[Major noob] At&t unlocked phone to t-mobile, wifi calling - One (M9) Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I hope this is in the right spot. I have a at&t m9 that i bought from internet unlocked with the unlock code. Now i have a bit of a problem since the network coverage for t-mobile is not working near my house. I would like to get this to work. Is it possible to get the T-Mobile version on this phone. So i can get the feature to work or is there a easier way.

angrymasteryoda said:
I hope this is in the right spot. I have a at&t m9 that i bought from internet unlocked with the unlock code. Now i have a bit of a problem since the network coverage for t-mobile is not working near my house. I would like to get this to work. Is it possible to get the T-Mobile version on this phone. So i can get the feature to work or is there a easier way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although your phone is network unlocked and usable with compatible carriers, it is still an AT&T-branded device and using AT&T's software for the M9. Unfortunately, that does not include wifi-calling.
To install T-Mobile's firmware on an AT&T-branded device, you'll need to achieve S-OFF for your device, which is only available for $25 (USD) via the Sunshine app. Once you've done that, you can run the T-Mobile RUU to apply T-Mobile firmware to your device, which will bring wifi-calling to your phone.
---------- Post added at 11:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:13 PM ----------
I should add that S-OFF is useful inasmuch as it enables you to change your phone's identity (CID & MID) to be recognized as a T-Mobile M9 or switch it to accept any M9 software using the SuperCID.
I can't guide you through that process (never done it, not comfortable trying to explain), but lots of folks have experience in these forums. A little searching or posting a new thread asking for help should bring in some guidance.

Related

[Q] Which LG G3 to buy?

I'm a AT&T subscriber however I want a unlocked device since I travel to other countries. I've looked into LG G3 D855 (European version) unlocked but many people report that although it shows the frequencies used by AT&T, still it doesn't allow 4G LTE on any US carrier.
I do not want to buy LG G3 D850(AT&T version) since i won't be able to use it back home. I'm not sure what the LG G3 F400 version is.
Please help this is really confusing, I've tried contacting both LG and AT&T but they don't seem to have much information on this.
Thank you!
SnowTauren said:
I'm a AT&T subscriber however I want a unlocked device since I travel to other countries. I've looked into LG G3 D855 (European version) unlocked but many people report that although it shows the frequencies used by AT&T, still it doesn't allow 4G LTE on any US carrier.
I do not want to buy LG G3 D850(AT&T version) since i won't be able to use it back home. I'm not sure what the LG G3 F400 version is.
Please help this is really confusing, I've tried contacting both LG and AT&T but they don't seem to have much information on this.
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You said you are an At&t subscriber but you don't want At&t's version since you won't be able to use it back home?
Where do you live exactly? Kind of confused.
xryousukex said:
You said you are an At&t subscriber but you don't want At&t's version since you won't be able to use it back home?
Where do you live exactly? Kind of confused.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry for not clarifying properly, I live in US but my hometown is in Pakistan. I want a device that can work in my hometown and also work with att with 4g lte while i'm in US.
SnowTauren said:
I'm sorry for not clarifying properly, I live in US but my hometown is in Pakistan. I want a device that can work in my hometown and also work with att with 4g lte while i'm in US.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems like Pakistan uses 1800mhz for the LTE. In terms of At&t and Europeans G3, they don't have the same LTE bands.
At&t does NOT use 1800 only the European one has it.
So since Pakistan uses the same bands as the Europe, then you'll have to pick which between having LTE in the U.S. or LTE in Pakistan.
Both phones will work for 3g though.
Hope that helps!
xryousukex said:
It seems like Pakistan uses 1800mhz for the LTE. In terms of At&t and Europeans G3, they don't have the same LTE bands.
At&t does NOT use 1800 only the European one has it.
So since Pakistan uses the same bands as the Europe, then you'll have to pick which between having LTE in the U.S. or LTE in Pakistan.
Both phones will work for 3g though.
Hope that helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not concerned about LTE in Pakistan since as of now Pakistan doesn't have LTE networks setup . Also LTE in US is important for me. In Pakistan I only want to be able to use my phone i.e call/text.
I have two more questions:
1. Would I be able to use an AT&T device with Pakistani/European carriers without unlocking it, if I buy them without contract.
2. Can I use the korean G3 (f400) for ATT LTE? I've read it somewhere that some people have got it working but I want to be sure.
SnowTauren said:
I'm not concerned about LTE in Pakistan since as of now Pakistan doesn't have LTE networks setup . Also LTE in US is important for me. In Pakistan I only want to be able to use my phone i.e call/text.
I have two more questions:
1. Would I be able to use an AT&T device with Pakistani/European carriers without unlocking it, if I buy them without contract.
2. Can I use the korean G3 (f400) for ATT LTE? I've read it somewhere that some people have got it working but I want to be sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you not concerned with LTE in Pakistan, that makes it a little easier.
1. You can buy an At&t phone and get it unlocked. If you buy it outright (full cost), at&t might provide you with the unlock code, I'm not positive about that.
