Hi!
Apologies if repost/noob question/.
Recently I've been having issues with my phone. In the past, when using it for streaming videos and such on YouTube, my phone would start to overheat. It used to do this all the time but it was never seemed like a serious issue to me. However, for the last 2-3 weeks, whenever I used apps such as YouTube, browser, messaging etc. or anything else that might overexert the phone, it would heat up almost immediately followed by the message "no SIM card detected". I've tried rebooting the phone which occasionally fixes it (but most of the time does nothing) but the same message would pop up again within a few minutes. The only success I've had with dealing this issue is leaving the phone off for ~30min to a few hours to let it fully cool and then it would work fine again until I used an app for a prolonged period.
SO, here comes the question(s):
I've torn apart almost all the forums I could get my hands on through the glorious thing we call the internet..but to no avail. So, right off the bat, does anyone have a solution to this? I've already tried the typical 'cleaning the SIM' and 'slipping a piece of paper in with the SIM'. I've also tried the SIM on other phones (which worked fine but I wasn't able to test it to the point where it overheated as it did on mine).
TL;DR: My phone's SIM doesn't work and I need a solution.:silly:
Anyways, if noone has a solution, I have a plan of action (outlined below) but would like some advice before acting on it.
Ive tried my SIM on OTHER phones and it seemingly works fine. I HAVEN'T tried another SIM on MY phone because its not unlocked. I'm with Mobilicity and they charge $50 to unlock (given how crap their service and reception already is, I refuse to give them any more money). So, I plan on unlocking the phone myself and then test with another SIM. Sounds like alotta effort but I'm dirt poor (which is also why I'm with Mobilicity because their plans are dirt cheap) and I also find this stuff fascinating/interesting.
Research (good news)has told me I can unlock myself if my phone is on the firmware 4.1.1 (using the PersoSHA256Off method). The problem is, I'm on 4.3, which, (bad news) research has also told me, attempting any downgrade from 4.3 to 4.1.1 can result in a hardbrick. HOWEVER, (good news) I heard that this only happens if you have a locked bootloader. But (bad news), I'm totally new to android and everything I've said is simply self-educated due to research so I don't actually know how to determine if its locked (also, I get so lost in the jargon other forums use so I'm not sure I fully understand). I've heard say that Canadian S3's have unlocked bootloaders and/or come locked but can be unlocked, but again, if that's the case, how do I find out/or unlock it myself ? (I said 'lock' quite a few times, sorry if I lost anyone there).
I thank any fellow who was able to persevere through this wall of text and still has the desire to help me.:laugh:
I apologize to the mods/developers/community if the answers to my questions are blatantly obvious and have fuelled anger from their hearts with its stupidity.
Here are the specs on my phone:
Model Number: SGH-T999V
Firmware: 4.3
Kernel Version: 3.0.31-2159044
Build Number: JSS15J.T999VVLUEMK5
Unfortunately, there is no way back. It used to be you just hsd to flash the 4.1.1 modem, but I am not certain thatd work anymore. Up to you if you want to try, but I make no guarantees. You can buy unlock codes on eBay and elsewhere for a few bucks though.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
DocHoliday77 said:
Unfortunately, there is no way back. It used to be you just hsd to flash the 4.1.1 modem, but I am not certain thatd work anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regardless of whether or not the bootloader is unlocked or not?
The bootloader isn't locked. You just are prevented from flashing back to older firmware.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
I see. Do you (or anyone else) perhaps have a reason/solution to the main problem as to why the SIM fails after a period of time then?
Related
Hi Techie folks!
All right, hopefully everyone would excuse any blunders made by a noob but this is my dilemma.
This is my first, and most assuredly not my last, post on this quite interesting platform.
I had recently purchased a device (Google Samsung Galaxy Nexus I9250 Android Smartphone 16Gb) which was supposedly 'unlocked' from an online store (Expansys USA) out here in the US.
I bought it outright for $409.99
Link: http://www.expansys-usa.com/google-nexus-prime-android-smartphone-unlocked-16gb-224148/
I had received that device without any issues and had been using it for over three weeks.
I have the StraightTalk (USA) GSM SIM on it and like I mentioned, no issues whatsoever was faced during daily day-to-day use.
However, yesterday for the first time, I noticed that the network was not connecting and so I rebooted the phone thinking it was some network error.
Now when I did that I received a message after the boot-up which stated 'SIM Network Unlock Pin' and the options were to enter the PIN or dismiss that.
When I dismissed the message notification, I found out that the network was not available.
