Database Users

US Cellular Note 4 SIM Unlocking

Hey all,
I recently got my Note 4 through US Cellular SIM unlocked and when I insert another SIM from AT&T or Tmobile, the phone accepts the SIM but there isn't any setting to change the phone to global mode in the network settings area, nor is there a way to change APNs. I cannot place calls on either Tmobile or AT&T with it, which I find odd since the phone doesn't reject the SIM. Does this version not have support for GSM bands or is it something to do with US Cellular's software that prevents it from connecting to United States GSM carriers? Is there a hidden setting that I need to get into to enable GSM use? Thanks all!
Sent from my Galaxy Note 4 (US Cellular) using XDA Free mobile app

Here's a screenshot of what I get when I try to change the network type to Global or GSM.
Sent from my US Cellular Note 4 using XDA Free mobile app

Old thread but bumpin, any news on this?

I also have bought a US Cellular Note Edge (not arrived yet) to use it in European GSM Networks. Phone was really cheap, so i thought i'll give it a try. Anyone have news on how to unlock GSM capabilities on this ? Maybe with a Rom from a GSM Edge ?

sportsinger75 said:
Hey all,
I recently got my Note 4 through US Cellular SIM unlocked and when I insert another SIM from AT&T or Tmobile, the phone accepts the SIM but there isn't any setting to change the phone to global mode in the network settings area, nor is there a way to change APNs. I cannot place calls on either Tmobile or AT&T with it, which I find odd since the phone doesn't reject the SIM. Does this version not have support for GSM bands or is it something to do with US Cellular's software that prevents it from connecting to United States GSM carriers? Is there a hidden setting that I need to get into to enable GSM use? Thanks all!
Sent from my Galaxy Note 4 (US Cellular) using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you get your note 4 unlocked?
Thanks,
Shaun

mv-testarossa said:
I also have bought a US Cellular Note Edge (not arrived yet) to use it in European GSM Networks. Phone was really cheap, so i thought i'll give it a try. Anyone have news on how to unlock GSM capabilities on this ? Maybe with a Rom from a GSM Edge ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you let us know what your experience with the US Cellular Note Edge?

I am having the same problem
gd

kv

I recently spent some time on the phone with the executive assistant to the president uscellular and well I had no success in getting my phone unlocked if I understand correctly the phone is cable of gsm also. If anyone would like I can give you the number 4 this lady name Karen and you can bring her directly. I also spoke with several members of the presidents executive Support technical service and they all indicated that the machine would have to be taking it into the store to be unlocked. the weird thing was that the machine is not blacklisted, stolen nor gained in any ill gotten way but yet all with one accord further said that it would be refuse for unlocking without giving any good reason. I understand the company was sued in court and lost the battle to not unlock their phones and this seems to not affect them only one to one basis. I will find a solution to this and I will share it. I would be grateful for any help in doing meanwhile.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app

Hey, everybody. I hope I'm able to help... and in turn, I hope someone is able to help me.
Supposedly... newer Qualcomm-powered Android phones are inherently capable of connecting to any CDMA or GSM network. However, the different bands are enabled/disabled per the carrier's specifications. For instance, I'm a Verizon customer, and I connect to bands 4 and 13 for LTE service. However, US Cellular devices do not have band 13 enabled by default.
All hope is not yet lost, though. There is a thread (which has since been closed due to trolling/bickering) that details a method to flash the Qualcomm chip to enable/disable bands as needed. See here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s5/general/how-to-add-rf-lte-frequency-bands-to-t2886059 According to the information there... it seems that I'd be able to flash the CPU chip to enable band 13, and then I'd have support for all 1x / 2G / 3G / LTE bands that I'd need for Verizon. Likewise for T-Mo, Sprint, ATT, etc.
Now for my problem...
I have recently purchased a USC Note 4 (N910R4) from Amazon, though it was listed as a N910F, International Edition. It was listed as having been unlocked for use on any CDMA network. Unfortunately, the phone does not recognize my Verizon SIM, Verizon couldn't give me any information about the device, and a US Cellular support chat representative said I'd have to visit a store to check if the phone is actually unlocked. The closes USC store is several hours away in another state. The phone came with a USC SIM still in it... and it recognizes that SIM without a problem. I can't make phone calls, though... and no mobile data, either.
I had intended to use the International Version (N910F) and enable the correct bands per the thread above... and then activate the phone on my Verizon account... but the USC version should be close enough in band support that I'd be able to at least activate the phone. The USC phone supports band 4 LTE, and I get band 4 service where I'm sitting right now. If not that, the 2G and 3G band support are identical, I believe. So, I'm just doubtful that I'll be able to activate the phone just yet.
Can anyone shed light on how to verify that my new phone is actually carrier/SIM unlocked? I was hoping I'd be able to get someone to query a database of unlocked MEIDs, but for some reason, I am supposed to go to a store. I can't even call.
Any help is appreciated.

