Database Users

Samsung have branded my firmware. I wish to remove it. Please help.

Hi,
I bought my SGS2 from Phones4u 12 months ago as "unbranded SIM only".
Recently I had to take it to a Samsung authorised repair agent as there was an issue.
When the repair agent entered my S/N and/or IMEI number into his database to check warranty info he said "oh that's strange, the phone appears to be an O2 one".
I never thought anymore about it until today, when I recieved my phone back from Samsung where it has been for a repair under warranty.
It has been returned with "the latest software on it" - says Samsung.
Anyway, they have flashed the phone with O2 branded firmware.
This would suggest the phone was indeed originally O2 branded.
I suspect Phones4u unlocked it before selling it to me.
Does this mean the phone is now locked to O2?
I want to remove the branding/lock.
What I want to know is whether I can simply use Odin and flash a non-branded firmware onto it?
For the UK it's GT-I9100_XEU_I9100XWLP7_I9100XXLPS_I9100XEULP5.tar.md5
Would this remove the lock or create any problems?
Many thanks for any help.

vwgolfman said:
Hi,
I bought my SGS2 from Phones4u 12 months ago as "unbranded SIM only".
Recently I had to take it to a Samsung authorised repair agent as there was an issue.
When the repair agent entered my S/N and/or IMEI number into his database to check warranty info he said "oh that's strange, the phone appears to be an O2 one".
I never thought anymore about it until today, when I recieved my phone back from Samsung where it has been for a repair under warranty.
It has been returned with "the latest software on it" - says Samsung.
Anyway, they have flashed the phone with O2 branded firmware.
This would suggest the phone was indeed originally O2 branded.
I suspect Phones4u unlocked it before selling it to me.
Does this mean the phone is now locked to O2?
I want to remove the branding/lock.
What I want to know is whether I can simply use Odin and flash a non-branded firmware onto it?
For the UK it's GT-I9100_XEU_I9100XWLP7_I9100XXLPS_I9100XEULP5.tar.md5
Would this remove the lock or create any problems?
Many thanks for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it wont unlock it but will put unbranded firmware on it without problems
for unlock just google or use the search bar ''sgs2 unlock'' or ''i9100 unlock''
are you sure its locked? just put another sim in and try it

I think o2 phones are unlocked anyway.The last few I've bought have been......
sent by my s2 using xda premium

Thank you guys....
I checked to see if it was locked by entering...
*#7465625#
Everything displayed "OFF" indicating the phone was not locked.
Then I simply flashed the firmware to a Samsung stock unbranded.
All done. Thank you once again :good:

I have quite the opposite problem, ever since i got my SGS2 from a local salesman, the box said DNA sim locked. Tried the key combination and it was confirmed that this is network locked. The main problem now is that i have no idea what's the latest DNA (Finland) firmware and am too afraid to send my phone for a repair until i can figure out which FW needs to be in to keep my warranty. Since I got my phone in 12/2011 ive kept the original GB firmware for a mere 3 days and forgot to take screenshots from it. Any ideas how to find out the current FW for finnish phones?

[Q] Note 4 (UK) Bebrand a carrier device to BTU

Apologies in advance if this has been covered already, but I did quite a bit of reading up and the information seems to be quite spread out and slightly different over the years for different Samsung devices so I wanted to just double check my understanding for the Note 4 before I proceed.
I have a Note 4 purchased from O2. I have had it unlocked to all networks via a code requested from O2. Now I'd like to install the stock UK BTU firmware.
My understanding is that I can flash the BTU firmware using Odin without having to root my phone.
The part that I'm unsure of is what the situation will be with regards to OTA updates, will I definitely not get any notifications of OTA updates after flashing BTU? Or is there a chance flashing the BTU firmware will update the CSC without me having to root my device?
If I definitely won't get OTA updates, will flashing future BTU updates via Odin require me to lose any data and/or need to do a full reset of my phone? i.e needing to reinstall apps and restore SMS/etc. from backups?
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!

OdieS said:
Apologies in advance if this has been covered already, but I did quite a bit of reading up and the information seems to be quite spread out and slightly different over the years for different Samsung devices so I wanted to just double check my understanding for the Note 4 before I proceed.
I have a Note 4 purchased from O2. I have had it unlocked to all networks via a code requested from O2. Now I'd like to install the stock UK BTU firmware.
My understanding is that I can flash the BTU firmware using Odin without having to root my phone.
The part that I'm unsure of is what the situation will be with regards to OTA updates, will I definitely not get any notifications of OTA updates after flashing BTU? Or is there a chance flashing the BTU firmware will update the CSC without me having to root my device?
If I definitely won't get OTA updates, will flashing future BTU updates via Odin require me to lose any data and/or need to do a full reset of my phone? i.e needing to reinstall apps and restore SMS/etc. from backups?
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When Flashing Stock BTU you will not lose any data, you will only lose data if you choose to perform a factory reset, if you have sd card that data will also remain safe. As you are wanting to debrand it will require a factory reset
In regards to OTA updates you will still get them if you have debranded correctly and removed the o2 csc code.
So you say you have it unlocked, next step is to flash btu firmware, once flashed you then need to perform a factory reset (removes o2 csc code and adds generic code so the updates come from samsung)
If you have followed the above you will have a debranded phone that will get ota updates when they are released by samsung.
If you ever decide to root then you would lose ota updates (however there are mods to overcome this) this would mean you need to flash the new updated rom, when flashing new stock rom you would also lose root meaning you would then need to re-root your device.

