[Q] Band 13 Band 17 and B28 LTE 700Mhz - Xperia Z2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

[Q] Band 13 Band 17 and B28 LTE 700Mhz - Xperia Z2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi everyone,
I wonder if someone can help me, i have asked a smart guy this question and it was suggested that i try it with AU's FW..but im a little new to this and i need some help...
This phone Xperia Z2 has LTE band 17 (700Mhz) .....but here in Australia we will be getting LTE band 28(700mhz)....
Can my phone work in the B28 if it does not say B28 in the specs? because its still 700mhz.
Or do i need software to allow it to operate on B28 (700Mhz)?....maybe some settings, or flash of some sort.
Can someone help...
Thanks.

Depends on where did you get it from? I purchased my XZ2 from Telstra.
And it is same spec as international one whch doesn't support 700Mhz LTE.
Optus might has got special model and I am not sure abou that.
Only little hope for software update, as they have to register this phone to
certification of conformance to technical standards again.
I think you can flash AU FW by using tool called flashtool. Howevery by using that
tool your warranty may avoid so think carefully.

Yes i got it from Telstra....Mine has B17 which is LTE 700Mhz ....Im pretty sure.
Its the B6503 which has
B1,B2,B3,B4,B5,B7,B8,B13,B17,B20
I looked up the Spectrum allocation and it says B17 is 700Mz...also B13 is but its different allocation of that band...
Im guessing it just needs a Software upgrade to make it work on that allocation of B28,
But im not an expert and im not really sure how its done or even if it can be done.
Thanks.

Oops I meant B28... not　B17. Collect my mistake.

There are 4 versions of the Z2 sold.
D6502: No LTE
D6503 (AU, NZ, EU, ASIA model): LTE bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 20
D6543 (North American model): LTE bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
SO-03F (Japan model for NTT docomo: docomo Xi LTE

Yes,
But is there a way to allow the ones which already have B17 & B13 (LTE 700Mhz) to work on the AU LTE 700mhz B28?
There must be a way to unlock that specific section of the LTE 700Mhz (B28) on this phone considering it already has the capability of 700Mhz LTE.
For example [(B17)-Uplink =704-716 Downlink=734-746]---------[(B13)- Uplink =777-787 Downlink=746-756]---------[(B28)-Uplink =703-748 Downlink=758-803]
Is there a way to operate on the B28 frequency range within the 700Mhz band considering the phone has a 700mhz LTE chipset?

There must be some way to do that. But as I said in my post. It must be authorized by Government or whatever
authorizes the phones with which band and which frequency the phone uses.
So if you change it by your self it would be against the law and should not happen.（As I am not Australian I am not sure about Australian laws)
I have read some thing about changing frequencies, but I can't remember and it must be done by your own.

Related

So it supports 1700Mhz, is the hardware the same?

Since Nokia does clearly say everywhere else except the US that 920 does support 1700Mhz (for obvious reasons), I wonder if the hardware in the AT&T version will be the same as in the int'l version and it'll just be a matter of unlocking the phone to use it on TMo.
Opinions?

I noticed that too!!
Its now PentaBand WCDMA/HSPA+ at 42Mbps. They added WCDMA 1700Mhz band on the specs.
Originally when the phone was announced last month was listed as QuadBand WCDMA missing the AWS band at 1700Mhz.
If this is true it means one of the following:
1.The band was always there and for some reason software locked and they decided unlock it and release it as a PendaBand.
2.They listen to the complaints (pretty much the same way they did and released the Cyan Color) as the missing AWS band was one the biggest complaints especially from T-Mobile USA subscribers and they decided to include it as well.
3.It is just a typo and Lumia 920 is still QuadBand HSPA.
4.It was a typo from the very beginning and Lumia 920 was always PentaBand.
Now assuming the the phone is PendaBand HSPA+ it will perfectly work with T-Mobile USA current 3G at AWS and with the reformed Network at 1900 they are preparing. It will work with both at 42Mbps speed.
The original unlocked Lumia 920 listed the following 5 LTE bands 800 / 1800 / 2600 / 900 / 2100.
If the unlocked phone comes with those LTE bands will be incompatible with T-Mobile USA upcoming 4G LTE network.
However the American model which AT&T will carry exclusively has the following LTE bands 700 / 850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100
If Nokia also release an unlock/unbranded version of the American model with the above LTE bands and PentaBand HSPA+ this model along with the 42Mbps HSPA will also support T-Mobile's upcoming 4G LTE that coming mid of next year with theoretical speeds of 100Mbps.
Releasing this device will be the perfect option for T-Mobile subscribers as it will be future-proof for their upcoming LTE network.
I am curious to see whats really going on here. Meanwhile I am crossing my fingers. :good:

