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I want to buy a Galaxy S9. Since there are some complains about the exynos version (battery life, performance, especially 3d performance in games) i want to get the Snapdragon version. Custom Roms etc. doens't matter for me. Is it possible to just order the Galaxy S9 g9600 Hong Kong Version and use it normaly here in germany? Does the region even matter?
>>UPDATE<<
tl;dr: Yes you can!
I'm also interested in getting an answer from somebody who has experienced with this.
After Googling around, I think you will have no problem using the phone. The only problem is that the ROM is full of bloat targeted to the Asian audience. What people do normally is they flash the Brazilian version, which uses the same hardware, and should be a very clean rom. I would feel more confident if somebody came and confirmed who I read around.
I bought the S9 online from Hong Kong (SM-G9600/DS) to use in Australia and it works well with full 4g (LTE) bands. I would assume that it would also work fine with European bands as well. I have not had any issues with the phone at all.
The only potential issue is that you wont be able to use VoLTE outside of Hong Kong. Personally this doesn't bother me.
I'd recommend importing the SM-G9600 form overseas.
---------- Post added at 01:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:46 PM ----------
CaraMuuu said:
I'm also interested in getting an answer from somebody who has experienced with this.
After Googling around, I think you will have no problem using the phone. The only problem is that the ROM is full of bloat targeted to the Asian audience. What people do normally is they flash the Brazilian version, which uses the same hardware, and should be a very clean rom. I would feel more confident if somebody came and confirmed who I read around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm after buying a SM-G9600 online from Hong Kong, it has NO Asian Bloatware and overall a fairly clean rom. Most pre-installed apps are actually useful (such as Facebook or Twitter). The only difference that I have noticed over 4 weeks of having this phone is that in the shopping option of bixby vison (where you point the camera at an object and it comes up with a product you can buy) it shows Hong Kong results. And also the advertising in samsung pay is in Chinese.
None of this a problem that affects overall usability and is very minor. I would definitely recommend buying the SM-G9600 from Hong Kong.
Would it make sense to flash the Brazil ZTO ROM or is the Hong Kong ROM just fine?
Hows the battery life on the HK version? HK has the snapdragon variant i assume it has good battery?
Could Hk version S9/S9+ be root now? Does anyone know how to root Hk version S9/S9+?
Good day. I am thinking in getting a Snapdragon version (American or HK), and would love to know if it works in Europe too.
It seems that the battery life of the phone with Exynos is far worse
If this is the case and the phone is locked to Asia region, is there any way to unlock the phone without an Asia SIM card? Or do I have to send it back?
EDIT: The phone got shipped today and should arrive the end of this week or next week. I will make an update if the Galaxy S9 Dual Sim from Hong Kong is region locked or not
Update: The Galaxy S9 arrived today and everything works perfectly. I had no region sticker on the box and my german simcard works just fine. The only bloatware, that is preinstalled are some microsoft apps (word, excel, powerpoint, onedrive). Overall i am very happy that everything is working flawlessly.
Flik210 said:
Update: The Galaxy S9 arrived today and everything works perfectly. I had no region sticker on the box and my german simcard works just fine. The only bloatware, that is preinstalled are some microsoft apps (word, excel, powerpoint, onedrive). Overall i am very happy that everything is working flawlessly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried using\running Samsung Pay?
athos86 said:
Have you tried using\running Samsung Pay?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, i haven't. Here in Germany it is not often used. Even Apple pay is rarely seen.
Flik210 said:
No, i haven't. Here in Germany it is not often used. Even Apple pay is rarely seen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I asked so because I read that the only potential issues in buying a different region version could be Samsung Pay and VoLTE not working.
