Database Users

HTC Hero130 (Telus Version)

First off - I Private Messaged a couple of people about this, but realized that I should have just posted this in the forum. So, my apologies for anyone seeing this a second time.
I've been getting all sort of conflicting information about the Hero 130 (The Telus one) and which UMTS bands it supports.
Most of the information I see at places like PDADB says that it's UMTS enabled for 850/1900 only, which are the North American bands. FCC reports and the Telus user manual show testing for WCDMA (UMTS) 850/1900 only.
However, HTC's Canada Hero website (http://www.htc.com/ca/product/herotelus/specification.html) says "Dual Mode UMTS" and lists frequencies for US (850/1900), EU/Asia (900/2100) and Telstra (850/2100). Two HTC support techs from their website also confirm that the Hero 130 supports UMTS for US EU/Asia and Telstra, but it feels like they are just regurgitating information from the extremely vague website.
The device is a quad-band worldwide device. These are the bands the device is capable of using:
Europe/Asia
UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (900/2100MHz for EU/Asia)
North America
850/1900
Telestra
850/2100
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900Mhz)
If the bands you are needing are any of these then the device should work.
Kay
HTC Technical Support
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Has anyone with a HERO130 actually gone overseas and seen if you get UMTS/3G to work overseas - or has seen anything that conclusively and definitively proves if it does or does not work?
Thanks!

I'm wondering the same thing. I'd like to get the Telus one and use it here on AT&T 3g in the states... anyone know if that is possible?

The Telus version of the HTC Hero (aka HERO130 or A6265) definitely supports ATT's 3G bands. It's been confirmed via the FCC documentation as well that 850/2100 is supported. T-Mobile's 1700MHz is not supported.
My question is specifically in regards to the European/Asian (900/1900MHz) bands. HTC's confirmed that it does support by phone, but I'm still a little dubious. However, I'm ordering one and am going to give it a test!
Stay Tuned!

itpromike said:
I'm wondering the same thing. I'd like to get the Telus one and use it here on AT&T 3g in the states... anyone know if that is possible?
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Yes. It is possible. I've got the Telus Hero, unlocked and running on the Rogers network. HSDPA/3G works fine on Rogers. North American radio bands for 3G are supported with this hardware.

BlueHawk said:
Yes. It is possible. I've got the Telus Hero, unlocked and running on the Rogers network. HSDPA/3G works fine on Rogers. North American radio bands for 3G are supported with this hardware.
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Awesome! How difficult is the unlocking process?

I just thought about something. I'm used to the iPhone where you have to root your phone to unlock it for other carriers. Is the way it work with the HTC Hero and the like is that you just pay full price for the phone ($499) and it comes unlocked already? No tinkering needed?

itpromike said:
Awesome! How difficult is the unlocking process?
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The unlocking process is not painful at all, but it costs you $20-25. When you insert a non-Telus sim into the device and power it up, it will tell you that you are using the wrong sim and ask you to enter the unlock code. The unlock code is specific to the IMEI of you phone, so they can't be shared. They can be purchased on eBay for slightly more than $20.
Note that you cannot unlock your phone by flashing a custom ROM. So unless you figured out the magic formula for generating these unlocking code (different for each device and different for each carrier), you have to pay for it one way or another.

tsekh501 said:
The unlocking process is not painful at all, but it costs you $20-25. When you insert a non-Telus sim into the device and power it up, it will tell you that you are using the wrong sim and ask you to enter the unlock code. The unlock code is specific to the IMEI of you phone, so they can't be shared. They can be purchased on eBay for slightly more than $20.
Note that you cannot unlock your phone by flashing a custom ROM. So unless you figured out the magic formula for generating these unlocking code (different for each device and different for each carrier), you have to pay for it one way or another.
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So I buy the full priced ($499) phone from Telus, then I have to buy the unlock code from Ebay? Hmm... I feel leery about buying something like this from Ebay. Is there an official channel I can buy an unlock code from?

