge dealbreaker for you. I'm not sure how much you could get an iPhone 11 or a 6a for. If you want a truly "bugless" experience, and it's not a lot more expensive, go for the iPhone, but don't upgrade to iOS 16, cuz it's as buggy as all previous Android versions combined
AFAIK, 5G, VoWIFi and VoLTE all depend on the carrier you're using. I live in Hungary, got the 6a from Germany. I see the options for all of these in the settings, but my carrier doesn't support any of them, so I can't actually test them, unfortunately.
Regarding 5G, VoWIFi and VoLTE and custom ROMs.. That's all up to developers. There's nothing preventing these phones from having any of these features when running a custom ROM.
The reviews and videos made on the 6a after release also had me worried a lot, I even started this thread on xda before purchasing the device, should you be interested in reading up more on about it.
I have been using the phone for about 3 weeks now, upgraded to A13 (no root or custom ROMs so far), and it's been working pretty much flawlessly. Fingerprint reader misses about as often as the rear-mounted reader did on the 4a. The display is super nice, no choppiness at all. Never had the system hung up so far. Photos/videos and image processing is excellent and incredibly fast.
The only thing I can complain about is the speakers; lacks bass (at least compared to the 4a).
tl;dr: I wouldn't be too worried about dealbreaking bugs. Google is going to support the 6a for 5 years, with feature drops every 3 months. If you can get it for less than its full price, it's a no brainer in my opinion.
Lada333 said:
Keep in mind, that you're comparing a super cheap budget Android phone (that even runs a stripped down version of AOSP) to an iPhone, that I'm sure cost at least three times the price of your A3.
The 6a is supposed to have one extra year of official software support than the iPhone 11, but you mentioned flashing custom ROMs, so I'm assuming it's not a huge dealbreaker for you. I'm not sure how much you could get an iPhone 11 or a 6a for. If you want a truly "bugless" experience, and it's not a lot more expensive, go for the iPhone, but don't upgrade to iOS 16, cuz it's as buggy as all previous Android versions combined
AFAIK, 5G, VoWIFi and VoLTE all depend on the carrier you're using. I live in Hungary, got the 6a from Germany. I see the options for all of these in the settings, but my carrier doesn't support any of them, so I can't actually test them, unfortunately.
Regarding 5G, VoWIFi and VoLTE and custom ROMs.. That's all up to developers. There's nothing preventing these phones from having any of these features when running a custom ROM.
The reviews and videos made on the 6a after release also had me worried a lot, I even started this thread on xda before purchasing the device, should you be interested in reading up more on about it.
I have been using the phone for about 3 weeks now, upgraded to A13 (no root or custom ROMs so far), and it's been working pretty much flawlessly. Fingerprint reader misses about as often as the rear-mounted reader did on the 4a. The display is super nice, no choppiness at all. Never had the system hung up so far. Photos/videos and image processing is excellent and incredibly fast.
The only thing I can complain about is the speakers; lacks bass (at least compared to the 4a).
tl;dr: I wouldn't be too worried about dealbreaking bugs. Google is going to support the 6a for 5 years, with feature drops every 3 months. If you can get it for less than its full price, it's a no brainer in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the reply. I am from Romania and from what I have read, also all the carrier here doesn't support Google.
I really think I will get the 6a. I will give Android one more try . Reading the thread you created.
About the price, at first Amazon.de was the cheapest, now we also have in Romania stores with more or less the same. price I still don't want to spend a lot of money on a mobile phone, but the prices on all of them this year has gone very high.
natzy85 said:
from what I have read, also all the carrier here don't support Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not the carrier not supporting Google phones, it's the carrier not supporting the aforementioned features, no? It shouldn't matter (to the carrier) what phone you put your SIM card in. As long as the device has 5G capability, you should just be able to use it.
natzy85 said:
now we also have in Romania stores with more or less the same.
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Click to collapse
There are also some stores in Hungary since the release of the Pixel 6 that sell Google phones. If it wasn't for the trade-in program, I would have gotten my 6a from someplace in Hungary.
Do you have Alza in Romania? They sell the 6a, and also for a rather good price.
Lada333 said:
It's not the carrier not supporting Google phones, it's the carrier not supporting the aforementioned features, no? It shouldn't matter (to the carrier) what phone you put your SIM card in. As long as the device has 5G capability, you should just be able to use it.
There are also some stores in Hungary since the release of the Pixel 6 that sell Google phones. If it wasn't for the trade-in program, I would have gotten my 6a from someplace in Hungary.
Do you have Alza in Romania? They sell the 6a, and also for a rather good price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unfortunately now, we don't have Alza.
natzy85 said:
unfortunately now, we don't have Alza.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not the end of the world, I guess. As long as you can buy it from a store that's semi reputable, you'll likely have no issues.
Make sure to go for a store that likely won't close down in a few years, because if you need to get your device fixed under warranty, you'll have to contact your Point Of Sale instead of Google.
Lada333 said:
That's not the end of the world, I guess. As long as you can buy it from a store that's semi reputable, you'll likely have no issues.