If you are still on a contracted type plan and you buy it subsidized with a 2 year contract then you can also just buy an unlock code for $3 and get it unlocked. I'm not affiliated with this website but I have seen others use it (www(dot)gsmzambia(dot)com/) and has success. I personally used cellunlocker and it took 24 hours to get my code and was about $8. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2780536&page=2)
2. Yes you can use a Korean G3 as it has the correct LTE bands and will works for At&t LTE.
This is only if you're interested in Roms/Modding/Qi Wireless charging
If you plan on buying your phone outright from at&t, I would highly recommend getting a t-mobile phone if you like to flash roms, use QI wireless charging. T-mobile has their bootloader unlocked so its more rom friendly. Also it uses the Qi-wireless standard vs PMA which is much more widely used than At&t's PMA (powermat)
T-mobiles phone works for At&t and has all the bands except for band 5 which at&t isn't using.
See more here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/tmobile-lg-g3/help/t-mobile-lg-g3-att-t2815009
I second the f400 let working on att. I had one and it worked great.
dee32181 said:
I second the f400 let working on att. I had one and it worked great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was everything hassle-free, like making calls, or getting good signals?
I've searched on amazon and this is what I found:
http://www.amazon.com/LG-LG-F400-Me...8&qid=1407384558&sr=8-1&keywords=lg+g3+korean
It says 4G won't work in US.
xryousukex said:
Since you not concerned with LTE in Pakistan, that makes it a little easier.
1. You can buy an At&t phone and get it unlocked. If you buy it outright (full cost), at&t might provide you with the unlock code, I'm not positive about that.
If you are still on a contracted type plan and you buy it subsidized with a 2 year contract then you can also just buy an unlock code for $3 and get it unlocked. I'm not affiliated with this website but I have seen others use it (www(dot)gsmzambia(dot)com/) and has success. I personally used cellunlocker and it took 24 hours to get my code and was about $8. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2780536&page=2)
2. Yes you can use a Korean G3 as it has the correct LTE bands and will works for At&t LTE.
This is only if you're interested in Roms/Modding/Qi Wireless charging
If you plan on buying your phone outright from at&t, I would highly recommend getting a t-mobile phone if you like to flash roms, use QI wireless charging. T-mobile has their bootloader unlocked so its more rom friendly. Also it uses the Qi-wireless standard vs PMA which is much more widely used than At&t's PMA (powermat)
T-mobiles phone works for At&t and has all the bands except for band 5 which at&t isn't using.
See more here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/tmobile-lg-g3/help/t-mobile-lg-g3-att-t2815009
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If i buy tmobile or the international version, would i still get their software updates, if yes then how?
Yes it was lte compatible and I never had any performance problems. I got lte everywhere I would normally get lte. With my att phones
---------- Post added at 04:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:39 AM ----------
SnowTauren said:
Was everything hassle-free, like making calls, or getting good signals?
I've searched on amazon and this is what I found:
http://www.amazon.com/LG-LG-F400-Me...8&qid=1407384558&sr=8-1&keywords=lg+g3+korean
It says 4G won't work in US.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does get full lte signal on att everywhere I would get lte from my att phones. TMobile won't get lte.
dee32181 said:
Yes it was lte compatible and I never had any performance problems. I got lte everywhere I would normally get lte. With my att phones
---------- Post added at 04:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:39 AM ----------
It does get full lte signal on att everywhere I would get lte from my att phones. TMobile won't get lte.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about the bloatware and the Korean language. I really hate bloatware!
Also please can you link me the site where you bought it from and also check the F400 version on amazon and let me know if that is the correct one.
Thank you!!!
SnowTauren said:
What about the bloatware and the Korean language. I really hate bloatware!
Also please can you link me the site where you bought it from and also check the F400 version on amazon and let me know if that is the correct one.
Thank you!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
90% of the bloatware is uninstallable. The Korean language on the dialer, and in the theming app is what made me get rid of it for the att version. I also didn't like how it handled USA phone numbers via text messages. It always sent and received duplicate text messages
dee32181 said:
Yes it was lte compatible and I never had any performance problems. I got lte everywhere I would normally get lte. With my att phones
---------- Post added at 04:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:39 AM ----------
It does get full lte signal on att everywhere I would get lte from my att phones. TMobile won't get lte.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tmobile will get att's LTE. I have a tmobile phone using it on att right now
xryousukex said:
Tmobile will get att's LTE. I have a tmobile phone using it on att right now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not talking about a tmobile phone on att. I am talking about the signal that the f400 (Korean model) would get on att and tmobile. You need to 're read my previous comments
---------- Post added at 05:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:53 PM ----------
SnowTauren said:
What about the bloatware and the Korean language. I really hate bloatware!
Also please can you link me the site where you bought it from and also check the F400 version on amazon and let me know if that is the correct one.
