yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Galaxy S II General] naddie:
After doing some homework, I think Mobile City Online is your typical small NYC shop. Search for "Mobile City Online review" in Google. I read them up on Reseller Ratings and ePinions.

On ePinions, there were generally good reviews until 2003, then it all started to go downhill. Maybe owners changed, or the owner got cynical.

Yeah, I must say, after taxes and shipping, Expansys-USA is still around $100 more expensive than Mobile City Online ($780 vs $685). Both have $25 coupons if you search on retailmenot.com. It's mighty tempting to go with Mobile City, but after reading about them, and dealing with other several small NYC shops (avoid 1stopcamera.com !), I'd go with some place more established and trusted like Expansys.

For me, it's a matter of when to pull the trigger. I want to see what the iPhone 5 is going to be like before I make that decision. What I really want to see is the IP5 to support AWS and be carrier unlocked. Long shot, but not out of the picture as there are many evidence to show that it's technically possible. At this point, it's all political.
[Galaxy S II General] naddie:
I guess they would have to open the box up to replace the power supply, huh?
[Galaxy S II General] jeremy81:
They just throw an adapter inside the shipping box to plug into the included power adapter. My phone still had the Samsung seal intact.
[Galaxy S II General] naddie:
That's smart. My mind is made up on where to buy when I pull the trigger. Thanks!
[Galaxy S II General] x.Orville.x:
i buy on expansys but because i pay with PayPal they need confirmation off mi residential addresses because in PayPal is not confirmed the problem is that direction is from a uncle and i'dont live here expansys want a license that see that is mi true direction and mi home addresses that i have confirmed with PayPal the direction is PO Box let's see that expansys says to me
[Galaxy S II General] Unclean009:
So in my attempt to translate this, you're having issues with the verification because you use paypal? Perhaps you could talk to paypal about it? Also, next time put some effort into your English. I apologize if you aren't a native speaker.
[Galaxy S II General] x.Orville.x:
i know i mi first language is Spanish mi bad i don't speak to good the English
[Galaxy S II General] BarryH_GEG:
Don't forget to factor in warranty coverage when picking who you buy the phone from. It's a UK/EU phone and considered gray market when sold in the U.S. no matter who you buy it from. That means no warranty. Expansys USA deserves props because they'll ship their customers phones back to the UK for warranty service via their UK branch. I'd imagine a circuit board or screen replacement in GBP will equal almost what you paid should a repair be necessary. Buying the phone in the UK from an authorized UK reseller also provides a warranty (two years). Caveat emptor.
[Galaxy S II General] :
Do we have a list of what's considered an "authorized UK reseller"?
[Galaxy S II General] naddie:
That's okay and all, but I thought with Spanish, they too used comas and periods to pace sentences. I could be wrong, but I do recall taking Spanish back in high school...

No offense, of course. :)
[Galaxy S II General] BarryH_GEG:
Clove and Handtek are both authorized and where the majority of UK imports were ordered.
[Galaxy S II General] x.Orville.x:
just buy on expansys it's says that has been shipped but i don't have the tracking number they send later or something else ?
[Galaxy S II General] kirdroid:
Go to your order details on expansys.com and it should show a fedex logo with the link. Click on that for the tracking info.
[Galaxy S II General] x.Orville.x:
i dont see it look
[Galaxy S II General] daraj:
Mobilecityonline $20 off coupon

YA4NC1

I used them in the past (3 years ago) and they were just fine. Dont try to return anything to them though :D

Dont forget to thank me :)
[Galaxy S II General] :
It's a grey market phone, correct? So no warranty?

Any other retailers out there selling? Expansys, Handtec, Clove, UnlockedMobiles.com.

Brian
[Galaxy S II General] daraj:
Correct No warranty clearly stated on their site. If thats a necessity then I would go with Expansys-USA. Little more expensive but you get the support and the warranty.
[Galaxy S II General] RF12:
My price is now $710. I am located on Wall St in Manhattan. I get the UK units, brand-new and sealed. Please contact me if you want one.
[Galaxy S II General] BarryH_GEG:
Clove now has them in stock and has reduced the price to 399 GBP. With 2-4 day delivery to the U.S. the all-in price is $671.00. Buying a UK product in the UK retains the Samsung warranty too. Considering buying a carrier branded phone outright is $450-550, the difference is now far less insane than what we early adopters sucked up.
[Galaxy S II General] :
Yep. Getting to where I feel comfortable picking one up. Any coupons floating around for Clove?
[Galaxy S II General] naddie:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-i9100-Unlocked-Smartphone-Touchscreen/dp/B004QTBQ2C/ref=lh_ni_t

