Related
Hi wanna buy US998 by US.Cellular , but it has Bad Esn.
Will it work with international carrier?
Or better take LS998 with 128gb?
tNx
Neither is a particularly great option.
LS998 is intended for CDMA+some roaming in the US, and will lack a bunch of important international bands. Look up your carrier and see if all the important bands are supported.
ESN blacklisting is usually per-network, but at the very least, US carriers might be cooperating these days and sharing lists (to combat phone thieves). The phone is US Cellular, which I think roams into most carriers; chance of being universally blacklisted is even higher. I don't think there's any centralized international registry for now, but you're potentially setting yourself up for frustration down the line.
My suggestion is be patient and wait, assuming the LS998 doesn't have you covered.
Septfox said:
Neither is a particularly great option.
LS998 is intended for CDMA+some roaming in the US, and will lack a bunch of important international bands. Look up your carrier and see if all the important bands are supported.
ESN blacklisting is usually per-network, but at the very least, US carriers might be cooperating these days and sharing lists (to combat phone thieves). The phone is US Cellular, which I think roams into most carriers; chance of being universally blacklisted is even higher. I don't think there's any centralized international registry for now, but you're potentially setting yourself up for frustration down the line.
My suggestion is be patient and wait, assuming the LS998 doesn't have you covered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of them havesome of mine frequencies GSM 900/1800 and LTE Bands 3 / 7 / 20 / 38 and technically will work fine in my country.
I'm just asking about programm locking to work with anothers sim cards.
Also ESN information checking never using here...
SHAMJOB said:
Hi wanna buy US998 by US.Cellular , but it has Bad Esn.
Will it work with international carrier?
Or better take LS998 with 128gb?
tNx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All the US998 -- whether U.S. Cellular or "open market" -- are SIM card unlocked/network unlocked. US998 comes in V30 (64GB) and V30+ (128GB)
Stay away from Sprint LS998. It IS SIM card locked to Sprint. For the VS998 if it has 128GB, then that's really a V30+. Sprint also sells V30 LS998 with 64GB. Unless you are a Sprint customer, stay away from all Sprint phones. They are just a big problem and most that show up here in these forums also seem to have ESN issues, besides being SIM card locked.
Any phone with U.S. ESN issues (not paying the bill, not fulfilling contract, stolen, lost, whatever) will often work in other countries. I am not advocating that in any way, I am just giving information. The U.S. blacklist database is shard by the major U.S. carriers. Most European carriers couldn't care less. BUT if the phone is SIM card locked/network locked, that's not going away just because it's being used in another country.
+1 on staying away from the ls998 model. I bought my phone outright and they still won't unlock it. Has to be on the network for 50 days.
ChazzMatt said:
All the US998 -- whether U.S. Cellular or "open market" -- are SIM card unlocked/network unlocked. US998 comes in V30 (64GB) and V30+ (128GB)
Stay away from Sprint LS998. It IS SIM card locked to Sprint. For the VS998 if it has 128GB, then that's really a V30+. Sprint also sells V30 LS998 with 64GB. Unless you are a Sprint customer, stay away from all Sprint phones. They are just a big problem and most that show up here in these forums also seem to have ESN issues, besides being SIM card locked.
Any phone with U.S. ESN issues (not paying the bill, not fulfilling contract, stolen, lost, whatever) will often work in other countries. I am not advocating that in any way, I am just giving information. The U.S. blacklist database is shard by the major U.S. carriers. Most European carriers couldn't care less. BUT if the phone is SIM card locked/network locked, that's not going away just because it's being used in another country.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh man thanks a lot!
And what about VS996 on Verizon could you say?
It also sim unlocked yeah? It have LTE1900 (B2), LTE1800 (B3), LTE1700/2100 (B4), LTE850 (B5), LTE2600 (B7), LTE700 (B13), LTE800 (B20), LTE1700/2100 (B66) - 3 of mine bands
SHAMJOB said:
oh man thanks a lot!
And what about VS996 on Verizon could you say?
It also sim unlocked yeah? It have LTE1900 (B2), LTE1800 (B3), LTE1700/2100 (B4), LTE850 (B5), LTE2600 (B7), LTE700 (B13), LTE800 (B20), LTE1700/2100 (B66) - 3 of mine bands
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon has not been able to SIM lock/network lock their "postpaid" (contract) LTE phones since a legal agreement with the FCC in 2012. They had to agree to that to get more LTE spectrum. They are able to still lock "prepaid" phones, but the LG V30 is not a prepaid phone.
This is not a secret, it's well-publicized and has been the Verizon policy for over 5 years now (enforced by agreement with the FCC). But you will still find people who remember the how Verizon used to be and they haven't kept up with anything cell phone related in the past 5 years apparently. Or they confuse bootloader lock with SIM card/network lock.
These people will argue about this, but it's plainly written on Verizon's website. Over in the Verizon Droid Turbo forum (2014) there were lots of arguments about it and then thread after thread of "Wow, it works on AT&T!" "Wow, it works on T-mobile" -- like it was news -- even though we plainly told people Verizon LTE phones were NO LONGER SIM CARD LOCKED.
Even in 2016, we were getting new threads opened, about working with other carriers. One guy said he got the misinformation from ANOTHER website, so rushed to XDA to tell us the Verizon Droid Turbo was really SIM card unlocked and worked on AT&T. I then showed him threads from 2014 here on XDA (and even YouTube videos) clearly stating all Verizon LTE phones are SIM card unlocked, including the then-new Droid Turbo. He should have started his information search on XDA first!
Verizon LTE phones are no longer SIM card/network locked and have not been locked for 5 years.
https://www.verizon.com/about/consumer-safety/device-unlocking-policy
Postpay Device Unlocking Policy
We do not lock most phones or tablets that are activated with our postpay service, either during or after the term of your service contract or Device Payment Plan installment sales agreement.