So Nokia needs to release a international us version?
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

lovenokia said:
So Nokia needs to release a international us version?
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocked/Unbranded version of the American model is the correct way of putting it.
Nokia used to have to versions of the unlock devices in the past. The regular version which was usually the European/International model and the NAM versions for North America.
Many devices came like that in the past including the N95 & N95 NAM, 5800 & 5800 NAM, N97 & N97 NAM etc.
All had QuadBand GSM and different bands for 3G, the NAM versions had the American bands for AT&T USA and Rogers for Canada.
Now that PentaBand is standard for 3G/WCDMA, they need to release (and I hope this is the case) the European Model with the European LTE bands and a "NAM" model with the American LTE frequencies.
I guess time will tell what exactly the case is going to be.
But again this is for LTE. Assuming that the information on the spec-sheet is correct and the Lumia 920 comes with WCDMA/AWS 1700 then it will work perfectly with T-Mobile USA and AT&T's HSPA+ at 42Mpbs.

nMIK-3 said:
I noticed that too!!
Its now PentaBand WCDMA/HSPA+ at 42Mbps. They added WCDMA 1700Mhz band on the specs.
Originally when the phone was announced last month was listed as QuadBand WCDMA missing the AWS band at 1700Mhz.
If this is true it means one of the following:
1.The band was always there and for some reason software locked and they decided unlock it and release it as a PendaBand.
2.They listen to the complaints (pretty much the same way they did and released the Cyan Color) as the missing AWS band was one the biggest complaints especially from T-Mobile USA subscribers and they decided to include it as well.
3.It is just a typo and Lumia 920 is still QuadBand HSPA.
4.It was a typo from the very beginning and Lumia 920 was always PentaBand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunatly number 3 is the correct answer.
According to WPCentral.com the AWS 1700Mhz WCDMA support for T-Mobile 3G that listed in specs are just a typo on the website.
If this is the case, you can still use the Lumia 920 under T-Mobile 3G at 1900Mhz.
T-Mobile is reforming their Network and releasing 3G to 1900Mhz now, the problem is that we do not know what markets/areas has this already or how fast the project is moving on and when it will get complete..

nMIK-3 said:
Unfortunatly number 3 is the correct answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's wrong, because this phone will be using the Snapdragon S4 Plus (MSM8960) which uses Software Defined Radio (SDR) for determining their bands. Obviously you cannot use all at the same time, but any one at any time. The HW supports this (according to the Qualcomm reference design), and if it hasn't been supported before in this chipset, it's probably due poor modem programming and/or unstable behavior, and/or band/bandwidth throttling by service providers networks. It's also an efficient way to make sure your Verizon mobile cannot use AT&T networks and vice verse...

E:V:A said:
That's wrong, because this phone will be using the Snapdragon S4 Plus (MSM8960) which uses Software Defined Radio (SDR) for determining their bands. Obviously you cannot use all at the same time, but any one at any time. The HW supports this (according to the Qualcomm reference design), and if it hasn't been supported before in this chipset, it's probably due poor modem programming and/or unstable behavior, and/or band/bandwidth throttling by service providers networks. It's also an efficient way to make sure your Verizon mobile cannot use AT&T networks and vice verse...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is why I said its Number 3, according to WPCentral. I am aware of the SDR in the latest generation of Snapdragons, however as its name mention its programmable, meaning they may have turn off the AWS...
For me it doesn't make any sense to list the phone originally with QuadBand WCDMA and then add AWS and list it as a PentaBand.
I mean if it is wrong and its missing the AWS that is making the original listing with QuadBand the correct one, so why they bother changing it?
In the other hand if the SDR scenario applies and the AWS is already there, they may just heard the complains and simply turned ON the AWS band, that is why they added in to the specs meanwhile the Nokia representative that WPCentral reached may not be aware of the new specs yet...
All these are different scenarios, unless we have an official clarification from Nokia, we cannot know for sure until Lumia 920 its been released.
PS. Can you post the link with the detailed specifications of the Snapdragon S4 detailing the SDR? The specs I found does not include any information regarding this. If I am not mistaken and remember correctly SDR is affecting LTE only and its able to catch from 700Mhz - 2600Mhz (for LTE), its programmable to deliver everything between these bands but limited to deliver 5 Bands at a time. I do not remember mentioning WCDMA to be compatible with the SDR, but I may be wrong on that. Please feel free to correct me if that's the case.

According to FCC documents, looks like AWS is there. Question... Will it be disabled in the AT&T version? Unlock possible?

herzzreh said:
According to FCC documents, looks like AWS is there. Question... Will it be disabled in the AT&T version? Unlock possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read that the FCC Documents for the AT&T model are mentioning AWS (1700) for LTE. This is normal as AT&T's LTE is operating also in AWS.
I didn't read anything regarding AWS for 3G/WCDMA.

