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Need new Note

John Jason

John Jason

Android Enthusiast
My Note 3 still works, but I recently cracked the screen and it's time to move on. I want:

A stylus (S-pen like the Note 3)
5G capability
A camera with good zoom (for pix of distant real estate features)
Can be rooted (preferably bought already rooted)
Can be used as a hot spot for wifi in case my internet fiber connection goes down
Unlocked, to use on MetroPCS in the US, and optionally other carriers​

I'm posting this in the Note 20 forum, but maybe I should be looking at the Note 20 Ultra. Or maybe a different brand, as long as it has a stylus and the other features above that I need. I've had good luck with my Note 3, but I'm not sure of reviews for other brands.

I plan to pay cash, and have no problems even buying used/eBay, etc.

Amount of RAM, storage, CPU are of little concern to me, as any current phone has more than enough for my needs. I don't do videos texting, or social media - I just make phone calls and send an occasional e-mail.

I'm also not a guy who needs to have the latest and greatest to show off to friends. I'd buy a Note 3 or 4 if I could get it with 5G. Unfortunately it's hard to shop because it doesn't seem to occur to vendors to list all the features of their phones in their ads. I could use some advice, including good places to buy from.
 
John Jason said:
Thank! I didn't realize the S21 Ultra had an S Pen. Now If I can just find details about it.
Click to expand...
it does not have an s-pen, but it will work with one.

i have the note 10+ 5G and i love still love it. i am holding out to see if there will be a new Note coming out this year.....or....i am also wanting to see what the new fold 3 will look like as well.
 
ocnbrze said:
i have the note 10+ 5G and i love still love it.
Click to expand...

I didn't realize that the Note 10 can be had in 5G. My current carrier is MetroPCS, but it's not listed on their site. And Samsung's web site does not give any details about it - nada. It's so frustrating trying to find information. I wish I could find a site that listed all the phones that interest me, with a complete spreadsheet-like comparison of every detail and feature. I could make my own, but I can't even find the information to put in the blanks.
 
This is why I like going to my carrier's store and look to see what they have to offer..... Or you can ask of this phone will work with them. It's why I always go to Best Buy because they offer pretty much all the carriers and sometimes they have special deals that only they will offer.

So maybe go and check out Best Buy or your local MetroPCs store.
 
The trip to Best Buy was hopeless. I did get helped by a fairly knowledgeable salesperson, but the store had only the Note 20 and S21 regular, to show me, not the Ultra versions. And they had no Note 10s at all. o_O
 
ocnbrze said:
Could they at least tell you if the note 10+ 5G will work with Metro or not?
Click to expand...

No, they said they no longer sell it so they had no information about it. In fact, I think it's still on their web site, so it was just that the sales dude I was talking to didn't know. The Best Buy that I went to had huge holes all over their shelves, like no one had been restocking things. On a more positive note, if you look on eBay for Note 10+ you find a lot listed as being for T-Mobile, which is what MetroPCS uses.

I just bought a brand new factory unlocked Note 10+ on eBay for $260 with free shipping. At that price I can re-sell it for a profit if I don't like it.

Well, that didn't go well. In eBay I clicked on the Buy Now button, then paid by PayPal. All looked normal. A few hours later I got an e-mail from the seller asking for my PayPal address so he could send me an invoice. I looked at the listing and it said 'payment is being processed.' WTH? I logged into PayPal and apparently the money was never sent to the seller. And this morning I clicked on the seller's username and got a page that says he is located in Spain, joined 4/26, is no longer registered with eBay, has four negative feedbacks, and a note 'don't send him money, it's a scam.'

Oh well. At least I didn't get ripped off. What's the old line about scams - if it's too good t be true it probably isn't true.

It's a month later and I still haven't bought a new phone. I've narrowed it down to a Note 10+ 5G, a Note 20 Ultra, or an S21 Ultra. But i've given up trying to find a Note 10+ 5G that is really new. You find one and when you scroll down to get more details 'new' turns into 'open box.' I don't trust 'open box.'

