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[Solved]Can i use Galaxy s9 HK (g9600) in europe?

I want to buy a Galaxy S9. Since there are some complains about the exynos version (battery life, performance, especially 3d performance in games) i want to get the Snapdragon version. Custom Roms etc. doens't matter for me. Is it possible to just order the Galaxy S9 g9600 Hong Kong Version and use it normaly here in germany? Does the region even matter?
>>UPDATE<<
tl;dr: Yes you can!

I'm also interested in getting an answer from somebody who has experienced with this.
After Googling around, I think you will have no problem using the phone. The only problem is that the ROM is full of bloat targeted to the Asian audience. What people do normally is they flash the Brazilian version, which uses the same hardware, and should be a very clean rom. I would feel more confident if somebody came and confirmed who I read around.

I bought the S9 online from Hong Kong (SM-G9600/DS) to use in Australia and it works well with full 4g (LTE) bands. I would assume that it would also work fine with European bands as well. I have not had any issues with the phone at all.
The only potential issue is that you wont be able to use VoLTE outside of Hong Kong. Personally this doesn't bother me.
I'd recommend importing the SM-G9600 form overseas.
---------- Post added at 01:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:46 PM ----------
CaraMuuu said:
I'm also interested in getting an answer from somebody who has experienced with this.
After Googling around, I think you will have no problem using the phone. The only problem is that the ROM is full of bloat targeted to the Asian audience. What people do normally is they flash the Brazilian version, which uses the same hardware, and should be a very clean rom. I would feel more confident if somebody came and confirmed who I read around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm after buying a SM-G9600 online from Hong Kong, it has NO Asian Bloatware and overall a fairly clean rom. Most pre-installed apps are actually useful (such as Facebook or Twitter). The only difference that I have noticed over 4 weeks of having this phone is that in the shopping option of bixby vison (where you point the camera at an object and it comes up with a product you can buy) it shows Hong Kong results. And also the advertising in samsung pay is in Chinese.
None of this a problem that affects overall usability and is very minor. I would definitely recommend buying the SM-G9600 from Hong Kong.

Would it make sense to flash the Brazil ZTO ROM or is the Hong Kong ROM just fine?

Hows the battery life on the HK version? HK has the snapdragon variant i assume it has good battery?

Could Hk version S9/S9+ be root now? Does anyone know how to root Hk version S9/S9+?

Good day. I am thinking in getting a Snapdragon version (American or HK), and would love to know if it works in Europe too.
It seems that the battery life of the phone with Exynos is far worse

If this is the case and the phone is locked to Asia region, is there any way to unlock the phone without an Asia SIM card? Or do I have to send it back?
EDIT: The phone got shipped today and should arrive the end of this week or next week. I will make an update if the Galaxy S9 Dual Sim from Hong Kong is region locked or not

Update: The Galaxy S9 arrived today and everything works perfectly. I had no region sticker on the box and my german simcard works just fine. The only bloatware, that is preinstalled are some microsoft apps (word, excel, powerpoint, onedrive). Overall i am very happy that everything is working flawlessly.

Flik210 said:
Update: The Galaxy S9 arrived today and everything works perfectly. I had no region sticker on the box and my german simcard works just fine. The only bloatware, that is preinstalled are some microsoft apps (word, excel, powerpoint, onedrive). Overall i am very happy that everything is working flawlessly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried using\running Samsung Pay?

athos86 said:
Have you tried using\running Samsung Pay?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, i haven't. Here in Germany it is not often used. Even Apple pay is rarely seen.

Flik210 said:
No, i haven't. Here in Germany it is not often used. Even Apple pay is rarely seen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I asked so because I read that the only potential issues in buying a different region version could be Samsung Pay and VoLTE not working.
Inviato dal mio SM-N910F utilizzando Tapatalk

Does the Hong Kong version support VoLTE or wifi calling? I bought a G9600/DS with the Latin America CSC (has OWO in the version number as opposed to TGY in the HK version) and it does not support either feature. Can you let us know please. I'm thinking of flashing with the TGY CSC if it supports VoLTE and Wifi calling.

sentron said:
Does the Hong Kong version support VoLTE or wifi calling? I bought a G9600/DS with the Latin America CSC (has OWO in the version number as opposed to TGY in the HK version) and it does not support either feature. Can you let us know please. I'm thinking of flashing with the TGY CSC if it supports VoLTE and Wifi calling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HK version does support both VoLTE and VoWiFi but will that work in non-HK carrier in other countries I have doubts

I am also very curious about VoLTE in other countries. Let us know.