Thank you!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought my from Amazon. The unlocked model for sale there is the f400
---------- Post added at 05:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:54 PM ----------
I had the f400k model
dee32181 said:
I am not talking about a tmobile phone on att. I am talking about the signal that the f400 (Korean model) would get on att and tmobile. You need to 're read my previous comments
---------- Post added at 05:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:53 PM ----------
I bought my from Amazon. The unlocked model for sale there is the f400
---------- Post added at 05:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:54 PM ----------
I had the f400k model
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought the ATT version and I love it so far! However my only issue is the charging time on this beast. It takes a lot of time to charge, especially if I'm gaming on the device while it charges.

M9 Developer or M9 Unlocked Model

Verizon is going to let me choose between an unlocked phone and developer model phone. Which one should I choose? (in terms of ROM support, ease up update access, root...etc)
Nevermind, its unlocked version only. I get to try the phone out and see if it is still plagued by the blurry, color/light bleed/auto focus issue or not. If it is, they will let me get a Note 4
Balian67 said:
Verizon is going to let me choose between an unlocked phone and developer model phone. Which one should I choose? (in terms of ROM support, ease up update access, root...etc)
Nevermind, its unlocked version only. I get to try the phone out and see if it is still plagued by the blurry, color/light bleed/auto focus issue or not. If it is, they will let me get a Note 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is that going to work the dev and unlocked m9's are supposed to be gsm only meaning no cdma ? And the LTE bands for verizon are not supposed to be enabled on the non verizon versions of the m9 ?
Actually all the verizon m9's are unlocked because verizon does not sim lock phones any more they just lock the bootloaders and wont let htc dev unlock them.
M9guy said:
How is that going to work the dev and unlocked m9's are supposed to be gsm only meaning no cdma ? And the LTE bands for verizon are not supposed to be enabled on the non verizon versions of the m9 ?
Actually all the verizon m9's are unlocked because verizon does not sim lock phones any more they just lock the bootloaders and wont let htc dev unlock them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically, All newer phones have both GSM and CDMA radios. The Qualcomm chips (from what I read) have both radios in them already. My dad has a GS4 (CDMA) and is on a GSM network in Israel. So, saying this, it only makes sense that it should be able to work. It's just weird
Ima tearing a new butthole into Verizon because of all the bullcrap they've told me (I don't know enough about the unlocked models), so you could probably count this as more crap. However, they did also offer a Galaxy Note 4 at a discount (on edge). If I get that for a total of 650 (instead of $600 for M9) or $600, should I? I love the M9's speakers with a strong passion, but I do like the bigger screen and higher resolution...let alone the better camera...I read into mods and of course with Knox and all..I dunno about root.
Balian67 said:
Technically, All newer phones have both GSM and CDMA radios. The Qualcomm chips (from what I read) have both radios in them already. My dad has a GS4 (CDMA) and is on a GSM network in Israel. So, saying this, it only makes sense that it should be able to work. It's just weird
Ima tearing a new butthole into Verizon because of all the bullcrap they've told me (I don't know enough about the unlocked models), so you could probably count this as more crap. However, they did also offer a Galaxy Note 4 at a discount (on edge). If I get that for a total of 650 (instead of $600 for M9) or $600, should I? I love the M9's speakers with a strong passion, but I do like the bigger screen and higher resolution...let alone the better camera...I read into mods and of course with Knox and all..I dunno about root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so lets say all of them have cdma built in and your right, so then how do you get the bands enabled for verizon LTE on a gsm m9 such as the unlocked m9 sold by htc directly ?
The posts about this on the m8 all required s-off to enable other bands such as enable the bands on a verizon m8 to get Tmobile LTE and then people still had issues having to toggle airplane mode all the time to get the Tmobile LTE back working on their verizon m8.
I had tried and tried to convert my verizon m8 to a dev edition like people did on the gsm versions which they all could but no one ever figured out how to get it done.
So my ultimate question is how would they get verizon LTE bands enabled on a gsm based carrier unlocked m9 that is not s-off ?
---------- Post added at 01:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 AM ----------
Balian67 said:
Technically, All newer phones have both GSM and CDMA radios. The Qualcomm chips (from what I read) have both radios in them already. My dad has a GS4 (CDMA) and is on a GSM network in Israel. So, saying this, it only makes sense that it should be able to work. It's just weird
Ima tearing a new butthole into Verizon because of all the bullcrap they've told me (I don't know enough about the unlocked models), so you could probably count this as more crap. However, they did also offer a Galaxy Note 4 at a discount (on edge). If I get that for a total of 650 (instead of $600 for M9) or $600, should I? I love the M9's speakers with a strong passion, but I do like the bigger screen and higher resolution...let alone the better camera...I read into mods and of course with Knox and all..I dunno about root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh and tear into verizon all you like bro let me help with that lol as I hate them as much as you do.
And I think the sammys have the bands enabled for basically all LTE in all the major carriers like the nexus 6 so they can run on any network.
I think they should require all phones to work on any network just like the nexus 6 so one version can work on any network, I guess we can dream right that would be my only complaint with htc that they dont enable the bands for all networks here in the USA.
M9guy said:
Ok so lets say all of them have cdma built in and your right, so then how do you get the bands enabled for verizon LTE on a gsm m9 such as the unlocked m9 sold by htc directly ?
