Database Users

Will Non-Verizon Firmware Work?

Hey everyone -
Apologies if this has been asked before, but a simple search didn't turn up results. Verizon (surprise surprise) is already lagging behind on firmware updates. For those of us who are S-Off, unlocked, and on custom ROMs, is it possible to flash an updated firmware (such as 1.80.617.1) and still use our phones? Or are we stuck on Verizon's release cycle for firmware updates?
EDIT - I meant to post this in the Questions & Answers section, my apologies. If any mods want to move it, please feel free.

btonetbone said:
Hey everyone -
Apologies if this has been asked before, but a simple search didn't turn up results. Verizon (surprise surprise) is already lagging behind on firmware updates. For those of us who are S-Off, unlocked, and on custom ROMs, is it possible to flash an updated firmware (such as 1.80.617.1) and still use our phones? Or are we stuck on Verizon's release cycle for firmware updates?
EDIT - I meant to post this in the Questions & Answers section, my apologies. If any mods want to move it, please feel free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
we're stuck on verizon's firmware. i use viper and the software is updated to the latest release, just not using the eu/intl firmware.

btonetbone said:
Hey everyone -
Apologies if this has been asked before, but a simple search didn't turn up results. Verizon (surprise surprise) is already lagging behind on firmware updates. For those of us who are S-Off, unlocked, and on custom ROMs, is it possible to flash an updated firmware (such as 1.80.617.1) and still use our phones? Or are we stuck on Verizon's release cycle for firmware updates?
EDIT - I meant to post this in the Questions & Answers section, my apologies. If any mods want to move it, please feel free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are on Verizon you should be using Verizon firmware. Just because a version number is different doesn't mean it's ahead. They are different forks tested and tweaked for entirely different networks.
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk

dottat said:
If you are on Verizon you should be using Verizon firmware. Just because a version number is different doesn't mean it's ahead. They are different forks tested and tweaked for entirely different networks.
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But does that hold true when flashing the Verizon radio behind the other firmware?(not challenging your statement here, just asking a variation of the OP question)
I think that is the main thing people want to know when this topic comes up. I've seen the question and information on it scattered in pieces across multiple threads, but never fully answered by being backed with a report by someone who did it.
So you don't think I am one of those that just sits back to let someone else do the work - I am willing to try such a thing by flashing the US unlocked or Europe FW followed by the VZW radio you pulled, but would need a little guidance in terms of how to provide feedback. Test signal before/after? I know from Viper thread loss of camera is something to watch out for. Any other specific items/parameters to check before/after? Since Viper just did a re-base, I have been searching and debating between those two FW anyway. First the Euro to match the ROM, then the US because they have the ROM flashing on all FW out at the moment.

camparks said:
But does that hold true when flashing the Verizon radio behind the other firmware?(not challenging your statement here, just asking a variation of the OP question)
I think that is the main thing people want to know when this topic comes up. I've seen the question and information on it scattered in pieces across multiple threads, but never fully answered by being backed with a report by someone who did it.
So you don't think I am one of those that just sits back to let someone else do the work - I am willing to try such a thing by flashing the US unlocked or Europe FW followed by the VZW radio you pulled, but would need a little guidance in terms of how to provide feedback. Test signal before/after? I know from Viper thread loss of camera is something to watch out for. Any other specific items/parameters to check before/after? Since Viper just did a re-base, I have been searching and debating between those two FW anyway. First the Euro to match the ROM, then the US because they have the ROM flashing on all FW out at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So here's the thing... you will see unlocked users who simply flashed the radio complain they often get stuck on 3g/1x. You will see the posts about the camera loss. You will see things about loss of volte. The firmware is always optimized for the rom/carrier for which it was written. They won't include vzw fixes in unlocked firmware since that phone isn't targeted for use on the vzw network.
Between the rom and the firmware it's really just a different fork altogether. They aren't mean to be used without each other as a dependency.
Euro firmware will likely have some odd wifi side effects for some folks as they use different bands over there.

dottat said:
So here's the thing... you will see unlocked users who simply flashed the radio complain they often get stuck on 3g/1x. You will see the posts about the camera loss. You will see things about loss of volte. The firmware is always optimized for the rom/carrier for which it was written. They won't include vzw fixes in unlocked firmware since that phone isn't targeted for use on the vzw network.
Between the rom and the firmware it's really just a different fork altogether. They aren't mean to be used without each other as a dependency.
Euro firmware will likely have some odd wifi side effects for some folks as they use different bands over there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So can we back up just a bit to where I believe this all stems from - Is the HTC 10 truly a single-hardware phone? Therein, making all "variants" manifested only by which firmware is flashed? Is that true globally? If not, is that true for all in a particular "zone"(Europe, Asia, US, etc.)?
Ok, with the Euro FW the issues are apparent, given different standards not only for cellular, but also the camera and wi-fi vary from those here in the US. Even if one were to flash a US carrier radio, the camera and wi-fi issues could still pop up. Moving on from that consideration.
For US unlocked, there should be no standards issue, correct? Assuming hardware is the same for atleast all US carriers, what besides the radios would differ between carriers when not running stock ROMs?
Obviously there would be issues when on stock ROMs due to custom apps, features, etc. that would break not only when running different non-stock FW, but also when running one carrier's stock ROM on another carrier's network. All that is ill-advised and goes back to you only recommending stock FW.
Thanks for discussing this. I do not question your advise at all, I just want to explore the what and why of it all to put it all in one place. Thanks for humoring me and my questions!

