Develop Bugs

[Q] 4G LTE Issue (Described inside)

Hello everyone,
I have a Sprint Samsung Galaxy S3 and have been through hell the past month trying to get my phone working again. I have posted a detail of what I have been going through on the Sprint forums, which you can find by googling 4G LTE Antenna Issues on Galaxy S3, but will go ahead and give a quick summary.
Towards the end of May, my phone became extremely hot and I had to send the phone in to Samsung. They replaced the PBA board and sent the phone back to me. Upon receiving the phone, I noticed that i was not getting 4G LTE anymore (I compared it with the other phones on my account, along with going to places which I know I received great LTE coverage). I sent the phone in to Samsung again. Upon receiving it, I noticed that I still did not have LTE. After going back and forth with Sprint and Samsung, I sent the phone in to Samsung again for a third time. The phone came back 2 days ago, and what do you know, no LTE. The one change I did notice is that Samsung updated the ICCID to run on 4G (per their description from the repair tracking website). The ICCID is the one number that is different from when I originally got the phone (DEX, HEX and IMEI are the same). After talking to both companies again yesterday, I was pretty much told by each company that it was the other companies responsibility for the LTE to be working. Sprint did try to reprogram and had me do an activation using SCRTN, while Samsung says that as long as I receive 3G then the 4G LTE issue is on the carrier's end.
As you can imagine, i am extremely frustrated. I have navigated these message boards along with others looking for solutions, but have been unable to come across any. I have not rooted my phone, but do consider myself pretty knowledgable with the phone.
If anyone can give me any advice on what to do, I would greatly appreciate it. It is important to add that I do not have insurance, but that I did purchase the phone at the end of January and it is under Warranty.
Thank you

Well, have to ask, is the phone up to date, with software and including your modem and prl?

teh roxxorz said:
Well, have to ask, is the phone up to date, with software and including your modem and prl?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, all software is up to date. Samsung did it on their end, and I also did it on my end. I actually spoke with Sprint again about 1 hour ago, and they are going to send a tech to one of the towers that I connect to try to see why my phone will not connect to it. The tech rep mentioned that i have done all the required procedures and that there may be a lock on the device. Anyone experience this?

I had a similar issue to this happen. I had a device that would just not connect to the Network. What I ended up doing was the ##72786# on the dial pad. It worked like a charm.

prboy1969 said:
I had a similar issue to this happen. I had a device that would just not connect to the Network. What I ended up doing was the ##72786# on the dial pad. It worked like a charm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is a very useful code to use if anyone is ever having network problems. Just be prepared for a few reboots is all!

prboy1969 said:
I had a similar issue to this happen. I had a device that would just not connect to the Network. What I ended up doing was the ##72786# on the dial pad. It worked like a charm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's one of the things that the tech rep from sprint had me test on Wednesday. Unfortunately, it did not work for me. Did you do it more than once?
At this point, I have to wait until Tuesday, at which point Sprint is supposed to call me back and let me know how the results of the technician going to the tower ended up. If anyone is familiar, I believe it is called a "CMT Ticket".

Whenever I've had to use the code, it has worked on the first try. It does cause the device to reboot several times. Well keep us posted on what the Tech comes up with.

prboy1969 said:
Whenever I've had to use the code, it has worked on the first try. It does cause the device to reboot several times. Well keep us posted on what the Tech comes up with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
will do. i have seen a number of people experience the issue I am going through, so hopefully this will solve it so that other users don't have to go through what I have been going through.

possum35 said:
will do. i have seen a number of people experience the issue I am going through, so hopefully this will solve it so that other users don't have to go through what I have been going through.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. This is probably the 5th I see someone posting saying that their network connectivity vanishes or is impaired after sending their phone into Samsung. Makes you wonder what the heck they exactly do to your phone.
The Thanks button is just to avoid "THANKS" posts in threads. Nothing more. Don't defeat the purpose of why it was introduced.