But the other features of the phone was not affected, as in navigating through the phone and applications (non-internet based) was without an problems.
Just that the network was not connecting although I observed that I could make emergency calls.
So I tried rebooting it again, by taking out the battery and SIM card as well, the issue still persisted.
So I started to troubleshoot the issue, by inserting in another GSM SIM card into the phone, but found the issue to persisting.
To double-check, I took out my StraightTalk SIM card and put in another phone, the SIM card was working fine! :good:
Just to be on the safe side, I called StraightTalk Customer Support and had asked them for some clarification as to why this SIM Network Unlock PIN was shown.
They suggested that this was the phone issue and needed to be sorted out by the place of purchase/manufacturer.
I even tried entering the SIM card's PUK code but did not reach far in that regard.
On searching the net (which is why I had come here for proper support and answers), I had found quite a lot issues with regard to this problem.
I was under the assumption that this phone was the GSM Unlocked International Version, but after this incident, it so happens that this is not the case.
The solution given online and out here is to root the phone using the Wugfresh method and after rooting, run the device with the application (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1548210) which would take care of this issue.
However, I am not too keen on voiding my warranty on this account, and also the steps are quite complicated with respect to rooting the device.
Yes I am noob! So please don't roll your eyes!
This is the issue, and now to what I would appreciate this forum's assistance.
Being an expensive product, I dont want to buy another one just because of this issue.
I do not know where this phone is purchased from, which means, I have no idea which network provider this is locked to.
I can only provide the IMEI number.
Question 1: Is it possible to find out to which network this phone is locked to?
I have to add that the phone does not have any network branding on it, nor does it show any during the boot-up process.
Question 2: Can the phone be unlocked with online unlocking sites?
Question 3: If so, can someone provide me any good sites that can unlock the device.
Is this site any good? Link: http://www.unlockallcellular.com/samsung-galaxy-nexus-unlock-code-p-196144.html
Like I said, worse case scenario, I would indeed have to root my phone and proceed to install that software which will help me get rid of this issue once and for all.
As you all can see, I'm desperately looking for some solutions/answers and would appreciate it if someone would shed any light to this issue.
PS: I do know that there are threads on this issue, but mine is more or less around finding the invisible network provider that this phone is locked to.
Best Regards,
Reena Johnson
Your device was not factory SIM-unlocked. The vendor probably unlocked it using a code. That said, you should call Expansys and ask them for the code.
Otherwise, you can take a look at the following two threads. The first one is easy, but temporary -- in other words, you will need to do unlock every time you flash a new ROM. The second is permanent, but not as straight-forward to accomplish.
1) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1548210
2) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1606982
Further queries now arise ....
efrant said:
Your device was not factory SIM-unlocked. The vendor probably unlocked it using a code. That said, you should call Expansys and ask them for the code.
Otherwise, you can take a look at the following two threads. The first one is easy, but temporary -- in other words, you will need to do unlock every time you flash a new ROM. The second is permanent, but not as straight-forward to accomplish.
1) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1548210
2) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1606982
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the quick reply.
Wow! You guys are fast!
Much appreciated.
Now I have a query. The option 1 which you have stated, is the one which I have looked at.
Even that requires me to root my phone.
Isn't it so?
Cause the OP in that thread specifically mentions the need to root the phone.
I have asked Expansys USA for that code, and since Saturday/Sunday is off for them, I am hoping to get a reply from them on Monday.
Like I said, my main concern is that I would like this process to be hassle free.
You guys (no-offence intended for the male demographic) are quite capable of rooting the phone.
Unfortunately, I wish not to choose that route, unless no options are left available at my disposal.
Which is why I am bending towards the easy unlocking method.
So my next question really is since its (read: the phone) not a factory SIM-unlockedissue, can I find the original network provider to which this phone was locked to?
As in, is there any where on this device which can tell me that information?
Once again, I sincerely thank you for your support and assistance in my life a lot easier! :victory:
Regards,
Reena J
djjohnson said:
Thanks a lot for the quick reply.
Wow! You guys are fast!
Much appreciated.
Now I have a query. The option 1 which you have stated, is the one which I have looked at.
Even that requires me to root my phone.
Isn't it so?
Cause the OP in that thread specifically mentions the need to root the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you are right it does require root. (I didn't realize that it was the link you had looked at and mentioned in your post.)
djjohnson said:
I have asked Expansys USA for that code, and since Saturday/Sunday is off for them, I am hoping to get a reply from them on Monday.
