Database Users

What's the very best version of the Note 3?

I'm using an ATT Note 2 and I want to upgrade, mainly because of the better RAM and ROM. But I'm confused by the choices and Knox and locking and all that.
I am going too want to root my phone for sure, and unlock to use on different providers.
Not to worried about the cost.
What's the very best version out there, in your opinion?

capite said:
I'm using an ATT Note 2 and I want to upgrade, mainly because of the better RAM and ROM. But I'm confused by the choices and Knox and locking and all that.
I am going to want to root my phone for sure, and unlock to use on different providers.
Not to worried about the cost.
What's the very best version out there, in your opinion?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since the LTE bands tend to be very different from one provider to another the differences are only relevant once you know who is your carrier - so you should probably look / ask in the OTHER Note 3 forums:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-att
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-sprint
http://forum.xda-developers.com/verizon-galaxy-note-3
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-tmobile
Also see this to get a start on the matter of portability (or almost complete lack thereof) among those:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2464498

Thanks. When I mean I will want to use the phone on 'other providers,' I really just mean the GSM-based ones like ATT/T-mo and overseas carriers. I understand that Tmo and ATT use different LTE bands, just hoping that there's at least one unlocked and rootable model that covers both sets of LTE bands.
xclub_101 said:
Since the LTE bands tend to be very different from one provider to another the differences are only relevant once you know who is your carrier - so you should probably look / ask in the OTHER Note 3 forums:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-att
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-sprint
http://forum.xda-developers.com/verizon-galaxy-note-3
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-tmobile
Also see this to get a start on the matter of portability (or almost complete lack thereof) among those:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2464498
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

capite said:
Thanks. When I mean I will want to use the phone on 'other providers,' I really just mean the GSM-based ones like ATT/T-mo and overseas carriers. I understand that Tmo and ATT use different LTE bands, just hoping that there's at least one unlocked and rootable model that covers both sets of LTE bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the ATT and TMOBILE gnote3 cover each others LTE bands too. Infact, after unlocking your tmobile gnote3, achieving LTE on ATT should be as easy as popping in a sim card.

I think your choice would be between ATT and Tmo and I believe both can be rooted without tripping Knox. Even thought Tmo supposed to have unlocked bootloader, they use ATT rooted ROMs (since the name delavega root). Personally I would stick with the carrier: Tmo phone will give you Wifi calling, but only on Tmo network, so you can call home for free from anywhere in the world over WiFi. ATT is just beginning to test voice over LTE, no other US carrier has yet. And if you have call issues, are you going to call t-mo complaining their phone doesn't work well on ATT network, or you going to call ATT, that their network signal sucks with T-mo phone? And for example it would be difficult to buy new T-mo phone without at least some temporary t-mo service.

capite said:
Thanks. When I mean I will want to use the phone on 'other providers,' I really just mean the GSM-based ones like ATT/T-mo and overseas carriers. I understand that Tmo and ATT use different LTE bands, just hoping that there's at least one unlocked and rootable model that covers both sets of LTE bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not have a lot of experience on the US market but my last link seems to suggest that the TMo version is 100% compatible with ATT LTE (and the other way around), so generally (given the much bigger bootloader freedom on TMo vs ATT) I would say that TMo Note 3 should be a good choice. It will also work on ATT up to the full 4G and worldwide for voice over normal GSM, maybe 3G in many places. Also that last link suggests that once you unlock it (which is IMHO rather inexpensive and worth it) you will be able to use (almost) any GSM SIM in the world.

Unlock S5 From Sprint To Tmobile?

I recently got the S5 on sprint and im beyond disappointed with sprints new spark and lte network out here in NY. Im considering going to Tmobile since there lte speeds are crazy good and connection is steady out here. My question is can i get my phone unlocked and bring my sprint version phone over to Tmobile? I was told by a Tmobile rep that my phone would go down to 2g speeds and its not guaranteed to even get lte. Which i find hard to believe since since my phone has the option to also go on GSM/UMTS. Whats your guys thoughts on this?

darknatas said:
I recently got the S5 on sprint and im beyond disappointed with sprints new spark and lte network out here in NY. Im considering going to Tmobile since there lte speeds are crazy good and connection is steady out here. My question is can i get my phone unlocked and bring my sprint version phone over to Tmobile? I was told by a Tmobile rep that my phone would go down to 2g speeds and its not guaranteed to even get lte. Which i find hard to believe since since my phone has the option to also go on GSM/UMTS. Whats your guys thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bump