CNexus said:
I agree. This is probably the 5th I see someone posting saying that their network connectivity vanishes or is impaired after sending their phone into Samsung. Makes you wonder what the heck they exactly do to your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seen plenty of these posts myself. Seems maybe some techs are damaging the antenna during phone disassembly and re assembly I would presume.??
Sent from the future via Tapatalk 4

edfunkycold said:
Seen plenty of these posts myself. Seems maybe some techs are damaging the antenna during phone disassembly and re assembly I would presume.??
Sent from the future via Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just did a search. Seems you are spot on. Quick search yielded way to many people reporting the same issue after sending a device in four repair.
TEAM MiK
MikROMs Since 3/13/11

edfunkycold said:
Seen plenty of these posts myself. Seems maybe some techs are damaging the antenna during phone disassembly and re assembly I would presume.??
The Samsung tech rep that I spoke to the last time was very confident in telling me that if I was receiving 3G, the fact that I was not receiving 4G LTE was not a phone issue, but a carrier issue. He said that the phone uses the same antenna to connect to both towers, so if you are connecting to one, then the antenna is not the issue.
I also found it interesting that Samsung's warranty DOES NOT cover phone replacements, per the Samsung rep. As he explained to me, they only repair phones and do not do phone swaps - those are done at the carrier level, which I find odd (how does a manufacturer not swap phones?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

And you don't think the samsung rep might be misrepresenting something? If not he would be admitting fault.
Sent from the future via Tapatalk 4

edfunkycold said:
And you don't think the samsung rep might be misrepresenting something? If not he would be admitting fault.
Sent from the future via Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most definitely. That did and still has crossed my mind. I actually asked the tech rep from Samsung where I could find a blue print for the phone, as I was under the impression that they were 2 separate antennas, but he says none is available (obviously if I google it, I will find it).

possum35 said:
Most definitely. That did and still has crossed my mind. I actually asked the tech rep from Samsung where I could find a blue print for the phone, as I was under the impression that they were 2 separate antennas, but he says none is available (obviously if I google it, I will find it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wanted to provide an update to anyone following my situation.
I received a call on tuesday from the sprint rep checking to see if there had been any changes to my LTE service. I told her that nothing had changed and I still had no LTE. She informed me that the status on my ticket said "PENDING" and that she would call me back. Unfortunately today came and went and I did not receive a call. I was very busy at work and did not have a chance to call Sprint. I will be calling them tomorrow to ser what the latest is.
I will hopefully have some update tomorrow.

possum35 said:
Wanted to provide an update to anyone following my situation.
I received a call on tuesday from the sprint rep checking to see if there had been any changes to my LTE service. I told her that nothing had changed and I still had no LTE. She informed me that the status on my ticket said "PENDING" and that she would call me back. Unfortunately today came and went and I did not receive a call. I was very busy at work and did not have a chance to call Sprint. I will be calling them tomorrow to ser what the latest is.
I will hopefully have some update tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any more info? A friend of mine had the same issue and had to fight sprint left and right for an actual replacement of the device. When the phone was replaced (swapped) by sprint he had no more issues.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Premium HD app

invisibleikon said:
Any more info? A friend of mine had the same issue and had to fight sprint left and right for an actual replacement of the device. When the phone was replaced (swapped) by sprint he had no more issues.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This email will serve as the end of this thread. Unfortunately, I did not get the desired results I achieved.
After not hearing anything from the Sprint rep, I finally got fed up and called Sprint again on Friday. The rep who I spoke to said that he did not see a ticket on my account for the CMTS test. He did inform me that usually with these tickets, a rep will put it in, the technicians will go the tower and look at it, and the ticket will disappear and that they usually don't hear back (I found this extremely strange). After going back and forth, I finally hit my "hell with it" mode and decided to do the phone swap. After speaking with more customer service reps, I was able to get statement credits which would at least offset my $50 cost of replacing the phone.
My phone did come in on Tuesday, and I do now have 4G coverage. I am still extremely disappointed and frustrated with both companies, as I want to know why the phone was not working as opposed to just paying $50 and having it swapped. I am not the first person to have this issue, and sadly will not be the last. I now have a refurbished phone after only 4 months for no fault of my own.
I really like the phone, but I am going to have some serious thoughts when my contract is up in purchasing any future item from Samsung or re-upping with Sprint. I was given the runaround from both companies that left me extremely disappointed.
I wish whoever goes through an issue like this in the future better success. Believe me when I say I did a lot of research and really did everything I could on my end.
Thanks for everyone's input/attention.

No data allowed.

Hi guys,
I have the N5100 3G version. I have had it since may and it has worked well. However, since yesterday, Three UK started blocking me from using data. It says I have to get a tablet sim. The problem is I don't want to loose the ability to make phone calls.
Has anyone had an issue like this?

