Choices choices

[Anonymous]

So I'm torn between a couple phones.

1. Samsung S10+ with Samsung Pay that automatically flips in/out of NFC to make the payment. That and an SD card slot and headphone jack. But a lot of money.

2. Motorola One Hyper being pure Android without the bloatware and that neato pop-up front camera not taking screen real estate. Same with the SD card slot and headphone jack. Unfortunately Google Pay doesn't do that nifty auto-NFC. But a lot less money.

What to do what to do.

Anybody with real world experience yet with the new Hyper? Anybody with a way to turn on NFC automatically without giving up all kinds of private information permissions (don't want to get into rooting either) to run macros?

[gpixel]

@Anonymous take a day and study, even if you brick your device, Odin can easily unbrick it. it's not like using only adb commands. it's a program that helps users update the firmware. I'm sure you'll be fine. 

the question I have is what will happen if you install the 'g' version firmware instead of the 'f' version? this is the only thing I would think could brick the phone.. and accidentally removing the cord while flashing

[Anonymous]

I'm sufficiently comfortable being in the Google-sphere. Not comfortable...just sufficiently enough to compromise. I understand rooting takes a phone out of that and into the wilds.

If you've done this a bunch of times on a bunch of phones I'm sure it's all old hat to you. But I haven't. It would be a nerve-wracking, threat of bricking, steep learning curve for me and likely more hands-on than I care. But I'm not saying never 🙂

[Korth]

Not adventurous enough to root and properly customize the thing?

This saddens me. You put so much time and effort into the decision and into procuring the item. You shouldn't have to tolerate niggles.

[Anonymous]

tl;dr below dotted line.

So CanadaPost tracking sees it in my city Sat evening. I'm excited to see it Monday. No more tracking updates though. Then this smoke stops the carriers so it's not going to be Monday. Apparently smoke is not included on the unofficial postal axiom. "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night.."

So I go to the local post office that seems to be a central-ish PO. They don't know where it is. They write a note to give to some supervisor. Maybe they'll call. The next day I go again. They say how about I go over to the other central-ish PO. I go there and someone has a look around and in the bins for the carrier but wasn't about to go digging through the entire boxes. Still no mail that day...smoke donchaknow.

But then later on I get a call from the guy of the prior message and he says he could look for it if I come down now. I go there now. Eventually someone comes out with the package. Scan it, show my id. Done.

--------------------------------------

So to the phone. Samsung A31. It all works. Calls/texts/internet. Dual SIM, NFC, Google Pay.

But it seems to be tied to the United Arab Emirates. I try to set up Samsung Pay and wants to do something with UAE. Oh well. I have Google Pay. But it's niggling at me. The phone has a TAR ID next to UAE.

I had learned about CSC codes with Samsung on my S7. Seems they've changed things up with S8 and up. Now it's an OMC code or something. The only resolution I've found so far is to flash a different firmware through Odin and all that. I'm not quite adventurous enough yet to do that. iirc the S7 had a menu I could bring up and choose a CSC and it would factory reset and have that CSC. Not so with newer phones. I don't know if I should leave well enough alone or if anyone else has any thoughts on a resolution. The *#272 dial code does not work like it did in the S7.

Thanks for reading all this.

[darlicious]

@Anonymous 

I'm lucky they are around the corner and my go to place for technology fixes, foreign electronics of any kind from electrical plugs to toasters to hairdryers. They have about 15 international phones in stock, two with NFC and isn't stocking Huawei atm due to the US issues but can acquire them for interested parties

[Anonymous]

 @darlicious 

Thanks. Nice to know there are other choices for international phones. I've paid a deposit for an A31 from a Richmond store. It might be a bit pricey. But at least they're "local". Might be about a week to arrive.

I just got my refund for the one sent back. Of course I lost $25 in the process due to exchange.

[darlicious]

@Anonymous 

Ok i called and their website is out of date but these may be out of your price range but they have the A71 dual SIM with NFC for $650 and the A51 dual SIM with NFC $525. They are operating on reduced hours M-F 9am-5pm.

[Anonymous]

---

@Korth wrote:

I suppose you could always buy a phone without NFC ... then physically attach NFC chips/tags (from your keyring, credit card, bank card, etc) to the phone or the phone case. Glue them to the outside, mount them inside, whatever.

---

lol

But how would Google Pay or, if a Samsung, Samsung Pay work?

It's the contactless payments that I have come to really like. Brought more into focus with this crazy year.

I try to lighten the load. I'm going to have a phone on board. So I can use it for making all the day to day little purchases.

[Korth]

I suppose you could always buy a phone without NFC ... then physically attach NFC chips/tags (from your keyring, credit card, bank card, etc) to the phone or the phone case. Glue them to the outside, mount them inside, whatever.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the find @darlicious . I don't think any of those phones have NFC. In this search, I had filtered down the phones on gsmarena much like Korth did. None of those phones popped out.

