Database Users

AT&T Moto X radio

I have a droid maxx that I'm using for AT&T. For those of you who don't know, the droid maxx is supposed to be a verizon phone only. It is unlocked from the factory, but LTE does not work for AT&T or T-Mobile. Being that the maxx is essnetially just a moto x with a bigger battery, I was hoping someone could pull their radio from their phone and upload it so that I can flash it to see if it enables LTE.
There is much speculation that the maxx has the bands, but they are just diabled by verizon. I hope that flashing your guys' radio will unlock the bands. There was a similar method available to enable the Razr Maxx HD's to grab signal on AT&T. They use a motorola tool to flash the radio.
If anyone wants to help out a fellow motorola XDA member, let me know

For what it's worth, I have been told by someone I consider reliable at Moto that the AT&T version of the X does have the hardware to support the 1700/AWS band for T-Mobile, but that it isn't "software enabled" in the phone. So someone providing the radios for any of those carriers might be able to help a lot of us.

Rask40 said:
For what it's worth, I have been told by someone I consider reliable at Moto that the AT&T version of the X does have the hardware to support the 1700/AWS band for T-Mobile, but that it isn't "software enabled" in the phone. So someone providing the radios for any of those carriers might be able to help a lot of us.
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I think we'll also need a way to flash it, i.e. a custom recovery. I know Hashcode is working on SafeStrap, so hopefully that will be done soon and we can figure out if this works. I'm not sure if SS will allow access to the partition that holds the radio software, though. I strongly suspect it's just software blocked as well, so I think either flashing the radio or editing the NV values like they do for the last generation of DROIDs should open the AT&T models up to AWS. Or maybe I just really want that to be true.

Rask40 said:
For what it's worth, I have been told by someone I consider reliable at Moto that the AT&T version of the X does have the hardware to support the 1700/AWS band for T-Mobile, but that it isn't "software enabled" in the phone. So someone providing the radios for any of those carriers might be able to help a lot of us.
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Click to collapse
Yes it would, but what I'm looking for specifically is to enable the LTE bands for AT&T on the verizon devices.
freak4dell said:
I think we'll also need a way to flash it, i.e. a custom recovery. I know Hashcode is working on SafeStrap, so hopefully that will be done soon and we can figure out if this works. I'm not sure if SS will allow access to the partition that holds the radio software, though. I strongly suspect it's just software blocked as well, so I think either flashing the radio or editing the NV values like they do for the last generation of DROIDs should open the AT&T models up to AWS. Or maybe I just really want that to be true.
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You wouldn't need to flash the radios through recovery. The radios can be changed with a motorola specific windows program called, CDMA WS 2.7. You boot the phone into BP Tools mode and then can modify the radio.

seh6183 said:
Yes it would, but what I'm looking for specifically is to enable the LTE bands for AT&T on the verizon devices.
You wouldn't need to flash the radios through recovery. The radios can be changed with a motorola specific windows program called, CDMA WS 2.7. You boot the phone into BP Tools mode and then can modify the radio.
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Hmm...didn't know that. I've flashed through recovery on other phones, I believe. I've never had to flash a full radio on a Motorola phone, though. On the Droid Pro, it was a flashed file that unlocked it, but it wasn't actually a radio. On the M, it was done through RadioComm. Anyway, regardless of the method, I hope it's possible.

seh6183 said:
I have a droid maxx that I'm using for AT&T. For those of you who don't know, the droid maxx is supposed to be a verizon phone only. It is unlocked from the factory, but LTE does not work for AT&T or T-Mobile. Being that the maxx is essnetially just a moto x with a bigger battery, I was hoping someone could pull their radio from their phone and upload it so that I can flash it to see if it enables LTE.
There is much speculation that the maxx has the bands, but they are just diabled by verizon. I hope that flashing your guys' radio will unlock the bands. There was a similar method available to enable the Razr Maxx HD's to grab signal on AT&T. They use a motorola tool to flash the radio.
If anyone wants to help out a fellow motorola XDA member, let me know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It won't work. AT&T uses a different slice of the 700 band than Verizon as their primary LTE band. This means that they are using different radio hardware to pick up their LTE bands. They are incompatible.
AT&T also only uses AWS in a few sites here and there (not majorly rolled out in any capacity), so you're unlikely to get it with AWS as well in your city regardless. If you want LTE on AT&T, you need a Band 17 (soon to be Band 12 in the future) enabled phone. Band 13 may be 700 as well, but different slice, so incompatible. Flashing a T-Mobile radio might enable you to pick theirs up by unlocking the AWS LTE as Verizon has that disabled currently until they open up their AWS network using a software update.
Hope that clears things up and helps.