I can find truly 'new' Note 20 Ultras and S21 Ultras, but I don't understand what the vendors call 'unlocked.' Here is a copy/paste from a listing on eBay:
FACTORY UNLOCKED
AT&T LOCKED
T-MOBILE LOCKED
VERIZON LOCKED
I don't get it. It's either locked or it's unlocked, right? And there are many more with exactly the same four lines. Can someone explain?

I'm currently using MetroPCS (T-Mobile towers), and I have their SIM card in my antique Note 3. But I might want to switch to Verizon in the future.
 
so you want a new sealed phone that's a couple of years old - yeah that is going to be a tough find, so its no surprise you are having no luck in finding one.

locked phones mean they are factory locked to a specific carrier
unlocked phones mean they are not locked to a carrier and can be used with any compatible carrier.
 
marctronixx said:
so you want a new sealed phone that's a couple of years old - yeah that is going to be a tough find, so its no surprise you are having no luck in finding one.
Click to expand...

Well, I gave up on the Note 10+ 5G, and the Note 20 Ultra and the S21 Ultra are still on Samsung's web site. I haven't had any problem finding new ones elsewhere.

marctronixx said:
locked phones mean they are factory locked to a specific carrier
unlocked phones mean they are not locked to a carrier and can be used with any compatible carrier.
Click to expand...

I understand what you said, and that is what I thought too. But just about every ad for these phones has all four lines like I pasted above. If it's 'factory unlocked' how can it also be locked to AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint.
 
John Jason said:
I can find truly 'new' Note 20 Ultras and S21 Ultras, but I don't understand what the vendors call 'unlocked.' Here is a copy/paste from a listing on eBay:
FACTORY UNLOCKED
AT&T LOCKED
T-MOBILE LOCKED
VERIZON LOCKED
I don't get it. It's either locked or it's unlocked, right? And there are many more with exactly the same four lines. Can someone explain?

I'm currently using MetroPCS (T-Mobile towers), and I have their SIM card in my antique Note 3. But I might want to switch to Verizon in the future.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure they mean SIM locked or network locked, meaning e.g. an AT&T locked device can only be used with an AT&T SIM. AFAIK carrier locked devices like this, will be sold subject to a two year contract, which includes a subsidy or financing. Whereas factory unlocked means it's supplied directly by Samsung, and should be usable with any carrier's SIM. However you pay full-retail price for the phone up-front, with no carrier subsidy or financing.

Something to be aware of especially with Ebay and a phone that's been out for less than a year like the Galaxy Note20 and S21, is carrier locked devices may have outstanding two year contract and financing commitments against them. And it has been reported on AF many times, like someone bought a carrier SIM locked phone from Ebay and now it's blacklisted.


I just bought a new Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G, factory unlocked of course, as there are no carrier locked devices here.
 
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John Jason said:
Well, I gave up on the Note 10+ 5G, and the Note 20 Ultra and the S21 Ultra are still on Samsung's web site. I haven't had any problem finding new ones elsewhere.
Click to expand...

i dont understand what you mean here. the note 10+ 5G is discontinued. samsung are no longer making them. if you don't believe me, ask them directly.

John Jason said:
I understand what you said, and that is what I thought too. But just about every ad for these phones has all four lines like I pasted above. If it's 'factory unlocked' how can it also be locked to AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint.
Click to expand...

you can buy each one of those phones in either a LOCKED state or UNLOCKED state. samsung make these phones in different flavors for each carrier. the carrier "orders" what it wants on their version that they will sell to their customers. samsung ALSO make "unbranded" carrier free devices that a customer can purchase it they do not want to be locked to a specific carrier. i only purchase direct from samsung and i get all my devices unlocked. ive a note 20 ultra 5g unlocked and a galaxy z fold 2 unlocked. both are on tmobile.

so in the end what you "thought too" is actually correct.

if you think the site is fishy, post up the link or a screenshot so others can check it out.
 
