Develop Bugs

Proper root method for an unlocked AT&T GS3

My dad just bought a AT&T GS3 from a friend and I just finished unlocking it so he can use his T-Mobile service. We've confirmed his voice calling is working. I want to root this phone so I can flash a stock ROM that removes all the AT&T stuff. What's the proper way to root the unlocked phone now? Thanks in advance for any guidance you can provide.
PS. Any work around to get 3G vs Edge?

Look in the dev section EVERYTHING you need is in there. This question on how to root is asked so much its not even funny anymore. Oh wait I just seen your paps is on tmobile, if you want a stock rom for that you need to go to their section
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda premium

the phone should stay unlocked through rooting and a custom rom. mine is unlocked, rooted, with aokp on it and it still can use other carrier's sim cards with no problem. about the 1700 band, there is currently no way to use it with this phone. there is a bounty thread in the general section about it.
edit: do you want a stock tmobile rom or a vanilla android rom?
sent from my I747

Thanks for the replies. I guess where I'm confused is what root method do I use? ATT since it's ATT hardware, or Tmobile since it's now unlocked and connected to TMobile? Sorry for my lack of knowledge on this.

Zameus said:
Thanks for the replies. I guess where I'm confused is what root method do I use? ATT since it's ATT hardware, or Tmobile since it's now unlocked and connected to TMobile? Sorry for my lack of knowledge on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
use the att method because it's att hardware.
sent from my I747

What modem should I flash to use a T-Mobile S4 (m919) on At&t network?

So I have am using already a T-Mobile S4 (m919) on At&t's network... I have already rooted it, flashed Hyperdrive, entered the correct APN, and it works basically well...
Here is what I am wondering, my signal strength seems to be not the best and it makes me wonder, is there a modem, baseband I can flash on the T-mobile version of the S4 that could possibly help it work better on the At&t network... and do so with out making my S4 a paper weight?

abovenbeyond said:
So I have am using already a T-Mobile S4 (m919) on At&t's network... I have already rooted it, flashed Hyperdrive, entered the correct APN, and it works basically well...
Here is what I am wondering, my signal strength seems to be not the best and it makes me wonder, is there a modem, baseband I can flash on the T-mobile version of the S4 that could possibly help it work better on the At&t network... and do so with out making my S4 a paper weight?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any M919 modem. MKL is the newest.

abovenbeyond said:
So I have am using already a T-Mobile S4 (m919) on At&t's network... I have already rooted it, flashed Hyperdrive, entered the correct APN, and it works basically well...
Here is what I am wondering, my signal strength seems to be not the best and it makes me wonder, is there a modem, baseband I can flash on the T-mobile version of the S4 that could possibly help it work better on the At&t network... and do so with out making my S4 a paper weight?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad someone asked that. I looked for a few hours last night and came up empty(been working an off shift so I might have missed it). I am on 4.2.2 MDL and signal is definitely much weaker than my Active on 4.3 . Has anyone compared modems to see which are better?

pahick said:
Glad someone asked that. I looked for a few hours last night and came up empty(been working an off shift so I might have missed it). I am on 4.2.2 MDL and signal is definitely much weaker than my Active on 4.3 . Has anyone compared modems to see which are better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can provide anecdotal evidence but nothing real...
MK2 is better.
Also, as for which modem to flash; T-Mobile's MK2 would be the one to flash. I've read you can flash other carrier's modems as long as they are the same version, i.e. AT&T MK2 or T-Mobile MK2... but that just doesn't make sense to me and I wouldn't recommend it. The modem you flash is independent of who your carrier is; you go by what brand of phone you have. If you have the M919 then you flash T-Mobile firmwares/modems/etc regardless of which carrier your bill comes from.

abovenbeyond said:
Here is what I am wondering, my signal strength seems to be not the best and it makes me wonder, is there a modem, baseband I can flash on the T-mobile version of the S4 that could possibly help it work better on the At&t network... and do so with out making my S4 a paper weight?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've encountered the same thing with my M919. Switching between Android 4.3 and 4.4.2 modem.bin files made no difference.
I did notice that when I changed my network preference from 3G/2G to 2G-only, I gained about 10 dBa when the handset fell back to GSM-EDGE mode. It made a big difference. I verified that AT&T only uses band II (1900MHz) for GSM and UMTS in my county, so it wasn't because I switched to band V (850MHz) which seems to have better range. What I find annoying is that the handset isn't dropping down to 2G automatically when reception is poor. It'll stick with 3G even when the signal strength is as low as -107 dBa.
No LTE at the moment since my AT&T MNVO doesn't support it.