The posts about this on the m8 all required s-off to enable other bands such as enable the bands on a verizon m8 to get Tmobile LTE and then people still had issues having to toggle airplane mode all the time to get the Tmobile LTE back working on their verizon m8.
I had tried and tried to convert my verizon m8 to a dev edition like people did on the gsm versions which they all could but no one ever figured out how to get it done.
So my ultimate question is how would they get verizon LTE bands enabled on a gsm based carrier unlocked m9 that is not s-off ?
---------- Post added at 01:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 AM ----------
Oh and tear into verizon all you like bro let me help with that lol as I hate them as much as you do.
And I think the sammys have the bands enabled for basically all LTE in all the major carriers like the nexus 6 so they can run on any network.
I think they should require all phones to work on any network just like the nexus 6 so one version can work on any network, I guess we can dream right that would be my only complaint with htc that they dont enable the bands for all networks here in the USA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. You are probably right about the T-Mobile thing, but it IS T-mobile. I don't even think they, or sprint can keep up with the big boys. So If I got the GSM unlocked...and did the paypal buy over a year option, I wouldn't re-activate on Verizon for quite a while. I plan on going to Israel so I don't need a CDMA device for a while...Even so, the M9 has the bands for all of the networks, last time I checked. Saying that, I will already have S-OFF because it would be a dev edition, or the unlocked version that I would just S-OFF through HTC Dev. Saying ALL of this, even if I do come back to USA and CAN'T be on Verizon (whom I think is better then ATT), then I could go ATT. Ya know? That is IF I came back to the USA. So what do you think now? (With more information about the situation).

[Q] Should I Sunshine my Unlocked t-Mobile to get ATT Radio?

Ok, so I haven't been an HTC user since the HD2 (Loved that device). Bought a T-Mobile branded one m8 and got the carrier unlock code with the phone. Unlocked it, used all in one toolkit to unlock/root/twrp. Now I didn't have any issues with the phone (got mms and 4g lte no problem) but sick of the bloat, t-mobile startup screen etc. As I'm new to the HTC game, is S-Off worth getting for the $25? I'm wondering if the ATT radio will make my phone work any better, or an AT&T rom (stock or custom) would improve the phones connectivity. Sometimes people say i'm cutting out during a phone call (I live in Chicago, this usually never happens to me). Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I have no problem paying $25 , just don't want to if it's not needed.
Personally, I'd S-OFF and then flash the Dev Edition RUU so, in essence, make the device an unbranded handset free of bloat
EddyOS said:
Personally, I'd S-OFF and then flash the Dev Edition RUU so, in essence, make the device an unbranded handset free of bloat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went ahead and got S-Of and flashed Insert Coin. What I'm wondering is if flashing an ATT radio will help strengthen my connectivity (the LTE seems slow).
icemanscion said:
I went ahead and got S-Of and flashed Insert Coin. What I'm wondering is if flashing an ATT radio will help strengthen my connectivity (the LTE seems slow).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming you are with T-mobile, the answer is probably no, and it may actually make things worse - especially if you are concerned about LTE. T-mobile and AT&T are both GSM providers, and you can switch between them, but they don't perfectly overlap in terms of bands used.
That said, since you are S-off, you can try it and see what happens. If you don't feel it is an improvement, put it back on the T-mobile radio.
I'm actually using AT&T, that's why I was wondering if the Radio change would help. The phone was originally a T-Mobile phone that was carrier unlocked via a code tmobile gave my friend.
icemanscion said:
I'm actually using AT&T, that's why I was wondering if the Radio change would help. The phone was originally a T-Mobile phone that was carrier unlocked via a code tmobile gave my friend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, then yes, you should switch radios - and for the same reason.
I would also suggest switching to the Developer Edition software. It is functionally identical to the AT&T version, minus the AT&T (or T-mobile) crap. In fact, the DE and AT&T versions only differ in CID - they share the same MID.

International Note 5 N920i on AT&T

Because I hate the idea of having a neutered AT&T Note 5, I bought an international variant (N920i). It appears the LTE bands are all compatible between the two. I will let everyone know how it turns out. If you already have experience with this, let me know.
EDIT: Yes, N920i works without any modification on AT&T
When does it arrive?
Thats very interesting.
from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using XDA Free mobile app
First half of this week hopefully!
Please keep us posted.
@alaskajoel Le us know if you have any signal issues.
The T Mobile S6 Edge on AT&T network gave me some issues. Calls would take 30 seconds to dial out and phone did not ring a bunch.
martinezma99 said:
@alaskajoel Le us know if you have any signal issues.
The T Mobile S6 Edge on AT&T network gave me some issues. Calls would take 30 seconds to dial out and phone did not ring a bunch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will do. Should be in my hands tomorrow.
Here goes. N920i 64GB
EDIT:
LTE Working with attnextgenphone APN. Made a few phone calls, received one, and so far no odd problems.
I don't see the LTE on the signal bar are you sure it's on LTE?
---------- Post added at 05:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:48 PM ----------
May I ask where you purchased this version?
eroracing said:
I don't see the LTE on the signal bar are you sure it's on LTE?