If you read back, it specifically mentions wcdma 1700. Document differentiates between lte freqs and wcdma ones.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Question About H830 LTE Bands

I just ordered an "unlocked" G5 H830 on Ebay, after carefully checking the LTE bands on the FrequencyCheck. I know I need bands 2 and 17 because I used the LTE Discovery App to determine that my carrier (AT&T US) provides LTE on in my area. But I just realized that other sites show different LTE bands for the H830 model...
FrequencyCheck LTE 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/17/30 (I hope this is right because I need Band 17)
The LG Website LTE 2/4/5/12/29/30, Roaming 1/3/7/20, and CA
Autoprime's helpful G5 thread LTE B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B12/B20
Can anyone confirm which of these is correct? Or verify that the H830 cannot use Band 17? Has anyone succeeded in adding LTE bands to the G5? Perhaps as described in this thread about phones with Qualcomm chipsets?
The moral of the story - check multiple websites when selecting a model with the right frequency bands for your carrier/area!

captainscience said:
I just ordered an "unlocked" G5 H830 on Ebay, after carefully checking the LTE bands on the FrequencyCheck. I know I need bands 2 and 17 because I used the LTE Discovery App to determine that my carrier (AT&T US) provides LTE on in my area. But I just realized that other sites show different LTE bands for the H830 model...
FrequencyCheck LTE 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/17/30 (I hope this is right because I need Band 17)
The LG Website LTE 2/4/5/12/29/30, Roaming 1/3/7/20, and CA
Autoprime's helpful G5 thread LTE B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B12/B20
Can anyone confirm which of these is correct? Or verify that the H830 cannot use Band 17? Has anyone succeeded in adding LTE bands to the G5? Perhaps as described in this thread about phones with Qualcomm chipsets?
The moral of the story - check multiple websites when selecting a model with the right frequency bands for your carrier/area!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know it's been a month
For att, band 12 support is equivalent to band 17 support. If you see a phone with band 12, it'll work on att's band 17
(12 is a superset of 17. Att has deployed mfbi on most of their network so that 12 phones can connect to their 17 network
Reverse is not true- 17 phones cannot connect to 12 networks since 17 phones are missing the nonoverlapping stuff in 12
That saying , I can't help with lte bands (h830 may or may not be missing 29/30 which att uses as a third lte layer. Not that important since you can rely on band 12/17/5 as first layer, band 2/4 as second layer)

Band Selection

I have V30+ (H932 /T-mobile version) I already get T-mobile Permanent Unlocked on my device.
Just realized that the bands availability for this device is not as many as Samsung Note 8 (T-Mobile version).
eg. no LTE band 8. The spec stated it has
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
WCDMA B1/B2/B4/ B5;
LTE B2/B4/B5/B12/B46/B66/B71 (USA-Tmobile)
Roaming LTE B1/B3/B7/B20/B38/B39/B40/B41
I will use this phone in the country that need LTE band 8.
by reading this thread;
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-v30/help/increasing-data-speeds-t-mobile-t3703325
It seems , I have found a way to get into engineering mode to get into band selection option and turned on the band I need.
but I have a doubt if this phone will be working especially LTE band 8 in my destination country where I have to Travel. (there is no LTE band 8 on LG V30+ t-mobile)
Can some one confirm and test to by switching SIM card, (must be temporary /permanent unlock), let say turn on band 17 from ATT since default T-mobile version is not available,
The area where I live T mobile and ATT use LTE band 4 so it is hard for me test myself with ATT SIM card if band 17 is working after I turned on that band.
Thank you

car2carl said:
The spec stated it has
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
WCDMA B1/B2/B4/ B5;
LTE B2/B4/B5/B12/B46/B66/B71 (USA-Tmobile)
Roaming LTE B1/B3/B7/B20/B38/B39/B40/B41
by reading this thread;
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-v30/help/increasing-data-speeds-t-mobile-t3703325
It seems , I have found a way to get into engineering mode to get into band selection option and turned on the band I need.
Can some one confirm and test to by switching SIM card, (must be temporary /permanent unlock), let say turn on band 17 from ATT since default T-mobile version is not available,
The area where I live T mobile and ATT use LTE band 4 so it is hard for me test myself with ATT SIM card if band 17 is working after I turned on that band.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LTE band 17 is a subset of LTE band 12. All new AT&T phones now only list band 12, because it includes 17.
A lot of AT&T customers missed this news apparently:
AT&T’s 700MHz Systems Now Interoperate With Band 12/17 LTE
January 11, 2017
https://www.androidheadlines.com/20...tems-now-interoperate-with-band-1217-lte.html
Here are the specs for the AT&T LG V30 H931 -- straight from both the LG and AT&T websites. DO YOU SEE BAND 17 listed on this AT&T phone?
No. Because LTE band 12 is listed -- therefore no need to list LTE band 17.
http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-H931-Black-lg-v30
IF you go to the AT&T website to BUY an LG V30 H931 from them, here are the bands they show you are on the their own phone. Slightly different order from the LG.com website -- but still NO band 17. No need to show LTE band 17, since LTE band 12 is there!
https://www.att.com/cellphones/lg/v30.html#sku=sku8510583

The V300 I received from HK didn't have the B20 LTE band on the spec sheet.
But when i enabled it in the engineering menu, it worked perfectly with European networks.
There are some apps that give you the ability to record the bands number you encounter and log them.

