Vodafone is great. But I will never go to Samsung at all.
Samsung Galaxy A20 - $159 (Vodafone Prepaid and Includes $30 Prepaid Starter Pack) @ BIG W » All Comments
Samsung is great, but I will never go back to phone again…
Phone is great, but I'll never go back to… no, wait!
So what do you use if you don’t use a “phone”? Tin cans and a string?
@TomGum: 4G tablet, fits right in my briefcase
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2d/aa/d2/2daad2ac779c8754df68…
Phone is fine.
im going going back back to cali cali
Might be able to stack with Coupon Code 'PINEAPPLES' on Thursday if they still have stock in their eBay store
Price has dropped to $159 but no Stock in their eBay Store.
looks like a few were sold today then oos.
Hope they reload
It may be possible to get this then transfer onto $35 plan then unlock for free? Then cancel the plan during the first month?
https://www.vodafone.com.au/support/plans/switch-to-plan
Just a thought
It costs $50 to unlock doesn't it?
Vodafone website says free to unlock if in a plan.
very good phone, got one as spare and could not believe it beats my Sony XZ2's camera for night shoots lol
Thats impossible.
indeed it is, Sony should have let their camera and mobile teams work together, such a waste
That's the old catalogue. You need to check the catalogue that starts 15 August which probably arrived in your letterbox today.
That's not the droids we're looking for
I can not find a kink to the catalog that has this phone advertised for price mentioned by OP. Is it just me?
OP can you upload a picture of the physical catalog?
It's not on their website yet. The catalogue turned up in the letterbox today.
Kink op…kink..
Sucks that it's locked. Are there any cheaper options to unlock? I was looking for something around that price point to send to family overseas.
depending on which country?
If you can root the phone, you'll be able to unlock it.
isn't it free unlock after 6 months of usage?
¯_(ツ)_/¯
Voda’s website says $25
Phones on pre-paid:
Within 6 months - $50.00
After 6 months - $25.00Telstra keeps the cost at $25.00 up to 2 years, Vodafone doesn't seem to say what their limit is.
Anybody know or tried this with Kogan sim which is also vodafone, would it work?
Yes it will work fine.
Umidigi official store on eBay, Umidigi Power would be a better bet than this phone here.
Otherwise the A5 pro. Though the Power is a better all-arounder with better specs.
Nothing against Umidigi, but it's not the same price point so it doesn't compare.
It's unlocked though, and this isn't, so….
Good price for A5 pro but it doesn’t have NFC though.
Umidigi Power does, and the eBay codes atm help drop the price.
@urluv4u: Did you check all the running codes atm on ozbargain? They're listed at the top of an eBay Australia search.
Was able to unlock it myself at home. I have instructions in comments towards the end (currently at the bottom of page 2) of this thread.
Can anyone price match ?
Looks like BigW has hardly any stock. Anyone price match?
is A20 > SGS6 ?
So $209 unlocked if you don't care about the plan
If you want it unlocked before 6 months, yes.
Found this on Ebay . unlocking fee $39/-
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Unlock-code-service-Samsung-Gala…
Not sure how reliable though
It is associated with eBay plus and should be able to return in case it didn’t work
That is great , also 5% savings on ebay plus buy
I thought unlocking codes were banned on ebay.au? Looks like their not always lol.
5% saving with which code?
same screen similar specs and price , better performance https://m.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=9640&idPhone2=9…
both cameras are better on samsung tho
Similar specs and performance, but more ram and 1080p screen https://m.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=9640&idPhone2=9…
No B28: no NFC: smaller battery.
No Band 28, No NFC, MediaTek Processor (8xA53 vs 2xA73 & 6xA53 cores), 5.4 LCD vs 6.4 SuperAMOLED, Micro vs C, 4000 mah vs 3000 mah, No NFC vs NFC.
There are nowhere near the same. The 1080p res is the only thing the Play has on the A20.
I bought it at office works a few weeks ago to use as a spare phone for guests and it's actually a great phone.
Didn't somebody with some knowledge of unlocking say that most unofficial unlocks on the newer phones required getting the phone in the hands of the unlocker? No more DIY with supplied code by the unlocker you found on ebay. I may have read it wrong but that was my impression.
Bought this phone and it’s a fantastic phone for the price. Only downside I can notice compared to my wife’s s8 is the camera which is obviously not as good as a $1000 phone but does the job. Can also confirmed this worked with Kogan without unlocking.
Should also notice a huge difference in the screen quality, the A20 is really low resolution so you will see a lot of blocky pixels on it
720x1560 pixels is hardly low screen resolution.
You cannot expect flagship res from a budget priced phone…
actually, it's great for battery life.
I would agree if the phone was 5" (~343ppi) but the screen on the A20 is 6.4 inches giving it a ~268 ppi density, the iPhone 4 was 640 x 960 pixels but with a 3.5" screen gave it ~330 ppi density, Samsung has worse screen than a phone from 2010. For comparison this phones big bro the Samsung A30 has the same screen size but 1080 x 2340 pixels giving it a ~403 ppi density which is 1.5x the density of the A30. They definitely cut a lot of corners with the A20. Because the screen is AMOLED (pentile display) you want to ideally get at least 450ppi to avoid things looking really blocky but with budget phones you have to compromise so the A30 has a decent display for what you pay.
@Agret: I disagree, for under $200 the screen looks amazing to me. I do not see blocky pixels either. The A30 will drain the battery faster and for what it costs, its not even in budget phone category anymore. If I'm looking at the A30, I'm comparing it to $350+ phones anyway.