Perfect, thanks! I don't mind having to do a full wipe just now after flashing BTU because I haven't started setting up the phone/installing apps/transferring my data yet. It was more to check that for future OTA updates I won't need to lose data in order to install them.
So from what you've said, if I do a factory reset after flashing, the CSC will update to BTU and I can then get OTA updates for BTU as normal? That would be ideal as I don't want to root at the moment (due to Sky Go, banking apps and my corporate email client)

Do you need to unlock before debranding?

matw01 said:
Do you need to unlock before debranding?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen some posts that suggest that you do, but I'm not sure.
In my case O2 provided the unlock code within a few hours so I made sure to unlock my device first, will flash the BTU firmware onto it tonight as the download from SamMobile was going pretty slowly for the 1.5GB file.

I debranded my note 3 without unlocking, not tried debranding my note 4 yet although I'm tempted as I would like the battery update and any others a little more promptly.

Yes you can flash btu without unlocking which would debrand your phone however I dont think you will get ota updates as your sales code (csc) will remain linked to your carrier, you would need to do a factory reset to change the csc to generic BTU but this might conflict with the fact the phone is not unlocked, I got my unlock code from o2 the same day I purchased my note 4.
Unlock phone
Flash btu
Factory reset
Done

Thanks again martytarty for the info. I managed to flash BTU last night.
In case it helps anyone else, after the factory reset I had to boot to recovery a few times before the message at the bottom of the screen confirmed that the multi-csc of BTU had been applied (the first couple of times it kept saying it had applied O2U)
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

Oh yeah, and today I did an OTA update check on the phone and got the 1.23MB second update for BTU and it downloaded and installed without any issues.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

OdieS said:
Oh yeah, and today I did an OTA update check on the phone and got the 1.23MB second update for BTU and it downloaded and installed without any issues.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem, mine went to btu first time after flashing/factory reset, glad it's all working for you :good:

Yup, all seems to be fine now.
O2 tried to be cheeky when I called up to pay off the device plan and cancel the airtime, saying I must pay for one month of service. I made the device payment over the phone and then went onto the online chat to speak to someone about the airtime cancellation. They confirmed that I could cancel immediately and only pay for the days used so I did that and have saved a copy of the chat log in case O2 conveniently try to charge me the full amount anyway.

So you took out a contract with o2 to just get the phone? then just pay off the device so your out of contract?
I'm been with o2 for nearly 5 years now, I'm happy with my overall service with them so have no reason to leave, refresh is a good idea also, I take it you could of purchased a sim-free version outright but didn't want to wait?

Yeah, pretty much. I wanted the handset on Friday and everywhere else was either sold out (Samsung Store, Three) or refused to sell me one on their pay-as-you-go rates (EE). So I walked into O2, got a contract (£70 up-front and 24x £20 handset plan, plus £28 airtime plan). So given that I've cancelled the airtime within the cooling off period and O2 gave me the unlock code for free, the handset cost £550, which is cheaper than anywhere else at the moment. Plus I have it right now rather than hanging on for a pre-order from Clove.

OdieS, could you point me to the SamMobile dowload you used for BTU please? I bought an Note 4 from O2 today and I want to flash this to BTU. Just want to make sure I use the same one you did as yours was successfull.
Also did O2 charge you anything to unlock? Did you just phone O2 customer support? I've had problems unlocking my S3 in the past with O2 and them never sending an unlock code.
Cheers,
Richard.

This is the one I used: http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/36857/N910FXXU1ANJ4_N910FBTU1ANJ1_BTU.zip/
But this is appears to be a slightly newer one now: http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/37226/N910FXXU1ANJ4_N910FBTU1ANJ2_BTU.zip/
I think you can use the older one and see if you get the very small update via OTA once the CSC has updated to BTU on your phone after the factory reset.
I requested the unlock code via the form on the O2 website the same day I got the handset (Friday) and received the unlock code by email the following day (Saturday). But bear in mind that it does say up to 72 hours (or sometimes even longer), so they do cover themselves for delays.
I have read that some people have managed to get the unlock code from the Customer Services phone line but I didn't try this. The link to the O2 unlock form is on this page: http://www.o2.co.uk/help/phones-and-devices/unlocking-your-iphone-and-using-it-on-another-network
There was no charge for the unlock code.

