To clarify, these instructions apply to flashing an unlocked model with the U1 firmware to a carrier version of the firmware (U) and get the boot animations/network icons and other customizations built into the carrier's software. If you want to do this, the first thing you have to do out of the box is put in your active SIM, turn on the phone, and go through setup until it prompts you to reboot because carrier settings have been downloaded and need to be applied. Once this happens and the phone reboots, you can then flash the carrier firmware (U) over. If you decide to just flash it immediately without booting up with an active SIM first, you will not get all the customizations that come with your carrier's firmware version. These instructions were written because some people (myself included) were having an issue when we opened the box and just immediately flashed the firmware instead of going through initial setup and allowing the carrier settings process to occur in the U1 firmware that came with the phone.
I understand.. so if we later want to update the phone (new android OS, etc) would we have to do a wipe and reflash? or can we do OTA/flash without wiping?
---------- Post added at 10:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:58 PM ----------
To clarify, these instructions apply to flashing an unlocked model with the U1 firmware to a carrier version of the firmware (U) and get the boot animations/network icons and other customizations built into the carrier's software. If you want to do this, the first thing you have to do out of the box is put in your active SIM, turn on the phone, and go through setup until it prompts you to reboot because carrier settings have been downloaded and need to be applied. Once this happens and the phone reboots, you can then flash the carrier firmware (U) over. If you decide to just flash it immediately without booting up with an active SIM first, you will not get all the customizations that come with your carrier's firmware version. These instructions were written because some people (myself included) were having an issue when we opened the box and just immediately flashed the firmware instead of going through initial setup and allowing the carrier settings process to occur in the U1 firmware that came with the phone.
Also, by doing this would we still get unmetered Hotspot that unlocked phones provide? or would we be stuck with AT&T limitations ?