Samsung 42 Galaxy S5 models - Dummies Guide

[AZgl1500]

I ended up with one of those floating images on my Verizon phone.
never knew how it got there, I don't follow links.

Much agonizing and soul searching and many helpful folks here, resulted in a full blown FDR to fix it.

 

[slimj]

Hi guys
I have seen a brand new Galaxy S5 that I wish to buy but am confused if it's authentic or not...when I took off the battery what I saw was SM-G900V made in China but when I switched on the phone and went to Settings then About I noticed it is instead SM-G900F and the network band supports LTE showing me a 4G at the top of the screen after inserting my Nexttel SIM card. please help

thanks in advance

 

[ironass]

Hi guys
I have seen a brand new Galaxy S5 that I wish to buy but am confused if it's authentic or not...when I took off the battery what I saw was SM-G900V made in China but when I switched on the phone and went to Settings then About I noticed it is instead SM-G900F and the network band supports LTE showing me a 4G at the top of the screen after inserting my Nexttel SIM card. please help

thanks in advance

Hello and welcome to Android Forums slimj

As per post #1, this thread should help you to determine if it is fake or not... Galaxy S5, Fake Clone or Genuine - Dummies Guide.

My feeling is that it is probably fake as the G900V is a CDMA phone for the U.S. carrier, Verizon, and the G900F is the stock GSM international model for Samsung.

 

[slimj]

Ok thanks your timely reply

 

[kingfishbc]

Bought a New Samsung GS5, G-SM900F running Lollipop on Ebay about a year ago naively believing that since it was a "LTE" phone, I would get LTE reception via my carrier AT&T. My bad, 900F doesn't receive the bands AT&T transmits their LTE on. Love the phone otherwise, rooted it via CF-Auto Root and have been running Cyanogen Mod 12.1 nightlies since April. The whole thing is the cat's pajamas for me, except the fact that I can't get LTE when I want/need it.

So I've been saving my shekels and watching Ebay for new in the box G-SM900A for a price I thought was right, and found and ordered one a couple days ago. The idea being I could root it, run CM 12.1, *AND* get my LTE. So in my typical lame fashion, after I ordered the phone I started research on rooting a 900A running Lollipop (which is what this is, G900AUCU4BOF2), and it looks like I have walked right back into something even more odious than the 900F that won't get AT&Ts LTE: an apparently un-rootable phone!

The purpose of my post here is to throw my miserable self out on the good will of this forum, to confirm what I am pretty sure is the bad news; or to tell me I just haven't researched well and someone *has* found a way to defeat AT&Ts locked bootloader. The phone arrived today, still sealed in the box, and I'm pretty sure I can return it still sealed and hopefully find a New Old Stock 900A that has never been upgraded to Lollipop that will give me my LTE, and allow me to root and run Cyanogen Mod on it if my research is accurate.

Thanks in advance,
kingfishbc

 

[ironass]

No. I'm afraid that the AT&T model, G900A, running the latest Lollipop firmware release and the two prior to it, is completely un-rootable, thanks to AT&T's mega locked down bootloader. In fact, the model has been un-rootable for over a year now, since the release of Android 4.4.4. AT&T just prevented downgrading back to Android 4.4.2 in their latest releases, to prevent rooting.

 

[kingfishbc]

No. I'm afraid that the AT&T model, G900A, running the latest Lollipop firmware release and the two prior to it, is completely un-rootable, thanks to AT&T's mega locked down bootloader. In fact, the model has been un-rootable for over a year now, since the release of Android 4.4.4. AT&T just prevented downgrading back to Android 4.4.2 in their latest releases, to prevent rooting.

Thanks IA, and thanks for the timely nature of your reply! Lovely ideas over there at AT&T, eh? The good news is I have a direction to move in; I only wish we weren't quite as tied to AT&T as we are. Thanks again.

 

[kingfishbc]

Removed duplicate message.

 

[ironass]

TOP TIP kingfishbc... do not switch to Verizon either... same problem! See, here.

 

[kingfishbc]

Thanks again ironass - just to belabor the point and make sure I've got it right: if I'm interested in rooting a 900A (or V), and using AT&T or Verizon, I need to be sure it's running Android 4.2.2 or earlier, and then, if I find one, I need to be sure I don't get any OTA updates forced on me before I root it and flash a custom ROM...yes no?

 

[ironass]

Thanks again ironass - just to belabor the point and make sure I've got it right: if I'm interested in rooting a 900A (or V), and using AT&T or Verizon, I need to be sure it's running Android 4.2.2 or earlier, and then, if I find one, I need to be sure I don't get any OTA updates forced on me before I root it and flash a custom ROM...yes no?

You can root the G900A on Android 4.4.2 but if it has Android 4.4.4, you will be able to downgrade to 4.4.2 and root. After that... you're stuffed on later Lollipop firmwares! If a phone has got 4.4.2 or 4.4.4 in spite of the forced AT&T updates, then it's probably rooted anyway as that is the only way to escape them.

