Database Users

[Q] Most "Rom flashing" friendly Galaxy S$

Hi everyone, I currently own a Xperia Z1 (a fantastic phone by the way) but since it is bootloader locked there aren't many things to do with it, so
I, being the flashaholic that I am, decided to trade it for a galaxy S4 so I started searching here in my country (The Dominican Republic) for somebody to trade it with, but I need know two things:
-First: my carrier uses the 900Mhz band for 3g (As I understand only the international/sprint and verizon support that frecuency)
could somebody confirm if the T-mobile one also works on 900mhz (Carrier Orange Dominicana).
-Second: I would like to know what is the most "hack" friendly of all of the S4 Variants, I mean as close to a nexus devices as possible.
I believe the i9500 (international) to be the the one i'm looking for, but that version is getting a bit harder to get here, and I've heard bad things about the bootloader of the verizon version,(how bad it actually is?) so if I have to choose one of the carrier's version, considering the two things above, which one should a go for?
thanks for reading this.

Im in the Caribbean and my carriers 3g band is 850. The most hack friendly is definitely the i9505 (snapdragon version) which is what I have and it supports the 900 3g band. So there you go get the i9505, it has LTE as well you never know when it may come to your country.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

jamboss said:
Im in the Caribbean and my carriers 3g band is 850. The most hack friendly is definitely the i9505 (snapdragon version) which is what I have and it supports the 900 3g band. So there you go get the i9505, it has LTE as well you never know when it may come to your country.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for replying, the i9505 looks like an excellent choice, but then again is rather difficult to get an international here, Most sellers / owners willing to sell/trade have either the verizon or sprint version (a few others have the T-Mobile one) so if I were to choose between the verizon's or Sprint's, which one would be the wisest choice? (I know that both support the 900mhz 3g frecuency) I heard both aren't too open to mods (Locked Bootloaders, self sim locking, etc.... )

Out of the blue this website/forum posted this exact post made by me. Is this even legal? seems like they are stealing XDA threads info and posting thm as their own
http://www.usoftphone.com/t187961.html

[Q] So confused with all the variants

Hi, I've been a S4 user and a very intrigued reader on this website. XDA has taught me many great things about my Sprint S4. I'm now ready to make the leap to the Note 4 and I'm so confused with all of the different models available.
Here's what I want the phone to do:
- I live in the US, and I would like to set up the phone on the Straight Talk or AT&T network and I obviously want to take advantage of the fastest speeds Straight Talk/AT&T offers.
- I am traveling to England in the Summer for a month and I would like the phone to work on one of their networks. (I would like to have 4G, but if 3G is the only compatible band than that's fine, as long as I'm getting some sort of data).
- I travel to Canada on a monthly basis and I would like my Note 4 to be able to run on the Rogers Network and utilize the fast speeds Rogers offers.
Basically, which Note 4 model will satisfy my needs? I just want to take advantage of the fastest bands available in these places. I've been leaning towards the N910H because my understanding is that it is compatible with all of my above requirements. Is this true? If not, which model should I be look at?
Thank you!

stevenrp said:
Hi, I've been a S4 user and a very intrigued reader on this website. XDA has taught me many great things about my Sprint S4. I'm now ready to make the leap to the Note 4 and I'm so confused with all of the different models available.
Here's what I want the phone to do:
- I live in the US, and I would like to set up the phone on the Straight Talk or AT&T network and I obviously want to take advantage of the fastest speeds Straight Talk/AT&T offers.
- I am traveling to England in the Summer for a month and I would like the phone to work on one of their networks. (I would like to have 4G, but if 3G is the only compatible band than that's fine, as long as I'm getting some sort of data).
- I travel to Canada on a monthly basis and I would like my Note 4 to be able to run on the Rogers Network and utilize the fast speeds Rogers offers.
Basically, which Note 4 model will satisfy my needs? I just want to take advantage of the fastest bands available in these places. I've been leaning towards the N910H because my understanding is that it is compatible with all of my above requirements. Is this true? If not, which model should I be look at?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't say for certain about Rogers Canada, but the US T-mobile variant- SM-910T- is what I have, and you should look into it. Maybe someone with Rogers can chime in about that.
It's 100% compatible with AT&T's fastest LTE bands and most 4G GSM bands used in Europe. It has an unlocked bootloader for easy rooting/ROM-flashing. There is an awesome XDA section devoted to it with some great ROMs and other tweaks. Of course, the major benefit is that if you stroll into a T-mobile store any buy one, it will have a warranty and service options if something were to possibly be wrong with it. Now, you'll need to get the phone SIM-unlocked either through T-mobile directly or an online sim-unlocking service (~ $20-30)
If you wanna spend less in the States, the 910T sells on craigslist, swappa, ebay, etc in pretty large numbers and it's very easy to obtain one in mint condition for a lot less than retail. Obviously, make sure that the device has a good IMEI through swappa.com before buying it used.
I find that lots of people buy the Note 4 and decide to sell it after a while- either they prefer something smaller, or an iPhone, or any number of other reasons like wanting extra cash, but there's tons of em on craigslist here in Chicago.
I bought a Sprint Note 4 in perfect condition from a guy for $350 the other week. Not saying you will necessarily have that type of luck, but just something to ponder.