Yes I realize the networks are different, i don't doubt that. There is just speculation that the droid maxx is a world phone and has the bands there for almost everything but they are disabled. They do make a droid maxx Dev version so I can't see them making two different boards with different hardware for each.

seh6183 said:
Yes I realize the networks are different, i don't doubt that. There is just speculation that the droid maxx is a world phone and has the bands there for almost everything but they are disabled. They do make a droid maxx Dev version so I can't see them making two different boards with different hardware for each.
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If you don't believe me, check the FCC filings. They use the same boards, but there's more to that in making LTE work on a phone. As we found out with the Nexus 4, it may have the same hardware as the LTE compatible LG Optimus G, but unfortunately was missing the LTE radio hardware components, filters, amplifiers, etc (see Anandtech article). Motorola released several versions of the Moto X with the same boards, but different LTE radios (hence why we have an XT1053, XT1060, XT1058, etc).
Unfortunately, software cannot fix a missing hardware component. The Droid Maxx does not support Band 17 for AT&T, therefore, you are missing a hardware component and will not be able to get AT&T LTE regardless of how many radios you flash.
For further proof, look at the Razr HD forums. They only released one version (XT925) for internationally and we thought we could flash different radios to use abroad only to find out that different regions had different radio hardware (EVEN THOUGH they were all XT925 models). Motorola doesn't play when it comes to hardware.

UserDemos said:
If you don't believe me, check the FCC filings. They use the same boards, but there's more to that in making LTE work on a phone. As we found out with the Nexus 4, it may have the same hardware as the LTE compatible LG Optimus G, but unfortunately was missing the LTE radio hardware components, filters, amplifiers, etc (see Anandtech article). Motorola released several versions of the Moto X with the same boards, but different LTE radios (hence why we have an XT1053, XT1060, XT1058, etc).
Unfortunately, software cannot fix a missing hardware component. The Droid Maxx does not support Band 17 for AT&T, therefore, you are missing a hardware component and will not be able to get AT&T LTE regardless of how many radios you flash.
For further proof, look at the Razr HD forums. They only released one version (XT925) for internationally and we thought we could flash different radios to use abroad only to find out that different regions had different radio hardware (EVEN THOUGH they were all XT925 models). Motorola doesn't play when it comes to hardware.
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Not trying to say you're wrong, but the Nexus 4 worked on LTE with the proper radio mods. Not sure if the signal levels were different than a phone that was LTE-capable out of the box, though.

freak4dell said:
Not trying to say you're wrong, but the Nexus 4 worked on LTE with the proper radio mods. Not sure if the signal levels were different than a phone that was LTE-capable out of the box, though.
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The Nexus 4 only worked on Band 4 (AWS) LTE because it had the radio antenna, but none of the other parts (amplifier, filter, etc). The quality wasn't the same. Plus, people were using it on T-Mobile which has their entire LTE rollout on AWS.
For AT&T, per the original question, the Droid Maxx lacks the hardware for Band 17. For AWS, it is there and a radio mod could work, but you will only get it in like a handful of cities for AT&T as this is not their primary spectrum band.

UserDemos said:
The Nexus 4 only worked on Band 4 (AWS) LTE because it had the radio antenna, but none of the other parts (amplifier, filter, etc). The quality wasn't the same. Plus, people were using it on T-Mobile which has their entire LTE rollout on AWS.
For AT&T, per the original question, the Droid Maxx lacks the hardware for Band 17. For AWS, it is there and a radio mod could work, but you will only get it in like a handful of cities for AT&T as this is not their primary spectrum band.
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All I know is that I have full blazing h+ right out of the box on at&t.