@hawkeye93: I have not had a chance to use it for regular daily use as if it was my own phone. The one I had I purchased for my mother and although I was able to play with it for a few days before giving it to her, the time I had was definitely not the same as my regular use with my own mobile.
I have one on order though, so will be able to give a better opinion when it arrives.
Does “I’m going oversease” work to get free unlocking?
Only for a short period, I guess
I don't think this trick works anymore. You are buying the phone cheaply because it is locked to Vodafone (i.e. they hope to recoup $50 worth of revenue from you by using their services).
Kinda tempted to pick one of these up just to see what it's like… have absolutely no need for it!
Or u can use Kogan sim for 6 months and after that get it unlocked for $25.
Probably cheaper to go into a Voda/Telstra/JB store and check out their live demo?
I am going overseas in a month and want to take it as a gift for someone. Will Vodafone unlock it?
Get one. Try it out and let us know.
So did Vodafone unlock it for you for free?
Thanks!
I just found my new MP3 player
Can someone confirm if Vodafone, since switching the bands they use, no longer cripple the bands (e.g. now they should have both 850 and 900 and let any bonus bands be)?
Locked Australian phones should work with at least all of the Australian spectrum if the networks are allowed to pickup and drop bands as they choose. Sign my non-existent petition here:
That is a good question.
Which is better? This or Nokia 5.1?
This.
Or u may choose 6.1 on Tobydeals @$200
Which is better? This or Nokia 6.1?
See https://m.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=9640&idPhone2=8…
Most specs similar, main difference I can see is the screen.
6.4" 720p Amoled vs 5.5" 1080p IPSDepends what you prefer
Do Telstra Blue Tick phones have good reception because of the hardware or something Telstra does to the software? The Telstra A20 is Blue Tick but does that mean all A20s will have good reception?
According to this Telstra video they do not modify Blue Tick phones, only test them. So all A20s including this one should have the same reception.
I was just looking up the features - it's not water resistant, no fast charging in spite of that big battery and no NFC (if you use your mobile for public transport eg. myki or Google pay). There could be other features lacking too.
It has NFC
New Water Resistant phone at $150, anything you can even think at even $300 ??
It has NFC. I think you are being extremely unreasonable expecting any of those other features for the price.
Well I didn't say that it wasn't good for the price - I'm just stating the features that aren't present that we are used to eg. I haven't compared RAM, processor, camera specs etc so don't be quick to judge and vote !
Also I didn't find NFC in the comparisons online eg. https://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Samsung-Galaxy-S10…
so I'm not sure. Fast charging is there is some places and not in other comparisons so again, I'm not 100% sure.I've got an S7 and was wondering if I should pick this up - the other option would be to go right up and get an S10. I'm just not sure if I would lose any features that I am used to in an S7.
The A20 is about half the performance of the S7 according to Antutu benchmark.
I thought it's got that standard "fast charging" (15W) you see in new budget phones? So about 2 hours from flat.
no fast charging? seriously?
The Galaxy A20 supports fast charging
https://www.samsung.com/au/support/mobile-devices/galaxy-a20…
I've seen it plugged in, confirm the status says 'fast charging'
It comes with fast charger. It’s not Apple.
Will these work on Lebara mobile? My understanding is that Lebara is a Vodafone reseller.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Surely it does.
Thanks for the reply Neoika. But are you saying that from experience ?
Thank you.
Ill add to that by confirming that every Voda handset i have owned - more than 10 - have worked on Kogan / Lebara
Main issue is that this phone is sold out.
I too would like to know this I'm a light user and the $14.90 3GB plan by Lebara is perfect for me.
Just called Lebara answer is no.
does this work with amaysim?
Obviously no.
Would this be better than S7 ?
I own an S7 edge and would say yes mainly because:
- Much bigger screen (if that matters to you)
- Android one UI (frikken love this)But I will miss these things that the A20 doesn't have that my S7E does:
- Water resistance
- Much better cameraI got an A20 for my mother to replace her currently dying phone. My partner and I had a play with it for a few days before handing it over and were so impressed, my partner now wants one to replace her own S7.
If Samsung made android one available for our S7s, I think it would make them amazing again.
Which is probably why they won't…Thanks, that really helps.
Interesting. I'm still rocking my s7e. It's battery life is still great. It's my travel camera as night shots are quite good and I rarely pull out my slr any more.
One thing is that I can't have in phones nowadays is wireless charging. It's at home and in my car and at this price I would be amazed that this had it.
My s7e battery life sucks. Doesn't manage an entire day. Is yours stripped bare of any apps?
Given it's EOL for samsung I'm considering rooting it.
@bargainshooter: Yeah same, my S7 battery isn't great but then I've probably got apps running in the background all the time.
no way … understood that it's a later release but S7 was a flagship; i hardly believe that A20 beat S7.
It may have better software but it doesn't have better hardware.
Definitely not - the display resolution is very low in comparison (text looks noticeably jagged), performance won't be anywhere close (probably <1/2 the speed of my old S8, which was about as fast as the S7), less RAM, far worse camera and plasticky design.
By no means is the A20 a bad phone - it's an absolute steal for under $200, but it certainly isn't a flagship.
It's going to be worse at certain things but better at others. Like battery life should be better on the A20. It's a silly comparison though. This is basically one of the lowest end current generation phones. Yes low end hardware has improved considerably, but it still going to be full of compromises in order to sell at this sub $250 price. The s7 was a $1000 phone.