Make sure to go for a store that likely won't close down in a few years, because if you need to get your device fixed under warranty, you'll have to contact your Point Of Sale instead of Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you. I will. The problem is like with all the Nexus phones, the replacement parts are expensive compared to Apple. At least that is the case here, in Romania.
Lada333 said:
It's not the carrier not supporting Google phones, it's the carrier not supporting the aforementioned features, no? It shouldn't matter (to the carrier) what phone you put your SIM card in. As long as the device has 5G capability, you should just be able to use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but in this case 5g is supported by the phone and carrier but it doesn't work. I read somewhere that they have to enable some parameters for Pixel phones to work.
natzy85 said:
thank you. I will. The problem is like with all the Nexus phones, the replacement parts are expensive compared to Apple. At least that is the case here, in Romania.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not familiar with any replacement parts; luckily I've never had to replace anything on my Pixels so far.
What I used to do with my previous phones was to just order the parts on eBay (or similar sites), and bring them in to whatever local GSM store.
natzy85 said:
but in this case 5g is supported by the phone and carrier but it doesn't work. I read somewhere that they have to enable some parameters for Pixel phones to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, I'm not sure how this works, but I doubt that's the case. Be sure to check with your provider.
Lada333 said:
Again, I'm not sure how this works, but I doubt that's the case. Be sure to check with your provider.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pixel 6 VoLTE
Eu am avut doar telefoane de la Google seria Pixel pentru că sunt foarte reușite. Telefoanele sunt capabile de VoLTE dar pentru asta trebuie să fie înregistrat și telefonul la providerul respectiv. De atâtia ani de când există aceste telefoane se pare că Orange nu s-a ocupat de asta și...
comunitate.orange.ro
Orange needs to get certificates from Google, and once it gets certified, it will be able to modify that neighborhood settings that will eventually modify that build.prop file that allows access to 5G, VoLTE and VoWIFI. The fact that we do not have these services is Orange Romania's fault. For the fact that Google has implemented this stupid process that puts users at the mercy of operators, Google is to blame. In the phone settings there is a Carrier settings section. The last update was on 30.09.2021, about 2 months before the launch of the Pixel 6 series.
natzy85 said:
Orange needs to get certificates from Google
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Click to collapse
TIL. That's the dumbest thing I've heard in a while
What's their reasoning behind this lmao? Or is it how it works with all devices, it's just that supported phones get added to the list way before they're released to the public?
From what I know this is with all carriers in Romania, you cannot have 5G with Pixel even with Vodafone or any carrier.
Activate 5G on non-5G Country
Hey, this tuto is working for several user to activate 5G on unsupported 5G country by Google. You need : Rooted phone, 5G Plan, 5G Coverage. STEP 1 : Install the module on magisk to activate VOLTE and reboot. STEP 2 : Install Network Signal...
forum.xda-developers.com
sundamen said:
Activate 5G on non-5G Country
Hey, this tuto is working for several user to activate 5G on unsupported 5G country by Google. You need : Rooted phone, 5G Plan, 5G Coverage. STEP 1 : Install the module on magisk to activate VOLTE and reboot. STEP 2 : Install Network Signal...
forum.xda-developers.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so I finally ordered 6a, I'm now waiting. Does this work also with the 6a?
natzy85 said:
so I finally ordered 6a, I'm now waiting. Does this work also with the 6a?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes!
Google delivers Android 13 December 2022 update for Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro
Google has announced a major feature update for Pixel smartphones running Android 13. As of the December 2022 update, the likes of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro support a dedicated reader mode and can share digital car keys with other compatible smartphones, among other changes.
www.notebookcheck.net
I put mine on the beta channel release. Coming from a P6P, using straight talk, it would not accept the sim.
Called Straight talk, which was useless. They said I had to buy a new sim card. Saw on a thread here that the
beta channel rom fixed it. Sure enough! After reboot, the sim card worked!
I was expecting 5g update, disappointing...
Nothing here. UK Sim free.
eagledipesh said:
I was expecting 5g update, disappointing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't hold your breath. They either chose horrible hardware, don't know how to fix it, or won't because we will buy a new Pixel. With that being said, I actually think that the 7 Pro is an improvement over the 6 pro. My battery and performance is dramatically improved because of the updated Tensor chip and I don't have the cell standby bug that plagued me in the 6 pro.
eagledipesh said:
I was expecting 5g update, disappointing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This isn't the full release notes.
That article from notebookcheck.net referencing the Google Blog only concerns the "Android Feature Update", which is for GMS Android users. There is also a "Pixel Feature Drop" which Pixel users will likely get tomorrow. Plus there will likely be other "fixes" and whatnot.
biggiesmalls657 said:
I wouldn't hold your breath. They either chose horrible hardware, don't know how to fix it, or won't because we will buy a new Pixel. With that being said, I actually think that the 7 Pro is an improvement over the 6 pro. My battery and performance is dramatically improved because of the updated Tensor chip and I don't have the cell standby bug that plagued me in the 6 pro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately for me the bug still exists P7P. I am not sure if different hardware release have different modems. But my phone is useless at the moment.
xpact said:
Unfortunately for me the bug still exists P7P. I am not sure if different hardware release have different modems. But my phone is useless at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's your setup? I'm rooted custom kernel and 1 ESIM using Xfinity Mobile. I also didn't restore settings with 6 pro backup. I flashed BL and modem before clean flashing stock to root
biggiesmalls657 said:
What's your setup? I'm rooted custom kernel and 1 ESIM using Xfinity Mobile. I also didn't restore settings with 6 pro backup. I flashed BL and modem before clean flashing stock to root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in 5G unsupported country and I am using physical SIM I have tried to disable DSDS but it didn't seem to stick. I have tried with stock and beta QPR1 same result. Which custom kernel would you recommend? I think the issue is with the radio and the Samsung Shannon 5300G. I am not sure if there is a radio firmware I could try.