Flik210 said:
I want to buy a Galaxy S9. Since there are some complains about the exynos version (battery life, performance, especially 3d performance in games) i want to get the Snapdragon version. Custom Roms etc. doens't matter for me. Is it possible to just order the Galaxy S9 g9600 Hong Kong Version and use it normaly here in germany? Does the region even matter?
>>UPDATE<<
tl;dr: Yes you can!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will work Germany, no problem.
---------- Post added at 09:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 PM ----------
voLTE will only work in Hong Kong. If you root and use a custom ROM the CSC Code can be modified. This is only possible if your device's bootloader is unlocked. As the CSC Code is Region or Carrier Specific you'll need to match your new code to the location and/or carrier.

varcor said:
It will work Germany, no problem.
---------- Post added at 09:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 PM ----------
voLTE will only work in Hong Kong. If you root and use a custom ROM the CSC Code can be modified. This is only possible if your device's bootloader is unlocked. As the CSC Code is Region or Carrier Specific you'll need to match your new code to the location and/or carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi guys,
I also want to buy one S9 with Snapdragon from overseas, what site did you use?
Best Regards

Amazon and Ebay both offer the Snapdragon variation. Ebay is usually less expensive.

insid3r said:
Hi guys,
I also want to buy one S9 with Snapdragon from overseas, what site did you use?
Best Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got mine from an ebay seller. Just look for a sm-g9600 or sm-g9650 if you want the plus.

Which model for use in the USA?

Hello,
I am quite interested in purchasing this device! I live in Washington D.C. and I was curious which model of the phone is best suited for use in America? I ask because I assume there are probably different model numbers depending on what region the phone is purchased from.
Thanks

cms062407 said:
Hello,
I am quite interested in purchasing this device! I live in Washington D.C. and I was curious which model of the phone is best suited for use in America? I ask because I assume there are probably different model numbers depending on what region the phone is purchased from.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SM-705MN or SM-705W
DO NOT BUY SM-705FN

JaY_III said:
SM-705MN or SM-705W
DO NOT BUY SM-705FN
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about SM-705GM?

omnomsky said:
How about SM-705GM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Link to where you see it please.
I cant find an FCC cert for that model and only see it listed on Samsung India's site:
https://www.samsung.com/in/smartphones/galaxy-a70-a705g/SM-A705GZWHINS/#specs
And from what I can see, that will not work in North America
good news is I found another version that should work so that brings us to
SM-705MN
SM-A705YN
SM-705W*
* for the SM-705W I have not seen the cert myself, but going off information another posted listed on XDA

Try this website https://sim-usa.mobi/phone-compatibility-check/
Sent from my SM-A705FN using Tapatalk

Will Samsung pay work on any of these?

Yes And No..
badrsj said:
Will Samsung pay work on any of these?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes Samsung Pay Works On The A70..
But... Samsung Pay is : "Region Specific" depending on Model in a given Region. . So, choose your model carefully.

RaiderWill said:
Yes Samsung Pay Works On The A70..
But... Samsung Pay is : "Region Specific" depending on Model in a given Region. . So, choose your model carefully.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the SM-705MN and i can confirm that samsung pay WILL NOT WORK here in the USA.
I was wondering if anybody had the M or W and if it worked on theirs?
And if so could we swap firmware?
or even possibly change the CSC with out flashing the firmware?

Devilmonkey27 said:
I have the SM-705MN and i can confirm that samsung pay WILL NOT WORK here in the USA.
I was wondering if anybody had the M or W and if it worked on theirs?
And if so could we swap firmware?
or even possibly change the CSC with out flashing the firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simply Put..
There is NO WAY, NO FIRMWARE SWAP, NADA... ZIP.. That Samsung Pay will work on ANY A70 in the United States Of America.
Period..
If Google Pay does not cut if for you.. time to return / sell your device and get a S6, S7, S8, S9, S10, Note 5, Note 8, Note 9, or wait for the Note 10.. if S-Pay means that much to you.
You can buy the A50 through Sprint.. and have a working Samsung Pay MINI in the U.S.A. as an alternative..
Until I found out Google Pay works in 99% of the place I personally shop.. I was going to return my A70 and go for one of the mentioned device listed above.
I still might... there is something just not feeling right about this purchase.. Great Battery, Fingerprint is Ok for me, Face Unlock is very fast.. even in the dark, 6.7 inch screen seems to be where screens are headed, Amoled is... Amoled the best. You can't root and trip knox, and use Samsung Pay on any device.. even though there appears to be a workaround for using Google Pay.. But I'm fine not rooting with Developer's not having any interest in this device and TWRP seems like a distant dream at this point..
So, why am I just not feeling this device?.. It seems perfect on so many fronts.. but.... with Prime Day coming in a couple of weeks.. and also having thoughts of spending $270.00 more and getting the One Plus 7 Pro.. I just don't know what it is about the A70 for me.. but something is missing at this price point..
Maybe the rumored A507 and A707 ( A50 and A70 ) updated models which are due out later this year will get sold through U.S. carriers or get offered by Samsung directly in the U.S.A. but I'm sure those will be Late 2019 releases. But if they do get released in the U.S. at least the A70 would have Samsung Pay support out of the box.

