I would be using the device outside of US. So, is there any reason I should prefer 1 over the other between Electrify and Photon 4g?
Is the bootloader status for Electrify the same as Photon 4g i.e 2.3.5 cannot be unlocked?
They're the same phone, except Photon has a WiMax chip (e.g. 4G) and is offered by Sprint while Electrify is strictly 3G and is offered by US Cellular.
Currently Electrify ships with Android 2.3.5 and it *can* be unlocked. I've done so. Photon 4G comes with 2.3.4 and gets an OTA upgrade to 2.3.5 which makes it un-unlockable. If you got a Photon that had 2.3.4, presumably you could resist the 2.3.5 upgrade, and unlock.
Since unlocking the bootloader breaks 4G, I think Electrify is better for you since it's easier to unlock right out of the box, I assume.
OK but I can find only 2-3 ROMs for Electrify. So basically, Electrify unlock doesn't make any difference. Correct me if I am wrong.
lamborg said:
OK but I can find only 2-3 ROMs for Electrify. So basically, Electrify unlock doesn't make any difference. Correct me if I am wrong.
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Click to collapse
they are the same phone. all roms are compatible with one another. photon=electrify, electrify=photon. only difference is the wimax radio basically. all else is the same.
Related
Does anyone know if they turned off the 4g radio on the electrify or it was just not installed? I know that uscc turned off the gps in the htc 8600 but you were able to enable it. If it was not removed would a new rom need to be flashed to enable or just a "switch"? Dont have the phone yet but will buy if ever verifyed. USCC wont have 4g till end of the year but if I know them as good as I think I do, they will release crap 4g phones just to get them out and wait till half way through 2012 to release a good one.
Sorry for posting here no one has forum space for the phone yet.
its cool, the electrify is 99% the photon. in fact our kernels can boot yalls phones without any issues. however even if there is a 4g radio (which i wasnt aware that uscc had any 4g technologies) and its disabled, chances are youll need to unlock the bootloader in order to use a kernel that may enable it, at which point.. you lose 4g... its kind of the chicken or the egg crap ya know?
So what you are saying at this point in time when you unlock the bootloader on the Photon you will lose 4g?
You can post here any time, this phone is directly related to us. By the way, you have the right to post even if it's not your phone, (not saying the angry sharks will get mad about your post), lol, but don't fret.
ginmill said:
So what you are saying at this point in time when you unlock the bootloader on the Photon you will lose 4g?
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Click to collapse
correct we are al waiting/looking for a solution but nothing has come yet...
I can say that the Motorola Electrify will have 4g capabilities. It needs the sim card that will be provided by US Cellular to activate the 4g.
veteranmina said:
I can say that the Motorola Electrify will have 4g capabilities. It needs the sim card that will be provided by US Cellular to activate the 4g.
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Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure whatever 4G that USCC has is not the same as sprints. Assuming Motorola simply disabled the wimax chip inside, even if you turned it on, you wouldn't be able to use it (unless USCC has wimax which I don't think they do).
You don't need a SIM card to activate 4G unless you are referring to the HSPA+ "4G" in which case you would be using the GSM part of the phone. Even here, you are limited, as the Photon (and I assume with the Electify) is programmed to ignore domestic radios like AT&T.
During a call to USCC Tech Support about another issue, I asked if the Motorola Electrify would be receiving an update to use 4G once USCC implements it. His response was that the Electrify does not have 4G capabilities, which he was surprised about when he received the information. So, the Electrify sounds like it will only get better with software installations (ICS/CM7), not network capabilities.
EDIT: During a discussion with Motorola Customer Service about my camera (apparently the lens is not supposed to be absolutely tight unless it is being used), I asked about the 4G capabilities of the Electrify. His response was that EVERY new Motorola phone can be 4G, and that a 4G SIM from the phone carrier is all that would be necessary to bump up the mobile data rate in certain areas.
That's good that it may get 4G!
Maybe Motorola can reprogram this in a software update.
deedscreen said:
That's good that it may get 4G!
Maybe Motorola can reprogram this in a software update.
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Huh?
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
Kcarpenter said:
Huh?