Anyone bought from The OEM Shop? So far high ratings, and a seller on Amazon.
[Galaxy S II General] spirit32:
i bought one from fgs tradings with prime shipping. its opened when i received it.
[Galaxy S II General] :
I thought I read somewhere Clove does Google Checkout?
[Galaxy S II General] :
Answering my own question: No they do not as of this post.
[Galaxy S II General] naddie:
Well now there's Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16875176292
[Galaxy S II General] king_dani:
anyone thinks it will come with standard US charger or like the UK models comes with an extra adaptor from newegg?
[Galaxy S II General] naddie:
No idea. I bought mine from an Amazon seller, and mine should be arriving Monday.

Not sure why the obsession with the inclusion of a US charger? Even if it doesn't have a US charger,no big deal. Just pick up any AC to USB charger at your electronic store for cheap. I have several from different phones.

"Top Gear top tip" (tm) - Buy an AC to multi-USB charger. If you're like me, which you probably are, you have hot girls all over you, and multiple devices that charges off USB. Makes it very tidy to have multiple devices plugged in next to your bed. Much like your lady friends.

My word! There's one that won't break the bank!
[Galaxy S II General] king_dani:
no obsession, I just think it is not wise to make the minuscule charger any more bulkier than it is. I tend to carry around the charger alot, and would prefer that it stays as slim as possible.

your suggestion is great, but as i said, i have two worries:

. in a very short time, at&t would introduce this, and i would regret paying +680$ for nonNFC version of this ( i have reasons to believe the delay is due to NFC ready version for US carriers), I have hold off long enough, thanks to the transformer, but I am not sure how much more I can :D

. if first does not happen, US retailers would start the US version with proper US charger, and i would be pissed to see that.

anyway thanks
[Galaxy S II General] naddie:
Sorry, the obsession rant was directed at the general US buyers. Everyone seem to want to know if one came with it, and if it didn't, they'd buy elsewhere. I couldn't understand the logic, especially since USB chargers are ubiquitous.
[Galaxy S II General] kirdroid:
SGS2 for sale

I know this should be in Marketplace...but people who want to buy in USA look at these threads so I'm putting the additional SGS2 for sale here :D ... please don't flame me.

The additional SGS2 is my wife's ... i got very excited and bought 2 SGS2 from expansys on June 8th 2011. But she is not power user like we xda folks and is happy with her feature phone instead of spending so much money on SGS2.

Details: Bought from expansys on June 8th for $750.

Condition: Excellent condition, no damage what so ever, comes with Martin fields screen protector. Phone is rooted, if you don't want root i can flash back stock firmare. Comes with original packing, accessories.

Asking price: $675 + free shipping. Will only sell ship within USA.

Why buy from me? Current expansys price is $719. You get free fast shipping and same condition as expansys. You also get screen protector already put on the phone, so there is another $16 in savings.

Disclaimer: You can look at my previous posts and all my history in xda. I'm posting this for sale here instead of ebay because i want to help a fellow xda member who is willing to buy.

PLEASE PM ME if interested and yes i can send photos of the phone on request.

Again sorry for posting here.

EDIT: Adding Pictures
[Galaxy S II General] x-cimo:
Anyone found any coupon/voucher code for order above 700$ from expansys?

thanks
[Galaxy S II General] kirdroid:
Buy from newegg.com or amazon.com, you get it much cheaper than expansys.
[Galaxy S II General] x-cimo:
Forgot to mention I was from canada... Neither of them ship international, I think...
[Galaxy S II General] BarryH_GEG:
newegg.com & Amazon = no warranty. Expansys USA and authorized UK retailers = two-year warranty. A screen replacement outside of warranty cost someone 350 Euro ($500 USD). There have been odd occurrences of things like the USB port getting pushed up in to the phone, the headset jack failing, and the home button becoming non-responsive. Saving a little upfront could cost you a lot if you have issues down the road. God, I sound like someone's mother.
[Galaxy S II General] BarryH_GEG:
Clove.co.uk does. It's 415 GBP (641 CAD) including shipping.
[Galaxy S II General] peachpuff:
Next week bell is releasing the sgs2 in canada for $599, you'll get warranty and ability to return the phone without any hassle.
[Galaxy S II General] kirdroid:
Didn't know about the no warranty thing....definitely makes sense to spend 30 to 40 additional dollars for warranty :-)
[Galaxy S II General] x-cimo:
Except the bell one is not gonna be an unlocked model... And we don't know if its gonna be rootable/unlockable right away :(

I was gonna spend an extra 80$ for an unlocked & warranty phone. Seemed fine to me?