OdieS said:
This is the one I used: http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/36857/N910FXXU1ANJ4_N910FBTU1ANJ1_BTU.zip/
But this is appears to be a slightly newer one now: http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/37226/N910FXXU1ANJ4_N910FBTU1ANJ2_BTU.zip/
I think you can use the older one and see if you get the very small update via OTA once the CSC has updated to BTU on your phone after the factory reset.
I requested the unlock code via the form on the O2 website the same day I got the handset (Friday) and received the unlock code by email the following day (Saturday). But bear in mind that it does say up to 72 hours (or sometimes even longer), so they do cover themselves for delays.
I have read that some people have managed to get the unlock code from the Customer Services phone line but I didn't try this. The link to the O2 unlock form is on this page: http://www.o2.co.uk/help/phones-and-devices/unlocking-your-iphone-and-using-it-on-another-network
There was no charge for the unlock code.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great thanks for the info and the links. Reading the site it looks like I might have to pay £15 to unlock as I bought my phone outright (which required me to buy a £10 pay as you go sim). I am on O2 already but wanted to keep my O2 contract as it has unlimited data for £20 a month. I suspect they won't accept my contract phone number as it was bought with the pay as you go sim. I'll give it a try with my contract number though and see what happens

Not to go too off-topic, but what did they charge you for the handset?

OdieS said:
Not to go too off-topic, but what did they charge you for the handset?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was £609.

Ouch! It was £69.99 + 24x £20 (£480) on the 20GB Refresh contract = £549.99

Change AT&T To BTU
Hi guys, i know this is probably a stupid question, but i'm trying to debrand my AT&T Note 4 - N910A to stock BTU firmware. Is this possible as i keep getting a FAIL in ODIN.

[Q] Factory unlocked Note 3 updated with TMO OFW on Kies?

I purchased a factory unlocked note 3 about 2 days ago and out the box was 4.4.4 i presume. The manufacture date was in late 2014. I've been dying to get my hands on the official lollipop update knowing kies is about the only way. Long story short after the reboot i turned my head and i heard the T-mobile boot sound! I look over and see the tmobile boot playing. After that i suddenly have all TMO's bloatware and annoying little offers but weirdly half of the bloatware doesnt work. It all gets errors and so forth. I'm slightly confused as to why this happened. I purchased the note from an official licensed samsung retailer and the box was sealed. I just want to know why or how this could happen? IT just baffles me.

Its a TMobile branded phone is the most likely answer .
Kies has updated by the firmware details etc on the phone .

JJEgan said:
Its a TMobile branded phone is the most likely answer .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But i purchased it brand new, factory unlocked, directly from samsung. I had to order it from the official retailer but i had tracking VIA samsung's official support mail.

Did you try to contact the place you got it from?

What details re CSC firmware etc .
Use Phone Info from Play store .
Kies can only read what's on the phone .
Are you sure Kies gave you an update to lollipop .
Could it be that someone flashed a firmware ???

