Hi all
I'm about reaching the point that I'm ready to splash out on a Z4 Tablet of my very own. I want the dock, and although I'd likely only be using Wi-Fi / Bluetooth initially, I want the LTE version as well. I'm wondering what stumbling blocks I'm likely to hit, and would appreciate advice, especially from T-Mobile USA users, and those with the Taiwanese-market keyboard dock.
Some specific questions:
* Am I correct in believing I can flash any region's firmware to the Z4 Tablet without rooting / unlocking or voiding warranty using Xperifirm, just like I can for my Xperia Z2 phone, just so long as it's SGP771 firmware on an SGP771 tablet?
* If I buy a Taiwanese tablet and dock, and then flash UK firmware, will the keyboard mapping still be correct? (The Taiwanese dock uses US keyboard mapping, which I want. I definitely don't want UK keyboard mapping, but don't know what provides the mapping -- keyboard firmware, tablet firmware or something else? Unless Sony USA releases US firmware, though, I probably want either UK or Hong Kong firmware on my tablet.)
* If it turns out that I'm stuck with Taiwanese firmware, is there any Taiwan-specific bloatware installed that I can't get rid of, and/or can the language be set completely to English such that I never see any system or stock app using Chinese characters?
* Am I correct in thinking that the SGP771 supports enough of the right frequencies for T-Mobile USA to provide a good, fast LTE experience in most or all T-Mobile USA markets? If I travel overseas to the UK, Canada or Hong Kong (the most likely places I'll travel), should the right frequencies be supported for major networks there?
* If I don't place a SIM card in the tablet, will I have any usability issues? (Repeated warnings on startup / login, persistent warning icon in the system tray, etc.), or can I get a good experience on the SGP771 without a SIM card? I'm thinking within a year or two I'll likely have a phone plan that will allow a second SIM card, but right now I'm on the T-Mobile WalMart $30 plan, which meets my needs very well (boatloads of fast data, unlimited texts, and very minimal phone calls) and so until pricing is more reasonable I don't need or want to pay for a separate tablet SIM
* Any Z4 Tablet owners managed to get the T-Mobile USA Free Data for Life offer on their tablet? If so, are you postpaid or prepaid?
* Has anybody experienced the speaker hiss problem on Taiwanese tablets?
And finally, a catch-all. Anything else I need to be aware of with the Z4 Tablet on T-Mobile USA, and/or with a Taiwanese tablet in the US market?
I bought a Taiwanese SPG712 and I immediately flashed the UK firmware with no problems using Xperifirm. When you first load up android, the first prompt is always language and switching to English puts everything into English no matter which firmware you have.
The Taiwanese and UK firmwares both came with almost no bloat and you're able to uninstall mostly everything without root. It's not even close to the amount of bloat that US carriers put on our phones.
I haven't been able to hear any of the talked about hissing on my tablet, though I haven't really looked for it and the majority of music I listen to on it goes through bluetooth.
No personal experience with the SPG771 but it's like any other android device when it comes to a data connection. If there's no sim card, you'll get a persistent icon and maybe notification on boot if you don't plan on rooting and modifying but that's about it. You could just turn on airplane mode and re-enable wifi/bluetooth if it bothers you.
Thanks for the helpful reply! The most important question outstanding is about the Taiwanese keyboard. If I switch to UK firmware, will the keyboard layout still be recognized and work properly as per what's marked on the keys?
Does anybody have a Taiwanese keyboard who can answer the above question?
OK, it seems that with 227 views, only one person has ever seen a Taiwanese Z4 Tablet, and none has seen the keyboard. Let me rephrase the question.
Has anybody changed their tablet's firmware to that of a different region which has a different keyboard layout? If so, did the keyboard layout continue to match the markings on the keys?
Alternatively, can anybody confirm if all keyboard layouts are listed somewhere in the settings, and you can choose which keyboard layout you want to use regardless of what is printed on the keys?
Thanks!