camparks said:
So can we back up just a bit to where I believe this all stems from - Is the HTC 10 truly a single-hardware phone? Therein, making all "variants" manifested only by which firmware is flashed? Is that true globally? If not, is that true for all in a particular "zone"(Europe, Asia, US, etc.)?
Ok, with the Euro FW the issues are apparent, given different standards not only for cellular, but also the camera and wi-fi vary from those here in the US. Even if one were to flash a US carrier radio, the camera and wi-fi issues could still pop up. Moving on from that consideration.
For US unlocked, there should be no standards issue, correct? Assuming hardware is the same for atleast all US carriers, what besides the radios would differ between carriers when not running stock ROMs?
Obviously there would be issues when on stock ROMs due to custom apps, features, etc. that would break not only when running different non-stock FW, but also when running one carrier's stock ROM on another carrier's network. All that is ill-advised and goes back to you only recommending stock FW.
Thanks for discussing this. I do not question your advise at all, I just want to explore the what and why of it all to put it all in one place. Thanks for humoring me and my questions!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hardware wise most are the same. And you are right about me recommending firmware that matches your carrier. That aside, my experience has been like this....
I have been asked a couple times to try to fully convert a phone from one carrier to another. On the 10, we know that unlocked<->verizon works and we thought it would since HTC gave them the same MID (different CIDs though). On the m9, I have attempted to fully convert a verizon m9 to an ATT model. The RUU flashes everything BUT tp and one or two other ones. It boots up fine (att death star and all)... but it will never boot to recovery and never load TWRP when flashed. There's something about the overall partition structure that makes it different.
On the rom/firmware front.... Verizon and HTC do very specific testing for firmware/OS releases. They do this not only to ensure optimal performance for the user, but also to make sure that the phone itself doesn't cause issues on the network itself. As the manager of an engineering team for a huge US based ISP, I can tell you that firmware of devices CAN and DOES impact the network stability from time to time. I'm not talking about capacity issues, I'm talking about your phone making a phone call and causing a network card back at the CO/Tower/ETC reset. It does happen.
Lastly, I measure things by what you gain. What would gain by flashing unlocked or EU firmware images onto a phone on the verizon network? An increase in number version? As much as I see people who change their aboot do so to avoid red text, it always surprised me to see a VZW phone with a third X.X.401.X number on their bootloader indicating non-vzw firmware. There's a new piece of fun around since the m9 and present on the 10. If you manage to get an aboot on your phone doesnt match your firmware and you reboot the phone you will be stuck in bootloader with no access to download/recovery and often OS. The only fix is to manually flash each firmware image / partition file by name manually and it must match the aboot for it to work. So that's another reason to not go and mix and match because to be honest... most people don't make it beyond the panic moment of that. That phone gets returned and added to the reasons verizon makes it more difficult going forward.
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There's my 2 cents

935F vs 935W8 roms

Hello all I've been out of the phone modding game for about 4 years and just picked up a w8 model and like the phone though sad to see no cm.
I've been browsing the site and had a few questions about modding my phone.. Several roms specifically say it supports w8 while others just say 935F.. is there really additional code to support the w8 or the rom just hasn't been verified by the developer?
Also several roms say to install the latest bootloader and modem but the link only takes you to the 935F versions.. I already have the latest update from Wind in Canada which ends in API1 is this good enough or do I need to flash a different downloaded version and if so can someone point me in the right direction for the Wind files..
One last thing.. I see a lot of people discussing flashing a csc.. but not sure what that is. I assume it's local carrier settings or something but how often is it needed? And does it only need to be done with certain roms or if there are certain issues.
I've only really used HTC and Nexus phones previously so don't wanna brick this pretty new toy as I bought it second hand and don't have warranty.
Also.. probably not the place to ask but what roms do you guys prefer that supports w8? I'm looking for something fast debloated and lots of customization.. haven't really seen the N7 so not sure about new UX.. I've usually gone cm all the way so used to default android..
Thanks for any info/advice/recommendations

I can't believe this question isn't answered. All samsung line with a pile of unecessary variations is confusing. I just picked up the phone and have no idea, while it should be same cpu=same rom

custom roms for this device worth it?

should i bother with the limited selection of roms? which one is also good?

drckml said:
should i bother with the limited selection of roms? which one is also good?
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Click to collapse
It's all pretty much the same for me. Just different interface/some customizations, battery life between stock rom and CM13/LineageOS.
I flashed pretty much most of them stock, Cm13, Google Edition, Turbo rom. It depends what you like I think, everyone is different.
I like Cm13 by the Spainish team this tread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-pro3/how-to/cm13-0-lex720-team-superluminal-t3523391
I am running this rom I found it good: T.A.R.S-Dev-23S by Steve: http://tars-lepro3.blogspot.com.es/2017/02/tars-23s-beta-dev-para-lepro3-x720.html.
And Turbo rom I flashed few of them maybe the K6 was good, not sure you can still download it as the tread been closed.
7.1 Rom just one available I haven't try it yet. The custom roms are better than stock I think for speed,performance, sound etc.