It's amazing though how many previous generation flagship features have managed to get on a phone at this price point.
-super amoled screen
-fingerprint scanner/face unlock
-fast charging
-nfc
-wide angle camera (these weren't even common a generation ago)The great thing about this phone is despite its cheapness the SoC uses newer generation cpu cores which are faster than the cores found in flagships from snapdragon 810 era, but considerably a step up from anything that use to sell locally at $200. So the performance is more than adequate for people who don't do anything like 3d gaming. Because the screen resolution so low it helps with performance and battery life. Really I think Samsung nailed it at this price point.
I completely agree - at this price point, getting an AMOLED display, wide-angle camera, NFC and insane battery life for under $200 is unbelievable.
Just trying to make the point that if you're coming from - and used to - a flagship such as the S6/7 and newer, you won't be happy with the performance, camera, display and build quality as that's what you're paying for in a flagship.
Does this work with a Kogan Sim?
This would fit a worthy substitute to your main phone for occasions you'd rather not carry your main
Can anyone confirm if it supports B28 (700MHz LTE) ?
Definitely since it’s Aus stock.
Will I notice any coverage issues with Vodafone in sunshine and fraser coast? Currently with Amaysim and they are good.
Didn't someone in the past mention "recharge at least once a month for 3 months, they unlock it for free." not sure if that still applies now.
Can anyone post the catalogue being referred to?
It should be on the Big W website in a few hours as it starts tomorrow.
Did a bit of a Google and found it on Lasoo to save scanning the paper version.
https://www.lasoo.com.au/catalogue/big-w-os-15-08/5jmxolo8q.…
https://www.bigw.com.au/product/vodafone-samsung-galaxy-a20/…
The BigW website has updated and shows the deal price now
Thanks. Ordered just now.
can i use the starter pack to recharge MyCredit?
I don’t think so. Credit is in the sim with a new number
Got one…. Buy $200 wish gift card first and save $10. I paid with wish card plus free delivery. Bargain….
Sorry, how do you save $10 on $200 card? Is that an in store offer? Couldn't find an OzBargain listing for that.
5% discount if purchase through Cashrewards
Yes i did from shopback app. Sorry i forgot to mention that.
no stock now
No more delivery stock but some stores still have pick up stock.
Surprised to be reading a lot of positive comments about this phone here… I used it for a week and, while physically it looks and feels premium, I found the android image to be really really buggy throughout and the camera to be worse than my J5 Pro. It had the latest updates applied and this was only about a month ago.
YMMV
I'd say this phone isn't for your hardcore iPhone XS/Galaxy Note 10 instagram millennial who wants the best screen and camera. I bought it for my mum as all she needs is something to play games on and take some basic photos. And at $159, it's basically a steal for something with a big screen that can do most things.
What do you expect for $159? This is 2-3x better than anything in the sub $100 price range. Yet you need to get to the $300 price range to find something significantly better. This is at a perfect sweet spot for price / performance.
Though I should have bought a gift card first…. sigh….
Thanks OP. Managed to get for family. Anyone know what colour will it be? I am assuming black?
It's black.
Thank you.
I'm still on the TPG (Vodafone) $1 a month (pay as you go plan) so good for me. For the last 7 years I've averaged about $4 a month on calls and texts.
Big w also have the a50 on special for $446 and unlocked
Purchased online a few hours' ago for pickup, so hopefully there will be stock and order honoured. This phone is for my wife when I return to the EU, but I've maintained a cheapie Vodaphone prepaid plan for some years so I'm going to give the "I'm a valuable Vodaphone customer, please unlock my new phone for free" line a try.
You guys can price match on BigW ebay store and that will include 5% price beat as well. Remember to use an eBay Plus account to get free shipping.
worked for me
How did you do this? I don't expect Big W to respond quickly to a request via eBay messages - and this phone is selling quickly.
Phurcase first, then live chat with ebay for price guarantee.
@rokufan: Yes. Since Big w ebay price has been updated to $159, price guarantee is no longer available. However you can use promo code pineapple and purchase at $149.
No stock already on a new to market phone. Get it together big W - catalogue shows offer valid until 1st Sept. No preorder available?
The term you are looking for is "raincheck". Ask in store. They may be able to help you out.
seems to be sold out :(
Big W Blacktown NSW is showing some stock. Possibly pick up only. If someone's interested.
Unsurprisingly, no stock at all near me (inner west Melbourne).
Will this work overseas if the overseas sim is also from Vodafone?
Seems to have sold out online and in stores all around me. Managed to grab the last one first thing in the morning.
The bloke at Big W said people had been calling all morning to check stock and many came in right at opening time to grab one. He said their store was sold out by 8:30am!I bought 6 am online. Glad I did that first thing when I woke up.
Last one ordered from Melbourne yayy
Had a Big W online chat. Rep said this phone is classified as a 'ranged' item and will be restocked.
Bought the last one in ringwood (vic) an hour ago. Stocks extremely limited
I picked one up for a friend in the morning. Great stuff!
Well last night there are plenty of stock while price is $189 on eBay, and the sold quantity is 77. When the price lowered, all the stocks are gone and the sold quantity is still 77. Bad move Big W.
They purchased when the price was still 199 and did the price beat through live chat. So all gone before the price was lowered.
missed the bus…
Can you price beat even though it's out of stock On the store?