Related
Hey guys,
I have a pretty unique problem and im not sure there even is a solution, but here goes.
The story is that I had been living in Canada for the last 7 months or so and bought myself a shiny new Desire 601 from Virgin Mobile (its a zara_ul). Since then, I have managed to brick it hardcore style, but i was able to ressurect it after 4 months of fruitless attempts through various odd files, sheer dumb luck, and the RUU from mrplowdans google drive (super props by the way, you saved my phone good sir!). I had to SuperCID the phone in order for the RUU to stick.
So it goes without saying that im now running the Telus version of KK (i updated through the usual OTA once i had returned it to stock 4.2.2) on a VM phone. All good, no issues there. Ive since returned home to Australia, unlocked the phone so it works with an Australian carrier, also all good. Im able to make calls and send texts no issue.
My problem is with mobile data. It seems to be having an issue connecting to my carriers 3g/4g. Initially, there was nothing at all, just the bars in the notification bar telling me that i had a good connection to cellular. No little superscript 3G though, and in settings, although mobile data is 'On', it is showing connection failed. Adding a custom APN appeared to work slightly, the 3G appeared in the notification bar and in settings, mobile data was shown to be 'connected', but still no dice when i try to connect to the web or download an app.
Now i vaguely understand the principles involved here, I get that North american carriers use a different radio frequency to, say, Europe, and that differs again to Australia. My question is, is it on the software side? Would it be possible to find an Australian Radio.img for a desire 601 (i dont even know if they sell them here), flash it, and all will be fine and dandy? Or is it the physical antenna inside the phone that is set to receive only a certain frequency? Im not expecting someone to go and find me a working file or anything, i know most of you live in Canada anyway, but im looking for someone with a greater knowledge of these things to find a theoretical fix.
I know I rant a lot, but in the scheme of things im willing to let this problem slide considering i only just un-bricked it a few days ago AND managed to root 4.4.2 (a significant achievement given my non-existent knowledge of android), but it is a nuicance and if theres something simple i can do of course i will.
Thanks in advance for any help <3
EDIT: Ive since done some googling and discovered that they do sell these phones in Australia, and that the Network specs for it and the canadian model that i have are almost identical, many of the frequencies are the same on both. Leads me to assume that its software sided, the telus radio.img is telling the phone to not see non-canadian frequencies.
Anyone had any luck enabling it?
carllafoe said:
Anyone had any luck enabling it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, isnt it a feature depending on your carrier (firmware)?
Gesendet von meinem E5823 mit Tapatalk
Yes this is carrier specific.
They will supply an app on Play if so.
Works on EE in the UK, it's a menu setting not an app.
Where exactly is the menu setting for wifi calling? I can't seem to find it on mine. If it matters, I got the Taiwan version of the phone and am with MetroPCS in the States.
For me it's in settings, under device, call. UK EE.
I am on EE and purchased my phone from Handtek hence preloaded with European Generic Stock firmware.
I can only assume @ewans has purchased the device from EE directly, which would have the EE branded Stock firmware which would have that setting built in by the carrier/EE.
I read when researching why I hadn't got this WiFi calling setting that carriers would be sending out firmware updates with these new settings (this finding is based on a different phone but the principle of carrier providing the update must be telling.) Looks like Sony stock unbranded firmware excludes this feature.
dillalade said:
I am on EE and purchased my phone from Handtek hence preloaded with European Generic Stock firmware.
I can only assume @ewans has purchased the device from EE directly, which would have the EE stock firmware which would have that setting.
I read when researching why o hadn't got this WiFi calling setting and that carriers would be sending.out firmware updates with these new settings. Looks like Sony stock unbranded firmware excludes this feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, directly from EE.
Guess this confirms it (image attached.)
You require a carrier stock Sony firmware to obtain the feature.
If desperate for native WiFi calling with your carrier then you would need to update your Sony firmware to run your carriers version of it.
