[Q] Does photon work in Canada - Motorola Photon 4G

I know its blocked I USA for other providers
But on engadget it says north america
I know for Verizon global phones like the Droid pro or Droid 3 they work fine in Canada
Secondly if it does work does it need to be unlocked?
Thanks!

i should add does it need the sprint sim to be in there for global or can any sim be inserted
And is neone working on removing the gsm ban for usa

The phone is unlocked for GSM so you should be able to pop on a Canadian sim. As far as I know only US carriers are blocked.
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

wouldn't the phone just roam on the CDMA towers in Canada?

there arent really any more major CDMA in canada, its all gsm
i just hope that popping a canadian sim card in to it is enough

I travel for work in Toronto all the time, and have never had problems CDMA roaming.. (very fast there actually..)
-mark

@mark
does sprint charge extra to roam in Canada ?? i'm planing a trip there

Yes, but it's a fair price. $0.002/kb vs. at&t's $0.015/kb. Use droidwall to block data access to the apps you need.. I usually spend an extra $20/30 for a week in canada in roaming charges.
Voice calls still cost too much I think (but they may have a plan to make it cheaper..) - i just use my phone for data..
-mark

I am thinking to get one,
does it work with Canadian carriers(or any countries other than US) even voice and data?
Thanks a lot.

thats what i wanna know
can i pop a canadian sim card, or is it also blocked
or is it just usa thats blocked like the verizion droid globals

canada and unlocked photon
Hi I just took delivery of the photon unlocked from sprint , I have put in the sim from Rogers and the cell part works just fine, I cannot get the data side to work though, I have played with all the settings I can find, anyone have a thought it would be appreciated. it says the 4 G not found, when I select network I choose the 3g on rogers, there is a 2g option, and I make sure the data on GSM is on
thanks

dramsdale said:
Hi I just took delivery of the photon unlocked from sprint , I have put in the sim from Rogers and the cell part works just fine, I cannot get the data side to work though, I have played with all the settings I can find, anyone have a thought it would be appreciated. it says the 4 G not found, when I select network I choose the 3g on rogers, there is a 2g option, and I make sure the data on GSM is on
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might need to create an access point name ... See here:
http://thekidd.ca/blog/tech/rogers-apn-settings
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App

set up APNS still not working
Hi thanks for the post , I ahve set up both APNs as listed and rebooted the phone, I have set the mobile manually to the rogers 3g as when I turn on the 4 g I cannot connect, but I still cannot get data access on the 3g Hmm not sure what to do next , any other thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks

Sprint locked the UMTS radios to disable use on AT&T's network. That's the frequencies 850 MHz and 1900 MHz.
Rogers, Bell and Telus all use these frequencies for UMTS as well. I imagine if it is blocked for AT&T, then you won't be able to use it on these carriers either.
Bell/Telus CDMA/EVDO, and GSM/EDGE 850/1900 protocols still live in Toronto will work with the phone, though.
You may have to contact either Sprint or Motorola to get this fixed as it is clearly false advertising.
Sucks though I wish I saw this before I ordered it (for use on Bell HSPA). Gonna have to get my rage on.

Sprint apps
Hi..
Please accept my apologies if my questions are a bit primitive, this is my first post. I appreciate guiding me step by step or pointing to another post if mu questions kinda repeated.. Thanks
I just bought a Motorola Photon on bay. I am in Canada.. The phone works well with Rogers, Fido..
Luckily, the phone is rooted. I also managed to get its MSL code.
Will a factory reset wipes my root advantage ??
Now, how can I get rid of these Sprint apps?? Having the MSL now, what benefit can I have in breaking free from Sprint-related stuff?
Is the WiMAX unlocked from Sprint if I happen to have WiMAX available??
I have too many questions, but let us start step by step.. I really do appreciate your explanations.. Thanks v much

Backup activation of Sprint ..
install root explorer by market and rename the following applications
from the system folder / app:
SprintOMADMConnMOPlugin.apk
SprintOMADMConnMoPlugin.odex
in
SprintOMADMConnMOPlugin.apk.bck
SprintOMADMConnMoPlugin.odex.bck

red_gold said:
Will a factory reset wipes my root advantage ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, it'll mess it up a bit, won't completely wipe, but will mess it up so that you'll have to reinstall.
red_gold said:
Now, how can I get rid of these Sprint apps?? Having the MSL now, what benefit can I have in breaking free from Sprint-related stuff?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
root is what allows you to get rid of the sprint apps. there's a thread on what apps you can get rid of and what you can't... there are some apps that you can just uninstall by just going into >settings>applications>manage applications, while others you need to remove by root explorer, or manually (remount rw, and remove from /system/app)
red_gold said:
Is the WiMAX unlocked from Sprint if I happen to have WiMAX available??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not really clear on this question - you have WiMax if you have a sprint account, it used to be due to the $10 premium addition, but they've changed it to all smart phones. turn it on, see if you can find the network, and connect to it.
hope that help.s