Inviato dal mio SM-N910F utilizzando Tapatalk
Does the Hong Kong version support VoLTE or wifi calling? I bought a G9600/DS with the Latin America CSC (has OWO in the version number as opposed to TGY in the HK version) and it does not support either feature. Can you let us know please. I'm thinking of flashing with the TGY CSC if it supports VoLTE and Wifi calling.
sentron said:
Does the Hong Kong version support VoLTE or wifi calling? I bought a G9600/DS with the Latin America CSC (has OWO in the version number as opposed to TGY in the HK version) and it does not support either feature. Can you let us know please. I'm thinking of flashing with the TGY CSC if it supports VoLTE and Wifi calling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HK version does support both VoLTE and VoWiFi but will that work in non-HK carrier in other countries I have doubts
I am also very curious about VoLTE in other countries. Let us know.
Flik210 said:
I want to buy a Galaxy S9. Since there are some complains about the exynos version (battery life, performance, especially 3d performance in games) i want to get the Snapdragon version. Custom Roms etc. doens't matter for me. Is it possible to just order the Galaxy S9 g9600 Hong Kong Version and use it normaly here in germany? Does the region even matter?
>>UPDATE<<
tl;dr: Yes you can!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will work Germany, no problem.
---------- Post added at 09:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 PM ----------
voLTE will only work in Hong Kong. If you root and use a custom ROM the CSC Code can be modified. This is only possible if your device's bootloader is unlocked. As the CSC Code is Region or Carrier Specific you'll need to match your new code to the location and/or carrier.
varcor said:
It will work Germany, no problem.
---------- Post added at 09:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 PM ----------
voLTE will only work in Hong Kong. If you root and use a custom ROM the CSC Code can be modified. This is only possible if your device's bootloader is unlocked. As the CSC Code is Region or Carrier Specific you'll need to match your new code to the location and/or carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi guys,
I also want to buy one S9 with Snapdragon from overseas, what site did you use?
Best Regards
Amazon and Ebay both offer the Snapdragon variation. Ebay is usually less expensive.
insid3r said:
Hi guys,
I also want to buy one S9 with Snapdragon from overseas, what site did you use?
Best Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got mine from an ebay seller. Just look for a sm-g9600 or sm-g9650 if you want the plus.
Hi guys,
I'm gonna buy a S20 Ultra in China and I would like to change the Chinese ROM with the South Korean ROM or if is not possible with the Hong Kong one.
I know that some Chinese, to save money, buy HK mobiles and change the ROM to Chinese so I think should be possible do the opposite, I think they share the same hardware.
In case is it possible I would prefer the South Korea ROM coz probably it will have faster updates..
Do you know if South Korean and Chinese S20 have exactly the same hardware? To install the Korean ROM hiw can I do? Is it simple and I can do by myself? Do you have any tips?
Many thanks..
Hi,
I don't know about the S20, but I did exactly that with the S10+ (which had a Snapdragon 855 and identical specs across both HK and Chinese version).
It worked better with HK since it didn't have as much bloatware or google restrictions...and english can be made to be default.
I just got my S20+ and will probably be trying this soon as well. Stay tuned.
A.C.
I'm interested too if it is possible to flash a HK ROM on another snapdragon s20+ (SM-G986N). The problem is that the Korean version has bloatware from KT. I did manage to disable most of them, but I would be happier if can come without bloatware out of the box
Great!! Thanks AloxeCorton.. Will be the first time I will do it. So if you have any link to follow the procedure will be really appreciated.
Mishufac I would like install an unlocked ROM so shouldn't have many bloatware. Do you think the SK ROM will have more than HK one?
Davide Shanghai said:
Great!! Thanks AloxeCorton.. Will be the first time I will do it. So if you have any link to follow the procedure will be really appreciated.
Mishufac I would like install an unlocked ROM so shouldn't have many bloatware. Do you think the SK ROM will have more than HK one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is KT branded and I know it has more bloatware than HK version. I think if you manage to get KOR national CSC it will be better. Mine is KTC and I haven't managed to change the CSC by flashing KOR version with Odin
Davide Shanghai said:
Hi guys,
I'm gonna buy a S20 Ultra in China and I would like to change the Chinese ROM with the South Korean ROM or if is not possible with the Hong Kong one.