itpromike said:
So I buy the full priced ($499) phone from Telus, then I have to buy the unlock code from Ebay? Hmm... I feel leery about buying something like this from Ebay. Is there an official channel I can buy an unlock code from?
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I paid mine for the full price too, but this doesn't make the phone automatically unlocked. Telus enters an exclusive contract with HTC to be the sole carrier of this phone in Canada (at least for now), and they have every right to make sure that an average-joe, who knows nothing about unlocking, who wants this phone have to go to them, with or without contract. Exclusive dealings are extremely common in cell phone industry, and they are not free for the carrier.
I doubt Telus would unlock the phone for you. In the US, T-Mobile will unlock their phones for you a few months into the 2-year contract, may be Telus will do the same, if you signed a contract with them that is.
I just went to eBay and notice that there are now many sellers selling Telus Hero unlock code, and some are selling for as low as $13. I bought mine from a seller called cellfservices, it is not the cheapest but it worked (and it took them about an hour after the sales to send me the code).

mobileincanada.ca seems to be one that is very popular for unlocking, $20cdn, and they usually send unlock code very fast (within 5 minutes)

all right people.
I am here to bust the myth.
Telus hero does not have asian HSPA band.
I have two heros: GSM and Telus.
Tested location: Taiwan.
Telus hero with Taiwan sim card = GPRS only, no 3G connection.
GSM hero = 3G connection.
Telus hero does not have dual model 3G, period.

So which do I get for AT&T
Ok so I'd like one of these WITH 3G connection on AT&T so which one would I get to make this happen? I'm leaning toward the Telus model from what I've been reading but if anyone can confirm or deny this, that would be great. Also once I have it and it's been unlocked, then what do I tell AT&T? Just order a second line with a data plan? Won't they ask me what type of phone is this for or how should I do this?

itpromike said:
Ok so I'd like one of these WITH 3G connection on AT&T so which one would I get to make this happen? I'm leaning toward the Telus model from what I've been reading but if anyone can confirm or deny this, that would be great. Also once I have it and it's been unlocked, then what do I tell AT&T? Just order a second line with a data plan? Won't they ask me what type of phone is this for or how should I do this?
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The Telus Hero is the only current Hero model that will work with 3G/HSDPA in North America. The European Hero will only use Edge for Data - it doesn't support the North American radio bands. The Sprint model only supports CDMA.
Do you need a second line? Are you planning to run two cell phones? If not, just switch your current AT&T SIM into the Hero and get a data plan for that SIM/line.

I do plan on running a second line yes. I have an iPhone 3GS as my main phone and I am planning on using the Hero to play around with as my second phone. The hero is a decent phone and fun to flash and play around with etc... but I couldn't ever really use it as my main phone. I definitely couldn't give up my iPhone 3GS for an Android phone just yet there are still some refinements that Android as a mobile OS needs to undergo and still some refinements that HTC needs to bring to the SenseUI as well. I rely too heavily my phone and it doing what I need it to do as fast as possible. I did have the Sprint Hero for a month before I took it back, I just didn't like it... it was slow, laggy, and some of the things I wanted to do with the phone that I was just so used to doing on my iPhone either couldn't be done OR had to be done in a way that didn't make very much logical or design sense. I had a lot of those 'why can't I just press this to make it do that?' moments or 'why the heck would they put this menu under here?' moments. Anyhow with that being said, Hero and Android are still fun platforms to play with and flash and try different settings and home screens and different ROMS etc so I'm going to get another one but this time on AT&T so I can use voice and data at the same time (one of the things I hated about having the Hero on spring was the inability to use data and voice at the same time as well as how slow sprints data was compared to AT&T)... but I wouldn't want a phone that I flashed and played around with so much to be a phone I relied on for mission critical work.
So what's the best way of going about this? What type of line should I order from AT&T? What should I ask for when i call or go into the store to get another line? Any suggestions?

I just got my Telus Hero last week, and coming from a 3G iphone, this blows it away. Not sure about the 3GS as it is a faster processor..... Also better than the Tilt 2. Love it. Just waiting on Eclair to get Google Navigation and other goodies...

