[Galaxy Note 3 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Wallace Bagwell:
Hello,

This is has been a very frustrating situation but here is where I am at currently. I use a carrier called "Simple Mobile" and they are an under carrier to TMobile. I want to own and use a Samsung Note 3 but can not get my SIM to work. That is the short introduction. I am providing some more information because this has been a long drawn out process but the bottom line is I want to continue using Simple Mobile AND use a Note 3.

Background: Back in late June 2014, I bought a used Note 3 N900V from ebay after I broke my Note 1. I love my Note 1 and it was the ATT branded model. I had the phone (Note 3)and it worked but had a very poor signal compared to using the same SIM card with my Note 1 (those threads are still available under my username). After many failed attempts to correct the situation and being educated about the phone model and so forth I found it in my best interest to return the phone for a refund and just repair my Note 1.

Currently: I repaired my Note 1 after the fiasco with the N900V model. However, my screen went purple recently and then wouldn't light up at all anymore. So I am where I was last time and looking to replace it. This time, armed with my knowledge from last time, I bought another Note 3 (model N900T this time), thinking it would be more compatible with my Simple Mobile (sub carried by T Mobile) as the N900T is a T-Mobile friendly phone. NOTE: I bought the phone used and through a mistake of the seller, what I have is actually a N900W8. The seller had replaced the screen and did a motherboard swap. The result is a phone with markings that say N900T but after a boot up provides software descriptions showing N900W8.

Why do I want to use Simple Mobile so bad? : Simple mobile charges me 40.00 + tax for Unlimited Data, Calls and Texts domestically + limited international texting to certain countries. For me, that is a great deal and I dont have to do a contract or pay extortionate fees to other providers. Yes, I am a cheap Bas*&^d as evidenced by me buying used phones to save a few hundred $$$'s here and there.

Dilemma: In my bid to purchase a Note 3 that works I looked at the Simple Mobile site. They do indeed sell a new model N900T, Link here: <http://www.mysimplephones.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-III-Simple-Mobile.html> HOWEVER, when you look at another page for compatible phones you will find that the N900T is not even a compatible model for Simple Mobile's 4G LTE service. YOU WILL HOWEVER FIND that there are two models of Note 3 that WILL work. The N900W8 (Canadian Model) and the N900A (ATT). This link shows those compatible 4G LTE phones: <http://simplemobileinfoblast.com/4glte/phones.php>

Interesting note: While I do actually have a 4G LTE compatible phone technically, since the phones software shows it is a N900W8 despite the shell being embossed N900T, it will not work AT ALL on my carrier. All attempts result in "NOT REGISTERED ON NETWORK" messages. My research thus far seems to indicate that the N900W8 Models come unlocked as new so I do not feel that my phone is locked.

Conclusion: My Note 1 is broken and I don't want to repair it so I will sell it as is elsewhere. I have a Note 3 N900W8 that will not work that I am going to return to the seller since it is not even the right model to begin with. It should be noted that the screen on the N900W8 WAS replaced but not very well and there are some annoying defects on the underside of the screen as a result. So after all of this expostition, Can anyone please tell me what model of Note 3 to get that will work with my simple mobile SIM?

It is my sincere hope that someone has gone through this same situation and can help guide me a bit.

Thank you