I'm also having the same issue, I have spoken to three support today at length with the result being "we can sell you a mobile broadband plan sim that you can swap out for data" - it appears that Three have launched the LTE version on the note 8 as a tablet only device (ie, no phone or text) and so are blocking all versions of the note 8 under that ruling.
I'm going to try and get to talk to someone not loacted in India tomorrow to look into this as this is my main device for phone calls aswell as data and I'm locked into the one plan for another 9 months!

isdky said:
I'm also having the same issue, I have spoken to three support today at length with the result being "we can sell you a mobile broadband plan sim that you can swap out for data" - it appears that Three have launched the LTE version on the note 8 as a tablet only device (ie, no phone or text) and so are blocking all versions of the note 8 under that ruling.
I'm going to try and get to talk to someone not loacted in India tomorrow to look into this as this is my main device for phone calls aswell as data and I'm locked into the one plan for another 9 months!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yay, I am not the only one! I am really disappointed with it. They don't seem to understand me, I also use it as my main device. I do wonder how they identify the device, it would be good if we could change it so they think its a phone.

JCUK89 said:
Yay, I am not the only one! I am really disappointed with it. They don't seem to understand me, I also use it as my main device. I do wonder how they identify the device, it would be good if we could change it so they think its a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We 5100 owners in the US want the exact opposite: tablet plans are so much cheaper, we wish it were recognized as tablets instead of phones! If they are identifying your device by imei number, you may be able to get around it by using an imei from an LTE version. I had a similar issue (in reverse) and that's how it was resolved. I may eventually get caught, but for now, I'm flying under the radar.

afblangley said:
We 5100 owners in the US want the exact opposite: tablet plans are so much cheaper, we wish it were recognized as tablets instead of phones! If they are identifying your device by imei number, you may be able to get around it by using an imei from an LTE version. I had a similar issue (in reverse) and that's how it was resolved. I may eventually get caught, but for now, I'm flying under the radar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How difficult was that to do?

Be careful talk of changing imei is against the TOS on these forums. As tempting as it sounds it is both dangerous and legally dubious. It is a common tactic used by phone thieves to activate stolen phones. Also modifying such information can render your phone a paper weight if not careful.

isdky said:
How difficult was that to do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure exactly how it was done, but it only took a few minutes to do. I'm sorry I don't know more about what's involved.
Sent from my GT-N5100 using xda app-developers app

isdky said:
I'm also having the same issue, I have spoken to three support today at length with the result being "we can sell you a mobile broadband plan sim that you can swap out for data" - it appears that Three have launched the LTE version on the note 8 as a tablet only device (ie, no phone or text) and so are blocking all versions of the note 8 under that ruling.
I'm going to try and get to talk to someone not loacted in India tomorrow to look into this as this is my main device for phone calls aswell as data and I'm locked into the one plan for another 9 months!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, have you spoken to someone? Any resolution?

T-MOBILE Samsung Galaxy Note 3 BAD IMEI

Hi, I recently bought a new samsung galaxy note 3 t-mobile on craigslist. everything worked perfectly fine and a few days later, my sim card didn't not work anymore, i couldn't make any calls or connect with my data plan. i asked t-mobile and basically the person who sold the phone to me called in t-mobile and reported it as stolen and not my phone is blocked from ever making calls and now it has a blocked imei.
I read on a lot of articles, is there a possible possible way to clean the imei or replace the imei or repair it? Please help. I'm really sad and I'm so lost. I want to be able to use my samsung galaxy note 3 t-mobile with my own simcard however, it's imei block. can someone be kind enough and helped me? I tried everything even the 1) Insert the desired SIM card you want to use unlocked into your device, and restart the phone.
2) Enter the code *#197328640# into the keypad and press send. 3) Go to Main Menu -> [1] UMTS -> [1] Debug Screen -> [8] Phone Control -> [6] Network Lock -> Options [3] Perso SHA256 OFF (after choosing this option, wait for at least 30 seconds)
overall nothing works? is there a place or show that can unblock my imei or someone repair it so i can use it on t-mobile. please help. thanks so much again.

Get your money back from the seller.
Other than using the phone on a different carrier than T-Mobile, there is no legal way to fix your problem.