I'm thinking of buying an M919, carrier unlocked, to use on ATT, so that I can get a proper recovery and have full access to custom ROMs without the safestrap limitations.
Is it safe to say that:
1. If I buy a T-Mobile S4, and it comes carrier unlocked, it will work fine on the ATT network, including 4G / LTE? Lots of data points suggest this but I haven't heard it explicitly stated...
2. Though I could use the phone as identified as an M919, I really want Play Store to see it as an I337 (ATT version), so I can install some ATT specific apps. Is there any problem flashing a build.prop (available in the ATT threads) with the ATT identifiers & APN info, to enable this?
3. Are there any gotchas I should be aware of? Basically, I just want a phone with unlocked bootloader / kernel so I can play. Not too worried about Knox/warranty.
Any insights would be appreciated!
Marc

Frankenscript said:
I'm thinking of buying an M919, carrier unlocked, to use on ATT, so that I can get a proper recovery and have full access to custom ROMs without the safestrap limitations.
Is it safe to say that:
1. If I buy a T-Mobile S4, and it comes carrier unlocked, it will work fine on the ATT network, including 4G / LTE? Lots of data points suggest this but I haven't heard it explicitly stated...
2. Though I could use the phone as identified as an M919, I really want Play Store to see it as an I337 (ATT version), so I can install some ATT specific apps. Is there any problem flashing a build.prop (available in the ATT threads) with the ATT identifiers & APN info, to enable this?
3. Are there any gotchas I should be aware of? Basically, I just want a phone with unlocked bootloader / kernel so I can play. Not too worried about Knox/warranty.
Any insights would be appreciated!
Marc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will the T-Mobile S4 work on the AT&T network; yes it will work if it's carrier unlocked. I purchased my M919 full price out of contract while I was still on AT&T service. Once I carrier-unlocked I was able to pick up AT&T's 4G/LTE and was even able to make use of the AT&T 3G Microcell device which transmits a 3G cell signal and runs over your WiFi. I now have Net10 Wireless with an AT&T SIM card and I still get 4G/LTE when it's around.
Your second question: I do believe that's all that would be required. I'm not 100% sure if just modifying the build.prop would allow you to use the AT&T-specific apps in the Play Store. I never used them to begin with so I never explored whether or not I could make them work on the T-Mobile firmware. Now, I know this involves more than just a build.prop edit, but a 100% sure way to get AT&T Apps working would be to flash a custom ROM based on AT&T firmware. Being that you have a T-Mobile device and are using it on another carrier's network, always remember; when it comes to Odin especially, flash things meant for the T-Mobile M919 ONLY. It doesn't matter that you use AT&T service, your device needs T-Mobile Modems/stock firmwares/etc.
As far as gotchas... not that I can think of. The M919 has an unlocked bootloader and even with KNOX is very easy to root and use custom ROMS on. If you're not concerned with KNOX then you really don't have to take into consideration any special rooting method, no safestrap junk, etc. Without root, just flash a recovery in Odin and flash away.