We do not lock our 4G LTE devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier.
We do not lock our 3G devices, other than our non-iPhone 3G World Devices. The simple code to program such 3G devices for use with another carrier is either “000000” or “123456.” If the user guide for your device does not provide instructions to access the programming menu, you can contact us at *611 from your Verizon Wireless phone, or (800)922-0204, for assistance.
The SIM cards used in our non-iPhone 3G World Devices are locked. We willl unlock those SIM cards at your request.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The FCC forced them into that agreement, because Verizon really abused their position as the #1 carrier at the time.
Whereas AT&T and Sprint are still allowed to SIM card/network lock phones.
Have an opportunity to pickup a 2nd and 3rd phone for family.
The phone used to be on T-Mobile as a locked device, now unlocked.
Will it work on AT&T -- is it in fact the same as an AT&T LG V30 ?
xdafly said:
Have an opportunity to pickup a 2nd and 3rd phone for family.
The phone used to be on T-Mobile as a locked device, now unlocked.
Will it work on AT&T -- is it in fact the same as an AT&T LG V30 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The hardware may be identical but the firmware is not. Yes, it will work on AT&T. However it does not have some of the new minor AT&T bands the AT&T version has, like LTE bands 25 and 30. Seriously, you won't notice they are not there. There are no "standalone" locations where AT&T ONLY has LTE bands 25 and 30. Those are "filler" bands to help with congestion and are still being rolled out.
Just like a few years ago when LTE band 5 was first being rolled out. Back then, if you got bumped off the LTE bands 2, 4, 17 (now being called LTE band 12 by AT&T, discussed in depth in threads elsewhere), and your phone didn't have LTE band 5 in areas where it was present, you got temporarily bumped to HSPA. You STILL had carrier signal and went back to LTE as soon as possible.
The important ones are still 2, 4, 12 (Formerly called 17 by AT&T. But band 17 is a subset of the larger LTE band 12, so no need to list both. That would be like saying "includes Georgia and Atlanta." Atlanta is IN Georgia. As of early 2017, all new AT&T phones ONLY list LTE band "12", and no longer list LTE band 17.) -- and now "filler" LTE band 5 is in a lot of places. The T-mobile H932 phone has all four of those(2, 4, 5, 12/17), so yes it will work well on AT&T.
https://www.techwalls.com/lg-v30-model-number-differences/
V30 H931AT&T – USA
GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900
UMTS2100 (B1), UMTS1900 (B2), UMTS1700/2100 (B4), UMTS850 (B5), UMTS900 (B8)
LTE1900 (B2), LTE1700/2100 (B4), LTE850 (B5), LTE2600 (B7), LTE700 (B12 -- which includes band 17 ), LTE1900 (B25), LTE2300 (B30)
TD-LTE2500 (B41), LTE1700/2100 (B66)
______________
V30 H932SVT-Mobile – USA
GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900
UMTS2100 (B1), UMTS1900 (B2), UMTS1700/2100 (B4), UMTS850 (B5)
LTE2100 (B1), LTE1900 (B2), LTE1800 (B3), LTE1700/2100 (B4), LTE850 (B5), LTE2600 (B7), LTE700 (B12 --- which includes band 17), LTE800 (B20), LTE700 (B28), LTE700 (B29), LTE1700/2100 (B66), LTE600 (B71)
TD-LTE2300 (B40), TD-LTE2500 (B41)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now, the T-mobile version has a nifty menu where you can ALLEGEDLY add LTE bands. Whether this actually lets you receive those bands is still up for discussion. We tried enabling T-mobile menu with LTE band 71 for instance in the rooted US998 and no one yet has reported success.
Could you add AT&T 25 and 30? It might let you in the menu, but whether it really worked or not, you would have to tell us.
ChazzMatt said:
The hardware may be identical but the firmware is not. Yes, it will work on AT&T. However it does not have some of the minor AT&T bands the AT&T version has, like LTE bands 25 and 30. Seriously, you won't notice they are not there. There are no "standalone" locations where AT&T ONLY has LTE bands 25 and 30. Those are "filler" bands to help with congestion and are still being rolled out.
Just like a few years ago when LTE band 5 was being rolled out. If you got bumped off the LTE bands 2, 4, 17 (now being called LTE band 12 by AT&T, discussed in depth in threads elsewhere), and your phone didn't have LTE band 5, you got temporarily bumped to HSPA. You STILL had signal and went back to LTE as soon as possible.
The important ones are still 2, 4, 12 (Formerly called 17 by AT&T. But band 17 is a subset of the larger LTE band 12, so no need to list both. That would be like saying "includes Georgia and Atlanta." Atlanta is IN Georgia. All new AT&T phones ONLY list LTE band "12".) and now "filler" LTE band 5 is in a lot of places. The T-mobile phone has those, so yes it will work well on AT&T.
https://www.techwalls.com/lg-v30-model-number-differences/
Now, the T-mobile version has a nifty menu where you can ALLEGEDLY add LTE bands. Whether this actually lets you receive those bands is still up for discussion. We tried enabling T-mobile menu with LTE band 71 for instance in the rooted US998 and no one yet has reported success.
Could you add AT&T 25 and 30? It might let you in the menu, but whether it really worked or not, you would have to tell us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T is T-Mobile's domestic roaming partner in some areas. Although band 25 and band 30 aren't available where I roam on to AT&T's network (southern West Virginia). It would make sense that they should work for that reason.
LG though has gone out of their way though to limit working bands on the V30. For some reason, the DS version doesn't want to work with T-Mobile USA bands even though the bands show up in the menu. I don't personally own one but from many years of tinkering with devices. The V30 is the first device I am aware of that lists without modification bands in the engineering menu that actually don't seem to work.
