Hello xda, I was Judy wondering if any of you could help me out with a problem I'm having. I might be getting an android phone, the only problem is that I'm on us cellular and there doesn't appear to be top many options. My phone options are the htc hero s, Motorola electrify, Samsung repp, htc wildfire s, htc merge and huaweii ascend ii ( sorry if I spelled that wrong).
IM looking for a phone with some support of development community behind it, whether it be on xda or some other forum/ website.
Thank you and IM sorry if this its in the wrong forum.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
They are CDMA so if may be possible to activate an unlocked Verizon or maybe Sprint phone but you wouldn't get carrier subsidized pricing so it would be more expensive and may be harder to activate.
Motorola doesn't want to unlock bootloaders while HTC has recently made it possible to unlock bootloaders on recent models. Unfortunately the US Cellular versions of any android phone are going to have less dev support because US Cell is a smaller carrier meaning less device owners.
spunker88 said:
They are CDMA so if may be possible to activate an unlocked Verizon or maybe Sprint phone but you wouldn't get carrier subsidized pricing so it would be more expensive and may be harder to activate.
Motorola doesn't want to unlock bootloaders while HTC has recently made it possible to unlock bootloaders on recent models. Unfortunately the US Cellular versions of any android phone are going to have less dev support because US Cell is a smaller carrier meaning less device owners.
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I didn't know that, (sorry I'm a noob at phones). I remember when my dad broke his phone (some cheap thing), my brother's old phone was the same model, os he went into the store and they made it his phone without a problem. Do you think they would be willing to do that if I brought in an unlocked verizon phone?
Thanks for replying.
I'm not for sure if a Verizon phone will work, technology wise it has the hardware to communicate with US Cellular since its CDMA, but it may require some software changes to work on their network. Also it depends if they will activate non carrier devices.
spunker88 said:
I'm not for sure if a Verizon phone will work, technology wise it has the hardware to communicate with US Cellular since its CDMA, but it may require some software changes to work on their network. Also it depends if they will activate non carrier devices.
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Yeah they probably wouldn't allow it.
Hopefully at least one of these phones has some rom development somewhere on the internet, or I can get the wildfire and just remove sense from it without a problem.
Hey guys,
If this has been answered previously, then please forgive me, but I wasn't finding anything definitive in the related threads. I've got an unlocked Developer Edition that I plan on using on T-Mobile. I really wanted the extra space and I *believe* San Diego is refarmed and so should work reasonably well (although if I get Edge speeds I'm gonna be bummed).
Anywho, has anyone figured out whether there is:
1) any way to get WiFi calling working? Not positive I'll need but wondering if I need to flash a T-Mobile modem or rom to get that to work on the DE version
2) if tethering will work if my plan supports it (it does - I've done it on my T-Mobile Galaxy Note II)
3) does flashing one's modem cause the phone to show as "tampered" or "modified"? My preference would be NOT to add the bloat unless I'm going to lose out on the aforementioned features OR if the signal ends up being dramatically affected.
Lastly, has anyone else had any experience with the Developer Edition on T-Mobile in San Diego? Wondering what to expect.
Thanks in advance for any and all help!
K-
To answer your questions.
1.Quickest is to flash a ROM, try this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2266025. Its stock (missing apps like calculator, flashlight etc due to bootloader unlock). It comes in odexed and deodexed flavors. There is a way to flash radios but I havent researched it enough.
2. Tethering will work once you pay for the add-on through T-Mobile
3. Im not particularly sure at which stage it changes to Tampered. But I noticed it after flashing a custom kernel. So maybe it occurs after unlocking the boot loader or flashing custom recovery. This does not affect the phone performance in any way that I know of. Im not sure what relevance this question has to the topic discussed tho.
Regards
I think the jury is still out on the question of whether or not the radio hardware is actually different between the TMo version and the Dev version. I, personally, don't believe they are physically different. HTC probably sat down with TMo and said, "by the time they get S-Off it won't matter anyhow".
I'm sorry if this has been asked before, and if so i haven't been able to find it. This may seem like a stupid question, but I'm still pretty new to unlocking and rooting, ect. Now my question is, since the Sprint Galaxy S5 already has gsm network capabilities, why wouldn't it be possible to just download a different radio, and install that to unlock it for domestic gsm networks? I am asking because i have a Sprint S5 that i would like to use with T-mobile.
It might be that way if such an universal radio existed. But it doesn't. So moot point.
Interestingly, the S5 hardware is almost certainly capable of operating on all GSM and LTE bands. But artificial firmware limitations restrict your handset to only the frequencies that Sprint uses, plus a bare minimum of the most popular roaming bands.