Broken said:
I just got my Telus Hero last week, and coming from a 3G iphone, this blows it away. Not sure about the 3GS as it is a faster processor..... Also better than the Tilt 2. Love it. Just waiting on Eclair to get Google Navigation and other goodies...
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Yeah the iPhone 3G (I have both a 3G and 3Gs) and the Hero are pretty comparable. Browsing the web (which I do a lot) is faster on the 3G but the loading of applications etc... are pretty much the same. This is stock to stock so no modding on either phone. The scrolling on the 3G is much smoother than a stock Hero. I know that there are ROMS that make the device faster which is the only reason I'm even rethinking about getting one. The 3GS however is just no contest. But I've pretty much had all the fun I can out of the iPhone; not talking about the the apps as there are so many apps to choose from and a lot of them are awesome and fun to use, but with modding the phone itself and playing around with the OS etc I've done all I can do with the iPhone and want something new to play with...

itpromike said:
So what's the best way of going about this? What type of line should I order from AT&T? What should I ask for when i call or go into the store to get another line? Any suggestions?
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Just tell them you have an existing phone so you want a new SIM and to purchase a plan for a smartphone (data and voice plan) - they can advise you on deals and packages then. The carrier should never care about the phone - it's not like they make money on it - they usually subsidize the manufacturer for a unit anyway, in a profit sharing deal. The only thing the carrier is really interested in is the data and voice carriage charges.

i would just tell them you want to add a line for regular phone with unlimited data. that way you dont have to pay extra for the smart phone data. unless of course its cheaper and you can just for like ten dollars make your smart phone data plan you have now a family unlimited

BlueHawk said:
Just tell them you have an existing phone so you want a new SIM and to purchase a plan for a smartphone (data and voice plan) - they can advise you on deals and packages then. The carrier should never care about the phone - it's not like they make money on it - they usually subsidize the manufacturer for a unit anyway, in a profit sharing deal. The only thing the carrier is really interested in is the data and voice carriage charges.
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That would not be the best option. If you are going to add a line, figure out which phone they are giving away for free they you can get the biggest profit by flipping on eBay. Most likely the Solstice.
This way you can get away with the cheaper non-smart phone data plan and get about $200 back by selling the "free" phone they give you.

Can anyone confirm if the telus hero ships with the updated faster firmware? Thanks.

Using a droid 2 in Canada?

Hey all,
My buddy managed to get his hands on a Droid 2 while at the MAX conference this week. Unfortunately for him, we are in Canada. If I were to root his phone could I just use the Telus radio frequencies that I use for my milestone on it?
Thanks!

I forget which Canuckian carriers are which, but if you have a Milestone, then Telus would be GSM and the Droid 2 won't work at all. You'd need to use one of the CDMA-based carriers to even have a chance.
Next is provisioning...all the programming for your carrier. I am not sure if the current level of unlocked-ness allows for other carriers' provisioning or not...someone with more knowledge in that arena would have to chime in, but I am leaning toward no, as I have not seen any discussion about converting a D2 to work on Sprint, etc.
And even if that works, the carrier will determine how easy it is to get going. They may activate out of network ESNs with no fuss, or more likely they will not allow it, in which case you have to go more illegal routes, that IIRC are not even allowed to be discussed on here.

FWIW, I used a Droid Incredible in BC (Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler) this summer. Worked fine, for the most part. However, I have a Verizon account and paid for their Canada roaming and international data packages. So I did not work directly with any Canadian carrier. But at the basic technical level, the phone CAN work in Canada.
Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk

Thanks guys ^^ I'll let my buddy know his phone is really just a android touch in Canada.

Hey all,
Instead of making a new thread, I figured I'd should just pull this one back since it's the same question.
I've been seeing talk about a droid 2 global. Is there now a way to make a droid 2 from the states work in canada?
Thanks

[Q] Droid Pro on Tmobile or AT&T in the USA

i have been reading and searching for over an hour now here and on several pages and do not seem to find any answer froma real proffessional.
why i cant get signal after i insterted my Tmobile Sim card in my unlocked droid pro verizon ? i even tried and insterted my co worker AT&T sim card, same results, NO NETWORK FOUND.

Verizon told Motorola to block GSM networks inside the US. There is nothing wrong with your phone, but right now AT&T isn't going to work.
Check out the Droid 2 Global forums for more info. I believe folks over there are working on a solution.