Lineage or Turbo
drckml said:
should i bother with the limited selection of roms? which one is also good?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Compared to the overbloated stock, I would also say that all custom roms are an improvement. I started with Cydras google edition, 2 Turbo versions but for the longest time and still am on the official lineage which has it's flaws, but all combined is not far from great.
Imo this could still be consolidated, there are some obviously very skilled developers involved but they do - to me as a noob - not seem to fully benefit from each others discoveries. Why would you need more than one great marshmallow and one great nougat rom(at some point in the future when they manage to get the camera working) which can then, as it always could, be customized to a very far extend?
I hope that at some point they will do some combined version - looking at what different parts and functions some of them managed to exceed expections, if that was combined... Well, I like to dream about it ...

SM-t355Y compatibility with other roms?

Basically I looking at running a stock android experience, something akin my nexus 6p.
From what I can see, there is not much info in the way of this particular model due to whatever reason.
When I had a Xoom, I was able to flash all the different versions on it as long as I didnt care about the LTE functionality, is that the same with the tab a? (assuming all other functionality is working in the rom)

Doograwr said:
Basically I looking at running a stock android experience, something akin my nexus 6p.
From what I can see, there is not much info in the way of this particular model due to whatever reason.
When I had a Xoom, I was able to flash all the different versions on it as long as I didnt care about the LTE functionality, is that the same with the tab a? (assuming all other functionality is working in the rom)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can probably use ROMs for the T350 and only lose LTE but the chance of using anything else are slim to none. Samsung's Tab A designation doesn't mean much at all. It pretty much only designates into what price category the tablet falls.

4929york said:
You can probably use ROMs for the T350 and only lose LTE but the chance of using anything else are slim to none.
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Click to collapse
Good to know! Now, to actually root the prick, had nothing but issues with it on 7.1.1

Best Upgrade for my Note 4

So I have an old Note 4, the SM-N910T. It's worked great for years, but after recent updates it just keeps getting worse and worse. It constantly errors out, telling me System UI is not responding. It loses GPS every time I try to use google maps for directions. And several times a week (if not a day) I'll get the x over my bars and can't even make phone calls with it.
I thought about just resetting it to see if that would help. But if I'm going to do that I thought I might as well try a whole upgrade to whatever the best is currently out there for it. I currently use Cricket as my carrier.
Any advice?
Ps. recently things like my Bank App (USAA) stopped working for my phone. The current version is no longer supported. Would the roms out there let me use it again?

THEGODSLAYER said:
Ps. recently things like my Bank App (USAA) stopped working for my phone. The current version is no longer supported. Would the roms out there let me use it again?
Click to expand...
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Would grabbing the official APK file from an APK mirror make a diff? I am on Android Pie, Rusurrection Rom. It's amazing. There is a battery glitch tho that can be addressed while charging it to 100 percent in recovery. After that it appears to go away.
Why not go with a Pocophone F1 or the Redmi Note 7? Both of them are "flagship killers" and both of them are able to use the Gcam mod which greatly improves on the stock cam in every regard. Simply amazing to be honest.

I'm not that familiar with what my options are. I'd like to keep using the Note 4 that I have. I just don't know if there are packages out there that would work better then the default stuff that is one it now. It seems like the latest updates really made it run like crap.
I think I'm on Android 6 Marshmallow right now. Is there a way to get a newer Android version on my phone, perhaps one that runs better then what it came with?

why not root and flash the last rom marshmallow 6.0.1, and see if your problems go away.

bluefender said:
why not root and flash the last rom marshmallow 6.0.1, and see if your problems go away.
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I could do that I guess. I was just wondering what the best rom out there for my phone is? What do people recommend. I guess I was under the impression that there were more options now. The standard T-Mobile software that's on there now has just gotten worse and worse with each update.
I didn't know if there was a way to put a newer version of Android on an older phone like that. Or if I'm stuck with Marshmallow?

THEGODSLAYER said:
I could do that I guess. I was just wondering what the best rom out there for my phone is? What do people recommend. I guess I was under the impression that there were more options now. The standard T-Mobile software that's on there now has just gotten worse and worse with each update.
I didn't know if there was a way to put a newer version of Android on an older phone like that. Or if I'm stuck with Marshmallow?
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Click to collapse
depends on what version of the note 4 you have, there are nougat and orea clones if you will, what verson note have you got
https://www.phonemore.com/models/samsung/galaxy-note-4/

bluefender said:
depends on what version of the note 4 you have, there are nougat and orea clones if you will, what verson note have you got
https://www.phonemore.com/models/samsung/galaxy-note-4/
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Click to collapse
I have the SM-N910T.

theres a few on this site and https://galaxynote4root.com/category/t-mobile-note-4-roms/