Hi.. Thanks for the replies
I am not sure what do you mean by "mess it up ... have reinstall??" do you mean just reinstall superuser app from the market ??
I mean if WiMAX is available in my area outside the US. Will I be able to use it ??
I just need ways to break-free and unlock the phone from any Sprint related ties. i am not living in the US and there is no Sprint here in Canada or any country I am traveling to..
Enough that I also cannot use it with a sim card with a US carrier as it is next to impossible as I learn,.. I don't want to regret buying the phone that is why I rooted it and managed to get the MSL
to try to unlock it from Sprint as much as I can..
Thanks lot

factory resets basically clear /data and /cache.
/data is where all of your downloaded apps are stored (including superuser)... as well as your user data, settings, accounts, etc.
su (root) is located in /system/bin linked to /system/xbin, so it won't be removed and will still be on there...
as for your wimax question - i'd think if you were provisioned correctly outside the US, you should be able to access it.
the sim to US thing is something coded into the hardware, so until one of the devs here figures a way around it, we're sort of stuck...

chibucks , thanks a lot.. Your knowlege and advive is highly apreciated..
So Could I simply 1.rename the /data directory as for example, /data.1
2.Go to ##RTN#, Do a factory reset then rename the /data.1 back again to /data
Would that only be OK, or am I missing something or any other better way ??
All I care about is the root, anyting else can be re-downloaded. I don't have the experience yet to root the phone in case i loose root..

Related

[Q] Atrix capable network in japan?