Sorry to bump an old thread, but just to be clear, the best model for use in the USA would be the SM-A705W (the Canadian model)?

leotakacs said:
Sorry to bump an old thread, but just to be clear, the best model for use in the USA would be the SM-A705W (the Canadian model)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The SM-A705MN/DS is the best for use in the US.

Let's talk about chinese version Note10+ 5G

Hi there,
As a Samsung China fan, I know a lot about chinese version Samsung phones ; however I live in France so I also know a lot about the most common version of Samsung phones which are the international variants.
So, let's talk about chinese version Note10+ which has some pretty cool features that we can find nowhere else (btw I will get one in december when I go back to China so this thread is only about specs)
In China, Samsung only provides Note10+ 5G version, the model number is SM-N9760 which is a snapdragon variant. You may think that it is just the same as US version Note10+ 5G with a different software, but it is not exactly the case :
First thing is 9760 is the only Note10+ 5G in the world with dual sim card support. Second is that since Galaxy S10 series, Samsung flagships sold in China are the only in the world that support L1+L5 dualband GPS and 9760 is no exception.
In the box, Samsung provides a transparent case and a 6-month screen replacement reduction (only usable in china)
On software side, 9760 is also different from international version as the CSC it runs (CHC) has many features you may want to use even elsewhere than in China ; let me talk about the new additionnal features on 9760 (I will make another post about the CHC software improvements later) :
Bixby gets a new function exclusive to China that is Bixby Touch (but I have to test it to know if it only works in Chinese or if it is available in other languages) : you just have to long press on any screen to get shortcuts to related apps or services : for example, if someone send you a message with an address, a long press will let you open the maps app directly from there without having to copy/paste or doing any other action.
Samsung Pay gets a new smart door card function, which can let user access their building with just their smartphone.
Of course, it has all the other features from CHC rom that I'll detail on a later post.
And for those who want to know about the occidental services that are also supported, I also have the answer :
Google Play services are preinstalled ; by default, they're not activated but to get Google apps, you just need to download a play store apk and it will work just fine.
Instagram mode works : I tried it on a smaller version Note 10 in China, you just have to install Instagram and clear camera data and it will work just as on international version.
You get your local Galaxy Store because the phone region is defined by your sim card.
However, some features won't work or not completely : for example, Samsung Health will only sync if you have a chinese samsung account and you won't be able to compete with people using non-chinese Samsung Health app
I do NOT know if Samsung Pay works with non chinese cards but I will try it when I get 9760.
You cannot get the "Secure Wifi" feature as well as international version of smart call.
Finally there is no ROM you can flash because 9760 is actually a Chinese-exclusive variant (but that may change if Taiwan gets 5G model)
Personnally I think Chinese Note10+ 5G is the best variant you can find ;
Snapdragon 855, L1+L5 dual-band GPS, Dual-SIM, some cool exclusive features and the ability to use all the features we already use and love... for a cheaper price tag as it is sold in China cheaper than 4G variants in Europe...

Hello, also from France and currently in China I have bought the sm-n9760 in a Samsung shop in Shanghai. So I'm able to answer/confirm some infos there.
First, yes it comes with Google services pre installed, under a VPN I transfered through smart switch my data's and so on (containing my needed VPN apk) on this phone and then added through settings Samsung and Google accounts (while connected to my VPN). Google chrome and calendar couldn't be transfered by smart switch and play store wasn't installed. Downloaded play store apk with Firefox. All worked fine and then I used the play store to install chrome and agenda, all syncing and working without flaw.
Yes it is 5g dual SIM and less expensive than other variants at least the the European ones (paid 7999 RMB = 1040 euros and got a free jbl Bluetooth speaker sold normally at 800 RMB = 104 €)
It has bixby touch as said and it works in your language set in your settings. French for me then.
It does come with a well made silicone case and a factory applied plastic screen protector.
I can also confirm for the 6 month screen replacement and the whole warranty is valid in mainland China only. So if you have any problem not concerning the screen make it repaired in your country and for the screen ship to China. (Advice from the Samsung employee in the shop).
There is a setting about the smart building function but haven't tried it out. Also the Samsung employee told me that Samsung pay will only work with Chinese card. Considering that they use a different card system (not Visa or MasterCard but union pay which exists only in China) I assume it is true.
I don't use Instagram so no info on that.
I have been able to uninstall every Chinese pre installed apps just like I uninstall any app without problem.
No info on Samsung health for now. I'm still in China and don't compete with others. Back in France in a week so more infos later.
I'll give a look for the GPS on the spec sheet on Samsung website for this maybe.
Their 5g version support band that is intended for the French market (3500 MHz). But well no real deployed 5g in France before 2022. For now 350 antennas deployed in France by all operators (including 300 by one only) whereas in China, China mobile alone have deployed 200 000 and is just starting it's network. Also China mobile offered me 100 GB on 5g just to try. Thanks to them as I just paid a 100 RMB (13 €) prepaid sim card for 2 months.
I also have an "hongbao accelerator" as setting option but haven't gave a look yet.
If you have any question don't hesitate I'll do my best to answer.

