Best place to buy unlocked - G3 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hey all,
I'm looking to buy this non contract to use with my Tmob $30 5gig plan.
I was looking for the best price and was wondering if it would be possible to get a better deal buying this outright from a carrier and unlocking it myself or if I should get it somewhere else, amazon or something.
I'm also confused by the models as I believe I've seen some with 3 gigs of ram and some with less. I would like to get the best model available, most ram and storage.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Rich
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Free mobile app

I bought mine from www.blackwireless.com and got within 2 days. Phone is international unlocked version without bloatware.

That international unlocked version still has a locked boot loader. Also, this is the 16gig, 2gig ram version - not the 32gig, 3gig ram version. Plus it costs $649 for that version without the SquareTrade warranty.
If I were you I would try to get a 32gig/3gig model from T-Mobile because that is the only one without a locked bootloader. I think the full price from T-Mobile is similar or a bit cheaper even, and that phone will run with about any GSM sim chip just by plugging it in and maybe changing the APN.

Cool. Thanks guys
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Free mobile app

Wow! Your right! Only $598! I've seen that model for over $700!
I think I'm going to wait a little bit if I can though but not sure. I may just grab this. I don't think I should have an issue using my T-Mobile off contract Sim.
Thanks
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Free mobile app

You also will not get any wifi calling if you buy a non T-mobile phone, and that's an important feature IMO that's impossible to add layer.

WiFi calling! Cool! Don't have that with the nexus 4!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Free mobile app

Related

[Q] Where can I buy the GS3 T-mobile version retail price?

So I have been looking and trying to figure out how to get this phone without having to do an upgrade and not pay extreme prices for the phone. Living in SoCal I could wait for AT&T to come out with there's and just use that phone as it supports the 1900 bands down here. But would like to use the T-mobile version as it supports all of the 1700 everywhere.
Any ideas or thoughts? My understanding is that Costco and Walmart only does updates. I am not changing my voice plan.
they should let you buy it outright at a T-Mobile store since you're paying full price. I did it in a cheap prepaid plan and the rep had trouble entering it in the system but the manager had no problems since I was paying full retail. He just had to enter his manager code I guess
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Craigslist
Sent from my SGH-T999 using XDA
My brother doesn't want his.... He use it two days.... So instead of paying u full retail lmk.... I think he wants 6oo and not sure if shipping included but I might make a thread for it
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