I know this thread is a bit old, but the situation is very relevant to me. I just won a S4 M919 on eBay which will be delivered tomorrow. T-mobile has agreed to send me an unlock code. My motivation is to install TWRP recovery which I can't do on the i337. I intend to activate it on Cricket (AT&T network). Is it still true that I should stick with firmware, ROMs, and modems designed for the M919? I don't care about AT&T or T-mobile apps so that's not an issue. Basically, I want the best data rates available. Any gotchas that I need to be aware of?

flroots said:
I know this thread is a bit old, but the situation is very relevant to me. I just won a S4 M919 on eBay which will be delivered tomorrow. T-mobile has agreed to send me an unlock code. My motivation is to install TWRP recovery which I can't do on the i337. I intend to activate it on Cricket (AT&T network). Is it still true that I should stick with firmware, ROMs, and modems designed for the M919? I don't care about AT&T or T-mobile apps so that's not an issue. Basically, I want the best data rates available. Any gotchas that I need to be aware of?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@flroots
Basically, you're best off bringing the phone to current M919 stock through ODIN. Is that NK2 or has there been a more recent version? I've lost track. But do the entire phone, and in fact as you will see from some threads it is often necessary to flash it twice in succession to get everything to stick. This will bring you to the latest modem. Remember, the modem is two parts: the modem.bin (also known as the gsm modem, which isn't specifically dependent on the bootloader version you have) and the LTE modem (non-hlos.bin, which is dependent on the firmware version, and bad things happen if you mismatch).
Since your phone is out of warranty, there's no downside to going to the latest, even if the phone arrives with 4.2.2 firmware (pre-knox). Tripping the knox bit is only a problem if you would be sending the phone in for warranty service.
I've got the M919 and am using it on ATT, with no problems. I've got the pre-knox firmware (MDL), and will be updating to the latest next time I flash.
Here is an old, but still relevant, thread about my experiences with M919 on ATT.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-tmobile/help/using-t-mobile-m919-att-network-t2880349
You will have to configure your APN to match your Cricket service. Sorry, can't help you with those settings but I'm sure they are on XDA somewhere!
Marc

Frankenscript said:
@flroots
Basically, you're best off bringing the phone to current M919 stock through ODIN. Is that NK2 or has there been a more recent version? I've lost track. But do the entire phone, and in fact as you will see from some threads it is often necessary to flash it twice in succession to get everything to stick. This will bring you to the latest modem. Remember, the modem is two parts: the modem.bin (also known as the gsm modem, which isn't specifically dependent on the bootloader version you have) and the LTE modem (non-hlos.bin, which is dependent on the firmware version, and bad things happen if you mismatch).
Since your phone is out of warranty, there's no downside to going to the latest, even if the phone arrives with 4.2.2 firmware (pre-knox). Tripping the knox bit is only a problem if you would be sending the phone in for warranty service.
I've got the M919 and am using it on ATT, with no problems. I've got the pre-knox firmware (MDL), and will be updating to the latest next time I flash.
Here is an old, but still relevant, thread about my experiences with M919 on ATT.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-tmobile/help/using-t-mobile-m919-att-network-t2880349
You will have to configure your APN to match your Cricket service. Sorry, can't help you with those settings but I'm sure they are on XDA somewhere!
Marc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for that update. As I understand it, the current firmware is NB4 according to this site:
http://galaxys4root.com/galaxy-s4-stock-firmware/
Not sure what your reference to NK2 is? That doesn't seem to correspond to either 4.2.2 nor 4.4.2? I'm currently on Cricket with a S4 I337 and hope to move the SIM over as soon as my M919 arrives tomorrow.

I believe after NB4 there was NH7 then NK2. Check the firmware thread in the general section for details / links.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

@flroots
How did this work out for you? I want to do the same thing you said you where going to do.
flroots said:
I know this thread is a bit old, but the situation is very relevant to me. I just won a S4 M919 on eBay which will be delivered tomorrow. T-mobile has agreed to send me an unlock code. My motivation is to install TWRP recovery which I can't do on the i337. I intend to activate it on Cricket (AT&T network). Is it still true that I should stick with firmware, ROMs, and modems designed for the M919? I don't care about AT&T or T-mobile apps so that's not an issue. Basically, I want the best data rates available. Any gotchas that I need to be aware of?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Robert417919 said:
@flroots
How did this work out for you? I want to do the same thing you said you where going to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Robert417919,
I use my SGH-M919 on an AT&T network also. I use the OK3 modem firmware and it seems to work great here. Although I am in Alaska, so top speeds of LTE are only about 6 Mbps where I live. Usually I can only get about 3 Mbps due to the lack of coverage around here.
You can either update to the latest OH3 firmware on your phone, or if you have an old model, with the MDL bootloader, you could also use this guide by lordodin912:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-tmobile/general/foh3-modem-bin-mdl-bootloader-t3191094
Also, if you are looking for good roms, you can always check out SlimLP:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-tmobile/development/rom-slimlp-jfltetmo-t3377731
Or Resurrection Remix:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...ent/rom-resurrection-lollipop-v5-4-5-t3115155
Hope that helps!