For what it's worth, I have the unlocked/rooted US998 running on AT&T. I've tried to add those extra LTE bands as ChazzMatt described. Band 30 in my case is not enabled or working by default. It allows you to add them, but I haven't got them to work. So I am left wondering if it is hardware difference between the unlocked version and the official AT&T version, or simply firmware? Since LG hasn't officially made bootloader unlock available for the US market unlocked models, there aren't a lot of us to experiment with.
Let's see if I can be coherent about the following.
A previously locked AT&T V30, unlocked via email with code from AT&T.
Proceeded to take this (now unlocked) phone to Verizon. Their phone calls work fine but SMS and data does not work.
When checking the IMEI, their system says invalid IMEI.
When using an AT&T SIM, everything works.
So, unlocking a locked AT&T phone really does nothing at all -- or what is occurring here ?
xdafly said:
Let's see if I can be coherent about the following.
A previously locked AT&T V30, unlocked via email with code from AT&T.
Proceeded to take this (now unlocked) phone to Verizon. Their phone calls work fine but SMS and data does not work.
When checking the IMEI, their system says invalid IMEI.
When using an AT&T SIM, everything works.
So, unlocking a locked AT&T phone really does nothing at all -- or what is occurring here ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most GSM carrier branded phones (AT&T and T-Mobile) don't work on CDMA carrier networks (Sprint and Verizon). Or at least don't work fully. Some phones direct from vendors for the US market (such as the V30 variant US998, Pixel devices and others) work on both GSM and CDMA carriers, while others (such as OnePlus) only work on GSM networks.
In addition to network/band limitations of the phone hardware, CDMA carriers need to specifically add the phone's IMEI to their network in order to provision service. Just popping in a SIM card usually isn't enough.
I am surprised you are getting any service at all, which means your phone was probably unlocked alright, and Verizon must have added it's IMEI to their network. I would say you can try a carrier wipe (dialing ##SCRTN#) but I don't know if it will work on your phone, and you may be required to enter your MSL. So DON'T try it unless you have that.
You should be able to switch to T-Mobile, though, just with a SIM card and entering APN settings.
Edit: If you haven't already performed a Network settings reset (Settings/General/Backup & reset) I would do that first.
Edit2: Regardless of everything, I would love to hear the outcome, particularly if you perform a carrier wipe (##SCRTN#).
N4cr2k said:
For what it's worth, I have the unlocked/rooted US998 running on AT&T. I've tried to add those extra LTE bands as ChazzMatt described. Band 30 in my case is not enabled or working by default. It allows you to add them, but I haven't got them to work. So I am left wondering if it is hardware difference between the unlocked version and the official AT&T version, or simply firmware? Since LG hasn't officially made bootloader unlock available for the US market unlocked models, there aren't a lot of us to experiment with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello I have a Lg v30 with tmobile. I am the owner of the phone and have no outstanding balance with them however they refuse to allow me to unlock the phone. Is there any capacity for me to unlock it otherwise? Id rather not pay for a suspect service and obviously those who do it through a service have some kind of process to doing so and I was wondering if you could illuminate that for me.
DamienGhioldi said:
Hello I have a Lg v30 with tmobile. I am the owner of the phone and have no outstanding balance with them however they refuse to allow me to unlock the phone. Is there any capacity for me to unlock it otherwise? Id rather not pay for a suspect service and obviously those who do it through a service have some kind of process to doing so and I was wondering if you could illuminate that for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you buy the V30 from T-Mobile directly? T-Mobile only unlocks devices fully paid off by the original purchaser on the active account they purchased it on as long as they don't have a past due balance. You would use the T-Mobile Unlock app that comes preinstalled on the device to remove the SIM lock, if you meet all of those requirements. Otherwise, you are stuck using a third party unlocking service.
ANSWER BELOW.
But First... I hate it when people dig up very old threads. This thread was started (Feb 2018) back before we had root for ALL V30 and TWRP-flashable zips for most of them. Most of the information in this thread is outdated and will confuse people reading it.
Second, this thread has NOTHING to do with procedure for carrier unlocking/SIM card unlocking T-mobile H932. So, not sure why this question was asked here....
____________
DamienGhioldi said:
Hello I have a Lg v30 with tmobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is your phone a T-mobile H932? There are many LG V30 phones which will work on T-mobile. Is this specifically the T-mobile branded LG V30/V30+?
DamienGhioldi said:
Hello I have a Lg v30 with tmobile. I am the owner of the phone and have no outstanding balance with them however they refuse to allow me to unlock the phone. Is there any capacity for me to unlock it otherwise? Id rather not pay for a suspect service and obviously those who do it through a service have some kind of process to doing so and I was wondering if you could illuminate that for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can only carrier unlock/SIM card unlock the T-mobile H932 through T-mobile servers. Mostly by using the T-Mobile unlock app.
If you cannot do it that way, there are a few 3rd party providers who can spoof your T-mobile H932 to another T-mobile phone model and help you unlock it.
You have to downgrade to Nougat for this to work. They will remote into your PC, with your phone connected and do stuff. But they are still using the unlock app with T-mobile servers.
THIS DOES NOT INVOLVE ANY "CODE". If anyone tries to sell you a "code", that is a scam.
DamienGhioldi said:
Hello I have a Lg v30 with tmobile. I am the owner of the phone and have no outstanding balance with them however they refuse to allow me to unlock the phone. Is there any capacity for me to unlock it otherwise? Id rather not pay for a suspect service and obviously those who do it through a service have some kind of process to doing so and I was wondering if you could illuminate that for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just adding to the spot-on advice already provided:
In addition to the phone being paid off, the account on which it was purchased must be in good standing, AND the phone must have been active on T-Mobile for at least 40 days (postpaid) or 1 year (prepaid). See T-Mobile's complete requirements here. If you fulfill those requirements, they generally will unlock the phone.