I looked for 2020 models, dual sim, nfc, either sd card, android 9 /10 then sorted by price.

Or I've been doing all this wrong... 🙂

Oh...and limiting my choices by steering away from Chinese brands. Which basically leaves me Nokia and Samsung. Although Asus is very interesting for a flagship phone. I don't do no stinkin' Apple products.

And Nokia subscribes to Android One where I'm not sure if that version is compatible with Android Auto.

I know Android Go is not (last I checked).

[darlicious]

@Anonymous 

Ok i muddled thru this thread trying to understand all this tech talk and figure out what exactly model of phone you are looking for? All I got out of it was something about NFC? Samsung and dual SIM. I don't know if any of these phones are of interest to you and their website does not list prices so you'll have to call them. The guys that run this shop are straight shooters and great guys. I bought my Samsung galaxy A3 dual SIM (UAE version) for about $400 in Dec 2017.

These are the models they currently have for sale....all unlocked international versions:

Huawei P20 Lite, SamsungJ2, J2 Pro, J4, J6, J8, J810, A6 and A7. 2 blocks from my house by the kingsgate mall on Broadway east of Kingsway.

http://foreignelectronics.ca/

[gpixel]

lol that phone is a unicorn. that's good that it was a local purchase. take the NFC chip and install it on the g 🤫

[Anonymous]

---

@gpixel wrote:

@Anonymous just go to bigdreamz_shop store and buy it. it's the one you're looking for.. 💯

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Samsung-Galaxy-A31-Dual-Sim-2020-4G-LTE-64GB-128GB-Smartphone-ALL-COLOURS/264784124828?hash=item3da65d1b9c:g:SZ4AAOSwIoJe~zjG&var=564608662118

---

This retailer I found in Richmond has stated that the A315F/DS has NFC and dual SIM. So I'm going ahead with them. We'll see.

They could not confirm that the A315G/DS had NFC.

The F has enough frequencies to work with Telus but the G had more. But it should be fine.

And they said I would likely have it in a about a week.

Thanks again for finding that.

The saga continues.

[gpixel]

@Anonymous just go to bigdreamz_shop store and buy it. it's the one you're looking for.. 💯

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Samsung-Galaxy-A31-Dual-Sim-2020-4G-LTE-64GB-128GB-Smartphone-ALL-COLOURS/264784124828?hash=item3da65d1b9c:g:SZ4AAOSwIoJe~zjG&var=564608662118

[Korth]

You could always buy a CAT S61, lol, Staples even has a few in store ...

A robust and chunky chunk of hardware, nigh invulnerable to almost everything, fairly mid-/high- specs overall, a little dated now but also a little cheaper now, and packed full of nifty unique tech gadgets.

Factory software is basically garbage, alas, the forced updates cause endless problems and endless user complaints. I replaced the whole cantankerous operating system mess with a clean GrapheneOS, though I had to migrate the original CAT sensor apps/tools back across with time-consuming manual methods.

[Anonymous]

---

@Korth wrote:

My search reports 51 phones equipped with all Telus radio bands, dual-SIM, and NFC.

(Including my beloved S61 right at the very bottom!)

Why so difficult to cross the brands and models you don't want off the list, then check your local/online stores to see which of the remaining shortlisted phones are actually available?

---

Either I'm doing it wrong or...

I have done all that. They either don't sell outright or it's way more than I want to spend. I may one day go up to a full flagship but that's not soon. Many of the stores I've checked don't seem to have dual SIM either. Samsung on the phone told me they don't have them in Canada (to name one brand). So that's why I'm looking for these obscure imports.

Or it's Android Go. Or it's Android One.

[gpixel]

@Anonymous 🤭😂🤣

[Korth]

My search reports 51 phones equipped with all Telus radio bands, dual-SIM, and NFC.

(Including my beloved S61 right at the very bottom!)

Why so difficult to cross the brands and models you don't want off the list, then check your local/online stores to see which of the remaining shortlisted phones are actually available?

[Anonymous]

---

@gpixel wrote:

@Anonymous yeah... phonemore doesn't seem to be accurate

a315g from amazon.ca questions. 

https://www.amazon.ca/ask/questions/asin/B087DRVSWC/ref=ask_mdp_dpmw_ql_hza?isAnswered=true

---

lol That's me (I think. I think there's only one). That's also under the /DSL variation.

phonemore looks great for showing the variations though but dang.

[gpixel]

@Anonymous yeah... phonemore doesn't seem to be accurate

a315g from amazon.ca questions. 

https://www.amazon.ca/ask/questions/asin/B087DRVSWC/ref=ask_mdp_dpmw_ql_hza?isAnswered=true

[Anonymous]

---

@gpixel wrote:

@Anonymous ya the 15g is non NFC I'm pretty sure. the 15f is the model with NFC /DS(dual sim)

---

Of course we can't believe everything we read on the internet but...

phonemore.com seems to indicate that that model does. But then those 3 sellers said not. So yeah...frustrating.