Thanks, this does help out, and another quick question. Are you able to use wifi calling?
AlaskaLinuxUser said:
Robert417919,
I use my SGH-M919 on an AT&T network also. I use the OK3 modem firmware and it seems to work great here. Although I am in Alaska, so top speeds of LTE are only about 6 Mbps where I live. Usually I can only get about 3 Mbps due to the lack of coverage around here.
You can either update to the latest OH3 firmware on your phone, or if you have an old model, with the MDL bootloader, you could also use this guide by lordodin912:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-tmobile/general/foh3-modem-bin-mdl-bootloader-t3191094
Also, if you are looking for good roms, you can always check out SlimLP:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-tmobile/development/rom-slimlp-jfltetmo-t3377731
Or Resurrection Remix:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...ent/rom-resurrection-lollipop-v5-4-5-t3115155
Hope that helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Robert417919 said:
Thanks, this does help out, and another quick question. Are you able to use wifi calling?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to help, and no, unfortunately not.
-AlaskaLinuxUser
https://thealaskalinuxuser.wordpress.com

Sim Unlock Method for T999L (LTE version) (4.1.2 Only)

I didnt see this on the other thread about sim unlock for the original t-mobile S3 so my apologies if this method has been posted before.
I have tested this on SGH-T999L aka theLTE version of the S3 for T-Mobile. I did this on 4.1.2 and it will more likely not work on 4.3. I havent tested it on T999N (Metro PCS version) but if someone does and it works, let us know
1. Go to https://towelroot.com/ and download towelroot. Install it and run it. Now you are rooted.
2. Install RegionLock Away
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2470551
3. Run it and grant root and reboot and now you are unlocked.
Optional step
4. Update through Kies to 4.3 and it will work despite being rooted (Device Status shows "Official" if rooted through towelroot). Update fails if you do it through the settings so this is the only to update besides odin/flashing
I test it an AT&T Straight Talk and everything was working with LTE

Thanks! I had run Region Lock Away to confirm it was safe to try a while back, but was never able to test if it actually SIM unlocked the device. If it worked on 4.1.2, I think there is a good chance it would also work on 4.3. This needs confirmation though.
Also, SIM unlocking is permanent, so it should remain unlocked regardless of how you update or if you flash any custom roms.

It may also be possible to unlock 4.3 this way, I suggested a couple people to try this but they never replied with any feedback so don't know if it worked or not. This method works on the S4 with 4.3 but I think you have to downgrade the modem if I remember correctly, or it may only be needed for 4.4.2. The same might apply here

I am guessing that you need to have a stock based ROM. I attempted it with Carbon ROM and got "Could not locate CSC data!"

Yup, gotta be stock to unlock, whether you are using a dialer code or any other methods.

DocHoliday77 said:
Yup, gotta be stock to unlock, whether you are using a dialer code or any other methods.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, StockMod or S3Rx should work?

Not sure tbh. The dialer has to be unmodified stock. And I'm not certain if one of the system apps like keystring or factoryapp, or one of the others would be needed. Some custom roms debloated these, not sure about those two. (They probably didnt, but I can't say for sure. ) you could try it, but if it doesn't take, try flashing stock with Odin. Root66 should be ok if you do

DocHoliday77 said:
Not sure tbh. The dialer has to be unmodified stock. And I'm not certain if one of the system apps like keystring or factoryapp, or one of the others would be needed. Some custom roms debloated these, not sure about those two. (They probably didnt, but I can't say for sure. ) you could try it, but if it doesn't take, try flashing stock with Odin. Root66 should be ok if you do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give it a try just to see if it works and give feedback,

The patch returns with Successful on S3Rx. I will have to wait til I get home to test it with another Sim card to see if it actually works.