So who's going to try flashing TMo radio on the 1058?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

seh6183 said:
All I know is that I have full blazing h+ right out of the box on at&t.
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Of course you would. Let's look at specifications (from the official site at http://www.motorola.com/us/shop-all-mobile-phones/Droid-Maxx/m-droid-maxx.html):
WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100
CDMA 800/1900
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
LTE Band 04/13
First, as a stipulation of the 700 Block auction, all Verizon phones have to be SIM unlocked. Therefore, that's why you can use your AT&T sim and get AT&T HSPA+ out of the box. It clearly says HSPA+ is supported in the specs (WCMDA 850/900/1900/2100). Why? AT&T uses 850 and 1900 for their HSPA+.
But AT&T LTE? Nope. Why? AT&T LTE uses Band 17 mostly, with Bands 2, 4, and 5 to supplement. Let's look back at the specs (LTE Band 04/13). Ouch, that's only 1 of AT&T supplementary LTE bands. Therefore again, you WILL NOT receive AT&T LTE on your Verizon Maxx unless you are in a Band 4 market (which there are a few and they're mostly small cities).
Flashing a radio will not fix the hardware issue of the lack of Band 17 support. Don't believe me? Try it. I've already tried with another Motorola phone in the past to spend lots of wasted time trying to exactly what you're trying.

But is the hardware missing or is it just a matter of software? Xperia T is software, hoping Motor X is the same way.
I'm interested in activating AWS on one of the unlocked models floating around EBay... The Puerto Rican ones.
Sent from my LT30at using Tapatalk 4

UserDemos said:
Of course you would. Let's look at specifications (from the official site at http://www.motorola.com/us/shop-all-mobile-phones/Droid-Maxx/m-droid-maxx.html):
WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100
CDMA 800/1900
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
LTE Band 04/13
First, as a stipulation of the 700 Block auction, all Verizon phones have to be SIM unlocked. Therefore, that's why you can use your AT&T sim and get AT&T HSPA+ out of the box. It clearly says HSPA+ is supported in the specs (WCMDA 850/900/1900/2100). Why? AT&T uses 850 and 1900 for their HSPA+.
But AT&T LTE? Nope. Why? AT&T LTE uses Band 17 mostly, with Bands 2, 4, and 5 to supplement. Let's look back at the specs (LTE Band 04/13). Ouch, that's only 1 of AT&T supplementary LTE bands. Therefore again, you WILL NOT receive AT&T LTE on your Verizon Maxx unless you are in a Band 4 market (which there are a few and they're mostly small cities).
Flashing a radio will not fix the hardware issue of the lack of Band 17 support. Don't believe me? Try it. I've already tried with another Motorola phone in the past to spend lots of wasted time trying to exactly what you're trying.
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Ok but this does nothing to tell us about the actual board in the droid maxx. Of course they aren't going to list the bands that the phone isn't capable right out of the box. The nexus 4 was listed as not having LTE even though it actually did. All I'm saying is that the bands may be there even though its stated that they're not. They may just be software locked. The only way to know for sure is by trying different radios to see if they are unlocked.

seh6183 said:
Ok but this does nothing to tell us about the actual board in the droid maxx. Of course they aren't going to list the bands that the phone isn't capable right out of the box. The nexus 4 was listed as not having LTE even though it actually did. All I'm saying is that the bands may be there even though its stated that they're not. They may just be software locked. The only way to know for sure is by trying different radios to see if they are unlocked.
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Looking at the Nexus 4, it was missing most of the LTE radio components. They just got lucky. Sloppy workmanship and design on LG's part. Motorola doesn't work like that. Check the FCC filings as they provide all the information about the device. The only thing disabled about the Droid Maxx is AWS LTE which is great for T-Mobile, not AT&T.
This'll be my last post on this one. Go ahead and try to flash radios. Repeat what many of us have tried before with other devices and find out the same thing. Motorola makes variants with custom hardware radios. This is why they get the best reception. They customize them to the carrier that wants it. So the hardware in variants is very specific and precise.
Good luck in your endeavor, but don't expect a miracle.