Ill be moving to japan by years end and was wondering what network could I use to work with the Atrix? And if anyone has any experiance living in japan, how does billing work?
From everything I've heard Japan has domestic market phones that make the Atrix look like old news. You might be better off getting a phone/plan locally when you get there.
...I beg to differ on that one.
Here in Japan, there are some good Android phones, but they're almost always locked down. For example my SH005. great phone except the battery won't last a whole day.
I picked up an Atrix I plan on unlocking and using that over here.
anything that has the 2100 band (pretty much all 3G phones in the US) will work on Softbank. if you're going there permanently, then if your phone is unlocked you can probably just drop the SIM in. if you're going temporarily then you will probably need to grab a prepaid SIM but it should still work in the phone. you pay for all minutes used, incoming calls are free, and softbank has a good deal on unlimited mail for prepaid (300 yen per month) plans.
shadowfalx had issues with softbank in JP.. he tried 2 Atrix handsets and couldn't get either of them to work with data..
It had to be his APN settings. I've used dozens of non-softbank phones over here, starting with my GSM WinMo Treo 750, and as long as the APN settings were correct, it worked on data fine. There's one other person with an Atrix I know here in Tokyo; He's a Google employee here. So I know it'll work.
Kueller said:
From everything I've heard Japan has domestic market phones that make the Atrix look like old news. You might be better off getting a phone/plan locally when you get there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like what?
Japan is behind the times these days, still loving flip phones, blackberries and just joining the iphone love.
Symbian is alive and well in Japan. That should tell you everything.
starrwulfe said:
It had to be his APN settings. I've used dozens of non-softbank phones over here, starting with my GSM WinMo Treo 750, and as long as the APN settings were correct, it worked on data fine. There's one other person with an Atrix I know here in Tokyo; He's a Google employee here. So I know it'll work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you ever heard of people getting extremely high charges for data? I read about that on another forum (gaijinpot, search for "softbank bill" on the title, I can't link to it). They say softbank will usually not allow you to use a cell phone they didn't sell on their data network if you ask them directly. The thread is 3 or so moths old, I don't think too much has changed since then.
Again, it's all in the plan/APN settings you start off with beforehand, along with checking My.softbank.ne.jp to see if you're getting ridiculous charges...
Some people go into the store, get a prepaid phone, then just swap the SIMs. No prepaid phone here comes with data!
Others are moving from a featurephone to a smartphone. Those have data, but are tied to a specific APN. When pulling down more data than allowed from that APN, they charge exorbitant fees. Hence plan changing is a good thing.
Finally, some people go from iPhone to another Android. iPhones here have totally different APNs they attach to.
It's all in the name controlling the plans for their customers, that's all. Connect to the one you're paying for, then you shouldn't have any problem.
Again, I used an AT&T treo 750, HTC Tilt, HTC Tilt 2, from T-mobile, and an out-the-box unlocked iPhone 3GS from Singapore with no issues. Of course you NEVER tell them that you're using a different phone from the one that's on their system. But as long as you're connected properly, they generally don't care.
That being said, theres another option called B:mobile here. They're an MVNO and use DoCoMo's network. They just sell you a prepaid SIM card. I may try them out, just to see what kind of service is there and if it could save me some ¥. This guy is test one right now actually:
http://softbanksucks.blogspot.com/
Wow, that was really informative starrwulfe. I was looking for this kind of info because I just got an Atrix off of ebay and I plan to use it with a Dell Streak's SIM which I got from softbank on the 2-year contract. You're saying that if I backup my APN settings from the Streak I should have no problems on the Atrix, correct?
For the record, I pay about 9,000 yen per month. That includes ~6,000 for the unlimited data plan, ~1800 for the phone, and all the crap you have to sign in when you make the contract.
OP, If you are going to stay in Japan long enough and you intend to use a lot of data on the Atrix you may want to consider getting a basic android smartphone from softbank on an unlimited data plan and swapping SIMs.
Exactly.
I have a Sharp Galapagos SH005 here now, but like you, I'm switching to an Atrix too (in fact it should be here before Saturday) and that's exactly what I plan to do.
Easy way to tell what APN you should connect to is to check the color of the SIM cards. Black ones are iPhone only cards, gray ones with green bands specifically say "SMARTPHONE" on them-- they go into the Android phones here. Feature phones have a regular gray card.
You can find the APN info and password easily by googling a little... But if you can back up your APN info, can you share it with me? mine is locked (current phone can't be rooted)
Ok, now I'm having trouble here with getting my Atrix set up on the Softbank network.
Phone calls and SMS work, but data doesn't.
Seems they have some unpublished APNs now with the new android phones. My Galapagos plugs into some other APN than what the normal silver cards did. Unfortunately I can't see what my APN is now on my current phone since they've locked that part out.
What I'm also afraid of is that they may have also started using things like imei checking and user agent binding as well. Great, now what can I do?
Sent from my SBM005SH using XDA App
Just so you know, I have this with sim card out of my iPhone and my atrix works on the softbank network. So it was see if only thing stopping me for connecting to softbank is apn info.
again if anybody has sharp galapogos APN information for softbank I would happily pay pal a donation
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
starrwulfe said:
It had to be his APN settings. I've used dozens of non-softbank phones over here, starting with my GSM WinMo Treo 750, and as long as the APN settings were correct, it worked on data fine. There's one other person with an Atrix I know here in Tokyo; He's a Google employee here. So I know it'll work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was APNs....sort of. Motorola Atrix requires you to add your Username and Password to a file in '/system/etc/ppp/peers/pppd-ril.options'. With out this you can call and use wi-fi but can not use mobile data.
and for APN's this site is helpful:
http://android.modaco.com/content/a...internet-mms-apk-for-softbank-users-in-japan/
Just remember is you want tethering and aGPS add them to the list in APN Type. So it should read default,supl,mms,agps,dun,tether remember NO spaces
Starrwulf do you have root on you Galappagos phone? if so you can look at the APNs.....Let me make a guide quickly and I will update this post.
Required:
SQLite editor
Root
1) Open SQLite editor and accept the root permissions.
2) Go to Dialer storage.
3) telephony.db
4) carriers
This opens a database file with all the APNs preloaded on the phone. You should be able to look for the one that has a 'Yes' in the current field.
I assume this is the same or similar on the Galapagos (I don't have one specifically though)
Thanx _Dennis_ for being so helpful!
Unfortunately, this thing has no root-- or rather may have temporary root, but not full root.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1054132
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=13747122
If I could gain just enough access to that file, then maybe theres a good chance it's in there.
I don't think SuperOneClick works... any suggestions?
maybe try gingerbreak? it may gain you root but you may not be able to change anything, which would be ok.
Or even better do you have adb access? if so I will find the correct .db file.
--edit: correct file is /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/telephony.db
or try these settings:
apn carrier="SoftBank Internet"
mcc="440"
mnc="20"
apn="andglobal.softbank.ne.jp"
user="andg001softbank"
password="pumbbghkpgyybsxa"
mmsc="http://mms/"
mmsproxy="andmms.softbank.ne.jp"
mmsport="8080"
type="default,mms"
preferred="true"
from: http://android.modaco.com/content-p...-mms-apk-for-softbank-users-in-japan/page/40/
I'm on the freenode IRC channel #moto-atrix, my name is shadowfalx do to someone already having _dennis_ registered though, if you want more real time help
You, another friend of mine here on Gtalk, and I found that MoDaCo thread all at the same time!
Those settings did the trick actually! So now I'm good to go. Now I need to figure out how to push that other mms.apk thru ADB to get my useragent changed...
BTW I'm new to the Android Mod scene. I started messing with WinMo back in the States, then moved here and had a very hacked Tilt 2 on softbank... when it gave up the ghost, I went into the iPhone jailbreak scene. Now I'm here! So I'll accept any and all advice you can give me, sensei/senpai!
You don't really need the mms app Download 'Handcent' from the market and change the UA in settings. Also I suggest getting 'market enabler' requires root but it allows you to fake a US sim card in the market and get US only apps.
I have Hancent... But I don't see anywhere to change the UA in the settings.... Am I missing something?