Have you had the GSM antennas unlocked? When I bought my Pro I was told that in order to actually use it in Global mode (and use the GSM antenna) you have to either take it to a verizon store or call a number for them to unlock it. The GSM antenna is disabled by default.

jonkranked said:
Have you had the GSM antennas unlocked? When I bought my Pro I was told that in order to actually use it in Global mode (and use the GSM antenna) you have to either take it to a verizon store or call a number for them to unlock it. The GSM antenna is disabled by default.
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Click to collapse
The GSM antenna is not locked by default, but the SIM card slot is. If you wanted to take the phone to Europe and buy a pre-paid SIM to use over there (instead of Verizon's SIM) then yes, you must unlock the phone.
However, entering the SIM unlock code will not help you connect to AT&T or T-Mobile, because Verizon blocked it on the radio level.

GSM antenna unlocked?
i am not trying to be Jerk, but i have been in the cell phone repair business since 2003, and never heard of that term, is that a new term?
jonkranked said:
Have you had the GSM antennas unlocked? When I bought my Pro I was told that in order to actually use it in Global mode (and use the GSM antenna) you have to either take it to a verizon store or call a number for them to unlock it. The GSM antenna is disabled by default.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

cprauctions said:
GSM antenna unlocked?
i am not trying to be Jerk, but i have been in the cell phone repair business since 2003, and never heard of that term, is that a new term?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's what i was told by a sales rep at the verizon store, so it came from a totally reliable source.
maybe I just got confused as to which was locked (sim card vs antenna)

DroidBandUnlocked - Droid Pro
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hgzndt8zBg

LMAO
jonkranked said:
that's what i was told by a sales rep at the verizon store, so it came from a totally reliable source.
maybe I just got confused as to which was locked (sim card vs antenna)
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The sales rep is a retard. Lmao.

Man, if the unlock has truly been discovered, it's going to be real tempting not to switch over to T-Mobile if Sprint lets me out of contract. I use my Droid Pro strictly as a travel phone, but if I can use it at home, too, I'd love to.

Unlocked Droid Pro for USA GSM!
This other guy on androidforums came across an unlocked DroidPro that worked with his T-Mobile Sim Card for a while until he decided to update the phone and ended up blocking his T-Mobile sim card in the end...
I kind of hope there are some other phones like that out there so I can get my hands on one of them and figure out where to look for that piece of code that blocks the phones ability to use T-mobile/AT&T networks.

I use my droid pro overseas, but travel to the us two or three times a month. It sucks to have a global phone that i can use everywhere (roaming) but not in the US. A verizon plan is simply too expensive to afford to use 4 days a month.
I would be willing to pay, donate, contribute to find a way to activate the droid pro on a prepaid at&t plan. Or even an affordable verizon daily prepaid plan. Any ideas?
Sent from my DROID PRO using XDA App

hk9090 said:
I use my droid pro overseas, but travel to the us two or three times a month. It sucks to have a global phone that i can use everywhere (roaming) but not in the US. A verizon plan is simply too expensive to afford to use 4 days a month.
I would be willing to pay, donate, contribute to find a way to activate the droid pro on a prepaid at&t plan. Or even an affordable verizon daily prepaid plan. Any ideas?
Sent from my DROID PRO using XDA App
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You could have it flashed to Page Plus. They operate on the Verizon network.

anyone know if it's successfully been done? Have an XPRT and we might be migrating from Sprint to Tmob. Would love to keep using the XPRT as backup phone or primary if it takes a while to get my hands on Milestone 3.

It won't work on T-Mobile 3G, and I don't know if this works for the XPRT, but the Pro unlock has been released.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1259550

well that's a waste. Too many damn gsm bands. Thanks for the link. Might do it anyway. If I end up selling it, it'll be more valuable if it can be used on AT&T. Think getting GSM phones from Bell Canada is the way to go for Tmob phones. Think the Milestone 3 will be in my future if we do the switch.

[Q] Should I Buy a GSM Phone?

I've been with Sprint for years and have never used a non-CDMA device. I don't want to leave Sprint, but Sprint network coverage isn't the greatest and non-existence outside of the US. Should I purchase a GSM phone as a backup for when I travel to areas I know not covered by Sprint? I'm thinking I should be able to go to a GSM provider and get some type of short-term plan, like a week or month plan. Is that naive?
I'm sure the device has something to do with it, too. What is a best device out there to give me the most flexible support from major GSM providers? I supposed one that at least support voice and SMS, but data for GPS would be good.