Are the clove.uk phone have a warranty?

Phone at expansys apparently have no duty when it cross the canadian border.. for 674$ + 80$ taxes (canadian) + 20$ shipping..
[Galaxy S II General] x-cimo:
Clove.co.uk is now 399, which is 616$ with 25$ shipping. Hopefully the delivery is with Canada post here in canada, because UPS and Fedex have outragouse fee and duty cost.

Anyone have a voucher for Clove.co.uk ?
[Galaxy S II General] huevo0000:
what about this one, it says international warranty

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SA-I9100-Unlocked-Camera-Touchscreen/dp/B0053HSZQG/ref=pd_cp_cps_2

could you telll me where can i found more information about the 2 year warranty from expansys usa?? thanks
[Galaxy S II General] Cheeze[iT]:
Can you not order from Amazon or newegg and add there extended warranty of some sort?
[Galaxy S II General] santhoshar:
I have also purchased one from expansys.ae. I ask them about warranty. But no answer from them. How we can get an International warranty from expansys?
[Galaxy S II General] BarryH_GEG:
To the person who asked about the Amazon phone, the phone has no warranty. If a UK phone is sold by anyone (even an authorized dealer) outside the UK it's considered gray market and and the warranty is void. If you look on Amazon where Amazon is the seller they clearly state the phone has no warranty. Samsung asks for proof of sale (invoice and/or credit card statement) when they receive the phone for service so if you send them a U.S. receipt/charge for a UK phone they won't honor the warranty.

To the person who asked about Expansys. Their US division ships phones back to the UK where they're serviced via Expansys UK. So, technically, they don't have a warranty because they were sold outside their country of origin but Expansys gets around it through their UK branch. I'd imagine Expansys in other countries are selling phones intended for those counties so their warranty should be intact. If you're buying a UK phone from an Expansys division outside the UK then you should check with them directly and get an e-mail stating what the warranty conditions are.

In the U.S., SquareTrade covers grey market phones. They had a 30% off special over the 4th of July and I got $600 of coverage for $95 for two years. It covers drops, accidents, and damage Samsung won't cover. It doesn't cover losing the phone though. If you Google "SquareTrade discount codes" you should probably be able to get at least 20% off.
[Galaxy S II General] Der Teufel:
Orlando Store?

Hi guys, please i need your help URGENTLY.

I'm in Orlando this week so i was wondering if someone of you knows a store where to buy this amazing phone.

I'm returning to my country next sunday and i just saw that best buy isn't selling the galaxy S 2 unlocked, just the tab 10.1

Any suggestions? I'd like to buy the phone in this travel, because i'm preety sure that the model that is being selled in Mexico is locked by hardware :-( just like the previous galaxy S... And don't wanna use a JIG again lol

Thanks in advance, guys!!
[Galaxy S II General] kirdroid:
You can buy it off amazon, newegg or expansys and choose 1 day shipping? I don't think you will get this phone in any store in US.
[Galaxy S II General] kirdroid:
Currently expansys usa is selling the SGS2 for $648.99 after applying LSJULY10 $10 off coupon. This is the cheapest price i have seen for quite sometime.

I just ordered this and will be returning the one i bought from Amazon.
[Galaxy S II General] ImDonly1:
If only they didn't charge tax in IL.
[Galaxy S II General] kirdroid:
Yeah that's sad....atleast for rest of the states it's a good deal.
[Galaxy S II General] samven582:
code does not work
[Galaxy S II General] ImDonly1:
Works for me still.
[Galaxy S II General] kirdroid:
Just checked again, works fine. Normally expansys will have a coupon code every month. So LSJULY10 will be good thru july. Next month there will be similar one for august and so on.
[Galaxy S II General] samven582:
Bought mine through amazon.
[Galaxy S II General] zboy_127:
thanks!

and if i order the SGS2 from Clove/Handtec the tax payment will be at

the range of 4-9% ?

i saw this info here: thestc.com/STRates.stm
[Galaxy S II General] -Tj-:
Ordering from Clove or Handtec will only add VAT (value added tax) to orders shipped within the UK. International orders do not get that tax added. Ordering from them to send to New York shouldn't incur VAT.