[Q] Unlock sim roaming

Hey so does anybody know if there is a way to unlock the sim card or what ever is keeping the phone from using ATT bands for data roaming here in the states. Can unlocking the sim slot be used for this purpose or will a root or custom rom and or kernel be needed to acquire this?
Pretty sure you're gonna have to flash a custom radio for this.
The sim is unlocked, the GSM radio software forces the phone to ignore US based towers.
I'm willing to bet even if you use a custom radio that you'll end up paying roaming charges if you go onto AT&T. If they wont give their own customers unlimited data, they sure as hell won't give it us. I'm far more interested in forcing my phone to roam on verizon's towers.
sub2k1 said:
I'm willing to bet even if you use a custom radio that you'll end up paying roaming charges if you go onto AT&T. If they wont give their own customers unlimited data, they sure as hell won't give it us. I'm far more interested in forcing my phone to roam on verizon's towers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even if the phone is SIM unlocked for North American carriers, I don't think it will be possible to roam on AT&T without an AT&T SIM. In other words, the SIM that came with the Photon won't work here in the US because AFAIK Sprint does not have any GSM roaming agreements in place. Sprint roams off of CDMA carriers like Verizon, Alltel, US Cellular etc.... If you can get rooted, maybe you can get Mr Greg's Roam Control app to work. That would allow you to force roaming on Verizon and you would not need to worry about SIM unlocking because that type of roaming doesn't use the SIM
Someone in another thread said that they roamed on GSM in the states. I think the thread is in the general section.
reddragon72 said:
Someone in another thread said that they roamed on GSM in the states. I think the thread is in the general section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They lied...
I'm not worried about roaming charges I work at sprint and get my plan free but if I were to put a ATT sim card in the photon and could use ATT I would have to have a ATT plan correct. Sorry this might seam silly questions but I really have no idea how sim cards work. Also has any one gotten the roam control app to work it worked great on my old epic to roam on verizon?
abrcrmdl23 said:
I'm not worried about roaming charges I work at sprint and get my plan free but if I were to put a ATT sim card in the photon and could use ATT I would have to have a ATT plan correct. Sorry this might seam silly questions but I really have no idea how sim cards work. Also has any one gotten the roam control app to work it worked great on my old epic to roam on verizon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes if you put a Att sim in the phone that is attached to an active account it will need a $15 200mb smart phone data plan or higher to work for the internet if you disable data and use the sim without a data plan and you'll avoid the pay per use data charges if you have a messaging phone attached to the sim before hand with unlimited data and put it in the phone internet wont work, if it dose I'd check the plan attached to the sim card. You can do this by pressing *3282# or *data#