Yes it wouldn't hurt you could buy an unlocked gsm phone and just use pre pay sim cards with it! I sell verizon and thats what I usually recommend that to any customers that are traveling outside the country but it applies to everywhere

Unlocked GSM Phone, got it. I just need to find one that supports multi-GSM frequencies. Suggestions? Nexus One?
Prepaid SIM card, now that I'm not familiar with. Is it tied to a particular provider, such as T-mobile, O2, etc. or frequency(ies)?

werkx said:
Unlocked GSM Phone, got it. I just need to find one that supports multi-GSM frequencies. Suggestions? Nexus One?
Prepaid SIM card, now that I'm not familiar with. Is it tied to a particular provider, such as T-mobile, O2, etc. or frequency(ies)?
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All Sprint World phones are GSM capable and come unlocked. The one that comes to mind that is blocked from working in the US is the Photon, but Blackberries should work fine.

You could get a phone with both a GSM and CDMA radio. The best phone I can think of is the Motorola Droid 2 Global, which is a good phone if you like slide-out QWERTY smartphones. It's also quite cheap coming in at $320 for a brand new unlocked version.

Thelolinator said:
You could get a phone with both a GSM and CDMA radio. The best phone I can think of is the Motorola Droid 2 Global, which is a good phone if you like slide-out QWERTY smartphones. It's also quite cheap coming in at $320 for a brand new unlocked version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No because Verizon prevents the GSM radio in Droid phones from working in the US. Blackberries work though. It might be a Motorola thing, I'm not sure about the Droid Incredible 2 (HTC).

Product F(RED) said:
No because Verizon prevents the GSM radio in Droid phones from working in the US. Blackberries work though. It might be a Motorola thing, I'm not sure about the Droid Incredible 2 (HTC).
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Oh I see, that sucks! I guess no-one has bypassed it yet then.

So this would be a reason to get a BB.
Thanks all. Craigslist, here I come.

Verizon version - GSM Unlocked?

Has anyone tried to use the Verizon variant on a GSM network yet? We've gotten lucky in the past with other Verizon prepaid LTE phones working.

I don't think the XT1609 is GSM capable. It has no 3G UMTS bands enabled, though it does have the full range of GSM 2G/EDGE bands enabled.
So, pretty much unless you're in a VoLTE area, you might be out of luck for voice calls if it is unlocked. I'm not even sure if this phone does VoLTE anyway though.
Sent from my Moto G Play using XDA Labs

somebody has a moto g4 play to try the same method of moto e 2º generation ?? following the steps with Network app to get gsm capable in the phone.

moto g4 play verizon
i bought one moto g4 play verizon and their coming locked i need a imei code for unlock help me

kamelsouki said:
i bought one moto g4 play verizon and their coming locked i need a imei code for unlock help me
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did you try the "network" app and follow the same method than moto e 2° verizon?

best buy have them $64.99 at the moment hurry hurry someone please completely confirm if unlockable to work on gsm lol
http://www.android.gs/sim-unlock-verizon-moto-e-2015/
this is what you mean a possible unlock method?

mrw187 said:
best buy have them $64.99 at the moment hurry hurry someone please completely confirm if unlockable to work on gsm lol
http://www.android.gs/sim-unlock-verizon-moto-e-2015/
this is what you mean a possible unlock method?
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Click to collapse
It would probably be a waste of time and $. Someone already bought one in the other Verizon moto g4 play thread and returned it because it looked like a no go. And without unlocking the bootloader, how would you flash a custom or alternate ROM to use the bands needed for GSM (as mentioned above). That's if it's a firmware thing and not a hardware limitation. If we want an unlocked Moto G4 play, the only option looks like we're shelling out $100 to Amazon for the one with ads or $150 without ads.