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darknatas said:
Bump
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Click to collapse
Sprint phones cant work with T-Mobile, Sprint blocks other US GSM carriers from using their phone.
Sprint phones can only be used outside of the states

Vlade12 said:
Sprint phones cant work with T-Mobile, Sprint blocks other US GSM carriers from using their phone.
Sprint phones can only be used outside of the states
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So even if i get the phone unlocked i wont be able to use it on tmobile?

darknatas said:
So even if i get the phone unlocked i wont be able to use it on tmobile?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. Sprint uses different frequency ranges, so unlocked or not it's just not going to communicate.
ATT and T-Mobile work due to the overlap. In fact, for a while there ATT was going to purchase T-Mobile before the FCC put a halt to that.
Glad too as T-Mobile is now shaking up the market and forcing (encouraging?) Verzion and ATT to try and adopt similar measures in order to maintain customer base.

Vlade12 said:
Sprint phones cant work with T-Mobile, Sprint blocks other US GSM carriers from using their phone.
Sprint phones can only be used outside of the states
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think this is correct. Albeit S5 is a different phone, but I unlocked 4 SPH-L720 S4's from Sprint to Tmobile no problem using the following thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2530610
If S5 could use the same methods, you would get 3G and HSPA+ on the Sprint S5 using a TMobile SIM.
I was able to get LTE using a TMobile SIM on a Sprint S4 by using DFS to edit the NV to enable AWS 1700 LTE Band in NV items, then flashing the TMobile HOS and MODEM bin files - along with copying the *ril*.so libraries to the system/lib directory. This ultimately allowed me to select the LTE/WCDMA/GSM option in Mobile Networks.
Not many people know about this but I found it in an i337 thread on how to unlock AWS on a S4.

bcas9472 said:
I dont think this is correct. Albeit S5 is a different phone, but I unlocked 4 SPH-L720 S4's from Sprint to Tmobile no problem using the following thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2530610
If S5 could use the same methods, you would get 3G and HSPA+ on the Sprint S5 using a TMobile SIM.
I was able to get LTE using a TMobile SIM on a Sprint S4 by using DFS to edit the NV to enable AWS 1700 LTE Band in NV items, then flashing the TMobile HOS and MODEM bin files - along with copying the *ril*.so libraries to the system/lib directory. This ultimately allowed me to select the LTE/WCDMA/GSM option in Mobile Networks.
Not many people know about this but I found it in an i337 thread on how to unlock AWS on a S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you can get full speeds on gsm networks with the sprint version? in the US or out?
Is that right?

bcas9472 said:
I dont think this is correct. Albeit S5 is a different phone, but I unlocked 4 SPH-L720 S4's from Sprint to Tmobile no problem using the following thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2530610
If S5 could use the same methods, you would get 3G and HSPA+ on the Sprint S5 using a TMobile SIM.
I was able to get LTE using a TMobile SIM on a Sprint S4 by using DFS to edit the NV to enable AWS 1700 LTE Band in NV items, then flashing the TMobile HOS and MODEM bin files - along with copying the *ril*.so libraries to the system/lib directory. This ultimately allowed me to select the LTE/WCDMA/GSM option in Mobile Networks.
Not many people know about this but I found it in an i337 thread on how to unlock AWS on a S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Has anyone comfermed this? To my knowledge the Sprint/Verizon phones are not cross compatable with AT&T and T-mobile. Some verizon phones are the exception but basicily its a no go from CDMA phone to GSM tech.

confirm
i can confirm the sprint s4 does work on tmobile with a bit of editing and following the gsm domestic tutorial on xda, however this part about the modem.bin and hlos isnt confirmed and i have done this and ended up hard bricking my devices and had to jtag to repair them. ive tried many times and always bricked so i say no go.
this forum is for the sprint s5 and i would hope we can find a loophole to get it gsm unlocked. any ideas? ive tried a few things but no luck