Any Updates?
I have a SIM unlocked AT&T Customized one, and when putting in my Truphone (TMo MVNO) sim, I am only getting EDGE. Now, Truphone does not use Tmo LTE yet - so I am only concerned with HSPA+...yet I am only getting EDGE. So, wondering if I am in a re-farmed area and would a modem re-flash support HSPA+....has anyone come across this?

yankeeboy73 said:
I have a SIM unlocked AT&T Customized one, and when putting in my Truphone (TMo MVNO) sim, I am only getting EDGE. Now, Truphone does not use Tmo LTE yet - so I am only concerned with HSPA+...yet I am only getting EDGE. So, wondering if I am in a re-farmed area and would a modem re-flash support HSPA+....has anyone come across this?
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If you are in a re-farmed area, you should get TMO HSPA+ out of the box, no radio flashing required. What is your area, if I may ask?

Flashing Moto X Radios to get LTE
UserDemos said:
If you are in a re-farmed area, you should get TMO HSPA+ out of the box, no radio flashing required. What is your area, if I may ask?
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Finally someone who knows! So much misleading info on this issue. I bought the 1053 to avoid bloat, then the 1060 Dev Ed in hopes of somehow new rom or modem allowing LTE ( on basis radios were all firmware ). But _I believe you_ and will be returning the 1060 ( currently on ATT but would love maximum radios for traveling abroad ). But... would it perhaps be wiser to get the 1058, unlock the bootloader, flash a custom rom, and have clean-ish ATT + more world phone funness? I think I'm just going to stick w my 1053 but would prefer 2 more LTE bands for whatever may come up. Sense?

Axilarry said:
Finally someone who knows! So much misleading info on this issue. I bought the 1053 to avoid bloat, then the 1060 Dev Ed in hopes of somehow new rom or modem allowing LTE ( on basis radios were all firmware ). But _I believe you_ and will be returning the 1060 ( currently on ATT but would love maximum radios for traveling abroad ). But... would it perhaps be wiser to get the 1058, unlock the bootloader, flash a custom rom, and have clean-ish ATT + more world phone funness? I think I'm just going to stick w my 1053 but would prefer 2 more LTE bands for whatever may come up. Sense?
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Click to collapse
Here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2502161
Sent on my Gummy running Lenoto X

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.
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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.
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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.

[Q] International/global S5 questions.

Hey all posting here and a bit new, so excuse me as I had some questions.
Now, I have done research on unlocked factory phones for S5 but wanted to clarify as I will not jump into a purchase yet. I am thinking about a factory unlocked phone for the S5 on ebay. But, as I understand, this runs on GSM internationally. I am thinking of bringing one to Verizon, but as I am aware they run on Cdma technology and I wouldn't be able to use a sim card. Also, is it true the Exynos version of the S5 doesn't actually have LTE yet? If so, it may be a deciding factor.
Also, my girlfriend wants to possibly bring one to Virgin Mobile but I didn't think that you could as they are also Cdma. Again, wasn't sure how this would apply to unlocked phones from the factory that weren't locked to any carrier. I would also check the frequency, but there is no point of the international version has no ability to utilize LTE which are pretty fast in my areas. Any insight is greatly appreciated and as mentioned, I tried up read up a lot, but still want to make sure I fully understand. Thanks!

vexsilver said:
Hey all posting here and a bit new, so excuse me as I had some questions.
Now, I have done research on unlocked factory phones for S5 but wanted to clarify as I will not jump into a purchase yet. I am thinking about a factory unlocked phone for the S5 on ebay. But, as I understand, this runs on GSM internationally. I am thinking of bringing one to Verizon, but as I am aware they run on Cdma technology and I wouldn't be able to use a sim card. Also, is it true the Exynos version of the S5 doesn't actually have LTE yet? If so, it may be a deciding factor.
Also, my girlfriend wants to possibly bring one to Virgin Mobile but I didn't think that you could as they are also Cdma. Again, wasn't sure how this would apply to unlocked phones from the factory that weren't locked to any carrier. I would also check the frequency, but there is no point of the international version has no ability to utilize LTE which are pretty fast in my areas. Any insight is greatly appreciated and as mentioned, I tried up read up a lot, but still want to make sure I fully understand. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as far as I know the GS5 is not dual radio, so it is GSM only, if you want to use it on CDMA, you probably have to buy from the carrier. But be warned, as of now there is no chance of bootloader unlocking and root on many carrier devices.
Exynos version has no LTE and has very little dev support.