DrPhant0m said:
Hey, everybody. I hope I'm able to help... and in turn, I hope someone is able to help me.
Supposedly... newer Qualcomm-powered Android phones are inherently capable of connecting to any CDMA or GSM network. However, the different bands are enabled/disabled per the carrier's specifications. For instance, I'm a Verizon customer, and I connect to bands 4 and 13 for LTE service. However, US Cellular devices do not have band 13 enabled by default.
All hope is not yet lost, though. There is a thread (which has since been closed due to trolling/bickering) that details a method to flash the Qualcomm chip to enable/disable bands as needed. See here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s5/general/how-to-add-rf-lte-frequency-bands-to-t2886059 According to the information there... it seems that I'd be able to flash the CPU chip to enable band 13, and then I'd have support for all 1x / 2G / 3G / LTE bands that I'd need for Verizon. Likewise for T-Mo, Sprint, ATT, etc.
Now for my problem...
I have recently purchased a USC Note 4 (N910R4) from Amazon, though it was listed as a N910F, International Edition. It was listed as having been unlocked for use on any CDMA network. Unfortunately, the phone does not recognize my Verizon SIM, Verizon couldn't give me any information about the device, and a US Cellular support chat representative said I'd have to visit a store to check if the phone is actually unlocked. The closes USC store is several hours away in another state. The phone came with a USC SIM still in it... and it recognizes that SIM without a problem. I can't make phone calls, though... and no mobile data, either.
I had intended to use the International Version (N910F) and enable the correct bands per the thread above... and then activate the phone on my Verizon account... but the USC version should be close enough in band support that I'd be able to at least activate the phone. The USC phone supports band 4 LTE, and I get band 4 service where I'm sitting right now. If not that, the 2G and 3G band support are identical, I believe. So, I'm just doubtful that I'll be able to activate the phone just yet.
Can anyone shed light on how to verify that my new phone is actually carrier/SIM unlocked? I was hoping I'd be able to get someone to query a database of unlocked MEIDs, but for some reason, I am supposed to go to a store. I can't even call.
Any help is appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I share all your concerns sir. I too have not learned yet how to determine if USC nope for exactly carrier locked or no but I am of the firmest belief based on what I've learned from USC at various levels up to the Presidents executive team that it is indeed carrier locked. I cannot answer for yours then I believe that all under phones come in one of the two varieties and I am convinced even after the court ruling against them that they I have no intent to unlock a phone by less than forcesure. Furthermore I have no confidence that the store they may send you to has any unlocking abilities. According to the executive team that does this work in reality you must in the machine into them and prove its worthwhile to be unlocked. In my case well they cannot prove there is any malfeasance, they still choose to err on the side of caution and refuse to accept any proof then I have of the machine purchased new complete and clean but from a second party. They furthermore refuse to contact the locals that originally sold the phone and truthfully are the first corporation that ever more me so thin that I chose to unlock the bang bang myself. I remain as giddy as a schoolboy hoping to hear more good news from this post. I'm confident then I currently have the knowledge to fix the phone but do not currently have the time. I will happily update I'll with my success be crying the Blues at my failure soon.
GH
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app

Any updates, guys? Did flashing the ROM to allow access to additional channels work for anyone? Thinking of buying a USC Note 4 and then trying to unlock it for GSM usage.

Any news on unlocking or using on GSM networks? thx

kardeşim ne yaptın telefonu açabildin mi ?
aynı sorun bendede var

Has anyone got any further with this? I've just bought a US cellular note 4 and my APN settings are greyed out. I'm assuming that US cellular will be difficult to deal with to get the phone unlocked especially if it has been bought from a third party. Has anyone had any luck with getting there's unlocked?