Like I said, my main concern is that I would like this process to be hassle free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably best to wait until Monday then, as that would certainly be the most hassle-free option.
djjohnson said:
You guys (no-offence intended for the male demographic) are quite capable of rooting the phone.
Unfortunately, I wish not to choose that route, unless no options are left available at my disposal.
Which is why I am bending towards the easy unlocking method.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Believe it or not, "rooting" a Nexus device is extremely easy, and should not take more than 5 minutes. The part the takes the most time is to make sure the drivers are set up properly on your PC... Once that is done, no more than a few minutes is all it takes.
djjohnson said:
So my next question really is since its (read: the phone) not a factory SIM-unlockedissue, can I find the original network provider to which this phone was locked to?
As in, is there any where on this device which can tell me that information?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, there is a way, although I believe you need root, although I could be wrong here. You need to post this file from your device: /factory/mps_code.dat and someone will be able to tell you. Or you can look in that file and compare the code in there to this list.
---------- Post added at 11:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 PM ----------
djjohnson said:
[snip]
Question 2: Can the phone be unlocked with online unlocking sites?
Question 3: If so, can someone provide me any good sites that can unlock the device.
Is this site any good? Link: http://www.unlockallcellular.com/samsung-galaxy-nexus-unlock-code-p-196144.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And yeah, you should be able to get it unlocked by one of those site, even the one you mentioned. But I can't vouch for it, nor can I recommend any site, as I have never used any.
Hey djjohnson
I've got the exact same problem, but bought my phone from a different seller.
Did you manage to get any information (or PIN) from expansys??
Thymine said:
Hey djjohnson
I've got the exact same problem, but bought my phone from a different seller.
Did you manage to get any information (or PIN) from expansys??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks like OP disappeared after getting his issue solved. Expansys has great customer service and would have exchanged the phone with no problems. Which retailer did you get it from? There are unlocking sites out there but you have to know which network its locked to. Or root it and try the methods listed in this thread. GL
Cheers mate,
I bought mine from an ebay seller and have already sent them a message asking for either the PIN or the name of the original service provider.
If that falls through, I'll have no other option but to root....or just be the first of my friends to not have a phone number and live exclusively on the internet...
I'll probably root.
A delayed update ...
Techies folks!
This is just to update you guys on this issue and if in future any one else faces such similar issue just do this and get back your peace of mind.
First you need to root your phone as mentioned by Efrant and it is indeed a simple process once you have set up the required drivers.
Once again thanks a lot Efrant for your support and time in helping me out with this.
:good:
First you need to root your phone, period.
I tried all methods before diving into this method.
Rooting isn't complicated and all it takes is patience and the exact details to get this done.
What I am about to suggest is to be taken at the reader's risk and I am not responsible for any damage done to your phone.
That being said, I highly doubt that anything will go wrong unless you arent used to following instructions!
My Nexus was magically locked to an invisible network and you guys can find that out by going into fastboot mode.
What that means is to turn your device off and then press the buttons together (volume Up + volume Down + Power), you will get that info under the "baseband version" and "carrier info".
I could not resort to the online unlocking sites because ALL of them require the original network to unlock the phone.
I suggest that you root the phone and it is quite simple not taking you longer than 10-20 minutes.
1) First you will need to install the drivers onto your phone from your computer which you will need during the rooting process.
You can get that from here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20058157&postcount=1
It is called the Universal Naked Driver 0.7.
The download instructions are given in this link http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29044502&postcount=735
The OP was quite comprehensive in providing the exact details in what needed to be done. So once you have installed the necessary drivers proceed to the next step.
2) Download Wugfresh Toolkit which is the main tool needed to root your phone.
First you will need to unlock your phone and then root it.
The beauty of this software is that everything is on it. Just click on the Unlock button first and then you just have to sit back and wait for the magic to happen.
The instructions on the screen will tell you what its doing.
I would suggest reading through the entire process before going through with this.
http://www.wugfresh.com/dev/nexus-root-toolkit/
Extra material on this http://wugfresh.com/Help/
3) Once you have rooted your phone, the hardest bit is over. Then all you need to do is install this application on your device. And run it.
Simple.
You have yourself an unlocked phone!! :victory:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1548210
There will be questions as to if this will work in CDMA or GSM versions.
I got mine from Expansys and it was supposed to be an unlocked GSM model.
I hope that will help as it did with mine.
Actually I got my bf to do this for me as it is a tad bit complicated and it was a birthday gift from him.
mendezj666 said:
It looks like OP disappeared after getting his issue solved. Expansys has great customer service and would have exchanged the phone with no problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow!