---------- Post added at 05:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:48 PM ----------
May I ask where you purchased this version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LTE showing up on the signal bar is a Domestic device visual. International versions Show E (edge) 3G, H+ (Faux G) and 4G for LTE.
If you are still unconvinced, my service mode presently shows I am on LTE Band 4. Download speeds at 40mbps this evening. No carrier aggregation unfortunately, but I also didn't have it on my Nexus 6 or the GS6.
I purchased the phone from a seller in Hong Kong via Ebay.
Awesome! Enjoy!
Yep, just like the International S6 G920I that supported AT&T LTE
Sent from my SD4930UR using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
This is excellent news. How much did you pay for that bad boy? Please go to dev settings and see if "allow OEM unlock" is in the options. Thank you.
seh6183 said:
This is excellent news. How much did you pay for that bad boy? Please go to dev settings and see if "allow OEM unlock" is in the options. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
~$900 USD. OEM Unlock is an available option in Developer Options.
I thought I'd give this thread a small bump as I'm about to pull the trigger on an international N920I as well.
My question stems from simply being new to importing phones and having to pay attention to bands. I have bene following this thread closely, and it seems as though the N920I performs well on the AT&T network, but is it the same as if I had bought one from AT&T? I ask only because it was just mentioned that this phone does not have Carrier Aggregation.
I'm not certain what carrier aggregation is (I looked it up on google but couldn't find much to answer my question). Does this mean that it will perform more slowly on US networks?
Also a final question, if anyone is willing to answer it. What is the region-locking situation on this phone? I have read mixed reports about people being stuck with phones that they cannot use because it was not activated with a compatible SIM, and some people that say they have had no problem. I don't want to drop $900 on this device and not be able to use it.
Diraan said:
I thought I'd give this thread a small bump as I'm about to pull the trigger on an international N920I as well.
My question stems from simply being new to importing phones and having to pay attention to bands. I have bene following this thread closely, and it seems as though the N920I performs well on the AT&T network, but is it the same as if I had bought one from AT&T? I ask only because it was just mentioned that this phone does not have Carrier Aggregation.
I'm not certain what carrier aggregation is (I looked it up on google but couldn't find much to answer my question). Does this mean that it will perform more slowly on US networks?
Also a final question, if anyone is willing to answer it. What is the region-locking situation on this phone? I have read mixed reports about people being stuck with phones that they cannot use because it was not activated with a compatible SIM, and some people that say they have had no problem. I don't want to drop $900 on this device and not be able to use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My data speeds and reception have been the same as my nexus 6 and girlfriend's GS6 (purchased from AT&T.) Carrier aggregation allows for next generation LTE, but I have yet to own a phone, AT&T branded or otherwise, that supports it in my area. It might just be that there is no support for it in my city, but I'll be in Chicago In a few weeks and will try to investigate it there.
I can't speak to the region locking. All I know is my phone was completely sealed and worked 100% right out of the box with only putting in an AT&T SIM card.
alaskajoel said:
My data speeds and reception have been the same as my nexus 6 and girlfriend's GS6 (purchased from AT&T.) Carrier aggregation allows for next generation LTE, but I have yet to own a phone, AT&T branded or otherwise, that supports it in my area. It might just be that there is no support for it in my city, but I'll be in Chicago In a few weeks and will try to investigate it there.
I can't speak to the region locking. All I know is my phone was completely sealed and worked 100% right out of the box with only putting in an AT&T SIM card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the quick reply. I think I'll put in an order right now.
Samsung Pay
I'm glad to hear that the N920I works on AT&T on the LTE band. I considered getting the International version. However, there is something else that I am concerned about...and that is Samsung Pay that will be coming late September. I believe carriers have to allow (or configure) Samsung Pay to work. For example, Verizon may not be supporting it, at least that's what's traveling around the net. Also when I had the International Galaxy S3 on AT&T, Google Wallet didn't work, it only worked on AT&T versions at that time. Unfortunately, we won't know until Samsung Pay is available, but I wonder if it will work on the N920I?
Awesome news. can you please tell me if VOLTE works on AT&T or if you even had the option for HD calling? Settings should be found under data options.
Thanks in advance.
For those wondering, if you use an N920I on AT&T, there are a few things you should know.
1. Since this is an international model, the signal indicators are different than what we're used to seeing in the US. The SM-N920I shows the following indicators for mobile data:
E - This means you have a 2G/EDGE connection
3G - This means you have a UMTS connection with no HSPA
H+ - This means you have an HSPA+/Faux 4G connection
4G - This means you have an LTE connection
2. Phone calls will not work over LTE (VoLTE), and, by extension, HD Voice doesn't work either. The VoLTE and HD Voice components are proprietary software that is only built into the AT&T-specific ROM on the SM-N920A.
3. The phone DOES support carrier aggregation (otherwise known as LTE-Advanced), but not on AT&T's bands. Considering that the SM-N920I is intended for retail in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, the baseband firmware is tweaked to do carrier aggregation on band pairs that are common among carriers in that part of the world.