Galaxy s3 international vs at&t s3

How come they have more development then we do....are our devices limited....they only thing I kno is the processor ?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
a lot more people in the world have the International version of the s3 (gt-i9300)
That is always the case when the international version uses a different cpu than domestic. That is why i am hoping Note 2 comes with Exynos in the US also.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
When u have a phone like ours (only canada and us) compared to one available in all of europe and some parts of asia as well as Australia and so on i believe theres gunna be more devs and what not....
im on my phone. expect terrible typos.
Noob question. Can an international version work on the at&t network here in the USA? Sorry about the Noob question.
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Zeke757 said:
Noob question. Can an international version work on the at&t network here in the USA? Sorry about the Noob question.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
yes but you wouldn't get LTE. and you would be paying an unsubsidized price so you wouldn't really get your moneys worth from a pricy at&t plan.
Thanks man.
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jefferson9 said:
yes but you wouldn't get LTE. and you would be paying an unsubsidized price so you wouldn't really get your moneys worth from a pricy at&t plan.
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I beg to differ on this statement. I have both Euro S3 and ATT S3, the only advantage of the ATT is the LTE. Aside from that the Euro is hands down better in every aspect.
Unsubsidized pricing is NOT that bad, the huge benefit to this is you are not tied to busted ass ATT for 2 years and are able to leave them at any moment.
And with my Euro I have gotten more than my monies worth. The only reason I have the ATT one is because I got a steal on it and I couldn't pass it up. But it honestly just sits on my couch most of the time.
And if you are not in a contract buying an unsubsidised unlocked phone actually saves you money rather than signing a contract with a carrier. My folks pay $100+ for what I get for $45 month. If you do the math, you pay full price 10 times over buying a subsidized phone.
Sent from my SGSIII
Pricing of the cell phone plan has nothing to do with if the phone is subsidized or not...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
ranshipa cecil
Yaken said:
Pricing of the cell phone plan has nothing to do with if the phone is subsidized or not...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
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That correct, on At&T the plans are not connected to the device, you only get a break on the price on the device if you agreed to keep your account for 24 months, what phone you have or what plan you have during that period doesn't change or affect the contact.
Correct but if you get a subsidized phone you signed a contract.. carriers plans are more than the prepaid or postpaid plans that offer the same benefits.. its a known fact that carriers get you in the door by offering phones subsidized while offering higher rates than prepaid but if you do the math buying the phone outright you save more money (a LOT MORE) going with Straight Talk over AT&T and essentially get the same service.
Sent from my SGSIII
You don't have to but the phone at a subsidized price you can buy it out right and not sign a 2 yr contract its your choice.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
What do you guys pay for AT&T? $90 a month per line or so? $60?.. $50?.. Straight Talk is exactly the same at $45, they are also on the verge of allowing lte.. the minutes for dollars scam the carriers have been using is very outdated and coming to an end.
Sent from my SGSIII
Postpaid service is better on every Carrier than prepaid in my opinion.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
ahenderson223 said:
Postpaid service is better on every Carrier than prepaid in my opinion.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I agree. That's why I use straight talk. Its post paid.
Sent from my SGSIII
Well if your going with one of the most costly carriers buying the us version from at&t over the unlocked version saves you 20% the cost of the phone + a 2 year plan. Obviously you would save money from using the unlocked version on a crappy carrier / plan without LTE..
jev3gs said:
That is always the case when the international version uses a different cpu than domestic. That is why i am hoping Note 2 comes with Exynos in the US also.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note 2 is coming with the Exynos quad core and it will support LTE. Check out Briefmobile.com, they have an article about it. Definitely getting it.
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda premium
thegregulator said:
The Note 2 is coming with the Exynos quad core and it will support LTE. Check out Briefmobile.com, they have an article about it. Definitely getting it.
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Why? The next gen Exynos is around the corner. And it's dual core, now what does that say about quad core
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daddymatt said:
What do you guys pay for AT&T? $90 a month per line or so? $60?.. $50?.. Straight Talk is exactly the same at $45, they are also on the verge of allowing lte.. the minutes for dollars scam the carriers have been using is very outdated and coming to an end.
Sent from my SGSIII
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
we pay $10 per line line plus $30 for unlimited data and $20 total text unlimited text on 4 lines. granted it is grandfathered, so it is 100% with it for us to stay on our plan.
straight talk limits your data to 2gb and they don't offer LTE. i also have yet to see anything indicating they will or could. to each his own, though.
Sent from my Galaxy S III

Lg Nitro on GoPhone

Is there a way to get data on the LG Nitro using a gophone plan I kno they have the $65 plan now and it comes with 1gb of data but before I spend my money I wanna see if its a way I can get data enabled and working well I gotta the icon to come in by changing my apn but the guy who activated my sim says this phone can only get talk and text. Anyone here using a GoPhone plan if so are you getting data? Any help greatly appreciated
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium
The guy who activated your sim is retarded. If you get the $65/month smartphone unlimited w/1gb data plan your data will certainly work on the Nitro HD since it's an AT&T phone. I personally think that's a monumental waste of money each month, but whatever, it's your decision.
Why do you say that its a waste of money is there a better plan out there
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium
StraightTalk SIM for $45/mo with a guaranteed 2GB of Data and Unlimited Talk/Text.
It's what I'm running and I love it.
Yea but since I bought the phone off craigslist I can't get the unlock code from at&t doesn't the phone have to be unlocked to use straight talk
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium
snoopy1e11 said:
Yea but since I bought the phone off craigslist I can't get the unlock code from at&t doesn't the phone have to be unlocked to use straight talk
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Click to collapse
AT&T won't give you the unlock code, but you can still acquire the unlock code for your device for under $10 from sites like this one: http://www.cellunlocker.net/lg-unlock.php
Will it still get 4g
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium
StraightTalk works on AT&T so no unlock. Mine isn't unlocked and works just fine. Also, 4G is there.
So it doesn't have to be unlocked to use a straight talk sim? That's great
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium
You won't get LTE on Straight Talk, but HSPA+ is still better than nothing. To me LTE is essentially worthless when you only have 1GB.
Lte will blow thru 1gb in one day I'm just trying to make the right decision the ppl at straight talk said I had to unlock the phone 1st then here I hear something different. The guy I bought this phone from got the unlock code from at&t but it doesn't work so I'm kinda sceptical about trying one of those unlock sites but $45 sounds better than $65
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium
If it's an AT&T Nitro? Then you're fine, just make sure you buy the right sim for AT&T. The person you spoke to didn't give you the correct information. I took a locked AT&T Nitro I bought from Craigslist, stuck the ST Sim in and it works perfect.
I'm going to try that
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium
Unlock codes for LG's are 99 cents on eBay with misterunlock
I'm sure there are others, but I used that service with both of mine.
Do they sell straight talk sims at wal mart or something
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium

Verizon Note 4 on Straighttalk

Hello,
I just got my note 4 via Amazon today. I was trying to be smart and save some money by trying to use Straight talk service (At&t) on a verizon Note 4 because it was a $100 cheaper. Considering the fact that verizon devices are unlocked for GSM use I thought why not try my luck.
So off i went to experiment with a great deal of doubt if this might work. Popped my Sim in, peeled the protector off and first thing i did was to create and save my APN. It took me less then a minute to realize the harsh fact that LTE was not going to work. Searched the web, called Customer care (like they would actually be of any help) and found nothing. Nada, zero, khallas. The dreaded 'H' is all i get and its annoying the crap out of me.
And here I am now debating whether i should spend a $100 more to go get the att note 4 or send this back and get the nexus 6. Almost out.
SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME IM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE.
Thanks!!
LTE only works with T-Mobile using Verizon phones in most cases.
Uhh if you did your research before hand you'd know that the Verizon version only supports LTE Band 13/4 while AT&T uses different bands for LTE. It's literally listed on the product's page on Verizon's website.
I'll not hesitate to admit the fact that I'm an idiot.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
Guys. LTE just popped up on the phone this morning. Straighttalk Att LTE does work on the Verizon Note 4. I can confirm that! This has just made my day. The gamble did pay off.
I appreciate the feedback from you guys.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
Straightalk uses both tmo and att.
faraz7 said:
Guys. LTE just popped up on the phone this morning. Straighttalk Att LTE does work on the Verizon Note 4. I can confirm that! This has just made my day. The gamble did pay off.
I appreciate the feedback from you guys.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Screenshot?
Sure, there you go. It keeps bouncing back and forth to H+ sometimes.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
faraz7 said:
Sure, there you go. It keeps bouncing back and forth to H+ sometimes.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
Wow. Great news.
faraz7 said:
Guys. LTE just popped up on the phone this morning. Straighttalk Att LTE does work on the Verizon Note 4. I can confirm that! This has just made my day. The gamble did pay off.
I appreciate the feedback from you guys.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Att lte ? I just saw your said att lte in your post. That's awesome ! Where did you buy your developer edition ? I check Verizon website and didn't see it there
---------- Post added at 08:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:03 PM ----------
Do they come unlocked to use on all carrier or still need to be regional unlocked ?
Yeah, I've the Att Micro SIM in this device. It's not the developer version, just the normal Version infact. Verizon devices are unlocked right out the box so you don't have to go for the region unlock. Cheers!
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
faraz7 said:
Yeah, I've the Att Micro SIM in this device. It's not the developer version, just the normal Version infact. Verizon devices are unlocked right out the box so you don't have to go for the region unlock. Cheers!
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you buy the phone or did you find it? Just curious if "bad" esn phones will work outside of verizon network.
I hope more people can confirm it working on att because I've always been told Verizon uses different bands than att
Att LTE from what I know should work on band4.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
faraz7 said:
Hello,
I just got my note 4 via Amazon today. I was trying to be smart and save some money by trying to use Straight talk service (At&t) on a verizon Note 4 because it was a $100 cheaper. Considering the fact that verizon devices are unlocked for GSM use I thought why not try my luck.
So off i went to experiment with a great deal of doubt if this might work. Popped my Sim in, peeled the protector off and first thing i did was to create and save my APN. It took me less then a minute to realize the harsh fact that LTE was not going to work. Searched the web, called Customer care (like they would actually be of any help) and found nothing. Nada, zero, khallas. The dreaded 'H' is all i get and its annoying the **** out of me.
And here I am now debating whether i should spend a $100 more to go get the att note 4 or send this back and get the nexus 6. Almost out.
SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME IM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE.
Thanks!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Straight Talk is AT&T and Verizon, it uses both, and I know from experience moving Verizon lte phones to Straight talk, every straight talk phone ends in -A or -V depending on which network is used.
So wat all we have to do is put a straight talk sim in a verizon phone and it will work cause I am confused here straight talk told me I can not use a verizon note 3 or 4
Sent from my SM-N910V using Xparent Red Tapatalk 2
juggjiggler69 said:
So wat all we have to do is put a straight talk sim in a verizon phone and it will work cause I am confused here straight talk told me I can not use a verizon note 3 or 4
Sent from my SM-N910V using Xparent Red Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First it has to be compatible, you can go to their website and check the imei. If compatible, you need to go through the process, which in my experience, costs about 8 for a code you need. They also sell kits in the store. Not all phones are tested to work, but many do anyway.
Bit of a cell noob when it comes to this stuff since I've been on a contract for years but I'm tired of paying 90 something odd dollars for just myself so I want to switch to Straight Talk. So if I want a Verizon Note 4 (Verizon is the best service in this area and I need it especially where I'm at) I just buy an unlocked Verizon Note 4 and then get a Straight Talk kit from Wal-Mart to use with it and it's that simple or is there more to it?
Yes. It will work just fine. I've had the same combination for 2 weeks now and works great. One step you will have to do is to create an APN setting on the phone to have working Internet. Just search for Straighttalk ATT APN settings through google. Pretty simple!
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
All you need is a ATT Straightalk SIM and that will do the trick. Use APN settings on their website to get working data. Verizon Smartphones in the last year (especially IPhone 5 and above) are compatible with GSM (Straighttalk/Cricket/T-Mobile)
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app