I seriously didn't realize that I had a personal assistant or the CIA to track my moves!
I apologize if my bf didnt get back to you guys on this issue. I, on the other hand, have work which consumes 12hrs of my day.
So I really do not have the time to post a reply.
But hey! a simple 'I dont know where SHE is, but here's what I can do to help you out' would have sufficed.
I'm just saying. No offense intended mate.
By the way, I'm a girl, and in my opinion Expansys came highly recommended to me by all my co-workers.
But I had the most horrible customer support ever!
My personal opinion would be to NOT buy from there!
Get from Negri's or some place better.
God knows how many times I had tried calling them. Even tried sending them tons of emails and not even one peek into my issue.
Goes to show how "great" of a customer service they have!
Thymine said:
Hey djjohnson
I've got the exact same problem, but bought my phone from a different seller.
Did you manage to get any information (or PIN) from expansys??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope my post will help you also to resolve your issue.
Best way is to root your phone. But like I said earlier, do read everything, and download the drivers and the Wugfresh Toolkit before proceeding.
All the best.
Soon you'll be like me enjoying what can only be said as a beauty of a device.
A big thanks to Efrant for helping a gal out!
Cheers!
Regards,
Reena J
[Q] Same problem, solved, but now how can I network lock it again...
Hi All,
In short, same problem here, I used another unlock code(bought it) and now i want to network lock it again? How can I lock it?
I had very same problem of this thread, I bought phone as factory unlocked but was code unlocked(Vodafone Spain), later after updating to 4.0.4 and then to 4.1.1, it asked for the code again.
I raged with the problem and I rushed to buy a unlock code (8$), a bit shady, but it works fine.
Now I want to confront the shop who sold the phone lying about its lock state, and it would be convincing if i can send them the phone network locked as it was.
How can I network lock the phone again?
I have tryed inputing the code *7465625*638*# or *7465625# and similar combinations with no lock, I don't get a popup asking me for the carrier data to lock it.
I also tryed to downgrade the phone to 4.0.4, with no result and later to 4.1.1 and the same it is not asking for the unlock code...
Just an obvious clarification, I am talking about carrier network locking, not lock/unlock the bootloader.
Thanxs a lot in advance
djjohnson said:
Techies folks!
This is just to update you guys on this issue and if in future any one else faces such similar issue just do this and get back your peace of mind.
First you need to root your phone as mentioned by Efrant and it is indeed a simple process once you have set up the required drivers.
Once again thanks a lot Efrant for your support and time in helping me out with this.
:good:
First you need to root your phone, period.
I tried all methods before diving into this method.
Rooting isn't complicated and all it takes is patience and the exact details to get this done.
What I am about to suggest is to be taken at the reader's risk and I am not responsible for any damage done to your phone.
That being said, I highly doubt that anything will go wrong unless you arent used to following instructions!
My Nexus was magically locked to an invisible network and you guys can find that out by going into fastboot mode.
What that means is to turn your device off and then press the buttons together (volume Up + volume Down + Power), you will get that info under the "baseband version" and "carrier info".
I could not resort to the online unlocking sites because ALL of them require the original network to unlock the phone.
I suggest that you root the phone and it is quite simple not taking you longer than 10-20 minutes.
1) First you will need to install the drivers onto your phone from your computer which you will need during the rooting process.
You can get that from here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20058157&postcount=1
It is called the Universal Naked Driver 0.7.
The download instructions are given in this link http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29044502&postcount=735
The OP was quite comprehensive in providing the exact details in what needed to be done. So once you have installed the necessary drivers proceed to the next step.
2) Download Wugfresh Toolkit which is the main tool needed to root your phone.
First you will need to unlock your phone and then root it.
The beauty of this software is that everything is on it. Just click on the Unlock button first and then you just have to sit back and wait for the magic to happen.
The instructions on the screen will tell you what its doing.
I would suggest reading through the entire process before going through with this.
http://www.wugfresh.com/dev/nexus-root-toolkit/
Extra material on this http://wugfresh.com/Help/
3) Once you have rooted your phone, the hardest bit is over. Then all you need to do is install this application on your device. And run it.
Simple.
You have yourself an unlocked phone!! :victory:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1548210
There will be questions as to if this will work in CDMA or GSM versions.
I got mine from Expansys and it was supposed to be an unlocked GSM model.
I hope that will help as it did with mine.
Actually I got my bf to do this for me as it is a tad bit complicated and it was a birthday gift from him.
Wow!