Hellscythe said:
as far as I know the GS5 is not dual radio, so it is GSM only, if you want to use it on CDMA, you probably have to buy from the carrier. But be warned, as of now there is no chance of bootloader unlocking and root on many carrier devices.
Exynos version has no LTE and has very little dev support.
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Hey there and thanks for taking the time to reply. Yeah seems like the phones too fresh. I will think about that then and maybe give the phone more time. Meanwhile, seeing what my S3 could do for flexibility.

FINALLY! A single hardware variant for all US carriers.

Looking at the FCC docs for what appears to be the S7, it seems like Samsung will finally make just a single hardware variant for the US, FCC ID A3LSMG935US, with the different carrier models' features and bands being enabled/disabled solely in software or firmware.
Assuming this observation is correct, this will mark a sea change in Samsung's approach which in the past meant creating a plethora of hardware variants for the US market.
This may also mean that at some point we might see an unlocked model with broad support for multiple US carriers.

FINALLY! A single hardware variant for all US carriers
myphone12345 said:
Looking at the FCC docs for what appears to be the S7, it seems like Samsung will finally make just a single hardware variant for the US, FCC ID A3LSMG935US, with the different carrier models' features and bands being enabled/disabled solely in software or firmware.
Assuming this observation is correct, this will mark a sea change in Samsung's approach which in the past meant creating a plethora of hardware variants for the US market.
This may also mean that at some point we might see an unlocked model with broad support for multiple US carriers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope this will come true

haldi15 said:
GayT&T and Verizon will still lock the bootloaders on their versions
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Probably true but since most of us will have to buy the phone outright now due to no carrier subsidies, couldn't we just buy a T-Mobile version and active whatever bands are needed for lets say Verizon? I have always heard that T-Mobile phones are easier to deal with as far as a Sammy BL goes. I may be way off on my thinking but it was my thought as this was a way around Verizon and AT&T locking down the equipment that we own.

t_house said:
Probably true but since most of us will have to buy the phone outright now due to no carrier subsidies, couldn't we just buy a T-Mobile version and active whatever bands are needed for lets say Verizon? I have always heard that T-Mobile phones are easier to deal with as far as a Sammy BL goes. I may be way off on my thinking but it was my thought as this was a way around Verizon and AT&T locking down the equipment that we own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
correct both US and canadian users already do this, you can either hex edit the modem or just flash a modem that carries the support already as many users have done.

t_house said:
Probably true but since most of us will have to buy the phone outright now due to no carrier subsidies, couldn't we just buy a T-Mobile version and active whatever bands are needed for lets say Verizon? I have always heard that T-Mobile phones are easier to deal with as far as a Sammy BL goes. I may be way off on my thinking but it was my thought as this was a way around Verizon and AT&T locking down the equipment that we own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Been using TMOBILE Phones on ATT Network for 5 years. S4- S5-Note 3, 4 and 5, S6 - etc.

Perhaps this coincides with the rumored Samsung leasing program and one unlocked phone for all carriers.
Only recently has Verizon started activating unlocked phones ie Nexus.
My 2 cents

Solace50 said:
correct both US and canadian users already do this, you can either hex edit the modem or just flash a modem that carries the support already as many users have done.
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Is it really expected to be that easy to use a T-Mobile S7 on Verizon? T-Mobile leaves them unlocked so you can flash Verizon radios and are good to go?

