Unlocked S7... is this normal?

[ChadGW]

I bought an unlocked S7 from Amazon. It arrived but it's some Italian version that appears to be branded from Vodafone. Is it normal for an unlocked phone to still have cell company branding and apps? It's not locked (works fine with my AT&T sim) but when I initially start it, it gives me a notification "Welcome to Vodafone...". It also had a bunch of Vodafone apps. The one I cannot uninstall is the Vodafone update app.

Chad

 

[ratsttam]

Unlocked means just that, unlocked to use on other carriers.

Along the same lines, you can unlock an AT&T phone, and take it to Italy and use it on Vodaphone. Still unlocked. Were you expecting a carrier-free phone, unbranded?

I guess I'm just saying, that an imported unlocked phone doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't a carrier phone before it was unlocked.

 

[ironass]

There are around 200+ firmwares for the Global model, G930F, worldwide. Both unbranded and lightly branded. Your phone's Product code, in your case, OMN for Vodafone, Italy, determines which firmware updates you receive from Samsung. You can flash a stock Samsung unbranded firmware to your phone with no carrier features. However, you will have to flash future firmware updates manually, using Odin as your Product code and firmware will not match.

 

[anon(9408097)]

There are around 200+ firmwares for the Global model, G930F, worldwide. Both unbranded and lightly branded. Your phone's Product code, in your case, OMN for Vodafone, Italy, determines which firmware updates you receive from Samsung. You can flash a stock Samsung unbranded firmware to your phone with no carrier features. However, you will have to flash future firmware updates manually, using Odin as your Product code and firmware will not match.

When you flash stock firmware it receives OTA updates.

Confirmed! Have been using the S6 edge like this for a year. Now the S7. Received one OTA just yesterday after flashing one.

As for the question. Yes I think this is a shady unit. I think it was bought from Vodafone. Opened up. Unlocked. And then repacked. Sold to you.

If it's under warranty of some sort then it's fine don't worry about it. But if it's not then just see if the phone works perfectly. If it does, it doesn't matter where it came from. It's a new phone because it looks new and acts like one.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[anon(9408097)]

When you flash stock firmware it receives OTA updates.

Confirmed! Have been using the S6 edge like this for a year. Now the S7. Received one OTA just yesterday after flashing one.

As for the question. Yes I think this is a shady unit. I think it was bought from Vodafone. Opened up. Unlocked. And then repacked. Sold to you. If it's an Italian version with Vodafone software running then it was opened and had a new stock firmware installed for reasons I don't know and then repacked.

If it was a perfect world, the Italian version should have been running a stock Italian firmware. And Vodafone should've been running on a UK phone.

It happens in third world countries all the time. When locked phones are purchased from various parts of the world and exported to small countries where they unlock it, put stock firmware in them. Make new boxes. Print imei numbers and repack the whole thing and then sell it to people on full price. Because it's new. But it doesn't have any warranty of any sort.

If it's under warranty of some sort then it's fine don't worry about it. But if it's not then just see if the phone works perfectly. If it does, it doesn't matter where it came from. It's a new phone because it looks new and acts like one.

Posted via the Android Central App

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[ChadGW]

Thanks everyone. I was expecting an unbranded phone. What does it mean when you say stock firmware will receive OTA updates? How does this differ from telecom co updates and will I get them automatically?

 

[ironass]

Thanks everyone. I was expecting an unbranded phone. What does it mean when you say stock firmware will receive OTA updates? How does this differ from telecom co updates and will I get them automatically?

You will receive OTA updates, direct from Samsung, for your Vodafone, Italy, firmware on Product Code OMN. Latest firmware for your phone is...

Model SM-G930F
Model name Galaxy S7
Country Italy (Vodafone)
Version Android 6.0.1
Changelist 110166628
Build date Fri, 01 Apr 2016 11:57:18 +0000
Product code OMN
PDA G930FXXU1APD1
CSC G930FVFG1APD2