Hi!i set my Note Edge to say on Network mode:GSM/WCDMA/LTE but i can't place calls etc...has anyone an idea to make it work?

use z3x box to unlock it

To whom might be concern;
Make things short, NO, you cant use USC Note 4 on any US carrier if u look at the spec. The phone support only some GSM850 and FDD LTE band 5 (850mzh). And att/tmobile 2g voice is on gsm1700/2100 and LTE band is not match....... So that being said you are buying note 4 as Samsung Player and only good with USC and somewhat Verizon(need to hack for it to work, and stillike not all feature will work). Hope answer most you guy question

Phone is cdma unlocked automatically on 6.0.1 roms
---------- Post added at 05:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:45 PM ----------
DrPhant0m said:
Hey, everybody. I hope I'm able to help... and in turn, I hope someone is able to help me.
Supposedly... newer Qualcomm-powered Android phones are inherently capable of connecting to any CDMA or GSM network. However, the different bands are enabled/disabled per the carrier's specifications. For instance, I'm a Verizon customer, and I connect to bands 4 and 13 for LTE service. However, US Cellular devices do not have band 13 enabled by default.
All hope is not yet lost, though. There is a thread (which has since been closed due to trolling/bickering) that details a method to flash the Qualcomm chip to enable/disable bands as needed. See here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s5/general/how-to-add-rf-lte-frequency-bands-to-t2886059 According to the information there... it seems that I'd be able to flash the CPU chip to enable band 13, and then I'd have support for all 1x / 2G / 3G / LTE bands that I'd need for Verizon. Likewise for T-Mo, Sprint, ATT, etc.
Now for my problem...
I have recently purchased a USC Note 4 (N910R4) from Amazon, though it was listed as a N910F, International Edition. It was listed as having been unlocked for use on any CDMA network. Unfortunately, the phone does not recognize my Verizon SIM, Verizon couldn't give me any information about the device, and a US Cellular support chat representative said I'd have to visit a store to check if the phone is actually unlocked. The closes USC store is several hours away in another state. The phone came with a USC SIM still in it... and it recognizes that SIM without a problem. I can't make phone calls, though... and no mobile data, either.
I had intended to use the International Version (N910F) and enable the correct bands per the thread above... and then activate the phone on my Verizon account... but the USC version should be close enough in band support that I'd be able to at least activate the phone. The USC phone supports band 4 LTE, and I get band 4 service where I'm sitting right now. If not that, the 2G and 3G band support are identical, I believe. So, I'm just doubtful that I'll be able to activate the phone just yet.
Can anyone shed light on how to verify that my new phone is actually carrier/SIM unlocked? I was hoping I'd be able to get someone to query a database of unlocked MEIDs, but for some reason, I am supposed to go to a store. I can't even call.
Any help is appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Though the phone is automatically cdma unlocked on android 6.0.1 roms, the bands are still disabled. I suggest following DrPhant0m's advice and look into the posted link above.

Deadbit said:
Phone is cdma unlocked automatically on 6.0.1 roms
---------- Post added at 05:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:45 PM ----------
Though the phone is automatically cdma unlocked on android 6.0.1 roms, the bands are still disabled. I suggest following DrPhant0m's advice and look into the posted link above.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've still got the USC Note 4. My son uses it on wifi and to watch videos that we load to local storage. In other words... no sim card installed.
If I manually update the phone to 6.0.1... what will I gain being that I'm a Verizon customer? Is the only difference that 1 band of LTE will be inaccessible? Would it actually start working for calls and some data with a verizon sim?
The whole "reprogram other-carrier Qualcomm phones to work on Verizon's bands" is frequently debunked as chasing a unicorn in the verizon forums.
Further... is the same applicable to newer phones? Could I get a newer (note 5/7) USC phone with android 6.x+ to work with verizon? (Unlocked bootloader would be my only reason to try)
Thanks!
Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

VoLTE?

Does anyone know if the the Pure edition is going to support VoLTE on T-Mobile?

Would love to see confirmation on this as well as the other T-Mobile special features like wifi calling and advanced text messaging. If it's missing all of these carrier features it's definitely less appealing.
Sent from my SM-N910T

thegreatone3 said:
Would love to see confirmation on this as well as the other T-Mobile special features like wifi calling and advanced text messaging. If it's missing all of these carrier features it's definitely less appealing.
Sent from my SM-N910T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WiFi calling will come via Android M.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk

Welp, this has suddenly become a more important question than anybody previously thought.
T-Mobile has, uh, gently persuaded Motorola to remove Band 12 support on the Moto E and G models because they don't support VoLTE. So if you're planning on using the X Pure on T-Mo in an area where they make extensive or exclusive use of Band 12, it's going to matter a whole lot whether it can do VoLTE or not--and from what Moto is saying off the record, getting T-Mo's certification for VoLTE is neither easy nor cheap.
The ball is sort of in Motorola's court now, but they're not talking...

oh and I asked same question didn't see your thread, I would love to know if volte advanced calling will work with VZW. I enjoy it a lot.