Hi.
How to run engineering mod ??
Thank you.

milennium said:
Hi.
How to run engineering mod ??
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See this thread.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg...s-t-mobile-t3703325/post74475386#post74475386
Septembersrain said:
I found something interesting on reddit:
Go to dialer, put in 277634#*#
Band selection
Select all and press save.
My data went up from about 25mbps to over 50mbps.
Can't guarantee this to work with all carriers/models but you could try? Let me know if you do?
Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And these are the bands she enabled on her T-mobile H932:
Septembersrain said:
Oh and it does show band 71 unlike the photos I sent before showing the bands.
Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Hi.
Code 277634#*# not working...
LGM-V300L...
Thank you.

milennium said:
Hi.
Code 277634#*# not working...
LGM-V300L...
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read the thread link I posted. Other people found other codes that worked for their phones. Like this reply:
Sean473 said:
This code does not work on the European H930 Model.. Is it just 277634#*# or something more?.
Update: Found the LTE band menu by using the *#54638#*930# code... I didn't have any checkboxes... Everything seems enabled to me... Separate menu is present to enable carrier aggregation around there..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's also "hidden menu" apps you can download from Google Play store that will open those and other menus.
Plus google is your friend:
https://www.google.com/search?q=lg+.....69i57j0l5.4911j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

milennium said:
Hi.
Code 277634#*# not working...
LGM-V300L...
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this code : 5457#*300#

ChazzMatt said:
LTE band 17 is a subset of LTE band 12. All new AT&T phones now only list band 12, because it includes 17.
A lot of AT&T customers missed this news apparently:
AT&T’s 700MHz Systems Now Interoperate With Band 12/17 LTE
January 11, 2017
https://www.androidheadlines.com/20...tems-now-interoperate-with-band-1217-lte.html
Here are the specs for the AT&T LG V30 H931 -- straight from both the LG and AT&T websites. DO YOU SEE BAND 17 listed on this AT&T phone?
No. Because LTE band 12 is listed -- therefore no need to list LTE band 17.
http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-H931-Black-lg-v30
IF you go to the AT&T website to BUY an LG V30 H931 from them, here are the bands they show you are on the their own phone. Slightly different order from the LG.com website -- but still NO band 17. No need to show LTE band 17, since LTE band 12 is there!
https://www.att.com/cellphones/lg/v30.html#sku=sku8510583
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks , good to know that Band 17 interoperate with 12 , but in frequencychek.com ATT still stated band 17 part of their band allocation, so in my case to test it on band 29 which T mobile V30 don't have.

iOR3K said:
The V300 I received from HK didn't have the B20 LTE band on the spec sheet.
But when i enabled it in the engineering menu, it worked perfectly with European networks.
There are some apps that give you the ability to record the bands number you encounter and log them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks , it might be good news for me then
So if someone concern about band coverage for LG V30 , purchase the T mobile version is the best choice and Unlocked the networks
because this device also cover band 71
iOR3K do you have band 71 listed on your V300 ?

car2carl said:
Thanks , it might be good news for me then
So if someone concern about band coverage for LG V30 , purchase the T mobile version is the best choice and Unlocked the networks
because this device also cover band 71
iOR3K do you have band 71 listed on your V300 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure since I sold the phone, sorry. I'm waiting for my new H930G.

Thank you all...

iOR3K said:
I'm not sure since I sold the phone, sorry. I'm waiting for my new H930G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I misunderstood you, is V300 part of V30 variant ?

car2carl said:
I misunderstood you, is V300 part of V30 variant ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I first got the V300L which is a Korean variant, but since it can't be BL unlocked or rooted, i decided to sell it and wait for the European H930/H930G.

car2carl said:
Thanks , good to know that Band 17 interoperate with 12 , but in frequencychek.com ATT still stated band 17 part of their band allocation, so in my case to test it on band 29 which T mobile V30 don't have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read my reply again. 17 is subset of 12. Even new AT&T phones no longer show "17", since they will now show 12. If you have 12, then you have 17. New AT&T phones will no longer show separate 17.
Even the AT&T LG V30 doesn't show 17. Why? Because 17 is already IN 12. (Like sugar is in cookies.)
But I'm repeating myself over and over. Just go read that post again.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=74775455
Or if you don't believe me, read this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/47blo3/eli5_band_12_vs_band_17/