I seriously didn't realize that I had a personal assistant or the CIA to track my moves!
I apologize if my bf didnt get back to you guys on this issue. I, on the other hand, have work which consumes 12hrs of my day.
So I really do not have the time to post a reply.
But hey! a simple 'I dont know where SHE is, but here's what I can do to help you out' would have sufficed.
I'm just saying. No offense intended mate.
By the way, I'm a girl, and in my opinion Expansys came highly recommended to me by all my co-workers.
But I had the most horrible customer support ever!
My personal opinion would be to NOT buy from there!
Get from Negri's or some place better.
God knows how many times I had tried calling them. Even tried sending them tons of emails and not even one peek into my issue.
Goes to show how "great" of a customer service they have!
I hope my post will help you also to resolve your issue.
Best way is to root your phone. But like I said earlier, do read everything, and download the drivers and the Wugfresh Toolkit before proceeding.
All the best.
Soon you'll be like me enjoying what can only be said as a beauty of a device.
A big thanks to Efrant for helping a gal out!
Cheers!
Regards,
Reena J
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google is selling these phones for $350 ? Why would you pay more and not get it from the source, just curious. Not trying to be argumentative.
jawmail said:
Google is selling these phones for $350 ? Why would you pay more and not get it from the source, just curious. Not trying to be argumentative.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe they're not in the US or purchased them more than 2-3 months ago.
The point is that google does not sell them worldwide, they don't sell them in my country (Spain), or at least not 3 months ago when I bought mine. And if they would sell them it would be more like 400€ minimum (equivalent to 500$ moreless)
But lets not lose the focus, of the question, any idea of how to network lock the phone again?
jawmail said:
Google is selling these phones for $350 ? Why would you pay more and not get it from the source, just curious. Not trying to be argumentative.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had let my nexus update to 4.1.1 before realising I had a sim unlock problem here, the guide above was spot on, if you are on 4.0.4. I just couldnt get the last bit done on JellyBean, so went back to google image 4.0.4 and it work flawlessly
Phone updated to JB an hour ago, and its still working sweet
Hi everyone,
So earlier today I was standing in Walmart when my phone froze and I restarted it, after booting up it indicated that the Public Mobile network was unavailable, since then I've been unable to connect to any networks. I can scan for networks, select public mobile, it sits there for five minutes trying to connect and then says "Please Try Again Later".
Now a couple of months ago I had my phone unlocked by a local place, they initially did a bad update because my WiFi stopped working, and then I noticed that they put a Rogers Firmware onto my phone which originally comes from Telus. Could this pose an issue ?.
I've also noticed that my IMEI number on the back of the phone is completely different from what is on screen. What can I do to get my phone working again or am I f***d ? I have no experience rooting or flashing my phone but if someone could walk me through it that would be awesome.
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy SIII (SGH-I747M) Telus, running android 4.4.2
Thanks !
You could try re-injecting the original IMEI using nvwriter.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1804117
audit13 said:
You could try re-injecting the original IMEI using nvwriter.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1804117
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I tried following the steps but couldn't figure it out, I don't have the original IMEI number backed up, but I do have it, is there a way I can go in and change it ? When I tried to use nvwriter it tells me my phone isn't responding.
Oh boy.......I'd go to wherever you had it serviced and find out exactly what they did. Sounds kind of like they put a different motherboard in and did not tell you. They probably did something to really screw up the original but didnt want to admit it or pay for it, so they gave you whatever they had on hand. This just a guess of course, but it would explain the firmware and the IMEI being different. You shouldn't be able to flash the Rogers firmware on any other carriers device or vice versa. So I find all of that extremely suspicious.
Check the IMEI's to see if they're blacklisted. (Im worried the one you see in settings will turn up to be so....hopefully not).
Do not try to change the IMEI though. If my suspicions are correct, it means the one its using is the one belonging to that board. Not only does changing the IMEI often cause a lot of ither issues, it is also almost always illegal.
***(And just fyi, be careful posting the tools or instructions for doing so, is against XDA rules. Same for just about every forum on the net.)
Even if all of that were not anything to be concerned about, you have to consider that if they did swap your motherboard, they may have fixed it later and now someone else has it with that IMEI. If you put it on your device, and both are seen on the network with the same one, it'll get blacklisted.
I really hope I am wrong....I really really do. But if I am not, i don't know if you will be able to do much without more info from whoever worked on it.
I am sorry btw, Im not trying to scare you about it, that's just what I see as the most likely scenario based on the info provided. Like I said, I could be wrong.