ryanl2299 said:
It would probably be a waste of time and $. Someone already bought one in the other Verizon moto g4 play thread and returned it because it looked like a no go. And without unlocking the bootloader, how would you flash a custom or alternate ROM to use the bands needed for GSM (as mentioned above). That's if it's a firmware thing and not a hardware limitation. If we want an unlocked Moto G4 play, the only option looks like we're shelling out $100 to Amazon for the one with ads or $150 without ads.
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please show me in the above link where there is any mention of a needed bootloader unlock or custom rom? stop spreading your negative bs without any factual backup other than your negative assumptions

mrw187 said:
best buy have them $64.99 at the moment hurry hurry someone please completely confirm if unlockable to work on gsm lol
http://www.android.gs/sim-unlock-verizon-moto-e-2015/
this is what you mean a possible unlock method?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, i have 2 moto e 2º from verizon 4G LTE and it work completely in Movistar Mexico, but a relative bring a samsung j1 , from verizon too and it can´t be unlocked, the menu "network" is disable and if yiu try to run network app, it close..... so, i don´t know if all verizon 4G LTE can be unlocked to get gsm signal like the moto e 2 , samsung s4,etc.....

mrw187 said:
please show me in the above link where there is any mention of a needed bootloader unlock or custom rom? stop spreading your negative bs without any factual backup other than your negative assumptions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What link do you need, the link to the product page? Did you even research this phone one little bit before posting or was it a case of post now, think later? What network are you even looking to use this phone on? I'll tell you right now that several of the bands used for other networks are completely missing for this phone (can see this clear as day on any product or spec listing for this phone). Then there's the matter of this phone being carrier locked (it's not as simple as popping in a different sim anymore - Verizon changed their policy this year). People need to stop comparing this to the Moto e from last year because this clearly isn't. What else do you need to know?

ryanl2299 said:
It would probably be a waste of time and $. Someone already bought one in the other Verizon moto g4 play thread and returned it because it looked like a no go. And without unlocking the bootloader, how would you flash a custom or alternate ROM to use the bands needed for GSM (as mentioned above). That's if it's a firmware thing and not a hardware limitation. If we want an unlocked Moto G4 play, the only option looks like we're shelling out $100 to Amazon for the one with ads or $150 without ads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT: NEVER MIND. I just realized you were saying they'd need to flash a rom to enable the GSM 2G bands the phone hardware IS capable of. I thought you were trying to say you could magically enable 3g/UMTS bands that it's NOT capable of with a rom lol. Disregard the parts below about enabling bands the hardware isn't capable of, that's my misunderstanding!!
Original post:
I don't know what you're smoking bro. It most certainly IS a hardware limitation. You can't just enable bands that the antenna isn't capable of. SOME devices, very rarely, have antennae capable of more bands than are enabled in the radio firmware(NOT the Rom) but those are very few and far between.
Simply put, you can't make a 1609 into a 1607 just by flashing a new radio. If you could, then hell... I'd make every one of my old phones work with all carriers by turning on the bands they don't already have. Sadly, this is not possible.
As I said earlier in the thread, it's capable of EDGE (2g), and some of the GSM LTE bands that CDMA carriers use for data, BUT you wouldn't be able to call/text over LTE and it would fall back to EDGE for voice and sms (so no simultaneous voice and data) if you got a carrier unlock code from Verizon, but most GSM carriers are phasing out EDGE for postpaid accounts so if it's not a prepaid SIM it likely wouldn't register to the network at all for voice calling.
tl;dr unlocking the XT1609 for use on GSM carriers would be a very painful and unpleasant experience on prepaid where calls would go to voicemail when you're using data, and the SIM wouldn't register at all on a contract/postpaid account.

what about international use? is it possibly just locked in usa unlocked international for roaming?

mrw187 said:
what about international use? is it possibly just locked in usa unlocked international for roaming?
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Click to collapse
I'm afraid that you're misunderstanding the meaning of "locked" in this scenario. It's probably carrier locked to Verizon prepaid no matter where you take it, but that can be remedied very easily (it was brought to my attention last night in a different forum that there are now unlock codes for these on eBay for around $2.50, so buying an unlock code takes care of that problem). But the real issue is the bands that this phone is capable of using and what is available where you're going and what network you'll be using. I believe the bands Verizon uses are more prevalent over seas, but I'm sure you can find this out with a quick web search.