I have come to the conclusion that the vendor who put the four lines that I pasted above into their ad simply made a mistake. If a phone is factory unlocked then it can't be locked to any carrier, and certainly not to three carriers at the same time. Unfortunately, at least three eBay sellers put the same four lines in their listings. I sent an eBay message to one of them asking for clarification two days ago, and so far no reply. Fine, he won't be selling one to me. :)

MikeDT above warns about eBay, and I understand what he means. That's why I'm no going to buy a phone that is previously owned or even 'open box.' I'm only going to buy a phone that is brand new sealed in the original box. I already bought a used phone six years ago that T-Mobile told me had a clean IMEI and was free and clear, and then three months later they killed it when the seller didn't make the payments. Bah. I only trust brand new in the original sealed box. And from a seller with lots of good feedback who doesn't say things like the four lines that I pasted above.

I spent a long time on samsung.com but their sales options are confusing, and ultimately you end up with a price a couple hundred dollars more than elsewhere.

I finally bought a Note 20 Ultra factory unlocked, brand new sealed in box on eBay for $940, with free returns. https://www.ebay.com/itm/3246436094...sAAOSwjN5fmzaP&LH_BIN=1&LH_ItemCondition=1000
 
It arrove a couple hours ago. It turned itself on and I don't know why. There's no user manual and I can't even figure out how to turn it off. It came with a little device about the size of a paper clip, that I think is needed to install the SIM card, but no way to figure out how to do that. Surely there's a place where I can find at least basic instructions.
 
John Jason said:
It arrove a couple hours ago. It turned itself on and I don't know why. There's no user manual and I can't even figure out how to turn it off. It came with a little device about the size of a paper clip, that I think is needed to install the SIM card, but no way to figure out how to do that. Surely there's a place where I can find at least basic instructions.
Click to expand...

The Note20 should have originally come with a quick-start guide, mine did(it was in the envelope that had the SIM removal tool), showing how to the remove SIM holder etc.
Quick-start guide is here.
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1973486/Samsung-Galaxy-Note20-Ultra-5g.html#manual
Complete manual here.
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/2036432/Samsung-Galaxy-Note20-5g.html

As for easily turning it off. The side button by default was for Bixby on mine, To reset it go into Settings and look for "Side Key" in the Search, I changed it from "Wake Bixby" to "Power off menu". I don't use Bixby anyway.

I'm sure there's many Note20 demonstration and use videos on YouTube.
 
Yeah, I got the Quick Reference Guide, but it was pretty minimal. And I tried the Quick Start feature, but it failed completely, even though both phones were connected to my home wifi.

The big problem was getting my account at MetroPCS working. I had to call five times because each time, after 10+ minutes on hold I was disconnected. After an hour and a half I drove to a local MetroPCS store where they fixed me up. Part of the problem was that my old Note 3 had a SIM card, but it was a micro size, and the Note 20 takes nano size. And then when the employee at the MetroPCS store was trying to activate my new nano SIM card she informed me that my $30/month account couldn't be used on a 5G phone. I told her to just set it up as a 4G phone, but she said they couldn't do that. My only option was to upgrade to a $50/month account. No one told me that before I bought the Note 20 Ultra. I probably would have bought it anyway, but I sure didn't like the surprise of needing a more expensive account. Oh well, now I get 5G of data instead of just 2G. But I'm going to shop for a different carrier.

I was shocked at how much the cameras stick out. I never bothered with a case for my old Note 3, but this one definitely needs protection, or those cameras are doomed.

Thanks for the note on the Side Key, and the links for the manuals. My next effort will be to install the apps that I had on my old Note and to get rid of the wallpaper. I can find tons of wallpapers, but apparently you can't have 'no wallpaper at all.'
 
John Jason said:
Surely there's a place where I can find at least basic instructions.
Click to expand...

if you took a little time to search this sub forum dedicated to this device , you would have found the operators manual:

https://androidforums.com/threads/note-20-ultra-user-guide.1327329/

it seems you are quite shocked at the build of the device (e.g. cameras stick out). lots of youtube videos would have shown this to you.

also, the issue about the sim card/50 dollar a month thing has nothing to do with the device. that's your specific carrier.

in terms of "no wall paper at all", well, if you want a black background (or just a solid color of your choice), just upload a black photo. both of my phones have black backgrounds because i don't care for busy wallpapers.
 