Unable to use 3G or any mobile Data

I've been making a few searches in hopes of finding a solution to this, but came out empty handed. I'm using a Photon 4G (stuck on Electrify 2.3.5) on GSM mode in Argentina. I'm unable to receive data no matter what settings i tinker with. I also tried setting up APNs to no avail.
Anyone has ideas on why this may be happening? Doesn't the Photon support 3G data over GSM worldwide?
Thanks
Anyone ?
Try GSM roms
Sent from my MB855 using XDA
I think you officially have to call Sprint, ask them to remove your phone's SIM lock so you can use other SIM cards overseas, politely sit through their sermon about the dangers of using foreign SIM cards, repeat your request, and call back if necessary to get a more cooperative customer service representative.
From what I've read, all Photons are SIM-locked by default, but Sprint doesn't really fight if you ask them to unlock it for you. However, they MIGHT refuse to remove the SIM lock unless you either purchased the phone without a contract, purchased it used without an ESN-block, or purchased it with a contract 30+ days ago and have already paid your first bill post-purchase. I believe the FCC or FTC made it a law, but left them enough of a loophole so that you couldn't buy a subsidized Sprint phone on contract with a prepaid credit card, then leave the country and cancel the card.
I'm guessing that the inability to use data is because Sprint's SIM has data disabled while roaming by default, so they can make you sit through ANOTHER sermon listening to horror stories about Americans who used their phones in Canada and got hit with $1,000+ bills for a few hours of data use.
You can't totally blame sprint for the default Data block while roaming on their SIM... Android phones use lots of data in the background that most Americans never even notice (because we generally have unlimited data). Using the same phone with charges like 10c/kilobyte can get insanely expensive within just a few minutes.
Or, you could check out the GSM unlock thread somewhere around here. If you're already back in Argentina, it's probably easier. ;-)
Be VERY careful about reflashing a "GSM ROM", and MAKE SURE you've seen confirmation from at least one other user that it has been successfully flashed to a PHOTON -- not an Atrix, Atrix2, or Electrify. Flashing "alien" ROMs is playing with fire, and you can EASILY brick (soft or otherwise) your phone by blindly experimenting.
bitbang3r said:
I think you officially have to call Sprint, ask them to remove your phone's SIM lock so you can use other SIM cards overseas, politely sit through their sermon about the dangers of using foreign SIM cards, repeat your request, and call back if necessary to get a more cooperative customer service representative.
From what I've read, all Photons are SIM-locked by default, but Sprint doesn't really fight if you ask them to unlock it for you. However, they MIGHT refuse to remove the SIM lock unless you either purchased the phone without a contract, purchased it used without an ESN-block, or purchased it with a contract 30+ days ago and have already paid your first bill post-purchase. I believe the FCC or FTC made it a law, but left them enough of a loophole so that you couldn't buy a subsidized Sprint phone on contract with a prepaid credit card, then leave the country and cancel the card.
I'm guessing that the inability to use data is because Sprint's SIM has data disabled while roaming by default, so they can make you sit through ANOTHER sermon listening to horror stories about Americans who used their phones in Canada and got hit with $1,000+ bills for a few hours of data use.
You can't totally blame sprint for the default Data block while roaming on their SIM... Android phones use lots of data in the background that most Americans never even notice (because we generally have unlimited data). Using the same phone with charges like 10c/kilobyte can get insanely expensive within just a few minutes.
Or, you could check out the GSM unlock thread somewhere around here. If you're already back in Argentina, it's probably easier. ;-)
Be VERY careful about reflashing a "GSM ROM", and MAKE SURE you've seen confirmation from at least one other user that it has been successfully flashed to a PHOTON -- not an Atrix, Atrix2, or Electrify. Flashing "alien" ROMs is playing with fire, and you can EASILY brick (soft or otherwise) your phone by blindly experimenting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not the correct statement. I owned Photon and recently travel to Asia 2 times. The Photon work fine when I pop the prepaid SIM card in. The Photon came with Global GSM unlock. It's only lock the GSM on US Carriers. It's best to contact the provider of the GSM carrier he is using and ask to see if there are certain settings that need to be done.
Can you make voice call and SMS ? ( I see that you are on a Electrify 2.3.5.. don't know if that is an issue)
I just checked Argentina network. They do have 3G supporting 850 and 1900 frequency band. I advise to take the phone to the provider and ask them for help to set up the 3G network parameters if you do have voice and sms.
Try this link and look for the network provider that you are using in Argentina: They showed most of the settings for 2G/3G: http://nxwiki.blogspot.com/2011/08/movistar-gprs-mms-wap-settings-apn.html
roadster92 said:
That's not the correct statement. I owned Photon and recently travel to Asia 2 times. The Photon work fine when I pop the prepaid SIM card in. The Photon came with Global GSM unlock. It's only lock the GSM on US Carriers. It's best to contact the provider of the GSM carrier he is using and ask to see if there are certain settings that need to be done.
Can you make voice call and SMS ? ( I see that you are on a Electrify 2.3.5.. don't know if that is an issue)
I just checked Argentina network. They do have 3G supporting 850 and 1900 frequency band. I advise to take the phone to the provider and ask them for help to set up the 3G network parameters if you do have voice and sms.
Try this link and look for the network provider that you are using in Argentina: They showed most of the settings for 2G/3G: http://nxwiki.blogspot.com/2011/08/movistar-gprs-mms-wap-settings-apn.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your response. Yes, other than not receiving data, the phone works pretty much flawlessly: SMS and voice work just fine (wifi is a bit moody since it won't connect unless you go to the wi-fi settings and let it look at all your available networks, but I blame this issue on the ROM I'm sitting on).
I'll try APN settings again and see how it fairs. Thanks a bunch for your input guys.
Oh, and BTW, I bought my Photon through Ebay (my girlfriend brought it from New York where she was doing her MA), so I'm not expecting any kind of support from Sprint. Do they actually provide customer service to not-on contract phones?
Thanks again!
firtermish said:
Thanks for your response. Yes, other than not receiving data, the phone works pretty much flawlessly: SMS and voice work just fine (wifi is a bit moody since it won't connect unless you go to the wi-fi settings and let it look at all your available networks, but I blame this issue on the ROM I'm sitting on).
I'll try APN settings again and see how it fairs. Thanks a bunch for your input guys.
Oh, and BTW, I bought my Photon through Ebay (my girlfriend brought it from New York where she was doing her MA), so I'm not expecting any kind of support from Sprint. Do they actually provide customer service to not-on contract phones?
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even if you call Sprint. I do not think they will be able to help you. The phone is unlock and work with voice call. It's the network provision that's not allow you to connect with Argentina carriers. The best way is contact the Argentina carrier that you are using and ask them to provide or help to provision that for you. I was having difficulty connect to 3g in Vietnam when I was there (I was doing APN on my own and did not work) I have to contact the Vietnam carrier and they show me how to connect to 3g by using text message send to their server to initiate the automatic provisioning. I recommend that you do the same.
Success!
My stupid fault! I was entering outdated settings on the APN section, which is why it wasn't working before. I have now tried several settings and finally made 3G work! Thanks a million to everyone who contributed, especially roadster92.
For future reference (Claro 3G Argentina users), the configuration I used was the following one:
Connection Name: Claro 3G AR
Authentication: CHAP and PAP
Access Point (APN): gprs.claro.com.ar
UserName: hsdpa
Password: hsdpa
Cheers.

[Q] Can the AT&T Note used in Japan (if the phone is unlocked?)