Moreover, the Sprint version of the S5 is arguably the most restrictive variant. It simply isn't going to work on most TMB bands. You might find a NV hack to add a single AWS band. But in practical terms it won't work well on TMB.
Samsung and carriers structure it this way deliberately to discourge you from changing carriers. And to make it more likely that you need to buy a new phone if you do.
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Ok, I was really mainly just curious, like I said I am new to this kind of thing, thanks for your response. I guess I will just wait to see if someone manages to domestically unlock it and post it, and then Ill give it a shot and see how well it works. I mainly use wifi at home for anything with the internet and downloads, I just need to get it to work for calls and texts.
kyleliamharris said:
I'm sorry if this has been asked before, and if so i haven't been able to find it. This may seem like a stupid question, but I'm still pretty new to unlocking and rooting, ect. Now my question is, since the Sprint Galaxy S5 already has gsm network capabilities, why wouldn't it be possible to just download a different radio, and install that to unlock it for domestic gsm networks? I am asking because i have a Sprint S5 that i would like to use with T-mobile.
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It used to be that easy. Things have become quite more difficult with secured bootloaders and verification checks. I think a lot of the international unlock voodoo lies in the NV items for Sprint devices. Unlocking it domestically can be done almost the exact same way as the L720 HOWEVER you will ONLY be domestically unlocked AFTER you internationally unlock it. If you domestic unlock first you'll have wasted your time.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using XDA Free mobile app
I have a dreaded Verizon. For the time being, I really only need to alter the radios to tune for Tmobile frequencies. No one seems to advertise or understand this but since the S4 is fully capable of nearly every frequency world wide, and I get next to no signal when on T mobile, I believe Verizon purposely only turned on frequencies that they use.
So, unless someone else has a slick work around for the time being, I will have to figure out a root procedure for this configuration. I looked at this late last year and seemed to be a big hurdle.
King root seems to be inconsistent. What are my options for this?
cobra112 said:
I have a dreaded Verizon. For the time being, I really only need to alter the radios to tune for Tmobile frequencies. No one seems to advertise or understand this but since the S4 is fully capable of nearly every frequency world wide, and I get next to no signal when on T mobile, I believe Verizon purposely only turned on frequencies that they use.
So, unless someone else has a slick work around for the time being, I will have to figure out a root procedure for this configuration. I looked at this late last year and seemed to be a big hurdle.
King root seems to be inconsistent. What are my options for this?
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not possible
sorry
the only way it could work is that if you had a i545 running a MDK which lets you run custom kernels
as of now there is no way to flash non-verizon modems to the device
Mobile Networks> Network Mode>
select UTS/GSM is about all you can do
verizon even remove the service menu that shows the available bands
Wow, Verizon must have done their homework on locking down phones. That boot loader is hosery. I consider this much like the government forcing them to give the keys, but did not say they had to put air in the tires. Without the ability to run or select alternate frequencies, service is a no-go
I am mostly in desktop computers but curious why these phones are not being wipes and reloaded with a new OS from scratch? Why all the work arounds and hacks? What am I missing? Does Android have all this on lock down?
cobra112 said:
Wow, Verizon must have done their homework on locking down phones. That boot loader is hosery. I consider this much like the government forcing them to give the keys, but did not say they had to put air in the tires. Without the ability to run or select alternate frequencies, service is a no-go
I am mostly in desktop computers but curious why these phones are not being wipes and reloaded with a new OS from scratch? Why all the work arounds and hacks? What am I missing? Does Android have all this on lock down?
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its entirely samsung and verizon's doing
S4 Is a terrible device you would be better off with something like a huawei honor or moto g or moto X
I am curious about your phone selections. My basic needs are only a high end device with good signal, mic, speaker, display, battery life, and memory capacity. However, I really felt I MUST have a phone with SD card ability but I really don't remove it, I don't take many pictures, and probably don't need that feature.
What I DON'T want is a device that is HUGE. I like the size of the S4. T mobile felt sorry for my phone issues and gave me an LG Leon. I simply hate it.
I should mention that I later intend to consider writing some custom apps for basic wifi and blue tooth functions so I want a playground that affords me some latitude.
cobra112 said:
I am curious about your phone selections. My basic needs are only a high end device with good signal, mic, speaker, display, battery life, and memory capacity. However, I really felt I MUST have a phone with SD card ability but I really don't remove it, I don't take many pictures, and probably don't need that feature.
What I DON'T want is a device that is HUGE. I like the size of the S4. T mobile felt sorry for my phone issues and gave me an LG Leon. I simply hate it.