i use 910U on rogers and AT&T gophone. also used it in the UK, most of europe and asia. this is an exynos taiwan variant with LTE. may not give you the fastest speeds everywhere but its awesome.

In the UK we get the Snapdragon 910F, but the 910H looks good according to the bands I've seen online (I don't know if they're correct mind!)
In the UK different networks use different bands (900, 1800, 2100, etc) for 3G; with some of the bands being shared amongst companies these days. Ideally you want a device that supports 900Mhz UTMS, and the 910H supports the band. The 900Mhz band has better indoor coverage than the higher frequencies as well.
Again 4G is on different bands depending on your provider, but the networks share most of the spectrum at the moment to reduce costs. I believe 4G is on 800, 1800, and 2600Mhz
i use 910U on rogers and AT&T gophone. also used it in the UK, most of europe and asia. this is an exynos taiwan variant with LTE. may not give you the fastest speeds everywhere but its awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IDK about LTE, but phones for China/HK will work on our 3G networks. I've tried a few 3G iphone knockoffs and had no issues.

Is it likely the V20 will get decent Dev support/activity/ROMs?

So I've been looking through the V10 Android Development threads and wondering what it's been like on XDA with the V10 in terms of Dev support/ROMs/ etc. I've asked over there for feedback. Doesn't look like there's been much interest in the V10 phone from Devs? Is there a reason why? Locked bootloader? No "sources" released? Is there a CM ROM available anywhere?
Reason I ask is because I'm seriously considering getting a V20 which looks like a great phone and I've always had Nexus phones in the past. Currently rocking a Nexus 5 which I still love. The V20 looks to me almost like a larger more modern and advanced Nexus 5 (both made by LG). The G5 I saw in a phone shop and it really didn't appeal to me (build quality seemed poor). What's the likelihood the V20 will get decent Dev support? Is there anything that will make it more likely?

What specifically was wrong with the G5 build? My wife has the phone and we both think its pretty nice. At least as good as the Galaxy it replaced and probably a bit nicer.
I'm also interested in your original question. How much support will this phone get and will the boat loader enforce secure boot?
Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

v10 was abandoned in short order after the bootlooping SNAFU.
This phone is starting life too expensive, unique snowflake hardware SKUs for every US carrier, And more than likely a locked bootloader (hopefully it can be unlocked). All those combined are a development death sentence. Assume no development, and be happy if there is any. Combined they make people who can develop firmware not even want to bother.
Remember the v20 has been on sale in Korea for a month now. How many buyers/users even post on XDA about it? Basically none AFAIK. There should already be a development charge, and maybe a root worked out or at least actively being tested. And there isn't any, not that has been made public.

lol dude we get it. every post of yours is the phone is too expensive and there's carrier versions of it... like every. other. phone. if you're so upset by price and carrier versions, why are you looming around these forums? go buy a 300 dollar phone and stop trying to sell everyone else on your opinion.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 using Tapatalk

