Unlocked vs. Carrier Galaxy Note 9

[Panther6834]

Panther....... may I ask, what color is that unlocked Note 9 and is it from Samsung or a reseller on EBay?

Thanks

Blue, with the yellow S-Pen.

 

[Panther6834]

I bought the unlocked too and had no issues activating it with Verizon. My question is, what exactly do I gain from this? So far the only different I see is no carrier bloat (is that still a thing?) and there's no option to turn off the stupid shutter sound in the camera.

With an unlocked Samsung handset, you also gain the ability to use Samsung Cloud (it's blocked in the Verizon-branded handsets). As for "carrier bloat", yes, it's still a 'thing'...and Verizon is one of the two worst offenders.

 

[amyf27]

If you mute the sound on the phone, the camera wont make the shutter sound. I have an unlocked version as well and currently using on Sprint.

I bought the unlocked too and had no issues activating it with Verizon. My question is, what exactly do I gain from this? So far the only different I see is no carrier bloat (is that still a thing?) and there's no option to turn off the stupid shutter sound in the camera.

 

[French]

I bought the unlocked too and had no issues activating it with Verizon. My question is, what exactly do I gain from this? So far the only different I see is no carrier bloat (is that still a thing?) and there's no option to turn off the stupid shutter sound in the camera.

I had an unlocked Note 8 and now on a Verizon branded Note 9. I didn't really use Samsung Cloud what with all the other options available (files can go to Dropbox or Drive, Google has a backup, VZW has a cloud but I don't use it and Samsung Switch still works on either locked or unlocked).

To me what swayed me to go with Verizon branded is the access to wifi calling. You will not be able to get it to work on an unlocked phone w Verizon SIM AFAIK. In my current situation I haven't needed wifi calling but I have had times in the past when it would have been nice to have. I also think security updates might come a little quicker.

The VZW bloat really hasn't impacted me...I just ignore or turn off what I don't want or need, and with going from 64 gigs that I never filled up, to 128 gigs, I'm not worried about how much space the apps might use.

What you GAIN is the ability to take that unlocked device to any carrier to activate. So if you decide to break up with VZW you should be able to walk into a T-Mobile store and ask to activate a line, insert SIM and voila, you are back in business. And some argue that an unlocked device is easier to sell and has higher dollar value over a carrier locked device.

 

[Gary02468]

I find it "unusual" that there was no SIM card inside the box.

The phone box itself for the unlocked version doesn't include it (and it's not listed in the contents list on the side of the box, as it is for the carrier versions). Vendors may or may not include it in the order. B&H photo, for example, says "A SIM card and service plan must be purchased separately".

Mine came without a SIM. I transferred my Note8's T-Mobile SIM, and everything just worked, including the immediate OTA update to ARH2; I didn't even have to notify T-Mobile.

Got mine activated as easy as could be. A pre-activated microSIM was included in the box

All Notes since the Note5 have used a nano SIM card. A micro SIM card would be too big to fit (unless you have a variant model that I'm unfamiliar with).

If you mute the sound on the phone, the camera wont make the shutter sound.

Yes, I believe some jurisdictions try to protect privacy by outlawing the setting to disable the shutter sound. But the ability to mute the whole phone provides a loophole.

 

[Morty2264]

I've bought unlocked for the past year and a half and haven't looked back. Way less carrier bloatware and updates aren't really an issue (at least for me - but my Honor 8 and Pixel 2 got updates relatively quickly). I'd say go for it if you'd like to go the unlocked route!

 

[Mark_Venture]

... As others (and myself) have pointed out, the biggest "losses" are Wi-Fi calling, and Verizon Visual Voicemail. While there's no "replacement" for the Wi-Fi calling (which I don't really have a need for, living in Silicon Valley), Google Voice has its own voicemail transcription ability, which is an excellent replacement...plus it's completely FREE ( no monthly fee).

There is a Voicemail app in the Galaxy App store that works for Verizon's Visual Voicemail service.

In fact, on my unlocked Note 8, S9, and Note 9, the app auto pushed down as once I both installed my Verizon SIM and was logged into my Samsung Account in the Galaxy App Store.

Sure, it doesn't make Verizon's VVM service free, but works fine, including transcription... and when I move my sim to my Verizon branded GS8 and back, I don't have to make any adjustments..

 

[Panther6834]

My biggest concern. Sorry if it sounds like a dumb question but, will Verizon still allow you to put TOTAL EQUIPMENT PROTECTION on your unlocked phone? Worst case scenario is a completely damaged phone... Will Verizon replace an unlocked phone?

Sorry for the delay. I checked, and I still have Verizon TMP coverage. As for TEP coverage, I can't claim to be 100% certain, but, if you had TEP coverage on your previous phone, and you activated your new phone directly with Verizon (ie. you did NOT activate at Best Buy, Costco, etc), I see no reason why your TEP coverage wouldn't automatically carry-over to the new phone, the same way my TMP coverage automatically carried-over to my new phone.

