Anything I should know about before buying an unlocked international version?

[AquaRaven]

I'm considering buying an unlocked international version of the pink gold 64GB Note 5. I've never bought an international version of a phone before, so I'm not sure if there's anything I should be aware of beforehand that might surprise me. I've got AT&T, so it should work, but I'm a little worried about spending several hundred dollars on a phone off of eBay and then getting burned. I already know that I'm either going to have to cut my SIM card or buy a new one (I currently have an S5), but I don't want any nasty surprises.

 

[Seeker336]

I have a 920i International version Note 5 running on AT&T. Works great with no issues.

That said, there is one limitation: I don't get AT&T updates. Updates to this model's firmware, including Android version, are determined by the build and kernel, which are tied to it's place of origin (Singapore) and Singapore has not yet been updated to Android 6.

If Marshmallow is not critical to you, or if the model you are considering already has it and you are not worrying about going to Android 7 (NOugat), then go for it. It own't have all the carrier apps, but will work just fine!

 

[douda1968]

I got the SM-920G unlocked version and i cannot use Samsung pay and WIFI calling with TMobile. Not a big deal for me but it may be a deal breaker for others. I have called Sammy to inquire about Samsung Pay and they have a coupe of units being tested but their mind has not been made on whether they are going to release it for the international versions. It is a security issue according to them but i am not buying it. iPhones that are unlocked can use Apple Pay so why can't Sammy do the same. Mind boggling...