DocHoliday77 said:
Thanks! I had run Region Lock Away to confirm it was safe to try a while back, but was never able to test if it actually SIM unlocked the device. If it worked on 4.1.2, I think there is a good chance it would also work on 4.3. This needs confirmation though.
Also, SIM unlocking is permanent, so it should remain unlocked regardless of how you update or if you flash any custom roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does not work on 4.3 build NC1.
I get a hold of alot of phones and work at cell phone repair shop so i always try to find ways to unlock them instead of wasting money on unlock codes. On the S4 you have to downgrade the modem and sometimes roms on 4.3/4.4 to unlocked them. So if we can downgrade the modem, i think we can unlock on 4.3.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

Well, it wont brick, but downgrading the modem simply just doesnt work. No signal or anything. That's why the free unlock no longer works on 4.3.

kali323 said:
So if we can downgrade the modem, i think we can unlock on 4.3.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try it, I know downgrading modem to unlock works with the S4 but don't know about the S3, we haven't found anyone willing to do it, or provide the feedback
edit: well I meant unlocking with regionunlock

kali323 said:
1. Go to https://towelroot.com/ and download towelroot. Install it and run it. Now you are rooted.
2. Install RegionLock Away http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2470551
3. Run it and grant root and reboot and now you are unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm it works. Thanx. I just followed your steps and unlocked my cousin's S3 T999 running:
Stock Android 4.1.2
Baseband T999UVDMD5

[Q] Change baseband version from CA to US on S3 i747

I just bought a Samsung Galaxy S3 i747 from Amazon. It is an unlocked GSM version.
Problem is it has a Canadian baseband version, and I am in the US on AT&T.
I have a problem with data connectivity, and according to Samsung tech support, it is because of the Canadian firmware/baseband version.
Can I change the firmware/baseband version from Canadian build to US build?
If so, how would I do it?
Thank you for any help.

What is the ROM and baseband on your phone? Can you make phone calls?

I could be wrong, but based on my experience with the T999, that shouldn't be working. While flashing a T999V baseband won't hurt it, it simply won't work.
Please tell us your current baseband, current rom, and current firmware build. Enter this in terminal emulator to determine base firmware build,
getprop ro.bootloader
Also, can you verify by the sticker under the battery that it is an I747 and not an I747M?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

DocHoliday77 said:
I could be wrong, but based on my experience with the T999, that shouldn't be working. While flashing a T999V baseband won't hurt it, it simply won't work.
Please tell us your current baseband, current rom, and current firmware build. Enter this in terminal emulator to determine base firmware build,
getprop ro.bootloader
Also, can you verify by the sticker under the battery that it is an I747 and not an I747M?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I can make phone calls. I get 4G data connection, but it is slow and keeps dropping, even though it still shows 4G.
If I swap the sim to my old phone, all data connections work great, so I know it's not the sim or the network.
It is in fact an i747M
device name: SGHi747M
Android version: 4.3
Baseband version: I747MVLUEND2
Kernel version: 3.0.31-2140838
[email protected]#1
Sat Apr 12 21:40:34 KST 2014
Build number: JSS15JI747MVLUEND2
SE for Android status: Enforcing
SEPF SGH-I747M 4.3 0029
From getprop ro.bootloader:
I747MVLUEND2
[email protected]
Thanks!