Skripka said:
v10 was abandoned in short order after the bootlooping SNAFU.
This phone is starting life too expensive, unique snowflake hardware SKUs for every US carrier, And more than likely a locked bootloader (hopefully it can be unlocked). All those combined are a development death sentence. Assume no development, and be happy if there is any. Combined they make people who can develop firmware not even want to bother.
Remember the v20 has been on sale in Korea for a month now. How many buyers/users even post on XDA about it? Basically none AFAIK. There should already be a development charge, and maybe a root worked out or at least actively being tested. And there isn't any, not that has been made public.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering there is an unlocked US model that seems will work for all carriers, I would think that would be the one that gets development and is quite conducive to it.
No development is getting slowed down because a phone is $800. That's the new norm if you want this high quality of a phone. Pixel will get tons of development, Note 7 was actually going really well despite the $864 price, and many others will too. The fact that it's LG and people overlook the brand continually will be the primary reason for lack of development, if that's the case.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA-Developers mobile app

PsiPhiDan said:
Considering there is an unlocked US model that seems will work for all carriers, I would think that would be the one that gets development and is quite conducive to it.
No development is getting slowed down because a phone is $800. That's the new norm if you want this high quality of a phone. Pixel will get tons of development, Note 7 was actually going really well despite the $864 price, and many others will too. The fact that it's LG and people overlook the brand continually will be the primary reason for lack of development, if that's the case.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Say what?
The unlocked version WILL NOT WORK on Sprint at all (the model # and IMEI range will be completely wrong to pass their whitelist)...and unless you have an already active SIM, your new VZW SIM will not activate as the model number is wrong and your account will show "unauthorised device". This of course sets aside the problems of radio bands that are missing or wrong for your specific carrier. So at best you'll have poor service if any depending on where you are and the tower deployments in the areas you travel. Also we don't know how updates will be handled on the unlocked device--take for example recent Nexus devices that got carrier fed updates rather than direct from Google (although that at least was an option if you ADB'd factory images) Every carrier is a unique SKU with unique firmware. You may never get updates even from LG (it is a serious possibility and risk).
I hope you have lots of cash hoarded when your $800 gamble, that it will work on all carriers, screws you over
The ZTE Axon 7 could be a much better device with much more development potential that is 50% the frickin price. "$800 the new normal" indeed. Buy an iPhone 7 for less cash, not an iPhone wannabe with less long-range OS support and let's be honest worse standby battery life. Because yea let's be honest, in 12-18 months LG will quit updating the device while in 3 years the iPhone7 will probably still be getting OS updates.
jayochs said:
lol dude we get it. every post of yours is the phone is too expensive and there's carrier versions of it... like every. other. phone. if you're so upset by price and carrier versions, why are you looming around these forums? go buy a 300 dollar phone and stop trying to sell everyone else on your opinion.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because folks ask questions...and get tremendously wrong answers. Like "the unlocked version that will work on all carriers". Echo chambers benefit no one. Until you see and know what having a unified hardware platform (like Nexus) does to accelerate development you don't get how screwed over you are by unique snowflake SKUs.
I too was excited for the v20, but LG fumbled the ball. in 3 months when the price comes down from the early-adopter surcharge (hopefully) I'll think about getting one. Depending on what I see.

Skripka said:
Say what?
The unlocked version WILL NOT WORK on Sprint at all (the model # and IMEI range will be completely wrong to pass their whitelist)...and unless you have an already active SIM, your new VZW SIM will not activate as the model number is wrong and your account will show "unauthorised device". This of course sets aside the problems of radio bands that are missing or wrong for your specific carrier. So at best you'll have poor service if any depending on where you are and the tower deployments in the areas you travel. Also we don't know how updates will be handled on the unlocked device--take for example recent Nexus devices that got carrier fed updates rather than direct from Google (although that at least was an option if you ADB'd factory images) Every carrier is a unique SKU with unique firmware. You may never get updates even from LG (it is a serious possibility and risk).
I hope you have lots of cash hoarded when your $800 gamble, that it will work on all carriers, screws you over
The ZTE Axon 7 could be a much better device with much more development potential that is 50% the frickin price. "$800 the new normal" indeed. Buy an iPhone 7 for less cash, not an iPhone wannabe with less long-range OS support and let's be honest worse standby battery life. Because yea let's be honest, in 12-18 months LG will quit updating the device while in 3 years the iPhone7 will probably still be getting OS updates.
Because folks ask questions...and get tremendously wrong answers. Like "the unlocked version that will work on all carriers". Echo chambers benefit no one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um, the unlocked version has all the Verizon bands and is completely compatible with all carriers from everything I have read.
The iPhone 7 is not a valid comparison at all. Different type of phone. iPhone 7+ model with more than 32GB of storage... That'll set you back over $800, like these other phones.
You're clearly an Apple lover so I'm not going to bother continuing to argue. LG V20 >>>>>> iPhone 7 that it's absurd to even compare, for me. I'd be really unhappy with that iPhone because it still lacks most qualities I desire in a phone. To each their own.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA-Developers mobile app