I just made a comment regarding this in someone else's thread as well.
I've posed the question directly to Motorola (as well as a couple of reviewer sites) a couple of times myself and received no response yet, which is leading me to believe it will not.
For me, this is a deal breaker, as my purpose of getting this phone was the freedom to move to any carrier/uncarrier. Having test driven T-Mobile just before they opened up the 700mhz band 12 spectrum, I already know the building penetrating alone is poor enough in Kansas City without it that it's not practical for me to make that transition. Then there's the semi spotty service in the more outlying areas, which a lot of will be resolved by the 700mhz spectrum.
John Legere made a comment on Twitter which also leads me to believe that this device will not support FULL VoLTE on the 700mhz spectrum.
The only possibility that keeps me hopeful, is that Motorola MAY have decided to pay T-Mobile for certification for this to get the proprietary info required for true, Full VoLTE on their network.
Sent from my 831C using Tapatalk

I'm thinking that it should be possible to enable band 12 through NV editing (assuming it doesn't work out of the box). Wifi calling is coming natively through the M update. If Moto is smart, they'll roll their 12/volte update in with it, or sooner than that. Either way, I don't think it should be too difficult to get it going.

Aaaaaand, here's the answer: Out of the box, the Pure will not support VoLTE, and Band 12 (700 MHz) is being disabled for T-Mobile. They "expect" to support those things in the future, which is not the same as promising to support them.

AnalogXDA said:
Aaaaaand, here's the answer: Out of the box, the Pure will not support VoLTE, and Band 12 (700 MHz) is being disabled for T-Mobile. They "expect" to support those things in the future, which is not the same as promising to support them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious, what's your source of this info?
I'm on US Cellular which also uses Band 12 LTE for rural coverage, so this is kind of a big deal to me. They can't just block it on TMO, as there aren't carrier-specific variants, and we are the only other US carrier affected.

borxnx said:
Just curious, what's your source of this info?
I'm on US Cellular which also uses Band 12 LTE for rural coverage, so this is kind of a big deal to me. They can't just block it on TMO, as there aren't carrier-specific variants, and we are the only other US carrier affected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source for T-Mobile Band 12 support via update:
https://forums.motorola.com/posts/cab8687a11?commentId=977403#977403
Also, you may be interested in this:
https://forums.motorola.com/posts/e570e4be47?commentId=978408#978408

YankInDaSouth said:
Source for T-Mobile Band 12 support via update:
https://forums.motorola.com/posts/cab8687a11?commentId=977403#977403
Also, you may be interested in this:
https://forums.motorola.com/posts/e570e4be47?commentId=978408#978408
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info! This is a sticking point for many USCC users, and is often debated. They will allow Nexus 6 devices and iPhones purchased as unlocked devices to be used on their network. This is a very new policy, and communication has not been very efficient. It seems only some reps know about this.
I believe they are confusing "unlocked" with the previous paradigm of "GSM-only unlocked/international", because they are activating the N6 and iPhones left and right. Sometimes you just have to call back and get a different person who is willing to punch in the IMEI. They are often surprised themselves when it works.
Everything I have read has pointed to the answer that yes, they will activate this device. Employees, radio specifications, press releases, and this recent shift in their policy are all strong indicators. But we'll see, I know a few people who have ordered the device already to use on USCC's network, so I will report back when we know for sure.

What LTE bands does Sprint HTC 10 have?

I can't find any definitive answers on this. All I know is the minimum is 25, 26 and 41 but it'd be nice to know the full list. I travel internationally and without other LTE bands like band 7, it makes it tough to use it anywhere outside the US.
EDIT: Someone answered this question in another thread but it would be good to get screenshots to verify this.
m03sizlak said:
LTE Bands: 2 / 4 / 5 / 7 / 12 / 13 / 25 / 26 / 41
I've heard that the FCC filings show that the Sprint variant is not capable (tested or approved) for GSM or WCDMA, which is kind of disappointing since I travel a lot in Canada. Any confirmation on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This list of bands is a little better than both the Sprint variants of the LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7. If this phone can be unlocked, you at least have a way to go abroad and use LTE connections in much of Europe and elsewhere. Band 7 is the most common band in the world from what I understand.
I'm curious about this comment about GSM and WCDMA. Hopefully someone can verify this one way or another.