Ok! Everything looks like it should. You could try updating to the 4.4.2 build, but keep in mind you cannot go back to 4 3 afterwards. (You can flash older ROMs but not firmware). And do not flash a 4.4 2 modem on what you are running now.
You can flash the ROMs built for the i747, but for the modem you can only use the I747M.
If the store you got it from told you it was an I747, you might be able to return or exchange it due to incorrect listing.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

DocHoliday77 said:
Ok! Everything looks like it should. You could try updating to the 4.4.2 build, but keep in mind you cannot go back to 4 3 afterwards. (You can flash older ROMs but not firmware). And do not flash a 4.4 2 modem on what you are running now.
You can flash the ROMs built for the i747, but for the modem you can only use the I747M.
If the store you got it from told you it was an I747, you might be able to return or exchange it due to incorrect listing.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was sold as an i747, not i747M, so I will just return it.
The modem is what connects me to the network, so if it remains the Canadian version, changing the firmware won't solve my issue, right?
Thank you for your help!

All I can say on that is you should never flash any firmware that is for any other model device. Its just not safe to do and will almost always cause a hard brick.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 05:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:10 PM ----------
So basically, if you're unable to use it as it currently is, I personally think the best option would be to return it and try to get the US I747 model. If you go in and try changing the firmware and it ends up bricking, you'd probably lose the ability to return it, so IMO its just not worth the risk.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

I am going to send it back tomorrow. I don't want to have to flash anything. It should have worked right out of the box, so I'll just return it.
Strange that the Canadian version didn't work as it should. I have an HTC Desire A8182 that is a Telus version, unlocked, and it works just fine on AT&T. No data issues at all. I rooted that one as it only has 100MB internal memory, and I wanted to get rid of bloatware and use Link2SD plus to move apps to the SD card.I didn't use a custom rom, just rooted stock firmware. It's still running 2.2 FroYo, and I love it! It's only 3G, and a tad small, which is why I decided to go with the S3.
Thanks again for your help!

Seemed a little odd to me as well, but there have been a lot of upgrades and enhancements done to many US networks that may not have been done in Canada. Its just a theory, but I747 firmware may have been built to take advantage of that and the I747M might be made to work better with older or just different networks. Kinda hard to explain what I'm thinking here...
Its also possible that the US and Canadian 3g networks are more similar than their 4g ones, which might explain the different experience with your older device.
And then again, you might have simply received a device that had something wrong with it, which you'd want to return anyway I'm sure.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

DocHoliday77 said:
Seemed a little odd to me as well, but there have been a lot of upgrades and enhancements done to many US networks that may not have been done in Canada. Its just a theory, but I747 firmware may have been built to take advantage of that and the I747M might be made to work better with older or just different networks. Kinda hard to explain what I'm thinking here...
Its also possible that the US and Canadian 3g networks are more similar than their 4g ones, which might explain the different experience with your older device.
And then again, you might have simply received a device that had something wrong with it, which you'd want to return anyway I'm sure.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sent it back today and the seller will refund me when they receive it.
I found an interesting tidbit on the AT&T forum regarding the S3.
"The international edition won't support LTE bands"
Ordered a US version (presumably, lol) today.

[RESOLVED] Bootloader Status with SGH i747 LTE Latest Firmware

Hello,
I'm relarively new to the Galaxy S3 realm, and after a brief experience with a defective SGH T999 that I returned for a refund (which I'm pretty sure shipped with an unlocked bootloader out of the box since T-Mobile is usually good with doing that with their devices), I'm thinking of getting an SGH i747 new and networked unlocked on Amazon for use with T-Mobile since the SGH i747 is the least expensive S3 variant out there with LTE capabilities. I don't want to actually make the purchase until I know these two things:
1) Can the bootloader be unlocked on the latest official firmware (which I believe is 4.3 according to my research)? If so, how?
2) If I can unlock the bootloader on the latest official firmware, what ROMs will I be able to use? I read somewhere that using a ROM designed for an different stock firmware can lead to problems (like how 4.0 firmware users can't use 4.1 firmware ROMs)
I'm hoping I can get this since it has great features for the money, but if I can't install ROMs on it, I'm going to have to look for a different device to purchase.
Thanks ahead of time!
EDIT: I found an article stating there was an All In One toolkit that would root, bootloader unlock, and install recovery for US variant galaxy S3's, and it linked to me to an XDA thread. However, after reading the XDA thread, it seems that it is only able to unlock bootloaders of Nexus devices. Can anyone confirm for me that this all in one toolkit can unlock the bootloader for the latest firmware of the ATT S3?
Link to the toolkit thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1746682
Sent from my LG-D415 using XDA Free mobile app