What LTE bands does it have?

ekerbuddyeker said:
What LTE bands does it have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4G FDD LTE
B1(2100), B2(1900), B3(1750~1765), B3(1765~1780), B4(AWS), B5(850), B7(2600), B8(900), B12(700), B13(700), B18(800), B19(800), B20(800), B25(1900), B26(850), B28(700)
4G TDD LTE
B34(2010), B38(2600), B39(1900), B40(2300), B41(2500~2690)
5G TDD Sub6
N41(2500), N78(3500), N79(4500)
Source : https://www.samsung.com/cn/smartphones/galaxy-note10/specs/
Sent from my SM-N9760 using Tapatalk

Wondering how is galaxy store compared to other competitors like huawei in China. What is the reason of the downfall of Samsung in China

torickray said:
Wondering how is galaxy store compared to other competitors like huawei in China. What is the reason of the downfall of Samsung in China
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Chinese friend told me that Galaxy store was previously banned and that she had to download apk straight from various sites and therefore got quite a lot of viruses and ****. After that she bought Apple for long and now she hesitate to buy Huawei to support the national brand. However now the Galaxy store 8s no longer banned but it seems way more empty than appgallery of Huawei (had a Chinese honor phone before).
It may not be the only reason but it is the one I've been given.
Sent from my SM-N9760 using Tapatalk

So Samsung is basically killed by China government. China only allow local developers' apps available in phone. If no China developers create apps for galaxy store, no one will buy Samsung phone.
Exactly same thing happened to Huawei now when US banned Huawei from using Google play.

xIf22raptorIx said:
Hello, also from France and currently in China I have bought the sm-n9760 in a Samsung shop in Shanghai. So I'm able to answer/confirm some infos there.
First, yes it comes with Google services pre installed, under a VPN I transfered through smart switch my data's and so on (containing my needed VPN apk) on this phone and then added through settings Samsung and Google accounts (while connected to my VPN). Google chrome and calendar couldn't be transfered by smart switch and play store wasn't installed. Downloaded play store apk with Firefox. All worked fine and then I used the play store to install chrome and agenda, all syncing and working without flaw.
Yes it is 5g dual SIM and less expensive than other variants at least the the European ones (paid 7999 RMB = 1040 euros and got a free jbl Bluetooth speaker sold normally at 800 RMB = 104 €)
It has bixby touch as said and it works in your language set in your settings. French for me then.
It does come with a well made silicone case and a factory applied plastic screen protector.
I can also confirm for the 6 month screen replacement and the whole warranty is valid in mainland China only. So if you have any problem not concerning the screen make it repaired in your country and for the screen ship to China. (Advice from the Samsung employee in the shop).
There is a setting about the smart building function but haven't tried it out. Also the Samsung employee told me that Samsung pay will only work with Chinese card. Considering that they use a different card system (not Visa or MasterCard but union pay which exists only in China) I assume it is true.
I don't use Instagram so no info on that.
I have been able to uninstall every Chinese pre installed apps just like I uninstall any app without problem.
No info on Samsung health for now. I'm still in China and don't compete with others. Back in France in a week so more infos later.
I'll give a look for the GPS on the spec sheet on Samsung website for this maybe.
Their 5g version support band that is intended for the French market (3500 MHz). But well no real deployed 5g in France before 2022. For now 350 antennas deployed in France by all operators (including 300 by one only) whereas in China, China mobile alone have deployed 200 000 and is just starting it's network. Also China mobile offered me 100 GB on 5g just to try. Thanks to them as I just paid a 100 RMB (13 €) prepaid sim card for 2 months.
I also have an "hongbao accelerator" as setting option but haven't gave a look yet.
If you have any question don't hesitate I'll do my best to answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, thanks for the answer
Just wondering, does it have the native radio app ?
Too bad Samsung Pay doesn't work (but I will still get a try ), fortunately Google Pay is still available
The dual band GPS is not mentioned in the spec sheet but if I remember it was mentioned in S10 Chinese unpacked
Apart from the Hongbao accelerator you also have many features such as fingerprint lock and some exclusive apps like the Samsung assistant that basically replace every app you use in your daily life
I hope the 5G deployment won't be too slow in France but even if not I will be happy with chinese version as even without 5G, it brings a lot more for cheaper price.

xIf22raptorIx said:
My Chinese friend told me that Galaxy store was previously banned and that she had to download apk straight from various sites and therefore got quite a lot of viruses and ****. After that she bought Apple for long and now she hesitate to buy Huawei to support the national brand. However now the Galaxy store 8s no longer banned but it seems way more empty than appgallery of Huawei (had a Chinese honor phone before).
It may not be the only reason but it is the one I've been given.
Sent from my SM-N9760 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think so, Galaxy Store was already available when Samsung had a quite respectable market share in China. The store has every popular app Chinese users usually install ; the main problems for Samsung in China is Note 7, Huawei and aggressive competition from Chinese companies...

