Hi everyone. I'm an American who lived in China for a long time, and bought a Samsung Note 20 5G (SM-G9810) a few months before I moved back to the US last year. Yesterday, the touchscreen stopped working, so I'm only able to use it via the stylus. I tried *#2663# to update the TSP FW, but the version as "NA" and won't update. I backed up everything to my PC and was going to try a factory reset.
The official Samsung store I bought it from in Shenzhen told me it had no restrictions on Google apps and would be 100% customizable, but that ended up not being the case; the search functions and everything else on it defaults to Baidu or other Chinese services, news updates are all from Xinhua in Chinese, extolling the unassailable greatness of Xi Jinping Thought, etc. I put all the Google apps on, but some of the integration is lacking and it has always had some annoying little hiccups, and some of the bloatware that it came with can't be removed.
I noticed the HK and Taiwan versions of the Note 20 5G are the same model code and also use the same chipset (9810 with Snapdragon, vs G981F/B/etc with Exynos for the rest of the world), and the updates for the 9810 are available for those three places. Am I correct in thinking that if I reset it with the HK or Taiwan firmware via Odin, then I shouldn't have to deal with Mainland bloatware and apps, since they don't have the same regional restrictions?
I'm thinking about buying an N9860, did you ever get this figured out?
Related
I am living in Thailand and have bought my SGS3 here and in my notifications it is asking me to set up my Software updater. Here it asks you to select your country. While I live here in Thailand I am not Thai and would like my phone to behave as though it was bought and used in Canada. I am wondering if i should change this option here to canada or leave it at the already defaulted Thailand. I am not interested in having anything to do with thailand as part of this phone, I dont remember ever having to choose and option like this on my many other android devices.
Anyone? thanks
Blaiz
Well I Chose the Thai country in Thai writing otherwise it was a continual notification. I'm just interested in how this effects OTAs
+1
Speaking from my experience with the Galaxy Note, the country you choose in that screen has no bearing on when you get updates -- the intended market of the ROM determines that. There were ROMs for almost every major country, and, for example, the German ROMs were usually getting updates earlier (even if your phone was initially shipped with the ROM of another country).
I consider buying AL10 so called “international version” from Hong Kong with all Google services, languages etc.
After reading many threads here, it’s still not clear for me whether this version has received and will receive all Android and EMUI updates like the European L09 version. Will it? I would prefer to avoid rebranding the phone since it’s connected with some risk.
Somewhere, I’ve also encounter a report that a volume limit on Honor 9 is applied only for the EU version. Can you confirm? A weak headphone volume annoyed me with many smartphones and it’ll be fortunate if the AL10 version plays loud.
Hello mates
I'm lookin forward to buy my first huawai device, but I'm not sure where I should buy the device. Let me explain this a litte bit more:
I could buy the Mate 20 Pro directly from Switzerland, for a very good price. But I also coud buy the device from Germany, also okayish price.
Now I'm not sure if it is a difference if I buy a non branded device from one of these countries, in the term of how I receive Updates.
In the past I used a Samsung Device bought in Switzerland, and my German Neigbours got their updates Months before it was availible in Switzerland.
Do you know if Huawai also uses different Region Updates, or is there someone, who owns the device from switzerland/germany who is at the newst version, were they released on the same date?
If you're in CH , buy in CH for the guarantee. As for the updates, they are really random on Huawei. I got my M20P friday (from CH), I put my SIM inside and got the -.122 (two patches) directly. Some people who got their phones in the UK, but live in the UK, depending of which SIM they put inside they did or didn't get the last update. For example people who had an EE or O2 SIM didn't get the update, they then swapped to a Vodafone SIM and got their update right away. There is THREAD discussing this.
Since there's noticeable quality and heating drawbacks for the Exynos version, and the US version is bootloader locked, and not having root = you don't own the device, I'm wondering if anyone from outside asia has any experience or recommendations for buying this phone from HK or China, to get the unlocked snapdragon version.
Has anyone done this? I looked on amazon.jp and it seems some s21s are listed as having snapdragons, but user comments say they ordered them and received exynos versions.
Cheers.
I assume china won't have google services but maybe HK does?
Solved.
Ok, so confirmed by users, there are a couple online shops that ship from hk to eu, even without extra VAT, and confirmed to ship with HK firmware. I don't know about all the codes, but seems at very least the G9980ZH****** ones are HK firmware. I won't paste shops here since it seems people aren't so it might be against the rules.
Definitely don't recommend buying from China as you'd then have to flash the HK firmware to replace the china one or else you won't have certain features, but the HK version has everything working (only thing is samsung pay may be locked to HK according to some reports but I don't care, also maybe you could flash an eu samsung pay app especialy with root, idk).
Hello from Germany!
(unfortauntly) I just bought a RealMe GT 5G in blue with 12GB/256GB from China (cect shop) for a very good price and awesome specs. (Those specs are not available for the global EU version, right?)
What I didnt know, was that the Chinese version (RMX2202) requires me to "register" myself and "verify my identity" to install an app from F-Droid and also other apps...
So I understand: Big brother must be watching and I don't like it.
I read the thread about removing the Chinese Apps
Bloatware list to disable for Realme GT Neo
and also all pages of this one (fantastic thread btw!)
Realme GT Convert China ROM to Global
On the last pages I've read that some of you are switching back to the CN ROM after flashing the global ROM, because a few things don't work in the global ROM. So I am not sure if I should do it..
Now the question:
Is there a way to use the CN Version without the RealMe verfiy thingi / big brother? Of course wait until we get linage for the device..
Sending it back to china and getting my money back might be difficult. I think about selling this phone and buy myself a EU Version with 8GB/128GB from the official Realme Shop. What's your opinion on this?
Looking forward to your help!
Cheers,
Daniel
Fun/Scary fact:
I ordered the phone from cect and after I've inserted my simcard, I received a whatsapp message from a chinese number +86 saying that they need a pickup from the airport in Berlin (capital city of Germany). Obviously just a message to see if its a real phone number.. I don't live in Berlin nor know somebody who has to get picked up from the airport in Berlin...very interesting.
Enjoy it as it is as long as you have gplay and all other Google services