As long as your carrier supports WiFi calling and has the z5c officially supported like EE has then you will source the carrier firmware in xperiafirm.
The sacrifice clearly will be the added bloatware you will get with a carrier branded stock firmware.
Yep. I figured out that this was a carrier feature on my own probably around the time you mentioned it here. That sucks, cause my carrier, MetroPCS, has wi-fi calling available, but are highly unlikely to carry the Z5. Dang.
An alternative if you're in the US is to install Google Hangouts Dialer and get a Google Voice number. I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile here in the states, so I just ported my old Verizon number to Google Voice for a one time, $20 fee. With Hangouts Dialer, calls to US numbers are free, and if you're on Wifi, you can receive calls using your Google Voice number.
dillalade said:
Guess this confirms it (image attached.)
You require a carrier stock Sony firmware to obtain the feature.
If desperate for native WiFi calling with your carrier then you would need to update your Sony firmware to run your carriers version of it.
As long as your carrier supports WiFi calling and has the z5c officially supported like EE has then you will source the carrier firmware in xperiafirm.
The sacrifice clearly will be the added bloatware you will get with a carrier branded stock firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That picture displays a "T-Mobile" option. That makes me think that there is a chance wifi calling works on the T-Mobile network. Can anyone confirm this? If so, I will be purchasing this phone ASAP.
T-Mobile's website confirms that they do wi-fi calling. At least here in the States.
Adrift98 said:
T-Mobile's website confirms that they do wi-fi calling. At least here in the States.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that they have wifi calling but I am 90% sure that this only applies to devices that they sell themselves. (Meaning that unlocked devices such as the Z5C will not have the wifi option). I just find it interesting that the phone itself has an option to select T-Mobile wifi calling if T-Mobile has had no plans to support it. Wouldn't Sony have removed this from the list if it wasn't compatible? Maybe there is hope for the future.
T-Mobile is also a carrier in Europe. The link in the previous screenshot might be referring to the places in Europe that carry the T-Mobile branded z5c. There appears to be a version of the firmware that is for T-Mobile on Xperifirm:
Maybe someone in the US on T-Mobile can try that out and see if there is wifi calling enabled? I am on the .32 firmware and don't want to revert back.
I flashed to T-Mobile Austria, and no luck on the wi-fi calling feature. Doesn't show up on the menu it should.
Hello, I'm on ee new phone but despite carrier saying they have activated and recent update I don't have this option. Those that do, are there Sip settings if so can you share them
EE Stock Firmware
I know this is counter intuitive to most on here but i want to go back to EE firmware.
I work in a Low reception office so WiFi calling had been a dream come true rather than running around the office trying to find signal. I also live in a 4G+ area which was also wonderful so I would like to get both back (broke phone and insurance have sent me an unbranded one with Stock firmware) so does anyone know where I can get the Stock EE Firmware I can flash via Sony's Flashtool?
I've searched google for 2 days and all I can find it posts and discussions on the newest stock update and/or rooting neither of which I want.
Thanks in advance.
G3001 said:
I know this is counter intuitive to most on here but i want to go back to EE firmware.
I work in a Low reception office so WiFi calling had been a dream come true rather than running around the office trying to find signal. I also live in a 4G+ area which was also wonderful so I would like to get both back (broke phone and insurance have sent me an unbranded one with Stock firmware) so does anyone know where I can get the Stock EE Firmware I can flash via Sony's Flashtool?
I've searched google for 2 days and all I can find it posts and discussions on the newest stock update and/or rooting neither of which I want.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is something I am very much interested in as well, for similar reasons. I wondered if you made any progress on working out a process.
My wife (God, I LOVE that lady!) bought me, totally by surprise, the LTE version of the Tab S6 for Christmas. I thought that by putting a T-Mobile SIM in, I would be getting software updates via TMB, but I think I misapprehended that. When I look under settings > software version, I have a CSC that is XEO/XEO/, not the expected TMB and whatnot. I think that's the Polish version, but I don't really know for sure. The whole CSC code thing is not something I'm really familiar with and haven't had to deal with.
