Just to clarify, the phone is unbranded (no logo on the back or any hardware differences), and unlocked for use on any European network, but it does come with TIM firmware pre-installed.

There is some TIM apps on this firmware that can be removed easily (not just disabled) and since TIM is one of the largest carriers in Europe, you can expect timely updates (they've released two on top of the original firmware so far).

One thing to bear in mind is that despite setting a language and location, some Samsung apps are region specific, for example Samsung Pay is unavailable for this firmware. You will also miss out on some carrier specific features, like VoLTE and WiFi calling, which are normally only available on the networks firmware. Not a problem for most, but something to keep in mind.

Fortunately, it's very easy to flash UK firmware, and you could either put official Samsung unbranded firmware on it for quicker and "cleaner" updates or flash network specific firmware for extra features, as I did with my phone to get 4G/WiFi calling working. It would be the same on any unbranded phone anyway.

And on that point, flashing official Samsung firmware does NOT trip the Knox warranty flag, which means it would be intact if you had to send the phone out for repair.

In terms of accessories, you get the same deal as in the UK, including AKG earphones, except for the EU plug. The box has small TIM branding on It, next to the serial number, but it was fully sealed and no SIM card comes with it.

My phone was ordered on 28/5/17 and got delivered on 4/6/17, so within one week, despite initial delivery claiming to be 2-5 weeks. It came in the standard Amazon brown box, that was worryingly so easy to open without damaging or tearing any of the packaging, it's no wonder some phones went missing.

I presume it's people like you that voted us out of the EU.

I ordered this when it was up for £525 before. Paid with Revolut no problem. Phone came in about 2 weeks as it was out of stock at the time.

Had a wee bit of a problem in that the phone was delivered but I didn't sign for it. Contacted Amazon who sent another one out FOC. Turned out it was delivered to the office next door and they brought it over for me a few days after. I contacted Amazon to return one of them but they told me there's no need to return it and to keep it. Lol ended up paying £525 for 2 Galaxy S8s lol

My old post was £518 or £538.75 with Amazons own rate but its expired , its now even cheaper so had to post it again as people missed out last time.
Also , if you sign up for a Halifax Clarity you get £20 cash back on a foreign transaction making this deal £483 but you might run the risk of missing the deal.The last deal lasted about 5 days

Getting cheaper all the time. Wouldn't pay this amount myself for a phone but have some heat for the price

Would a Revolut card work?

What about warranty, how does it work if you have problems ?

People who have gotten theirs - how long did it take?

6 week delivery... I rather pay a bit more and get one on ebay which is guaranteed to be unlocked, comes in 1 day, and has a uk warranty.

Anyone know if u can claim the difference back? mine is due to be delivered soon

Can someone please explain how exchange rate works with other credit cards please? Is there anyway to check exactly how much I will end up paying before making the final payment? Thanks

I have a Barclaycard Platinum travel card, would I be able to use it to buy this?

Waiting for price to drop till £403 next month

Heat from me, but I'm still waiting for the plus version to go on sale. Hopefully it will be soon or else Note 8 will be out by then.

RhinoPaul,

Have you received yours yet?

kind of tempting, but hesitating to part with 500 quid, my current Nexus 5X cost 125 and S6 before 260. all thanks to HUKD.
Also don't feel they upgraded the camera enough to warrant that money, it's the same thing as S7.

Ordered mine on 28/05 with a 2-5 weeks estimated delivery. The phone arrived earlier today, so exactly a week from the order date.

Has anyone successfully flashed different firmware on it yet to change the CSC? I've looked at the required steps on XDA but they look more complex than I would have normally expexted.

It's showing as €579 for me which works out at £507.22 on Mastercard website. Is there a way to get it cheaper?

I've been looking at the Xperia XZ Premium myself. Mobiles.co.uk has a deal for £27/m + £110 upfront (£758 total) on a 6GB plan with O2, if you don't mind a 24 month contract. I think that's the cheapest reasonable deal, plus potential £26.25 cashback from TCB.

Hope that helps, thank you for posting the deals.

The total is €575.28 delivered .For some reason Amazon.it is usually cheaper at checkout then the actual stated price of the phone.

Yes. Sorry about that, I paid 595€ but the new price should be 575€ which comes to just over £500 with a purchase fee free card.

I have gotten a response from Amazon confirming they do not refund the price difference, but you can place another order and refuse the delivery to get the full refund on the current order, if you wish.

Unfortunately someone has already signed for my delivery so that's not an option lol.

I ordered this when it was up for £525 before. Paid with Revolut no problem. Phone came in about 2 weeks as it was out of stock at the time.

Had a wee bit of a problem in that the phone was delivered but I didn't sign for it. Contacted Amazon who sent another one out FOC. Turned out it was delivered to the office next door and they brought it over for me a few days after. I contacted Amazon to return one of them but they told me there's no need to return it and to keep it. Lol ended up paying £525 for 2 Galaxy S8s lol

Also phone is perfect. No need to flash it since it's basically the same as buying from the UK

Absolutely. Had this for a couple of weeks now and there's nothing I can't do that I couldn't do before.

Do you get any Tim branded Software? Is any of it in Italian etc? What Network are you using it on in the UK?

Yes, it was delivered at 4:22. I'm not sure which courier company delivered it as I wasn't at home to take the delivery, but according to Amazon it was Amazon Logistics. Despatched on 01/06 from Italy, arrived on 03/06 in Surrey depot and got delivered earlier today. They notified me of the delivery date a few days in advance.

Cheers for the reply mate. My order is in. I ordered when the previous deal was posted last week.. i cancelled at the end of the day as i wasnt sure whether the Tim branded one was locked or not. Glad to hear yours was'nt locked.

Hopefully, I`ll have a phone in about a weeks time too. :smiley:

Thanks to the OP for posting this! heat added!

heat. ordered at this price. missed last one. :wink: .

Main reason would be to get VoLTE and WiFi calling on your supported network.

