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Hello,
Im fairly new here, used to own a Samsung Galaxy Portal and I got an SGS2 last friday . Excellent device and everything but one thing thats wrong, Its on T-Mobile. Everyone must agree with me that T-Mobile are fairly late with their branded firmware, updates and leave the handset users at a disadvantage. As a matter of fact, I don't know anyone who has actually recieved a T-Mobile Branded Firmware update thus far for any android device, whats the crack here? anyone have any insight on this?
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A
It is entirely possible to update the firmware, root and remove the network lock on your phone using the various threads on those topics. I am using XWKI4 on this SGSII which is now a generic XEU unit rather than TMU.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
JR-i5700 said:
Hello,
Im fairly new here, used to own a Samsung Galaxy Portal and I got an SGS2 last friday . Excellent device and everything but one thing thats wrong, Its on T-Mobile. Everyone must agree with me that T-Mobile are fairly late with their branded firmware, updates and leave the handset users at a disadvantage. As a matter of fact, I don't know anyone who has actually recieved a T-Mobile Branded Firmware update thus far for any android device, whats the crack here? anyone have any insight on this?
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Click to collapse
Aren't t mobile now with orange?
sent from t'internet
don't mean to revive an old thread, but yes they are. Even so, they keep their firmware seperate. Anyhow, I'm on MIUI Rom now with Dorimanx Kernel, everythings all good
Hey guys, I got t-mobile and it's time to upgrade. Now I already have an HD2 and loved it since launch but I think it's time to move on, and this seems to be the most updated phone they are offering. So how is it?
Does this phone have any os options like the leo or anything neat about it?
About os options we have boot2geko(very pre-alpha),blacktrack 5,android ofcourse(ics and gb)
sahibunlimited said:
About os options we have boot2geko(very pre-alpha),blacktrack 5,android ofcourse(ics and gb)
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Okay so I have to give up all the openess of the Leo then? Which I guess is fine, I only really used android. Was fun to test all the other ones and see them work.
If you are into development then go for galaxy nexus
But if you want the beast then buy sgs2
But make sure you are buying i9100 and not other i9100G or i777 or some other
You can also wait for sgs3 or other new phones
sahibunlimited said:
If you are into development then go for galaxy nexus
But if you want the beast then buy sgs2
But make sure you are buying i9100 and not other i9100G or i777 or some other
You can also wait for sgs3 or other new phones
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I've had the Leo since launch, I am kind of tired of it. It's showing it's age lately with newer stuff and it's starting to have hardware issues from massive use. Why that model number?
I "wanted" one of those samsung notes but tmob doesn't get them.
RiffyDivine said:
I've had the Leo since launch, I am kind of tired of it. It's showing it's age lately with newer stuff and it's starting to have hardware issues from massive use. Why that model number?
I "wanted" one of those samsung notes but tmob doesn't get them.
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If you get t-mobile one then you won't have international sgs2
i9100 is international one
So get this unlocked international one
sahibunlimited said:
If you get t-mobile one then you won't have international sgs2
i9100 is international one
So get this unlocked international one
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If he plans on staying with T-Mobile USA as his carrier, than if he gets the I9100, he will only be able to get Edge data speeds on T-Mobile's network.
OP, you should probably be aware of that. This is the reason T-Mobile USA has their own variant of the Galaxy S II, which is the SGH-T989. (which, incidentally, has a separate forum)
I switched from HD2 to SGS2 and i love it... My Sgs2 run perfect only what i miss are the many customs roms... But indie and rgui make perfect roms...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Kaffee4Eck said:
I switched from HD2 to SGS2 and i love it... My Sgs2 run perfect only what i miss are the many customs roms... But indie and rgui make perfect roms...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
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Glad to see someone else made the change, I feel bad since it's been a bad ass phone but it's just getting old.
ctomgee said:
If he plans on staying with T-Mobile USA as his carrier, than if he gets the I9100, he will only be able to get Edge data speeds on T-Mobile's network.
OP, you should probably be aware of that. This is the reason T-Mobile USA has their own variant of the Galaxy S II, which is the SGH-T989. (which, incidentally, has a separate forum)
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Yes I plan to stay with them because as it is I pay I think 60ish a month for unlimited everything. So I am happy with that setup. I still laugh when verizon trys to sell me because we get a discount with them, for the same deal on there network it's 130 dollars a month after the discount. WTF.
Yes being stuck on just edge would kill me, I use my phone for skype A LOT.
RiffyDivine said:
Yes I plan to stay with them because as it is I pay I think 60ish a month for unlimited everything. So I am happy with that setup. I still laugh when verizon trys to sell me because we get a discount with them, for the same deal on there network it's 130 dollars a month after the discount. WTF.
Yes being stuck on just edge would kill me, I use my phone for skype A LOT.