UK upgrade on EE

Already have 2 contracts on EE,then mine and the wife's lines both on t mobile still are Due upgrades and in also looking for a new SIM only line for youngest daughter. Contacted EE about my upgrade to a M9,the price up front and contract price are ridiculous,and very low data allowance. Anyone especially had any good deals,I want to stay with EE if I can and with 5 contracts in total you would think they would to keep my business,but they are not playing ball
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I got a free handset with 5GB 4G data allowance and unlimited texts/calls for £31/month out of them a couple of months ago which was less than I was already paying for a smaller allowance so I'm happy enough.
I believe it all depends if they're on a push to retain customers or not when you try to upgrade. Get some prices from other networks and ask them to match. If they won't, then ask to leave. You might be put through to the retentions department, who can offer better deals than the regular upgrade team.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
Did all of that they called my bluff and give me my PAC code ??
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
combat goofwing said:
Did all of that they called my bluff and give me my PAC code ??
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Click to collapse
You don't have to actually use your PAC code. Someone from retentions might call you in the next couple of days. If not, call and say you changed your mind about leaving or just go to a different network if you can get a better deal.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
Yes I'm keeping hold of the code in the hope they phone me ,looking at renewing 2 contracts plus taking out a new SIM only as well ,you'd think they wouldn't want to lose that sort of businesS
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
combat goofwing said:
Yes I'm keeping hold of the code in the hope they phone me ,looking at renewing 2 contracts plus taking out a new SIM only as well ,you'd think they wouldn't want to lose that sort of businesS
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They probably will call you. Honestly, I get fed up with having to dance around with them and threatening to leave every upgrade, just to get a decent deal when I've been a customer since even before they were T-Mobile. You would think loyalty would be rewarded, but they always give better deals to new customers.
Good luck.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
O2, unlimited calls and texts, 3gb data a month. £36, £0 up front. That was the lowest tariff in the uk at the time of my upgrade. Upgraded through carphone warehouse by phone. Really easy. Good coverage. Lots of bonuses via o2 more etc.. Honestly can't fault the service, but the phone.. Different story.
I wish I stole my HTC M9. It's a pile of ****.
combat goofwing said:
Already have 2 contracts on EE,then mine and the wife's lines both on t mobile still are Due upgrades and in also looking for a new SIM only line for youngest daughter. Contacted EE about my upgrade to a M9,the price up front and contract price are ridiculous,and very low data allowance. Anyone especially had any good deals,I want to stay with EE if I can and with 5 contracts in total you would think they would to keep my business,but they are not playing ball
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to carphone mate, they'll have all the deals and the phones will be unlocked, if the deals aren't good enough and you really want to stick with EE then it'll be a case of going back to EE and bluffing.
EE is a bit pricey but I really don't mind as when it comes to customer service they've always been good with me, Orange were the best in the past, apparently o2 have good CS skills.
If that's not an issue, just get a virgin sim, 15 quid a month, think it's unlimited everything, not 4G though. They also use the same network as EE.

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