S7edge SM-G9350-NO 4G DATA**I WILL DONATE $50-$100 TO WHOEVER GIVES ME THE SOLUTION**

The exact model is Samsung Galaxy S7 edge SM-G9350 64 GB GOLD PLATINUM
First I want to get this off my chest. I registered this week (I used XDA before like 7 or 8 years ago in high school when I use to flash custom ROMS on windows mobile phones-good times hehe)because I am frustrated since I bought an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 edge from a stranger using craigslist on Sunday night. The ad said it was T-mobile Unlocked and in brand new condition with the box and original accessories and it had some pictures.So why not buy it cheap for since I'm using a T-mobile LG-K7 with a cracked screen,right?WRONG!! The phone is working fine except I am only getting EDGE data!!! I found out that it is a chinese variant and it works fine with my T-mobile sim card here in the U.S.A except it can't connect to 4G and that is probably why the shady guy sold the phone cheap to let it become someone else problem I also saw 1 or 2 of these models in the box as well and he said a friend gave it to him and he is just selling it(B.S.) I forgot craigslist had scammer like 40% of the transactions lol, I use to meet these types of people in middle and high school when I bought and sold my used or old T-mobile phones though I never scammed or conned any one.I remember some people would act shady or too nice for no reason,probably cause they stole the phone and were making 100% profit off me.This same guy is one of them.
ANYWAYS THANK YOU FOR READING MY RANT---- NOW ON TO THE POINT OF FIXING THE DATA ISSUE
I am getting unlimited 4G on my k7 and everyone else on our plan is using unlimited 4g just fine.Samsung rep at best buy said its legit and its an international chinese variant and to look around on here to fix the issue. He told me something about the band and t-mobile towers to pick up the frequency. He said I got a really good deal if I can 4g on there. If not than re-sell it and make it someone elses problem. I looked all around google the past few days an either no one has this problem or if they do than the solution doesn't work on my phone.
Here is what I tried so far:
A) T-mobile reset the network connection via tech support
B) I factory reset the phone numerous times
C)I got the right APN settings set on the phone to be connected to nearest towers, a store rep did it for me to make sure.
D) I replaced and used another activated T-mobile sim card
E) I download some apps I saw on here to check LTE signal etc and its running very slow edge
*********I am on the sim status screen and right now as I'm typing this the signal strength is
-61 dBm 26 asu,cellular network type is EDGE,NETWORK is T-mobile, Service state is In service,Roaming is not roaming,cellular network state is disconnected*******
------I hope someone can pick up information off of that and maybe I could change some settings
E) I dialed *#*#4636#*#* and got to a screen to allow me to check phone information,battery information,usage statistics,wi-fi information-under phone information there are options to set preferred network types to: WCGMA,GSM, GSM auto(PRL), CDMA auto(PRL),CDMA only,EvDo only,GSM/CDMA auto(PRL),LTE/CDMA auto(PRL),LTE/GSM(PRL),CDMA auto(PRL),LTE only,Unknown. It will only stay on up to GSM auto(PRL)
....also when I press menu on this screen there is an option to enable data connection and when I click it,it won't stay,it just keeps saying enable data connection
F)I googled what bands this model and it is able to use and it has the capability to be used on T-mobile bands
What else can I do get the data working to 4G right now? The phone is running Android 6.0.1 and won't update to Nouget over the air. I want to root the phone and see if I can install a custom Nouget rom( since the samsung guy said the phone will brick if I try to install the T-mobile Nouget rom or I can't even do it since its an international variant-by the way I am able to have google services on here like play store,etc. so I don't know if that makes a difference to what variant and rom it is because I heard one or the other of hong kong or open china variants for this phone is better and can't use google play)and maybe I am able to connect to 4G data.
Like the title of this post says, I promise I will back up my donation I really don't want to sell the phone unless I have to because I will not get a better deal anywhere ever again for the latest high end phone from a manufacturer

Quick search gives this https://forum.xda-developers.com/s7...g9350-nougat-final-hkrom-alpha-02-18-t3558844
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

you have to flash the correct CSC this will fix your 4G if you buy an device from a other country than is it possible that you get this problem but when you flash the correct CSC you will get 4G i helped so much people with this problem with a S7 device, i think this your solution
if this fix works for you just keep your money we are developers not for paying

Maybe you should post this in the T-Mobile section.
In my idea this should have 4G data on T-Mobile US out of the box as the required LTE bands are supported by the G9350. Did you check the APN settings? (VoLTE and WiFi-Calling may or will not work without t-mo-rom but that's another topic)
Also you should be fine to flash a T-Mobile US rom as both have Snapdragon SoC. You don't need root to flash an official rom.
Out of curiosity: what about 3G?

rientkill1 said:
you have to flash the correct CSC this will fix your 4G if you buy an device from a other country than is it possible that you get this problem but when you flash the correct CSC you will get 4G i helped so much people with this problem with a S7 device, i think this your solution
if this fix works for you just keep your money we are developers not for paying
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much!!! People have actually asked through pm to donate to bitcoin first before helping me and here you are helping me first by the way.
I am going to find the correct CSC, what does that stand for? Can I flash a T-mobile 7.0 Nougat rom on my Galaxy SM-9350 first that the person before you replied about(its the link)?? I want to do both to have T-mobile settings and to use the 4G although the 4G is a thousand times more important. If I can do this than I am a happy man!
Why is there a boot loader and modem link attached to every post containing a ROM download? Does that need to be downloaded first,and what are the next steps,if so? I know these are questions I need to search about they are all confusing and mumbled and jumbled up. Even though I registered this week for help I was a member here like 8-9 years ago in high school when I was flashing custom ROMS on Windows mobile phones(good times hehe) but it got addictive,took a lot of my time from studying, and I totally forgot how do things.

andiling said:
Maybe you should post this in the T-Mobile section.
In my idea this should have 4G data on T-Mobile US out of the box as the required LTE bands are supported by the G9350. Did you check the APN settings? (VoLTE and WiFi-Calling may or will not work without t-mo-rom but that's another topic)
Also you should be fine to flash a T-Mobile US rom as both have Snapdragon SoC. You don't need root to flash an official rom.
Out of curiosity: what about 3G?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey I made a new thread today in Q&A for GS7. The APN settings were put in by a T-mobile store associate and it still didn't work. I don't care about VoLTE/Wifi-Calling although I noticed some people on here are worred about that-its just something I never use.
Are you sure I don't need root to flash an official ROM?The Samsung Galaxy guy at Best Buy said it would brick if I used an official ROM because the phone is an international variant. If I can use an official ROM,I can't get Nougut OTA via T-mobile anyway as my phone keeps saying it is updated even though it is 6.0.1. How do I get the offical ROM manually on the computer? Samsung Smart Switch isn't even recognizing my device when it is connected and Smart Switch on my phone looks like it is only suppose to be used to receive files from another phone? I have the link for a T-mobile 7.0 ROM from a post on here that he used on the same exact model I don't know if I am suppose to root the device first or not yet since it looks custom made.
Thank You for helping me out it means a lot you guys are the best! I can already see myself on here a lot in the future doing stuff different android phones like I 8 or 9 years ago in high school on windows mobile phones.