PsiPhiDan said:
Um, the unlocked version has all the Verizon bands and is completely compatible with all carriers from everything I have read.
The iPhone 7 is not a valid comparison at all. Different type of phone. iPhone 7+ model with more than 32GB of storage... That'll set you back over $800, like these other phones.
You're clearly an Apple lover so I'm not going to bother continuing to argue. LG V20 >>>>>> iPhone 7 that it's absurd to even compare, for me. I'd be really unhappy with that iPhone because it still lacks most qualities I desire in a phone. To each their own.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you clearly need to read more, not repeat flat out wrong info. The unlocked version is missing IIRC 1 Verizon CDMA 3G band (of 3), it is missing IIRC at least 1 WCDMA bands (out of 2 or 3), and it is missing IIRC 2+ LTE bands (Of 6 or 7 OTTOMH). The FCC filings showing that are available online. The same way that the unlocked version is similarly missing Spring CDMA/WCDMA/LTE bands. The radio support IS NOT THE SAME between VS995 and US996 and S997. It is NOT "completely compatible"-it is only sort of compatible....presuming it gets past carrier whitelisting of the IMEI and model number which on Sprint it 100% WILL NOT DO, and on Verizon it probably will presuming you already have a working SIM....then you have other problems to worry about (radio band support and updates).
See:
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/repo...n_id=qbzdcULnrRZWOUdXGtJlew==&fcc_id=ZNFVS995
I'm not an Apple lover at all. I'm fed up with Android OEM shortsighted foolishness.

The unlocked version also doesn't have AT&T's bands 29 & 30 and T-Mobile's Band 66. Personally, I plan to get the AT&T V20. I don't mind the (expected) lack of updates so much as long the current version doesn't have glaring bugs. For AT&T you also need a branded device for VoLTE.
I currently have the Nexus 5 and Google left it with major bugs for a few months (one of them was broken car Bluetooth). So my experience with Google wasn't that great. The Pixel devices look like bad iPhone and Galaxy copies.

Skripka said:
Then you clearly need to read more, not repeat flat out wrong info. The unlocked version is missing IIRC 1 Verizon CDMA 3G band (of 3), it is missing IIRC at least 1 WCDMA bands (out of 2 or 3), and it is missing IIRC 2+ LTE bands (Of 6 or 7 OTTOMH). The FCC filings showing that are available online. The same way that the unlocked version is similarly missing Spring CDMA/WCDMA/LTE bands. The radio support IS NOT THE SAME between VS995 and US996 and S997. It is NOT "completely compatible"-it is only sort of compatible....presuming it gets past carrier whitelisting of the IMEI and model number which on Sprint it 100% WILL NOT DO, and on Verizon it probably will presuming you already have a working SIM....then you have other problems to worry about (radio band support and updates).
See:
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/repo...n_id=qbzdcULnrRZWOUdXGtJlew==&fcc_id=ZNFVS995
I'm not an Apple lover at all. I'm fed up with Android OEM shortsighted foolishness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. I'll look into it more.
I honestly don't care about development anyway - I left my Note 5 alone and loved it. I'm planning to do the same with the V20, but I do hope there is some development eventually just for fun.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA-Developers mobile app