So, what does this all mean? If you want a phone that has support for all the bleeding-edge technologies on AT&T's network (VoLTE, HD Voice, LTE-A), then you have no other choice but to buy an AT&T-branded SM-N920A. However, if you want faster updates, no carrier bloat, no carrier branding, an unlockable bootloader, and don't mind sacrificing the whiz-bang stuff on the network side of things, then an SM-N920I will work just fine. Put your SIM card in, you'll get LTE data on all of AT&T's available bands, and you'll be able to make and receive calls over the HSPA+ network. You're just not going to have all the latest carrier-marketed bells and whistles that you'd get if you bought a proper AT&T-branded SM-N920A.
At this point, I *should* rant about how stupid it is that Samsung refuses to sell SIM-free, unlocked versions of their phones via US retail channels. That's what forces us to go through these 3rd party importers to get the international models that aren't really tweaked for the US carriers. Alas, I'm not going to go down that road, though. It's a tempest in a teapot.
oldblue910 said:
1. Since this is an international model, the signal indicators are different than what we're used to seeing in the US. The SM-N920I shows the following indicators for mobile data:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Translation: On the 920i/c, the signal indicators follow the international standard of "4G" being "LTE", and not the AT&T/TMO marketing fiction of "4G" being what everyone else calls "3.5G".
As for the rest of your points, I have to wonder how well deployed VoLTE is on AT&T (and I don't think AT&T has even started LTE-A yet, have they?)
I live in a somewhat rural area, and I'm just thrilled I have LTE.. which beats the "no signal" I get with other carriers. I don't know that I've ever experienced VoLTE. (Then again, I can't remember the last time I actually had a voice conversation with my phone.)
oldblue910 said:
At this point, I *should* rant about how stupid it is that Samsung refuses to sell SIM-free, unlocked versions of their phones via US retail channels. That's what forces us to go through these 3rd party importers to get the international models that aren't really tweaked for the US carriers. Alas, I'm not going to go down that road, though. It's a tempest in a teapot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, but why not?! We really need some more activity in the AT&T Note5 section.

Unlocked firmware (U1) on Verizon S9/S9+?

For those of you that have the Verizon S9/S9+ .. have you flashed the U1 unlocked firmware? Any bugs?
Do any of you still have the grandfathered unlimited data plan? Wondering if I can get the VZW S9, flash unlocked firmware, and have native hotspot work.
I have successfully flashed U1 and Tmobile Firmware on my g960 (verizon version)
So far, I have not noticed "bugs"
From my understanding U1 is what you get from Samsung Directly. With that said, you wouldnt have any incompatibilities as the barebone hardware is the same in the US variants.
One thing that I dont know though is software updates, if they are pulled OTA or if I have to flash every time.
Advanced Calling works as well as Wifi Calling and visual voicemail.
video calling doesnt work unless you flash a carrier firmware
If you have the grandfathered account with verizon, and you flash the U1 firmware. You can wirelessly hotspot or USB tether "natively"
Thank you for the information! Bummer about video calling, I use that more than visual voicemail.
Definitely sounds like this is the way to go.
Hi there,
I have a verizon phone and I am trying to use the hotspot with my unlimited old fashioned plan. I don't want to root. Unfortunately I brought the Verizon s9 not the Samsung S9 unlocked. Is there a way to bypass the company prompt for the feature and turn the hotspot on yet? I tried the one that works for sprint and it did not work for me with Shortcut Master Lite. Any advice would greatly be appreciated?
VShark said:
Hi there,
I have a verizon phone and I am trying to use the hotspot with my unlimited old fashioned plan. I don't want to root. Unfortunately I brought the Verizon s9 not the Samsung S9 unlocked. Is there a way to bypass the company prompt for the feature and turn the hotspot on yet? I tried the one that works for sprint and it did not work for me with Shortcut Master Lite. Any advice would greatly be appreciated?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah you can flash your verizon s9 to the U1 firmware. this will remove that message, but not all things are guaranteed. also its not like youd be able to root your s9 as you got the US variant.
While I have a verizon hotspot plan, I tend to use USB tethering more than the Hotspot(wifi) option.
Checking on my dashboard online, shows that Im constantly within my Hotspot Plan.
I also noticed that on USB tethering, data doesn't count against my Wireless Hotspot plan.
Hotspot Verizon Free
eastsidebiz said:
yeah you can flash your verizon s9 to the U1 firmware. this will remove that message, but not all things are guaranteed. also its not like youd be able to root your s9 as you got the US variant.
While I have a verizon hotspot plan, I tend to use USB tethering more than the Hotspot(wifi) option.
Checking on my dashboard online, shows that Im constantly within my Hotspot Plan.
I also noticed that on USB tethering, data doesn't count against my Wireless Hotspot plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Eastsidebiz
Thank you for your reply. I apologize about not understanding all the lingo. When you say flash is that different than root? If you can flash and not loose your warranty or anything. My question is where do I go to have that done? Or is it something I can do myself? Also what will I loose as far as stock features if any? I appreciate any feedback and really truly thank you.