I should mention that I later intend to consider writing some custom apps for basic wifi and bluetooth functions so I want a playground that affords me some latitude.
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then the honor x5 is what you want its slightly wider then the s4 5.64 5.53 has sd dual sim dual radio and a factory unlockable bootloader
http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_honor_5x-7590.php
remember huawei is the OEM for google meaning they designed and manufactured the nexus 5x and 6p
Thank you! I find phone shopping to be rather daunting. I see a lot of developers using the Nexus product but also see a lot of people using Samsung due to all their included gadgets on board.
One thing that may be handy is the IR emitter. Is there a site that compares different products well? I do notice the honor does not get high marks for their display performance.
As well, due to using T mobile, I am unsure on compatibility. I need to know if the boot loader is responsible for toggling certain bands on/off? If I buy an honor for ATT, I assume it will be toggled for ATT frequencies? Since the BL is unlocked, can I toggle other bands to ensure I get the best service possible?
cobra112 said:
Thank you! I find phone shopping to be rather daunting. I see a lot of developers using the Nexus product but also see a lot of people using Samsung due to all their included gadgets on board.
One thing that may be handy is the IR emitter. Is there a site that compares different products well? I do notice the honor does not get high marks for their display performance.
As well, due to using T mobile, I am unsure on compatibility. I need to know if the boot loader is responsible for toggling certain bands on/off? If I buy an honor for ATT, I assume it will be toggled for ATT frequencies? Since the BL is unlocked, can I toggle other bands to ensure I get the best service possible?
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click the compare button on gsm arena
idk why you said the honor doesn't get high marks 1080p ips is pretty dam good
tho I guess some `review sites`
having a 2 or 4k display on your phone does no good if the gpu can't drive it
it will look real pretty but real world performance will suffer
different phones vs different carriers e.g CDMA phone like the i545 verizon s4 can not be used on GSM carriers such as ATT and Tmobile
read here for more info on that http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407896,00.asp
a unlocked bootloader grants you the ability to run custom roms and flash certain portions of the phone that are normally inaccessible
the bootloader has nothing todo with radio bands
the honor or any other factory unlocked phone should work on your carrier without issue
Thank you! I guess my only real requirement in the display is having one I can actually see outdoors! Amazing how poor the screen is on this old LG leon.
Maybe you can help me better understand how the bands are configured and/or locked on a phone? The reason I ask is the Verizon Galaxy S4 is technically capable of all bands that Tmobile uses yet I see poor functionality with it, indicating tome it is not picking up certain frequencies. I made the assumption the boot loader would be isolating the bands? Is this software controlled? Or not at all? Which would leave me wondering.
For reference, the Verizon S4 DOES work on Tmobile though. It holds 4GLTE signal but texts will not go out because I believe Tmobile is using 2G or 3G for that.
The way I assumed this worked is the phone is capable of a WIDE range of bands and frequencies, but the service provider would invoke only certain frequencies that they use?
cobra112 said:
Thank you! I guess my only real requirement in the display is having one I can actually see outdoors! Amazing how poor the screen is on this old LG leon.
Maybe you can help me better understand how the bands are configured and/or locked on a phone? The reason I ask is the Verizon Galaxy S4 is technically capable of all bands that Tmobile uses yet I see poor functionality with it, indicating tome it is not picking up certain frequencies. I made the assumption the boot loader would be isolating the bands? Is this software controlled? Or not at all? Which would leave me wondering.
For reference, the Verizon S4 DOES work on Tmobile though. It holds 4GLTE signal but texts will not go out because I believe Tmobile is using 2G or 3G for that.
The way I assumed this worked is the phone is capable of a WIDE range of bands and frequencies, but the service provider would invoke only certain frequencies that they use?
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if its holding lte then all you need todo is change the APN to point to t-mobiles servers (store should have offered todo this for you)
t mobile uses slightly differing frequencies depending on your area you are lucky enough to be in one of the area's that use the higher bands
instructions are here https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-2090
this will not change the fact that you may or may not get data signal depending on where you are connecting too
I would install textra from the playstore and set it as your mms app it has some over-rides for the apn settings if it won't let you change it via the system UI
alt instructions use the`fast` for lte
http://www.4gtricks.com/2013/04/t-mobile-4g-apn-t-mobile-4g-apn-settings.html
Right now the S4 indicated locked to 4GLTE but signal is -90dbm, 50asu. I tested data and I am able to use it though it is slow. I, however, still cannot send an sms. I am able to edit settings for the APN but have verified all settings are per tmobile specs. Any ideas where to go from here?
In the network modes, I am able to chose, 1) global, 2)LTE/CDMA 3) LTE/GSM/UMTS
I have it on LTE/GSM/UMTS right now. IIRC, the GSM is the 2G/3G for sms and voice?