elisecohenn1 said:
Hi, I recently bought a new samsung galaxy note 3 t-mobile on craigslist. everything worked perfectly fine and a few days later, my sim card didn't not work anymore, i couldn't make any calls or connect with my data plan. i asked t-mobile and basically the person who sold the phone to me called in t-mobile and reported it as stolen and not my phone is blocked from ever making calls and now it has a blocked imei.
I read on a lot of articles, is there a possible possible way to clean the imei or replace the imei or repair it? Please help. I'm really sad and I'm so lost. I want to be able to use my samsung galaxy note 3 t-mobile with my own simcard however, it's imei block. can someone be kind enough and helped me? I tried everything even the 1) Insert the desired SIM card you want to use unlocked into your device, and restart the phone.
2) Enter the code *#197328640# into the keypad and press send. 3) Go to Main Menu -> [1] UMTS -> [1] Debug Screen -> [8] Phone Control -> [6] Network Lock -> Options [3] Perso SHA256 OFF (after choosing this option, wait for at least 30 seconds)
overall nothing works? is there a place or show that can unblock my imei or someone repair it so i can use it on t-mobile. please help. thanks so much again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never ever go on Craigslist for a phone.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3

Like someone said, theres no legal way to unblock that phone but PM me for my solution to when I had the same problem as you. Yours actually should be easier to fix lol
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app

krelvinaz said:
Get your money back from the seller.
Other than using the phone on a different carrier than T-Mobile, there is no legal way to fix your problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"I can't get my money back from the seller. I tried emailing them and calling them yet they refuse to pick up. I have never done any harm or done anything to inflict pain or evil upon the seller. I have done my part of the bargain by giving them the money, a fair exchange, yet in the end, these types of individuals use deceit and trickery.

BACARDILIMON said:
Never ever go on Craigslist for a phone.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Thanks, now I know. I went to T-MOBILE and the only solution is through the other person's end. The owner would have to call T-MOBILE up and tell them that it's not stolen in order to make the "block imei" to "unblock." I wish there was a solution because there are so many incidences of these occurring to innocent individuals who just wants a simple and happy life with their newly bought phone. Sigh, I wish T-MOBILE had a way where they can offer ways for those in these sticky situations ? ):

Aaaaaaand do not mention anything regarding changing imei around here. Its very illegal and devs will mad and take actions
Sent from my hot tub time machine

elisecohenn1 said:
"Thanks, now I know. I went to T-MOBILE and the only solution is through the other person's end. The owner would have to call T-MOBILE up and tell them that it's not stolen in order to make the "block imei" to "unblock." I wish there was a solution similar to jailbreak or something because there are so many incidences of these occurring to innocent individuals who just wants a simple and happy life with their newly bought phone. Sigh, I wish T-MOBILE had a way where they can offer ways to unblock the imei. Or there was a special application for the google play store or something to issue us a new imei ? ):
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well u can go to cops with emails that you bought it off this guy and then he reported it stolen. U will have legal action and win.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3

Yea I tried the whole cops ordeal on multiple occasions and it goes nowhere. Out of everything going on in life, I think cell phone theft will be at the bottom of their IDGAF files next to eating steaks for breakfast and cereal for dinner
Sent from my hot tub time machine

Keep googling their number and searching craigslist for stuff they sell. They might pop up some time. Then I'd thump them.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

Should have met dude @ tmobile store and make sure everything was legit before paying for the phone, i bought mine off craigslist this way and have no problems. This is how you can tell if your dealing with a shady person or not is when there not willing to meet you in store,huge red flag right there!
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda premium

elisecohenn1 said:
Hi, I recently bought a new samsung galaxy note 3 t-mobile on craigslist...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are SOL, my friend. Never buy from Craigslist. Resell on eBay for parts. That's all you can do.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

Or switch to att network
---------- Post added at 06:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:33 AM ----------
Dattack said:
Or switch to att network
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You said you have his number? Do a reverse ID check and sometimess you can get the full name for free

You can't switch to any network anymore. One it's black flagged on one network, the rest are SOl too.
Sent from my your mom's bedroom. Knock before you enter

BACARDILIMON said:
Never ever go on Craigslist for a phone.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I normally agree with most of what you say but not with the above comment. So long as the buyer calls the network and gives them the IMEI number and has it associated with your existing account then on "their" system the phone is now yours regardless of what the seller does at a later date. The network will not block it.

Limeybastard said:
I normally agree with most of what you say but not with the above comment. So long as the buyer calls the network and gives them the IMEI number and has it associated with your existing account then on "their" system the phone is now yours regardless of what the seller does at a later date. The network will not block it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you think about it though. Why pay some guy let's say 300. And then have T-Mobile charge me for the phone so they can get they money. It not gonna happen. I say about 70% of the phones on Craigslist are stolen or a smuck is trying to make some money and scam you then report it stolen so he get fast cash. It is a dirty thing to do but it does happen unfortunately. The seller would have to satisfy TMOBILE first.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3

BACARDILIMON said:
If you think about it though. Why pay some guy let's say 300. And then have T-Mobile charge me for the phone so they can get they money. It not gonna happen. I say about 70% of the phones on Craigslist are stolen or a smuck is trying to make some money and scam you then report it stolen so he get fast cash. It is a dirty thing to do but it does happen unfortunately. The seller would have to satisfy TMOBILE first.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I sold my S4 on CL, the potential buyer called ATT and gave them the IMEI number and requested that this be put on his account prior to giving me the cash. He the buyer informed me that this way once the phone is registered to him then there will be no negative repercussions at a later date.