Redflea said:
Is it really expected to be that easy to use a T-Mobile S7 on Verizon? T-Mobile leaves them unlocked so you can flash Verizon radios and are good to go?
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I know in the past you could always take a Verizon S7 and use it on T-Mobile or AT&T, but the problem has been a lack of band support since Verizon only seems to include at most bands 2, 4, 5, and 13. Here's hoping the S7 changes this.

geoff5093 said:
I know in the past you could always take a Verizon S7 and use it on T-Mobile or AT&T, but the problem has been a lack of band support since Verizon only seems to include at most bands 2, 4, 5, and 13. Here's hoping the S7 changes this.
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I'm more interested in the other direction, T-Mobile S7 Edge on Verizon. If that's doable, that would be nice.

Redflea said:
I'm more interested in the other direction, T-Mobile S7 Edge on Verizon. If that's doable, that would be nice.
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I really hope so. In the past only the Verizon model could work on Verizon, but I think it's about time Samsung changes this and follows the route of the Nexus, iPhone, and Moto direction of one phone that works on all carriers.

I have a Verizon S5 and I can easily activate any band I need by changing settings in the IOT Hidden Menu and/or Service Mode. It's been a minute since I last played around with my phone in that capacity but I know I can do it. Obviously root access is a must to do any of this so I guess we will see if Sammy bastardizes the S7 like they did the S6 Edge and Edge+ with no options at all for root. That really is a deal breaker for me. I'll keep my S5 and see what the 2016 versions of the Nexus phones are like.

t_house said:
I have a Verizon S5 and I can easily activate any band I need by changing settings in the IOT Hidden Menu and/or Service Mode. It's been a minute since I last played around with my phone in that capacity but I know I can do it. Obviously root access is a must to do any of this so I guess we will see if Sammy bastardizes the S7 like they did the S6 Edge and Edge+ with no options at all for root. That really is a deal breaker for me. I'll keep my S5 and see what the 2016 versions of the Nexus phones are like.
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No, you can't activate any band you need. You may be able to activate certain unlocked bands, but it still lacks many of the bands that are in use today by other carriers.

It has come to my attention that the Straight Talk version of the Galaxy S5 comes with an unlocked bootloader and is practically identical to the Verizon version. Cyanogenmod and TWRP can be loaded on to it. You would treat it as a developer model S5.
Sent from my rooted SM-G900V

t_house said:
It has come to my attention that the Straight Talk version of the Galaxy S5 comes with an unlocked bootloader and is practically identical to the Verizon version. Cyanogenmod and TWRP can be loaded on to it. You would treat it as a developer model S5.
Sent from my rooted SM-G900V
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That's awesome if true. Have you actually done this yourself? Or do you have a source?

Apparently AT&T will be offering an off-contract phone but still unsure if it will be unlocked or not. Does anyone have experience with AT&T and their off-contract phones.

Redflea said:
Is it really expected to be that easy to use a T-Mobile S7 on Verizon? T-Mobile leaves them unlocked so you can flash Verizon radios and are good to go?
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That seems to be what OP is implying, though I'm not as optimistic. If that's confirmed true then I'll be getting an S7 on day one.
Unlimited data keeps us on Verizon, but I'm so sick and tired of their locked down devices.

myphone12345 said:
Looking at the FCC docs for what appears to be the S7, it seems like Samsung will finally make just a single hardware variant for the US, FCC ID A3LSMG935US, with the different carrier models' features and bands being enabled/disabled solely in software or firmware.
Assuming this observation is correct, this will mark a sea change in Samsung's approach which in the past meant creating a plethora of hardware variants for the US market.
This may also mean that at some point we might see an unlocked model with broad support for multiple US carriers.
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Apparently not:
G930F (Global); G930A (AT&T, Cricket); G930P (Sprint, Boost, Virgin Mobile); G930V (Verizon); G930T (T-Mobile, Metro PCS); G930R (US Cellular)
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Source

I think OP was referring to this image. Notice the middle model.

jal3223 said:
I think OP was referring to this image. Notice the middle model.
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Very interesting. But...
No VoLTE on that model means no simultaneous voice and data on Verizon, as voice will always be CDMA (assuming they don't try and pitch a hissy fit about activating on their network in the first place). Also no wifi calling on that model.
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

So the T-Mobile site says it supports LTE band 13. I wonder if it could be used on Verizon, even if only in LTE mode?

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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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?
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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
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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.
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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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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.
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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!