U mean on BigW website? YMMV. It depends on the eBay rep in the live chat.
BACK IN STOCK for home delivery!!! Just ordered one.
Just received an email that my pick up order was cancelled, no stock available for delivery or pickup. Not the best ordering experience :/
What time did you place your order?
12:48 - order was at Carindale store in QLD. Their site said they had stock at time of order
I placed a click and collect order at 10:50am. Haven't received a cancellation. Was planning to collect tomorrow.
They do seem to be getting more stock, so it may pay to be persistent.
Relax… they will get more stock before the sale ends September 1st.
Just chill and remember its just a budget phone… not the deal of the century or anything.
Only 1 year of warranty. Many people would rather buy Aus stock.
My experience of warranty issues within Aus is pretty bad anyway, no consumer rights, too much grey area with 'minor and major' fault disputes, pathetic really. 2yr warranty that means very little and usually redirected to manufacturer always rather than seller. $200… worth a punt if you ask me if the ebay seller is reputable.
That may have the other 700MHz band instead of B28
There's a different one? O.o
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_frequency_bands
700MHz listed for a phone doesn't always mean B28 that we use in Australia.
Phones configured for North American 700MHz bands wont work on B28 here.@GCSteve: https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_6_1-8972.php
Although it won't say TA43 version etc, it does list the 700MHz as being Band 28, sounds like it should be ok. Do you agree?
@GCSteve: I did a little digging on whirlpool, and found this website, could be handy to scope out band compatibility in future phones; https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/AU/nokia-6-2018
Anyway to find out? I'm not imagining many retailers will list 700MHz (B28) on the product?
Other than this issue the Nokia seems to be the better deal (once you unlock the A20), spec for spec it blows it away, better PPI as well (almost twice!?). And they end up the same price (once unlocked).
The only thing I can see the A20 has going for it is that's it's local Aus stock.
Your first Nokia TA-1043 link listed B20 but not B28 and only use the ambiguous 700 which could exclude B28.
Sometimes people assume 700 = B28 and don't find out until experiencing coverage issues.
Searched Nokia.com for TA-1043 and got no results so don't know where you could easily find a reliable source.
@dunker56: Thanks, Checked that site with other phones with 700 but no B28 and it was aware of the difference.
They have a disclaimer "The information on this web site is not guaranteed…." but they also have a "Report an Error" link so probably a good source when you can't find the specs on manufacturers websites.
Does the phone comes with screen protector or a case?
no, just cable and charger
Can confirm, not even earbuds.
But does have a 3.5mm jack!
Just bought this today. the A20 connnecting to my Wifi the max speed i can get is 72Mbps.
My own phone and other devices connect to my wifi with network speed of 870Mbps
I wanna know anyone with a A20 joined to wifi, please see if im the only one seeing a hard capped speed of 72Mbps
or do i have a dud unit
It only has the 2.4GHz WiFi band so pretty basic in that area.
2.4Ghz should be able to get 130Mbps, my older devices are showing that speed
for 72Mpbs it must be a really crap wifi chip or mine is a dud
Picked this up in-store today (Woden, ACT) as a backup for my S10. Last one there, was told that they were expecting more in a few days time.
Easy unlock, took all of 5 minutes using the Samsung USB Unlock Tool which cost 3 GBP (about $5). Works fine with Telstra and Amaysim SIMs.
Sure, it's not a flagship phone. But, for regular, day-to-day use, the price is good value for the features and specifications.
Samsung USB Unlock Tool (fonefunshop.com)
Thanks for the tip. Would wait for more stock and if many users confirm, this would be fantastic.
That is correct! Did mine last night, now works on Optus and Telstra
Thanks for the recommendation :)
Have tested with a Telstra prepaid SIM, an Aldi (Telstra network SIM), an Amaysim (Optus network) SIM, and a T-Mobile Roaming SIM from Germany. All work ok, have made calls from each of them. And, of course, works with the Vodafone SIM.
Legend! I just have to wait for the stock then :)
This is great! Thanks!
Next task: to try and flash the multi-CSC firmware and change the carrier version to XSA as well, so that VoWifi works for all carriers. Anyone attempted that yet?
I was trying to unlock using this method but didn't work for me. Can you please let me know which method have you used - the new or old unlock method. Am having trouble when trying to use either of the methods. New method gives an error (Please restart your phone or try to flash with a different firmware and the old one says Read error - R4!)Also can you please confirm the baseband version.thank you.
Here are the details for my A20.
Model: SM-A20YN
Baseband: A205YNDVU2ASF2
SP SW ver SAOMC_SM-A205YN_LDT_VAP_PP_0008 VAP/VAP/VAPSteps I used:
- Downloaded and installed the Samsung USB drivers and the Samsung Unlock tool from the link provided above.
- Enabled developer mode on the phone
- Enabled USB debugging mode on the phone
- Removed SIM card from phone and rebooted phone
- Removed all security (PIN, Pattern, Fingerprint, Face Unlock)
- Ran the Samsung unlock tool, loaded in the licence key information
- Connected phone to PC using the USB to USB-C cable that came in the box
- Pressed "Read Info" on the unlock tool to confirm that the comms was working ok
- Pressed "Allow USB Debugging" on the phone multiple times
- Selected "Unlock (New)" on the unlock tool.