Limeybastard said:
When I sold my S4 on CL, the potential buyer called ATT and gave them the IMEI number and requested that this be put on his account prior to giving me the cash. He the buyer informed me that this way once the phone is registered to him then there will be no negative repercussions at a later date.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but with jump program it no money down. TMOBILE will not transfer to a different owner. So it be like him getting the phone himself from them.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3

BACARDILIMON said:
Yes but with jump program it no money down. TMOBILE will not transfer to a different owner. So it be like him getting the phone himself from them.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, this was ATT so Jump was not in the equation. I am thinking if Jump was in the equation then T mobile would not allow the phone to be transferred until outstanding balance is paid off.

Limeybastard said:
Agreed, this was ATT so Jump was not in the equation. I am thinking if Jump was in the equation then T mobile would not allow the phone to be transferred until outstanding balance is paid off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It all about money. It sucks but hey they love the money and we hate to give it to them lol
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3

Canadian carriers disabling Note7 IMEIs on December 15th, 2016

Sad but true. I may need to have my Note7 swapped afterall.
I got an email from my corporate Telus retailer saying that all carriers in Canada will be disabling on December 15th.
Now I need to finally bite the bullet and get an inferior S7 Edge. To say I am disappointed would be an understatement.

andoxviii said:
Sad but true. I may need to have my Note7 swapped afterall.
I got an email from my corporate Telus retailer saying that all carriers in Canada will be disabling on December 15th.
Now I need to finally bite the bullet and get an inferior S7 Edge. To say I am disappointed would be an understatement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen several threads from different countries saying something similar, that N7 will be disabled. But I don't recall reading any where it has actually happened. I may have missed that, but believe at this point it's a threat to motivate returns. Correct me if I'm wrong.

http://www.theverge.com/circuitbrea...ung-galaxy-note-7-update-shut-down-inoperable

wase4711 said:
http://www.theverge.com/circuitbrea...ung-galaxy-note-7-update-shut-down-inoperable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been pushing off the update for weeks now. Can they force the update?

wase4711 said:
http://www.theverge.com/circuitbrea...ung-galaxy-note-7-update-shut-down-inoperable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yikes! Guess I spoke too soon. If updates are disabled, I wonder if they will still work.

who knows, but either way, this phone is dead, so if you can get rid of it, I wouldnt wait any longer

kat3k said:
I've seen several threads from different countries saying something similar, that N7 will be disabled. But I don't recall reading any where it has actually happened. I may have missed that, but believe at this point it's a threat to motivate returns. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the carriers in New Zealand blacklisted the phones. It doesn't matter about a software update at that point.
In Canada, they will push an update on Dec 12 to max the battery at 15% and disable wifi and bluetooth. And on Dec 15, carriers will blacklist the phone.

wase4711 said:
http://www.theverge.com/circuitbrea...ung-galaxy-note-7-update-shut-down-inoperable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats not bad at all. I wish they would do this in Canada.
andoxviii said:
Yeah the carriers in New Zealand blacklisted the phones. It doesn't matter about a software update at that point.
In Canada, they will push an update on Dec 12 to max the battery at 15% and disable wifi and bluetooth. And on Dec 15, carriers will blacklist the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, im waiting for the day they will block the IMEI. If this happens. I'll be on this forming pming few guys for solution. Also, looking and preping for one right now.
I will not exchange my phone for S7 edge, stupidity. Unless, Im unable to make the phone work. We shell see. Let them disable already so I can start on imei solution.

Should you have changed your IMEI (change not legally allowed), in case of phone malfunction, phone blocked by Samsung or carriers by other methods, or whatever, you'd likely be no longer able to get a replacement or a refund due to the unrecognized IMEI number...