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If you don't want to be stuck on edge, then you DON'T want this phone. (GT-I9100) This phone simply doesn't have the hardware to get the right frequencies to get a faster mobile data connection on T-Mobile USA's network. You are probably looking at getting the T-Mobile USA Galaxy S II variant. (SGH-T989)
While many general questions about the phone may apply to both models, you really should be asking your questions in the SGH-T989 forum. I linked it above.
EDIT to add: You may ask why I'm referring you to that forum... well, the hardware on the two phones are COMPLETELY different. They receive different frequencies, and they have different SoC/chipset/GPU. So firmwares, kernels, rooting methods - all different.
Since yesterday I switched too,from HTC HD2 to SGSII.I bought the ceramic white version of GT-I9100 and it looks awesome,I`m very happy with it.The HD2 is still working fine(it has hundreds of flashes I guess..haha),but its getting old.Now I coming with a question,where I can find a tutorial of rooting,installing custom ROMS procedure for SGSII.The HD2 forums has tutorials to start from zero.
gabilondo said:
Since yesterday I switched too,from HTC HD2 to SGSII.I bought the ceramic white version of GT-I9100 and it looks awesome,I`m very happy with it.The HD2 is still working fine(it has hundreds of flashes I guess..haha),but its getting old.Now I coming with a question,where I can find a tutorial of rooting,installing custom ROMS procedure for SGSII.The HD2 forums has tutorials to start from zero.
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Check the stickies in the General section. There are tons of links in a roll up sticky post.
I think you shouldn't buy the T-mo variant as there is a lot less development on those variants as most of the devs have the international variant which is the I9100.
But then again that's what I think.
Make you'r decision carefully.
frankimm said:
I think you shouldn't buy the T-mo variant as there is a lot less development on those variants as most of the devs have the international variant which is the I9100.
But then again that's what I think.
Make you'r decision carefully.
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But the dude said he is staying with T-Mobile. So AGAIN, if he buys the I9100, he will be stuck with Edge speeds on T-Mobile. Which he also said he doesn't want. So if he wants a Galaxy S II that works with high speed on T-Mobile USA's network, he HAS to get the T-Mobile USA variant.
Edit to add: OR I've heard he could get an unlocked AT&T Galaxy S II Skyrocket and flash T-Mobile's modems to it. But why the heck would you want to do that? Those two phones are essentially the same (hardware-wise) anyways. And it's still not the I9100.
I completely get you'r point, but if he is a flashaholic then going for the T-Mo one wouldn't be a very good choice.
Perhaps not. But it's up to him. We can only give him the facts.
RiffyDivine said:
Hey guys, I got t-mobile and it's time to upgrade. Now I already have an HD2 and loved it since launch but I think it's time to move on, and this seems to be the most updated phone they are offering. So how is it?
Does this phone have any os options like the leo or anything neat about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not recommend you sgs2. I want to sell mine and buy galaxy nexus instead. For sgs2 there isn't fully working aosp ROM and it seems it never will be. I think pure Android nexuses are best choice and not by touchwiz destroyed phones like sgs2. It's my personnal opinion, someone may have different
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA
But if you want the beast then buy sgs2
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SG2 is the beast !
First off, it's great to see so many familiar faces here in the Note section. I am wanting to upgrade from my Telus Desire HD to a Samsung Note. I am on ATT here in the USA, although I prefer non-ATT phones for personal reasons. I prefer rooted unbranded stock ROMs. Are there any advantages or disadvantages between the Telus, Rogers, and Bell versions? If my understanding is correct, the Bell version comes unbranded and sim unlocked? Any advice before I take the plunge?
Agoattamer said:
First off, it's great to see so many familiar faces here in the Note section. I am wanting to upgrade from my Telus Desire HD to a Samsung Note. I am on ATT here in the USA, although I prefer non-ATT phones for personal reasons. I prefer rooted unbranded stock ROMs. Are there any advantages or disadvantages between the Telus, Rogers, and Bell versions? If my understanding is correct, the Bell version comes unbranded and sim unlocked? Any advice before I take the plunge?
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The Bell version is full of bloatware and sim-locked. I don't think there's any difference between each version of the device exept maybe the bloatwares and the modem.
Thanks for the reply. I have been doing some heavy searching and have been getting mixed results. One person says Bell has no carrier branding and another claims Telus while another claims Rogers. I would like to keep the options available on the Canadian ROM versions. I don't see any rooted unbranded Canadian carrier ROMs on XDA and would like the easiest approach while I get used to Samsung.
DaGr8 is a well know developers on the GNote and he owns the i717R (Rogers). As far as I know, right now he's working on a i717 (AT&T) leak of ics with this device and I also flashed the leak without any trouble. Every LTE Galaxy Note seems to share the same specs, so don't worry about that.