ChazzMatt said:
Read my reply again. 17 is subset of 12. Even new AT&T phones no longer show "17", since they will now show 12. If you have 12, then you have 17. New AT&T phones will no longer show separate 17.
Even the AT&T LG V30 doesn't show 17. Why? Because 17 is already IN 12.
But I'm repeating myself over and over. Just go read that post again.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=74775455
Or if you don't believe me, read this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/47blo3/eli5_band_12_vs_band_17/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no reason not to believe your point, as I already said "good to know"
I don't need to argue about it .
In technical point ATT band 17 is already covered by band 12 (T-mobile) which 700Mhz ( a )
for some people they just read band 17 is band 17 not band 12. and obviously they are thinking it is different with limitation of technical knowledge.
I just pointed out the frequencycheck.com
https://www.frequencycheck.com/carriers/at-t-united-states
I guessed ATT can't just stated they are using band 12 which they don't have (extended range LTE 700Mhz a)

car2carl said:
There is no reason not to believe your point, as I already said "good to know"
I don't need to argue about it .
In technical point ATT band 17 is already covered by band 12 (T-mobile) which 700Mhz ( a )
for some people they just read band 17 is band 17 not band 12. and obviously they are thinking it is different with limitation of technical knowledge.
I just pointed out the frequencycheck.com
https://www.frequencycheck.com/carriers/at-t-united-states
I guessed ATT can't just stated they are using band 12 which they don't have (extended range LTE 700Mhz a)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T now calls it band 12 on their phones moving forward.
Older phones will still show "17".
That site you keep giving link to is not an AT&T website and you have no idea when it was even last updated. I'm not even going to bother going to that site because I know I'm right. I really don't care what they say. They haven't kept up with current development.
It's why the AT&T LG V30 H931 on the AT&T website doesn't have LTE band 17 listed, but has LTE band 12 in the specs instead.
There are apps like LTE Discovery that will show you what bands you are on, and even keep a log as you travel around.

ChazzMatt said:
AT&T now calls it band 12 on their phones moving forward.
Older phones will still show "17".
That site you keep giving link to is not an AT&T website and you have no idea when it was even last updated. I'm not even going to bother going to that site because I know I'm right. I really don't care what they say. They haven't kept up with current development.
It's why the AT&T LG V30 H931 on the AT&T website doesn't have LTE band 17 listed, but has LTE band 12 in the specs instead.
There are apps like LTE Discovery that will show you what bands you are on, and even keep a log as you travel around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On my US998, here's the bands I am getting as I travelled to work yesterday morning. I was getting LTE bands 2 and 12. As expected it's now LTE band 12, not "17" -- because AT&T doesn't call it Band 17 anymore (except older phones will still show that). All new AT&T phones or new phones compatible with AT&T (like the US9998) will show LTE band 12.
https://www.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/47blo3/eli5_band_12_vs_band_17/
Band 12 consists of the frequencies 698-716 and 728-746. This band is the only band that covers the 700a block that T-Mobile uses, and also happens to cover the b-block and lower-c-block that AT&T uses.
AT&T is upgrading its network so that it can handle Band 12 phones, since Band 17 is a subset of Band 12. This means that people will be able to use T-Mobile phones on the AT&T network.
Additionally, AT&T's phones will begin coming with Band 12, which means they can be used on the T-Mobile network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

LG doesn't have many international LTE bands? Any way to unlock them?

I'm debating between buying the LG V30s, G7, and S9+. I would prefer the LG ones because they support QC 3.0, but I travel internationally all over the place and need a phone with a ton of LTE band support (but I'm currently in the US).
I need 6GB of RAM, 530+ ppi, IP68/67, USB-C QC, and great cameras, so this is all I have to select from:
https://www.gsmarena.com/results.ph...mm=selected&sIPCerts=5,6&sOSes=2&idCardslot=1
The S9+ has 26 bands.
The LG V30s (US998R) only seems to have 11.
https://www.frequencycheck.com/models/A3ljK/lg-us998-v30-td-lte-lg-joan?c_id=676585
https://www.techwalls.com/lg-v30s-thinq-model-number-differences/
The LG G7 (G710ULM) is worse at 9.
https://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-G710ULM-Unlocked-g7-thinq
I have a hard time believing that LG would create a different chip for all their different regional models of the same phone. The chip must support all the bands but a ton of them must get disabled in firmware. Is there any way to unlock them?

fuzzybabybunny said:
I'm debating between buying the LG V30s, G7, and S9+. I would prefer the LG ones because they support QC 3.0, but I travel internationally all over the place and need a phone with a ton of LTE band support (but I'm currently in the US).
I need 6GB of RAM, 530+ ppi, IP68/67, USB-C QC, and great cameras, so this is all I have to select from:
https://www.gsmarena.com/results.ph...mm=selected&sIPCerts=5,6&sOSes=2&idCardslot=1
The S9+ has 26 bands.
The LG V30s (US998R) only seems to have 11.
https://www.frequencycheck.com/models/A3ljK/lg-us998-v30-td-lte-lg-joan?c_id=676585
https://www.techwalls.com/lg-v30s-thinq-model-number-differences/
The LG G7 (G710ULM) is worse at 9.
https://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-G710ULM-Unlocked-g7-thinq
I have a hard time believing that LG would create a different chip for all their different regional models of the same phone. The chip must support all the bands but a ton of them must get disabled in firmware. Is there any way to unlock them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which specific bands are you looking for? The samsung exynos phones typically support a lot of bands, just not the us specific ones. Because of whatever contract samsung has with qualcom, their chipset doesn't support any of the sprint or verizon lte/cdma bands.
The us specific phones typically have the radios crippled and each rom supports bands for that specific carrier. the samsung s9+ snapdragon 845 (us version) has the same issue as the lg phones + they can't be rooted or bootloader unlocked.
the lg v35 unlocked supports a lot of bands, but again, no root or bootloader unlock
the oneplus 6t supports lots of bands and can be unlocked but its not a premium phone and is missing a lot of other features like sdcard, ip rating, qi charging, etc.