Can anyone tell me if I need to go to the TMB version and, if so, point me in the right direction? I am NOT interested in rooting this device. I played the root/ROM in the past and had a good time doing it but I am way too busy now and don't have the time nor the inclination to get involved in it again. Plus, frankly, this thing is flawless as far as I'm concerned and will only get better with the OneUI 2.1 update that's supposedly coming this way.
And one other thing....
I used to be able to designate what bands were used by my device. I have searched all over the place for instructions for this one and nothing works. Or, I haven't been able to make anything work (could be user error, I know). I am really disappointed with the reception that I get on this - it is newer and larger than my Note9 but gets much worse reception. That was NOT the case when I compared my Note4 to my Tab S2 - the S2 had MUCH better reception and I was able to use Google Voice to make calls with my Tab S2 in places where my N4 simply didn't see any service at all.
Any help is appreciated!
TIA!
I'm no expert, but a quick Google shows me XEO/XEO is indeed the Polish model and that it is unbranded - So, you'll just get regular OTA updates direct from Samsung over WIFI - It doesn't matter which SIM you're using, all T-Mobile will provide is service reception. So, no need to change CSC unless there are specific carrier services you need/want to access. The only difference I can imagine you'll experience between an XEO and something like a BTU version is that the default language offered when you set up your Tab may be Polish instead of, in this example English - Rectifying that would be as simple as selecting English from the drop down menu.
I guess worst case scenario if you don't receive updates automatically from Samsung is to download them manually and flash with Odin.
I was able to flash my XQ-BC62 (US) model with the XQ-BC42 (JP) firmware using newflasher. Everything seems to work OK except the mobile radio. The radio is completely disabled (as reported by *#*#4636#*#* status screens), not just unable to connect. The hardware is still fine since flashing back to XQ-BC62 firmware gets a signal again.
Unfortunately I need to use XQ-BC42 as the other firmware images are missing the VoLTE support for my JP carrier and it fails to provision. At best I can force it into data only mode by setting radio to LTE only. The carrier does not support 3G at all.
Extra steps I tried:
- Perform factory reset after flashing
- Swap out the files for the modem firmware from the US firmware and reflash
Has anyone had luck with this, or are there any additional steps I might need to try?
This phone keeps getting worse. I literally bought it to use in the US and Japan. Sony support said it is officially unsupported by all US telcos. No SA 5G, no VoNR, no VoWiFi. Now I hear that it doesn't work in Japan?!
I already know it's close to useless in French Polynesia despite having all the right radio bands.
You can try swapping both OEM-xxx.sin files from the XQ-BC42 firmware folder into the XQ-BC62 firmware folder and flash there XQ-BC62 firmware with that, then you should be able to get VoLTE and modem working at the same time.
If that doesn't work, there are other methods but they will require root access.
kevinmcmurtrie said:
This phone keeps getting worse. I literally bought it to use in the US and Japan. Sony support said it is officially unsupported by all US telcos. No SA 5G, no VoNR, no VoWiFi. Now I hear that it doesn't work in Japan?!
I already know it's close to useless in French Polynesia despite having all the right radio bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might you elabortate a bit on this?
So which modell? which provider? comeing form a country where all of these 5G related features are just in development this would be nice to get some further informations on this topic.
VoWiFi is highly likely a provider "problem" - as we have another thread here where these "offical support" statements are at least highly questionable, as we have multiple users here using VoWiFi.
Here is one example of an answer one got from sony
T-Mobile USA Volte and VoWifi support?
Hey XDA, is USA model XQBC62 work with T-Mobile Volte and VoWifi? PS: my old Xperia5 II wasnt able to work and returned back to Sony week later (sad)
forum.xda-developers.com
What is not working in French Polynesia?