As the subject stated: I am planning to unlock my AT&T Galaxy Note to use it in Japan, but not sure if the Note will work there. I just want to be able to make calls and do light browsing at 3G speed (not 4G LTE)
Japan have 3G GSM network, so it should be, But want to confirm before I spent the $$$ unlocking my AT&T Note.
it has the proper frequencies for cellular use on 3g idont know about hspa+ so prbly dataspeeds around 2-5 mbps
drksilenc said:
it has the proper frequencies for cellular use on 3g idont know about hspa+ so prbly dataspeeds around 2-5 mbps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the information!
What kind of prepaid SIM are you going to use in Japan? I couldn't find any SIM that has prepaid voice and data together. So I'm planning to use b-mobile 1GB data plan with fusion IP phone SMART. That way, I can send/receive phone call and use data.
Did you have any luck? I can't get the bmobile sim to work with this phone. Urgent help needed. I suspect it takes some special config or different radio but I don't know. The bmobile instructions alone don't work.
Look up APN for bmobile. Just my 2 cents.
decimater said:
Look up APN for bmobile. Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had all the correct settings. I suspect the card did not work with Android 4.12. I have seen references online to rolling back to 4.11 for possibly unrelated or possibly related issues. They would not refund, so I had to do a charge-back on the card. Never trust a company who fails to stand behind a product when it completely fails to work. I ended up paying the higher price for AT&T which worked well except don't trust their wifi app - it tries to connect to partners who aren't partners, which disrupts the otherwise working mobile data connection.
Well, that really sucks, man. I guess your best shot would be to try and find another carrier that is GSM if the roll back to 4.1.1 doesnt work. Best of luck.

