Sudden Galaxy S3 Death--ideas?

NetherWorm

Honorable
Nov 11, 2013
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0
10,510
I have had my phone for a minimum of a year and love it to death. A couple weeks ago I'm sitting at Mcclains coffee house in Fullerton, CA, average California weather and suddenly it died. I felt the vibration of it turning on. I look at it and it just kept resetting itself over and over. My friend has the exact same phone so we switched batteries and it still wouldnt start up. At this point its 100% a brick. I dont get the splash screen, no option of safe mode. So finally im po'd enough to go to AT&T and see if im due for an upgrade or replacement. I'm told that im due for an upgrade ONLY through this new plan they have. I'm thinking...i have been a customer since God knows how long...and I have to pay extra for this?

ANYWAY all that aside. I should have just asked this in the beginning (sorry really really upset here). What I'd like to know is if I buy a galaxy s3 from say a friend that can sell me one, switch the sim card will my provider be able to tell?
 
Solution
They can tell that a different phone is used because the id numbers are different.
With that said as long as you get an at&t phone they dont care, no carrier has any issues with you switching to a used device that is for their network, they have you in a two year contract and that is what they care about.

You will loose all data but you can use a pc, download the android firmware, as well as the usb drivers and odin software and then attempt to reinstall the software on your phone.

It looks like you can only do a direct install of jelly bean but if successfull then you can do OTA update to kit kat:
http://www.androidayos.com/samsung-galaxy-s3-stock-firmware/

house70

Distinguished
Apr 21, 2010
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19,310
The provider will be able to tell, since the network sees the phone via it's IMEI, which is unique. That being said, they won't be able to do much about it, since you're not modifying your plan (esp. the data part of your plan). You can actually buy any unlocked GSM phone and use it with your SIM card, as long as it works with the same bands as the network you're on (esp. 3G and LTE bands). This goes for any replacement phone you might get.

I would consider getting an S4, since it's better and newer than the S3, but that's me. You prefer the S3, therefore go with it. The terms of your data plan remain the same, it's just a different phone. I have changed my phone multiple times using same SIM card and I kept the same plan. I even went to ATT and had them change the IMEI in their system to the new phone (to make sure it registered correctly with the LTE) and didn't have a problem. My money, my phone.
 
They can tell that a different phone is used because the id numbers are different.
With that said as long as you get an at&t phone they dont care, no carrier has any issues with you switching to a used device that is for their network, they have you in a two year contract and that is what they care about.

You will loose all data but you can use a pc, download the android firmware, as well as the usb drivers and odin software and then attempt to reinstall the software on your phone.

It looks like you can only do a direct install of jelly bean but if successfull then you can do OTA update to kit kat:
http://www.androidayos.com/samsung-galaxy-s3-stock-firmware/
 
Solution