Which carrier are you talking about? using a second sim card or use roaming capabilites? keep in mind that not all providers might allow access to all availeable networks based on there roaming contracts. just to give you a idea check these information from one of the providers over ther
https://www.vini.pf/sites/default/files/docs/liste_partenaires_vini-roaming_dec17.pdf
I took my device through several countries already not one having trouble with connectivity as long as the bands are supported and there.
On my trips to japan i head several different devices with me over the yeras, beside the xperia, not once having problems as long as the bands where supported / one is using a local sim - card.
cjmovie said:
Unfortunately I need to use XQ-BC42 as the other firmware images are missing the VoLTE support for my JP carrier and it fails to provision. At best I can force it into data only mode by setting radio to LTE only. The carrier does not support 3G at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try to get in contact with the japanese carrier asking if they are supporting VoLTE for devices from other markets?
Maybe the easiest way would to switch your carrier at all.
If you are willing to dig around more you could try something like this
5II/1&5III VoLTE patch. [Guide to release the root]
In the Xperia user group in cafe.naver.com/x1smart I'm HTCMAGE. Last year, Xperia 1II. How to activate VoLTE. After the guide version...
forum.xda-developers.com
But you will need the profiles for your vendor. One could play around and try to integrate these profiles into your XQ-BC62 Firmware and see if this would work out. But well - keep fingers crossed that you don't brick anything.
OhayouBaka said:
You can try swapping both OEM-xxx.sin files from the XQ-BC42 firmware folder into the XQ-BC62 firmware folder and flash there XQ-BC62 firmware with that, then you should be able to get VoLTE and modem working at the same time.
If that doesn't work, there are other methods but they will require root access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give this a try and report back. Thanks!
Hudrator said:
Did you try to get in contact with the japanese carrier asking if they are supporting VoLTE for devices from other markets?
Maybe the easiest way would to switch your carrier at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, they don't support overseas models. I don't know if it's ignorance around the security or an attempt to prop up their own phone sales. Both are honestly believable over here.
This is the only reasonably priced major carrier plan with unlimited international roaming included (ahamo from NTT Docomo). Not being able to use the 1 iii sucks but I'll just write the 1 iii off if it can't be fixed and continue using my JP variant 1 ii.
cjmovie said:
I'll give this a try and report back. Thanks!
No, they don't support overseas models. I don't know if it's ignorance around the security or an attempt to prop up their own phone sales. Both are honestly believable over here.
This is the only reasonably priced major carrier plan with unlimited international roaming included (ahamo from NTT Docomo). Not being able to use the 1 iii sucks but I'll just write the 1 iii off if it can't be fixed and continue using my JP variant 1 ii.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sad to hear - but just out of curiosity:
Why did you get yourself the "American" Variant? Docomo has, as well as softbank, there own supported devices. Kind of similar to TMobile US. Sounds you are spending most of the time in japan. I know that the Docomo version isn't so well supported regarding updates though ...
Hudrator said:
Might you elabortate a bit on this?
So which modell? which provider? comeing form a country where all of these 5G related features are just in development this would be nice to get some further informations on this topic.
VoWiFi is highly likely a provider "problem" - as we have another thread here where these "offical support" statements are at least highly questionable, as we have multiple users here using VoWiFi.
Here is one example of an answer one got from sony
T-Mobile USA Volte and VoWifi support?
Hey XDA, is USA model XQBC62 work with T-Mobile Volte and VoWifi? PS: my old Xperia5 II wasnt able to work and returned back to Sony week later (sad)
forum.xda-developers.com
What is not working in French Polynesia?
Which carrier are you talking about? using a second sim card or use roaming capabilites? keep in mind that not all providers might allow access to all availeable networks based on there roaming contracts. just to give you a idea check these information from one of the providers over ther
https://www.vini.pf/sites/default/files/docs/liste_partenaires_vini-roaming_dec17.pdf
I took my device through several countries already not one having trouble with connectivity as long as the bands are supported and there.