Alibaba0101 said:
which specific bands are you looking for? The samsung exynos phones typically support a lot of bands, just not the us specific ones. Because of whatever contract samsung has with qualcom, their chipset doesn't support any of the sprint or verizon lte/cdma bands.
The us specific phones typically have the radios crippled and each rom supports bands for that specific carrier. the samsung s9+ snapdragon 845 (us version) has the same issue as the lg phones + they can't be rooted or bootloader unlocked.
the lg v35 unlocked supports a lot of bands, but again, no root or bootloader unlock
the oneplus 6t supports lots of bands and can be unlocked but its not a premium phone and is missing a lot of other features like sdcard, ip rating, qi charging, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not looking for any specific bands since I don't know where exactly I'll be traveling to. I just want as many bands as I can get just in case. On the USA side I just want TMobile support.
The US S9+ versions still seem to have a ton of band support, no? Their only issue is they can't be rooted, but is this a permanent problem or do all Samsung phones eventually get root?
If I wanted an LG G7 or V3x phone with 6GB and all that jazz I mentioned, do I have any options for one that had tons of bands and is unlockable? A European version perhaps?

fuzzybabybunny said:
I'm not looking for any specific bands since I don't know where exactly I'll be traveling to. I just want as many bands as I can get just in case. On the USA side I just want TMobile support.
The US S9+ versions still seem to have a ton of band support, no? Their only issue is they can't be rooted, but is this a permanent problem or do all Samsung phones eventually get root?
If I wanted an LG G7 or V3x phone with 6GB and all that jazz I mentioned, do I have any options for one that had tons of bands and is unlockable? A European version perhaps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is sim unlocked and bootloader unlocked which are two different things. Two phones closest to what you are describing would be the unlocked s9+ from b&h and the lg v35 unlocked. Both will support around 22 bands and will be sim unlocked. Currently neither phone can be bootloader unlocked.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1394703-REG/samsung_sm_g965uzkaxaa_samsung_galaxy_s9.html
GSM, GPRS, EDGE: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
UMTS, HSPA+: 850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz
LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66, 71 Bands
https://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-V350ULM-Unlocked-v35-thinq
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz;
UMTS 850/900/1700/2100 MHz;
LTE Bands1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/17/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/39/40/41/66; International Roaming 1/3/7/20/38/39/40/41
according to tmobile the tmobile specific version of the galaxy s9+ only supports
https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-37154
4G LTE
2, 4, 5, 12, 66, 71, LTE-U/LAA 46
Roaming Bands
1, 3, 7, 8, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 38, 39, 40, 41
If you want information about any of these phones your best bet is to go to that section of the forum and ask your questions there....

While most decent 2017/2018 phones already support B12 & B66, not a lot of non-TMO phones support B71 yet. If you want to keep your new phone until 2019+, the phone should support it. That means your choice would be limited to the ones in TMO B71 list
FWIW, LG V30 H932 (TMO): WCDMA B1/B2/B4/ B5; LTE B2/B4/B5/B12/B46/B66/B71 LTE Roaming B1/B3/B7/B20/B38/B39/B40/B41
S9 SM-G960U1 (SIM unlocked US) LTE:*1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66, 71
I travel a bit too but you'd get too many hits and misses with LTE if your destinations are still unknown.... I'd get the phone with best value proposition for daily TMOUS (IMO that's currently a used H932 in mint condition, easily found), and just deal with LTE abroad as the issue comes (get a local SIM, rent/buy a hotspot if needed, etc - you probably knew that prepaid data packs are normally much cheaper outside the US. I have a hotspot specifically for use in Asian countries I travel to).

lost_ said:
I'd get the phone with best value proposition for daily TMOUS (IMO that's currently a used H932 in mint condition, easily found), and just deal with LTE abroad as the issue comes (get a local SIM, rent/buy a hotspot if needed, etc - you probably knew that prepaid data packs are normally much cheaper outside the US. I have a hotspot specifically for use in Asian countries I travel to).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whereas for me on AT&T, the best value daily phone is the US998.
http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-US998-Unlocked-v30
US998
CDMA: 800 MHz CDMA
2G GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
3G UMTS (HSPA):850/900/1900/2100 MHz
4G LTE Bands: 1/2/3/4/5/7/12(17)/13/20/25/66
Only T-mobile subscribers would use LTE band 71, and most T-mobile phones still don't have it.
Don't forget about HSPA... Last time I was in Brazil, where their main LTE bands 3 & 7, my phone at the time had those, as does the V30. But STILL most of the time I was on HSPA due to their telephony infrastructure in rural areas. Point is, having good selection of HSPA bands is still your best "international" fallback plan for phones that don't have 99 LTE bands.
Don't obsess over having every LTE band for every country. For proof of that, look at T-mobile. TONS of people on this forum have the US998 on T-mobile. Their phones work just fine.