Nope. Was just a sim free Samsung box for me. Phone is completely unbranded Only thing is that it came with a euro charger but a cheap adapter from the pound shop sorted that "problem" out :smile:

Send Amazon customer services an email or use the chat function. Amazon have by far the best customer service in the UK, every time this has happened they've always refunded the difference for me, so can only assume this applies to the Italian site too.

if S8 plus was this price i would have snapped it can't find it less than 550ish

Where are you seeing it for 550?

I call bull***t

Yup. That would be a reason for me to flash it too, but my plan would be to use the phone for a few months first to make sure everything works and there are no faults. Then I`ll flash it... If worst comes to the worst and i brick it, it`ll be in time for the iphone 8 :smiley:

Any good case / screen protector for it?

I mean there's a lot of "best glass / cases" but prefer normal users recommendations

call what you like buddy

Not sure if anyone else has replied (I haven't read through all the comments) but yes Revolut worked perfectly with my S8 plus purchase a month back.

I added funds to revolut in GBP then exchanged the fund to Euros within the app. Then pay in Euros. Good luck.

waiting for a good deal for S8 Plus.
makes much more sense to buy S8 Plus than S8.
it was £580ish from amazon.it recently.

no way you can find S8 Plus for 550.

When you consider you have to pay over £120 for a used Galaxy S5 (yeah, 2014!) on Ebay, with a few months` so-called warranty, & up to 190 quid in CEX for the same (downright robbery), this S8 seems like a bargain.

Have a look at what Spigen and Otterbox have to offer. The trusted brands don't normally produce low quality cases, but choosing "the best" case is impossible, as it would largely depend on how much protection you require and how much you're willing to sacrifice the looks of the device.

Personally, I like the look of the Spigen Thin Fit on this device.

I didn't have much luck with them yesterday, even though I contacted them before the item was delivered. Effectively the only way they would refund the difference is if you refused the delivery and placed another order, or send the item back in a prepaid envelope and place another order with the new price. On both occasions you'd need to wait for them to receive the product before they issue a refund.

I think their policies are different to Amazon UK as their purchases are not protected by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. I'm still baffled as I'm sure it costs them more to ship another device and accept a return of the current one, than just simply refund the price difference, but there you have it.

isn't WiFi calling and voice over 4G built into android? I ask as I purchased a UK unlocked S7 edge from very and WiFi calling just worked out of the box (I have an EE max SIM) Is the s8 different and can anyone confirm if you must flash a UK rom to get these features? I'm more than happy to flash roms to phone's, but I don't like doing so In the warranty period. thanks in advance

flashing rom via odin wont affect warranty. Ive got S7 edge duos. I had to flash ee rom ro get volte and vowifi.

WiFi calling on EE works on unlocked phones out of the box. If you wanted to use VoLTE, you'd need to flash the EE firmware, though.

I don't think warranty would be affected, as flashing official firmware releases does not trigger the Knox flag on Samsung phones, but don't quote me on that.

Can't decide between this or a Nokia 3310

Dreadful brand

Are you kidding me? Every time you flash a Samsung it counts Knox for warranty, they will know 100% that your device has been flashed.

Rubbish.. flash any official Samsung firmware from any region and it will not trip the Knox counter.

Where can the official Samsung firmware be found?

So, odin does not trip Knox if using stock firmware - great. If i flash an EE rom to get VoLTE and something happens that require sending my phone off to warranty, will i need to return the phone to the original firmware that it came with?

Pretty easy to say that but posting where you are able to get it for £550 new would be a much better.
Cheapest I've seen new is Amazon Italy. £585 ish.

As long as you don't trip Knox, Samsung will have no way of knowing what the original firmware on your phone was. On top of that, I have read that Samsung engineers would normally flash the latest regional firmware on your phone anyway when testing it in the repair centre.

They don't care as long as it's official Samsung.

I would probably flash it to the original region\carrier firmware for peace of mind... but it's not necessary

Just bought the 8+ for £660 excellent phone. But still feels like an expensive brick in my pocket until i get used to android and the functionality. Cannot believe this phone can measure stress through heartbeat and oxygen density in the blood.

I still don't know why a mobile phone is so expensive?

Check out Samsung's official cases,they have a wide range depending which type you like some of them quite unique and innovative.
They are are very well reviewd.check youtube.
also Sansung has officiall screen protector which many say is the best for curved shape of this phone.
their cases seen nuch nicer than likes of Spigen.

I can't believe it either. Oh wait, what marketing says and what it actually does are 2 separate matters :stuck_out_tongue: Just to reiterate, this does not measure stress. This measures heart rate and Sp02, you cannot accurately determine "stress levels" from this.

it was a third party seller (like new) seems like it's gone now.

well than you should have asked nicely

I did ask nicely! That was my only post on the matter. Someone else was being rude.

Absolute BS, I guarantee that flashing your Samsung will trip Knox. Is it worth loosing your warranty ?

UK is still part of EU as well as Italy and will be so for another at least 2 years.
Samsung provides in EU 2 year warranty and repair will be granted in UK. No need to send to Italy, just ring UK samsung cs, they will collect and repair phone within few days.

Enid Blyton is not dead then?

I've got a sim free S7edge being used with a 3 sim, and can confirm that VoLTE works out of the box, so I'm assuming that if this phone is sim free too, it may be the same.

If you read the terms and conditions on Samsung warranty they may not honour the warranty in another country EU or none EU. I had this pointed out to me in Spain when they refused a repair and was shown the wording. In the UK for warranty work your product has to be returned/reported to the place you purchased from for warranty work in the first place as that is who your contract is with. The number of times this is explained on the TV and in the press and still people don't understand this.

£657 for s8 plus from Amazon.it

I'm confused by the fast charging on this. Was charging through my portable charger (Output:5v-1200mA) and it had 1h 11m left to charge (I forget what percentage it was on) plugged it into the Samsung charger the phone came with and the time only went down to 1h 4m.