For most orders within the USA, if you order within the state you will get charged taxes, but for orders outside the state you won't. Expansys-USA only charges taxes for orders shipped to Illinois addresses since it's in the same state.
[Galaxy S II General] zboy_127:
i think u didn't understand me right,i'm sorry about my english...

for example,if i'll order from Clove/Handtec directly to Israel,i'll have to go to the post office and pay 34% for Customs.

now the question is what's the rate of customs my cousin(who lives in NY and will be visiting me soon) will have to pay if i'll ship it to New York instead of Israel?
[Galaxy S II General] compuguy1088:
The other advantage is that you don't have to pay the extra fee for currency exchange if you buy from them.
[Galaxy S II General] RogerPodacter:
There is no customs tax if ordered to USA. Its not the same as the tax you have shipping to Israel.
[Galaxy S II General] zboy_127:
thank U RogerPodacter !

u helped me a lot!
[Galaxy S II General] krabman:
Click through from ebates and you get 3% off as well.
[Galaxy S II General] kreoXDA:
Just wanted to update everyone - received my SGS2 from Expansys-USA. I ordered last week on the 5th.

The SGS2 was indeed British, with UK charger, etc. Sealed box, serial number on the box matches the number on the phone, IMEI is present on the label.

Screen is flawless so far. No scratches on the body either.

I popped in my AT&T card and can get on 3G but the speed is nothing unusual for my area (2-3 kbps up 300 kbps down). I was getting same speed with my Captivate. The icons change from 3G to H to H+ and I am seeing all frequencies in that hidden signal status screen.

WiFi reception is exactly like on my old Captivate.

I installed about 20 of my apps, and added a couple of extra widgets to home screen on top of what was there. Wake up by power button is still instantaneous.

No lag yet, but I did not move any music/pictures.

GPS is perfect - GPS Test app shows about 4-8 sats immediately on startup and locks in on position in about 3 secs. Did not test driving directions or anything else yet.

Voice Talk app understands my English just fine. Both Android and Voice Talk have US English as language option.

Phone is extremely light and thin, feels like a toy really (in a good way, not cheap way).
[Galaxy S II General] -John-:
That's good to know! Can't wait to get mine. Mine's still saying "Ready to ship". :(
[Galaxy S II General] k87:
can someone fill me in about the ebates...what is that and how do we add it to the get the 3% discount?
[Galaxy S II General] Elite GunnerX:
Thanks kreo your input was very helpfull!

Mine is also saying ready to ship! They are diffently out of stock. Hope they get some soon.
[Galaxy S II General] krabman:
If you go to ebates and click through to expasys-usa from there you get an additional 3% off.
[Galaxy S II General] -Tj-:
Sorry I misunderstood. :p That's a really high Customs rate... I can see why you'd want to try and avoid it.

True! Also, the $725 I paid ended up being less than the total price from Handtec or Clove thanks to the discounts and free shipping.
[Galaxy S II General] robstunner:
FML, I live in IL. nothing like a $58 tax addition to $725
[Galaxy S II General] Bakedbread:
if i order from Expansys USA and ship to Canada will i get some type of tax/brokerage/hidden fees on top of the final price listed?

from expansys CA (after discount) its listed at 786.63

would this be the FINAL price i pay? Because after 3% cash back this may be the cheapest option for me compared to ordering from Handtec and getting $99 customs fees totaling it to $800

also, does anyone know how warranty is handled when ordering from Expansys?
[Galaxy S II General] krabman:
The way I read their page expansys dumps you off to the manufacturer unless you have a DOA, here is a cut and paste......

.3 If your goods arrive defective or in a damaged state, email returns@expansys-usa.com with your order number and a brief explanation of the situation. You will be emailed the steps for completing the exchange. Claims for damage, delivery discrepancy etc. should be made within 48 hours of delivery - claims will not be accepted after this time. You have 15 days to report defective goods. After 15 days, you MUST contact the manufacturer to redeem your warranty, please do not contact eXpansys Inc.