andiling said:
Maybe you should post this in the T-Mobile section.
In my idea this should have 4G data on T-Mobile US out of the box as the required LTE bands are supported by the G9350. Did you check the APN settings? (VoLTE and WiFi-Calling may or will not work without t-mo-rom but that's another topic)
Also you should be fine to flash a T-Mobile US rom as both have Snapdragon SoC. You don't need root to flash an official rom.
Out of curiosity: what about 3G?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only data I am getting is EDGE

So, I guess something is wrong.
You can try flashing the designated firmware for this device first and see if this helps. To get the right one (who knows what all was tampered with) use best the Phone Info tool.

I've had this exact issue before, with a Nexus 5 that I bought from Telus, I am with Telus, it ended up being I had to go buy and register a new SIM card, then it was fine, might not be a solution for you but Worth a try,
Actually get a SIM card from your provider, have them register it in the store
Sent from my SM-G935W8 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

Thanks I did that yesterday already and it still didn't work
I am a member because the owner hates the Iphone and I respect that

What would be the correct CSC file for this device? I tried to flash CSC from a SM-G935t firmware and it didn't work even though she said it didn't matter lol(senior member too)
I am a member because the owner hates the Iphone and I respect that

I'm going to try to find an official U.S. T-mobile ROM and flash with odin...but does it have to be specifically for SM-G9350? I don't think I can find one for that......
I am a member because the owner hates the Iphone and I respect that

1) Download this https://dl.twrp.me/hero2lte/twrp-3.1.0-0-hero2lte.img.tar.html and WAIT.
2) Download superman ROM: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=817550096634750162
I choosed this rom cause it got nougat bootloader and kernel. Also download CSC chooser zip: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=745425885120710484
3) Install twrp via ODIN and uncheck auto reset in odin. Then press power + home + volup to go to recovery. Put the superman rom and CSC chooser zip files on Sd card and put back in phone.
4) Install Superman rom,in aroma pick superstock kernel 'samsung pay and knox work' and install/update everything especially the bootloader. In mods stick to stock as possible.
5) Install the CSC zip file and choose t-mobile USA.
6) reboot and pray everything works LOL
I'm not responsible for any damage that might occur but if ir worked donations are welcome to help a medical student here

modaifallah said:
1) Download this https://dl.twrp.me/hero2lte/twrp-3.1.0-0-hero2lte.img.tar.html and WAIT.
2) Download superman ROM: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=817550096634750162
I choosed this rom cause it got nougat bootloader and kernel. Also download CSC chooser zip: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=745425885120710484
3) Install twrp via ODIN and uncheck auto reset in odin. Then press power + home + volup to go to recovery. Put the superman rom and CSC chooser zip files on Sd card and put back in phone.
4) Install Superman rom,in aroma pick superstock kernel 'samsung pay and knox work' and install/update everything especially the bootloader. In mods stick to stock as possible.
5) Install the CSC zip file and choose t-mobile USA.
6) reboot and pray everything works LOL
I'm not responsible for any damage that might occur but if ir worked donations are welcome to help a medical student here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice, I like what you have! My model is different so I don't know if the ROM will work though I'm almost finished downloading it at the moment. Instructions 3 and 4 is confusing. Don't I need to put superman ROM and CSC file on sd card while the phone is ON?And am I suppose to transfer it on there via usb cable or can I also do it via google drive than open in up phone gmail and put it on sd card? Also do I need to extract the CSC file first to my computer desktop? That file takes forever to extract! Is instruction 4 suppose to be while in recovery mode? Also is it normal for my phone to show "no command" while in recovery mode?

Thank you ?
The rom will work because your phone is exynos based. It got a different model number because it's for Chinese markets. Put the rom on the SD card using whatever method, just do it before flashing the recovery, because your phone may not boot after the recovery to the stock firmware because Samsung has put some crap to prevent using custom firmware. I forgot to say that also before doing anything go to device info - > software - > and press build number several times to enable developer options then back to settings and go to developer options and enable OEM unlocking.
Yes, commands 4 are made in recovery. Install - > pick the zip file and install.
All zip files aren't extracted! The recovery uses the zip file as it is.
Good luck

okaythan24 said:
I'm going to try to find an official U.S. T-mobile ROM and flash with odin...but does it have to be specifically for SM-G9350? I don't think I can find one for that......
I am a member because the owner hates the Iphone and I respect that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Were you able to flash the U.S. T-mobile ROM onto SM-9350?
The official firmware can be found on https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SM-G935T/

I found it yesterday but their free server is under maintenance so he will have to pay to just download a firmware file.
I don't know why don't samsung provide them for free on their site!