Own31 said:
thats not bad at all. I wish they would do this in Canada.
Exactly, im waiting for the day they will block the IMEI. If this happens. I'll be on this forming pming few guys for solution. Also, looking and preping for one right now.
I will not exchange my phone for S7 edge, stupidity. Unless, Im unable to make the phone work. We shell see. Let them disable already so I can start on imei solution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aye Own31, nice to see you again! lol
The countdown begins =/
I personally wonder if something will actually happen.

themissionimpossible said:
Should you have changed your IMEI (change not legally allowed), in case of phone malfunction, phone blocked by Samsung or carriers by other methods, or whatever, you'd likely be no longer able to get a replacement or a refund due to the unrecognized IMEI number...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was not planning to return or refund. I was never planning to use S7 edge either.
Even if i go for refund, I most likely will give the s7 edge away to the family or sell it quick and cheap, and go for S8. Just no way ill be using the phone that is older then N7.
I think N7 is tabulous =) Would love to keep the phone if i can. If not ill be looking to get something better once available.
I do understand what you are saying tho, and it would be painful for those people who will get imei changed and then Samsung announces N7 refund/exchange program for S8 =)
Yujiza said:
Aye Own31, nice to see you again! lol
The countdown begins =/
I personally wonder if something will actually happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
=)
We shell see.

themissionimpossible said:
Should you have changed your IMEI (change not legally allowed), in case of phone malfunction, phone blocked by Samsung or carriers by other methods, or whatever, you'd likely be no longer able to get a replacement or a refund due to the unrecognized IMEI number...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
change my imei? i would never do such a thing
i guess it must have happened when that update got pushed to my phone...i have no idea what happened?
you can see where Im going here I assume?
Sent from my SM-N930W8 using Tapatalk 2

We are having the same thing happen in Australia on the 15th.
I am going to go the hotspot route (run a VOIP app and use another phone to hotspot from) ... until I can be bothered to spend the time to circumvent the blocked IMEI.
So does anyone have a favourite VOIP app that also transfers phone calls from the hotspotted device to the VOIP app on the Note 7 ?

Ok guys...I'm sad to say that I couldn't sit by and allow Telus to blacklist my IMEI number on Wednesday. I swapped my Note7 for a silver octa-core Exynos S7 Edge :'(
I must say it is much faster than my Snapdragon 820 Note7... and better on battery. But I'm afraid that's where it all falls apart. I miss my Note7 already.

andoxviii said:
Ok guys...I'm sad to say that I couldn't sit by and allow Telus to blacklist my IMEI number on Wednesday. I swapped my Note7 for a silver octa-core Exynos S7 Edge :'(
I must say it is much faster than my Snapdragon 820 Note7... and better on battery. But I'm afraid that's where it all falls apart. I miss my Note7 already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah my exynos Note 7 was way better and smoother overall than my snapdragon note 7.
as for the 15th....well lets see what actually happens and go from there.
if its only am OTA then those of us who blocked those may be okay.
if imei block thats another battle.
i have other devices i can use while trying to get my note 7 back from the dead lol.
Sent from my SM-N930W8 using Tapatalk 2

6:17am Regina crap city time Dec 15...Note 7 still working on BELL network.....

It happened here in Australia mid afternoon.
I have gone Skype (and bought their number) to get voice calls and for texts I have set up Mysms on my hotspot phone and the mysms mirror app on my Note 7.
A pain to carry a 2nd phone but it will do until I sort the IMEI

force70 said:
change my imei? i would never do such a thing
i guess it must have happened when that update got pushed to my phone...i have no idea what happened?
you can see where Im going here I assume?
Sent from my SM-N930W8 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so you think they block by update?

kenpaci said:
so you think they block by update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats the million dollar question.
It would make no sense since Im sure they are aware many of us have the OTAs blocked so they cant touch us.
Would make more sense to disable the imei numbers...
I have no idea how they are doing it...I killed wifi and pulled my sim out of my note 7 for the time being until I see what happens
Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk 2

force70 said:
Thats the million dollar question.
9
It would make no sense since Im sure they are aware many of us have the OTAs blocked so they cant touch us.
Would make more sense to disable the imei numbers...
I have no idea how they are doing it...I killed wifi and pulled my sim out of my note 7 for the time being until I see what happens
Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
let's see how its work by blocked via emei, you from canada right, so your note7 allready block today?

Need help with Verizon Galaxy Note 10+ temporary lock.