Theres alot of incorrect information here. The latest Sprint phones using sim cards ARE ABLE to use T-Mobile and AT&T as long as GSM is in the hardware. I dont own the S5 but for those blinding others with frequency talk I'm tired of seeing, read it and weep:
http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=4408
Sprint S5 supports GSM. Now of course no LTE on T-Mobile due to the lack of the 1700 frequency,
but your 4G will be fine. Depending on where you live, you may not even care about LTE over 4G.
Sure, Sprint locks the darn thing up to avoid it getting into the hands of other domestic carriers, but
just as the Sprint Note 3 and my Sprint LG G2, a workaround has been invented. For the G2 it was as
"borrowing" the stock T-Mobile LG G2 firmware and tweaking it to boot up on our LS980. We have
about 3 different tastes of working unlocked roms, not only sticking to T-Mobile, but other carriers
reported working such as Metro PCS and AT&T. So my guess is that the S5 may need a similar
treatment, nobody wants Sprint honestly. The first 14 days (brought in my own LG Optimus G LS970)
I was with them service was glorious here in NYC. But after the 14 day "trial period" ended I was
DAMNED into horrible service, constant 3G instead of 4G, etc. Thanks to refusing to make payments
due to the disgusting service, my GS4's IMEI is basically crap, so I sold it in the same week I got it.
I should have never swapped it out for the LG OG...
Honestly, I'll thank every OP I see that "unlocks" the Sprint version of any phone for domestic GSM
use. Their silly Sprint Spark is useless, why introduce something new when they dont even have full
4G coverage here in the USA? And their agents sound like "AI" controlled cyborgs: "Oh we're sorry to
hear that, your zone is scheduled to be recieving 4G soon." Yeah right. I feel sorry for those who suffer
in other states.
ANYWAYS sorry for drifting off topic. The recap here is that the Sprint S5 IS capable of domestic GSM with some modding.
And also that I hate Sprint.

Any Updates on this
Does anyone have any news on this? I have a S5 from sprint and want to use it with tmobile or other gsm carrier. any1 have any updates on the UCCI deal i read about somewhere? I have the spc phone is rooted what do i need to do? cant bring up the service menu to change things there.. kind a lost pls help

..

lease has anyone found a solution for enabling aws bands on galaxy s5? i have the at&t active version unlocked and rooted using on tmobile but i get only edge :/

What is the verdict? Is there anyone who knows you can use it on any network? I am getting mine tomorrow and am unlocking it. Is there a way to test if they will work on any network? I have many sim cards from diff carriers.

..

unlock sprint

fffft said:
There have been a lot of threads about this, so clearly few are even bothering to search the forum for existing threads and the wealth of information in them.
Sprint is a CDMA system like Verizon & USC. CDMA per se is incompatible with GSM, which is what most of the world uses. The Sprint S5 only supports some of the most common GSM frequency bands and moreover will have a locked bootloader and SIM.
Sprint will not unlock the SIM (actually SPC code) to allow using it with other domestic carriers. You can find third party vendors that will "SPC unlock" your Sprint phone. But then you will find that Sprint's S5 won't support any of the LTE bands on other CDMA or GSM carriers and misses some GSM bands too.
Nor can you use custom ROMs, kernels or recoveries in the normal manner due to the locked bootloader. You could probably use the Verizon Safestrap method to emulate a limited palette of custom ROMs, but you would have to do your due dilligence there and look into the details.
In short, if you jump through enough hoops, you can use a Sprint S5 on another carrier like TMobile. But it will always be marginal. You won't get LTE data speeds, you will see more congestion than those using native handsets, due to your reduced number of bands. And you may have no coverage at all in some fringe areas served by a TMB band that your handset doesn't have.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The limitation of what "bands" the radio will cover are software defined. if you look around. you can find a way to modify those defined rules.
to allow it to use 1700 LTE. although the legality may be questionable as the FCC approval for that model was not tested with the LTE. The baseband chip/radio still supports the band with the software changes

..