- Accepted "Allow USB Debugging" on the phone more times
- Phone rebooted a couple of times
- Unlock tool confirmed that Unlock process was successful, and the unlock code had been reset to 00000000
- Put a non-Vodafone SIM card in and restarted phone
- Phone asked for an unlock code, entered 00000000
- Everything worked from here
From what I can work out, the tool does NOT unlock the phone itself. It generates an unlock key based on a NULL SIM (hence why you have to remove all SIMs before starting the process), and changes the unlock code to 00000000. When you then insert a "foreign" SIM, it then normally prompts for the unlock code, except the code is now set to the known 00000000.
If someone else can confirm the steps are correct (I'm doing this from memory), that would be good
@tshepherd: Thanks for the detailed instruction.
the tool does NOT unlock the phone itself. It generates an unlock key based on a NULL SIM
How would this effect if the phone is flashed with a different Rom? Would it still be network unlocked?
Thanks@No ONE: I believe so. The SP lock status is not part of the ROM firmware image generally. I've unlocked earlier Samsung phones before using this method, then flashed CyanogenMod and similar custom ROMs over it, without it re-locking the phone. Haven't tried it with the A20 yet though.
Normal firmware upgrades (Odin or OTA) should not reset this either. I've subsequent to unlocking the A20, flashed the June 2019 update with no problems.
@tshepherd: Thank you very much .. but looks like this isn't working for me…same error ..
Running tool: ERROR! [L7]
PLEASE RETRY AFTER THE PHONE RESTART! IF STILL HAVE ERROR THEN FLASH WITH DIFFERENT FIRMWARE!tried multiple times and not sure if it has triggered KNOX..
@saminn: Can you do a ReadInfo on the phone? When does it fail?
USB Debugging is definitely turned on? (Settings / Developer Options / USB debugging - slider set to on)?
@tshepherd: It fails after connecting server … After connecting first, it shows me everything however bombs out .. i think i will have to get a unlock from vodafone directly…
https://cdn1.imggmi.com/uploads/2019/8/16/a0acded6e400a2e181…
removed some info and license ..
@Noire: yes luckily its 0X0.. downloaded an app called phone info which confirmed.. .. so definitely not f***ed up …
@saminn: No further ideas, unfortunately, short of the usual try different cable; reinstall software; do a factory reset of phone and try again … none of which have any real reasoned rationale for. Might need to contact the developer of the tool, or the reseller to see if they have any advice.
Would be keen to hear though if anyone else has had success.
@tshepherd: If you (or someone else trying) wants to walk through the steps to see if we can work out what's causing this problem, PM me
@Nextacy: Looking back at the emails, I ordered mine at 7.42pm last night, with payment using Paypal. At 8.08pm, I received an email from the supplier with the license key, so just under 30 minutes.
The supplier appears to be UK based, so I would hazard a guess that if you order during the UK night/early morning, response times might be slower.
@tshepherd: Manage to get it unlocked as well through this method so Thanks Tshepherd!
So in terms of the method, the above is correct. One thing to note is, since the unlock is based on ADB, after enabling USB debugging mode, when you plug in the phone, a dialogue should pop up and ask do you authorize this computer in which you will have to press yes to, otherwise the ADB connection will fail.
One thing to test is to, after the installation of the Samsung USB drivers, open up Command Prompt, just search CMD, then type in 'adb devices', if the drivers are installed correctly, it should find the phonee and be similar to the following ' R58M723PVOL Device', if it says unauthorized, this is because you have not press the authorization popup on your phone.
Hope this helps someone make this work. I suspect this is the main cause that is stopping this unlock process from working.
@aznsniper: Another item that I noticed when doing it, the first time, it randomly closed on my and I found it was due to the antivirus, either with the third party antivirus or the in built Windows 10 antivirus, so close them and try again.
@aznsniper: I believe there might be something up with my Samsung USB drivers, so following the command prompts i'm getting " 'adb' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file."
@Noire: Check that you are in the same directory that you installed the Samsung USB drivers to before you run adb. That directory is likely not in your $PATH. Or, search for adb.exe using the Windows file explorer, and when you're in the command prompt, change to that directory before running the "adb devices" command.
@aznsniper is right - if adb is not properly working, the unlock is going to fail
@tshepherd: Called the fonefunshop support and they were on call while i was doing the stuff but tough luck … they refunded the money saying the software works for below models (mine was SM-A205YN)as listed in their website. Lucky you if its working for you…
SM-A205F
SM-A205FN
SM-A205G
SM-A205GN
SM-A205S@saminn: Mine is definitely the SM-A205YN. I believe all the Australian models are YN, so it should work perfectly fine. There's some other issue at play here.
@saminn: Just had a close look at the screen capture you sent last night. The only difference I can see with the versions is that I did my unlock before updating to the June security patch, whilst it looks like you've updated to the June patch already. It shouldn't make a difference, but that's the only thing I can see. It should be possible to use Odin or Heimdall to downgrade the firmware (use Frija to get an old firmware image downloaded).
Others who were successful / unsuccessful: do you recall if you did a firmware update before or after unlocking?
@tshepherd: I havent done a firmware update, but wouldnt think it would matter. It is most likely due to the ADB connection.
@aznsniper: I've been able to do some testing with a couple of people from here, plus had a conversation with the developer. It appears that the issue is the bootloader. If you have a phone with a version U1 bootloader, this tool can unlock it. If you have a version U2 bootloader, you're out of luck, until the developer cracks the algorithm for the U2 bootloader.
@bonz: Easiest is probably to install an app like Phone Info Samsung, and look up the firmware tab.