If they either refuse to unlock it or are unable (the latter being a common occurence) you want to file an FCC complaint. It's not a very big or complex process, and it will escalate the matter to T-Mobile's Executive Office. Those guys can unlock the phone in a heartbeat, even when the rest of T-Mobile says it's impossible. I've used them, and so has others. Nice people too. But first make sure you genuinely fulfill their requirements, otherwise you're wasting their time, which I'm sure they don't appreciate.
Otherwise you have to use a 3rd party service as described by @ChazzMatt. The phone must be rooted (last I heard). Check the thread linked below (which would have been much better for this discussion).
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-v30/help/v30-h932-t3966772
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.
I currently have a S5, SM-G900V that was a pain in the ass to get it "rooted." Unfortunately, it has a lot of compatibility and phone issues: keyboard frequently crashes, OS crashes, constantly getting locked out of the SIM card so I can't listen to my voice mail on the phone, randomly lose service, most of my calls are dropped... Essentially, the only good thing so far is battery life, app comparability and texting works.
I currently looking for recommendations for a new phone to purchase in the next few months. It must be easy to root, have decent battery life and I don't want to spend more than 250. The cheaper the better... I was looking at the honor 7x/8x, anyone have experience with those?
SuperUser1010 said:
I currently have a S5, SM-G900V that was a pain in the ass to get it "rooted." Unfortunately, it has a lot of compatibility and phone issues: keyboard frequently crashes, OS crashes, constantly getting locked out of the SIM card so I can't listen to my voice mail on the phone, randomly lose service, most of my calls are dropped... Essentially, the only good thing so far is battery life, app comparability and texting works.
I currently looking for recommendations for a new phone to purchase in the next few months. It must be easy to root, have decent battery life and I don't want to spend more than 250. The cheaper the better... I was looking at the honor 7x/8x, anyone have experience with those?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All LG V30/V30+/V30S can be bootloader unlocked and rooted. While doing so, you can also convert many to another model. For instance, commonly can buy a Sprint LS998 V30+ (128GB), easily bootloader unlock, install TWRP, root as carrier unlocked open market US998 V30+. This can be used on any carrier.
Or buy US998 V30+ (but it's probably LS998 V30+ already converted)
$250 on eBay for new or "mint" condition.
There's also European/Middle East/Pacific variants if you need slightly different bands. EVERY V30/V30+/V30S can be bootloader unlocked and rooted.
LG V30/V30+
* 1440P OLED (537 ppi)
* Qi wireless charging
* 3.5mm headset jack
* Quad DAC
* DTS 3D stereo
* IP68 dust/water resistance
* rear camera OIS on normal lens - plus 120 degree wide angle lens
* superfast fingerprint sensor
* 64GB (V30) or 128GB (V30+) internal storage
* microSD port for additional storage
* bootloader unlock and root
* no notch
* fantastic battery
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
Sent via open market LG US998 V30/V30+
I'm in complete agreement with ChazzMatt... The root method on this phone is one of the easiest I've ever used.... Plus, with his guide and assistance (along with many others in the V30 community) is unsurpassed IMO =)
Sent from my stock rooted LG-H933 V30
Huawei?
hiitsrudd said:
Huawei?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gesundheit.
See specs above. See easy root capabilities requirement.
No Huawei or almost any other phone matches all hardware specs/premium features of the LG V30/V30+/V30S. Only Samsung Galaxy flagships do, and then you run into the easy root problem.
ChazzMatt said:
All LG V30/V30+/V30S can be bootloader unlocked and rooted. While doing so, you can also convert many to another model. For instance, commonly can buy a Sprint LS998 V30+ (128GB), easily bootloader unlock, install TWRP, root as carrier unlocked open market US998 V30+. This can be used on any carrier.
Or buy US998 V30+ (but it's probably LS998 V30+ already converted)
$250 on eBay for new or "mint" condition.
There's also European/Middle East/Pacific variants if you need slightly different bands. EVERY V30/V30+/V30S can be bootloader unlocked and rooted.
Sent via open market LG US998 V30/V30+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is the purpose or benefit of converting to another model? Like, what is the difference between a US998 and LS998? Also, what's your opinion on buying open box/renew/used? What should I be looking for if buying any of those?
SuperUser1010 said:
What is the purpose or benefit of converting to another model? Like, what is the difference between a US998 and LS998? Also, what's your opinion on buying open box/renew/used? What should I be looking for if buying any of those?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
US998 is carrier unlocked. Converting Sprint LS998 to a carrier unlocked variant is the only way to carrier unlock the phone.
Also of the North America V30, only US998 has fastboot flash commands to bootloader unlock, install TWRP and root. So you have to temporarily convert to US998 anyway. After bootloader unlock and root, you can flash TWRP-FLASHABLE zip (ROM) based on STOCK KDZ to convert back to carrier firmware if you wish.
However many still stay on US998 as it's the official carrier unlocked V30 North America firmware.
Sent via open market LG US998 V30/V30+
ChazzMatt said:
US998 is carrier unlocked. Converting Sprint LS998 to a carrier unlocked variant is the only way to carrier unlock the phone.
Also of the North America V30, only US998 has fastboot flash commands to bootloader unlock, Install TWRP and root. So you have to temporarily convert to US998 anyway. After bootloader unlock and root, you can flash TWRP-FLASHABLE zip (ROM) based on STOCK KDZ to convert back to carrier firmware if you wish.
However many still stay on US998 as it's the official carrier unlocked V30 North America firmware.
Sent via open market LG US998 V30/V30+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So essentially it sounds like find whatever is cheapest except that H932 model. Do you have any experience or knowledge on purchasing second hand? It seems like renewed is the store's version of "certified used." What about renewed vs used/open box?
SuperUser1010 said:
So essentially it sounds like find whatever is cheapest except that H932 model. Do you have any experience or knowledge on purchasing second hand? It seems like renewed is the store's version of "certified used." What about renewed vs used/open box?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Something like this, 9/10 used - practically mint. $185.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/173665613177
You want V30+ (128GB) if possible.