Samsung CANNOT do this!!! EU law overrides any such T&Cs and insists that warranties are EU-wide (or, in Samsung's terms the EU has to be one country for warranty purposes)

sorry bud i was refering towards jh787 not you.

Sent off many a phone to Samsung over the years.
First thing I do when I buy a phone is flash a stock ROM into it.
Never tripped Knox.

How many phones have you flashed ROMs on?

Was the screen on?
Quickcharge only kicks in whilst screen is off

So... It was a third party seller, second hand and no longer available?

I apologize for being rude. Easily possible.

I paid £560 for brand new S8+. Sealed in box.
Collected in person. I found it on Shpock classified.

I bought this from Amazon when it was at 640 EUR. But the link above says that this is a TIM branded phone. This is surprising, because the webpage I bought it from, informed that it was Sold by Samsung. I would be weary of the TIM branded phone, and not sure if it is even the genuine stuff.

Also, in the future, this phone will only get updates if it is released by TIM and not Samsung. So Beware.

Who is Tim?

What*

TIM is the most popular mobile network in Italy, like EE is to the UK.

I recently ordered a S8 from mobiles.co.uk with a 24month contract unwillingly, i saw this and called mobiles.co.uk and cancelled that order and now i read that TIM brand and may be not genuine. I am confused now. Is this a good deal to buy the phone from the amazon.it TIM brand ?? pls suggest.
I am an iphone fan but thought to give S8 a try after seeing the quality of the camera.

This won't come with any TIM branding, providing that you buy it directly from Amazon.it and not any third party seller.

thanks preecey. i will go ahead and order on amazon.it.

TiM is like EE or O2 - just another carrier. It will be genuine, but I can't say whether you would have issues with TiM bloatware that might(?) come installed along with the standard Samsung, Google and MSFT apps.

I bought the silver version using the link provided. But it says "shipped by pixstopping". Not sure if this is a a 3rd party

Oh, what kind of issues ? is it already know issue ?is there way i could resolve after buying it?

no worries have a good day

That's not Amazon. Cancel immediately.

Yes, I was using it, thanks for the reply.

Thankyou. I just cancelled it and ordered it again. It says sold and dispatched by amazon. But then when i check the order details after i made my purchase again it says "delivered by pixstopping".

I am confused

Are you sure you are not looking at the old order. Pix shopping is definitely a 3rd party.

Direct Amazon.it link
https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B071RSVYSH/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A11IL2PNWYJU7H&psc=1

is this site any good?
https://www.tigershop.it/?product=samsung-galaxy-s8-smartphone-64-gb-black-nero&utm_source=kelkooit&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=kelkooclick&utm_term=Samsung+Galaxy+S8+G950+Smartphone+64+GB+&from=kelkoo

I wouldn't buy it anywhere else internationally but Amazon. Although it's cheaper, it's not cheap enough to warrant a largely unknown seller with no history of excellence like Amazon has build up over the years.

Not an issue as such - more just annoying to have a phone with carrier apps you don't need but can't delete either. They probably only take up 1gb or less of storage.

i am placing an order now on amazon.it, and mine is a hallifax credit card with 0 fees for Euro transaction but the final cost is 575.28(569.61 For the phone +5.77 for the shipping ) euro and 523 in GBP. not sure how others got it lesser for 503GBP ?!

how to disable the Amazon currency convertor service on the amazon.it ? everything is in italian, but thanks for the translator, its making some sense now ! :smile:

You don't need to disable it, when you going through checkout, on your card details you can choose how you want to pay - GBP or EUR.

If ordering with Amazon.it make sure you open your order in front of the person delivering it. I ordered the S8+ via amazon.it , opened the box the that was the size of a dvd shipping box and nothing but a bit of brown packing paper inside.

The phone was way to big to fit in the box so I am sure it was nicked in amazon Italy packing department.

Got hold of amazon Italy customer service department and have a new one coming after a google translated convo, I think it could of been a bit more of a pain if the amazon logistics person didn't witness me open the empty box.

Same happened to me with a Note 4 from amazon.it 1 year ago. Bad experience! Never again !

I ordered mine on the 28th as well but it hasn't even shipped yet. Did yours just turn up or did Amazon update the tracking information?

don't watch tele, read more, that is eu law no matter what's in samsung tcs(they may consider eu as 1 country). I'm from eu country and deal with phones as they're much cheaper here often. Never had any repair refused. provide links to that explanation in press pls.

italians are famous for that, many sellers on ebay and aliexpress excluded italy from shipping countries for that reason, too much scam...

It is not EU law it is an EU directive, and with directives countries do not have to comply, I do not care how many phones you deal with you obviously have no idea of the difference between a directive and a law.
The UK skirts this directive by the simple fact that it gives suitable for purpose law and that is greater than the EU directive so products are advertised as 1 year warranty and nothing can be done about this, but you as a customer can say and quite rightly my product should have lasted longer than this and Trading Standards or whatever it is called today have a list of durability for product use. I don't care how many times you try to promote yourself as qualified in this, you are completely wrong and by the way Trading Standards will not fight a problem purchased in another country, which this is, even though your computer may be in the UK.

this is a bit scary actually, what if i am not home and they deliver the parcel to the nearest collection centre, in my case its Royal mail post office. Not sure how to handle such scam, i already have bad exerience with Italians whe in Italy :disappointed:

record yourself unboxing it. I do it with nearly everything expensive I buy online. Has helped I me on one occasion.

Why the S8 Plus doesn't get any price drop and it's only the S8?
I have no interest in S8 even for half this price,I just want the S8 Plus for around £600 :neutral_face:

Does Monzo work?

Bought. Heated. Thanks :smiley:.

Be careful you will NOT be able to use Samsung Pay. Unless you flash a UK firmware (and potentially lose warranty)

Great deal……………..unless the Phone gets confiscated by HM Revenue & Customs on its way in to the UK.