There'll be an entry called bootloader, and in the middle of some other characters starting with A205YN… there will be a U1 or U2
@tshepherd: Completely forgot about that but that sounds reasonable. I wonder if there are different batches of the Galaxy A20, haven't updated mine, the security update is only February 2019. and once the bootloader is updated, I don't believe that is downgradable. May the latest updates has caused updated the bootloader in this instance.
Might be interesting to compare the Manufacturing Dates of Phones with https://sndeep.info/en
Mine comes up as July 2019.
@tshepherd: @tshepherd:
I successfully managed to unlock my phone. Followed your 16 steps instructions and Violah!! Telstra is working for me. Thank you very much.
@tshepherd: Really silly question here.. But I honestly can't figure it out.. Do you download the usb drivers/software to your pc and attach the phone via usb or do you download the usb drivers/software onto the phone via WiFi?
@tshepherd: Thanks for your reply.
Unfortunately I just found out I have boot version U2, so cannot do anything anyway :-(I have contacted fonefunshop to see if they are any closer with an unlocking code. Do you know of any other ways I can unlock this phone?
@kimba88: So, the newer batch might have a U2 bootloader? I helped someone last night who bought one yesterday when stocks came back in (bought from Big W Browns Plains), and they were still on a U1 bootloader. Perhaps we can help others by checking IMEI?
The 3 I have personally unlocked all have IMEIs in the range:
355776/10/115xxx/y
where xxx ranged from 02x to 94x
Anyone who got a U2 out of the box, what was the IMEI range? Or, anyone who successfully flashed - is your IMEI outside that range?
@tshepherd: I picked up a phone today and ran the unlock tool only for it to fail. Downloaded the Phone Samsung Info app and turns out I indeed have the dreaded U2 bootloader. Phone manufacture date is August and it already had the June update installed. IMEI starts with 3567.
Fingers crossed the developer can crack this one for us!
@lisa651: Same thing. Picked one today. Checked the software update, it said up to date with Jul patch. At the bottom it also mentioned the bootloder U2.
@tshepherd: So it seems anyone with an imei starting with 3567 has newer stock with boot loader U2. If it stays with 3557,you might be ok for boot loader U1. That's my assumption anyway.
@kimba88: Apologies people - I made a typo..The three I unlocked do start with 3567, not 3557. I think it's the serial number that matters here.
The IMEI is of the form
TTTTTT/FF/SSSSSS/C
where
T is the Type Approval Code issued by the central authority
F used to be for a manufacturer batch number, but is now also part of the TAC
S is the serial number for the device
C is the check digitI think the determining factor is the serial number. The three I unlocked all had serial numbers starting with 115.
We have one report above that a U2 out of the box had a serial number starting with 15.
@lisa651, @kimba88, @No ONE - can you check the serial numbers?
@tshepherd: I bought 2 yesterday (from different stores) which are both throwing the [L7] error with the unlock tool.
Both had the June update preinstalled out of the box.
The IMEI's are:
356776/10/150xxx/y
356776/10/154xxx/y@No ONE: I think it's pretty conclusive then. The earlier serial numbers (in the 11x range) are ok, but the later ones (15x and above) have the U2 bootloader.
Hopefully the developers crack the U2 bootloader soon.
@tshepherd: I just ordered on my phone. Does it take some time to provide a link to download? Do I need to use my PC? I only have Ubuntu.
@BluebirdV: You mean you ordered a license key for the unlocker software?
When I ordered mine it took about 3 0 minutes to get the email with the license key and link, not sure what the experience of others has been.
When I did my unlock, I ran the unlocker under Wine in Fedora, so you'd think it should work in Ubuntu. I've also successfully run it in a Win 10 virtual machine under Gnome Boxes on Fedora.
@tshepherd: Yes, I ordered a license key for the unlocker software. I'm not really sure how to do this on Ubuntu. I'm not holding my breath for any results. Do you happen to know of any YouTube videos or websites that can help? Thanks.
@BluebirdV: Have you checked the bootloader version? At present, it is only the U1 version bootloader that can be unlocked. The U2 bootloader doesn't appear to be cracked yet.
I don't use Ubuntu, but I'd expect the process to be the same as Fedora. Make sure you have the Wine package installed, then from a terminal, install the Samsung USB drivers (you may need to manually map the USB devices), then run the samunlock.exe executable using wine. Not aware of any videos though
@Godgodgod: Haven't heard anything, but I'm not keeping in contact with the developer (only had that initial brief contact to do some testing for him when we were working out the bootloader issue). If he does contact me to advise U2 is ready, I'll post here, but I don't see any real reason why he would.
@Godgodgod: Discussion at GSMHosting.
You'll be looking for discussion about any of the A series phones and the U2 bootloader (also called the BIT2). I've noticed 4 or 5 separate threads.
Flashed the XSA firmware using Odin. VoWifi and VoLTE are now working with the Telstra SIM.
After unlocking - put in Telstra SIM. Wifi calling and VoLTE active. No need to flash to XSA, as the installed firmware is already XSA
Thanks. Will try unlocking this tonight. I bought 3 for family so will this tool be able to unlock all 3 or is it for 1 credit only?
3 credits per unlock..
Beautiful. Just what I need.
I was able to unlock using this tool. Thanks
Would you mind reviewing the steps I listed above to see if my "next-day" recollection of them was correct?
I followed exactly same steps as you listed.
How many phones ppl are buying? Just two weeks ago many bought the LG V30+ from JB HiFi and now this. The price difference between A20 and the V30+ is approx $228 if considering 5% discount cards.