torickray said:
Wondering how is galaxy store compared to other competitors like huawei in China. What is the reason of the downfall of Samsung in China
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are three main reasons for Samsung poor market share in China :
First is Note 7, even today, when people talk about Samsung, people instantly think about explosion
Second is an agressive competition from Chinese brands : they deliver lots of innovative products for a very low price... It's almost always the same, Snapdragon 855, triple camera setup with IMX586 and Samsung Amoled display packed into a metal frame and glass back with gradient color, at the lowest price possible and with the fastest charge possible.
The thing is Samsung never plays with specs sheets, but Chinese customers care most about high numbers ; when they see Note10+ has "only" a 12MP camera, they will think it's worse than a budget phone having a 32MP camera...
And remember foreign compagnies have to pay more taxes for their products so Samsung phones are a lot more expensive than chinese phones, even though they are cheaper than the rest of the world
The last thing is Samsung has a bad image because of Note7 and because of Huawei... Huawei has very good public relations with Chinese government, so when they have a bad buzz it is almost always eliminated from weibo in the shortest time, whereas when Samsung has a bad buzz such as Galaxy Fold issues or fingerprint scanner issues, it will immediatly become #1 in trends, and it is almost sure that's because of Huawei.
So those are the reasons why Samsung has only 1% market share in China, hope that this will change in the coming years but I doubt this will happen

FRBonvoyage said:
Hey, thanks for the answer
Just wondering, does it have the native radio app ?
Too bad Samsung Pay doesn't work (but I will still get a try ), fortunately Google Pay is still available
The dual band GPS is not mentioned in the spec sheet but if I remember it was mentioned in S10 Chinese unpacked
Apart from the Hongbao accelerator you also have many features such as fingerprint lock and some exclusive apps like the Samsung assistant that basically replace every app you use in your daily life
I hope the 5G deployment won't be too slow in France but even if not I will be happy with chinese version as even without 5G, it brings a lot more for cheaper price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, sorry for late answer, with plane and all I've been quite busy lately.
I attach the photo of the embedded radio app (name in Chinese), hope it'll answer your question.
For Samsung pay I can't try it out anyway because my (French) bank isn't compatible yet.
I didn't find out what is hongbao accelerator used to.
China mobile gave me free 5g to try it out, I had it sometimes but the throughputs weren't as expected (see below).View attachment 4859993
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"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
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"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
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Sent from my SM-N9760 using Tapatalk

https://www.frequencycheck.com/comp...m-td-lte-cn-256gb-samsung-davinci-4/countries

I was so disappointed when I found out that note10+ 5G wasn't dual sim until I found out this thread! Where can I buy this phone to use in the UK/Europe?
Thanks

Did anyone try RCS ? For me it stucked on setting up screen !

EnterTHEvoiD said:
I was so disappointed when I found out that note10+ 5G wasn't dual sim until I found out this thread! Where can I buy this phone to use in the UK/Europe?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Easier way, go to China and buy it there.
You can also buy it from various websites I suppose like eBay or whatever (based in what I read) but I don't know if sim lock is still existing and in this case be sure that it is sim unlocked.
Sent from my SM-N9760 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 06:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:28 AM ----------
ran816 said:
Did anyone try RCS ? For me it stucked on setting up screen !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What app are you using there ?
Anyway, from what I know RCS is mobile operator dependant so it may be linked to them. (It's a supposition). I haven't tried out because I don't think signal support RCS.
Sent from my SM-N9760 using Tapatalk

EnterTHEvoiD said:
I was so disappointed when I found out that note10+ 5G wasn't dual sim until I found out this thread! Where can I buy this phone to use in the UK/Europe?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000296371224.html
This seller confirmed its dual sim and seller rating is good.

niza2000in said:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000296371224.html
This seller confirmed its dual sim and seller rating is good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man, I've seen them for sale on geekbuying website too

Hi is this model CSC working globally...? means you bought this phone from china and is VOLTE and WIFI calling working with your french network...?

french network...? Yes. Check yourself:
"Support 5G/4G/3G/GPS/Bluetooth/OTG/Type-C/Screen fingerprint ID/NFC
Networking:
2G GSM B2/B3/B5/B8,
3G WCDMA B1/B2/B4/B5/B8, TD-SCDMA B34/B39
4G FDD-LTE B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B13/B18/B19/B20/B25/B26/B28, TDD-LTE B34/B38/B39/B40/B41
5G TDD Sub6: N41/N78/N79"
France is likely to delay its 5G spectrum auction until at least March 2020!

