Question before buy Galaxy S9

Using /e/OS Setup
1

Hello everybody,

I would like to buy a Galaxy S9 but I’m afraid about 1 thing.

Before buy it I found many things about issue if phone is already on Android 9 or 10.
I understand bootloader is locked/encrypted since February update and prevent downgrading.
But if I don’t downgrade to Android 8 I can’t flash /e/ without brick my phone.

So I would like to clarify situation before buy S9.

If phone is on Samsung rom and up to date, it is totally impossible to flash /e/. Is it true or any trick exists to workaround this issue?

Thank you for your help.

2

Hello, welcome in the forum :slight_smile:

To prevent any issue, you can directly buy a S9 from the e Foundation.

And for your information, the S9 is officially supported by LineageOS on Android 10, so this device will probably be updated to /e/OS on Android 10 once /e/OS source code will ba compatible with Android 10 (September/October).

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If your S9 will have Android 9 installed you can use the eOS PIE GSI without risc of downgrading

4

Thank you for explanation :slight_smile:

@Anonyme : I really want to buy phone by /e/ store, but unfortunately it is so much expensive for me :frowning:
I choose this phone because it is similar to my iPhone X and officially supported by /e/ (I already have a Redmi Note 5 under /e/ since December 2018)

@harvey186 : thank you for this information. I will try to find a S9 under Android 9 but I think it’s very hard.

So If I understand, I can :

  • buy on /e/ Store : impossible for me
  • switch on LineageOS Android 10 for waiting /e/ Android 10
  • just leave it on stock rom and wait /e/ will be compatible
  • find a phone still on Android 9

Thank you again for your help :slight_smile:

5

Going back from 10 to 9 is not so an issue. I’m not sure for Samsung, but on my xiaomi devices I’m switching forth and back from 9 to 10 and back without any issue.
In.the moment I’m running my ungoogled los17.1 GSI on my natrium device with android 9 vendor files

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Oh, it is an issue, and it’s not as easy with Samsung as it is with your Xiaomi. Before updating an S9, Samsung informs with the following note:

After updating, you will not able to downgrade to the old software becuase of updates to security policy.

This also means that it is not even possible to downgrade to the previous month’s version. Downgrading from Stockrom Android 10 to 9 is only possible under very specific conditions. This has been mentioned several times here in the forum.

By the way: “eOS PIE GSI” is an unofficial eOS version and like a mayfly, because firmware and security updates are hardly offered. This is not worthy of an S9 “starlte”.

Yes, it’s true!
If your S9 is running the latest Stockrom Android 10 and security patch date is 2020-07-01, there is no way to downgrade to Android 9 and install the eOS ROM (oero) from 20200626.

LineageOS 17.1 for the S9 is an alternative to slightly slow down G00lag, but you have to do without the fantastic features of the new Android 10 version with One UI 2.01. DeX, Iris sensor, IMS services (VoLTE, VoWiFi, etc.) do not work.

LineageOS 17.1 requires Android 10, as this note should be understood:

Warning: Before following these instructions, please make sure that the device is equipped with the latest Android 10 firmware.

The new firmware of the S9 is very similar to the firmware of the Galaxy S20 and has made the S9 a “new” Smarthone vintage 2020. The camera function is fantastic. The open source app Camera2 API can’t even remotely keep up with that.

Another alternative is to massively debloat Stockrom Android 10 on all levels. In the forum of xda-developers you can find experience reports from “light” to “ultra debloating” in forum from deactivation to uninstallation of apps on non-rooted and with rooted devices.

3 Likes
7

Oh, ok, thx for information

8

Thank you so much for all informations.
So, I will not buy it now and wait if something can move in good way or not.
If not, maybe I can find an another phone officially supported by /e/ to replace my iPhone X and my Redmi Note 5 (supported by community)

9

Gave a look on MiMax3. I’m using it as my daily driver with eOS GSI. It’s cheap and has good hardware and a big screen :slight_smile:

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@harvey186, what’s your assessment (without looking through rose-colored spectacles, so very close to reality), is your /e/ OS Q-GSI more de-google-d compared to LineageOS-17.1-for-MicroG?

Both ROMs have current Exposure Notifications API via microG Services Core v0.2.12.203315 on board.

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yes it is. LOS is calling some google servers on startup and make the captive portal login on google server so google will know where you are and more.
On eOS all these calls are removed are changed to e.foundation servers. On my LeOS GSI they are redirected to my own server

12

Well @harvey186, that /e/ OS is more de-google-d than LineageOS is a well-known fact.

That /e/ OS is not 100% de-googled yet - we’ve to assume that at the moment.

My question aims to find out by how much more than, say, what percentage /e/ OS is more de-google-d than LOS?

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Are you sure it had sence ?
When i say that for privacy LOS is the alpha version of the /e/OS beta version, it is a joke !

14

As so often I can’t do anything with your posting.

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@piero, why this link? It has nothing to do with a Galaxy S9 nor with /e/ OS with Exposure Notifications API via microG Services Core v0.2.12.203315 and does not in any way refer to my question to ‘harvey186’.

By the way: For flashing a S9 with /e/ OS I don’t need the /e/asy installer or the manual you linked. My S9 has @ harvey186’s /e/ OS Q-GSI installed - without fastboot commands.

If @ harvey186 continues to use it as its daily driver and actually updates it from time to time, then its /e/ OS Q-GSI ROM is an enriching option - even without definitely knowing how much more the ROM is de-google-d. /e/ OS is and remains different from LineageOS, even though it is visually very similar to LineageOS.

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When I have to announce a percentage, I would say LOS is 90% ungoogled and eOS is 99,99% ungoogled. But that only my personal, unprofessional thought

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In my opinion you are anything but unprofessional. Okay, maybe not professional but at least semi-professional and long time in the Android business. And none of us is perfect.

harvey186, so we have different points of view and our opinions collide, but that’s normal and it’s a good thing, because that’s how we have the one or other fruitful exchange of opinions.

Your estimation 90% : 99,99% is a value I can do something with, which allows me to narrow down the puzzle with /e/. Thank you, @harvey186

1 Like
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just found this https://e.foundation/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/e-state-of-degooglisation.pdf

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You are right, you are totally out of the topic.

My link post adressed to @tuxfanou in answer to his questions in this thread, point to a successful experience of /e/OS installation with the easy-installer on a s9 updated to stock Samsung rom Q
témoignage de Jean -Guy

Édit : another s9 experience by pinibo