I know that some Chinese, to save money, buy HK mobiles and change the ROM to Chinese so I think should be possible do the opposite, I think they share the same hardware.
In case is it possible I would prefer the South Korea ROM coz probably it will have faster updates..
Do you know if South Korean and Chinese S20 have exactly the same hardware? To install the Korean ROM hiw can I do? Is it simple and I can do by myself? Do you have any tips?
Many thanks..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can Switch between China, HK and Taiwan with no problems but not to Korea since it has a different model number.
lovers74 said:
You can Switch between China, HK and Taiwan with no problems but not to Korea since it has a different model number.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know, I didn't think about Taiwan, If I'm not wrong also there should have no problem with Google apps.. Thanks!!
Can you switch to china CSC?
pafc66 said:
Can you switch to china CSC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can but there is no google services and there are a lot of bloatware but one benefit is you get the call recorder.
lovers74 said:
Yes you can but there is no google services and there are a lot of bloatware but one benefit is you get the call recorder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the camera much better?
pafc66 said:
Is the camera much better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, its the same
lovers74 said:
No, its the same
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw many Weibo Chinese S20 users say that the camera has improved in many places, including the well-known ice universe
There is also a big change in the algorithm of fingerprint recording, which can be quickly entered like S9 / Note9.
Fingerprint unlock speed is more agile and transition animation is adjusted better
ATD1 compared to ATCT version number
lovers74 said:
No, its the same
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Test it properly. It's reported there's huge differences
pafc66 said:
Test it properly. It's reported there's huge differences
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there can't be any differences at all because both TGY and CHC firmwares are LITERALLY the same bit to bit
which is the best firmware between china, TW and HK?
I have the s20+ and I have the "open china" one, but 5g works only with the second SIM slot. That's very strange.
Hi all,
I live in Europe and am planning to buy a Snapdragon S20+ from HongKong.
I've checked which network bands the HK phone supports and all bands I need are there.
Before placing the order I want to check with you guys if I have a clear picture of all limitations that come with buying a HK S20+ in Europe.
The list I compiled so far:
- No Samsung Pay (I don't care, won't use it)
- VOLTE may or may not work depending on your carrier (I don't care, I barely call and if I call I don't care about the quality)
- No warranty in Europe .
- Difference in timing of updates
Anything else I should take into account?
YH93 said:
Hi all,
I live in Europe and am planning to buy a Snapdragon S20+ from HongKong.
I've checked which network bands the HK phone supports and all bands I need are there.
Before placing the order I want to check with you guys if I have a clear picture of all limitations that come with buying a HK S20+ in Europe.
The list I compiled so far:
- No Samsung Pay (I don't care, won't use it)
- VOLTE may or may not work depending on your carrier (I don't care, I barely call and if I call I don't care about the quality)
- No warranty in Europe .
- Difference in timing of updates
Anything else I should take into account?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Carrier Aggregation may suffer, which will reduce download speeds. I have a Hong Kong variant, VoLTE, WiFi Calling and Samsung Pay work however I'm in the US, your results may vary as you mentioned depending on the carrier. Don't expect you can modify the CSC, you can't change it. Samkey doesn't support HK variants and OXM, which allows Preconfiguration changes for different European CSC's isn't embedded in the software. Updates have come in a timely fashion every month and there's no Carrier Branded Bloatware. Even though the device has some limitations I've been pleased with the HK variant, anything but Exynos!
varcor said:
Carrier Aggregation may suffer, which will reduce download speeds. I have a Hong Kong variant, VoLTE, WiFi Calling and Samsung Pay work however I'm in the US, your results may vary as you mentioned depending on the carrier. Don't expect you can modify the CSC, you can't change it. Samkey doesn't support HK variants and OXM, which allows Preconfiguration changes for different European CSC's isn't embedded in the software. Updates have come in a timely fashion every month and there's no Carrier Branded Bloatware. Even though the device has some limitations I've been pleased with the HK variant, anything but Exynos!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I'll go for the HK version then. Don't see any reason why I shouldn't.