John Jason said:
Yeah, I got the Quick Reference Guide, but it was pretty minimal. And I tried the Quick Start feature, but it failed completely, even though both phones were connected to my home wifi.

The big problem was getting my account at MetroPCS working. I had to call five times because each time, after 10+ minutes on hold I was disconnected. After an hour and a half I drove to a local MetroPCS store where they fixed me up. Part of the problem was that my old Note 3 had a SIM card, but it was a micro size, and the Note 20 takes nano size. And then when the employee at the MetroPCS store was trying to activate my new nano SIM card she informed me that my $30/month account couldn't be used on a 5G phone. I told her to just set it up as a 4G phone, but she said they couldn't do that. My only option was to upgrade to a $50/month account. No one told me that before I bought the Note 20 Ultra. I probably would have bought it anyway, but I sure didn't like the surprise of needing a more expensive account. Oh well, now I get 5G of data instead of just 2G. But I'm going to shop for a different carrier.

I was shocked at how much the cameras stick out. I never bothered with a case for my old Note 3, but this one definitely needs protection, or those cameras are doomed.

Thanks for the note on the Side Key, and the links for the manuals. My next effort will be to install the apps that I had on my old Note and to get rid of the wallpaper. I can find tons of wallpapers, but apparently you can't have 'no wallpaper at all.'
Click to expand...

My experience was quite different. for a start I had no problem with carriers. I just swapped my SIM from my Huawei Mate10, I'd been using for over three years, into the new Note20 Ultra, and up it came showing China Unicom 5G service. :) And that's the same SIM I've actually been using for six years now in various phones. That was originally micro size, and I trimmed it down to nano size for one of the Oppo phones I had.

As for the camera, I don't think it sticks out too much, and it seems to be well protected by the silicone case the local Samsung store gave me with the phone. I also used Smart Switch to transfer apps and data from the Huawei to the Samsung, and the only other things I had to do was to sign into various accounts again with a new device, like WeChat, AliPay, etc.
 
mikedt said:
My experience was quite different. for a start I had no problem with carriers. I just swapped my SIM from my Huawei Mate10, I'd been using for over three years, into the new Note20 Ultra, and up it came showing China Unicom 5G service. :) And that's the same SIM I've actually been using for six years now in various phones. That was originally micro size, and I trimmed it down to nano size for one of the Oppo phones I had.

As for the camera, I don't think it sticks out too much, and it seems to be well protected by the silicone case the local Samsung store gave me with the phone. I also used Smart Switch to transfer apps and data from the Huawei to the Samsung, and the only other things I had to do was to sign into various accounts again with a new device, like WeChat, AliPay, etc.
Click to expand...

Very interesting!

First, I had no idea that one could just pare down a micro SIM card to the nano size. Wow!

As for the Smart Switch, I had both phones connected to my home wifi, and I told the Note 20 Ultra to go for it, but after half an hour of trying it never connected and I gave up. But something strange happened. My old Note 3 was rooted and I had an app on it called Root App Delete. Well, Root App Delete is now on my Note 20 Ultra, and there's only one place it could have come from. Yet nothing else from the Note 3 made it. And for kicks I launched Root App Delete on the new Note 20 Ultra and tried to use it to delete a Samsung app that I didn't want, and it popped up a message that it couldn't do so because it required root (the new Note is not rooted). But it also gave me a link that it said would root the phone. I didn't try it, but someday I might.

It has taken me all day, but I have almost everything now installed on the new Note. Most of that time was not installing the apps but trying to remember user names, passwords, account numbers ... gah! The Smart Switch would probably have saved me a lot of work if it had worked. And regarding that, maybe my Note 3 was just too old.

The only big thing left is getting a case to protect the cameras. I had the idea that a case+battery might be a good idea, but most of them just stick on the bottom of the back of the phone and leave the cameras without any protection at all. But I did find this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/124477874869?hash=item1cfb75a2b5:g:hJ0AAOSw-u9fN1y6
There is no brand name on it, and it costs $45 for 7000mah, plus it ships from China.
But maybe I should just get a case and a separate battery. Fortunately, there is no rush.
 
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