Then you have to pay extortionate UK taxes,or lose the Phone. Said Phone suddenly becomes same price as its UK, counterpart, or likely even more expensive. I personally wouldn't take the chance. The reason it is cheap, is because it is from the EU minus UK import taxes. Don’t think HM Customs are not on top of it, they are. These expensive items are the ones likely to be intercepted, rather than the cheap tat people buy from China all the time and get away with.

No EU duty, lol , no import fees.

You know nothing so don't waste your time with untruthful drivel.

Do you think i will be able to get it before next Friday?

Before you post nonsense like that... Read about taxes, duties within EU.

Yes, you will be...
No, you won't be...

How we should know? It says "Shipping in 2-5 weeks..." so if you will be very lucky then yes, but normally don't hold your breath :smiley:

I started reading it, thinking there was going to be some kinda quip at the Brexiters, but no, you are just laughably ignorant.

Lol buddy you really need to update your info..
this is from Italy and Italy like UK is in EU.
so customs does not apply for inside EU.

Yes it's like when you get off a plane and go through EU citizens line and nothing to declare.

VAT between the UK and Italy

Italy flag As Italy and the UK are both in the European Union VAT Area, there are complicated VAT rules affecting business carried out between the 2 countries. This post outlines the main issues as they apply to a small UK business.

‘Italy’ in this context includes Sardinia and Sicily, but excludes San Marino, Livigno, Campione d’Italia and the Italian Waters of Lake Lugano.

The UK comprises England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and (generally for VAT purposes) the Isle of Man but not the Channel Islands.

Italian VAT is called ‘Imposta sul valore Aggiunto’, or ‘IVA’. In January 2012 the standard rate of Italian VAT will increase to 23%, but reduced rates of 10% or 4% may apply to

Are you lost?
Both countries are in the EU so you don't pay any VAT or Customs duty

has this happened to you? why do you say that? any source?

Can people who received the S8 can confirm what model is shown on the box please and if this is definitely a European model?

I have contacted Samsung UK and they will provide support if

1. the model is European.
2. Owners can provide a VAT invoice

It did happen yes. I had bought my s6 in Spain (legit and unlocked). Because of the firmware SCS (Google if u don't know what it is) Samsung Pay automatically installed Samsung pay ES.
It didn't work when I tried adding my UK card.

I had to backup all my **** and flash a UK csc

You still pay the VAT but not import duty.

I can't believe you are still debating the obvious..

YOU DO NOT PAY ANY THING EXTRA when you buy an item from another European Union country shipped to UK.

Nothing.ZERO.NEIL.

it's just like ordering something from London to your address in Manchester.

You pay both but it will have been collected in the country of origin not in the UK as it enters, I am not sure if you are being deliberately stupid or you don't understand, but now you do.

I purchased the phone literally about an hour after this deal was posted. It gave a 2-3 weeks intial delivery time Today, i got an email to say it is arriving between 12th and 14th June which is next week.

I was talking about from Italy to the UK. I realized that duty had to be paid at the port of entry.

I presume it's people like you that voted us out of the EU.

You're very well advised. :sunglasses:

Do I have to set up an Amazon membership for Italy to buy this?

can anyone confirm if this has any "tim" carrier bloatware?
and does samsung pay work with this model in the uk?

thanks.

has anyone moved from a s7 edge to the s8. I can't help feel it will be too small a screen but I don't want to pay the extra for s8+.

It will be underwhelming going from big to small.
I'd wait for S8 Plus to drop a bit,it was around £580 few weeks ago via same deal.
well worth £80 more.

You can just use your UK login.

Anyone else had a change in their delivery dates. Mine is still the same

I take it that this will not come with a UK warranty?

It comes with EU warranty, so yes, you can send it to Samsung UK as long you have vat invoice.

And Samsung will tell you to deal with the supplier in the fist instance, that's who you have a contract with. I've experienced it.

Thanks for this.
I've just gone with it as its a birthday present for my brother, but he will just have to wait :stuck_out_tongue:

You can get the unbranded one which is a bit more expensive. Around £530 - £604 euros including shipping to the UK

What are you talking about?

Yes I'd like to know as well.

I've just posted a new deal for this here: https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/blacksilver-samsung-galaxy-s8-unbranded-amazonit-54857-2711539

Immediate delivery is currently available

What do you mean by "unbranded"?

This one is branded for TIM operator in Italy.
So you will have some "****" bloatware or something.. unless you flash in with unbranded soft

i believe someone confirmed the phone delivered from Amazon.it is unbranded

Thanks, gone with that just for the immediate delivery.

If read description for this one - there is "Branded TIM" (or "Marchio TIM" in Italian). Unbranded version costs €609 on Amazon.it

So whoever said that it will be unbranded... well I guess a few people can be surprised :smiley:

It isnt branded but has TIM bloatware.

That is what we call "branding"...

Apparently this phone has TIM startup screen and gets updates slower because it has to go through TIM first, is that the case?

That sounds sensible, yes. Often carriers have to test software releases themselves to ensure compatibility (presumably with their network but could also be with their bloatware etc).

I remember my mates with similar phone's getting software updates before me (they on EE and me on the 'smaller' network, Three)

Willing to be corrected though!

Im sure someone mentioned on this thread that Amazon are sending out the unlocked generic version, but i could be wrong. It is easy to flash an official UK firmware onto the phone through odin, just look at sammobile.com for the correct files. As long as you choose an official firmware (and not a custom one) it wont trip Knox.

If I flash the firmware on this, does that mean that when a new update gets released by Samsung it should update quicker than carriers and automatically or will I have to load on Android 8.0 or a new version manually? Sorry new to all of this flashing firmware and stuff :laughing:

I am not sure if this S8 is 100% unlocked as I cannot get any confirmation from Amazon.it . The phone is sold by Amazon.it , but they keep asking me to seek assistance from Samsung directly. Really stupid!!! Please see their reply below:

Further to your kind contact to english Customer Service, we received a question related to your interest with the item "Samsung G950 Galaxy S8 Smartphone, Memoria Interna da 64 GB, Marchio TIM, Nero [Italia]", at the link that you provided:

https://www.amazon.it/gp/offer-listing/B071RSVYSH/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8& amp;

In order to give you the correct information, I kindly suggest you to contact directly the manufacturer Samsung, they will be able to inform you technically (I kindly remind you that Amazon Customer Service isn't a technical service) and tell you if there's kind of block for your phone-SIM in your Country, or something similar that can impact your usage.