---
ChazzMatt said:
Something like this, 9/10 used - practically mint. $185.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/173665613177
You want V30+ (128GB) if possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before I buy the phone. One thing I'm not understanding, the phone works with all carriers, correct? When I had my Galaxy S3, it was on the CDMA (sprint network) and wouldn't work with GSM network carriers. I have a Galaxy S5 now with a sim card, it is supposed to work with GSM carriers but not CDMA. If I wanted this phone to work on CDMA network, do I just not put in a sim card and it should work with sprint network? And if I wanted to go to t-mobile network, I just add a sim card to go to their network? Also, should the phone be coming with an IMEI and a MEID # to confirm it works with each carrier?
SuperUser1010 said:
Before I buy the phone. One thing I'm not understanding, the phone works with all carriers, correct? When I had my Galaxy S3, it was on the CDMA (sprint network) and wouldn't work with GSM network carriers. I have a Galaxy S5 now with a sim card, it is supposed to work with GSM carriers but not CDMA. If I wanted this phone to work on CDMA network, do I just not put in a sim card and it should work with sprint network? And if I wanted to go to t-mobile network, I just add a sim card to go to their network? Also, should the phone be coming with an IMEI and a MEID # to confirm it works with each carrier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The US998 has all the bands (GSM, CDMA, HSPA, LTE) to work with all North American carriers. It's the official carrier unlocked model for North America.
And what you described SHOULD happen, except Sprint demands you buy their locked down Sprint V30 LS998 to use on Sprint instead of the carrier unlocked US998. Sprint will not authorize any other LG V30 on their network except Sprint-branded LS998.
But others use US998 on T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, their MVNOs, Canadian carriers, etc. Blame Sprint.
Sent via open market LG US998 V30/V30+
I'm looking to buy one of these soon. I am on tmobile/metropcs so I would need the H932 or the US998. I do plan on rooting and most likely would prefer to unlock bootloader. I know the H932 doesn't play nicely with the other variants but I'm confident I could get it rooted and everything. I also saw that the v30 has band 77, which tmobile has been rolling out, and the v30+ doesn't.
My question to you who already own these devices is, do you recommend just getting the v30 or are there any advantages to possibly spending a bit more on the v30+?
Thanks for your opinions.
sirganon said:
I'm looking to buy one of these soon. I am on tmobile/metropcs so I would need the H932 or the US998. I do plan on rooting and most likely would prefer to unlock bootloader. I know the H932 doesn't play nicely with the other variants but I'm confident I could get it rooted and everything. I also saw that the v30 has band 77, which tmobile has been rolling out, and the v30+ doesn't.
My question to you who already own these devices is, do you recommend just getting the v30 or are there any advantages to possibly spending a bit more on the v30+?
Thanks for your opinions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I know (and gathered when doing my own research before buying) the V30+ only has the additional storage over the base v30.
Everything else about the phone (as far as I'm aware) is identical. I don't see why the V30+ would be missing a band, especially one the base v30 has.
Redline said:
From what I know (and gathered when doing my own research before buying) the V30+ only has the additional storage over the base v30.
Everything else about the phone (as far as I'm aware) is identical. I don't see why the V30+ would be missing a band, especially one the base v30 has.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sites like gsmarena and frequency check don't list band 77 for the v30+ so I'm just going off of sites like that. I do realise the internal storage is the main difference when comparing the two versions but I wasn't sure if ease of rooting or some other variables may be present to help sway your (and my) decision.
sirganon said:
Sites like gsmarena and frequency check don't list band 77 for the v30+ so I'm just going off of sites like that. I do realise the internal storage is the main difference when comparing the two versions but I wasn't sure if ease of rooting or some other variables may be present to help sway your (and my) decision.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd be on the safe side of assuming you won't miss anything over the base v30.
Ease of rooting is just the same.
sirganon said:
I'm looking to buy one of these soon. I am on tmobile/metropcs so I would need the H932 or the US998. I do plan on rooting and most likely would prefer to unlock bootloader. I know the H932 doesn't play nicely with the other variants but I'm confident I could get it rooted and everything. I also saw that the v30 has band 77, which tmobile has been rolling out, and the v30+ doesn't.
My question to you who already own these devices is, do you recommend just getting the v30 or are there any advantages to possibly spending a bit more on the v30+?
Thanks for your opinions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sirganon said:
Sites like gsmarena and frequency check don't list band 77 for the v30+ so I'm just going off of sites like that. I do realise the internal storage is the main difference when comparing the two versions but I wasn't sure if ease of rooting or some other variables may be present to help sway your (and my) decision.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two corrections:
* It's LTE band 71 U.S. T-mobile has, not 77.
* In many cases the V30+ is about the same price as the H932 V30, if you are talking about North America variants. That LS998 V30+ (easily converted to US998 V30+) is actually $20 less than the H932 V30. Yes, that's "manufacturer refurbished" vs "new" but my experience with prices on these is the V30+ does not really cost more on sites like eBay.
You are right that only the U.S. T-Mobile H932 has LTE band 71. No other V30/V30+/V30S variant in the world have that band, as only U.S. T-Mobile needs it (or needed it when the V30 was released). It was brand new at the time the V30 was being introduced (late 2017) and U.S. T-Mobile made a big deal how it was exclusive to the their carrier-branded H932. H932 was the first phone in the world to have the new U.S. T-Mobile LTE band 71 and still is the only V30/V30+/V30S to have that band. (Some early tweets from U.S. T-mobile made us believe the open market US998 V30/V30+ would have it also... but alas it didn't. If you dig deep enough, you may see posts hoping that was true or that it could be enabled with root.)