[Q] Unlock Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4

Is it possible to unlock the Verizon version of the S4? I'm deploying in 4 weeks and would like to use my phone with international carriers. I have an SCH-I545 build and I'm still running on stock. Thanks
I think ATT has begun to unlock phones internationally when asked.
Verizon? Not sure... one think to check is if the Verizon GS4 supports a carrier in the country you travel to.
Take a look at Leo Laporte's Tech Guy show... he has callers ask this quetion on average every other week... I think he has show notes on his site now days... techguylabs.com
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
PetrichorXFi said:
I think ATT has begun to unlock phones internationally when asked.
Verizon? Not sure... one think to check is if the Verizon GS4 supports a carrier in the country you travel to.
Take a look at Leo Laporte's Tech Guy show... he has callers ask this quetion on average every other week... I think he has show notes on his site now days... techguylabs.com
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon phones are unlocked out of the box, but you have to make sure that the country you are going to has a GSM network.
After a lot of searching, I decided to ask this here:
I have a Verizon S4, but I was wondering if it was actually unlocked out-of-box or if there is something I have to do in order to use it with, for instance, Cricket, or U.S. Cellular. I have done lots of rooting/developing for Android, but have never tried to use an Android phone with a differing carrier. Can anyone help or point me to a thread that helps? (Again, did lots of Googling and XDA-searching)
furballbeethoven said:
After a lot of searching, I decided to ask this here:
I have a Verizon S4, but I was wondering if it was actually unlocked out-of-box or if there is something I have to do in order to use it with, for instance, Cricket, or U.S. Cellular. I have done lots of rooting/developing for Android, but have never tried to use an Android phone with a differing carrier. Can anyone help or point me to a thread that helps? (Again, did lots of Googling and XDA-searching)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is GSM-unlocked. This means that you buy a SIM, plug it in, then add the proper APN to enable data. (Settings, Connections, More networks, Mobile networks, Access Point Names). The "+" (Add APN) button is disabled if you have a VZ SIM installed but will be enabled if you insert a non-VZ SIM.
Whoever you get the SIM from will tell you what to enter for the APN.
Whether or not it'll work and how fast a network you'll get depends on the bands that the local carrier uses.
k1mu said:
The phone is GSM-unlocked. This means that you buy a SIM, plug it in, then add the proper APN to enable data. (Settings, Connections, More networks, Mobile networks, Access Point Names). The "+" (Add APN) button is disabled if you have a VZ SIM installed but will be enabled if you insert a non-VZ SIM.
Whoever you get the SIM from will tell you what to enter for the APN.
Whether or not it'll work and how fast a network you'll get depends on the bands that the local carrier uses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HI k1mu,
So do you mean to say if I purchase this device with full price from VZW ~$400 (month to month plan),
the next thing I can do is take off VZW SIM and would it work on my AT&T GSM SIM in US?
malhotra.aakash said:
HI k1mu,
So do you mean to say if I purchase this device with full price from VZW ~$400 (month to month plan),
the next thing I can do is take off VZW SIM and would it work on my AT&T GSM SIM in US?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe. While the VZW version is GSM-unlocked for international use, it is unclear how well it works with US GSM carriers. Some people say they can get it to work, some say they can't. Theoretically, it should only take you putting in an AT&T SIM then plugging in the APN data for it to work, but some people still say it won't.
So, you should be able to, but going by the accounts of XDA members, it doesn't always work, which may or may not come down to user error.
joshm.1219 said:
Maybe. While the VZW version is GSM-unlocked for international use, it is unclear how well it works with US GSM carriers. Some people say they can get it to work, some say they can't. Theoretically, it should only take you putting in an AT&T SIM then plugging in the APN data for it to work, but some people still say it won't.
So, you should be able to, but going by the accounts of XDA members, it doesn't always work, which may or may not come down to user error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks joshm.1219,
It still leaves me in a dilemma.. I do really want to get a "S4 mini" model but don't want to stuck up with CDMA providers to be true. Might want to use with ATT or Tmobile or H2O.. I visited the VZW store and the model has option under networks as
1. Global
2. LTE/CDMA
3. GSM/UTMS
Now the Qs are,
1. If this model does have a SIM card slot, how at the first point VZW has lock on it
2. When i asked the VZW associate, he was not sure whether they ever do unlock the device or not
3. If I am ready to pay off complete price of the device which is ~400, what else I would need from them to really 'UNLOCK' it?
4. Is there any means by root/flashing to make such model work for US GSM carriers like H2O or even T-mobile.
Sorry to be so annoying but m new to all these things and quite confused :crying:
many Thx in advance..
malhotra.aakash said:
Thanks joshm.1219,
It still leaves me in a dilemma.. I do really want to get a "S4 mini" model but don't want to stuck up with CDMA providers to be true. Might want to use with ATT or Tmobile or H2O.. I visited the VZW store and the model has option under networks as
1. Global
2. LTE/CDMA
3. GSM/UTMS
Now the Qs are,
1. If this model does have a SIM card slot, how at the first point VZW has lock on it
2. When i asked the VZW associate, he was not sure whether they ever do unlock the device or not
3. If I am ready to pay off complete price of the device which is ~400, what else I would need from them to really 'UNLOCK' it?
4. Is there any means by root/flashing to make such model work for US GSM carriers like H2O or even T-mobile.
Sorry to be so annoying but m new to all these things and quite confused :crying:
many Thx in advance..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I can't be of more help, I've been on Verizon for 10 years now, but it is by all intents & purposes, fully SIM-unlocked. It's simply unclear as to why some people report problems of using Verizon phones on US GSM carriers. If you really don't want to worry about it & are willing to pay full price, purchase a device through the carrier you want to use it on.
here is the code to choose network
you might need to change the network frequency to gsm if you wanna use it on att or tmobile and when you wanna switch back to verizon choose wcdma try dialing *#*#4636#*#*:good:
joshm.1219 said:
Sorry I can't be of more help, I've been on Verizon for 10 years now, but it is by all intents & purposes, fully SIM-unlocked. It's simply unclear as to why some people report problems of using Verizon phones on US GSM carriers. If you really don't want to worry about it & are willing to pay full price, purchase a device through the carrier you want to use it on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had people argue with me over this, but the fact is that NO Verizon LTE phone is SIM-locked. None. Nada.
People who claim differently are simply misinformed. (My I545 comes up on AT&T when I plug in my UK SIM and switch to GSM.)
Not to say that all VZ phones are unlocked - my Inc2 had to be unlocked before it would work with that same SIM. If I remember right, it wouldn't connect in the US, either, even after being unlocked. Not so for the GS4.