impossible

fffft said:
There have been a lot of threads about this, so clearly few are even bothering to search the forum for existing threads and the wealth of information in them.
Sprint is a CDMA system like Verizon & USC. CDMA per se is incompatible with GSM, which is what most of the world uses. The Sprint S5 only supports some of the most common GSM frequency bands and moreover will have a locked bootloader and SIM.
Sprint will not unlock the SIM (actually SPC code) to allow using it with other domestic carriers. You can find third party vendors that will "SPC unlock" your Sprint phone. But then you will find that Sprint's S5 won't support any of the LTE bands on other CDMA or GSM carriers and misses some GSM bands too.
Nor can you use custom ROMs, kernels or recoveries in the normal manner due to the locked bootloader. You could probably use the Verizon Safestrap method to emulate a limited palette of custom ROMs, but you would have to do your due dilligence there and look into the details.
In short, if you jump through enough hoops, you can use a Sprint S5 on another carrier like TMobile. But it will always be marginal. You won't get LTE data speeds, you will see more congestion than those using native handsets, due to your reduced number of bands. And you may have no coverage at all in some fringe areas served by a TMB band that your handset doesn't have.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What in the heck? Who fed you this bologna? Do you work for Sprint? Cause I have various complaints for you if you do. My SPRINT G2 running a T-Mobile G2 stock rom which is unlocked DOMESTICALLY works perfectly fine with T-Mobile's 4G. I don't think many people care about LTE, getting off of Sprint alone is a huge leap for mankind (in this case G900P owners). And as it was mentioned, there are ways to get that nice LTE band for various devices with simple mods, problem is that it is NOT widely recognized yet and very few people know that the possibility exists because of various misleading posts that "its all in the hardware" and fingers being pointed at Qualcomm's techniques. Yes there is a possibility for a domestic unlock, sure there might not be LTE for it, but most people will be content with the fact that they can use their expensive locked down phone with another carrier. Honesty Sprint devices would be better off being sold for less than carriers that actually DO allow domestic unlocks. Why do we pay over half a "K" for a phone that in reality we do not completely have full rights over? Why do other carriers alow domestic unlocks and Sprint wants to be greedy and lock in all of their customers with shady contracts and decieving bills?
Thats why many of us including myself would be beyond grateful if we even get some 3G with another carrier. We have CDMA capabilities, we have GSM capabilities, all we need is some sort of domestic unlock.
There is NO third party unlock code of any sorts that will unlock a phone that is unlocked OTA. Check around for many posts from various foreign users who have gotten stuck with a useless Galaxy S5 that can only be used with wifi thanks to Sprint. Is it their fault? No. It is purely Sprint's fault for being so damn greedy. Thankfully I am hearing news that by February of 2015 all devices will be GSM and have the capabilities to be unlocked for domestic use.
Custom roms, honestly most of us are just unsatisfied with the average and like to go to the unique side. But is Cyanogenmod going to allow us to use Air Gestures and all the other cool features of the S5? Not really. Custom kernels would be nice, but many people only seek then in order to overclock their device, which this device is in particular really doesn't need any more added power (or battery drain) than it already has. Optimization tweaks might be worth it but I dont see it helping. If someone could fix the delayed multitasking transitions (switching from one app to the other at times is delayed a second or two) or the crashing browser without custom roms or kernels, then it is best not to waste time on the development of such things. But then again there are those who prefer stock android in combination with other features such as the AMOLED screen technology, but it is best to look for another device.

SM-N910K stuck on 3G in Brazil

Ok, so i ordered a SM-N910U from 28mobile.com, and they sent me a carrier branded SM-n910K, which by its specifications should work with Brazilian LTE (band 7 - 2600). However I am stuck on 3g. I was wondering if maybe the whole internet is wrong and this device doesnt support this band, or maybe its some sort of carrier lock. Also, how do i disable the awful branding, will flash a different firmware work and which do i flash?
Thanks

repl0id said:
Ok, so i ordered a SM-N910U from 28mobile.com, and they sent me a carrier branded SM-n910K, which by its specifications should work with Brazilian LTE (band 7 - 2600). However I am stuck on 3g. I was wondering if maybe the whole internet is wrong and this device doesnt support this band, or maybe its some sort of carrier lock. Also, how do i disable the awful branding, will flash a different firmware work and which do i flash?Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) check frequencies that U model supports @ samsung website (its asian/hong kong, right? those miss some frequencieos)
2) check which frequencies are used for 4g by your brazilian telco.
3) compare.
if frequencies match, you might want to try:
1) getting a new sim that is surely 4g-capable
2) getting an iphone nano-sim. this is crazy, but for many users in russian forums that has solved 4g connectivity issues with one telco.
3) making sure your plan supports 4g
4) ensure you have 4g coverage.

lisbon2004 said:
1) check frequencies that U model supports @ samsung website (its asian/hong kong, right? those miss some frequencieos)
2) check which frequencies are used for 4g by your brazilian telco.
3) compare.
if frequencies match, you might want to try:
1) getting a new sim that is surely 4g-capable
2) getting an iphone nano-sim. this is crazy, but for many users in russian forums that has solved 4g connectivity issues with one telco.
3) making sure your plan supports 4g
4) ensure you have 4g coverage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Sim is 4g
2)will try
3) IT does
4) I do
Is the SM-N910U the same as the SM-N910K as far as LTE bands go? I dont get it, they are both supposed to support Band 7 - 2600MHZ, which is the one we have over here. What about flashing a different firmware? I've been trying with odin, to no success.