$228 is the price for wireless charging, water resistance, 32 bit Quad DAC, Oled, 128gb, dual sim, unlocked, NFC, wide angle camera, QC 3.0, gorilla Glass, flagship status and many more.
The thing is, will they use all of them? We all have different purposes of using phones.
Also $228 more is over double the price of this phone. I would consider the type of user buying a phone at this price wouldn't be able to extend their budget by over double to get an older generation flagship.
Also the A20 has fast charging and wide angle camera.
Got it, a great phone.
Camera is quite meh, butI only planned to use it as an Audible / MP3 player.Audible saves to internal memory, MP3's saved on SD card with Pi Player. Perfect.
Ordered case and screen protector via AliExpress.Thanks GCSteve!
Looks like you can get Audible to save to the SD card
https://audible.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4816/~/…
If you are a member of your local/state/capital city libraries you can probably access Libby which has a ton of audio books you can loan for free too
Inquisitor Eisenhorn will never reside anywhere other than on main memory…
Hmm, I don't use Audible myself but I guess the publishers must have some way to override this setting for certain releases? Seems odd since I believe the files are still encrypted as it states you can't play them back on other devices in that FAQ. Oh well, guess you gotta make do with what you can. I know Games Workshop can be pretty strict with their IPs.
No stock anywhere in and around Brisbane/Gold Coast. I've called few stores to check if they will restock but all of them replied they are not expecting any :(
Granddaughter just picked up one from Warwick, Qld. Apparently two left. Might be a bit far out from Brisbane though.
Thanks for that :) Unfortunately, it's far from where I live. Also, NSW Ballina store got some stock if anyone's interested.
There should be a few left at Robina, Ibought around 5pm today.
:O I called them this morning, and they said all gone!
Well when I called in the afternoon around 4, they said they had a few left. Went instore, they seem to have maybe 2 left, but they are stored below in the glass cabinet but not actually displayed. If you live close, might be worth trying first thing in the morning.
Just got a refund advice email from them. Apparently it was out of stock when I ordered it only (a couple of days back). Anyone else?
I ordered yesterday early morning and it's been shipped today.
Wow.
My order was at 8:16am Tuesday and went through fine. Out of stock email came today at 12:56pm.
It's funny that all those retailers, big w, jb hifi, thegoodguys, eb games, all of them have a very bad or 'loose' stock management system
Do any other stores sell these that can price match?
JB, the Good Guys and Harvey Norman all have the unlocked version for $279. I'm just wondering if they'll price match even though the Big W is locked to Vodafone. Dues anyone know?
Let us know if you try and succeed
Showing as available at all the stores in my region but pickup only and they are all 60km or more away so I will pass.
What's your region?
Mid north coast - Grafton to Port Macquarie including Coffs, Kempsey all show as available but all pickup only.
Bugger. A bit too far for me living in western Sydney.
Has anybody been told that big w stores or online will restock? I tried calling the call centre this afternoon but they said their system was down so they couldn't check.
Out of stock everywhere in SEQLD and no delivery :(
back in stock…
Just confirmed that mine has bootloader version U2 and the unlock tool fails. I had already installed the June security update before trying so that may have updated the bootloader version? Can anyone confirm if they have U2 but did not yet install June update ?
I've just checked with my granddaughter. She has a U1 bootloader, February security patch level, and hasn't installed any updates. I've told her to reject all updates till I can unlock it.
There's quite a bit of discussion found within some of the threads at GSMHosting that confirm that the U2 bootloader was installed with the June security update and it is currently uncracked. Hopefully soon though, sounds as though there are a few teams working on it, as the new protection mechanism applies to various types of locks and factory reset protection across a range of Samsung devices, not only the A20.
I just unwrapped my a20 (purchased today) and can confirm it has U2 bootloader :-( mine was connected to wifi and was trying to install some updates.. I don't think it was updating the system though.. All I have done is look up the bootloader. I'm so bummed. Have we got any way around unlocking this phone? I need to start using it asap :-(
Did you find an unlock yet?
Anyone experiencing gps issues with this handset. Strava is unable to detect the gps signal, even though location access is enabled.
Same here. Take very long time to fix, I installed GPSData on both A20 and Note9, while Note9 got a fix within 2 - 10s, A20 took 2 to 20 mins to get a fix. Not sure if it is a firmware issue tho. I bought this phone for AA in my car, but the GPS doesn't work …
FYI, u may get a price match to the overseas model (dual sim) from qd_au eBay. I managed to get 1. YMMV though so just test your luck.
Did you manage to get one through price match or this deal (Big W)?
Price match on eBay with the price of this deal.
Thanks :) I just sent them a message.
Doesn't have 2yr warranty though right?
Yup. But for around $150, can’t complain much. Once it dies, I’ll just get another phone at the same price or get it fixed (if not too costly).
& the chances of me losing receipt is much higher than the phone issues ;)
sorry, I've tried to search how to do it, but not sure if that's what you did.
the one I can find is you buy the item and within 48 hours, you chat them and send them the link to the cheaper item and they gave you a voucher as compensation.
Is that what you did?Or did you contact qd_au directly and asked them for price match and you got a voucher code to reduce the price?
Firstly, contact ebay live chat to check whether it’s eligible as the models are different. Then, if he/she confirms, immediately make the purchase and let them know so you will be issued a voucher to use for subsequent purchases. Keep trying if not successful. YMMV.
