Seems like the cheapest (or one of the cheapest?) Australian stock from a reputable seller at this very moment with the PHONE15 coupon.
Note that the phone is Optus branded. Full Tax Invoice Included and Australian Warranty.
is there any difference between branded and non branded phones? Cheers.
The branded phone might have an Optus boot screen (and a chance of having some Optus bloatware).
See this post marked 'Solution': https://yescrowd.optus.com.au/t5/Mobile/Optus-branded-phones…
My partner has this one from their last deal. I flashed XSA for him to remove the boot screen and bloatware. I did it without setting the phone up (so straight out of the box). Really simple. The phone itself (and the box) has no branding.
Thanks for replying. Is XSA something official or does it void the phone's warranty?
XSA is basically just an official (non-carrier) version. So you do not need to root and you do not void your warranty. It allows you access to quicker updates without relying on the carrier (in this case it is Optus).
I followed this guide. https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8+/how-to/official-…
Honestly, it was so simple. It took less than 10 minutes. I did it straight-out-of-the-box, so didn't have to worry about the part where it says about activating the PIN.
Also, received the phone really quick and when I had a request for an electronic invoice the staff were very helpful via email.
xsa roms are official oem retail market roms…
branded roms like optus and telstra are carrier specific and meant to be optimized for that network… (bloat included)
wont void your warranty flashing xsa roms.
Thanks heaps! got one :)
Telcos sometimes add extra features that can be useful (most not). For example, the telstra firmware TEL has WiFi Calling which automatically allows you make and receive calls when there is no or weak mobile reception. XSA does not have this. I think the optus firmware may have a similar feature.
What bloat was there? On my S7 I didn't find anything beyond the preinstalled-but-removable Optus app, and the branded boot and shutdown animations just replace Samsung's, they don't add any delay.
As for quicker updates, Optus get S7 updates and security patches at least a week before XSA (however Vodafone and Telstra drag their feet). Taking a look at S8 firmwares on Sammobile, it looks like the carriers and XSA all release at the same time.
Price is showing as $984.80 when I checked. Seller bumped up the price already??
Do you see a coupon in post? That will give you 15% off
What would be the price on invoice as I would be claiming TRS.
Sold out..
Are u getting more in stock?
Damn just pulled the trigger with MyMobile for $849.60 last night. Great find OP.