"I am in 5G unsupported country"
I fail to understand the complaints from people who live in "unsupported" countries!
Why would you even consider buying ANY phone that is unsupported in any way?
The fault is yours not Googles! YMMV
jaseman said:
"I am in 5G unsupported country"
I fail to understand the complaints from people who live in "unsupported" countries!
Why would you even consider buying ANY phone that is unsupported in any way?
The fault is yours not Googles! YMMV
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably because they wanted a pixel but Google only officially sells phones in like 4 countries (exaggerating but probably not by much). I want phones available outside of the USA all the time but my wonderful carrier (verizon) and to a degree the other carriers as well suck and want big money to certify the ability to use their towers (bands). Stuck mainly with iSheep, Samdung, One Plus (already settled) and Google (constant hardware problems).
It will be difficult for me to make you understand anything since you fail to understand simple things like why anyone would pick a Google phone instead of another brand. Anyway I had Nexus and Pixel phones in the past and they have worked just fine. I was very well aware 5G and VoLTE don't work and I was not after these features. I would be perfectly fine with just 4G. Mine Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 2 XL worked flawlessly. I might have a faulty hardware I am not sure at this point. If you could not help me at least don't blame me for my choices, the money I have spent are mine not yours. Like I have said I know since the beginning some of the feature would not work and this was a risk I was willing to take since I wanted a "clean" android and rootable + unlocked bootloader (there are not many phone manufacturers offering such features). I was not expecting the Pixel to not support any well established telecom standards. Aside from that I live in Europe and I bought the phone from neighboring country. It is not from Japan or US/Canada with different bands.
@xpact , it might be your phone or possibly faulty modem hardware. I am in the US using the 7P7 (rooted, unlocked) without any issues (I keep 5G off) 99% of the time. Once in a while I have to restart my phone or turn airplane mode on and off because I would randomly lose service. Its pretty rare though and even less now after the November update.
Question for the group and I hope I'm in the right spot. I got my 7 pro last week. So I went to the Factory image page. I'm on Verizon so I took the verzon update. Now I see a update just for global. Should I wait on the Verizon or can I just install the global one? I'm new to Pixel experience.
foamerman said:
Question for the group and I hope I'm in the right spot. I got my 7 pro last week. So I went to the Factory image page. I'm on Verizon so I took the verzon update. Now I see a update just for global. Should I wait on the Verizon or can I just install the global one? I'm new to Pixel experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can install the global one.
foamerman said:
Question for the group and I hope I'm in the right spot. I got my 7 pro last week. So I went to the Factory image page. I'm on Verizon so I took the verzon update. Now I see a update just for global. Should I wait on the Verizon or can I just install the global one? I'm new to Pixel experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought the unlocked P7P from Google and Verizon is my carrier. I have only been flashing the generic firmware to avoid VZW bloatware as much as possible. I haven't had any issues.
xpact said:
It will be difficult for me to make you understand anything since you fail to understand simple things like why anyone would pick a Google phone instead of another brand. Anyway I had Nexus and Pixel phones in the past and they have worked just fine. I was very well aware 5G and VoLTE don't work and I was not after these features. I would be perfectly fine with just 4G. Mine Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 2 XL worked flawlessly. I might have a faulty hardware I am not sure at this point. If you could not help me at least don't blame me for my choices, the money I have spent are mine not yours. Like I have said I know since the beginning some of the feature would not work and this was a risk I was willing to take since I wanted a "clean" android and rootable + unlocked bootloader (there are not many phone manufacturers offering such features). I was not expecting the Pixel to not support any well established telecom standards. Aside from that I live in Europe and I bought the phone from neighboring country. It is not from Japan or US/Canada with different bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in Europe too and have the p7p from Germany, all works fine, no faulty hardware at all. Where did you buy your phone? I'm on stock firmware but had rooted it and there was also no problems, I often think to myself wtf you are always doing with your phones?
Thanks guys. I'm off to see the Wizard.
Gerr1 said:
I'm in Europe too and have the p7p from Germany, all works fine, no faulty hardware at all. Where did you buy your phone? I'm on stock firmware but had rooted it and there was also no problems, I often think to myself wtf you are always doing with your phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought it from Germany as well ) The previous pixel I had I bought it from UK and the Nexus 6P from UK as well. But the ones from UK I did not bought on first date but few months after they might had different hardware modem revisions.