End cut and paste.... Link to their terms and conditions ------> http://www.expansys-usa.com/terms/ It appears to me to be the same deal as clove or handtec as written. Whether one would be better to deal with than another I dont know.
[Galaxy S II General] kreoXDA:
These are all grey resellers - factories do not like them because they sell grey items.

All their policies are similar:

damaged items - contact them within a day (I think it is reasonable)

defective items - either contact them within 15 days, or deal with manufacturers after. they do not tell you that some/most manufacturers will not honor warranties on grey goods.
[Galaxy S II General] cjggilbert:
Can anyone confirm the uk version working on TMO? A little concerned about the missing 1700 band
[Galaxy S II General] haroldmk:
I am confused. Does or does'nt SGSII work on 850MHz band for 3G?
[Galaxy S II General] EGBTMagus:
You will only get 2G service, this has been discussed many times already.
[Galaxy S II General] RogerPodacter:
Yes of course it works with both 850 and 1900 MHz, but T-Mobile does not use these frequencies so it wont work with T-Mobile 3g or 4g.
[Galaxy S II General] haroldmk:
Thanks.

I asked because where I live (Costa Rica) we have a 3G service working on 850MHz as ATT in US, so I always look at phones that work on ATT 3G band of 850MHz and it will work for me.
[Galaxy S II General] kreoXDA:
Confirming: the phone I received from expansys-usa (ordered May 5th where their stock said "30 left") is indeed quad band 3G with AT&T frequences, and is also fake-4G capable.

thanks
[Galaxy S II General] robstunner:
Any unboxing pics? Is the UK style charger a USB cable with a AC adapter or just a straight wall charger?
[Galaxy S II General] takato23:
has NFC chip?
[Galaxy S II General] pplcallmeGOD:
Hi i'm currently on a 2 year contract with att (iphone 3gs). My contract is up in July and I was wondering if I were to get a SGSII now, would i be able to switch to the $10 media net plan or would I have to be on a smartphone plan until the remainder of my contract? Thanks again!
[Galaxy S II General] kreoXDA:
Straight wall charger - the micro USB cable is hard-wired into the universal 100 - 240 Volt transformer with a wall plug of UK standard. If you have a UK to US plug adapter (not a voltage transformer, just a cheap adapter), you are all set. You are also all set with ANY 1 Amp micro-USB adapter. Attaching an excuse of an unboxing pic. :)

No NFC chip in the UK model.

on ATT - you are on the Smartphone plan until your original commitment expires. However, I know a few people who were able to go to a brick and mortar store and get an internet plan change 1-2 month prior to their commitment expiration, provided they got into a new 2 year commitment on some new phone (smart or dumb) :)
[Galaxy S II General] robstunner:
So I can use the USB cable with my ipad 2 AC adapter just fine, correct.?
[Galaxy S II General] pplcallmeGOD:
Hmmm. So If I were to upgrade two lines to iphone 5's, those lines would have to be on data plans for the duration of the contract? I was planning on getting two SGSII and then getting 2 iphone5 on two different lines when they are released, selling them, and then canceling the data plans. But if you can't get take off a data plan then we will probably just wait until our contacts expire and then get whatever is available. No sense in paying for 4 data plans if only 2 are being used.
[Galaxy S II General] krabman:
I dont think thats quite correct. On AT&T the data is not part of your plan, its an add on to your plan. I turn my data off every time I go to work and fire it back up when I get home. I just did it after upping for a new 2 year so my wife could get a new phone. Not sure if things are different for iphone or not but that is how it works on my non iphone plan with smartphone data.
[Galaxy S II General] theomega:
My first post on xda!

You can get SGS2s for your existing lines and change from smartphone data to $15 dumbphone data once your existing contract expires. If you choose to pick up 2 other on-contract smartphones(iPhones or whatever), you will be on the hook for those lines for 2 years

Alternatively, you can get SGS2s for your existing lines. Once the next iPhone become available(presumably this will be once you're off contract), you can upgrade your 2 existing lines to iPhones by signing new 2 year contracts, sell the iPhones and continue using the SGS2s. The drawback, of course, is that you will once again be on smartphone data and will be unable to "downgrade" to dumbphone data
[Galaxy S II General] pplcallmeGOD:
Me and my brother aren't due for an upgrade till January of 2012. We were planning on using our parents upgrades(their both off contract) for the iphones. My question is if I can cancel the data plans on my parents lines after I sell the phones or will I be obligated to pay for a data plan for the 2 years, even though my parents will be using dumbphones and not using data at all.