Looking at replacing my ancient phone with another unlocked phone.
Specs says the new one is "factory unlocked", and has up to 4 Android
upgrades.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Factory unlocked

Just where do the upgrades come from? Where is the Software Update on
the phone look for newer Android versions?

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Looking at replacing my ancient phone with another unlocked phone.
Specs says the new one is "factory unlocked", and has up to 4 Android upgrades.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Factory unlocked

Just where do the upgrades come from? Where is the Software Update on
the phone look for newer Android versions?

Tbey come from Samsung, ie from a Samsung server.

Some third party sites show you what has been released for each phone and
let you download images if you want to flash yourself, eg: https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/

but that may wipe the phone in the process, which the OTA update won't.

Theo

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Looking at replacing my ancient phone with another unlocked phone.
Specs says the new one is "factory unlocked", and has up to 4 Android
upgrades.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Factory unlocked

Just where do the upgrades come from? Where is the Software Update on
the phone look for newer Android versions?

Tbey come from Samsung, ie from a Samsung server.

Some third party sites show you what has been released for each phone and
let you download images if you want to flash yourself, eg: https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/

but that may wipe the phone in the process, which the OTA update won't.

Although unlocked, some phones have sub-models to indicate an initial
carrier, like my LG V20 [sub]model H910 that's an AT&T unlocked phone.
I was concerned who pushed the OTA OS update. Thanks for the info.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

Some third party sites show you what has been released for each phone and let you download images if you want to flash yourself, eg: https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/

but that may wipe the phone in the process, which the OTA update won't.

Although unlocked, some phones have sub-models to indicate an initial carrier, like my LG V20 [sub]model H910 that's an AT&T unlocked phone.
I was concerned who pushed the OTA OS update. Thanks for the info.

Generally speaking you can cross-flash a non-carrier firmware to the same hardware. eg if you have the SM-S908B version of the S22 Ultra then
checking the above website you can choose from various countries and
carriers, eg Europe (EUX), France (Bouygues), France (SFR), United Kingdom (EE), etc. If you cross-flash with a generic version like 'Europe' then you can remove any carrier apps and extra stuff they put on there. It turns the phone into one that's just the same as if you'd bought a non-carrier phone.

Not sure what the AT&T model is, but the SM-S908U has various firmwares
for AT&T, DISH, MetroPCS, Spectrum, T-Mobile, Comcast, US Cellular, Verizon,
as well as a generic 'United States (DSA)'. So if you were to flash it with United States you'd presumably now have a generic phone and get your updates from Samsung and not from AT&T.

Doing this typically requires a flashing tool like Odin or Heimdall running
on a PC and a USB connection.

(I haven't done this since the late 2010s so I'm possibly out of date here)

Theo

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

Some third party sites show you what has been released for each phone and >>> let you download images if you want to flash yourself, eg:
https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/

but that may wipe the phone in the process, which the OTA update won't.

Although unlocked, some phones have sub-models to indicate an initial
carrier, like my LG V20 [sub]model H910 that's an AT&T unlocked phone.
I was concerned who pushed the OTA OS update. Thanks for the info.

Generally speaking you can cross-flash a non-carrier firmware to the same hardware. eg if you have the SM-S908B version of the S22 Ultra then
checking the above website you can choose from various countries and carriers, eg Europe (EUX), France (Bouygues), France (SFR), United Kingdom (EE), etc. If you cross-flash with a generic version like 'Europe' then you can remove any carrier apps and extra stuff they put on there. It turns the phone into one that's just the same as if you'd bought a non-carrier phone.

Not sure what the AT&T model is, but the SM-S908U has various firmwares
for AT&T, DISH, MetroPCS, Spectrum, T-Mobile, Comcast, US Cellular, Verizon, as well as a generic 'United States (DSA)'. So if you were to flash it with United States you'd presumably now have a generic phone and get your updates from Samsung and not from AT&T.

Doing this typically requires a flashing tool like Odin or Heimdall running on a PC and a USB connection.

(I haven't done this since the late 2010s so I'm possibly out of date here)

Flashing non-OTA updates, rooting, or using a non-Android OS (e.g.,
LineageOS) are events I'll postpone until I get the new phone, and might
try on my old LG V20. I don't want to bork my working phone, but I
might experiment on an old one that would otherwise get stowed in a
drawer.

Thanks for the info, though.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Marian <marianjones@helpfulpeople.com> wrote:

Theo wrote:

Just where do the upgrades come from? Where is the Software Update on
the phone look for newer Android versions?

Tbey come from Samsung, ie from a Samsung server.

Just to be "clear"... since this Android newsgroup is a technical group...

The original post doesn't make it clear "what" is being unlocked.
Or, maybe it's clear, and I just didn't catch "what" is being unlocked.

If you want a "network unlock", for example, that's usually done by the carrier, and, in fact, for my T-Mobile device which was free, T-Mobile automatically unlocked the entire set of Android & iOS devices I got.

They did that AUTOMATICALLY - presumably with a carrier update over the air for EVERY T-Mobile phone in the USA that was locked until you fully owned
it (which took two years from the date that you received it for free).

As for a "bootloader unlock", that's a different beast altogether.

What I see remarked for sales of cell phones is:

- Network unlocked (what you describe).
- Factory unlocked (not associated with any carrier thereafter).

I want a phone usable with ANY carrier.

From what I've read, so far, and for Samsung phones, factory unlocked
phones have u1 at the end of the model number. If just u then it was
meant for major carriers. Supposedly most u models can be flashed to u1 models, except possibly Verizon models. Many factory unlocked phones
were u models that got flashed to u1. That's why you'll see factory
unlocked phones that still have the carrier's logon on boot. Alas,
seems most sellers don't know what they're selling.

Get assaulted with a carrier-unlocked cell phone that displays a splash
screen for the carrier (although I'm using a different one) is okay, but reminds me it wasn't really factory unlocked. Whether factory or
carrier unlocked, you have to ensure you get a cell phone that works in
your region. Guess the bands differ in different regions. For me, I
have to check the cell phone says for US, not Europe or elsewhere.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Marian <marianjones@helpfulpeople.com> wrote:

When you say "factory unlocked", that could mean different things...

In short, these are three completely separate things:
1. network unlocking,
2. factory/U1 firmware, and
3. bootloader unlocking.

A phone that's "network unlocked" simply works with any carrier.
That's all you need for carrier flexibility.

That's okay, but usually displays the carrier's logo during boot. No
big deal. I'm not sure the boot is any faster without showing the logo.

"Factory unlocked" (U1) only means it was sold by Samsung without
carrier software, but not that the bootloader can be unlocked.

Without the bloatware would be nice. However, wouldn't I still be able
to uninstall the crap using ADB? For stuff bundled crap I don't want, I usually just go into the app drawer to disable it, so it doesn't show in
the default view of the app drawer; i.e., out of sight, out of mind.

And in the U.S., no Samsung Snapdragon model-U or U1-allows bootloader unlocking at all as far as I'm aware from the XDA Developers site
queries I've listed above.

So the only thing that matters for your goal is that the phone is network unlocked and supports the right U.S. bands; the rest of the terminology doesn't affect carrier compatibility and is where much confusion arises.

Sounds about right for not locking me into a particular carrier, but I
still have to watch for region for the phone.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)