Having said that, most phones being used on U.S. T-Mobile network still do not have LTE band 71 (pre-2018 phones), and there are many US998 V30/V30+/V30S users in this forum who are on U.S. T-Mobile or U.S. T-Mobile MVNOs.
U.S. T-Mobile actually did sell a 128GB V30+ H932 (with LTE band 71, of course) for a LIMITED time, in addition to their 64GB V30. It was a marketing promotion a couple of months after the V30 H932 was released. Then it went away. Some of these H932 V30+ might pop up on eBay, but would only be a few. Or here for allegedly new in box H932 V30+.
Yes, the H932 seems a little harder to root than the other variants. (My opinion.) You can't use the WTF method, since the H932 doesn't have fastboot flash commands and you can't convert it (even temporarily) to a variant which has fastboot flash commands. So, you have to use the other method developed for the H932. But it can be done and has been done by many. If you do use T-Mobile, then that might be what you're most happy with.
When buying an H932 for U.S. T-mobile, make sure it's H932SV. There's also an H932PR for Claro carrier in Puerto Rico and that variant does NOT have LTE band 71 for U.S. T-mobile. I'm only mentioning it because it IS out there and you may run across it on eBay. If you want LTE band 71, you want the H932SV. (For those who do have the Claro/Puerto Rico H932PR, it can be rooted through WTF and Frankenstein converted to other North American models, while the U.S. T-mobile H932SV can not.)
__________
This next part is not just about the H932, but all V30/V30+/V30S....
Different V30/V30+ variants for various carriers/world regions have different bands. For instances, there are bands the North American V30/V30+ variants have which the H930 (V30)/H930G (V30+) or H930D (V30)/H930DS (V30+) does not. H930/H930G doesn't have LTE band 2 and the H930D/H930DS doesn't have LTE band 2 nor LTE band 4. You wouldn't want to buy an H930/H930G or H930D/H930DS to use in U.S. or Canada. Some of the Korean variants are also missing necessary bands for North America.
Even among the North American variants, there are bands the AT&T H931 or Sprint LS998 has which the US998 does not have. In most cases you can convert (Frankenstein) one variant to another to get those bands (if you really need them) -- either before or after root -- but with the T-mobile H932 you cannot do that, as it has different RSA encryption from all the other variants.
But the only hardware difference between V30/V30+ is extra internal memory -- 64GB vs 128GB. Unlike other OEMs (like Samsung), where + denotes larger physical size, with LG the + on the V30 series is only more internal memory. (The V30+ models also came with LG-branded or B&O-branded earbuds of questionable value. They don't even trigger HIM. You are better off with these or these, which have the necessary impendent to trigger HIM on quad DAC.)
However, there is a US998 V30S (released in early 2018), which has 128GB internal memory with 6GB RAM. The V30S is basically a "V30+" with more RAM. The official model number is US998R (for more RAM).
Sent via open market LG US998 V30/V30+
ChazzMatt said:
Two corrections:
* It's LTE band 71 U.S. T-mobile has, not 77.
* In many cases the V30+ is about the same price as the H932 V30, if you are talking about North America variants. That LS998 V30+ (easily converted to US998 V30+) is actually $20 less than the H932 V30. Yes, that's "manufacturer refurbished" vs "new" but my experience with prices on these is the V30+ does not really cost more on sites like eBay.
You are right that only the U.S. T-Mobile H932 has LTE band 71. No other V30/V30+/V30S variant in the world have that band, as only U.S. T-Mobile needs it (or needed it when the V30 was released). It was brand new at the time the V30 was being introduced (late 2017) and U.S. T-Mobile made a big deal how it was exclusive to the their carrier-branded H932. H932 was the first phone in the world to have the new U.S. T-Mobile LTE band 71 and still is the only V30/V30+/V30S to have that band. (Some early tweets from U.S. T-mobile made us believe the open market US998 V30/V30+ would have it also... but alas it didn't. If you dig deep enough, you may see posts hoping that was true or that it could be enabled with root.)
Having said that, most phones being used on U.S. T-Mobile network still do not have LTE band 71 (pre-2018 phones), and there are many US998 V30/V30+/V30S users in this forum who are on U.S. T-Mobile or U.S. T-Mobile MVNOs.
U.S. T-Mobile actually did sell a 128GB V30+ H932 (with LTE band 71, of course) for a LIMITED time, in addition to their 64GB V30. It was a marketing promotion a couple of months after the V30 H932 was released. Then it went away. Some of these H932 V30+ might pop up on eBay, but would only be a few. Or here for allegedly new in box H932 V30+.
Yes, the H932 seems a little harder to root than the other variants. (My opinion.) You can't use the WTF method, since the H932 doesn't have fastboot flash commands and you can't convert it (even temporarily) to a variant which has fastboot flash commands. So, you have to use the other method developed for the H932. But it can be done and has been done by many. If you do use T-Mobile, then that might be what you're most happy with.
When buying an H932 for U.S. T-mobile, make sure it's H932SV. There's also an H932PR for Claro carrier in Puerto Rico and that variant does NOT have LTE band 71 for U.S. T-mobile. I'm only mentioning it because it IS out there and you may run across it on eBay. If you want LTE band 71, you want the H932SV. (For those who do have the Claro/Puerto Rico H932PR, it can be rooted through WTF and Frankenstein converted to other North American models, while the U.S. T-mobile H932SV can not.)
__________
This next part is not just about the H932, but all V30/V30+/V30S....
Different V30/V30+ variants for various carriers/world regions have different bands. For instances, there are bands the North American V30/V30+ variants have which the H930 (V30)/H930G (V30+) or H930D (V30)/H930DS (V30+) does not. H930/H930G doesn't have LTE band 2 and the H930D/H930DS doesn't have LTE band 2 nor LTE band 4. You wouldn't want to buy an H930/H930G or H930D/H930DS to use in U.S. or Canada. Some of the Korean variants are also missing necessary bands for North America.