Actually Samsung Pay should work in Europe flawlessly, only thing that won't work is rewards. To be more precise, rewards do work, but the rewards shown are the ones of the phone's original country...
As for the Samkey CSC change limitation, I remember reading a post here about a user that changed CSC from Taiwan to Hong Kong using Samkey...
Rulsar_Tec said:
Actually Samsung Pay should work in Europe flawlessly, only thing that won't work is rewards. To be more precise, rewards do work, but the rewards shown are the ones of the phone's original country...
As for the Samkey CSC change limitation, I remember reading a post here about a user that changed CSC from Taiwan to Hong Kong using Samkey...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know. I'm currently not using or planning to use Samsung Pay but that might change in the future.
Regarding the CSC limations, I don't see any reason why I would need to change the CSC.
Reason why you may want to think twice is that in the event if you get unit with poor uniformity seller may not be willing to replace it as easily
How do you plan on buying it?
Sharpshooterrr said:
How do you plan on buying it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought mine from T-Dimension. Just be sure to order from their .de or .co.uk site and you don't have to pay any customs. Cheeper then the Exynos version here in Sweden. Took about 2 weeks to get the phone. First they ship it from HK to their warehouse in UK then from there to me.
Skickat från min SM-G9860 via Tapatalk
I have ordered the phone from WondaMobile.
They have the HongKong Snapdragon version for the same price as the Exynos in my country.
Also no customs are being charged as they will ship it from/via the UK.
I have ordered S20 ultra also from WondaMobile. I was on 6th of May and I'm hopping the delivery will not take to much time. I also hope I don't have to send it back because of broken camera glass or other issues which s20 ultra suffers...
Hello
My S20 Ultra comes to WondaMobile and is amazing (model 512/16GB)
Samsung Pay and Volte work perfectly.
Photos are fantastic.
I also have the Snapdragon version
Get it. I had the Exynos and it had a poor battery life plus other disadvantages
Could someone check for me ?: Dutch (the Netherlands) language included in the HK version? Mi
is the hongkong version better than the chinese version ??? any differnce
and what about 5g my country supports sub 6 which is 3.5 bandwith
ChromeFR said:
Could someone check for me : Dutch (the Netherlands) language included in the HK version? Mi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is.
dr.memo1o said:
is the hongkong version better than the chinese version ??? any differnce
and what about 5g my country supports sub 6 which is 3.5 bandwith
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung pay and Google services work.
5g is ok for France
Hello, what is the CSC, what is the use of it and why someone would change it? Are the european languages supported in this version?
I need help understanding all the differences between the various S20 Plus 5G versions. I live in Italy and I want to buy the Snapdragon international unlocked but I miss some points in using an international version here where we can only find the Exynos one.
Speaking about the various names, so far I understood
Snapdragon 865 – 12GB RAM:
SM-G986U - Factory Unlocked from US
SM-G986N - South Korea (?)a lot of bloatware and a custom intro animation, so not the original and "pure" Android version(?)
SM-G9860, SM-G9868 - China, Hong Kong, Japan, Brazil
I've found a good price for the SM-G986N in a European store but I'm missing some details:
My phone will update as soon as the update is rolled out in Korea? And then about the bloatware, easily removable to make the phone lighter and snappier? Regarding this I was wondering if I can flash the US firmware or is it impossible due to hardware differences between the SM-G986N and the SM-G986U? I really miss this point, if there only are software-related differences between devices with the same CPU or also hardware ones.
I've found sometimes the US version in some stores but there were crazy prices or very limited availability.
Which version would you guys suggest me to go for? Thanks in advance for any answer.