DocHoliday77 said:
Oh boy.......I'd go to wherever you had it serviced and find out exactly what they did. Sounds kind of like they put a different motherboard in and did not tell you. They probably did something to really screw up the original but didnt want to admit it or pay for it, so they gave you whatever they had on hand. This just a guess of course, but it would explain the firmware and the IMEI being different. You shouldn't be able to flash the Rogers firmware on any other carriers device or vice versa. So I find all of that extremely suspicious.
Check the IMEI's to see if they're blacklisted. (Im worried the one you see in settings will turn up to be so....hopefully not).
Do not try to change the IMEI though. If my suspicions are correct, it means the one its using is the one belonging to that board. Not only does changing the IMEI often cause a lot of ither issues, it is also almost always illegal.
***(And just fyi, be careful posting the tools or instructions for doing so, is against XDA rules. Same for just about every forum on the net.)
Even if all of that were not anything to be concerned about, you have to consider that if they did swap your motherboard, they may have fixed it later and now someone else has it with that IMEI. If you put it on your device, and both are seen on the network with the same one, it'll get blacklisted.
I really hope I am wrong....I really really do. But if I am not, i don't know if you will be able to do much without more info from whoever worked on it.
I am sorry btw, Im not trying to scare you about it, that's just what I see as the most likely scenario based on the info provided. Like I said, I could be wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I just took it back to the place that serviced it. They said to leave it with them for an hour or so and I should be good, didn't sound like he's going to charge me anything either since he remembered when I was in last and he said he had to reinstall the OS. So fingers crossed, otherwise I'm just going to grab a new Moto G to use with my network. I'm kind of over the SIII anyhow, so if its not fixable its not the end of the world, still sucks nonetheless lol
Some months ago I made the huge mistake of applying the OTA update to my locked AT&T G S III SGH-i747 which had a stock ROM at the time.
The result could not have been worse. The phone is barely usable now. It's very slow, drains battery faster, cannot tether for free anymore, and can't seem to be able unlock. I tried with SamMobile and lost my money because their software does not work on this phone, and they don't answer to my inquiries
So, does anyone know a method for unlocking it?
Is there a way to go back to stock? Is there a way to reset it before selling it?
My phone is encrypted and I don't know if that makes any difference, but I am afraid it becomes bricked
I have searched the threads first and can't find a definitive answer to my questions
After this terrible experience I am seriously consider never buying a Samsung Android phone ever again. In fact, I am even afraid to install the AT&T OTA KitKat update given the possibility of my phone becoming even less usable
I'm assuming you're referring to Sim unlocking to use on other networks. It doesn't have a locked bootloader if that's what you mean though.
Once updated to 4.3 the only way to Sim unlock it is to get an unlock code from AT&T or buy one online. Unlock codes MUST be entered into the stock dialer.
As for the issues you mentioned, I suspect it has something to do with your encryption, though I could very well be wrong though. I can say your experience is not the norm, so something simply just went wrong along the way. It happens.
This is what I suggest you do. Backup your important data, including what's on your internal SD card.
Flash the 4.3 MJB firmware via Odin. (Firmware is in a thread in the General section.)
Reboot to recovery and factory reset. (This will wipe all apps and data including the internal sdcard)
Reboot, setup and test to see if it's improved.
Alternatively, if you have trouble with Odin, enewman17 has a thread in development for full stock revert. I'll try to find the link in a moment. If either method gives you problems, factory reset and try again.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 12:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:20 AM ----------
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2658486
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
Thanks DocHoliday77. I will try to do what you are saying
This update was a well known fiasco, and had to be pulled by Samsung:
http://www.thefullsignal.com/samsung/samsung-galaxy-s-iii/16037/android-43-update-pulled-samsung
http://www.thefullsignal.com/samsung/galaxy-s3/16050/samsung-galaxy-s3-android-43-update-pushing-att
Multiple complaint threads were created in the AT&T forum, which they conveniently folded into a single one
https://forums.att.com/t5/Android/Galaxy-s3-android-update-to-4-3/m-p/3858373
Some people tried to factory reset the phone after the update with the result being the phone bricked (you can read in the above thread and on this very same website). So, I am a little worried about that. But right now the phone it's very unusable, so I guess I have little to lose by following your directions
Question: why do I need to flash the 4.3 MJB firmware via Odin if the firmware is already in my phone? Sorry if it's too obvious to you
I suggest flashing the full firmware in case something was corrupted in yours. That's all.