Is it possible that the I545 is trying to operate on the Verizon 750mhz instead of the 700mhz of Tmobile?
cobra112 said:
Right now the S4 indicated locked to 4GLTE but signal is -90dbm, 50asu. I tested data and I am able to use it though it is slow. I, however, still cannot send an sms. I am able to edit settings for the APN but have verified all settings are per tmobile specs. Any ideas where to go from here?
In the network modes, I am able to chose, 1) global, 2)LTE/CDMA 3) LTE/GSM/UMTS
I have it on LTE/GSM/UMTS right now. IIRC, the GSM is the 2G/3G for sms and voice?
Is it possible that the I545 is trying to operate on the Verizon 750mhz instead of the 700mhz of Tmobile?
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https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.simplyadvanced.ltediscovery&hl=en\
should tell you what band its connecting on
install textra and go into its options and enable the 't mobile fix'
OK, I loaded Textra and LTE recovery. I honestly am not certain of what I am looking at on the LTE app but looks like I am connecting to band 4 LTE. At that time, I could not and still cannot send a text. However, at some point, it switched over to a UMTS connection and I was able to fire off texts normally so I know my APN settings are right and there is something odd going on. Textra did nothing different and there is no setting for tmobile other than a wifi setting.
I have read many other people having this exact problem which hovers around those using a verizon S4 on tmobile and upgrading to 5.0 OS.
What I need to figure out, and maybe an area that would require another thread but I need to learn if I may need to reflash the modem to function properly on tmobile and if that can even be considered on an unrooted, boot loader phone? If not, what are the best options? Just dump the phone and get something else? I read of a few roots on the OC1 platform but not sure on that.
If I knew my efforts would work and I knew what I needed to do to fix this issue, I would. I almost just upgraded to the latest revision hoping for a patch in there but not sure I should do that if I want to root? Is OC1 and above all the same for rooting issues?
you don't even have to root to work around this. you can downgrade modem to MDK build. Then use QPST/QXDM to change item 6828 to value 4096
Sins07, I am very interested in the modem mods you suggest as I also came to the conclusion the modem is the issue.
Would I out of line to ask if you can dumb this down a little for a newbie? You mention downgrading the modem only and was not aware you could do that. Can you explain how this modem issue is occuring and how the modem mods will fix it?
I grabbed this phone (free) from Metro about 7 months ago. I was able to use their app to "unlock" the phone after 6 months. I'm unclear about what the official "unlock" will actually allow me to do with the phone. I haven't bothered to try to load a ROM or even root it yet--is this possible? The toggle to unlock the bootloader now seems to work, but I haven't bothered (yet). FWIW, I've rooted all my Nexus, Pixel, and OnePlus devices for the past decade (as well as loaded ROMs), but this is the first phone I've purchased that was carrier locked and I don't know what all that entailed. I honestly don't even know if the Metro variant is the same (as in bands, etc.) as the vanilla North American version or not. Hell, I don't even know what other carriers it might work with. I know I sound like an idiot newbie, and I guess I am with this phone. I've actually google'd quite a bit, but I just can't find much information regarding the Metro version of the phone.
Erm... what do you WANT to do with it?
Backup gets easier as root. Some don't care and real-time stream to the cloud.
Some are paranoid of what certain large companies *cough* Google *cough* might install on your phone in the middle of the night without telling you... unlocked bootloader lets you go to an OS build from AOSP or its ilk that allow you to see source code (if you are really, really, bored enough to check it all).
Some want to kill bloat (rather than just disable it).
Some may want to keep their phones for well after they are supported officially, with an OS like Lineage, or eOS (this not so much for Nord with a fixed battery, although I suppose you can replace it if you are determined enough).
Likewise, I have old phones I've turned into MP3 players for the kids- strip all the "phone" stuff and prevent connections to Internet/cell (eliminates the security threat of an old OS) and simply sideload AIMP, VLC, or whatever your favorite player is.
GSMArena has a very easily navigable feature list, that will show for some phones the different bands each supports- and you can compare to what your preferred carrier uses. USUALLY - but not always- there is an "international" version and a "US" Version. Verizon sometimes gets their own model with/for CDMA bands, but most support all the GSM Carriers and their resellers. If you are sim unlocked, you should be able to use them on any carrier, YMMV.
T-Mobile and Metro usually don't screw around with the cellular bands of the phones they sell, so the Metro/T-Mobile N10 does support the same bands as the factory unlocked version.
And you can start off by flashing the unbranded firmware onto the phone if you don't want the Metro junk and boot animation.