asuh said:
I'm curious about this comment about GSM and WCDMA. Hopefully someone can verify this one way or another.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you ever get an answer on this? I have a Sprint variant of the 10 and am trying to unlock it as I will be travel for the next 2 years. I've done everything I can think of but cannot get the phone's radio to work with any unlocked ROM. I could use some help here. Any advice or information you can provide?

vijn said:
Did you ever get an answer on this? I have a Sprint variant of the 10 and am trying to unlock it as I will be travel for the next 2 years. I've done everything I can think of but cannot get the phone's radio to work with any unlocked ROM. I could use some help here. Any advice or information you can provide?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you plan to travel outside the US during most of this time, your best options are to sell your HTC 10 and get one of the few unlocked flagship phones on Sprint's networks, assuming you want to stay with Sprint.
Here are your options:
Google Pixel
Samsung Galaxy S7 SM-930U
Samsung Galaxy S7 SM-935U
Nexus 6P or 5X
Motorola X Pure Edition
Apple iPhone
Here's a full list as of February 2017 of radio unlocked phones compatible with Sprint.
There are other unlocked phones that are not compatible with Sprint because CDMA and LTE bands are crippled or missing.

asuh said:
If you plan to travel outside the US during most of this time, your best options are to sell your HTC 10 and get one of the few unlocked flagship phones on Sprint's networks, assuming you want to stay with Sprint.
Here are your options:
Google Pixel
Samsung Galaxy S7 SM-930U
Samsung Galaxy S7 SM-935U
Nexus 6P or 5X
Motorola X Pure Edition
Apple iPhone
Here's a full list as of February 2017 of radio unlocked phones compatible with Sprint.
There are other unlocked phones that are not compatible with Sprint because CDMA and LTE bands are crippled or missing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response. The thing is I'm not on Sprint and have no desire to be. I won't be in the states long. I bought the phone thinking that like most, it could be unlocked and used as needed wherever I travel to. I knew it wasn't unlocked but figured I could do it myself. Well, I've tried a number of times, and keep having an issue with the radio. Can you explain what you mean by bands being crippled? What I'm trying to find out now is whether it's possible for me to get this HTC10 completely unlocked. I think I've done everything right but maybe not. I'm kinda desperate at this point. I love this phone. And if I have to I'll return it and grab another that can be unlocked but I just have a hard time believing that the phone can't be unlocked. It's a strange concept for me. Any help or info would be appreciated.

vijn said:
Thanks for the response. The thing is I'm not on Sprint and have no desire to be. I won't be in the states long. I bought the phone thinking that like most, it could be unlocked and used as needed wherever I travel to. I knew it wasn't unlocked but figured I could do it myself. Well, I've tried a number of times, and keep having an issue with the radio. Can you explain what you mean by bands being crippled? What I'm trying to find out now is whether it's possible for me to get this HTC10 completely unlocked. I think I've done everything right but maybe not. I'm kinda desperate at this point. I love this phone. And if I have to I'll return it and grab another that can be unlocked but I just have a hard time believing that the phone can't be unlocked. It's a strange concept for me. Any help or info would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, go go Google and look up what LTE bands are.
Crippled LTE bands = the hardware inside the phone will not allow certain LTE bands to work unless physically altered. It doesn't matter which ROM you install, you will not unlock all the LTE bands without physical alteration. https://www.quora.com/Does-installing-different-rom-change-LTE-band-frequency
So no, HTC 10 will never be completely unlocked. Look at the list above and buy one of those phones if you want a completely unlocked phone.

asuh said:
First, go go Google and look up what LTE bands are.
Crippled LTE bands = the hardware inside the phone will not allow certain LTE bands to work unless physically altered. It doesn't matter which ROM you install, you will not unlock all the LTE bands without physical alteration. https://www.quora.com/Does-installing-different-rom-change-LTE-band-frequency
So no, HTC 10 will never be completely unlocked. Look at the list above and buy one of those phones if you want a completely unlocked phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure I fully understand. Yes, I know that different chips have different bands that they work with. So, what you're saying is the Sprint HTC10 variant uses either a different chip or has some sort of other hardware configuration that is incompatible with GSM and the wider LTE bands and that no matter what I do with this phone I'll never have a truly unlocked phone? That's what I have understood, so my best option is to send it back. Ok, I get that. But I have read across tons of forums and threads of people who unlocked their Sprint 10s and are able to use them on other non-cdma carriers. So, how does that work? Are all the Sprint 10s the same or are some more limited than others? Are you essentially saying that i would have to get an unlocked/dev edition of the htc10 to be able to use GSM in other countries?
Sorry if i'm asking stupid questions here, I'm just trying to fully understand this. Thanks again for helping me out on this.