FRBonvoyage said:
Hi there,
As a Samsung China fan, I know a lot about chinese version Samsung phones ; however I live in France so I also know a lot about the most common version of Samsung phones which are the international variants.
So, let's talk about chinese version Note10+ which has some pretty cool features that we can find nowhere else (btw I will get one in december when I go back to China so this thread is only about specs)
In China, Samsung only provides Note10+ 5G version, the model number is SM-N9760 which is a snapdragon variant. You may think that it is just the same as US version Note10+ 5G with a different software, but it is not exactly the case :
First thing is 9760 is the only Note10+ 5G in the world with dual sim card support. Second is that since Galaxy S10 series, Samsung flagships sold in China are the only in the world that support L1+L5 dualband GPS and 9760 is no exception.
In the box, Samsung provides a transparent case and a 6-month screen replacement reduction (only usable in china)
On software side, 9760 is also different from international version as the CSC it runs (CHC) has many features you may want to use even elsewhere than in China ; let me talk about the new additionnal features on 9760 (I will make another post about the CHC software improvements later) :
Bixby gets a new function exclusive to China that is Bixby Touch (but I have to test it to know if it only works in Chinese or if it is available in other languages) : you just have to long press on any screen to get shortcuts to related apps or services : for example, if someone send you a message with an address, a long press will let you open the maps app directly from there without having to copy/paste or doing any other action.
Samsung Pay gets a new smart door card function, which can let user access their building with just their smartphone.
Of course, it has all the other features from CHC rom that I'll detail on a later post.
And for those who want to know about the occidental services that are also supported, I also have the answer :
Google Play services are preinstalled ; by default, they're not activated but to get Google apps, you just need to download a play store apk and it will work just fine.
Instagram mode works : I tried it on a smaller version Note 10 in China, you just have to install Instagram and clear camera data and it will work just as on international version.
You get your local Galaxy Store because the phone region is defined by your sim card.
However, some features won't work or not completely : for example, Samsung Health will only sync if you have a chinese samsung account and you won't be able to compete with people using non-chinese Samsung Health app
I do NOT know if Samsung Pay works with non chinese cards but I will try it when I get 9760.
You cannot get the "Secure Wifi" feature as well as international version of smart call.
Finally there is no ROM you can flash because 9760 is actually a Chinese-exclusive variant (but that may change if Taiwan gets 5G model)
Personnally I think Chinese Note10+ 5G is the best variant you can find ;
Snapdragon 855, L1+L5 dual-band GPS, Dual-SIM, some cool exclusive features and the ability to use all the features we already use and love... for a cheaper price tag as it is sold in China cheaper than 4G variants in Europe...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi is this model CSC working globally...? means you bought this phone from china and is VOLTE and WIFI calling working with your french network or outside china VOLTE and WIFI calling working...?
---------- Post added at 03:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:51 PM ----------
xIf22raptorIx said:
Hello, also from France and currently in China I have bought the sm-n9760 in a Samsung shop in Shanghai. So I'm able to answer/confirm some infos there.
First, yes it comes with Google services pre installed, under a VPN I transfered through smart switch my data's and so on (containing my needed VPN apk) on this phone and then added through settings Samsung and Google accounts (while connected to my VPN). Google chrome and calendar couldn't be transfered by smart switch and play store wasn't installed. Downloaded play store apk with Firefox. All worked fine and then I used the play store to install chrome and agenda, all syncing and working without flaw.
Yes it is 5g dual SIM and less expensive than other variants at least the the European ones (paid 7999 RMB = 1040 euros and got a free jbl Bluetooth speaker sold normally at 800 RMB = 104 €)
It has bixby touch as said and it works in your language set in your settings. French for me then.
It does come with a well made silicone case and a factory applied plastic screen protector.
I can also confirm for the 6 month screen replacement and the whole warranty is valid in mainland China only. So if you have any problem not concerning the screen make it repaired in your country and for the screen ship to China. (Advice from the Samsung employee in the shop).
There is a setting about the smart building function but haven't tried it out. Also the Samsung employee told me that Samsung pay will only work with Chinese card. Considering that they use a different card system (not Visa or MasterCard but union pay which exists only in China) I assume it is true.
I don't use Instagram so no info on that.
I have been able to uninstall every Chinese pre installed apps just like I uninstall any app without problem.
No info on Samsung health for now. I'm still in China and don't compete with others. Back in France in a week so more infos later.
I'll give a look for the GPS on the spec sheet on Samsung website for this maybe.
Their 5g version support band that is intended for the French market (3500 MHz). But well no real deployed 5g in France before 2022. For now 350 antennas deployed in France by all operators (including 300 by one only) whereas in China, China mobile alone have deployed 200 000 and is just starting it's network. Also China mobile offered me 100 GB on 5g just to try. Thanks to them as I just paid a 100 RMB (13 €) prepaid sim card for 2 months.
I also have an "hongbao accelerator" as setting option but haven't gave a look yet.
If you have any question don't hesitate I'll do my best to answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi I have one more clarification, i am planing to buy this phone..Is this SM-N9760 version working dual sim with SD card at a same time via SIM adapter.
Recently Samsung block this feature on all international version, if phone detect dual sim plus SD card then you cannot enter to phone..Screen will be locked...So i am wonder in Chinese version its working or not.
Also please clarify VOLTE and Wifi calling outside china..? or it restrict only only to China...
Thanks in advance.