The only thing I know for sure about the update issue was that it primarily affected i9300 users. Pretty much any article you find about the update being pulled will be talking about that international model. I'm not aware of any us models having an update pulled after its release. I can't say much about AT&Ts though, I'm a T-Mobile user. But on T-Mobile there were very few problems at all. Even with leaked and ported builds from other carriers. I personally didn't have a single issue, but I do recall a lot of people panicking because they thought the i9300 problems were going to affect them too, which ultimately they didn't.
As for complaints on the carrier forums, you'll find similar threads related to every update for every carrier. Its an extremely small percentage compared to the overall number who took the updates with no issues.
Anyway, I hope flashing that firmware helps to solve some of the problems you've had. Make sure your important data is backed up of course and you may need to factory reset. I do acknowledge some had some unnecessary problems though, so I can't guarantee anything. Hopefully everything goes smoothly for you.
Good luck!
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Well, it affected non-international users as well, like me. Not sure what you mean by "primarily" but if it means you mostly heard about the i9300 and you don't use AT&T so you didn't hear too much about it, that does not really sound less anecdotal than my experience
And yes, I am aware the people who complain in forums does not necessarily represent the whole universe of users. However, the absence of more people complaining in such forums does not prove in any way the problems do not affect most users. One simply can't draw conclusions one way or the other.
Thanks for your help. Based on your reputation I am sure you know what you are talking about with regards to ROMs and technical details.
I am not convinced, though, about how typical or less typical are the problems I am experiencing just based on the information on this thread.
:deleted: (with apologies)
err on the side of kindness
I have yet to find a answer to this question anywhere. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I have a SM-G925T and I had rooted and flashed roms to this device in the past and have been able fix all of the problems I have run into until now. I am not currently able to use my phone for texting/caling/mobile data until I connect to wifi (with wifi calling on t-mobile) I am not able to do anything, but when I do connect to wifi I can make calls and tests. I have been looking everywhere and not seen anyone with the same problem. I feel as though I corrupt the EFS folder or IMEI as my IMEI now shows 360000000000006 and the actual IMEI is entirely different. If anyone has an answer to this that doesn't involve sending it to Samsung I would love the help.
What have you tried to fix this problem? Reset APN? Reflash rom? What rom are you using? Also dont sent it to Samsung, just ask for tmobile to replace it unless you dont have insurance.
Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk
The problem is rooting.
Returning to stock will fix and solve all your problems.
Pp.
i ran into the same issue 2 days ago and searched this plus many other sites for a solution. i kept getting answers saying something about a root key needed to be fixed. or the other answer i was getting told was to flash [KERNEL] UniKernel v8-0002 COH9. i ultimately ended up taking it back to t-mobile and got a new phone. but the manager told me it was missing certificates and the stock kernel. i hope this little piece of information helps, and i hope you have better luck in restoring your phone than i did.
Every time this phone S6edge, gets an update it becomes harder and riskier to root the S6e and still have a working phone.
This top of the line device (until the S7 gets here) isn't your average phone to experiment with, try a plain android like a nexus Google phone, there's probably a handful of developers working on the Nexus alone Vs one (maybe) for the S6e?
I know xda forums are all about taking control of your phone but not this puppy, you must surrender to Samsung on this one.
My phone is 6 months old and works great, even after updates it just gets better and better and after marshmallow gets here this phone will be a greater device.
I have stayed stock and never attempted to root because I was following and reading all threads started on the S6e and it was a hot mess, a lot of stuff and phones going wrong at first and as soon as some one found an exploit Samsung had it removed and safe root went right out the window.
I have learned to like stock and I'm ok with it. And my phone works all the time.
Pp.
PanchoPlanet said:
Every time this phone S6edge, gets an update it becomes harder and riskier to root the S6e and still have a working phone.
This top of the line device (until the S7 gets here) isn't your average phone to experiment with, try a plain android like a nexus Google phone, there's probably a handful of developers working on the Nexus alone Vs one (maybe) for the S6e?
I know xda forums are all about taking control of your phone but not this puppy, you must surrender to Samsung on this one.
My phone is 6 months old and works great, even after updates it just gets better and better and after marshmallow gets here this phone will be a greater device.
I have stayed stock and never attempted to root because I was following and reading all threads started on the S6e and it was a hot mess, a lot of stuff and phones going wrong at first and as soon as some one found an exploit Samsung had it removed and safe root went right out the window.
I have learned to like stock and I'm ok with it. And my phone works all the time.
Pp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree!
+2!!!!!
