Note 4 N910AUCU1BNK3 Firmware Update Broke my Phone Settings

Disclaimer: This is long because I am extremely frustrated at this point, and since I have gotten so used to explaining this whole thing every time I talk to someone, I will just do it again.

On December 2nd, AT&T pushed the N910AUCU1BNK3 firmware out for my Note 4. After the update, whenever I try and go to Phone->Settings->Call->Additional Settings, I get an error "Network or SIM error." I forward my calls everyday to my work number, so this affects me greatly.

The first thing I did of course was to do a factory reset. That did not solve the problem. So I chatted with AT&T support, they recommended I go into an AT&T store and get a new SIM. I made an appointment and got a new SIM, but it didn't fix the error. So the AT&T rep called support. We spent an hour on the phone, getting pushed from one rep to another, each time explaining what was happening, until the final rep said she needed to connect us with Samsung support. After three more Samsung reps, and explaining everything again each time, we finally got a guy that told me to install an app to allow him to remote into my phone and verify the error. I did, he did, and said he couldn't do anything.

He then recommended I went to a Samsung Experience Center, located in Best Buy, and ask them to perform a smart flash. I went over to Best Buy, and again, explained everything, and the rep hooked the phone to their software and received the error that the Note 4 was not compatible with their software. She then suggested I use Kies at home to do an emergency firmware repair. When I got home, I hooked my Note 4 to the PC, fired up Kies, and tried what she said, and received the error, "N910A is not a compatible device".

So, I got back on AT&T chat, once again explained everything, and the determination was made to send me a replacement. I received the new phone the next day, updated to the latest firmware, went to Phone->Settings->Call->Additional Settings, and received the exact same "Network or SIM error."

So I got back on chat with AT&T, once again explained everything, after convincing them that doing the usual troubleshooting on my phone would not solve the problem, they recommended I contact Samsung support to see if I could revert to the previous firmware version. I contacted Samsung support, once again explaining everything, he said there was NO way to revert back to the previous firmware, and that I should contact AT&T to see if I can get a replacement phone.

This was on Sunday. I went ahead and switched over to the new phone, at this point the old phone was still intact, as I hadn't factory reset it yet for return, and I went to work Monday morning. During the day on Monday, while demonstrating the error for a co-worker, I discovered that I was able to get into Additional Settings without the error, and Forwarding worked. When I got home, I tried it on my old phone (which had just been sitting there in the OFF state), and it too worked fine. So, clearly not on my end.

I did a factory reset on the old phone, boxed it up, and dropped it at the post office, and by the end of the day, I was no longer able to Forward calls as I once again got the same error, "Network or SIM error."

Just for the heck of it, I decided to get back on AT&T chat this morning, just to let them know this was still and issue, and clearly on their end. After explaining everything yet again, she immediately went into, "so let's see if we can troubleshoot this", to which I said, "Sorry, it's not me, and I am not going through this again." and closed the window.

So at this point I really don't know what to do, other than to start taking to the interwebs. If a fundamental feature like Phone Settings isn't working right, what else isn't working right? Besides, I shouldn't have to have a $750 phone that doesn't work right, regardless of whether or not I need that feature (forwarding, which I do).

So I am hoping that others with a Note 4 and the N910AUCU1BNK3 firmware can try going to their Phone->Settings->Call->Additional Settings and see if they too get the error. If it's just me, but two different phones, maybe it's my account, if it's not just me, and others start speaking up, maybe AT&T or Samsung will take this matter seriously and look into it. Afterall, all it would take is for suppor to get a Note 4, upgrade the firmware, and try it.