I appreciate the posts here from people who know. As for me, I am switching to tmobile and will attempt to use this there. If it doesnt work out, I will sell it on swappa and get a nexus 5!
Hi,
Verizon S4 with 4.3 is international unlocked by default.
You just need to select network mode 'GLOBAL'. Then add the right APN.
I am using Indian GSM SIM with the GLOBAL mode selected. All is well for me.
I can provide screenshots if anybody wanna see.
Verizon phones are unlocked out of the box and they DO work fine on US carriers I'm running my Verizon S4 right now on AT&T and I also ran it on tmobile for short time,
even works with Walmart straight talk and Net10 as those are just subsidies of T Mobile and AT&T anyway.
so don't sweat it if you have a verizon phone that uses a sim card, you can run it on any network that uses a SIM card US or international.
baseband issue
Doesn't the MK2 baseband with jb 4.3 block US Sim cards?
Or do I just have a weird s4?
kendonsh said:
Doesn't the MK2 baseband with jb 4.3 block US Sim cards?
Or do I just have a weird s4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine dont? Im on mk2,
soon as I got my verizon s4 replacement from a damaged model that I turned in,
I threw a net10/att sim card in it.
completely stock phone not even rooted nothin, and it works fine, I did get a popup that said non Verizon SIM card but it works fine
calls in and out MMS works fine
---------- Post added at 01:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:53 PM ----------
CafeAdrutico said:
The S4 is supposed to work globally right out of the box, as long as you've called Verizon to enable International roaming on your account. But, used that way, you'll be paying Verizon for International roaming and it's bloody expensive.
The question is, can you remove the SIM and put in a SIM for a local carrier in the foreign country where you are and use the phone on that carrier? That is what being unlocked would allow you to do. Past Verizon phones have not been unlocked to allow this. But, if you called Tech Support and told them you were going to, for example, Europe and wanted to use a local SIM, they would walk you through unlocking (at no charge).
I read a report that the S4 is not locked and that you can use a SIM for a local carrier in Europe, as it comes out of the box. But, I would not trust that. I would call VZW Tech Support and tell them exactly what you want to do - i.e. don't say "can I use my phone in Europe?" The answer to that is yes, you can, at about $1/minute. What you should ask them is, "can I travel to Europe and purchase a SIM from a local carrier and use that in my phone?" If not, they should be able to walk you through unlocking the phone, so you can do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to answer your question simply yes.
let's say I take my phone to Spain are somewhere in the UK, I'll go to store buy a SIM card for local network and BAM local phone number in Europe making phone calls, you can even get Data to work if you have that local carrier's APN settings
no unlocking is required because it is not locked.
other companies AT&T, Sprint, t-mobile, yes you have to get The phone sim unlocked.
k1mu said:
I've had people argue with me over this, but the fact is that NO Verizon LTE phone is SIM-locked. None. Nada.
People who claim differently are simply misinformed. (My I545 comes up on AT&T when I plug in my UK SIM and switch to GSM.)
Not to say that all VZ phones are unlocked - my Inc2 had to be unlocked before it would work with that same SIM. If I remember right, it wouldn't connect in the US, either, even after being unlocked. Not so for the GS4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is 100% correct. NO LTE phones on verizon are sim locked. They are REQUIRED to keep them unlocked because of their agreement with the FCC for their use of the spectrum they lease. NO OTHER CARRIER must abide by these rules. Only VZW. Sprint I've heard will unlock ANY phone that is capable if you ask them too, and AT&T will NOT unlock any of their phones unless it 2 years old and out of contract (which makes no sense if you have to pay them while under contract anyway). There was a big deal about the Iphone 5 when it came out with LTE for verizon. If you bought a Verizon Iphone, you could put an ATT sim in it and it works, but not an ATT on VZW because ATT keeps them locked.
The Dinc 2 above was NOT an LTE device. Therefore no sim card....and it wouldn't work on most overseas networks anyway as it was a CDMA only phone. I believe VZW tested the limits of the "unlocked" SIM with their first few LTE phones. My Rezound worked with a GSM network sim....but voice and SMS only. It took some unlocking of the bootloader and rooting to run a special Rom to get Data to work on it.
I am heading to the Caribbean in a few weeks, and I will be using a rented SIM card to be able to message back and forth with my wife (with a data based messenger service as data rates are far cheaper than SMS rate there)
318sugarhill said:
This is 100% correct. NO LTE phones on verizon are sim locked. They are REQUIRED to keep them unlocked because of their agreement with the FCC for their use of the spectrum they lease. NO OTHER CARRIER must abide by these rules. Only VZW. Sprint I've heard will unlock ANY phone that is capable if you ask them too, and AT&T will NOT unlock any of their phones unless it 2 years old and out of contract (which makes no sense if you have to pay them while under contract anyway). There was a big deal about the Iphone 5 when it came out with LTE for verizon. If you bought a Verizon Iphone, you could put an ATT sim in it and it works, but not an ATT on VZW because ATT keeps them locked.
The Dinc 2 above was NOT an LTE device. Therefore no sim card....and it wouldn't work on most overseas networks anyway as it was a CDMA only phone. I believe VZW tested the limits of the "unlocked" SIM with their first few LTE phones. My Rezound worked with a GSM network sim....but voice and SMS only. It took some unlocking of the bootloader and rooting to run a special Rom to get Data to work on it.
I am heading to the Caribbean in a few weeks, and I will be using a rented SIM card to be able to message back and forth with my wife (with a data based messenger service as data rates are far cheaper than SMS rate there)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just spent a week in the UK with an ekit.com SIM in my Verizon GS4 - no problem with getting service, no Verizon charge (even though I was on the Vodaphone network for at least some times.)
And the dinc 2, while not LTE, was CDMA/GSM - not just CDMA (yes, the dinc was CDMA-only), so it did accept a SIM card. I'm using that in the GS4 now that it's cut down to micro SIM.
That phone WAS SIM-locked, but VZ happily unlocked it. For the GS4, I didn't have to do anything with VZ to use it off their network.
bickin said:
Is it possible to unlock the Verizon version of the S4? I'm deploying in 4 weeks and would like to use my phone with international carriers. I have an SCH-I545 build and I'm still running on stock. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO
UNLFOK s4 UK VERSION sorry I'm new to the website
furballbeethoven said:
After a lot of searching, I decided to ask this here:
I have a Verizon S4, but I was wondering if it was actually unlocked out-of-box or if there is something I have to do in order to use it with, for instance, Cricket, or U.S. Cellular. I have done lots of rooting/developing for Android, but have never tried to use an Android phone with a differing carrier. Can anyone help or point me to a thread that helps? (Again, did lots of Googling and XDA-searching)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is already unlocked for SIM and other carriers, all you need is the correct APN for the carrier. I currently have T-Mobile on my i545 and everything works on it.

Categories

Resources