Here for you the link for International Samsung Assistance Support:

http://www.samsung.com/it/function/ipredirection/ipredirectionLocalList/

Your satisfaction is our priority, for this reason do not hesitate to contact us if should you need further information, help or assistance. We'll do our best to help.

I hope this email answers your concerns.

Warmest regards,
Stefano B.

The phone is not locked but if you are concerned, why not order the following unbranded S8 for a few more ££?

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/blacksilver-samsung-galaxy-s8-unbranded-amazonit-54857-52565-2711539

The phone is already so expensive and I am looking for lower price :smiley:

As per description. It is confirmed unlocked by Amazon.
Also by other members on here.

Thanks! I cannot wait to receive the phone and I hope it won't take full 5 weeks for delivery.

Same here, phone due to be delivered between 26 June and 17 July. Going on holiday on 18th so would like this phone to take with me. It's either this or the OP5 but I'm not sure on its availability and price so I ordered this as backup :stuck_out_tongue:

Can you insure this eu handset with your bank (mobile phone insurance ) ?

Why not ask your bank?

I ordered my phone on a similar deal from Amazon IT a few weeks ago. I was given a 15th June - 30th July delivery estimate. Phone arrived roughly 2 weeks after order was placed. Completely unlocked (worked for my EE SIM straight out of the box). The packaging has a very small TIM logo and Italian writing but the phone itself is completely standard. The first setup screen asks you for the language and you change it to English.

I've compared it to a friends UK S8 (£700 on launch day) and there are no differences. The plug supplied is an EU plug, however my S6 charger plug is the exact same spec so that worked for the fast charging.

Just to clarify, the phone is unbranded (no logo on the back or any hardware differences), and unlocked for use on any European network, but it does come with TIM firmware pre-installed.

There is some TIM apps on this firmware that can be removed easily (not just disabled) and since TIM is one of the largest carriers in Europe, you can expect timely updates (they've released two on top of the original firmware so far).

One thing to bear in mind is that despite setting a language and location, some Samsung apps are region specific, for example Samsung Pay is unavailable for this firmware. You will also miss out on some carrier specific features, like VoLTE and WiFi calling, which are normally only available on the networks firmware. Not a problem for most, but something to keep in mind.

Fortunately, it's very easy to flash UK firmware, and you could either put official Samsung unbranded firmware on it for quicker and "cleaner" updates or flash network specific firmware for extra features, as I did with my phone to get 4G/WiFi calling working. It would be the same on any unbranded phone anyway.

And on that point, flashing official Samsung firmware does NOT trip the Knox warranty flag, which means it would be intact if you had to send the phone out for repair.

In terms of accessories, you get the same deal as in the UK, including AKG earphones, except for the EU plug. The box has small TIM branding on It, next to the serial number, but it was fully sealed and no SIM card comes with it.

My phone was ordered on 28/5/17 and got delivered on 4/6/17, so within one week, despite initial delivery claiming to be 2-5 weeks. It came in the standard Amazon brown box, that was worryingly so easy to open without damaging or tearing any of the packaging, it's no wonder some phones went missing.

Thank you for the update, hoping mine turns up soon! Just a quick question, do you you have any instructions as to how we can Flash the official UK firmware onto the phone as well as enable 4G/WiFi calling please?

It's quite straightforward if you've done it before.

First, you need to find out which firmware you want to download. If you tell me which network you want to use it on, I'll find the most recent one for you.

You will also need Odin (software to flash Samsung firmware) and a Windows PC.

The firmware comes in a single archive file. Once extracted, you will find 4 pieces of software that will need to be selected in Odin: AP, BL, CP and CSC.

Then you put your phone in Download mode and plug it in with Odin and the firmware loaded up. Press start and 15 min later you will have your desired firmware on the phone.

I can find a more detailed guide with pics if required.

Thanks for the info Beorg. Good guy! :wink: Can you direct me to the correct firmware to flash considering I am on the Three network? cheers! :smiley:

I'm planning to join the 3 network, so is the firmware that will be installed going to be a generic S8 one or carrier specific? I am just looking forward about updates for the new Android and the time it takes for specific carriers to update it. Pics would be nice please, no rush. Ordered my phone on the 8th June and I highly doubt it will arrive this Thursday like yours did

As it stands, if you want to make any use of Supervoice (4G calls) on Three, or WiFi calls without an app, you will need to flash the Three firmware. It would be the same case with a new phone bought directly from Samsung or a high street retailer.

Link to the firmware:

http://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?record=E4F8845B37F311E7963AFA163EE8F90B

Unfortunately it means having to wait for Three updates for this handset, it is basically the same as having a Three branded Galaxy S8 phone. It will also come with some Three bloatware that can be disabled.

Alternatively you could flash XEU/BTU firmware, which is provided directly by Samsung and is currently on May security patch. You will lose VoLTE but could still make WiFi calls through the dedicated Three app.

Another thing that might be of interest is that the charger included with S8 devices is the same fast adaptive charger as the one used by the previous Samsung devices. If you don't want to use a wall adapter, you can just reuse the old charger or buy one online for about £10.

So is it only voLTE and Wifi calls, and also Samsung pay that I will be missing out on, if I just leave the Tim firmware on it?

what is the actual price in sterling for this S8 when paying by a Halifax Clarity credit card? Does Amazon.it take the payment immediately once you've placed the order? Does anyone know? Thanks!

The card will be charged upon dispatch.

It's impossible to know exactly how much you would patch, as it will depend on the exchange rate on the day the payment clears your account, which is normally a couple of days after it's been requested.