On my trips to japan i head several different devices with me over the yeras, beside the xperia, not once having problems as long as the bands where supported / one is using a local sim - card.
Did you try to get in contact with the japanese carrier asking if they are supporting VoLTE for devices from other markets?
Maybe the easiest way would to switch your carrier at all.
If you are willing to dig around more you could try something like this
5II/1&5III VoLTE patch. [Guide to release the root]
In the Xperia user group in cafe.naver.com/x1smart I'm HTCMAGE. Last year, Xperia 1II. How to activate VoLTE. After the guide version...
forum.xda-developers.com
But you will need the profiles for your vendor. One could play around and try to integrate these profiles into your XQ-BC62 Firmware and see if this would work out. But well - keep fingers crossed that you don't brick anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the US model - the same as this thread topic.
It's Sony tech support themselves that told me that there is no carrier support for the US model in the US. It was such an incredible conversation that I saved it. An excerpt:
(Adrian) said :I'm asking you this because at this moment Verizon is currently the only U.S. carrier that supports 5G on the Xperia PRO model. The 5G network service is
not currently available in the Xperia 1 III model and this is why you're getting that
issue. In this particular case we recommend you to check with your phone carrier
if there is a way for them either to provide a different network service or if there is
a work around on their system for you to use your Xperia phone with their service
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't repeat Sony's claim about 5G being in development. T-Mobile has been running SA 5G where I live for nearly 2 years. I've done side-by-side comparisons between an older phone with SA 5G and my Xperia by swapping the SIM. The XPeria has a lot of "no service" problems because it's using SA 5G channel aggregations without having SA 5G. There's another thread on this - Sony has explicitly disabled SA 5G on all US NR bands. https://cacombos.com/device/XQ-BC62
The Sony phone was unstable roaming in PF and could not see several 3G, LTE, and 5G bands that were available to it. Again, an older phone worked better. I used a much more modern coverage map than your 2017 document.
I haven't been to Japan with this my Xperia yet due to COVID restrictions, but I normally spend ~2 weeks a year there. I know my old phone works well there so I'm going to be mad if a new Xperia is stuck looking for old 3G cells that only exist in subways.
I have an XQ-BC42 that I'm using in Europe with 5G working (which isn't supported officially).
All I had to do was flash the XQ-BC42 firmware with the following 3 files replaced by their equivalents from the XQ-BC52 firmware:
* modem_X-FLASH-ALL-4BA8.sin
* modemst1_X-FLASH-ALL-4BA8.sin
* modemst1_X-FLASH-ALL-4BA8.sin
So in your case you just have to take the 3 files above from the XQ-BC42 firmware and combine them with everything else from XQ-BC62 firmware and flash that.
From what I've gathered, assuming your phone has XQ-BC62 firmware on it already, it might only be necessary to flash the XQ-BC42 modem files and nothing else, but I haven't tested this.
I'm assuming you can swap other files too but what definitely didn't work for me was the oem .sin files from another model's firmware. I don't know if there's something incompatible about the XQ-BC42 compared with other models but using non-XQ-BC42 oem .sin files disabled my radio completely.
kevinmcmurtrie said:
I have the US model - the same as this thread topic.
It's Sony tech support themselves that told me that there is no carrier support for the US model in the US. It was such an incredible conversation that I saved it. An excerpt:
Don't repeat Sony's claim about 5G being in development. T-Mobile has been running SA 5G where I live for nearly 2 years. I've done side-by-side comparisons between an older phone with SA 5G and my Xperia by swapping the SIM. The XPeria has a lot of "no service" problems because it's using SA 5G channel aggregations without having SA 5G. There's another thread on this - Sony has explicitly disabled SA 5G on all US NR bands. https://cacombos.com/device/XQ-BC62
The Sony phone was unstable roaming in PF and could not see several 3G, LTE, and 5G bands that were available to it. Again, an older phone worked better. I used a much more modern coverage map than your 2017 document.