I use my i717R on Fido (Rogers sub-brand) and I didn't had to sim-unlock it even if Fido don't sell this phone. Still, I've been told that the phone is still locked to Rogers network.
Also Rogers and AT&T share nearly the same network technologies since the beginning, yes Rogers just like AT&T were the first to have the iPhone in Canada. That's something to concider.
Hi Agoattamer. I know you from the Inspire\HD threads. I too am making the change to Note. I was simply planning on getting the ATT version just because it was the cheapest way to go. Now your post is making me wonder if I should consider other options. I can't really offer a lot of info to answer your question of which way to go. Just wanted to say hi. (We are both fellow Pennsylvanians, too.)
Rooted is easy, as I am sure you know.
Unbranded, stock ROMs is also not an issue. There are several ROMs already in the Dev thread and more are coming all the time. Most, if not all, seem to be ICS so I hope that is to your liking.
As of now unlocking is going to cost you. Only the paid services option is available, so far. I saw an option that unlocks other Samsung phones but so far I haven't been able to get anyone to try it for me so it is one of the things I plan to do once I get my new Note.
Get the AT&T version
Get the AT&T version I'm trying to get WildChild to this also but he really likrs HTC
Don't want the ATT version.
Actually we are from the same town kimtyson. I don't want to give up my dumbphone unlimited plan. Not sure if we will get LTE here in the next 2 years. And the money I will save by paying $10 a month for trully unlimited internet will overshadow the around $500 price tag.nd won't be stuck in a 2 year contract in case something great does come up. I am guessing I can get any of the three to suit my needs.
Maybe I am blind but I haven't seen any stock unbranded and bloatfree ROMs available. Do they exist?
Ordered a Roger's version. Can't wait to play with it.
I'm trying to decide what model to buy. I'm not from US and I'll not use my cellphone there.
I've noticed that there are plenty of US variants. Since I'm not used to all of these, can somebody tell me what is the support for these variants out of US? I mean, OS Updates, Custom ROMs and even parts.
I'll take a GS2 to my country (Brazil) and I don't want to get there and find out that I'm stuck with a nice phone but that will not work properly, will not have updates and will not have parts for it, including nobody wanting to buy it as well.
Thanks for your advise.
gsmarena for differences
Ok, Atfish, let me add something to my first post: I ALREADY checked Gsmarena for all variants, even Wiki for that. I'm not asking about hardware specifics, I'm talking about personal experience, ROM update, parts, etc. As I said, I'm planning on buying one when I arrive in USA, but don't know what could be the problems faced after I leave the country with a US variant (band problem already checked as well).
I know that Cianogen supports AT&T, for example, but none of the others. So, accordingly to knowledge AT&T is the closest thing to the standard I9100, but it doesn't mean that I'll be able to have all the privileges of a I9100. I'm looking for the closest thing to the I9100 that I can buy, since all US variants are always 30-50% cheaper than the International version.
Thanks, though.
Get the I9100. Plenty of custom firmware. Most common variant. Should work with most networks in most parts of the world.
Parts ? What have parts got to do with anything ? Your phone breaks or doesn't work, you send it in to Samsung/an authorised repairer for warranty service or take it to a mobile repair shop if it's out of warranty.
Why would you even consider a US variant? The one for Sprint is designed for CDMA networks, and probably won't even work for any of the carriers in Brazil, and the ATT and T-mobile USA variants will both have a bunch of branding. And the T-mobile USA variant uses slightly different frequencies than the ATT one, so you would have to do your due diligence with researching which one would work with your carrier. An un-branded i9100 is your best bet.
MistahBungle said:
Get the I9100. Plenty of custom firmware. Most common variant. Should work with most networks in most parts of the world.
Parts ? What have parts got to do with anything ? Your phone breaks or doesn't work, you send it in to Samsung/an authorised repairer for warranty service or take it to a mobile repair shop if it's out of warranty.
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Mistah, you think it's not worth pay a little bit less for any of the US variants? I prefer to get the I9100, but the other are always cheaper.
Parts. Remember, I'll be outside of US, so get support for a US variant out of US could be very tricky.
ctomgee, thanks. I'm start to think that paying less now could cost me a lot more in the future.
I can't comment on that, because I don't own one of the US variants. What I do know is the I9100 is the 'most common' variant & it's easy to get help with it on places like XDA & there is plenty of custom firmware & mods for it.
We have a number of Brazilian members here on XDA who have the I9100, which suggests it works well with the networks in that country, and I'd be surprised if you didn't have repairers in the major cities at least who couldn't easily repair an I9100.
Up to you whether you want to get a cheaper US variant. Maybe ask on the specific boards on XDA devoted to those phones to get an idea from people who actually own those phones ?
hknoener said:
Mistah, you think it's not worth pay a little bit less for any of the US variants? I prefer to get the I9100, but the other are always cheaper.