PsiPhiDan said:
Interesting. I'll look into it more.
I honestly don't care about development anyway - I left my Note 5 alone and loved it. I'm planning to do the same with the V20, but I do hope there is some development eventually just for fun.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The development is what I find cool. It is why I keep ending up being a tester for ROM teams (did it on Note 2, and still on Nexus 6)....but Android generally is getting really f'ing annoying on some of this crap. SafetyNet for example isn't just a framework for AndroidPay and stopping you from using your phone from paying for a burger due to Xposed, corporate email servers are now using it....so if you modify your firmware in any unauthorised way your employer may well not let your phone talk to your work email servers anymore (one of mi amigos on Team Twisted has this problem-nothing we can do). Google seems to be wanting to go iron-fisted in security and sacrificing FOSS development for "security".
There was a post on r/Android tonight outlining some of the more obscure technical problems, and outright annoyances for developers as well in the current Android landscape generally: https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/56qr4z/why_i_am_giving_up_on_android/
FWIW....he mentions specifically kernel 3.18; that kernel is not only used by the upcoming Pixel but according to the posted v20 system dump, a few subforums down, is the kernel v20 is going to ship with as well. When that OP is speaking about shipping a brand new device in Q4 2016 with a 2-year-old+ kernel ceasing upstream patching in 2-3 months as being insanity.....he's not just talking Pixel, he's also talking v20.
I wouldn't borderline rant on it unless the device had a ton of potential...which v20 especially does, and seeing LG squander it with shortsighted planned obsolescence is frustrating.

Personally I am okay with not too many roms. All I need is root for Viper and a few other apps.

I really think that I'll get this phone to replace my G4. I had to come to terms that the bootloader will never be unlocked on all models except T-Mobile and certain international models. I've also accepted that there will be absolutely zero dev support.
Don't fault me for being pessimistic. Being optimistic with the possibility of Dev support and observing how the G4, G5 and V10 turned out is plain foolish.

Skripka said:
Then you clearly need to read more, not repeat flat out wrong info. The unlocked version is missing IIRC 1 Verizon CDMA 3G band (of 3), it is missing IIRC at least 1 WCDMA bands (out of 2 or 3), and it is missing IIRC 2+ LTE bands (Of 6 or 7 OTTOMH). The FCC filings showing that are available online. The same way that the unlocked version is similarly missing Spring CDMA/WCDMA/LTE bands. The radio support IS NOT THE SAME between VS995 and US996 and S997. It is NOT "completely compatible"-it is only sort of compatible....presuming it gets past carrier whitelisting of the IMEI and model number which on Sprint it 100% WILL NOT DO, and on Verizon it probably will presuming you already have a working SIM....then you have other problems to worry about (radio band support and updates).
See:
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/repo...n_id=qbzdcULnrRZWOUdXGtJlew==&fcc_id=ZNFVS995
I'm not an Apple lover at all. I'm fed up with Android OEM shortsighted foolishness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm here is a comparison of frequencies between the VS995 and the US996. Seems the US996 covers all the frequencies of the VS995 and some:
This is according to frequencycheck.com.
Frequency Band LG VS995 V20 XLTE LG US996 V20 LTE-A
GSM 850 Yes Yes
GSM 900 (E-GSM) Yes Yes
GSM 1800 (DCS) Yes Yes
GSM 1900 (PCS) Yes Yes
UMTS B1 (2100) Yes Yes
UMTS B2 (1900 PCS) Yes Yes
UMTS B4 (1700/2100 AWS 1) No Yes
UMTS B5 (850) Yes Yes
UMTS B8 (900 GSM) Yes Yes
LTE B2 (1900 PCS) Yes Yes
LTE B3 (1800 +) Yes Yes
LTE B4 (1700/2100 AWS 1) Yes Yes
LTE B5 (850) Yes Yes
LTE B7 (2600) Yes Yes
LTE B12 (700 ac) No Yes
LTE B13 (700 c) Yes Yes
LTE B17 (700 bc) No Yes
LTE B20 (800 DD) Yes Yes
LTE B25 (1900 +) No Yes
CDMA BC0 (800) Yes Yes
CDMA BC1 (1900 PCS) Yes Yes
Cheers