If anyone reading this knows better, please feel free to correct me.
This is my understanding of LTE bands and CDMA/GSM radios.
Phones like HTC 10, which are locked, include hardware that are built for specific usages. Prior to HTC 10, HTC phones built for Sprint's CDMA radio were specifically built to lock out GSM radio signals and most other LTE bands using the hardware. This means you'd have to open the physical device and modify the wiring inside the phone in order to allow other signals to work.
As of HTC 10, the locks are supposedly now just software based but I haven't seen proof of that. What this essentially means is that you should be able to unlock the bootloader and flash new Roms that could allow the GSM radio to work universally. However, lots of people are having issues with it. Here's one story of someone who was mostly successful but still had issues:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=68960210&postcount=47
Read through the thread above and you'll see a lot of people having issues trying to fully unlock the radios and LTE bands for this phone.
If you ultimately don't want to be on Sprint anyway, I think you really should consider getting something already unlocked that can universally work anywhere. And lots of interesting non-Sprint compatible phones like OnePlus 3t (among the others on the lists I provided) are already unlocked and have a lot of good capabilities and would work great anywhere. The Pixel is one of the best devices out there and the camera is amazing from what most people say.
So I think your options are limited and I'd highly suggest you consider getting a Pixel or something else already unlocked.

asuh said:
If anyone reading this knows better, please feel free to correct me.
This is my understanding of LTE bands and CDMA/GSM radios.
Phones like HTC 10, which are locked, include hardware that are built for specific usages. Prior to HTC 10, HTC phones built for Sprint's CDMA radio were specifically built to lock out GSM radio signals and most other LTE bands using the hardware. This means you'd have to open the physical device and modify the wiring inside the phone in order to allow other signals to work.
As of HTC 10, the locks are supposedly now just software based but I haven't seen proof of that. What this essentially means is that you should be able to unlock the bootloader and flash new Roms that could allow the GSM radio to work universally. However, lots of people are having issues with it. Here's one story of someone who was mostly successful but still had issues:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=68960210&postcount=47
Read through the thread above and you'll see a lot of people having issues trying to fully unlock the radios and LTE bands for this phone.
If you ultimately don't want to be on Sprint anyway, I think you really should consider getting something already unlocked that can universally work anywhere. And lots of interesting non-Sprint compatible phones like OnePlus 3t (among the others on the lists I provided) are already unlocked and have a lot of good capabilities and would work great anywhere. The Pixel is one of the best devices out there and the camera is amazing from what most people say.
So I think your options are limited and I'd highly suggest you consider getting a Pixel or something else already unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are software based. I have unlocked AT&T bands on my Sprint variant, 2 actually , and they worked perfectly fine. I would show you proof but I am back on T-Mobile which the Sprint HTC 10 already has LTE support for by default.

unlock
jblparisi said:
They are software based. I have unlocked AT&T bands on my Sprint variant, 2 actually , and they worked perfectly fine. I would show you proof but I am back on T-Mobile which the Sprint HTC 10 already has LTE support for by default.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how did you unlock it manualy? can you show me some instruction?

jacobtvaliashvili said:
how did you unlock it manualy? can you show me some instruction?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my other reply.

Questions Re: International (or Latin) unlocked S10+ or Note10+ / T-Mobile

So I am looking to buy an international (or Latin) version of either the S10+ or the Note 10+.
I am on T-Mobile in the U.S.
1. How "bad" will it be if the phone has 3 out of T-Mobile's main bands? It only lacks 71, so what's the impact will be if I don't have band 71 on this phone with T-Mobile?
2. I read in the forum about flashing T-Mobile firmware on unlocked phones. How necessary is it? I prefer not to mess with flashing anything; done it in the past, I am not 'afraid' of it, but I just don't feel like going that route. Will I be missing anything from the T-Mobile network and services if I keep the phone in its stock ROM?
For example: Wifi Calling (important to me), VoLTE, etc. Will I have access to these features if I don't flash the carrier's firmware?
Thank you.