I personally have had no problems with rooting my phone or with custom roms. The only time I had an issue was when I changed my boot splash. The first time I bricked my phone and had to use emergency recovery with Smart Switch. I am also going to suggest you try that before you return your phone. Make sure you backup you internal SD first though because Smart Switch will erase everything. I think it will fix your problem be cause the emergency recovery is started with your serial number. so I do believe it will fix your efs issue. It is definitely worth a try.
Future reference. TWRP does backup your EFS if you click the checkbox for it.
I am having an issue where my phone cannot do Wifi calling, or Samsung Visual Voicemail. So I did some digging and found out that my gf's phone (which I flashed unlocked U1 firmware on) now has the service provider software information (SPS) of AIO/AIO/XAA, even though when I got her phone, it was designated to T-Mobile. However, for MY phone, even though I used the same exact firmware flash, my SPS is VZW/VZW/VZW.
Could this be the cause of my issue? Is there anyway to fix this? I flashed the phone using this firmware: https://samfw.com/firmware/SM-G986U1/XAA/G986U1UES2DUD4
I will provide more info if anyone asks for it, I just don't know what other info to provide as of now.
Here is one thing I know for certain, Verizon's Wifi calling uses an IPSEC tunnel that connects to them when turned on from your phone.
From this we can possibly assume that wifi calling is carrier specific. I am sure voicemail is the same.
So if your phone is technically on one carrier but the firmware thinks it's another, it would be mismatched so to speak.
I know this does not solve your issue but it might explain why those things do not work.
DarkQuark said:
Here is one thing I know for certain, Verizon's Wifi calling uses an IPSEC tunnel that connects to them when turned on from your phone.
From this we can possibly assume that wifi calling is carrier specific. I am sure voicemail is the same.
So if your phone is technically on one carrier but the firmware thinks it's another, it would be mismatched so to speak.
I know this does not solve your issue but it might explain why those things do not work.
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Click to collapse
Right, I figured it would be something like that. The problem, at least I think, is that the phone still thinks it's a Verizon phone, even though it has U1 firmware. I tried flashing the firmware again, and putting in the SIM after I factory reset it, and nothing changed. I truly do need to change the SPS. I'm not sure if that's possible, but hopefully someone can shed more light on this problem.
guyguyguy1 said:
Right, I figured it would be something like that. The problem, at least I think, is that the phone still thinks it's a Verizon phone, even though it has U1 firmware. I tried flashing the firmware again, and putting in the SIM after I factory reset it, and nothing changed. I truly do need to change the SPS. I'm not sure if that's possible, but hopefully someone can shed more light on this problem.
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Click to collapse
Here is just my 2 cents on it. For years I used to buy unlocked phones specifically so I could put custom firmwares on them. I had 3 reasons for doing so at the time. Get rid of the trash, custom firmwares were often updated more frequently and longer than manufacturer "official", and for root.
As it sits today, root is handy but not required like it used to be. Manufacturers now update their firmware FAR better and there are ways to debloat an official phone.
What I am getting at is this. Dinking with the firmware (IE changing away from official) is not worth it in my opinion today for most folks. Especially if you really depend on your device,, as I do for work.
However with all that said, if I did not depend on mine for work I would customize it anyway because while the processes for doing so are tedious, I find them fun.
Just my take on it. I wish you luck with your issue.
DarkQuark said:
Here is just my 2 cents on it. For years I used to buy unlocked phones specifically so I could put custom firmwares on them. I had 3 reasons for doing so at the time. Get rid of the trash, custom firmwares were often updated more frequently and longer than manufacturer "official", and for root.
As it sits today, root is handy but not required like it used to be. Manufacturers now update their firmware FAR better and there are ways to debloat an official phone.
What I am getting at is this. Dinking with the firmware (IE changing away from official) is not worth it in my opinion today for most folks. Especially if you really depend on your device,, as I do for work.
However with all that said, if I did not depend on mine for work I would customize it anyway because while the processes for doing so are tedious, I find them fun.
Just my take on it. I wish you luck with your issue.
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Click to collapse
Thank you! My understanding is that if your phone is protected by Knox, if you root the phone, it would break the chip on the logic board, and it would either brick the phone, or totally disable all protections on the phone, so you would HAVE to do custom firmware and security. Which simply isn't worth it to me. I just think it's annoying that a phone that SHOULD have the built in compatibility, just simply doesn't because the company that commissioned the phone felt like being a ****. Worst case scenario, I just suck it up and deal with it, it's not a huge deal. But, if someone eventually comes along and offers a fix for it, I'll jump on it!