Was I scammed or is this a "real" phone?

Context: Bought a an s8 for cheap, model number comes up as g950fd, went about installing stuff then went to get a sim card the next day.
Aaaannddd I can't connect to my network, and upon checking i have no imei number, and my baseband is uknown. Only thing I have is a serial # that comes up "clean" upon checking on sndeep.info
I casually browse/lurk this forum so I'm not gonna ask for IMEI advice. Rather I'd like to know if I should be going after this dude (who has about 2 days head start I guess), or I can take this somewhere to have it "fixed"?
p.s. I'm in the philipines so IMEI services aren't illegal (I think?)
Thanks!

Best thing to do is to reinstall firmware with smart switch software. If after that it still says no imei and no baseband then whoever you bought the phone off, they messed up the efs possibly.

panicMode said:
Context: Bought a an s8 for cheap, model number comes up as g950fd, went about installing stuff then went to get a sim card the next day.
Aaaannddd I can't connect to my network, and upon checking i have no imei number, and my baseband is uknown. Only thing I have is a serial # that comes up "clean" upon checking on sndeep.info
I casually browse/lurk this forum so I'm not gonna ask for IMEI advice. Rather I'd like to know if I should be going after this dude (who has about 2 days head start I guess), or I can take this somewhere to have it "fixed"?
p.s. I'm in the philipines so IMEI services aren't illegal (I think?)
Thanks!
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Click to collapse
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The only thing i would say about that, is this phone was locked to a network, and someone used a software to unlock it. But the issue with unlocked phone from their network, is that you might lose the IMEI, and i you lose that, you might not be able to use the phone properly. My only suggestion is to go to sammobile.com and download one of the ROMs from there, yet you need to know which network it was in before the happen to it. I think you need to speak with the buyer and ask about the name of the network.

You're basically scammed.
because the previous owner did rootings and stuffs i guess, (check if warranty is 0x0 instead of 0x1.)
If you've rooted and played around system files, wipes etc. You will probably lose your imei @ 10% chance possibility?
Unless you have a EFS Partition backed up before hand from this phone from TWRP. You're basically screwed?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/help/lost-imei-efs-folder-messed-t3614320
And yeah try reflashing firmware from your country etc.

panicMode said:
Context: Bought a an s8 for cheap, model number comes up as g950fd, went about installing stuff then went to get a sim card the next day.
Aaaannddd I can't connect to my network, and upon checking i have no imei number, and my baseband is uknown. Only thing I have is a serial # that comes up "clean" upon checking on sndeep.info
I casually browse/lurk this forum so I'm not gonna ask for IMEI advice. Rather I'd like to know if I should be going after this dude (who has about 2 days head start I guess), or I can take this somewhere to have it "fixed"?
p.s. I'm in the philipines so IMEI services aren't illegal (I think?)
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sofir786 said:
Best thing to do is to reinstall firmware with smart switch software. If after that it still says no imei and no baseband then whoever you bought the phone off, they messed up the efs possibly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would follow this advice.This is about the same options i would do my self.Sometimes IEMIs can get messed up with basebands and such so no harm in trying stock restores but most def contact seller and return it if possible

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I'll try and get my money back but if this was done with prior knowledge that the phone was wonky my bet is he's gone.
As for the technical advice, will definitely look into it as I'm a complete novice. Will update when something comes up.
Thanks all.

panicMode said:
Thanks for all the feedback guys. I'll try and get my money back but if this was done with prior knowledge that the phone was wonky my bet is he's gone.
As for the technical advice, will definitely look into it as I'm a complete novice. Will update when something comes up.
Thanks all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reflashing of the firmware is quite easy,I hate it for ya buddy if he is gone....It's sad to see people scam others hard earned money....