Even among the North American variants, there are bands the AT&T H931 or Sprint LS998 has which the US998 does not have. In most cases you can convert (Frankenstein) one variant to another to get those bands (if you really need them) -- either before or after root -- but with the T-mobile H932 you cannot do that, as it has different RSA encryption from all the other variants.
But the only hardware difference between V30/V30+ is extra internal memory -- 64GB vs 128GB. Unlike other OEMs (like Samsung), where + denotes larger physical size, with LG the + on the V30 series is only more internal memory. (The V30+ models also came with LG-branded or B&O-branded earbuds of questionable value. They don't even trigger HIM. You are better off with these or these, which have the necessary impendent to trigger HIM on quad DAC.)
However, there is a US998 V30S (released in early 2018), which has 128GB internal memory with 6GB RAM. The V30S is basically a "V30+" with more RAM. The official model number is US998R (for more RAM).
Sent via open market LG US998 V30/V30+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all this info! I did mean band 71. It was late when writing my previous posts so I was thinking 61 & 77 instead of 66 & 71.
I'll read through this a few times to make sure I fully understand the differences of the variants and make my decision after that. Greatly appreciated!
I have a T-Mobile V30+. The only difference from the V30 is 128GB internal storage and black color backing. The V30 has a silver colored back. I live in Southern California and I haven't been able to get band 71 reception in the rural areas outside Los Angeles and San Diego. I also didn't get Band 71 reception when I went visited the outskirts of Portland, Oregon and San Francisco/Sacramento. Band 71 is meant for very rural areas, so having it may be a moot point based on your location.
Buy a Sim unlocked att v35 off ebay. When cross flashed to the Google Fi variant, the secret menu lists band 71. Im on a us998 conversion v30 with TMobile and migrating to the v35 for SD845 with 6 gigs of ram, slightly better cameras and band 71 is well worth it. They are going for ~300usd. @runningnak3d just got one and is hot on the bootloader unlock trail.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-v35/how-to/bring-to-speed-trying-to-root-t3909527
Edit: Also band 71 isn't just for rural locations. TMobile invested almost 8 billion dollars in the spectrum the other year and will be rolling it out nation wide. I'm in NorCal and the reason it's not in California yet is because the TV stations that currently occupy the bandwidth that TMobile will refarm are scheduled later than other areas to shut down. It's scheduled here for q2 2019. I think LA is still a year or two out though. Point is TMobile didn't invest that kind of cheese to only help people in the sticks out.
bacon612 said:
Buy a Sim unlocked att v35 off ebay. When cross flashed to the Google Fi variant, the secret menu lists band 71. Im on a us998 conversion v30 with TMobile and migrating to the v35 for SD845, slightly better cameras and band 71 is well worth it. They are going for ~300usd. @runningnak3d just got one and is hot on the bootloader unlock trail.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-v35/how-to/bring-to-speed-trying-to-root-t3909527
Edit: Also band 71 isn't just for rural locations. TMobile invested almost 8 billion dollars in the spectrum the other year and will be rolling it out nation wide. I'm in NorCal and the reason it's not in California yet is because the TV stations that currently occupy the bandwidth that TMobile will refarm are scheduled later than other areas to shut down. It's scheduled here for q2 2019. I think LA is still a year or two out though. Point is TMobile didn't invest that kind of cheese to only help people in the sticks out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll definitely take a look at this one when I can, thanks!
bacon612 said:
Im on a us998 conversion v30 with TMobile and migrating to the v35 for SD845 with 6 gigs of ram, slightly better cameras.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking of doing the same thing, but the wide angle lens on the V35 (107°) is narrower than the V30 (120°). That's a deal breaker for me even with the SD845 and 6GB RAM. If my V30 was destroyed, then I might consider the V35. Not worth the investment if not necessary. The V40's wide lens is also 107°. LG has been reducing the wide angle lens since the V20/G5, which had 135°. The Galaxy S10's wide angle is 123°.
The camera is a bummer, yes. But with the sale of my V30+ an investment of ~$100 makes my decision a no brainier. I can't believe how dramatically these devices drop in value in less than a year. I paid $325 in May 2018 for my v30+ in 9/10 shape. $290 last week for the v35 and it's flawless.
Edit: for the OP. The extra cash for the v35 is also a smart move. The v35 shipped with Oreo 8 making it a better candidate for treble roms out of the gate. The newer SOC with the bonus ram gives you at least another year of use where the v30 will fall away.
Sent from my LG-US998 using Tapatalk
Interesting thread...
My 2 cents:
1) the 64 vs 128 doesn't mean much to me (very low on the list of priorities) - especially with an sd card slot.
2) T-Mo band 71. That's pretty big. I think T-Mo is going to really improve it's status with that band, *But*, it's going
to be some time before it's completely rolled out... and it's at least somewhat questionable how much of an effect
it would have **for you**. Lots of factors involved; are you in buildings a lot that the 600 MHz will benefit you? Are
you *outside* of the range of normal (already existing) bands? etc
I'd have to put this feature in a 'nice to have' category, but no way is it a necessity - nor a deal breaker.
3) Is the model easily Frankenstein-ed? While *in the future* a device might be unlocked... it might not also.
If a phone has the ability to be unlocked now, and it's a good / great device... I say ya gotta go with those
criteria. If I like the device / size / cameras / design / etc - then this aspect is at the top of my list.
I have a 931 converted to US998, very happy with it. The cameras are awesome. The quad dac blows yer hair
back. I'm on T-Mo with an old pay-as-you go plan and also just signed on with Mint Mobile (uses T-mo towers). There's
no issues to speak of re calls / text / data. Everything works fine.
I'm actually so happy with the V30 and the ability to mod it ... I bought another one.
A brand new one, should arrive soon.
Good luck with your decision. Maybe this info helps a little when making up your mind, maybe not!