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
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MegiddoAngel said:
During a call to USCC Tech Support about another issue, I asked if the Motorola Electrify would be receiving an update to use 4G once USCC implements it. His response was that the Electrify does not have 4G capabilities, which he was surprised about when he received the information. So, the Electrify sounds like it will only get better with software installations (ICS/CM7), not network capabilities.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read the above quote. I meant it's good that the Electrify may get 4G, and that can be enabled in a software update.
Just how big a deal is the locked bootloader? I understand that the DX's never got unencrypted, but they found a workaround (2nd init) that has allowed them to port MIUI and CM7 over. With the international version being unlockable, does that make it any more likely that Verizon's version will ever be unlocked, allowing custom kernels? I really like this phone, but if development is going to die on the vine due to bootloader issues, I'm probably going to return it for a nexus. I'd rather rely on a robust dev community than the OEM any day of the week for updates and fixes. If that's attainable with the RAZR, then this is the phone I want to keep.
Motorola has confirmed that if the operator wants the RAZR BL will be unlocked with ICS.
That may not happen for the Verizon one (it's all about what Verizon wants), but for sure the Retail RAZR (GSM unbranded) will have an unlockable BootLoader with the ICS update.
kholk said:
Motorola has confirmed that if the operator wants the RAZR BL will be unlocked with ICS.
That may not happen for the Verizon one (it's all about what Verizon wants), but for sure the Retail RAZR (GSM unbranded) will have an unlockable BootLoader with the ICS update.
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Click to collapse
If the GSM Razr is unlock able, a dev may be able to port the unlock over to the vzw Razr.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
A coworker of mine recently won an Electrify in a raffle. She currently has the Nexus S with Sprint service. She wants me to unlock the Electrify for her so she can use it with Sprint. I know this phone is pretty much the same as the Photon - minus 4G. Can I simply flash a Photon rom on her Electrify? I'm sure it can't be that easy, but I had to ask. I know someone at Sprint who might be able to activate it for her on their network, so that's not a concern. Any suggestions? Thanks!
think the electrify uses gsm, sprint is cdma or vice versa lol
I thought they were both cdma? Someone correct me if I'm wrong. But I know I did flash a sprint rom once on accident? And it prompted me to call sprint to activate the phone. I think its worth a shot but someone else here will know for sure.
Sent from my TWRP-a-fied OC'd CM7 Electrify.
Yeah they are both cdma. The problem is that the esn is not in sprint's system and therefore cannot be activated. Would cloning be the only other alternative? I know that's a touchy subject but I'm just saying. I don't need a lecture on the legal issues of cloning.
When i screwed up my photon and ended up flashing the electrify sbf pudding. I was able to flash it with the full electrify sbf and then i put on the 1024.zip or the skinny4g rom and it connected to sprint just fine.
If it was mine i would unlock it and install one of those roms and give it a shot, you can always reflash it back with the sbf anyway.
TrojanZulu said:
When i screwed up my photon and ended up flashing the electrify sbf pudding. I was able to flash it with the full electrify sbf and then i put on the 1024.zip or the skinny4g rom and it connected to sprint just fine.
If it was mine i would unlock it and install one of those roms and give it a shot, you can always reflash it back with the sbf anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See but your photon is a sprint phone and was already activated on their network. This phone is a us cellular phone and therefore has never been activated on sprints network. Even if I flashed a sprint rom the phone wouldn't be activated on a sprint account, so the network wouldn't recognize it, if it could even communicate with the network.
There are ways just none that will be talked about openly on the forum
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
Forgive a newbie on changing networks with phones (this is my first global phone), but cloning?
Sent from my TWRP-a-fied OC'd CM7 Electrify.
Not necessarily cloning. Just taking a clean ESN from, say, an old Sprint phone and swapping it with the Electrify's ESN. That way, Sprint sees the ESN on the network and thinks it's the old Sprint phone instead of the Electrify. Cloning an ESN allows you to assign the same ESN to multiple devices. It is illegal if your intent is to defraud. However in this case, I would be taking an ESN from a Sprint phone which is owned and out of contract and assigning it to the Electrify, also owned and out of contract. This is the CDMA equivalent of unlocking an iPhone from AT&T and using it with T-Mobile. Carriers frown upon it, but it is no longer illegal. So I'm not sure why everyone seems to think ESN swapping is illegal. It's not cloning unless you're using multiple devices with the same ESN, right?