I haven't been to Japan with this my Xperia yet due to COVID restrictions, but I normally spend ~2 weeks a year there. I know my old phone works well there so I'm going to be mad if a new Xperia is stuck looking for old 3G cells that only exist in subways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, i am not saying it is under development. The standards are there. How ever - in different regions some of the 5g is still not rolled out / will never been seen (mmWave,SA 5G - at least for private customers).
Well i read the message you quoted a bit different - and i would love to know what other carriers have to say about that.
I personally would find it completly unlogic to sell a device like the Pro, which is said in your excerpt, to have 5G support on Verizon - but then sell the 5G capable phones which have this deactivated at all.
Supported Major U.S. Carriers: Verizon (5G), T-Mobile (4G), AT&T (4G)*
*As of 9/27/2021, please consult with your network operator to ensure compatibility with their network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source:
Sony Electronics
electronics.sony.com
Might be, that t-mobile is using some more advanced features. how ever: here where i live most phones up to now don't support 5G SA, at least thats what the carriers say, as there are updates needed to make this work. So we will see here some selected phones using 5G SA - as the providers are working together with SOME of the major OEMs.
You can know ask who is responsible for supporting 5G SA or providing updates... As much as i got from t-mobile usa, they where always not really open to devices, which they don't sell directly ....
Hudrator said:
sad to hear - but just out of curiosity:
Why did you get yourself the "American" Variant? Docomo has, as well as softbank, there own supported devices. Kind of similar to TMobile US. Sounds you are spending most of the time in japan. I know that the Docomo version isn't so well supported regarding updates though ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I happened to be in the US at the time to pre-order and it wasn't clear that Sony would release an unlocked dual-SIM model for the JP market. I checked the radio bands before purchasing but all of this client provisioning stuff is new to me. Seems like all these laws were made to force carriers to unlock their phones / allow any standards compliant phone on their networks, and then they find this loophole with provisioning that requires more than just a SIM card...
OhayouBaka said:
You can try swapping both OEM-xxx.sin files from the XQ-BC42 firmware folder into the XQ-BC62 firmware folder and flash there XQ-BC62 firmware with that, then you should be able to get VoLTE and modem working at the same time.
If that doesn't work, there are other methods but they will require root access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately this didn't work. But I did learn that the radio problem isn't an issue with the firmware itself.
Immediately after flashing the mobile radio was OK and I could use it with my alternate SIM card. As soon as I inserted the JP SIM card it triggered OMA client provisioning and killed the radio. After this happened not even the US SIM card would work anymore, and any radio related configurations can no longer be changed.
My hypotheses at this point are either (a) the client provisioning step found something off with my phone and forced it to lock down (not sure if client provisioning has the authority to do this though), (b) the client provisioning is interacting with the modem firmware in a JP-specific way and the US modem firmware is borked by this.
playstation360 said:
I have an XQ-BC42 that I'm using in Europe with 5G working (which isn't supported officially).
All I had to do was flash the XQ-BC42 firmware with the following 3 files replaced by their equivalents from the XQ-BC52 firmware:
* modem_X-FLASH-ALL-4BA8.sin
* modemst1_X-FLASH-ALL-4BA8.sin
* modemst1_X-FLASH-ALL-4BA8.sin
So in your case you just have to take the 3 files above from the XQ-BC42 firmware and combine them with everything else from XQ-BC62 firmware and flash that.
From what I've gathered, assuming your phone has XQ-BC62 firmware on it already, it might only be necessary to flash the XQ-BC42 modem files and nothing else, but I haven't tested this.
I'm assuming you can swap other files too but what definitely didn't work for me was the oem .sin files from another model's firmware. I don't know if there's something incompatible about the XQ-BC42 compared with other models but using non-XQ-BC42 oem .sin files disabled my radio completely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Other than the issue after provisioning the OEM files from the JP model did work for me. If (b) is true then flashing both the oem and modem files might be a solution. I'll give that a try!
playstation360 said:
I have an XQ-BC42 that I'm using in Europe with 5G working (which isn't supported officially).