Thanks. I really want 6GB of RAM though, and the V30 doesn't have it. The other LG phones with 6GB of RAM either don't seem to have many bands or have a locked bootloader or both.
I ended up buying the Samsung S9+ G965F/DS. It's got root, 6GB RAM, and all the other features I'm looking for except QC 3.0. It's kind of a shame because I've been a Samsung user for the last 10 years and was adamant I wasn't going to get another.... but here I am.

fuzzybabybunny said:
Thanks. I really want 6GB of RAM though, and the V30 doesn't have it. The other LG phones with 6GB of RAM either don't seem to have many bands or have a locked bootloader or both.
I ended up buying the Samsung S9+ G965F/DS. It's got root, 6GB RAM, and all the other features I'm looking for except QC 3.0. It's kind of a shame because I've been a Samsung user for the last 10 years and was adamant I wasn't going to get another.... but here I am.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great phone
no us warranty
does not support any cdma carriers
does not support tmobile band 71
does not support at&t band 30

Alibaba0101 said:
Great phone
no us warranty
does not support any cdma carriers
does not support tmobile band 71
does not support at&t band 30
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I'm in a bit of a tough spot.
I need 6GB because the only reason I'm upgrading from my current TMobile S5 is because 2GB just doesn't cut it for modern apps anymore and 4GB just isn't future-proof enough for me. My S5 doesn't have band 71 either but the day-to-day sluggishness of not having enough memory is FAR more of an issue than band support.
I *want* to get the unlocked SnapDragon S9+, but it's not rooted or bootloader unlocked yet and I don't know if it *ever* will. Even the S8+ still has problems with bootloader unlock and root, right? The only reason I'm still running the S5 is because the ability to unlock and install LineageOS saved it and allowed me to squeeze two more years out of it.
So can anyone say with 95%+ confidence that the unlocked USA SnapDragons will have BL unlock and root?

Ok, I'm now even less confident that the S9+ SnapDragons will get bootloader unlock and root.
Even looking back at the S7, LineageOS is only supported on the Exynos models and none of the SnapDragons:
https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/herolte
https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/hero2lte
Same for the S8s.
I'm guessing that this trend will only continue for the S9s.

Alibaba0101 said:
There is sim unlocked and bootloader unlocked which are two different things. Two phones closest to what you are describing would be the unlocked s9+ from b&h and the lg v35 unlocked. Both will support around 22 bands and will be sim unlocked. Currently neither phone can be bootloader unlocked.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1394703-REG/samsung_sm_g965uzkaxaa_samsung_galaxy_s9.html
GSM, GPRS, EDGE: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
UMTS, HSPA+: 850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz
LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66, 71 Bands
https://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-V350ULM-Unlocked-v35-thinq
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz;
UMTS 850/900/1700/2100 MHz;
LTE Bands1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/17/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/39/40/41/66; International Roaming 1/3/7/20/38/39/40/41
according to tmobile the tmobile specific version of the galaxy s9+ only supports
https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-37154
4G LTE
2, 4, 5, 12, 66, 71, LTE-U/LAA 46
Roaming Bands
1, 3, 7, 8, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 38, 39, 40, 41
If you want information about any of these phones your best bet is to go to that section of the forum and ask your questions there....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The T mobile version sounds great to me because it would work great in Italy where I travel often. However I am planning to convert the H932 to us998 by flashing with LGUP for rooting. Does that mean I will loose the extra bands of H932 and have US998 bands instead?

cococchio said:
However I am planning to convert the H932 to us998 by flashing with LGUP for rooting. Does that mean I will loose the extra bands of H932 and have US998 bands instead?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) You will brick your phone. T-mobile H932 has different RSA encryption than the other North American V30 variants.
This is why H932 can't use WTF method to install TWRP and root. It cannot be Frankenstein'ed to US998 for necessary fastboot flash commands.
2) Converting (Frankenstein) any North America V30 to another (not possible with T-mobile H932) makes it THAT phone, including all bands. After bootloader unlock and root, Verizon and Sprint users will often flash their VS996 or LS998 modems back.