 

[kingfishbc]

Well, hmmm... I expect the likelihood of finding a New Old Stock 900A running Android 4.4 or older is pretty skinny and getting more so; thinking I need to shift my attention to finding a GS5 variant New In The Box that is *NOT* a Verizon or AT&T model, but that *DOES* receive AT&Ts LTE wave lengths...

 

[slimj]

Hi guys...I got a Galaxy S5 SM-G900H updated to Lollipop...I wish to ask if I can downgrade the OS back to 4.4.2 and root it then later upgrade back to lollipop via OTA updates and even further to Marshmallow if it hits the S5 device

 

[ironass]

Hi guys...I got a Galaxy S5 SM-G900H updated to Lollipop...I wish to ask if I can downgrade the OS back to 4.4.2 and root it then later upgrade back to lollipop via OTA updates and even further to Marshmallow if it hits the S5 device

You don't have to downgrade the G900H to root it... it's not an AT&T or Verizon phone model. Rooted phones do not receive OTA or Kies updates and need to be updated manually. See #1.11.

 

[kingfishbc]

You can root the G900A on Android 4.4.2 but if it has Android 4.4.4, you will be able to downgrade to 4.4.2 and root. After that... you're stuffed on later Lollipop firmwares! If a phone has got 4.4.2 or 4.4.4 in spite of the forced AT&T updates, then it's probably rooted anyway as that is the only way to escape them.

Well, hmmm... I expect the likelihood of finding a New Old Stock 900A running Android 4.4 or older is pretty skinny and getting more so; thinking I need to shift my attention to finding a GS5 variant New In The Box that is *NOT* a Verizon or AT&T model, but that *DOES* receive AT&Ts LTE wave lengths...

Located a New In Box SM-G900T - looks like that will fill my bill. Thanks again ironass for your time and attention, and thanks to WillMyPhoneWork.net!

 

[ironass]

Located a New In Box SM-G900T - looks like that will fill my bill. Thanks again ironass for your time and attention, and thanks to WillMyPhoneWork.net!

Plus... T-Mobile (USA) has just received another update to its Android 5.1.1 firmware.

 

[kingfishbc]

Plus... T-Mobile (USA) has just received another update to its Android 5.1.1 firmware.

One of many things I like about Cyanogen Mod: I've been running Android 5.1.1 since April.

 

[Big Poppa]

Straight Talk appears to be selling the SM-G900M variant stateside. That's what I got from them when I purchased one last week. It runs off GSM via AT&T towers.

 

[slimj]

You don't have to downgrade the G900H to root it... it's not an AT&T or Verizon phone model. Rooted phones do not receive OTA or Kies updates and need to be updated manually. See #1.11.

thanks Ironass for your always timely responses...my doubts are cleared now...but I also wish to ask if it is certain for Android Marshmellow update to affect the Galaxy S5 device

 

[ironass]

thanks Ironass for your always timely responses...my doubts are cleared now...but I also wish to ask if it is certain for Android Marshmellow update to affect the Galaxy S5 device

I cannot guarantee that all 41 models mentioned in post #1 will receive Android 6.0, Marshmallow.

 

[AZgl1500]

I cannot guarantee that all 41 models mentioned in post #1 will receive Android 6.0, Marshmallow.

If this ole son's S5 gets a Marshmallow treatment, I will treat you all to a bag of MarshMallows for free...

____________________________________
2 ea. Verizon Galaxy S5, 1 ea. HTC One M9, 1 ea. VZW MiFi

 

[silvertex]

Hi how i know how s5 is? G9006V or G900F???? I dont know if is G900F or G9006V... Or have the G900F software in the G9006V. Please helpme.

 

[ironass]

Your phone is running G900F firmware and has been rooted as it was originally the Chinese model, G9006V and it would appear that it has been adapted/modified to run its current firmware. If you have any further questions regarding your rooted and modified phone, you can post in the Root - Samsung Galaxy S5 section of the forum.

 

[saulcarrasquel]

Hi. I got a new s5 900A (ATT) unlocked, running android 4.4.2. How do I upgrade it to Lolipop? Which is the last version available? Regards, Saul

 

[ironass]

Hi. I got a new s5 900A (ATT) unlocked, running android 4.4.2. How do I upgrade it to Lolipop? Which is the last version available? Regards, Saul

Hello and welcome to Android Forums saulcarrasquel

The latest release from AT&T for the G900A model is OI5 on Android 5.1.1 and was released around the 22nd October. As per #1.6 of post #1, you need to be unrooted and registered on the AT&T network to receive their updates as your firmware is not released by Samsung and is not readily available to download and flash via Odin.

If you are still on Android 4.4.2, it would seem to indicate that you are either rooted or not on the AT&T network since updates are forced to your model of phone by your carrier normally. You can either take your phone to an AT&T store and see if they will update it for you or do a Google search of the web and see if there is a flashable version of OI5 available to download.

Be warned... moving to Lollipop on AT&T firmware will prevent downgrading or rooting in future.