Cheers
ChazzMatt said:
Having said that, most phones being used on U.S. T-Mobile network still do not have LTE band 71 (pre-2018 phones), and there are many US998 V30/V30+/V30S users in this forum who are on U.S. T-Mobile or U.S. T-Mobile MVNOs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AsItLies said:
Interesting thread...
My 2 cents:
1) the 64 vs 128 doesn't mean much to me (very low on the list of priorities) - especially with an sd card slot.
2) T-Mo band 71. That's pretty big. I think T-Mo is going to really improve it's status with that band, *But*, it's going
to be some time before it's completely rolled out... and it's at least somewhat questionable how much of an effect
it would have **for you**. Lots of factors involved; are you in buildings a lot that the 600 MHz will benefit you? Are
you *outside* of the range of normal (already existing) bands? etc
I'd have to put this feature in a 'nice to have' category, but no way is it a necessity - nor a deal breaker.
3) Is the model easily Frankenstein-ed? While *in the future* a device might be unlocked... it might not also.
If a phone has the ability to be unlocked now, and it's a good / great device... I say ya gotta go with those
criteria. If I like the device / size / cameras / design / etc - then this aspect is at the top of my list.
I have a 931 converted to US998, very happy with it. The cameras are awesome. The quad dac blows yer hair
back. I'm on T-Mo with an old pay-as-you go plan and also just signed on with Mint Mobile (uses T-mo towers). There's
no issues to speak of re calls / text / data. Everything works fine.
I'm actually so happy with the V30 and the ability to mod it ... I bought another one.
A brand new one, should arrive soon.
Good luck with your decision. Maybe this info helps a little when making up your mind, maybe not!
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is a great phone.
Thanks, you confirmed what I said about T-mobile on US998.
The new DTS is fantastic.
AsItLies said:
Interesting thread...
My 2 cents:
3) Is the model easily Frankenstein-ed? While *in the future* a device might be unlocked... it might not also.
If a phone has the ability to be unlocked now, and it's a good / great device... I say ya gotta go with those
criteria. If I like the device / size / cameras / design / etc - then this aspect is at the top of my list.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it can currently be cross flashed with ease. Most are opting for the Google Fi crossflash as it removes all of the att bloat and allows things like wifi calling to be used. Or even use as a fully functioning Google Fi phone (switching networks between Sprint, TMobile and us cellular.)
Regarding the bootloader unlock for root and roms, I am 99% certain we will see that in the next month.
bacon612 said:
So it can currently be cross flashed with ease. Most are opting for the Google Fi crossflash as it removes all of the att bloat and allows things like wifi calling to be used. Or even use as a fully functioning Google Fi phone (switching networks between Sprint, TMobile and us cellular.)
Regarding the bootloader unlock for root and roms, I am 99% certain we will see that in the next month.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does crossflashing these other V35 firmware carrier unlock the V35 from AT&T, like crossflashing H931 with US998?
I"m mostly asking because months ago I recommended crossflashing AT&T V35 firmware with other V35 and I was told it couldn't be done. And that I was stupid for suggesting it.
The phone has to be carrier unlocked as far as things go now. In the future, it may be different. It was explained to me that the partition where the Sim lock exists, does not get touched when you flash the kdz in lgup. Some are having issues getting their att phones unlocked but there are lots of already unlocked phones on eBay. YMMV
Sent from my LG-US998 using Tapatalk
bacon612 said:
So it can currently be cross flashed with ease. Most are opting for the Google Fi crossflash as it removes all of the att bloat and allows things like wifi calling to be used. Or even use as a fully functioning Google Fi phone (switching networks between Sprint, TMobile and us cellular.)
Regarding the bootloader unlock for root and roms, I am 99% certain we will see that in the next month.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congratulations! Personally, I don't use Google Fi, but more power to those that do.
We all have our individual needs / wants. Mine are satisfied with the V30. Hope yours are too - with whatever device you have.
AsItLies said:
Congratulations! Personally, I don't use Google Fi, but more power to those that do.
We all have our individual needs / wants. Mine are satisfied with the V30. Hope yours are too - with whatever device you have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine are satisfied with LG V30/V30+ for now. I have 10 friends/family members who own one, thanks to me touting them. Of them, only mine is rooted as with my job I don't have time even to flash updates (TWRP-flashable zips) for friends anymore. But every V30/V30+/V30S in the world CAN be bootloader unlocked and rooted.
ChazzMatt said:
Mine are satisfied with LG V30/V30+ for now. I have 10 friends/family members who own one, thanks to me touting them. Of them, only mine is rooted as with my job I don't have time even to flash updates (TWRP-flashable zips) for friends anymore. But every V30/V30+/V30S in the world CAN be bootloader unlocked and rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly Matt. And that's a pretty unusual situation in my experience; a phone with a great design, processor, VERY good cameras (wide in front AND back is NOT common), quad dac (all models), p-oled hi-res screen, etc.
AND at a very affordable price, now anyway.
There really isn't anything comparable right now, AND there MAY NOT be for some time to come. Sure, there are other phones, pixel, oneplus, etc. But they are not in the same price range, not sure which if any have quad dac, none have wide angle lens (back also), etc. And many others of course, but unable to unlock bootloader.
I feel lucky. It was fortunate to be reading Android A on the day they had an article indicating the V30, great phone, was now available at great prices on ebay. After reading your WTF thread... boom! I was an owner within a few hours. It is not a common situation imho. Get em while they last
Something else for the OP. The v30 front facing camera left something to be desired. The two phones I had before (htc 10 and 9) had significantly better front facing cameras. I think to maintain the thin bezels on the 30 the sensor was compromised. They used a much better sensor on the v35. For me, getting a decent image in varied lighting conditions when video chatting was problematic and almost embarrassing at times. I've read this in reviews a few times as well. If a good front facing camera is an issue for you, it may be something to consider