jasonmerc said:
Hello,
I'm relarively new to the Galaxy S3 realm, and after a brief experience with a defective SGH T999 that I returned for a refund (which I'm pretty sure shipped with an unlocked bootloader out of the box since T-Mobile is usually good with doing that with their devices), I'm thinking of getting an SGH i747 new and networked unlocked on Amazon for use with T-Mobile since the SGH i747 is the least expensive S3 variant out there with LTE capabilities. I don't want to actually make the purchase until I know these two things:
1) Can the bootloader be unlocked on the latest official firmware (which I believe is 4.3 according to my research)? If so, how?
2) If I can unlock the bootloader on the latest official firmware, what ROMs will I be able to use? I read somewhere that using a ROM designed for an different stock firmware can lead to problems (like how 4.0 firmware users can't use 4.1 firmware ROMs)
I'm hoping I can get this since it has great features for the money, but if I can't install ROMs on it, I'm going to have to look for a different device to purchase.
Thanks ahead of time!
EDIT: I found an article stating there was an All In One toolkit that would root, bootloader unlock, and install recovery for US variant galaxy S3's, and it linked to me to an XDA thread. However, after reading the XDA thread, it seems that it is only able to unlock bootloaders of Nexus devices. Can anyone confirm for me that this all in one toolkit can unlock the bootloader for the latest firmware of the ATT S3?
Link to the toolkit thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1746682
Sent from my LG-D415 using XDA Free mobile app
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all s3i747 should already be bootloader unlocked. i bricked my first one trying to "unlock" the bootloader.lol. kind of.
as far as firmware i am assuming you mean bootloader/modem. once you are on NE4 and above firmware , trying to downgrade ,i.e. mj2 firmware will give you a nice looking paper weight.
custom ROMs ; flash away (after making a backup of course). i have never seen a custom ROM include the bootloader/firmware. although you need to always read the OP to make sure it is compatible with whatever your current firmware is.,i.e.(again) if its a ROM for nj2 your ne4 firmware may need to be upgraded to match. @audit13 or @dawgdoc can confirm/deny/provide more info i am sure.
hope this helps at least some.
good luck.
"all i can really do is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"

mrrocketdog said:
all s3i747 should already be bootloader unlocked. i bricked my first one trying to "unlock" the bootloader.lol. kind of.
as far as firmware i am assuming you mean bootloader/modem. once you are on NE4 and above firmware , trying to downgrade ,i.e. mj2 firmware will give you a nice looking paper weight.
custom ROMs ; flash away (after making a backup of course). i have never seen a custom ROM include the bootloader/firmware. although you need to always read the OP to make sure it is compatible with whatever your current firmware is.,i.e.(again) if its a ROM for nj2 your ne4 firmware may need to be upgraded to match. @audit13 or @dawgdoc can confirm/deny/provide more info i am sure.
hope this helps at least some.
good luck.
"all i can really do is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"
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Are you SURE they are all unlocked out of box, regardless of firmware? I have seen guides as to how to unlock the bootloader for the i747 on 4.1.1 firmware, which would lead me to believe they aren't unlocked out of the box.

jasonmerc said:
Are you SURE they are all unlocked out of box, regardless of firmware? I have seen guides as to how to unlock the bootloader for the i747 on 4.1.1 firmware, which would lead me to believe they aren't unlocked out of the box.
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OK. if you've read different then no , i'm not SURE. but i thought they all were.
"all i can really do is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"

mrrocketdog said:
OK. if you've read different then no , i'm not SURE. but i thought they all were.
"all i can really do is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"
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Well too late now, already ordered one...