VShark said:
Hi Eastsidebiz
Thank you for your reply. I apologize about not understanding all the lingo. When you say flash is that different than root? If you can flash and not loose your warranty or anything. My question is where do I go to have that done? Or is it something I can do myself? Also what will I loose as far as stock features if any? I appreciate any feedback and really truly thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing the firmware is different from rooting
Flashing the firmware is like installing a new OS on the computer.
Rooting is flashed preboot of the OS, and then executed when the OS is up.
Warranty / Knox by flashing an OEM firmware, this should not trip warranty/knox
rooting a US variant, if you can even do it, will trip your knox, thus tripping warranty.
If you have a US variant, come back to this thread 2 years from now, as i dont think developers are able to do so as of yet.
this thread is very informational if you need to flash your U version to U1.
Which s9 do you have again?
I thought I'd update this thread. I bought the VZW S9 and successfully flashed it to the U1 firmware to get rid of the verizon bloatware. Nice side effect is that the hotspot seems to work.
freddie813 said:
I thought I'd update this thread. I bought the VZW S9 and successfully flashed it to the U1 firmware to get rid of the verizon bloatware. Nice side effect is that the hotspot seems to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey just a FYI.
If you flash another carrier firmware on that s9, you maybe stuck there.
personal experience: I can flash from Verizon to U1 and from U1 back to Verizon, (until verizon patches their firmware to lockdown)
on my other s9 (verizon, work phone) I flashed to U1 then flashed to Tmobile, now Im locked to tmobile, until another U1 and or Modded Odin
Thanks for that notice. As of right now I don't see any reason why I'd be inclined to flash anything other than the U1 firmware that I currently have.
Verizon Hotspot Free
freddie813 said:
Thanks for that notice. As of right now I don't see any reason why I'd be inclined to flash anything other than the U1 firmware that I currently have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi There,
So you are saying if I flash to U1 software I can use my hotspot. That is without being prompted by Verizon to add feature. What have you lost in the software from the U1 Flash compared to Verizon Software. If I do it and it voids the warranty so be it. I just want to see what I would lose before I do anything.
VShark said:
Hi There,
So you are saying if I flash to U1 software I can use my hotspot. That is without being prompted by Verizon to add feature. What have you lost in the software from the U1 Flash compared to Verizon Software. If I do it and it voids the warranty so be it. I just want to see what I would lose before I do anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have the grandfathered unlimited data plan?
eastsidebiz said:
hey just a FYI.
If you flash another carrier firmware on that s9, you maybe stuck there.
personal experience: I can flash from Verizon to U1 and from U1 back to Verizon, (until verizon patches their firmware to lockdown)
on my other s9 (verizon, work phone) I flashed to U1 then flashed to Tmobile, now Im locked to tmobile, until another U1 and or Modded Odin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Newbie here, trying to read as much as possible but it seems my answers will be here.
What does it mean to be locked to T-mobile? Does that mean you can flash another stock firmware?
I just bought an Unlocked VZW S9 plus but I'd like to use Mobile Tethering and get rid of verizon firmware.
What firmware should I flash?
eastsidebiz said:
I have successfully flashed U1 and Tmobile Firmware on my g960 (verizon version)
So far, I have not noticed "bugs"
From my understanding U1 is what you get from Samsung Directly. With that said, you wouldnt have any incompatibilities as the barebone hardware is the same in the US variants.
One thing that I dont know though is software updates, if they are pulled OTA or if I have to flash every time.
Advanced Calling works as well as Wifi Calling and visual voicemail.
video calling doesnt work unless you flash a carrier firmware
If you have the grandfathered account with verizon, and you flash the U1 firmware. You can wirelessly hotspot or USB tether "natively"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought the unlocked S9+ directly from Samsung website to use with Verizon. I got advance calling (VoLTE) to work but I don't see any option for WiFi calling/WiFi texting. How did you enable it?
juanjosedag said:
Newbie here, trying to read as much as possible but it seems my answers will be here.
What does it mean to be locked to T-mobile? Does that mean you can flash another stock firmware?
I just bought an Unlocked VZW S9 plus but I'd like to use Mobile Tethering and get rid of verizon firmware.
What firmware should I flash?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you are looking for is here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s9/how-to/how-to-flash-u1-firmware-to-device-t3765200
Flashing this will rid of the bloatware from VZW and you can use the native mobile hotspot or PDANET
Locked to Tmobile can be a couple things, the Phone is actually locked to Tmobile's network (sim locked) ..then theres the Financial/Loss/Stolen/Fraud lock...
ALSO! have you updated your VZW S9's software from verizon in the last 3 months? If so, flashing a U1 may not work, I think the newest Update from VZW has v2 of the bootloader
---------- Post added at 09:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:33 AM ----------
AlwaysNoob said:
I bought the unlocked S9+ directly from Samsung website to use with Verizon. I got advance calling (VoLTE) to work but I don't see any option for WiFi calling/WiFi texting. How did you enable it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is your carrier?
I noticed that TMOBILE is the only one that allows all features to work when it comes to unbranded phones.