The only thing that's certain is the current price Amazon Italy would request, which is 575.28 EUR with delivery. And that comes out to just under £510 with current exchange rate, but could go either way with the ever fluctuating pound.

https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/consumers/get-support/convert-currency.html

That, and slower updates compared to firmware releases directly from Samsung. But then you would be missing out on VoLTE and WiFi calling anyway.

I paid using Amazon's currency exchange with a total of £519. That's what they'll charge my card when it dispatches so there's that option.

In which case I think I'll flash the generic Samsung UK software on my phone. Could just use the app as I prefer faster updates. So when I flash the firmware, next time there's an update I shouldn't need to reflash it right?

Thanks for your reply! That is why they have not taken any money from my card yet :smile: I hope Amazon.it will dispatch the phone ASAP and it still shows order receiving at the moment, no further progression :disappointed:

Thanks for clarifying Beorg. So just to confirm, if I go with the official Samsung firmware I get faster updates and no bloatware but I still miss out on voLTE and Wifi calling? But If I go with a Three branded official ROM then I get slower updates but I get all functionality? and also, with a Three branded ROM I won't be voiding the warranty will I? Thanks for your time Beorg. :smiley:

Thank you very much OP. I've gone for this. Too cheap to ignore. Delivery sometime end of June--beginning of July.

Is there any way to get this in an alternative colour but from the same seller? I can't seem to find it! Looking for the Orchid Grey

Thank you

Yes , keep watching the sellers site until he gets Orchid Grey into stock. No telling what the price will be though.

thanks for the fantastic info, could you tell me what the exact model number is? I'm keen to download the Samsung unbranded firmware and flash my new phone as soon as it arrives.

FYI. The black version is now available for immediate delivery

Just had an email from amazon.it saying delivery will be earlier than expected - shipping tomorrow :man:.

Ordered mine the 7th, delivery estimate 23-27th.

Thanks to OP and Beorg and others who posted info about the firmware.

Ordered mine this Tuesday (13th) morning and apparently it's going to be delivered Monday (19th). :smiley:

The model nr is SM-950F, which is the standard single-SIM international version of the Galaxy S8 with the Exynos SoC.

Price drop to just over £495:

Articoli:EUR 559,67
Costi di spedizione:EUR 5,77
Totale ordine:EUR 565,44

I'll respond to the other comments when I have access to my laptop. :smiley:

Thanks for reminding me life isn't fair.



I didn't see it that low a price, but I did cancel my original order and place a new order to save €10. Current price is €569 from seller Amazon.it

What the F!??? Can't buy anything on this site without it being posted cheaper couple days later...

omg...price reduction already!

I tried cancelling my current order so i can order again at reduced price but i am not allowed to cancel it. Looks like its already dispatched

WARNING WARNING WARNING
just received my package which was left at a neighbours house. Inside is a gillette razor blades and no phone!!!!!!!

i can't believe it. The package was flimsy and can easily be opened from the sides.

I would advise cancelling or making sure you are at home and open it in front of the driver.

Contacting amazon now.

hope your neighbour enjoys your phone , never had anything from amazon in a flimsy package, always been in decent boxes with good tape. Very odd indeed.

Let us know how you get on

Sometimes they do use a type of package in which the sides appear to be merely inserted but not secured. It's then easy to simply bend out a side to access the box.


I don't get these much these days but usually that's because I'm buying random junk of different sizes that warrants a proper box.

But if it was in a package like above really anyone from the warehouse to his house could easily have nicked it.

i am pretty certain my neighbour has not taken the phone as i got there in less than 20 mins of getting the confirmation online.

The sides of the parcel can be opened easily. how can you even send out a £500 plus phone in a package just like this one? It could have been taken at any point through the logistics. What's odd is i didn't hear a knock yesterday when delivery was attempted and today it was left 5 houses up which is unusual. My wife was at home too and i told her to keep an eye out on delivery. Also why not leave with neighbour yesterday?



This was my first order with amazon.it

I'm a prime member and have been with amazon for years and have never had an issue even after having a lot of items left at different neighbours.

I'm just worried that it will leave a mark against my amazon account as it's the first time it's happened and on an expensive item.

My Amazon reputation would be the last thing I'd be worrying about. Their customer service is stellar (assuming you choose Amazon.it as the seller) so I wouldn't worry.

I'm pretty sure Amazon.uk never ship a high value item in boxes like those these days. They're really only sufficient for books and movies that nobody wouldn't bother to take anyway.

Great stuff. I ordered and paid using my Revolut card. Total cost worked out to £495!

This was the type of packaging they used with my order. I was going to record a video of me unboxing it just in case, but then I realised anyone could take the item out without affecting the packaging in any way, which is ridiculous.


The only thing I would suggest to people buying on the Revolut card, since it's a pre-paid card, it would not be eligible for a chargeback in case things went wrong.

The most recent version of the XEU firmware can be downloaded from here, and includes the most recent June security patch:

http://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?record=1FE353DC528011E7963AFA163EE8F90B




Warranty would only be voided if you tripped the Samsung Knox flag. And that only happens when flashing unofficial firmware or rooting the phone.

What is the difference between XEU and BTU firmware? Are they both the same?

right Amazon said they will send out a replacement, which is nice enough but I just can't take the risk. the packaging is attrocious and would even attempt a priest.

I've cancelled the replacement and done a return label.

2 things. it doesn't seem to have postage paid. so am I responsible for postage costs?

and do I have to insure the parcel because I don't want to send £500 value razor blades only to be told package is missing.

if Amazon.it don't receive it will I be refunded? if not then how do I protect myself.

I don't want to make any mistakes. already caused me enough stress. :disappointed:

thanks

Usually you pay for return postage if nothing wrong with product but if there is a fault then they will refund postage but you need to send them proof of postage cost.
Its a major problem sending mobiles these days, couriers will send them but its difficult getting the extra insurance cover.
There was a post that said they contacted there credit card company who told them to tell Amazon that the parcel is waiting for them to collect and if they didnt arrange a collection themsleves that the credit card company would do a charge back, how true this is , I dont know.