brimart said:
Not necessarily cloning. Just taking a clean ESN from, say, an old Sprint phone and swapping it with the Electrify's ESN. That way, Sprint sees the ESN on the network and thinks it's the old Sprint phone instead of the Electrify. Cloning an ESN allows you to assign the same ESN to multiple devices. It is illegal if your intent is to defraud. However in this case, I would be taking an ESN from a Sprint phone which is owned and out of contract and assigning it to the Electrify, also owned and out of contract. This is the CDMA equivalent of unlocking an iPhone from AT&T and using it with T-Mobile. Carriers frown upon it, but it is no longer illegal. So I'm not sure why everyone seems to think ESN swapping is illegal. It's not cloning unless you're using multiple devices with the same ESN, right?
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Click to collapse
That's what I was hinting at since sprint only allows sprint esns on their network.
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
Could swap her nexus s esn with the electrify
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
criptix said:
Could swap her nexus s esn with the electrify
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately CDMA WS is battling the Electrify. It refuses to connect to it. It's late enough and I've got to work in the morning, I'll go round 2 tomorrow.
Just buy her a Photon. Unlock the Nexus AND Electrify and put each on Flee-Bay for $275 each!
If anyone has experience with CDMA workshop, would they PM me? I'm about to give up on this thing and tell her to sell it!
here's what I would do, first call sprint and say "I have a Motorola electrify and sprint service, can you connect my phone to sprint?" They will probably say no, than you go to an actual sprint store, and say "can you activate this phone on your network?" They might say yes, mainly because sprint has this phone as the photon, you are a customer, and there recently have been rumors that the company is open to activating galaxy nexus phones. But when asking them be confident and talk to them like you mean it. Its a small thing, but the more confident they are the more likely they are to help you! If all else fails, than you may try your hand at cdma cloning, so good luck and happy holidays!!!
Sent from my Full Android on Wingray using xda premium
I have a chance to buy a Verizon Droid X2 at a great price. If I unlock the phone will I be able to use it on US Cellular prepaid? I searched and couldn't find an answer to this question, I don't want to buy the phone if there is no chance it will work. (I'm in very rural area and US Cellular is my only option for getting a signal at home)
Thanks in advance for the help!
You would have to have a phone dx2 or maybe a mx2 that works on uscel of your account then use qpst to backup service programming and more see my post about qpst but it still may fail.
Wait.
Does uscel sell a dx2 or mx2?
skwoodwiva said:
You would have to have a phone dx2 or maybe a mx2 that works on uscel of your account then use qpst to backup service programming and more see my post about qpst but it still may fail.
Wait.
Does uscel sell a dx2 or mx2?
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I think they may sell the MX2, but i doubt the DX2.
nvm US Cellular doesn't sell the MX2. The only Motorola phone they have is the Electrify which is the brother of the Photon, so I believe unlocked bootloader.
I realize that USC doesn't sell the Droid X2, but it's a cdma phone and should be capable of operating on US Cellular. I was just wanting to know if it would work if I unlocked and rooted the phone. I'm just not sure if USC would activate an unlocked phone that didn't originally come from USC.
I guess a simpler way to ask would be, "can a Verizon phone be unlocked and activated on USC since they are both CDMA"?
Its been done on a few networks that i know of, have health of success on both altell and cricket with a dx2 both networks are cdma, but there were lots of problems getting em working
from my X2 roaming the north
boshuter said:
I realize that USC doesn't sell the Droid X2, but it's a cdma phone and should be capable of operating on US Cellular. I was just wanting to know if it would work if I unlocked and rooted the phone. I'm just not sure if USC would activate an unlocked phone that didn't originally come from USC.
I guess a simpler way to ask would be, "can a Verizon phone be unlocked and activated on USC since they are both CDMA"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do u know we have a locked bootloader? U CANNOT UNLOCK IT.
Cyanogenmod
Unless u can then please forgive then teach me...
Cyanogenmod
i want to buy a verizon droid razr in u.s that have english and espanol language support only for my cousin but i need it to be with italian language support ,so i was i asking my self can i flash the verizon razr with an unbranded Eu rom that have ita language support and if yes will it be in 100% working order after the flash or i might experience some problematics ie gsm reception, slower gps fixes or else
thanks
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Doing that will brick the phone.
ectodroid said:
Doing that will brick the phone.