EDIT #1 after chieco's answer: rootable phone isn't a priority
you need to get this model SM-G9860 because it has the least bloatware, SnapDragon aaaaaand most important, it can be rooted! Also since your warranty is handled thru the seller and not Samsung you don't need to worry about knox effecting your warranty.
chieco said:
you need to get this model SM-G9860 because it has the least bloatware, SnapDragon aaaaaand most important, it can be rooted! Also since your warranty is handled thru the seller and not Samsung you don't need to worry about knox effecting your warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion, I wasn't actually thinking aboutroot, but knowing I can do that if I want is certainly an added value!
ianeze46 said:
Thanks for the suggestion, I wasn't actually thinking aboutroot, but knowing I can do that if I want is certainly an added value!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SM-G9860 will get OTA Updates regardless of your Service Provider, it's Dual-SIM unlike South Korean Variant, it's less expensive than the SM-G986N or SM-G986U and it's as close as you'll get to a pure Android Device when compared to any other Samsung offerings. The only real disadvantages are it may not be 5G Compatible depending on your Service Provider and Warrant Repairs typically aren't handled by the seller unless you buy it directly from Samsung.
SM-GM9860 is the one you need.
I'm using it in the Netherlands and everything works like a charm.
Please do check beforehand whether the device supports all network bands that your telecom provider is operating on.
Forget about the SM-986N. It is single SIM and has a lot of Korean bloatware.
YH93 said:
SM-GM9860 is the one you need.
I'm using it in the Netherlands and everything works like a charm.
Please do check beforehand whether the device supports all network bands that your telecom provider is operating on.
Forget about the SM-986N. It is single SIM and has a lot of Korean bloatware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only heard about Samsung Pay, it's the only feature that won't work here in Europe with the SM-GM9860 right? (There's Google Pay, so no problems with that)
All the other "Samsung's" ones like Knox, Pass etc. should work normally as far as I know. Can you confirm?
I checked the bands here in Italy and all should work normally. Thanks for sharing your opinion!
YH93 said:
SM-GM9860 is the one you need.
I'm using it in the Netherlands and everything works like a charm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you get it in a Dutch (online) shop (if so, where?) or did you import it?
ianeze46 said:
I've only heard about Samsung Pay, it's the only feature that won't work here in Europe with the SM-GM9860 right? (There's Google Pay, so no problems with that)
All the other "Samsung's" ones like Knox, Pass etc. should work normally as far as I know. Can you confirm?
I checked the bands here in Italy and all should work normally. Thanks for sharing your opinion!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure about Samsung Pay.
I've read some stories (can't recall on which forum) from European users who confirmed that Samsung Pay works fine on their Snapdragon S20.
I'm not using it myself so cannot confirm.
I can confirm though that the other features that you're mentioning work perfectly.
---------- Post added at 01:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 PM ----------
anandus said:
Did you get it in a Dutch (online) shop (if so, where?) or did you import it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I imported from HongKong via Wondamobile.com.
I can recommend this shop. They're very fast in shipping out the phone (took about a week to arrive), you don't pay any customs fees and they are very helpful in answering any questions you have.
The only thing I recommend to buy yourself if you order from Hongkong is a wallcharger that is compatible with the powersockets in your country.
Samsung Pay does work, you're only getting Hong Hong ads.
Hi,
does my phone (from Hong Kong) support esim?
I cannot find "add mobile Plan" to activate esim.
Regards
Inviato dal mio SM-G9860 utilizzando Tapatalk
Yea it should. This is a CSC feature. Check and maybe change your CSC. It will wipe your phone.
insomniacandroid said:
Hi,
does my phone (from Hong Kong) support esim?
I cannot find "add mobile Plan" to activate esim.