ChazzMatt said:
1) You will brick your phone. T-mobile H932 has different RSA encryption than the other North American V30 variants.
2) Converting (Frankenstein) any North America V30 to another (not possible with T-mobile H932) makes it THAT phone, including all bands. After bootloader unlock and root, Verizon and Sprint users will often flash their VS996 or LS998 modems back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was planning to use this https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-v30/how-to/root-h932-lafploit-1-5-to-v20a-t3842550
Anyway US998 actually has LTE bands 3 and 20 even though they are not originally included in H931. If that's true (doesn't require hardware modification?!) I will buy H931 ATT.
Thanks for your help!

cococchio said:
However I am planning to convert the (T-mobile) H932 to us998 by flashing with LGUP for rooting. Does that mean I will loose the extra bands of (T-mobile) H932 and have US998 bands instead?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ChazzMatt said:
1) You will brick your phone. T-mobile H932 has different RSA encryption than the other North American V30 variants.
This is why H932 can't use WTF method to install TWRP and root. It cannot be Frankenstein'ed to US998 for necessary fastboot flash commands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cococchio said:
I was planning to use this [ROOT] H932 - lafploit 1.5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's NOT what you said. You said you were planning on converting T-mobile H932 to US998. That Root LAF method for T-mobile H932 by @runningnak3d has nothing to do with WFT method -- which for some V30 (particularly North American variants) mean at least temporarily converting to another model (like US998).
____
cococchio said:
Anyway US998 actually has LTE bands 3 and 20 even though they are not originally included in H931. If that's true (doesn't require hardware modification?!) I will buy H931 ATT.
Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you are somehwat confused. AT&T H931 has always had LTE bands 3 & 20. Note both links below are to LG.com website and those specs have been there since DAY1.
https://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-H931-Black-lg-v30
H931 (AT&T)
GSM/EDGE (2G) Bands: 850/900/1800/1900
HSPA/UMTS Bands: 850/1700/1900/2100
4G LTE Bands: 1/2/3/4/5/7/12(17)/20/29/30/38/39/40/41/66
LTE bands 3 and 20 have also always been in the US998 specs:
http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-US998-Unlocked-v30
US998
CDMA: 800 MHz CDMA
2G GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
3G UMTS (HSPA):850/900/1900/2100 MHz
4G LTE Bands: 1/2/3/4/5/7/12(17)/13/20/25/66
Why not just buy US998 to begin with? Or buy cheaper variant like LS998 and convert to US998. I'm not understanding your logic. With US998 you get LTE bands 3 & 20, have CARRIER UNLOCKED, have fastboot flash commands so you can also bootloader unlock and root if you wish.
With H931, you are carrier locked to AT&T. Yes, you can get that unlocked -- but then you have no access to firmware updates as AT&T only gives updates via OTA to AT&T customers. This is why everybody and their brother CONVERT H931 to US998. To carrier unlock, get fastboot flash commands, AND get easy updates.
Sent via open market LG US998 V30/V30+

wow, thanks you gave me a great overview of the situation. On Amazon refurbished the ATT version was actually the cheapest.

fuzzybabybunny said:
Ok, I'm now even less confident that the S9+ SnapDragons will get bootloader unlock and root.
Even looking back at the S7, LineageOS is only supported on the Exynos models and none of the SnapDragons:
https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/herolte
https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/hero2lte
Same for the S8s.
I'm guessing that this trend will only continue for the S9s.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The G965F/DS is not snapdragon. The only samsung snapdrag phones that are unlocked are the hk and cn versions which again have crippled radios.
The best snapdragon 845 with unlocked bootloader and root would be the one plus 6 and thew newly released one plus 6t.
The lg v30s does have 6gb of ram and most likely can be unlocked using wtf method. But the bands will be more limited and its snapdragon 835.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1400755-REG/lg_lgus998r_a8usut_v30s_thinq_128gb_smartphone.html?ap=y&gclid=CjwKCAjwo_HdBRBjEiwAiPPXpNZbo9TR8rFHkeLTDCXn2QuF3QkpbgKfN07VYKJZ8SbbLtGC--4zcRoC2yIQAvD_BwE&smp=y

Did LG really produce all these V30 and + variants will different hardware (radios), or just cripple them through firmware? Would be great to be able to unlock the phone's capability with a firmware flash.

cococchio said:
wow, thanks you gave me a great overview of the situation. On Amazon refurbished the ATT version was actually the cheapest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On eBay refurbished "mint' US998 V30+ (probably converted LS998 V30+) is $295

Well I usually trust Amazon refurbished more but I ended up doing what you suggested . Cancelled Amazon and got V30.+ for $295 from ebay. Thanks!

joarce said:
different hardware (radios), or just cripple them through firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firmware - software-defined radio.

LTE Band Change, A Series

Hello all!
I actually have an Oppo A series 2020 that I got while in the Philippines. I travel there frequently and live in Guam so we have a poor selection of phones to buy here.
It's a quad band dual SIM phone so I mistakenly thought it would work on my carrier here in Guam.
My carrier uses LTE Band 4 and the phone supports only 3 & 5 and like 20 others that are not 4. My question is, is there any way to change this? A search of the forums did pull up some apps that adjust the LTE Band but I couldn't tell if that was switching the default band or actually changing the bands available. Are these other bands locked by software only or are they fixed with hardware?
Any info or suggestions would be great. Thank you !

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