jasonmerc said:
Well too late now, already ordered one...
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well i'll tell you the honest truth. nevermind bootloaders and whatnot. i gave my S3 away to upgrade to the htcm8. to do all over ; i would have kept it or ordered one like you , or off swappa ,etc. i miss it.
good luck
"all i can really do is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"

Looking in the all in one toolkit, it gives the user the option to root, busybox, and install custom recovery on a 4.3 ATT S3. From my knowledge, one needs an unlocked bootloader to install custom recoveries. Unless this is some sort of special recovery, it seems to me that this is in fact unlocked. Perhaps another user can confirm this.

thats why i mentioned audit13 and dawgdoc earlier. both more knowledgeable than me and i was hoping they would chyme in. or @DocHoliday77.
"all i can really do is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"

The bootoader is not locked. If you try to unlock it using software tools, you will brick it. I have never come across anyone on xda with an att s3 with a locked bootoader but I have come across a few that bricked their phone trying to unlock the bootoader.
Although att often locks the bootoader on their phones (e.g. note 3, s4, lg g2), they did not do this on the sgh-i747.
Once the phone is running the mjb or higher bootoader, you cannot flash an older bootoader.

Alright, thanks to both of you guys for the assistance. Just let out a huge breath of relief, I was scared my money went to waste. Can't wait for this to come in, and I'm eager to be a part of the i747 community on XDA!
Plus I got the red one

If you decide to flash anything to the phone, make sure you verify the bootloader version before flashing anything.
When you receive the phone, boot into download mode to confirm the model # as well.

audit13 said:
If you decide to flash anything to the phone, make sure you verify the bootloader version before flashing anything.
When you receive the phone, boot into download mode to confirm the model # as well.
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Yes, I do recall reading something about only being able to flash ROMs made for the specific bootloader of the phone. But if I were to flash a ROM for d2lte (designed to work with ALL Galaxy S3 models), I would assume it would work alright regardless of bootloader version?
Sent from my LG-D415 using XDA Free mobile app

For stock ROMs, only flash for the d2att. For custom ROMs, only flash ROMs for the d2lte.

So no CM9 then eh?
Sent from my LG-D415 using XDA Free mobile app

jasonmerc said:
So no CM9 then eh?
Sent from my LG-D415 using XDA Free mobile app
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Well, d2lte and d2att roms.
There are a few quirks about particular roms, do not hesitate to ask more questions as they arise. Sometimes you will contradicting answers, or typos causing incorrect answers.

Just an update, the S3 arrived. Looks beautiful physically.
But beyond that...
(I happycried for a good 3 minutes after seeing this)
Sent from my LG-D415 using XDA Free mobile app

jasonmerc said:
Just an update, the S3 arrived. Looks beautiful physically.
But beyond that...
(I happycried for a good 3 minutes after seeing this)
Sent from my LG-D415 using XDA Free mobile app
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That's a nice state to receive an i747. Before doing any updates to bootloader and modem or flashing any ROMs I would suggest doing the free sim unlock found in the forums. (Yes, even though the bootloader is unlocked the sim card does not come unlocked out of the box.) If you upgrade to the 4.3 bootloader or newer you will no longer be able to do the free sim unlock. Although there are always paid unlocks.

dawgdoc said:
That's a nice state to receive an i747. Before doing any updates to bootloader and modem or flashing any ROMs I would suggest doing the free sim unlock found in the forums. (Yes, even though the bootloader is unlocked the sim card does not come unlocked out of the box.) If you upgrade to the 4.3 bootloader or newer you will no longer be able to do the free sim unlock. Although there are always paid unlocks.
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Already flashed a ROM. Despite the seller claiming it was unlocked out of the box, it was not. I'll be flashing back to 4.1.1 stock to do so.
EDIT: This is the firmware I'll be flashing, I assume it's correct
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2161667

man 'o man. 4.1.1. heck yeah !! happy for you (and envious). enjoy. :sly: @audit13 & @dawgdoc :thumbup:
(IF you were thinking about hitting the "thanks button" for this post ; please do not). this is for you guys. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
"all i can really do is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"

As long as you didn't flash 4.3 or newer bootloaders you should be good.