Hi everyone,
I've got smashed Galaxy Note 10+ from eBay, fixed it and found out that it has a kind of carrier change temporary lock. IMEI is clean, not blacklisted or anything. Technically the phone is unlocked and it fully works with my non-US carrier SIM card for around 5 min or so. But after that a ridiculous nonsense message about carrier change pops up and the phone becomes blocked. It looks like the phone is connecting by itself with Verizon servers, they detect other carrier SIM card and block GSM functionality. I flashed international U1 firmware already but it didn't help. Verizon tells some 60 day activation cap - the phone will be unlocked automatically after 60 days since Verizon account activation. Is there any way to fix it / block the phone from communicating with Verizon? I have no idea how long should I wait since the phone was wiped before sale.
Thanks in advance.

Sounds like the seller might have received an insurance replacement due to the damage. Maybe the phone is blocked by Verizon because it should have been disposed of and/or should no longer be used in their network. Just a guess.
Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

burrzoo said:
Sounds like the seller might have received an insurance replacement due to the damage. Maybe the phone is blocked by Verizon because it should have been disposed of and/or should no longer be used in their network. Just a guess.
Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is not going to be used in the USA. Again, it works for few minutes. It's not blocked straightaway.

WarVic said:
The phone is not going to be used in the USA. Again, it works for few minutes. It's not blocked straightaway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's just the way the network lock works.....you'll need to wait the 60 days...(probably closer to 30 now...but no way to know)
If you can't wait there are paid solutions that you can use... cell unlocking services.
No amount of firmware changing etc will have an effect on the network lock.....sorry.
Also i disagree with the other poster....sounds like you confirmed its not blacklisted....what you're experiencing is the typical network lock behavior.....pay or wait it out.
Btw any before and after pics?
What did you pay for smashed device? How much spent repairing?
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app

louforgiveno said:
That's just the way the network lock works.....you'll need to wait the 60 days...(probably closer to 30 now...but no way to know)
If you can't wait there are paid solutions that you can use... cell unlocking services.
No amount of firmware changing etc will have an effect on the network lock.....sorry.
Also i disagree with the other poster....sounds like you confirmed its not blacklisted....what you're experiencing is the typical network lock behavior.....pay or wait it out.
Btw any before and after pics?
What did you pay for smashed device? How much spent repairing?
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I paid US$230 for smashed device, $320 for screen assembly with housing, $15 for back glass cover (haven't receive it yet), $40 for S-pen. Screen assembly is original despite being bought from AliExpress. It looks like brand new now. Just waiting for back cover and unlock.

Yikes! That thing got brutalized
Not a bad deal....too bad the damn screen assemblies cost so much!
Thanks for the info.
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app

louforgiveno said:
Yikes! That thing got brutalized
Not a bad deal....too bad the damn screen assemblies cost so much!
Thanks for the info.
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is why I like and dislike Samsung Galaxy flagships. Screen is always damn expensive but the possibility to fix completely smashed device is very high. Actually I repaired few Galaxies in much worse condition than that. At the same time, recently I had an iPhone XS Max with relatively light screen damage and was unable to repair it due to face ID failure (logic board fault). Cheers!

WarVic said:
This is why I like and dislike Samsung Galaxy flagships. Screen is always damn expensive but the possibility to fix completely smashed device is very high. Actually I repaired few Galaxies in much worse condition than that. At the same time, recently I had an iPhone XS Max with relatively light screen damage and was unable to repair it due to face ID failure (logic board fault). Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not bad for such an amazing screen

WarVic said:
Hi everyone,
I've got smashed Galaxy Note 10+ from eBay, fixed it and found out that it has a kind of carrier change temporary lock. IMEI is clean, not blacklisted or anything. Technically the phone is unlocked and it fully works with my non-US carrier SIM card for around 5 min or so. But after that a ridiculous nonsense message about carrier change pops up and the phone becomes blocked. It looks like the phone is connecting by itself with Verizon servers, they detect other carrier SIM card and block GSM functionality. I flashed international U1 firmware already but it didn't help. Verizon tells some 60 day activation cap - the phone will be unlocked automatically after 60 days since Verizon account activation. Is there any way to fix it / block the phone from communicating with Verizon? I have no idea how long should I wait since the phone was wiped before sale.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you call Verizon? Give them IMEI and they should be able to tell you what's up

oneandroidnut said:
Did you call Verizon? Give them IMEI and they should be able to tell you what's up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live 13000km away from USA so the call to Verizon could be not cheap. I had an online chat with them via Messenger and they asked me my Verizon account details to answer my question. Obviously I don't have them. From now I'm looking for not crazy expensive unlock service.