EMSpilot said:
Hmm here is a comparison of frequencies between the VS995 and the US996. Seems the US996 covers all the frequencies of the VS995 and some:
This is according to frequencycheck.com.
Frequency Band LG VS995 V20 XLTE LG US996 V20 LTE-A
GSM 850 Yes Yes
GSM 900 (E-GSM) Yes Yes
GSM 1800 (DCS) Yes Yes
GSM 1900 (PCS) Yes Yes
UMTS B1 (2100) Yes Yes
UMTS B2 (1900 PCS) Yes Yes
UMTS B4 (1700/2100 AWS 1) No Yes
UMTS B5 (850) Yes Yes
UMTS B8 (900 GSM) Yes Yes
LTE B2 (1900 PCS) Yes Yes
LTE B3 (1800 +) Yes Yes
LTE B4 (1700/2100 AWS 1) Yes Yes
LTE B5 (850) Yes Yes
LTE B7 (2600) Yes Yes
LTE B12 (700 ac) No Yes
LTE B13 (700 c) Yes Yes
LTE B17 (700 bc) No Yes
LTE B20 (800 DD) Yes Yes
LTE B25 (1900 +) No Yes
CDMA BC0 (800) Yes Yes
CDMA BC1 (1900 PCS) Yes Yes
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Their listing for the VS995 is incorrect/incomplete compared to what the LG Electronics sent to the FCC and has on file. Read and compare, some of their entries are wrong (VS995 does indeed have Band 25), some like Band 66 are left out or missing (VS995 has that too). WCDMA is either seemingly absent although maybe they call that "UTMS". CDMA support is also flawed (should be 850/1900 for VS995 not 800/1900). I don't have easy to call up numbers for US996 ATM, but one way or another-their band support table is incorrect.
https://apps.fcc.gov/eas/GetApplicationAttachment.html?id=3102983
https://apps.fcc.gov/eas/GetApplicationAttachment.html?id=3102984
The phones are not radio band identical.

Yes the US996 is compatible with Verizon. I will have it on their network within 30 minutes of unpacking it from the box.
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/repo...n_id=qbzdcULnrRZWOUdXGtJlew==&fcc_id=ZNFUS996
Cheers

EMSpilot said:
Yes the US996 is compatible with Verizon. I will have it on their network within 30 minuets of unpacking it from the box.
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/repo...n_id=qbzdcULnrRZWOUdXGtJlew==&fcc_id=ZNFUS996
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please report back once you have it working. I'm very interested in doing this too. I'd love to not get stuck with the bloat.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA-Developers mobile app

There is ZERO chance of it ever happening.. Avoid LG like a plague..

thanks for your expert opinion. nobody will take it seriously, but thanks!
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 using Tapatalk

windozeanti said:
There is ZERO chance of it ever happening.. Avoid LG like a plague..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, devs that tried supporting Note 7 are now interested in developing for the V20 from the online polls since the note 7 has been officially canceled

GT-i9515 only 2g speed?

Hey everyone,
I read for hours but unfortunately I haven't been able to find the solution.
So I bought a Galaxy S4 GT-I9515 in Europe and I'm not able to get any speeds higher than 2g on my USA 4g T-mobile plan.
The network mode is set on auto connect (LTE/WCDMA/GSM). I tried setting up a t-mobile 4g APN but it won't accept it (it pops back to standard after a few seconds..)
The simcard does work at 4g on another phone.
I rooted it with chainfire autoroot but this made no difference.
Anyone have a clue? At least 3g would be nice and should be possible..

Does the gt-9515 support the carrier's 3g and 4g frequencies?

Hey, thanks for thinking along..
According to frequencycheck.com, yes (both 3g and 4g).
Also, the t-mobile store didn't make notice of this being a problem. They were horribly incompetent though (just googling everything..) But you'd think they would at least check that much.

The I9515 won't get LTE in Europe as bands 2, 4, 12, and 17 aren't used there. The best you can do is HSPA (3.5G in the US) for data. If you're not getting at least HSPA the local carrier may have throttled you.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
The I9515 won't get LTE in Europe as bands 2, 4, 12, and 17 aren't used there. The best you can do is HSPA (3.5G in the US) for data. If you're not getting at least HSPA the local carrier may have throttled you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I put the simcard in my old phone (moto G 1st gen) it makes an LTE connection so I'm not throttled.
I downloaded an app called LTE Discovery which doesn't read an LTE connection but says HSPA: -75.0 dBm is available.
With an internet speed test I'm only getting 770 Kbps however.