[gpixel]

@Anonymous ya the 15g is non NFC I'm pretty sure. the 15f is the model with NFC /DS(dual sim)

[Anonymous]

---

@gpixel wrote:

@Anonymous it's like a diamond in the rough, trying to find that specific model(sm-a315f/ds). there's a UK seller on ebay by the name of bigdreamz_shop. it's around $350 not including shipping. he's also selling an a21 for $277 dual sim/NFC

not sure if this website is secure..

https://www.from.ae/en/samsung-galaxy-a31-dual-sim-sm-a315f-ds-4gb-128gb-4g-lte-prism-crush-white

---

Or SM-A315G/DS. But a few Amazon sellers I asked, where that model was listed, said it didn't have NFC. But some other references suggest it does. But THREE of them said no. Although nor did they verify my question of whether it was ACTUALLY the /DS. The other model I tried was /DSL. No NFC.

I had looked at A30s as well but y'know...last years model. If I'm buyin' a phone, it may as well be current. But it's a few bucks less anyway.

Thanks for looking. At this point I'll take all the help anyone is offering.

[gpixel]

@Anonymous it's like a diamond in the rough, trying to find that specific model(sm-a315f/ds). there's a UK seller on ebay by the name of bigdreamz_shop. it's around $350 not including shipping. he's also selling an a21 for $277 dual sim/NFC

not sure if this website is secure..

https://www.from.ae/en/samsung-galaxy-a31-dual-sim-sm-a315f-ds-4gb-128gb-4g-lte-prism-crush-white

[Anonymous]

---

@Korth wrote:

The one I bought a while back - an RCA6066 - was only $75, unlocked, with dual-SIM plus SD slot. Surprisingly large screen. Astonishingly awesome WiFi performance. Adequate battery, processor, memory, and storage. Awful camera. Lousy speaker (non-issue because headphone jack). Frustrating software. It ain't no rocket but it works. It served its purpose while I awaited another phone. Now it's just a backup.

It's awkwardly large, slippery, thin, and the big flat glass looks extremely fragile - yet somehow it continues to survive undamaged while two rugged phones have been killed.

---

Thus your manly leather scabbard 🙂

Staples specs says it didn't have NFC. And it started life as A6.

[Korth]

The one I bought a while back - an RCA6066 - was only $75, unlocked, with dual-SIM plus SD slot. Surprisingly large screen. Astonishingly awesome WiFi performance. Adequate battery, processor, memory, and storage. Awful camera. Lousy speaker (non-issue because headphone jack). Frustrating software. It ain't no rocket but it works. It served its purpose while I awaited another phone. Now it's just a backup.

It's awkwardly large, slippery, thin, and the big flat glass looks extremely fragile - yet somehow it continues to survive undamaged while two rugged phones have been killed.

[Anonymous]

---

@Korth wrote:

Might end up cheaper and easier to get yourself two 1-SIM phones instead of one 2-SIM phone.

London Drugs also has cheap low-end devices with dual-SIM. To use until the device you want finally becomes available somewhere.

---

I'm hauling around 2 phones now. One is my main phone. The other is my data phone that I hotspot to. My plan was to use up the data that I got last year in the data account. I liked the idea of the dual SIM to not haul the 2 phones. But with these freebies being thrown around....

If those cheap phones are dual SIM then they're likely Android Go or maybe Android One. Android Go doesn't work with Android Auto when I tried it on a cheap Alcatel phone. Nice enough phone and all but it didn't work. I've read conflicting information about Android One but I haven't actually tried it.

[Korth]

Might end up cheaper and easier to get yourself two 1-SIM phones instead of one 2-SIM phone.

London Drugs also has cheap low-end devices with dual-SIM. To use until the device you want finally becomes available somewhere.

[Anonymous]

---

@gpixel wrote:

@Anonymous what does the a31 cost on eBay? best buy has it listed for $289 

---

None of the big time retailers will have the dual SIM. Then to follow that with NFC. I think it's a market fix by the telco's.

I'm trying not to do any Chinese brands. I'm fine with Samsung. I'm avoiding Android Go. I'm uncertain of Android One.

I was in a London Drugs wondering about a Nokia they had on the shelf. Oh yeah it's dual SIM they say confidently. ...Looks something up...see here it says dual SIM. They very nicely went to the full extent of opening the package and opening the SIM tray. Oh looky there...the second SIM slot is blocked. Single SIM. Now, whether I could go buy a dual SIM tray and hope that there's actual electronics for that second SIM...dunno. Didn't explore it.

Edit: @gpixel : I should have added...none of the big time retailers will sell a dual SIM outright if they had one. Not that I found anyway. Thus here I am. Frustrated.

[gpixel]

@Anonymous what does the a31 cost on eBay? best buy has it listed for $289