Not a scam!
panicMode said:
Context: Bought a an s8 for cheap, model number comes up as g950fd, went about installing stuff then went to get a sim card the next day.
Aaaannddd I can't connect to my network, and upon checking i have no imei number, and my baseband is uknown. Only thing I have is a serial # that comes up "clean" upon checking on sndeep.info
I casually browse/lurk this forum so I'm not gonna ask for IMEI advice. Rather I'd like to know if I should be going after this dude (who has about 2 days head start I guess), or I can take this somewhere to have it "fixed"?
p.s. I'm in the philipines so IMEI services aren't illegal (I think?)
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't panic just yet! I'm actually super new back into the android game, ditched iphone a few weeks ago and got myself an s8. I started looking into rooting my phone since the last time I rooted an android phone was back when T-mobile had their G1's. So, I thought I had to really re-educate myself upon what android now has to offer. Well, going through different sites, and the different models, versions, variants, etc about the s8, I did come across the G950FD. It's a legit phone. I believe (and feel free to correct me if i'm wrong) they were only sold in India, unlocked, and dual sim! The sim tray in the phone can either hold 2 sim cards, (1 nano sim, 1 micro sim) or if you preferred to extend the capacity instead, the slot for the micro sim, can hold a micro SD card instead, since they're the same size, give or take. The reason it doesn't have an IMEI nor baseband is because the dual-sim capability, thus why the serial number comes back clean. You weren't scammed, you're actually quite lucky since those versions of the s8 were sold in India, and you managed to come into possession of one, for cheap, yet alone a phone everyone here thought was a scam as well. I wish I could have one! But unfortunately, here in the states, I have a CDMA carrier and dual-sim phones don't support it. But heres a link to the source of your awesome new phone! Now you can relax! You not only got an s8, you have a rare one! Enjoy it!
EDIT: I tried to link you to the source, but being a new member I couldn't. However, if you search for Samsung g950fd, it should link you to the Samsung website, where your phone is it. Hope this has helped you feel more at ease with your phone!

G950fd is an international version. I believe the FD has an unlockable bootloader, which makes it sought after. Somebody probably wiped efs In Recovery by accident.

BBREEDMEE said:
Don't panic just yet! I'm actually super new back into the android game, ditched iphone a few weeks ago and got myself an s8. I started looking into rooting my phone since the last time I rooted an android phone was back when T-mobile had their G1's. So, I thought I had to really re-educate myself upon what android now has to offer. Well, going through different sites, and the different models, versions, variants, etc about the s8, I did come across the G950FD. It's a legit phone. I believe (and feel free to correct me if i'm wrong) they were only sold in India, unlocked, and dual sim! The sim tray in the phone can either hold 2 sim cards, (1 nano sim, 1 micro sim) or if you preferred to extend the capacity instead, the slot for the micro sim, can hold a micro SD card instead, since they're the same size, give or take. The reason it doesn't have an IMEI nor baseband is because the dual-sim capability, thus why the serial number comes back clean. You weren't scammed, you're actually quite lucky since those versions of the s8 were sold in India, and you managed to come into possession of one, for cheap, yet alone a phone everyone here thought was a scam as well. I wish I could have one! But unfortunately, here in the states, I have a CDMA carrier and dual-sim phones don't support it. But heres a link to the source of your awesome new phone! Now you can relax! You not only got an s8, you have a rare one! Enjoy it!
EDIT: I tried to link you to the source, but being a new member I couldn't. However, if you search for Samsung g950fd, it should link you to the Samsung website, where your phone is it. Hope this has helped you feel more at ease with your phone!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude I have the FD version and I have 2 IMEI's. Also, it's not just in India as it's also popular in UAE. Please do your research before replying.
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 09:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:53 AM ----------
bushako said:
Dude I have the FD version and I have 2 IMEI's. Also, it's not just in India as it's also popular in UAE. Please do your research before replying.
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pic
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Vinnvin said:
You're basically scammed.
because the previous owner did rootings and stuffs i guess, (check if warranty is 0x0 instead of 0x1.)
If you've rooted and played around system files, wipes etc. You will probably lose your imei @ 10% chance possibility?
Unless you have a EFS Partition backed up before hand from this phone from TWRP. You're basically screwed?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/help/lost-imei-efs-folder-messed-t3614320
And yeah try reflashing firmware from your country etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can we tone the FUD down a bit? "Rootings and stuffs" does not equate a 10% chance of losing your imei. There is a 0% chance of that happening. There is a 100% chance of that happening if you mess up and explicitly do it yourself, but even that is pretty hard to accomplish.
There are more than enough legitimate cautionary tales and lessons to be learned from this to spread around. Let's not ad not only unnecessary (and incorrect) information needlessly

So spent the last couple of days on a wild goose chase. Long story short, guy's gone.
So, novive me is gonna follow the guides on here. I've skimmed a through a few and would like some clarification before i end up messing this phone up even more.
What "stock rom" should i be looking for?
And for what model in the sense that the phone's model number is G950fd, but the Google play store tags it as g950f. Is that one letter difference important? Did this guy change the model name? Is there a way to double check?
Sorry if I'm coming off as paranoid. I've never done a flash before, nor have i ever been in this kind of situation.
Thanks!