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Click to collapse
Yep, it will.
The EU rom is for the EU phone. The Verizon phone is different in several ways, and it is not compatible. Besides that, the Verizon RAZR isn't even GSM compatible at this point. It's CDMA/LTE only right now, so you couldn't get it working natively on any network in Europe anyway.
bsweetness said:
Yep, it will.
The EU rom is for the EU phone. The Verizon phone is different in several ways, and it is not compatible. Besides that, the Verizon RAZR isn't even GSM compatible at this point. It's CDMA/LTE only right now, so you couldn't get it working natively on any network in Europe anyway.
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Click to collapse
http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_droid_razr_xt912-4101.php
what are you talking about,in the link above they say its gsm
are you guys sure you are giving me correct information about what i am asking?
if i should brick my phone with this process can i recover and go back with the original firmware unbrcking it?
That link is wrong. If you buy an XT912 Droid RAZR, you will have a very expensive paperweight. You need an XT910. There is no GSM support on the XT912. It has the hardware for both CDMA & GSM, but the GSM portion is disabled just like on the Droid Bionic. And no, due to Motorola kernel signatures and partition sizes, the stock ROMs are not cross-compatible.
Feel free not to believe us, it's your money.
Sent from my Motorola Electrify
onslaught86 said:
That link is wrong. If you buy an XT912 Droid RAZR, you will have a very expensive paperweight. You need an XT910. There is no GSM support on the XT912. It has the hardware for both CDMA & GSM, but the GSM portion is disabled just like on the Droid Bionic. And no, due to Motorola kernel signatures and partition sizes, the stock ROMs are not cross-compatible.
Feel free not to believe us, it's your money.
Sent from my Motorola Electrify
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what about motorola pro the verizon one and photon are they also without gsm?
You will not brick it simple you cant flash it with rds due signature mistmatch unless you have a unlocket bootloader.
droid pro was hacked by TBH i think. gsm radio was hacked and then it was working with tmobile/att.
http://www.droid-life.com/2010/11/17/verizon-blocking-att-gsm-bands-on-droid-2-global/
sewershark said:
what about motorola pro the verizon one and photon are they also without gsm?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Photon works just fine, it was designed to be a dual mode CDMA/GSM device from the start. No 900mhz UMTS with the Photon, though (And USSD codes don't work).
Sent from my Motorola Electrify
hondasr said:
You will not brick it simple you cant flash it with rds due signature mistmatch unless you have a unlocket bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are talking about xt912?so it actually have a sim slot,if yes,unlolcked bootloader is a different thing than entering a code for unlocking the phone i suppose . . .
i still havent got the xt912 ,but i found this guide,will it work for the xt912 too in your opinion?
http://droidsky.blogspot.it/2012/03/tutorial-unlock-bootloader-of-xperia-x8.html
sewershark said:
you are talking about xt912?so it actually have a sim slot,if yes,unlolcked bootloader is a different thing than entering a code for unlocking the phone i suppose . . .
i still havent got the xt912 ,but i found this guide,will it work for the xt912 too in your opinion?
http://droidsky.blogspot.it/2012/03/tutorial-unlock-bootloader-of-xperia-x8.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The SIM slot in the XT912 is for LTE, not GSM.. And 100% no to the "Will the X8 bootloader unlock work" question. Sony Ericsson are a completely different kettle of fish to Motorola. We've just spent months waiting while Kholk and the Eternity Project devs worked on a bypass, the bootloaders currently cannot be unlocked and likely never will be unless Motorola feel charitable.
I hate to say it, but you seriously need to do a lot more research before you waste your money on a CDMA phone that is no use to anyone outside the USA.
Sent from my Motorola Electrify
ok then i wont buy the xt910 because its too expensive,neither the xt912 because it wont work
i am going to consider the htc vivid ,lg nitro or atrix 2
is there a way to recocnize any gsm/almost gsm american phone that will not work in europe without asking each time in forums?maybe there is some kind of updated list somewhere . . .i always bought gsm phones from ebay u.s and they always worked ,guess i had been lucky till now
good news guys. Verizon is gonna unlock the gSM bands on droid razr. xt912.
can't wait!!!
http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/21/verizon-purportedly-giving-droid-4-razr-and-rezound-global-de/