ryanl2299 said:
It would probably be a waste of time and $. Someone already bought one in the other Verizon moto g4 play thread and returned it because it looked like a no go. And without unlocking the bootloader, how would you flash a custom or alternate ROM to use the bands needed for GSM (as mentioned above). That's if it's a firmware thing and not a hardware limitation. If we want an unlocked Moto G4 play, the only option looks like we're shelling out $100 to Amazon for the one with ads or $150 without ads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ryanl2299 said:
I'm afraid that you're misunderstanding the meaning of "locked" in this scenario. It's probably carrier locked to Verizon prepaid no matter where you take it, but that can be remedied very easily (it was brought to my attention last night in a different forum that there are now unlock codes for these on eBay for around $2.50, so buying an unlock code takes care of that problem). But the real issue is the bands that this phone is capable of using and what is available where you're going and what network you'll be using. I believe the bands Verizon uses are more prevalent over seas, but I'm sure you can find this out with a quick web search.
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I see. Need to find out what 3g bands get unlocked if any because according to gsmarena the 4g bands on this model are not applicable in my country and rolling 2g only is not worth it.

agentfusion said:
EDIT: NEVER MIND. I just realized you were saying they'd need to flash a rom to enable the GSM 2G bands the phone hardware IS capable of. I thought you were trying to say you could magically enable 3g/UMTS bands that it's NOT capable of with a rom lol. Disregard the parts below about enabling bands the hardware isn't capable of, that's my misunderstanding!!
Original post:
I don't know what you're smoking bro. It most certainly IS a hardware limitation. You can't just enable bands that the antenna isn't capable of. SOME devices, very rarely, have antennae capable of more bands than are enabled in the radio firmware(NOT the Rom) but those are very few and far between.
Simply put, you can't make a 1609 into a 1607 just by flashing a new radio. If you could, then hell... I'd make every one of my old phones work with all carriers by turning on the bands they don't already have. Sadly, this is not possible.
As I said earlier in the thread, it's capable of EDGE (2g), and some of the GSM LTE bands that CDMA carriers use for data, BUT you wouldn't be able to call/text over LTE and it would fall back to EDGE for voice and sms (so no simultaneous voice and data) if you got a carrier unlock code from Verizon, but most GSM carriers are phasing out EDGE for postpaid accounts so if it's not a prepaid SIM it likely wouldn't register to the network at all for voice calling.
tl;dr unlocking the XT1609 for use on GSM carriers would be a very painful and unpleasant experience on prepaid where calls would go to voicemail when you're using data, and the SIM wouldn't register at all on a contract/postpaid account.
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Part of me says that the disabled bands is a firmware thing rather than a hardware thing since it's much cheaper for moto to make "one phone" with different programming, but it's probably just wishful thinking on my part. Either way, I'm sure Verizon locked these phones down so we'll because of the whole moto e thing last year (hordes of zombies flocked to bestbuy to buy $10 Verizon branded phones only to use them on other networks). All it took was a couple of commands in abd from what I remember (there was an ultra long thread about it at the time). Probably pissed off Verizon and I hope they lost their shirts. I'm sure that these types of phones are subsidized in some way since the unbranded ones are almost always double or more in price (especially with verizon- they usually have cheaper phones but more expensive service - great way to hook you).
And I know exactly what you're talking about with using this in stock form on gsm carriers. If you're in need of a laugh, go check out the thread for Verizon moto g4 play over on slickdeals. There was one poster who got this phone unlocked (via eBay) and was going to try to use this for VOIP with Google voice or something (data only I suppose) since he claimed to have excellent LTE in his region. I believe that he's in for an underwhelming experience and constant missed/dropped calls. I guess it might work if you stand in one spot all day. To each his own. Some people would do just about anything to save a few bucks. Here's a link and their username was TheLao :http://slickdeals.net/f/9195543-16g...ipping-free-store-pickup-best-buy-ebay?page=7

Just got off live chat with motorola with 2 different csrs neither knew anything outside of public info on what bands the xt1609 has or it truely has no 3g gsm bands.
may have to wait until someone who physically has this and can confirm what bands it has once unlocked? i tried searching for an app on store that can tell you available bands on the device but gave up after about 4-5 apps.