Regards
Inviato dal mio SM-G9860 utilizzando Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. It does not support e-sim. None of the csc in relation to it support e-sim.
west2cool said:
No. It does not support e-sim. None of the csc in relation to it support e-sim.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why the HK version has this limitation? Can i change firmware in order to get It?
Inviato dal mio SM-G9860 utilizzando Tapatalk
insomniacandroid said:
Why the HK version has this limitation? Can i change firmware in order to get It?
Inviato dal mio SM-G9860 utilizzando Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you can not. Only Samsung knows the reasoning behind some of its decisions.
insomniacandroid said:
Why the HK version has this limitation? Can i change firmware in order to get It?
Inviato dal mio SM-G9860 utilizzando Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No Snapdragon variants support eSim besides the Galaxy Fold. Changing the Firmware or CSC won't enable eSim. SM-G9860 is a Dual SIM Device, eSim shouldn't be an issue.
varcor said:
No Snapdragon variants support eSim besides the Galaxy Fold. Changing the CSC won't enable eSim.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, Is It an hardware issue and not a software one?
Inviato dal mio SM-G9860 utilizzando Tapatalk
I read here ppl said the Taiwan csc support esim but without 5G.
There is another post if u rooted ur phone u can use app to force enable Samsung feature that r available in other csc.
chongman said:
I read here ppl said the Taiwan csc support esim but without 5G.
There is another post if u rooted ur phone u can use app to force enable Samsung feature that r available in other csc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a BRI 9860 with 2020 July update and NO esim support, with or without 5G
q
insomniacandroid said:
So, Is It an hardware issue and not a software one?
Inviato dal mio SM-G9860 utilizzando Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a few issues, an e-Sim is soldered to the motherboard, that's hardware related. The only thing which makes sense in adding an e-Sim on a Dual Sim device such as yours is you could use a MicroSD in combination with both Sim's. e-Sim can accommodate up to 5 virtual numbers. I suppose some businessmen would find that useful but in general 2 Sim's are more than enough for most users. On the Galaxy S8 you could shave a Sim and attach it to the top of a MicroSD, allowing Dual Sim's and external memory however Samsung eliminated that option on the S9. I doubt the S20 can be customized in that manner.
https://youtu.be/YmJI3BQUHF4
varcor said:
q
It's a few issues, an e-Sim is soldered to the motherboard, that's hardware related. The only thing which makes sense in adding an e-Sim on a Dual Sim device such as yours is you could use a MicroSD in combination with both Sim's. e-Sim can accommodate up to 5 virtual numbers. I suppose some businessmen would find that useful but in general 2 Sim's are more than enough for most users. On the Galaxy S8 you could shave a Sim and attach it to the top of a MicroSD, allowing Dual Sim's and external memory however Samsung eliminated that option on the S9. I doubt the S20 can be customized in that manner.
https://youtu.be/YmJI3BQUHF4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Therefore, do you think it's impossibile having esim service on my s20 with snapdragon?
Inviato dal mio SM-G9860 utilizzando Tapatalk
insomniacandroid said:
Therefore, do you think it's impossibile having esim service on my s20 with snapdragon?
Inviato dal mio SM-G9860 utilizzando Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In theory all S20 models have eSim capability. I don't know if all S20 models have eSim hardware. I think that's the case however eSim functionality also requires the Carrier's wireless service provide each customer an eSim Profile. Why they haven't or won't offer that feature for Snapdragon variants of the S20 is a good question but I doubt any CSR can answer that. I and others believe US Carriers don't want to enhance their customers ability to switch service provider's at their discretion. Customer Retention surely is part of the reason.
Explains why Samsung updates are slow; They are busy making 100 different variants of the same model, removing that resister and that transistor etc etc country to country.
Nowa Concordia said:
Explains why Samsung updates are slow; They are busy making 100 different variants of the same model, removing that resister and that transistor etc etc country to country.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree, way too many variants has led to a lot of frustration. Samsung should equip all models with a single, efficient SoC. This would be a great first step for rectifying compatibility issues