For those who prefer non-operator type of S8, the price has now gone down to Euros 579 which equivalent to £500 - URL

Finally got round to ordering. It arrived today, same flimsy packaging but phone box appears fine. There is a big sticker on it saying "European smartphone card only" - can any confirm that my UK Vodafone sim will be fine before I break the seal? Ta.

Mine arrived yesterday. Works fine with my Vodafone SIM that I had to cut down from micro to nano. Enjoy!

When will people learn to read the instructions and other posts and not just dive in and find they are stuck. Read other posts on the thread and you will find out what you are doing wrong.

Wouldnt it just have been easier for you to quote me the instructions rather than take a dig at people who cant go through 200+ posts!

Received mine today - happy bunny :smiley:.

Mine finally shipped today. 1 more week to wait.

Seems the TIM ones are gone. However the stock phone is still available at €579 with immediate delivery. If this had been available at the time I would have jumped at it to have my phone sooner and not need to flash the firmware.

https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B06XWN7VCQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A11IL2PNWYJU7H&psc=1

I received my silver S8 today hoping I could jump ship from Apple Tried to use the Samsung Smart Switch application with the adapter to copy all my data from my iPhone 6 and it doesn't even recognise it. Looks like I will doing an return and stick with my iPhone.

Has anyone returned theirs back to Amazon Italy sucesfully?

I bought an S8 duos from another site and did the Smart Switch thing via cable and only the Samsung Apps were transferred, I had to go to a phone shop to get it sorted and I could not have done what the guy in the shop did. He must have done over a hundred touches of different action's to do the transfer. Now it is sorted I think it is the best thing since sliced bread, much better than my previous S7. Anybody want a gold S7 Duos? £250 plus postage.

Mind linking the S8 Dual SIM mate? If it's eGlobalCentral I might give them a go as despite the negative reviews there are a lot of happy customers.

It was from eBay and sold by ionorchard(2385) and is now £520 in gold only. Brilliant service would use again.

No because you are too lazy for my liking, and you can't count either, or multiply. 6 X 20 per page makes 120. See I did that for you.

Amazon have delivered it to my neighbor as I was not at home. The package looks really suspicious to me and I am scared to even open it, it doesn't feel like a samasung phone box parcel, it feels like something cheap as I the parcel is already bit damaged. I am tempted to return this as is without opening it, but I have to go through the hassle of the speaking to Italian Amazon customer service which will be a big pain
I don't know how to attach pictures of the parcel from my iPhone :disappointed:

Less than a week in and the screen has already been scratched slightly :disappointed: I thought Gorilla Glass was good?!?!?!

Just had a closer look and it's tampered , the cello tapes/plaster are not present anymore !! Bs

Can anyone please share the pic of a brand new S8 box before opening just to have an idea on how the Amazon it delivers it !

Mine arrived like the picture quoted above, the S8 box itself should have a plastic film around it with a TIM sticker that talks about some sim stuff in italian.

Trying to order niw but saying can't deliver to my address? Anyone else had the same problem?

You must be ordering from one of the 3rd party sellers. Make sure its the Prime product so that its dispatched by Amazon only

Will buy it when it reaches the all elusive 300 bone mark.

Hopefully will get some quality razor blades. I could do with a good shave.

So how many people who have ordered from Amazon.it had been done up by a scam. I want to order one but really concerned as don't want to go through the hassle. Is opening the box in front of the delivery man the best you can do. What if you are not home and they leave the package and you find out there's no phone in the box. Will you be allowed a replacement or credit card refund in this instance?

I haven't, seems like a few but not a concern. If there is any issue it shouldn't be a hassle to solve as Amazon customer is excellent. I'd just send an email to the .it support team. Recording your unboxing helps too. But Amazon will normally not ask for proof as such. If the phone isn't in the box when you open the box (either delivered to neighbour or left outside) they will refund or send you another one out.

Hi thanks for letting me know. What if I take the delivery but the driver does not want to wait and I have to open the package without the delivery man. Would that still be OK? Just asking because they are always in a rush. Also does anyone know whether a dual sim version is available or can I just use another sim card instead of sd card in the single sim version?

Then you should not be owning an iPhone.

Single SIM is what it says only one SIM card and an SD card reader. Duos or dual SIM can be used as a dual SIM or single SIM and SD card. None of Samsung's phones as far as I am aware do 2 SIM cards with additional SD card, SIM cards and SD card can be combined if you have the necessary skills, but beware warranty problems if you damage the phone doing it.
Duos Samsung S8 can be obtained from eBay, I put that up on a post above, why have they removed post numbers?

Got mine today. Came in tamper-proof box where it would need to be taped up again if accessed via the sides. Delivered by UPS. Plastic wrapped S8 box inside. Slide off outer box and must cut seal to open main box.

Was happy it has nearly a 70% charge so could play straight away. With heart in mouth, installed Vodafone firmware (AP/BL/CP/CSC). Passed but one strange thing was it came up in German by default? Also has a "Mein Vodafone" app installed on home screen. I checked sammobile and updato.com and the CSC looks correct (G950FOVF1AQF3)? Is it possible they have one CSC for all Europe and the default is German?

I don't want to waste time installing everything if I should reflash it. Not sure where to get the proper Irish Vodafone firmware if updato.com is messed up ( link ). Having no luck downloading from sammobile. Always says "Session has expired. Please go to the forums to refresh the session." even tho my ad blocker is off.

Disregard above, apparently it is a Vodafone thing. Apparently after flashing you put in your SIM and do a factory reset which will then detect your country. I just installed the stock UK XEU firmware and it came up English. I'm sticking with it as all this flashing gives me the willies!

