Unlocked Note 7 (US)

[shadow82x]

Does anyone have any information on if/when there is an unlocked Note 7 coming to the US? (For both GSM/CDMA.)

They released an unlocked S7 here in the states, so hopefully they'll release something for the Note series?

I'm on Verizon, and while I like them, I hate their software customizations, slow updates, and tramp stamp.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Usually its a few months after initial release.

 

[dpham00]

Does anyone have any information on if/when there is an unlocked Note 7 coming to the US? (For both GSM/CDMA.)

They released an unlocked S7 here in the states, so hopefully they'll release something for the Note series?

I'm on Verizon, and while I like them, I hate their software customizations, slow updates, and tramp stamp.

On the s7, the Verizon so got security patches much quicker than the usa unlocked carrier free s7

 

[cardboard60]

Problem is who've ants to wait months.
And even if you wait.
What about the free upgrades like a 250gb card for the phone.
That is worth 250.00.
Hard decisions to make.

 

[clerk]

The international unlocked version will be available in the US by the end of the month. The problem as mentioned is full price is 900 without free stuff.

 

[shadow82x]

Sounds like a close trade-off, no bloat, better battery life, faster updates in exchange for a SD card that I already have.

Also how do you know it will be available at the end of month?

 

[cardboard60]

Sounds like a close trade-off, no bloat, better battery life, faster updates in exchange for a SD card that I already have.

Also how do you know it will be available at the end of month?

Yea if you want the phone and the 256 GB memory card ,
That's around 1150.00

 

[jhimmel]

Sounds like a close trade-off, no bloat, better battery life, faster updates in exchange for a SD card that I already have.

Also how do you know it will be available at the end of month?

A couple of posts above yours, someone said the Verizon S7 actually got updates sooner than the unlocked carrier-free edition. Are you sure you will get faster updates? For me, the downside is the possible loss of carrier features such as WiFi calling and Visual Voicemail (many stories of unlocked Carrier free phones having trouble availing themselves of those features on my carrier - Verizon)
Otherwise, if it really did get faster updates and could definitely support those features, I -might- have waited for it.

 

[shadow82x]

Interesting post. I'd assume things like google voice and other visual voice mail services would work on the unlocked edition. I've never owned one though.

As for updates, for some reason I'd just assume the unlocked version would get it faster as it's being served directly through samsung and not being tampered by a carrier.

Edit - I'm on Verizon too.

 

[jhimmel]

Yes, there are alternatives to Verizon VVM, but VZW VVM is important to me, so it's sort of a deal breaker. I WAS thinking along the same lines as you, but in the end, VZW does its best to discourage outsiders. Some people report being able to get those features working, but I see more reports from people who could not get it working.

 

[dpham00]

A couple of posts above yours, someone said the Verizon S7 actually got updates sooner than the unlocked carrier-free edition. Are you sure you will get faster updates? For me, the downside is the possible loss of carrier features such as WiFi calling and Visual Voicemail (many stories of unlocked Carrier free phones having trouble availing themselves of those features on my carrier - Verizon)
Otherwise, if it really did get faster updates and could definitely support those features, I -might- have waited for it.

The Moto g4 vvm works using the Moto vvm app.

 

[shadow82x]

Totally irrelevant but I thought VVM was supposed to actually be built into Android 6.0 standard. Was this something else carriers tampered with or was it removed from developer previews? hm.

 

[bhatech]

A couple of posts above yours, someone said the Verizon S7 actually got updates sooner than the unlocked carrier-free edition. Are you sure you will get faster updates? For me, the downside is the possible loss of carrier features such as WiFi calling and Visual Voicemail (many stories of unlocked Carrier free phones having trouble availing themselves of those features on my carrier - Verizon)
Otherwise, if it really did get faster updates and could definitely support those features, I -might- have waited for it.

Yes I had the unlocked S7 US model, it was still on May security update couple of weeks back when I sold where as all carrier models had the July security update.

But again I had better overall experience than my T-Mobile version, much smoother, no carrier modifications. Also we haven't got any major OS updates still so the unlocked model theoretically may get the major OS updates faster even though security updates are not happening on time. We don't know for sure if Samsung takes the unlocked model seriously because we are small minority and people want to buy the carrier devices anyway. If you are on Verizon bonus that ugly looking logo won't be there.

Either way we won't be seeing the official US unlocked version at least till November if we go by how much time it took them to release US unlocked S7 models.

 

[cardboard60]

I also was told video calling was like carrier specific and with a unlocked phone you might loose that feature.

 

[dpham00]

Totally irrelevant but I thought VVM was supposed to actually be built into Android 6.0 standard. Was this something else carriers tampered with or was it removed from developer previews? hm.

Verizon vvm wasn't built into my moto g4.

 

[Joseph Maxwell2]

Is anyone sure of the sim free note 7 U.S. release? I know S7 has an unlocked version, but the note 5 never got one. Maybe they're keeping the Galaxy note series carrier only in U.S. & only doing Galaxy S series unlocked.

I've been looking around trying to find a place to order a SM-N900F, but all I can find is ebay, B&H Photo-Video, & unlockedmobiles.com. Not sure how trustworthy any of these are to spend nearly $1k on a phone.

Yes I had the unlocked S7 US model, it was still on May security update couple of weeks back when I sold where as all carrier models had the July security update.

But again I had better overall experience than my T-Mobile version, much smoother, no carrier modifications. Also we haven't got any major OS updates still so the unlocked model theoretically may get the major OS updates faster even though security updates are not happening on time. We don't know for sure if Samsung takes the unlocked model seriously because we are small minority and people want to buy the carrier devices anyway. If you are on Verizon bonus that ugly looking logo won't be there.

Either way we won't be seeing the official US unlocked version at least till November if we go by how much time it took them to release US unlocked S7 models.

 

[clerk]

The real problem to me is at least until prices drop, if you deduct the free gift and possible other incentives (best buy, sam's etc), the price gap becomes significant. Looks like the memory card alone could bring over $150 on ebay.

 

[shadow82x]

Is anyone sure of the sim free note 7 U.S. release? I know S7 has an unlocked version, but the note 5 never got one. Maybe they're keeping the Galaxy note series carrier only in U.S. & only doing Galaxy S series unlocked.

I've been looking around trying to find a place to order a SM-N900F, but all I can find is ebay, B&H Photo-Video, & unlockedmobiles.com. Not sure how trustworthy any of these are to spend nearly $1k on a phone.

B&H Photo-Video is super trustworthy. They have a retail location not far from me in NYC. That said if you get an international unlocked model, make sure it'll work on your carrier. For instance, I'm on Verizon and those phones will only work for data.

AFAIK, the unlocked US S7, was the first of its kind. So no-one really knows if it's coming to the Note series.

 

[mikef91]

Does anyone have any information on if/when there is an unlocked Note 7 coming to the US? (For both GSM/CDMA.)

They released an unlocked S7 here in the states, so hopefully they'll release something for the Note series?

I'm on Verizon, and while I like them, I hate their software customizations, slow updates, and tramp stamp.

Updates are quicker on carrier models than unlocked. I have an unlocked S7 US version still on the May 1st security patch.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[dpham00]

Updates are quicker on carrier models than unlocked. I have an unlocked S7 US version still on the May 1st security patch.

Posted via the Android Central App

Just for reference, the Verizon s7 got both the June and July security patches.