Using HongKong S20+ in Europe: which things won't work.

Hi all,
I live in Europe and am planning to buy a Snapdragon S20+ from HongKong.
I've checked which network bands the HK phone supports and all bands I need are there.
Before placing the order I want to check with you guys if I have a clear picture of all limitations that come with buying a HK S20+ in Europe.
The list I compiled so far:
- No Samsung Pay (I don't care, won't use it)
- VOLTE may or may not work depending on your carrier (I don't care, I barely call and if I call I don't care about the quality)
- No warranty in Europe .
- Difference in timing of updates
Anything else I should take into account?

YH93 said:
Hi all,
I live in Europe and am planning to buy a Snapdragon S20+ from HongKong.
I've checked which network bands the HK phone supports and all bands I need are there.
Before placing the order I want to check with you guys if I have a clear picture of all limitations that come with buying a HK S20+ in Europe.
The list I compiled so far:
- No Samsung Pay (I don't care, won't use it)
- VOLTE may or may not work depending on your carrier (I don't care, I barely call and if I call I don't care about the quality)
- No warranty in Europe .
- Difference in timing of updates
Anything else I should take into account?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Carrier Aggregation may suffer, which will reduce download speeds. I have a Hong Kong variant, VoLTE, WiFi Calling and Samsung Pay work however I'm in the US, your results may vary as you mentioned depending on the carrier. Don't expect you can modify the CSC, you can't change it. Samkey doesn't support HK variants and OXM, which allows Preconfiguration changes for different European CSC's isn't embedded in the software. Updates have come in a timely fashion every month and there's no Carrier Branded Bloatware. Even though the device has some limitations I've been pleased with the HK variant, anything but Exynos!

varcor said:
Carrier Aggregation may suffer, which will reduce download speeds. I have a Hong Kong variant, VoLTE, WiFi Calling and Samsung Pay work however I'm in the US, your results may vary as you mentioned depending on the carrier. Don't expect you can modify the CSC, you can't change it. Samkey doesn't support HK variants and OXM, which allows Preconfiguration changes for different European CSC's isn't embedded in the software. Updates have come in a timely fashion every month and there's no Carrier Branded Bloatware. Even though the device has some limitations I've been pleased with the HK variant, anything but Exynos!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I'll go for the HK version then. Don't see any reason why I shouldn't.

Actually Samsung Pay should work in Europe flawlessly, only thing that won't work is rewards. To be more precise, rewards do work, but the rewards shown are the ones of the phone's original country...
As for the Samkey CSC change limitation, I remember reading a post here about a user that changed CSC from Taiwan to Hong Kong using Samkey...

Rulsar_Tec said:
Actually Samsung Pay should work in Europe flawlessly, only thing that won't work is rewards. To be more precise, rewards do work, but the rewards shown are the ones of the phone's original country...
As for the Samkey CSC change limitation, I remember reading a post here about a user that changed CSC from Taiwan to Hong Kong using Samkey...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know. I'm currently not using or planning to use Samsung Pay but that might change in the future.
Regarding the CSC limations, I don't see any reason why I would need to change the CSC.

Reason why you may want to think twice is that in the event if you get unit with poor uniformity seller may not be willing to replace it as easily

How do you plan on buying it?

Sharpshooterrr said:
How do you plan on buying it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought mine from T-Dimension. Just be sure to order from their .de or .co.uk site and you don't have to pay any customs. Cheeper then the Exynos version here in Sweden. Took about 2 weeks to get the phone. First they ship it from HK to their warehouse in UK then from there to me.
Skickat från min SM-G9860 via Tapatalk

I have ordered the phone from WondaMobile.
They have the HongKong Snapdragon version for the same price as the Exynos in my country.
Also no customs are being charged as they will ship it from/via the UK.

I have ordered S20 ultra also from WondaMobile. I was on 6th of May and I'm hopping the delivery will not take to much time. I also hope I don't have to send it back because of broken camera glass or other issues which s20 ultra suffers...

Hello
My S20 Ultra comes to WondaMobile and is amazing (model 512/16GB)
Samsung Pay and Volte work perfectly.
Photos are fantastic.