oneandroidnut said:
Did you call Verizon? Give them IMEI and they should be able to tell you what's up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just had one more conversation with Verizon. It seems that they're bloody dickheads! They claim the Verizon does not lock phones which is pure lie. And their temporary carrier lock system is a bloody mess. They're unable to manage it at all!!! Just look at my conversation history with Verizon support:
"We greatly appreciate this (IMEI) information, Victor. After further review, we do show that this IMEI is not currently showing a carrier lock to our network....
I know this is confusing and that you just want to get full use out of that phone. While we don't lock any locks on the phone, it is true that takes 60 days from sale of the phone for a phone to be unlocked. We would suggest that you get in contact with the seller of this phone and instruct them to get in contact with Verizon or alternately, reach out to the selling platform you used and your local carrier. Keep in mind also that Verizon sold phones are not guaranteed to work with other carriers. We would not be able to provide any further support beyond this. I hope this helps clarify and if you have any additional concerns, we are happy to help out. "

WarVic said:
Just had one more conversation with Verizon. It seems that they're bloody dickheads! They claim the Verizon does not lock phones which is pure lie. And their temporary carrier lock system is a bloody mess. They're unable to manage it at all!!! Just look at my conversation history with Verizon support:
"We greatly appreciate this (IMEI) information, Victor. After further review, we do show that this IMEI is not currently showing a carrier lock to our network....
I know this is confusing and that you just want to get full use out of that phone. While we don't lock any locks on the phone, it is true that takes 60 days from sale of the phone for a phone to be unlocked. We would suggest that you get in contact with the seller of this phone and instruct them to get in contact with Verizon or alternately, reach out to the selling platform you used and your local carrier. Keep in mind also that Verizon sold phones are not guaranteed to work with other carriers. We would not be able to provide any further support beyond this. I hope this helps clarify and if you have any additional concerns, we are happy to help out. "
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the phone a verizon branded one? what is the model #?

oneandroidnut said:
Is the phone a verizon branded one? what is the model #?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's just a standard SM-N975U, not a Verizon branded one. Actually I was able to easily flash it into unlocked N975U1 version. But still that damn Carrier change message pops up and blocks GSM capability.

WarVic said:
No, it's just a standard SM-N975U, not a Verizon branded one. Actually I was able to easily flash it into unlocked N975U1 version. But still that damn Carrier change message pops up and blocks GSM capability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because its a carrier variant and is sim locked

elliwigy said:
because its a carrier variant and is sim locked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I sad earlier, I had a chat with Verizon twice regarding this phone. They checked it by IMEI and told me that it is NOT SIM locked. This is the only useful piece of info I've got from them. Despite of that, they were unable to help me with that Carrier Change issue sending me to original owner / Verizon account holder of this phone. So it's not a carrier variant and not sim locked.

WarVic said:
As I sad earlier, I had a chat with Verizon twice regarding this phone. They checked it by IMEI and told me that it is NOT SIM locked. This is the only useful piece of info I've got from them. Despite of that, they were unable to help me with that Carrier Change issue sending me to original owner / Verizon account holder of this phone. So it's not a carrier variant and not sim locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think ur confused lol... if it was originally sold by verizon then it is a Verizon Variant..
and clearly you are sim locked as thats the exact message ypu get when its sim locked as well as you dont get service with the other carrier..
based on what u posted whoever you talked to has no idea what theyre talking about especially if theyre telling you they dont lock phones which meansthey also didnt even bother to look up their own policy for it and instead just made stuff up off the top of their head..
but hey, dont take my word for it.. it wont work as u need tho until vzw unlocks it or u pay for a service to unlock it.
Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk

elliwigy said:
i think ur confused lol... if it was originally sold by verizon then it is a Verizon Variant..
and clearly you are sim locked as thats the exact message ypu get when its sim locked as well as you dont get service with the other carrier..
based on what u posted whoever you talked to has no idea what theyre talking about especially if theyre telling you they dont lock phones which meansthey also didnt even bother to look up their own policy for it and instead just made stuff up off the top of their head..
but hey, dont take my word for it.. it wont work as u need tho until vzw unlocks it our u pay for a service to unlock it.
Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I'm confused indeed. Confused by Verizon which says one thing but does other. They clearly said that "we don't lock our phones" but apparently they do it! Bloody bastards!

Did you manage to unlock the device?

WarVic said:
Yes, I'm confused indeed. Confused by Verizon which says one thing but does other. They clearly said that "we don't lock our phones" but apparently they do it! Bloody bastards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you manage to unlock it?

Tarar said:
Did you manage to unlock it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I sold it. As I can see there is no unlocking solution right now. No hope that it will be available any time soon.