ryanl2299 said:
Part of me says that the disabled bands is a firmware thing rather than a hardware thing since it's much cheaper for moto to make "one phone" with different programming, but it's probably just wishful thinking on my part. Either way, I'm sure Verizon locked these phones down so we'll because of the whole moto e thing last year (hordes of zombies flocked to bestbuy to buy $10 Verizon branded phones only to use them on other networks). All it took was a couple of commands in abd from what I remember (there was an ultra long thread about it at the time). Probably pissed off Verizon and I hope they lost their shirts. I'm sure that these types of phones are subsidized in some way since the unbranded ones are almost always double or more in price (especially with verizon- they usually have cheaper phones but more expensive service - great way to hook you).
And I know exactly what you're talking about with using this in stock form on gsm carriers. If you're in need of a laugh, go check out the thread for Verizon moto g4 play over on slickdeals. There was one poster who got this phone unlocked (via eBay) and was going to try to use this for VOIP with Google voice or something (data only I suppose) since he claimed to have excellent LTE in his region. I believe that he's in for an underwhelming experience and constant missed/dropped calls. I guess it might work if you stand in one spot all day. To each his own. Some people would do just about anything to save a few bucks. Here's a link and their username was TheLao :http://slickdeals.net/f/9195543-16g...ipping-free-store-pickup-best-buy-ebay?page=7
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I'm sure in some phones it is probably just a firmware thing. I remember some of the early Kindle fire models that were on the low end were really underclocked high end models with a smaller NAND. If you rooted them and flashed a new kernel, you could enable Bluetooth and set the clock speed up to match the higher end model and all you'd be missing is some storage. In the case of the Moto g4 play, though, it's probably cheaper to just leave out the physical antenna hardware for non VZW bands than disabling them via firmware. That's likely just a matter of dropping a step from the assembly process, so it wouldn't cost them any extra... Might even save a few pennies per run. But I'd imagine on high end flagship devices where it's a different model for every carrier, it's just a firmware thing. That's probably the REAL reason some phones have locked bootloaders. Like the LG G4, the only one with bootloader unlock is the international version with all bands enabled. I bet if I COULD unlock the bootloader on my sprint LG G4, I could turn it into a GSM phone.
And LOLOLOL about that link. Dude is going to hate life. When my LG G4 was in for repair and the Moto G4 Play hadn't shipped yet, I was using a LG G Pad F7 LTE tablet with Google voice, using hangouts and hangouts dialer for sms and voice. Missed calls SO many times because it would take too long to start ringing on my end, and I'm in one of the major US markets so LTE coverage is literally everywhere.

Welp, TIFU. I bought two of the Moto g4 play at walmart... got home and found out that Verizon locks 4g phones again. Paid for an unlock, found the phone doesn't allow connecting to GSM networks, but that is because even with a GSM sim in the phone it still only connects to Verizon. With my t-mobile sim in the phone, I make a call and get the "your call is being transfered to a representative who will take your credit card info to complete this call". Leave it to verizon to only allow the phone to connect to their network even after you unlock it...

Xt1609 doesn't have connection of gsm or 2g
Hi! I bought a "Moto 4G play" of Veirzon USA (XT1609). Unfortunately, My network operator in Mexico (Telcel) hasn't compatible with the VoLTE.
The cellphone doesn't have connection of GSM or 2G only LTE 4G. I did unlocked it and use everything, photo, video, WhatsApp. The cellphone recognize my SIM Card and network carrier, but I can't make, or receive, calls.

Shrraga said:
Welp, TIFU. I bought two of the Moto g4 play at walmart... got home and found out that Verizon locks 4g phones again. Paid for an unlock, found the phone doesn't allow connecting to GSM networks, but that is because even with a GSM sim in the phone it still only connects to Verizon. With my t-mobile sim in the phone, I make a call and get the "your call is being transfered to a representative who will take your credit card info to complete this call". Leave it to verizon to only allow the phone to connect to their network even after you unlock it...
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Well, that's what the Moto E 2nd gen did out of the box as well, they removed the setting to swap CDMA/GSM in the menu, but the folks over in that part of the forum figured out that using the app "Network" from the play store, and a sequence of turning on/off airplane mode, they were able to switch it from CDMA to GSM and make it stick. Otherwise, it would keep trying to connect to Verizon just like you describe.
So it doesn't mean anything that you didn't get it to work immediately after unlocking. You probably have to force it off CDMA in a similar fashion. Bigger issue is whether or not the phone will be able to actually access the appropriate bands you'd need, whether because the hardware doesn't support it or because it is disabled in firmware. We don't really know for sure yet. But if you've come this far and have a penchant for torture but don't want to give up until you know for certain, give it a try!