I also have the Snapdragon version
Get it. I had the Exynos and it had a poor battery life plus other disadvantages

Could someone check for me ?: Dutch (the Netherlands) language included in the HK version? Mi

is the hongkong version better than the chinese version ??? any differnce
and what about 5g my country supports sub 6 which is 3.5 bandwith

ChromeFR said:
Could someone check for me : Dutch (the Netherlands) language included in the HK version? Mi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is.

dr.memo1o said:
is the hongkong version better than the chinese version ??? any differnce
and what about 5g my country supports sub 6 which is 3.5 bandwith
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung pay and Google services work.
5g is ok for France

Hello, what is the CSC, what is the use of it and why someone would change it? Are the european languages supported in this version?

Galaxy S20 Plus 5G with Snapdragon in Europe

I need help understanding all the differences between the various S20 Plus 5G versions. I live in Italy and I want to buy the Snapdragon international unlocked but I miss some points in using an international version here where we can only find the Exynos one.
Speaking about the various names, so far I understood
Snapdragon 865 – 12GB RAM:
SM-G986U - Factory Unlocked from US
SM-G986N - South Korea (?)a lot of bloatware and a custom intro animation, so not the original and "pure" Android version(?)
SM-G9860, SM-G9868 - China, Hong Kong, Japan, Brazil
I've found a good price for the SM-G986N in a European store but I'm missing some details:
My phone will update as soon as the update is rolled out in Korea? And then about the bloatware, easily removable to make the phone lighter and snappier? Regarding this I was wondering if I can flash the US firmware or is it impossible due to hardware differences between the SM-G986N and the SM-G986U? I really miss this point, if there only are software-related differences between devices with the same CPU or also hardware ones.
I've found sometimes the US version in some stores but there were crazy prices or very limited availability.
Which version would you guys suggest me to go for? Thanks in advance for any answer.
EDIT #1 after chieco's answer: rootable phone isn't a priority

you need to get this model SM-G9860 because it has the least bloatware, SnapDragon aaaaaand most important, it can be rooted! Also since your warranty is handled thru the seller and not Samsung you don't need to worry about knox effecting your warranty.

chieco said:
you need to get this model SM-G9860 because it has the least bloatware, SnapDragon aaaaaand most important, it can be rooted! Also since your warranty is handled thru the seller and not Samsung you don't need to worry about knox effecting your warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion, I wasn't actually thinking aboutroot, but knowing I can do that if I want is certainly an added value!

ianeze46 said:
Thanks for the suggestion, I wasn't actually thinking aboutroot, but knowing I can do that if I want is certainly an added value!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SM-G9860 will get OTA Updates regardless of your Service Provider, it's Dual-SIM unlike South Korean Variant, it's less expensive than the SM-G986N or SM-G986U and it's as close as you'll get to a pure Android Device when compared to any other Samsung offerings. The only real disadvantages are it may not be 5G Compatible depending on your Service Provider and Warrant Repairs typically aren't handled by the seller unless you buy it directly from Samsung.

SM-GM9860 is the one you need.
I'm using it in the Netherlands and everything works like a charm.
Please do check beforehand whether the device supports all network bands that your telecom provider is operating on.
Forget about the SM-986N. It is single SIM and has a lot of Korean bloatware.

YH93 said:
SM-GM9860 is the one you need.
I'm using it in the Netherlands and everything works like a charm.
Please do check beforehand whether the device supports all network bands that your telecom provider is operating on.
Forget about the SM-986N. It is single SIM and has a lot of Korean bloatware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only heard about Samsung Pay, it's the only feature that won't work here in Europe with the SM-GM9860 right? (There's Google Pay, so no problems with that)
All the other "Samsung's" ones like Knox, Pass etc. should work normally as far as I know. Can you confirm?
I checked the bands here in Italy and all should work normally. Thanks for sharing your opinion!

YH93 said:
SM-GM9860 is the one you need.
I'm using it in the Netherlands and everything works like a charm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you get it in a Dutch (online) shop (if so, where?) or did you import it?

ianeze46 said:
I've only heard about Samsung Pay, it's the only feature that won't work here in Europe with the SM-GM9860 right? (There's Google Pay, so no problems with that)
All the other "Samsung's" ones like Knox, Pass etc. should work normally as far as I know. Can you confirm?
I checked the bands here in Italy and all should work normally. Thanks for sharing your opinion!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure about Samsung Pay.
I've read some stories (can't recall on which forum) from European users who confirmed that Samsung Pay works fine on their Snapdragon S20.
I'm not using it myself so cannot confirm.
I can confirm though that the other features that you're mentioning work perfectly.
---------- Post added at 01:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 PM ----------
anandus said:
Did you get it in a Dutch (online) shop (if so, where?) or did you import it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I imported from HongKong via Wondamobile.com.
I can recommend this shop. They're very fast in shipping out the phone (took about a week to arrive), you don't pay any customs fees and they are very helpful in answering any questions you have.
The only thing I recommend to buy yourself if you order from Hongkong is a wallcharger that is compatible with the powersockets in your country.

Samsung Pay does work, you're only getting Hong Hong ads.