Band 71 is used only in rural areas where cell towers are very far apart . My phones have never used band 71. If you don't know what bands your phone typically is using you can download a free signal app from the Play Store that will show what band your phone is connected to. Unless you live in a very rural area or frequently find yourself in rural areas it's unlikely you need band 71.
Flashing T-Mobile firmware shouldn't be necessary. I don't have the international S10+ but rather the US unlocked model and I get both WiFi Calling and Volte fine without T-Mobile firmware.
I've used many different models of international unlocked phones from Xiaomi and Huawei on T-Mobile and always got both WiFi Calling and Volte to work with only one exception--the Mate 20 Pro. I had to get rid of that phone even though I really liked it because calls kept going to voicemail without the phone ever ringing first.
It turns out that on T-Mobile if your phone supports band 12 it also needs to support Volte or calls go straight to voicemail without ringing if the caller is using Volte . I never had that problem previously because in 5 years of using international unlocked phones the M20P was the first where Volte didn't work on T-Mobile.
There were lots of posts from T-Mobile customers in the XDA M20P threads about calls going straight to voicemail. I haven't read a single post about that issue with the S10+ so it's pretty safe to assume that the international S10+ works fine with Volte on T-Mobile.
Until the S8 Samsung didn't even sell a US unlocked model--everyone in the US with unlocked Samsung phones were using the international models with the Exynos chip and those phones always worked perfectly with T-Mobile which is very BYOP friendly (unlike AT&T).
The only thing you would be missing on the vanilla Samsung firmware is Visual Voicemail but last I checked you could just download the official T-Mobile Visual Voicemail app from the Play Store.
You would also receive your OTA updates from Samsung rather than T-Mobile but that's actually a plus because the unlocked Exynos models receive updates much more quickly than all of the US models including the unlocked Snapdragon models.
Sorry for the very long answer but I wanted to be thorough.
You should be fine with an international unlocked S10+ on T-Mobile. This is a much better phone than unlocked models from Google Pixel and One Plus so I would recommend going for it.
No manual flashing on your part will be necessary.

@jhs39 - Thank you for your extensive response. It is greatly appreciated!
OK, so I mostly use Band 4 with my current phone, which is one of TMB's main bands, so it seems like that indeed the lack of 71 won't be an issue.
However, how do I know if the Int. version will support VoLTE on the TMB network? I can't see anywhere any information about this phone even supports VoLTE (other than the carrier's model of course).
What about Video Calling?
Thanks again.

sbi1 said:
@jhs39 - Thank you for your extensive response. It is greatly appreciated!
OK, so I mostly use Band 4 with my current phone, which is one of TMB's main bands, so it seems like that indeed the lack of 71 won't be an issue.
However, how do I know if the Int. version will support VoLTE on the TMB network? I can't see anywhere any information about this phone even supports VoLTE (other than the carrier's model of course).
What about Video Calling?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the international model didn't support Volte on T-Mobile there would be posts on XDA complaining about calls going straight to voicemail without the phone ringing. There were multiple threads about that issue in the M20P section but I haven't seen a single complaint about that happening with the S10+.
This phone has been out since early Spring so if there was a problem using the international model with T-Mobile somebody would have reported it by now.
I don’t know anything about video calling though because I use T-Mobile's network via an MVNO and my carrier doesn't offer video calling.

jhs39 said:
Band 71 is used only in rural areas where cell towers are very far apart . My phones have never used band 71. If you don't know what bands your phone typically is using you can download a free signal app from the Play Store that will show what band your phone is connected to. Unless you live in a very rural area or frequently find yourself in rural areas it's unlikely you need band 71.
Flashing T-Mobile firmware shouldn't be necessary. I don't have the international S10+ but rather the US unlocked model and I get both WiFi Calling and Volte fine without T-Mobile firmware.
I've used many different models of international unlocked phones from Xiaomi and Huawei on T-Mobile and always got both WiFi Calling and Volte to work with only one exception--the Mate 20 Pro. I had to get rid of that phone even though I really liked it because calls kept going to voicemail without the phone ever ringing first.
It turns out that on T-Mobile if your phone supports band 12 it also needs to support Volte or calls go straight to voicemail without ringing if the caller is using Volte . I never had that problem previously because in 5 years of using international unlocked phones the M20P was the first where Volte didn't work on T-Mobile.
There were lots of posts from T-Mobile customers in the XDA M20P threads about calls going straight to voicemail. I haven't read a single post about that issue with the S10+ so it's pretty safe to assume that the international S10+ works fine with Volte on T-Mobile.
Until the S8 Samsung didn't even sell a US unlocked model--everyone in the US with unlocked Samsung phones were using the international models with the Exynos chip and those phones always worked perfectly with T-Mobile which is very BYOP friendly (unlike AT&T).
The only thing you would be missing on the vanilla Samsung firmware is Visual Voicemail but last I checked you could just download the official T-Mobile Visual Voicemail app from the Play Store.
You would also receive your OTA updates from Samsung rather than T-Mobile but that's actually a plus because the unlocked Exynos models receive updates much more quickly than all of the US models including the unlocked Snapdragon models.
Sorry for the very long answer but I wanted to be thorough.
You should be fine with an international unlocked S10+ on T-Mobile. This is a much better phone than unlocked models from Google Pixel and One Plus so I would recommend going for it.
No manual flashing on your part will be necessary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's odd. I'm using a mate 20X and the although it lacks bands 66 and 71 I don't get calls going to voicemail. In fact when viewing my historical phone signal via gsam app, it shows that I always receive a better signal than even the S10+ that I'm currently using. Both devices on T-Mobile USA.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