Parts. Remember, I'll be outside of US, so get support for a US variant out of US could be very tricky.
ctomgee, thanks. I'm start to think that paying less now could cost me a lot more in the future.
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MistahBungle said:
I can't comment on that, because I don't own one of the US variants. What I do know is the I9100 is the 'most common' variant & it's easy to get help with it on places like XDA & there is plenty of custom firmware & mods for it.
We have a number of Brazilian members here on XDA who have the I9100, which suggests it works well with the networks in that country, and I'd be surprised if you didn't have repairers in the major cities at least who couldn't easily repair an I9100.
Up to you whether you want to get a cheaper US variant. Maybe ask on the specific boards on XDA devoted to those phones to get an idea from people who actually own those phones ?
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I came here just to check the general idea of I9100 owners. Sometimes there are things pretty obvious about some variants that I, as a totally new user to Android, have no idea.
I used a lot XDA during my Windows Mobile experience, tested several different ROMs and tools, but since 3-4 years ago I don't have any phone that actually requires my visit here (Blackberry, in that case). So I've dug up a bit to know more about the different versions in order to know where I was going into. But I couldn't decide without coming here and checking with the XDA community, since I'll use for sure the ROMs and Tools available here on this phone.
With the answers that I've got so far it's pretty clear that it would be a mistake to buy a variant, specially not being a US resident.
Thanks, again, for your help.
better to ask that in att forum as we are not using the variants.....
plus i dont know where you get that impression that us variants are cheaper....!
they are not see the full price not contract price
atifsh said:
better to ask that in att forum as we are not using the variants.....
plus i dont know where you get that impression that us variants are cheaper....!
they are not see the full price not contract price
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Where? eBay, Craiglist, Amazon... I'm not talking about phone with contract here, just carrier branded. A lot of times they are unlocked, but still branded.
I think I already bothered too much here, don't know if I want to annoy people there asking silly questions.
hknoener said:
Where? eBay, Craiglist, Amazon... I'm not talking about phone with contract here, just carrier branded. A lot of times they are unlocked, but still branded.
I think I already bothered too much here, don't know if I want to annoy people there asking silly questions.
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This is not a silly question at all.
From what I know, the ATT 3G one is closest to i9100 international. These phones are lightweight and have better screen (better clarity and contrast, not much though) than the 4.5 inch variants like Tmobile.
Tmobile has 4G and there are still a decent selection of roms.
sieudaochich said:
This is not a silly question at all.
From what I know, the ATT 3G one is closest to i9100 international. These phones are lightweight and have better screen (better clarity and contrast, not much though) than the 4.5 inch variants like Tmobile.
Tmobile has 4G and there are still a decent selection of roms.
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Thanks for your info!
I've noticed, when looking for a Windows Phone for my wife, that the AT&T version could be normally used in Brazil. The frequencies are basically the same.
From what I have found out the AT&T version was the closest one, just wanted to have a confirmation. Thanks for that.
I''m considering switching from Verizon to AT&T, and buying a phone off-contract.
1. Having been on these forums for a while, I am under the impression that AT&T phones, in general, both get Android updates sooner than Verizon phones, and have root methods discovered sooner. Are these accurate impressions?
2. I'm considering buying an off-contract phone from GSM Nation. Is this the cheapest/best option? If not, where?
That would be the best option IMO. Im with att and considered buying unlocked from gsm nation, instead I went with buying a T-Mobile variant
Sent from my XT1095 using XDA Free mobile app
As far as rooting goes. I'm not sure AT&T is the best way to go. AT&T always requests that OEMS lock down the phones. I'd get the tmobile variant and get an unlock code from somewhere online if possible.
Pure+ said:
As far as rooting goes. I'm not sure AT&T is the best way to go. AT&T always requests that OEMS lock down the phones. I'd get the tmobile variant and get an unlock code from somewhere online if possible.
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Is the T-Mobile variant a better option than the "International" version from GSM Nation? Wouldn't the International version be unlocked?
beleynn said:
Is the T-Mobile variant a better option than the "International" version from GSM Nation? Wouldn't the International version be unlocked?
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I cannot say which of those two are better as I do not know, though I'd assume an int. version would support a broader spectrum of bands than a carrier specific version, I simply meant that an AT&T branded sgs6e would have a locked BL and there is no option to root. Though I could be mistaken about the root. An AT&T version will probably never see any development and rom support. at least not in any near future.
beleynn said:
I''m considering switching from Verizon to AT&T, and buying a phone off-contract.
1. Having been on these forums for a while, I am under the impression that AT&T phones, in general, both get Android updates sooner than Verizon phones, and have root methods discovered sooner. Are these accurate impressions?
2. I'm considering buying an off-contract phone from GSM Nation. Is this the cheapest/best option? If not, where?
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To answer your first question..no...AT&T is generally several months behind Verizon and all the others for that matter.