Good phone to test out android!
Very nice phone - doesn't feel cheap. The only let down is the 720p display.
no sign of stock
Typical Big W:
heavily advertise then absolutely no stockI called them yesterday coz my order got stuck at awaiting processing since I placed the order last Thursday. Turn out they have no stock to fulfil my order so they offer me either refund or wait for the next stock next week. Of course I choose to wait since I already ordered a case and screen protector for the phone. Hopefully they have more stock for us Ozbargainer before the sale ends
back in stock..
Looks like they are in stock again delivery. Ive just ordered one.
Can see the stock available in Brisbane (says estimated delivery 28th to 30th August between ) ..
Available for pickup..
https://cdn1.imggmi.com/uploads/2019/8/23/6abd4116043fd68bb6…Thank you.Just got one online too.
Hmm so now they will deliver, for $9.90. It's been showing no delivery until now.
You can order online with the pickup in store option to avoid delivery costs.
Are you checking the $159 Vodafone prepaid A20 or $279 unlocked A20?
My local store is showing the $159 Vodafone prepaid A20 available for pickup with "Home delivery is not available for this product."
The unlocked version for $279 is showing "Standard delivery Estimated delivery on 28th to 29th August."
It's 120km round trip minimum for me to Big W - cheaper to get it delivered.
I'm looking at A20. It's been showing "Home delivery is not available for this product" since the deal started. I had a look an hour ago and noticed it had changed. Coffs Harbour, Kempsey and Port Macquarie stores.
Showing out of stock for me. All gone already?
I get the "Home delivery is not available for this product." too
I'm only seeing stock for half the stores in the area.
The ones showing out of stock could have sold out again or not received fresh stock yet.
Back in stock in eBay
It’s gone now. Listing can’t be found.
Looks like they had 3 units.
Big W lol
Back in stock in Big W website, available for pick up and delivery.
Just be aware this phone is slow. Might be ok if you haven't use a fast smooth phone.
But if you have, you'll feel the painSo it's slower than phones with SD 632, 636?
Might be, there's demo in the shop, try it before you buy
Geekbench Cpu Single Core score:
SD 630 883
This phone 1099
SD 632 1377
SD 636 1333This could give you some insights on how fast this phone is on the system and apps. (Not gaming).
Also this phone is using 720 x 1560 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~268 ppi density), considered high resolution, so more pressure on the CPU compared to other low resolution phones
Redmi Note 3 - SD 650 - 1398
Thanks for the tip. Although it seemed to run as smooth as my old Kate for what I'd be doing - browsing.
Yes - phone is slow and screen is blurry if you used to high PPI screens
Does it have 3g of ram?
Yup
For those who have received one of these, would a 3rd party Vodafone carrier such as Kogan work?
Yes, I'm using a Kogan sim in one now.
Lebara use Vodafone and they said no when I asked them.
Any cheap unlock?
Back in stock at my local Big W, purchased, pickup tomorrow.
Sweet.All the stocks showing up after this deal was posted, would most likely be the new batch, which are manufactured in Aug and have the June patch applied along with the U2 bootloader.
Unfortunately, just with the IMEI number I can't see there's a way to check the manufacture date.
So if you are planning to buy this one and have it unlocked, you are looking at $50 from Vodafone, or wait for 3 or more weeks for the developers to crack this new bootloader/baseband. And 3 weeks is not guaranteed they can crack this.So this will be $209 unlocked in total, if spend $50 more you can also consider this one:
Lenovo Z5s
Snapdragon 710 4GB RAM / 64GB Flash
Antutu 174000 compared to this one 65000, that is about 300% in speed, absolutely a winner
6.3" - 1080 x 2340 IPS 409 PPI, high resolution is absolutely a winner compared to this blurry 'Super' AMOLED
Dual SIM, would be handy
Triple Camera can record at 4K 2160p absolutely a winner:
16 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), PDAF
8 MP, f/2.4, (telephoto), PDAF, 2x optical zoom
5 MP, f/2.4, depth sensor
Android 9.0 Pie
3300 mAh less batteryPrice $245 delivered after cashback, including shipping and tax, including free case and glass.
Or price match with a grey import A20. $150 for unlocked, dual Sim phone but only 1 year of warranty.
No B28 No NFC
Checked the link, searched by postcode, and very few stores currently have stock available for pickup
Checked for stock at random locations on the BigW website and noticed Kingaroy, Emerald, Yepoon, Port Augusta, Kingston, Morwell, Wonthaggi, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Warwick, Armadale and Taree have stock.
Has anyone found an unlocking service for bootloader U2 yet?
For anyone still needing an unlock, see this comment in another thread: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/481003?page=2#comment-7698…
Worked for me!
thank you for this.Took a bit of pushing but they finally unlocked it.
Was there any particular angle you took to get this done?
I unlocked my one bought from AusPost, via the VA AU unlock page.
Just used this, types *#06# to get the IMEI, followed the instructions and had it unlcoked in 20 seconds!
https://unlock.vodafone.com.au/voila/handsetunlock/self-serv…
Was able to get two at Werribee store today and 1 more left if anyone is look around that way.
My A20 arrived from Auspost today. This is actually my first locked phone ever, I am a little unsure as to how to go about unlocking it, like… what are the steps?
I'm guessing I need the vodafone SIM card inserted to try and get an unlock code or something… like… how does it work? Pretend I am a monkey, I won't be offended!
The phone is great, but I will never go back to Vodafone again…