 

[Ryaan Johnson]

Hello, I have an unlocked Note 8 on Tmobile now but recently came from Sprint with my Note 8. It came from Samsung directly. As other posters reported. I didn't get any carrier bloat when connecting with Tmobile or Sprint. With Tmobile everything works as usual. Wifi calling which is most important to me, & visual voicemail. Where with spring non of the standard apps worked. No wifi calling & no visual voicemail for Spring. I'm going to be bumbed if the 600mhz extended range doesn't work on the Note 9 unlocked because I pre-ordered the 128 unlocked version as well.

Did the new TMobile bandz work with the unlocked version?

 

[Rhyalus]

This has been a very helpful thread...thanks.

Can anyone else confirm that travel pass would not work on this phone outside of the USA? I travel quite a bit internationally, and this would be a catastrophe for me.

I have an unlocked Note 9 128gb working on Verizon.

FWIW, I got this phone with Amex points, and there was no choice for a phone straight from Verizon.

I do not have WiFi calling, and I agree with what someone else said that the visual voice mail works fine with the Samsung version that was suggested the first time I received a voice mail.

Thanks,
R

 

[susierule]

Re: Unlocked vs. Carrier AT&T Galaxy Note 9

From this fantastic reply and explanation it is obvious you have great knowledge of firmware variants per carrier so Im directing question to you but anyone can also share .

Most of these posts reference Verizon, T-mobile and Sprint. Without an eligible trade in, Samsung has best discount and financing so I'm looking to find pros/cons of buying from Samsung the unlocked or selecting ATT model.

Do you (or anyone else) have experience or knowledge with AT&T? Differences in feature sets, bloatware, restrictions, speed of soft updates, etc etc. Without an eligible trade in, Samsung has best discount and financing so I'm looking to find pros/cons of buying from Samsung the unlocked or selecting ATT model.

 

[susierule]

Re: Unlocked vs. Carrier AT&T Galaxy Note 9

From this fantastic reply and explanation it is obvious you have great knowledge of firmware variants per carrier so Im directing question to you but anyone can also share .

Most of these posts reference Verizon, T-mobile and Sprint. Without an eligible trade in, Samsung has best discount and financing so I'm looking to find pros/cons of buying from Samsung the unlocked or selecting ATT model.

Do you (or anyone else) have experience or knowledge with AT&T? Differences in feature sets, bloatware, restrictions, speed of soft updates, etc etc. Without an eligible trade in, Samsung has best discount and financing so I'm looking to find pros/cons of buying from Samsung the unlocked or selecting ATT model.

 

[mhunter6378]

Re: Unlocked vs. Carrier AT&T Galaxy Note 9

Do you (or anyone else) have experience or knowledge with AT&T? Differences in feature sets, bloatware, restrictions, speed of soft updates, etc etc. Without an eligible trade in, Samsung has best discount and financing so I'm looking to find pros/cons of buying from Samsung the unlocked or selecting ATT model.

I have the Att Note 9. Have had an unlocked S9+ and unlocked Note 8 on Att prior. The Note 9 Att version has most all of the standard features of the unlocked model, some minor differences in Samsung unlocked firmware. It does have the usual cast of characters for Att apps that can be disabled. With the Att model you’ll get WiFi calling, visual voicemail built into the stock dialer, advanced messaging in the stock message app and video calling built into the stock dialer - all of which were absent on prior unlocked models for me. Software updates through Att have pretty much been on par with other models. Have bought through Samsung directly in the past and had no issues.

 

[susierule]

Re: Unlocked vs. Carrier AT&T Galaxy Note 9

Thanks for quick response! Sounds like benefits for AT&T model are worth ordering branded model.

 

[applejosh]

For Android I always get unlocked versions. May be a hold out from the older days when you couldn't disable the carrier junk, but I still look at it in terms of apps installed that I don't want and cannot completely remove. I do seem to miss out on some functionality (the lack of wifi calling is biggest omission and the delayed service packs the other) but I can at least switch carriers easier the need ever arise.

 

[LilSweetLin]

Can someone on T-Mo list the carrier bloat that comes installed on their phone? Is any of it useful? How is the signal reception on the carrier branded, vs. unlocked phone?

 

[anon(5719825)]

Can someone on T-Mo list the carrier bloat that comes installed on their phone? Is any of it useful? How is the signal reception on the carrier branded, vs. unlocked phone?

The T-Mobile version comes withe the My T-Mobile app, the T-Mobile TV app and a few others. You can't uninstall most of them but you can disable them. You can also simply install the Note 9 unlocked firmware onto the T-Mobile model and not have any carrier branding/apps installed.

There really won't be much difference between the carrier model and the unlocked model on T-Mobile.