Well, there's still hope. The seller had to possibly tampered with the firmware before giving it away towards you. Advice given before hand about re-flashing the firmware is strongly recommended to double check if everything is correct. You can either use sammobile.com or updato.com whichever you would prefer. since you have the SM-G950FD version, put that model number in the search bar and get the most up-to-date fw you can get. Use ODIN to re-flash the firmware back onto your phone and wait a couple of minutes to see if everything is back to normal. If the baseband and IMEI is still unknown, then we'll have to see another method to get it back to normal. But for now, re-flash the stock firmware.
Edit: Tell me what carrier you're using and i'll supply you with a link to the firmware you need, for now, download ODIN from here if you don't have it yet: https://samsungodin.com/

DaNamesFrank said:
Well, there's still hope. The seller had to possibly tampered with the firmware before giving it away towards you. Advice given before hand about re-flashing the firmware is strongly recommended to double check if everything is correct. You can either use sammobile.com or updato.com whichever you would prefer. since you have the SM-G950FD version, put that model number in the search bar and get the most up-to-date fw you can get. Use ODIN to re-flash the firmware back onto your phone and wait a couple of minutes to see if everything is back to normal. If the baseband and IMEI is still unknown, then we'll have to see another method to get it back to normal. But for now, re-flash the stock firmware.
Edit: Tell me what carrier you're using and i'll supply you with a link to the firmware you need, for now, download ODIN from here if you don't have it yet: https://samsungodin.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so I'm going through the available firmwares in the Philippines and they have ones available for the g950fd. They do not have any available for the g950f.
Now, I'm scared bec the Google play store says my phone is NOT a g950fd, and is in fact a g950f. I also don't have a sim2 label on my sim card tray.
Is there a way to double check what model i actually have?

panicMode said:
Ok so I'm going through the available firmwares in the Philippines and they have ones available for the g950fd. They do not have any available for the g950f.
Now, I'm scared bec the Google play store says my phone is NOT a g950fd, and is in fact a g950f. I also don't have a sim2 label on my sim card tray.
Is there a way to double check what model i actually have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Settings, about phone, model number should be under device name

panicMode said:
So spent the last couple of days on a wild goose chase. Long story short, guy's gone.
So, novive me is gonna follow the guides on here. I've skimmed a through a few and would like some clarification before i end up messing this phone up even more.
What "stock rom" should i be looking for?
And for what model in the sense that the phone's model number is G950fd, but the Google play store tags it as g950f. Is that one letter difference important? Did this guy change the model name? Is there a way to double check?
Sorry if I'm coming off as paranoid. I've never done a flash before, nor have i ever been in this kind of situation.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only way to find out for sure what phone model you have is to put your phone in download mode. There you'll see your phone number. That's the only accurate way. Anything else it's useless. What Google play store show, what phone number is shown on settings it's irrelevant. The phone model listed by Google play store or on your phone settings can be changed very easy but editing a simple line on build.prop.
Now about your phone. From what you described it's obvious that you have your EFS partition corrupted. Without a backup of your EFS partition you're screwed. You can download and flash whatever firmware you want. It's just a waste of time. Flashing another firmware will not going to fix it. You have a backup of EFS partition? If yes, then it's great. Search for a guide for restoring EFS partition. If not, stop wasting your time. The result can be only one: a very expensive paperweight.

Ah thanks, so according to download mode I indeed have a g950f and not aG950fd - efs professional also shows the same thing
How screwed am I now that:
a. i'm apparently running on firmware that tags the unit as G950fd
b. sammobile doesn't show any G950f firmware for the philippines
c. i have no idea where this phone has been prior to my purchasing it
thanks

panicMode said:
Ah thanks, so according to download mode I indeed have a g950f and not aG950fd - efs professional also shows the same thing
How screwed am I now that:
a. i'm apparently running on firmware that tags the unit as G950fd
b. sammobile doesn't show any G950f firmware for the philippines
c. i have no idea where this phone has been prior to my purchasing it
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doing some research, there isn't any philippine fw for the g950f, hence the firmware being g950fd. I'll try to edit more with more info to find.

I am disappointed by all the FUD and paranoid advice in this thread so far.
@panicMode
Install the following app from playstore - Samsung Phone Info
And then post screenshot of each tab. MAKE SURE to hide IMEI and Serial number if visible in any screenshot.
If you are not sure how to do that, then you can PM me the screenshots or your telegram handle to take this conversation private.
There is no need to panic when there are ways to ascertain.

madnav said:
I am disappointed by all the FUD and paranoid advice in this thread so far.
@panicMode
Install the following app from playstore - Samsung Phone Info
And then post screenshot of each tab. MAKE SURE to hide IMEI and Serial number if visible in any screenshot.
If you are not sure how to do that, then you can PM me the screenshots or your telegram handle to take this conversation private.
There is no need to panic when there are ways to ascertain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I buy a device I expect it to have A IEMI also I dont expect to have to fix it myself....
Please next time take this into consideration with your disappointment As Most of the advice in this thread is legitimately correct AS no one should have to Fix it contacting the orig seller and then reflash correct firmware is proper steps.Just because you do not feel it is Does not make it "disappointing"