Oh, and I'm in Las Vegas currently (not in the middle of nowhere before anyone asks.. )
It's about the same speed in the Bay-area.

I misread your initial post. The fact you're not picking up LTE in Las Vegas means something else is wrong. In fact it makes me wonder if you even have an I9515. Kindly enter download mode and read off the model number please?
If things are as I suspect they are, then you're actually in possession of an I9505. My comments in my earlier post regarding LTE still apply, except it's the phone lacking the US bands instead of lacking European bands.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
That you were experiencing this in the US wasn't apparent from your posts. The fact you're not picking up LTE in Las Vegas means something else is wrong. In fact it makes me wonder if you even have an I9515. Kindly enter download mode and read off the model number please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right, I mentioned the US T-mobile plan but forgot to clearly mention where the problem was occurring/where I want to use the phone (which I bought in the Netherlands). Just to be clear: I am in the USA and that's where I intend to use it.
ODIN MODE
Product Name: GT-I9515

Ok...I'm really confusing myself. For some odd reason I had the Straight Talk S4 in mind. LOL.
The I9505 and I9515 have the same bands: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 20. You won't get LTE in the US on this device and are limited to HSPA here. Fortunately, HSPA is fast enough for multimedia​, so unless T-Mobile is repurposing its 3G network for LTE you should see about 4 or 5Mb a second.

Thanks for analyzing, you seem to know a lot about this.
However, the primary problem is I'm not reaching any HSPA speeds either.

I know a lot about this, as I have an I9505 and live in the US.
The phone is working properly, so speed issues are carrier related. And it's not uncommon. I've had it happen myself, on AT&T towers.

V20 LTE Band and Compatibility (vs995, h910)

Hello everyone! I'll start by saying I've done a lot of reading and searching, and I can't find my answers, so that's why I'm posting.
I recently acquired two LG v20s, which I intend to use as my primary daily handsets. The models are the h910 (att) and VS995 (verizon). Both have TWRP and magisk etc. I love the phones so far and everything is peachy, except one ... sordof big question/issue. LTE bands!! I've seen several people on XDA talk about the bands but I can't determine a clear answer. My first and primary question is, DOES the h910 support band 12/17?!?! Using network signal guru app, band 12 is listed. From what I understand (from what I have read) band 12 IS supported, and 17 is actually a thing of the past. If your phone has band 12, it can pick up all band 17 towers no problem, essentially meaning 12 has replaced 17. However, my h910 WILL NOT use band 12. Not if I force it, not on its own, nada. This is in places where I know band 12(17) exists, and is the strongest signal. In fact virtually everywhere, around the area I live (chattanooga TN). What actually really surprises me is that the phone gets great LTE reception everywhere I am 95% of the time, without band 12/17. I've checked numerous times (its kindof an ongoing thing...) and I've gotten every single other band, (2,4,5,30) usually with great reception and acceptable or good network speed. But never band 12. I can hold my galaxy note 4 right next to it, and the note will almost always be using band 17, and the LG refuses. Again , I can lock bands with Network signal guru, and still no bueno. If I lock the lg on only band 12, it will simply revert to HSPA.
Does anyone else have experience with this? Are other h910 users able to get band 12? Could I have a faulty handset? Is it software or hardware related? Just curious if anyone else has any info that could be helpful. I have noticed people in other random forums saying their v20 gets poor signal compared to other ATT devices, and I'm wondering if this is why (no band 12). Most people wouldn't know how to check what bands they're getting... or even know what "bands" are at all.
And a quick question about the vs995... I put an att sim in it, and got absolutely no signal at all on any band. Whats up with that?
Thanks in advance folks.

Seems US telecom companies are just weird I have 3 V20 phones that I use as 4G modem when in the country. My Vs995 worked for this for years but suddenly will not use mobile data here in Norway, tried factory reset. 1 910 that does not get phone signal at all - gave up on it, transferred screen and case to the VS995 which was worn, had broken screen. My Korean F800 with android 9 works fine. US carriers place artificial locks on bands it seems.