Branded versus Unbranded

[mggm100]

Ok ... I have a question intended for those who are using the unbranded 950/950 XL on AT&T.

I've read many posts by people using the AT&T branded versions stating they wish they had gone unbranded/unlocked. All those posts have me thinking when it is my time to get a 950 I will go unbranded/unlocked.

So then, for you who have already gone unbranded on AT&T, do any of you wish they had had gotten the branded version?

Mike

 

[pankaj981]

The only advantage to any carrier branded phones is access to carrier specific services (e.g. WiFi calling, HD voice, VoLTE, etc.). In some cases only carrier branded devices are permitted on the network (e.g. Lumia Icon on Verizon or HTC 8XT on Sprint). Plus carriers sell these phones on a subsidized price and collect phone's price over a period of time. That means the phone is technically owned by the carrier until the balance is paid off. This gives the carrier advantage to program these phones as suited by them which includes pushing OS and firmware updates. The manufacturer still provides the update but the carrier needs to test it and approve it before its available to it's users. For unlocked and unbranded devices, updates are pushed directly from the manufacturer without any carrier approval (the manufacturer still perform network testing).

Coming back to the AT&T branded 950. The only advantage it had was visual voicemail worked on it natively for ATT. And this wasn't because of AT&T. In the US the only unbranded variant available from Microsoft was the dual sim version which until now does not support VVM due to software drawback. Microsoft hasn't fixed the issue in the public OS updates but has fixed it in the insider builds (general availability is unknown). The advantage to owning an unlocked/unbranded 950 is that until now Microsoft has pushed a couple of OS and firmware updates to iron out many software glitches, which the AT&T branded devices have yet to receive.

 

[RuleOfSines]

The AT&T variant does support 2 wireless charging systems, woooohooooooo.

 

[tbomb989]

As was said above, VVM and HD Voice are really the only advantages, and VVM is going to be coming to unbranded phones on production builds shortly. I personally find myself wishing I'd gone unbranded because I'm missing the firmware updates, and for me HD voice is negligible because it only works between HD Voice compatible devices on the same network so only a few of the people I call even qualify.

 

[gordonfink]

mine is dual sim unlocked on ATT. The only thing I can notice that I don't have is VVM. Honestly, I think if you go Insider, you don't have to wait on ATT for updates, so that's not necessarily a deterrent.

I don't have an ATT splash screen, and I don't have ATT bloatware (though it is in my apps library, because I own them from a previous ATT phone).

Honestly, I'm not moved much one or the other (unlike the 830 - that was a huge deal to have the direct, factory unlocked version). I would have bought an ATT version, but I happened upon a deal on an unlocked one first.