On my VZW s9, I flashed the U1 firmware. (using Tmobile) Then Wifi Calling was under the SAMSUNG DIALER option not in CONNECTIONS.
Then on my Unlocked S9, Wifi Calling was under the SAMSUNG DIALER settings (on tmobile), on Verizon SIM, this service is not available.
It looks like VZW/ATT both use their firmware to block outside access. Tmo on the other hand, allows you to fully use your Unbranded phone, but such terrible and outdated technology.
*for those who are getting 20Mbps on Tmobile and happy about that... why??!!?!?*
eastsidebiz said:
What you are looking for is here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s9/how-to/how-to-flash-u1-firmware-to-device-t3765200
Flashing this will rid of the bloatware from VZW and you can use the native mobile hotspot or PDANET
Locked to Tmobile can be a couple things, the Phone is actually locked to Tmobile's network (sim locked) ..then theres the Financial/Loss/Stolen/Fraud lock...
ALSO! have you updated your VZW S9's software from verizon in the last 3 months? If so, flashing a U1 may not work, I think the newest Update from VZW has v2 of the bootloader
---------- Post added at 09:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:33 AM ----------
What is your carrier?
I noticed that TMOBILE is the only one that allows all features to work when it comes to unbranded phones.
On my VZW s9, I flashed the U1 firmware. (using Tmobile) Then Wifi Calling was under the SAMSUNG DIALER option not in CONNECTIONS.
Then on my Unlocked S9, Wifi Calling was under the SAMSUNG DIALER settings (on tmobile), on Verizon SIM, this service is not available.
It looks like VZW/ATT both use their firmware to block outside access. Tmo on the other hand, allows you to fully use your Unbranded phone, but such terrible and outdated technology.
*for those who are getting 20Mbps on Tmobile and happy about that... why??!!?!?*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately my phone seemed to have the latest firmware out of the box (February security update) so I might be out of luck then.
My carrier right now is Telcel Mexico (and we don't have fancy features like WiFi calling or VoLTE). I'm planning on switching to T-mobile soon.
What's that of the 20Mbps on Tmobile? Should I pick another carrier?
juanjosedag said:
Unfortunately my phone seemed to have the latest firmware out of the box (February security update) so I might be out of luck then.
My carrier right now is Telcel Mexico (and we don't have fancy features like WiFi calling or VoLTE). I'm planning on switching to T-mobile soon.
What's that of the 20Mbps on Tmobile? Should I pick another carrier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait Feb 2018 may still be V1 bootloader....
So what I noticed with Tmobile (im sure this doesnt apply to everyone) is after 1.2 to 2 years. Your phone line is no longer "new" and data speeds are dropped to least prioritization. Newer plans or line activation obviously gets higher prioritization. Mind you, im not a prepaid user. The only way to fully take advantage of TMOBILE is to switch your device or renew your plan every 2 years, which makes sense and average to some.
on the other hand, I have been having Verizon for the past 4 years, and used 3 different phones then (no line modifications, upgrade.. etc) and my prioritization has been constant. and averaging 70Mbps real time, about 7-9 MB/s (i download torrents on my phone) and its always constant (even if i go over 65GBs a month)... just my 2 cents...
VShark said:
Hi There,
So you are saying if I flash to U1 software I can use my hotspot. That is without being prompted by Verizon to add feature. What have you lost in the software from the U1 Flash compared to Verizon Software. If I do it and it voids the warranty so be it. I just want to see what I would lose before I do anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's my take: I bought bought an S9 U1 direct from Samsung, did a Smart Switch backup of my damaged S7 to my pc, swapped the SIM and SD cards to the new phone, powered it up, did the Smart Switch restore and was good to go in under an hour, hot spot without prompt etc.
Based on this, if you can flash the U1 firmware you should get the results. The kicker to that is the bootloader version. My wife's s9 from Verizon took the August update and is now on build ... S3ARG9 - the 3 indicating v3 of the bootloader. The latest U! firmware available is S2ARF4 - bootloader v2 and you cannot downgrade the bootloader. BUT if you happen to be on the ARF4 or earlier build then go ahead and flash. Samsungs Voicemail app works with Verizon's VVM (basic), Messenge+ also worked, though I switched to Mood so that I can assign specific notification sounds to certain people.
Att to Verizon.
I bought a in Att s9 g960u phone and I want to use it on Verizon. I got a sim unlock code from a 3rd party so it is sim unlocked but I put in a Verizon sim and it doenlsnt connect to verizon. Is this because of the Att phone uses GSM and Verizon uses cdma? How do I get around this
bonebad1 said:
I bought a in Att s9 g960u phone and I want to use it on Verizon. I got a sim unlock code from a 3rd party so it is sim unlocked but I put in a Verizon sim and it doenlsnt connect to verizon. Is this because of the Att phone uses GSM and Verizon uses cdma? How do I get around this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phone hardware should be the same. Possibly flash the U1 firmware. Or you may have to enter in carrier APN settings - I've never had to do anything like that but I have heard about it before.

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