They do support that frequency so it's probably something to do with your sim card or carrier?
And 28mobile told me I was receiving one model only to get the k model like you. Wasn't happy. The updates for firmwares are slow

lawtq said:
They do support that frequency so it's probably something to do with your sim card or carrier?
And 28mobile told me I was receiving one model only to get the k model like you. Wasn't happy. The updates for firmwares are slow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I am on a LTE plan, tried 3 different sims already, they are all stuck on 3G...And all our carriers have the same band, which is 7...So it's not the sim or the carrier...its the phone. I bet that there's some sort of lock going on, since all roaming options are grayed out (the phone is not stuck on roaming, however). I am trying to flash any other model's firmware, like U, C and even S, but odin always fails when trying.

repl0id said:
Ok, so i ordered a SM-N910U from 28mobile.com, and they sent me a carrier branded SM-n910K, which by its specifications should work with Brazilian LTE (band 7 - 2600). However I am stuck on 3g. I was wondering if maybe the whole internet is wrong and this device doesnt support this band, or maybe its some sort of carrier lock. Also, how do i disable the awful branding, will flash a different firmware work and which do i flash?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you ordered the "U"-model, and got a branded "K"-model, I would complain to the shop you bought it and demand a swap to the model you ordered!

Add LTE bands

Hi, I have the xt1687 us model, and I was curious if there was anyway to add band 20 for use in the uk. Thank you.
Edit: forgot add its the unlocked version bought from motorola direct.

Aye aye
Fit like, will try find out 4 u bro

Vwgti83 said:
Hi, I have the xt1687 us model, and I was curious if there was anyway to add band 20 for use in the uk. Thank you.
Edit: forgot add its the unlocked version bought from motorola direct.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't recommend it - though there appears to be a way (here for the Moto G5, but the process might be similar https://forum.xda-developers.com/g5/how-to/recovering-2g-3g-set-radio-band-to-usa-t3668767 ) you run the risk of setting the incorrect band and require a firmware flash to repair.
Easiest way to look for 4G access is to go to https://willmyphonework.net/ and enter in your device and the destination for using your device. For US devices, it suggests that EE, O2, 3 UK, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile are some of the providers that can provide 4G LTE on alternative bands over here. Please verify this info before considering purchasing a UK SIM for that carrier, if your device is carrier unlocked, or accessing that network if your carrier has a roaming agreement with them.
EDIT - further investigation for O2, at least, suggests that Band 3 support may only be present in London and large cities, and the main O2 signal is 800 MHz (Band 20), so if you're travelling around the UK, might be worth noting. However, O2 and Vodafone appear to be sharing towers, so you may get 4G/LTE signal regardless if you get switched to Vodafone's network. EE seems to have good coverage and uses the other LTE bands supported by the US devices.

echo92 said:
I wouldn't recommend it - though there appears to be a way (here for the Moto G5, but the process might be similar https://forum.xda-developers.com/g5/how-to/recovering-2g-3g-set-radio-band-to-usa-t3668767 ) you run the risk of setting the incorrect band and require a firmware flash to repair.
Easiest way to look for 4G access is to go to https://willmyphonework.net/ and enter in your device and the destination for using your device. For US devices, it suggests that EE, O2, 3 UK, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile are some of the providers that can provide 4G LTE on alternative bands over here. Please verify this info before considering purchasing a UK SIM for that carrier, if your device is carrier unlocked, or accessing that network if your carrier has a roaming agreement with them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the response, some food for thought, cheers mate!

Yeah, I wouldn't recommend trying this will any newer Moto device... since like 2015. These bands are locked DEEP within the device, and messing with it is potentially hazardous to your device, meaning if you mess up it is possible that you will get no reception on any band or frequency. I don't think I have seen this successfully done since early Moto G LTE & G2 models, and even then there was a lot of bricked devices.
This is not just a firmware, radio software, or tweak that can be done, it involves going deep into the device with Qualcomm provisioning software (which isn't available through any normal channel) and hunt and peck at various undocumented hexadecimal registry options, which often results in no reception or even a bricked device in some cases. This isn't a Nexus 4 that literally had LTE disabled in a simple radio firmware change.
BTW, ignore all those sites that say they can unlock all LTE bands in any Qualcomm device, it will brick your Moto.
Sorry, but your best bet is just get a new device locally. A simple burner phone if your just there on vacation or for a short stay, or invest in a decent device if you plan on being there for any length of time. There are many options for devices in the EU that we don't have in the US and a relatively cheap one could be sufficient for your needs and use your Moto in WiFi mode for other stuff.