All I had to do was flash the XQ-BC42 firmware with the following 3 files replaced by their equivalents from the XQ-BC52 firmware:
* modem_X-FLASH-ALL-4BA8.sin
* modemst1_X-FLASH-ALL-4BA8.sin
* modemst1_X-FLASH-ALL-4BA8.sin
So in your case you just have to take the 3 files above from the XQ-BC42 firmware and combine them with everything else from XQ-BC62 firmware and flash that.
From what I've gathered, assuming your phone has XQ-BC62 firmware on it already, it might only be necessary to flash the XQ-BC42 modem files and nothing else, but I haven't tested this.
I'm assuming you can swap other files too but what definitely didn't work for me was the oem .sin files from another model's firmware. I don't know if there's something incompatible about the XQ-BC42 compared with other models but using non-XQ-BC42 oem .sin files disabled my radio completely.
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Click to collapse
cjmovie said:
Other than the issue after provisioning the OEM files from the JP model did work for me. If (b) is true then flashing both the oem and modem files might be a solution. I'll give that a try!
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Click to collapse
Same result, no radio after client provisioning runs and it stays borked even with the SIM card swapped out.
cjmovie said:
Same result, no radio after client provisioning runs and it stays borked even with the SIM card swapped out.
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Have you tried with only the modem files taken from the XQ-BC42 firmware? Might be worth a shot.
Also, it might be worth asking on the 5ch thread if you speak Japanese.
playstation360 said:
Have you tried with only the modem files taken from the XQ-BC42 firmware? Might be worth a shot.
Also, it might be worth asking on the 5ch thread if you speak Japanese.
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Click to collapse
I spent a few more days trying various combinations of flashing, factory resets, etc. and finally have it working. I don't know if this is the only way to achieve this, but I can share the sequence I did most recently. This was inspired by the discussions in that 5ch thread - thanks for the link!
1. Install JP variant ROM with full factory reset.
2. Install the JP SIM card and wait for provisioning to finish. The radio stops working at this point.
3. Create and flash a hybrid ROM, using the modem*.sin files from the JP variant and everything else from the original (US) variant. Do NOT factory reset.
4. Set the correct APN (sp-mode.net for ドコモ).
After this both the JP and US SIM cards are working.
@cjmovie
Congrats on this achievement! Hope you can now use your device as you wished!
Hello,
I got an Xperia 5 IV in February and I love it. However, there is a pretty significant problem with it. I am not about to use data while on a phone call and since I do not have any Wi-Fi where I live, this was pretty much a deal breaker. I even bought a second Sony Xperia 5 IV hoping that the problem was just a flawed model. I'll be returning one of the phones shortly, but having two devices has given me the benefit of being able to experiment.
My carrier is Cricket Wireless, which is an MVNO of AT&T. I knew the problem with data while on a call was not Cricket's fault, because I had used the exact same SIM card on other devices and there was no problem. I then got into flashing for the very first time and I flashed some European firmware using XperiFirm and thankfully, the problem was solved. However, I did notice that the RAM management was worse on the phone with American firmware compared to the phone with European firmware. I then remember watching a review for the Sony Xperia 5 IV on YouTube and the reviewer, who was Irish, complained about the RAM management. When I got my phone initially, I never noticed the RAM problem at all, only the data while calling problem. Because I have two Xperia 5 IVs, I was able to test and verify that indeed, the RAM management on European firmware is worse compared to American firmware.
I flashed Asian firmware onto the phone, hoping that the result would be me being able to use my Sony phone without any compromise, i.e., being able to use data while on a call and have a superb RAM experience. Strangely enough, my SIM card was not recognized. I am aware that AT&T has a whitelist, but the whitelist only includes the American model number and the service worked without a hitch on European firmware.
I am just not sure why this is the case or if there is perhaps any resolution to this problem?
Bump