Yea that'll be fine. If the delivery driver doesn't want to wait then it's no problem. If the phone isn't there or its damaged (or whatever reason) then send an email to Amazon.it through email and they'll help you without a question. Don't be worried, mine went through fine as well as majority of people's. They also seem to put it in better a packaging now I've heard a+ better delivery (maybe Amazon logistics or UPS) This is the single SIM varient with a micro SD slot. Only the S8 Duos has dual SIM but you'll have to import that outside of the EU. If you do so, warranty may be invalid and also watch out for scammers + customs charges. I have seen some on eBay before purchasing this one and they are a little cheaper (depends on seller) but there are disadvantages which are outlined above. If you have any further questions please feel free to ask me on here or PM.

personally I purchased both an S7 last year and an S8 just a few weeks ago and had no problems as both were posted from inside the EU, Manchester and France, so no customs problems. Just research your seller and you do have both eBay and PayPal protection if you use that method or section 75 if credit card. Had no warranty worries as they are quality products and both originated in Singapore if my research is correct, went that route because I need dual sim.

Thanks for the info.
If the products have originated from Singapore how would you go about getting them fixed. is there a way?

The rules in the UK state that the seller is responsible for warranty work so you take it up with him, any other work go to a repair centre and pay same as any other repair. Yes there could be a delay in getting none standard parts such as the dual sim operating board, but I have hundreds of friends, aquatints and work mates that have gone this route since S6 without problems. As I said quality products. Please note everybody this is not a NOTE.

Yes, good example. Most people think buying something like that on eBay from China is a bad route of purchase but it is cheaper and sometimes better.

Thanks for this. I've just picked one up for £505 including 1 day delivery charge (Thursday now but I need it before Tuesday).

Subtotal of items: EUR 466.39
shipping cost: EUR 10.31
Total excluding VAT: EUR 476.70
VAT: EUR 95.34
order total: EUR 572.04 = £505 currently.

Think without paying extra for delivery it is down to £494

Quick question on re-sale, when I come to sell it on do I need to tell people it is from Amazon Italy?

You can state it's got the Italian firmware on it but there's not much need I don't think. Firmware is easy to change and operates in exactly the same way. Congrats on your purchase! Enjoy your new phone :wink:

Are you sure it was Amazon.it you bought it from as I cannot see any options with Amazon.it for quicker delivery, only standard delivery at €5.77

Maybe they ordered the Silver edition as that has one-day delivery

Hey, it was the nero one: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B071RSVYSH/ref=pe_3310731_185740161_TE_item

It only gave me the shipping option after I'd selected my address, then my card and currency and then my address again and then the shipping method. Not sure why it went round the houses for that, maybe its because I added my Clarity card as a new card. Definitely coming from Amazon EU S.a.r.L on Thursday though as I just had the dispatch notification 20 minutes ago.

And thanks :smile:

anyone get a red hue when you activate Amoled Cinema or any other screen display settings other than adaptive? Mine does. Thinking of getting it exchanged for another.

Yes I've had that, it's a common fault with the S8. I'd advise you switch it out. I use Adaptive Display so no problem

I am trying to return my phone to Amazon.IT but no courier will take it (lithium battery). Has anyone else returned theirs and know of a courier company that will take it back? Can believe what a ball ache this is! Thanks!

Royal Mail?

The problem is with Lithium batteries not usually lithium ion batteries . Most couriers will deliver mobiles but they wont insure them.

Yes Royal Mail recorded, but tell them it's a camera if they ask no batteries. But you can tell that to any courier co, DHL best.

Just done an international mail check and there is no problem for batteries that are installed such as in mobile phone but the phone should be turned off fully with no chance of the phone activating.

Phone arrived today, all setup and working great apart from one issue. Massive appreciation for this post though!

My one issue is with Samsung pay? It keeps giving me different errors I've uninstalled and re-installed via Play Store but it won't even install from the Samsung Store it says the app is no longer available when clicking on the banner when the Samsung Store loads. Could it be because it is on the TIM firmware? Android pay seems to be working fine though.

You're welcome, the community is here to help you. I had the same issue and yes it is because of the TIM firmware. If you need to use Samsung Pay then you will have to flash the UK firmware onto the device. Easy to do however

Thanks for the quick response! I'll get it flashed at the weekend but as I'm using a Vodafone sim is it worth me flashing the Vodafone firmware or just unbranded? I know the EE firmware gives Volte but I don't think Vodafone gives me anything that wouldn't already come from the unbranded?

Maybe with the Vodafone firmware it may enable you to use WiFi calling and other features but it also may then install Vodaphone bloatware on your device. Usually WiFi calling is available through the app anyway, but also if you stick with the Vodafone software you could end up getting updates slightly later than the generic UK firmware as it has to go through the operator first

Any s8 plus deals

I should think so.

I got my S8 finally and looks great, but the sad news is it slipped and landed on the fllor and the screen is shattered. Can anyone give me any suggestions if i can get this fixed with samsung or any retailers for a cheaper price ?

Sorry to hear bud. Unfortunately, replacement screens are currently £220 on eBay so it's unlikely you'll find a replacement service anywhere for cheaper than that. Not sure how much labour is involved but I'd expect £300+

Do you have a Samsung store near you? You could try taking it to them and begging with the person behind the counter to help you out but I can't see that working (annoyed)

Sorry to hear that, the S8 has been said to have a fragile screen and back. You could try local phone repair stores. They'll be cheaper but you may get a unofficial replacement screen or a bad job done on your phone. The official Samsung store could help you out but expect a hefty price as it's official and carried out by specialists. Don't be put off by the unofficial replacement screens however, some may be real and some may be counterfeit. Some may be plastic and some may be glass so make sure if you use local repair stores to check the quality you are buying

I have missed on this deal as the current one is showing around fifty quid more. Does anyone know any other deals similar to this one or will Amazon price match a historic price?

Thank you, i am just trying to live with it for now.. :smiley:

Can anyone please advise me on why the samsung pay app doesnt work on this phone, i have uninstalled and reinstalled the app multiple time, but it still has issues opening the app itself.

Just read the above comments on samsung pay. I think i will have to install the UK firmware!!
But one question i am new to the android world and its a silly question, Do i need to take it to a samsung store to get the firmware flashed or can i just install the new SW available from the settings like in the iOS ?