Shall I switch A2107G to USA bands?

Hi there. I live in Canada and use A2017G. How to switch it to USA bands and is it safe to do? Or should I wait for Oreo (seems like November)?
Thanks

I think you are stuck with whatever bands that are hardcoded into the G. Probably has something to do with the baseband/radio/modem. I did find an article on XDA awhile back that claims you can add bands to your phone, but it seemed mostly suited toward Samsung. In any case, it doesn't really matter, a G model should still receive a minimum of 4G with most US carriers, but maybe not LTE. I'd imagine Canadian carriers are similar. But I do have to wonder, you live in North America, so why buy a G. The U is the variant that is designed for this region. And U has better support, ROMs, etc.

Maybe you can just flash the A2017U modem

ttkian said:
Maybe you can just flash the A2017U modem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you can avoid suggesting things you clearly have no idea about.
While you're at it, why don't you flash a modem from another phone?
---------- Post added at 05:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:51 AM ----------
evilKabab said:
Hi there. I live in Canada and use A2017G. How to switch it to USA bands and is it safe to do? Or should I wait for Oreo (seems like November)?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't add bands that the phone doesn't have. By changing the daughterboard of an A2017U to an A2017's, a guy simply lost all connectivity, plain and simple. Antenna stuff is hardware stuff.
Oreo won't really add bands either

@Choose an username...: I have read other topics on XDA that say you can use QPST/QFIL to add basebands, on almost any device that has a Qualcomm CPU. But I havent tried this myself. It may just be a matter of placebo, or people wanting to believe that it works, when really nothing may be changing. You could also brick your phone during the attempt, which is part of the reason I havent tried yet.
I think that all A7s have nearly the same hardware, including the same (hardware) modem/radio, but with different basebands enabled/disabled depending on which model you have. But I have no proof of this. I will leave this to people that are willing to deeply dissect the hardware.
And then there are the modem files you can flash, which vary according to your model. I am not sure what would happen if you attempt to flash a A2017G/A2017 modem on a A2017U (or any other combo). I think the worst you will face is a loss of Internet/text/phone calls.
When I first bought my A7 I was going to get the Chinese version from AliExpress, because it has more RAM, storage, and ForceTouch. But then I realized that it doesn't have most of the basebands that my carrier (T-Mobile) supports. And you never know where most of the AE sellers get the hardware, they could be stolen, preowned, whatever. I have bought numerous 'new' items there before, but they ranged in quality, ranging from brand new to fair condition. So I thought better of it and bought a new A2017U from NewEgg, complete with ZTE's Passport warranty and 3 years SquareTrade insurance. And I'm glad I did, since a few months ago I had to make use of that warranty to get my A7 unbricked from DFU, before the tool was available.

I think only differences between A7 models are in processor i.e. bands. There are variants in SD 820.

AnonVendetta said:
... But then I realized that it doesn't have most of the basebands that my carrier (T-Mobile) supports.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're in the same boat... My carrier using AWS bands just like T-MO. A2017G was working perfectly fine maybe missing just one band on LTE. And recently new band was introduced - LTE band 13 (700mhz), which supposed to improve indoor reception - big issue for Axon 7 and AWS. They call it 'Extended Rabge LTE.
So A2017U has that band, but A2017G doesnt. My assumption was that both phones are sharing the same hardware and bands available are controlled by software.
I clicked some numbers and got into some engineering menu where I see choices: USA Bands, Cellular 800. So I picked USA and restarted.
EPIC FAIL!
I lost 3g AWS on SIM1! Only 4G present, which is actually working fine. Just imagine phone with perfect 4G connectivity internet is flying, but you cannot place a phone call... (My carrier - Freedom Mobile doesnt have 2G GSM). I tried to switch it back - no luck
Solution - I use SIM2.

Oreo
Just installed it no OTA had to use sd card. That actually fixed SIM1 band problem. It doesnt seem I have band 13 (that is what I wanted), but connectivity seems better and switching between 3g and 4g is very fast...