sbi1 said:
So I am looking to buy an international (or Latin) version of either the S10+ or the Note 10+.
I am on T-Mobile in the U.S.
1. How "bad" will it be if the phone has 3 out of T-Mobile's main bands? It only lacks 71, so what's the impact will be if I don't have band 71 on this phone with T-Mobile?
2. I read in the forum about flashing T-Mobile firmware on unlocked phones. How necessary is it? I prefer not to mess with flashing anything; done it in the past, I am not 'afraid' of it, but I just don't feel like going that route. Will I be missing anything from the T-Mobile network and services if I keep the phone in its stock ROM?
For example: Wifi Calling (important to me), VoLTE, etc. Will I have access to these features if I don't flash the carrier's firmware?
Thank you.[/QUOTE
I have the Hong Kong variant SM-G975 with T-Mobile. No issues with bands, VoLTE. Wifi Calling or 4G, no impact. You won't need to flash the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

varcor said:
I have the Hong Kong variant SM-G975 with T-Mobile. No issues with bands, VoLTE. Wifi Calling or 4G, no impact. You won't need to flash the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks @varcor . What about Video calling?
BTW - is it 975F or something else?

I use Skype for Video Calling, it works fine. Mine is an SM-G9750, the best price I've seen is on Ebay. The only issue is when you first get the device you'll need to change the language since it's setup in Mandarin. A bit challenging but not a big deal. The Ebay vendor is in Houston which is where the device ships from, only takes a few days.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Ga...im-FACTORY-UNLOCKED-6-4-8GB-RAM-/192846270776

varcor said:
I use Skype for Video Calling, it works fine. Mine is an SM-G9750, the best I've seen is on Ebay. The only issue is when you first get the device you'll need to change the language since it's setup in Mandarin. A bit challenging but not a big deal. The Ebay vendor is in Houston which is where the device ships from, only takes a few days.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Ga...im-FACTORY-UNLOCKED-6-4-8GB-RAM-/192846270776
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah, the legendary Never MSRP.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Yep, I've bought a number of devices from them, won't use anyone else. Lowest prices, great customer service as well.

varcor said:
I use Skype for Video Calling, it works fine. Mine is an SM-G9750, the best price I've seen is on Ebay. The only issue is when you first get the device you'll need to change the language since it's setup in Mandarin. A bit challenging but not a big deal. The Ebay vendor is in Houston which is where the device ships from, only takes a few days.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Ga...im-FACTORY-UNLOCKED-6-4-8GB-RAM-/192846270776
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must the F model. I travel to Israel with a local SIM and they use the F model, and it's the only possibility I have to use their WiFi calling while there. I am not 100% sure it'll work because of firmware but better chances with F model.
Thanks.

Limeybastard said:
That's odd. I'm using a mate 20X and the although it lacks bands 66 and 71 I don't get calls going to voicemail. In fact when viewing my historical phone signal via gsam app, it shows that I always receive a better signal than even the S10+ that I'm currently using. Both devices on T-Mobile USA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not having bands 66 & 71 don't cause the problem with T-Mobile calls going straight to voicemail--if band 12 is supported on a phone T-Mobile assumes the phone also supports Volte and if it doesn't then you get calls going straight to voicemail.
I'm not familiar with the Mate 20X but before the M20P I had a P20 Pro, Mate 10 Pro and P10 Pro and none of those phones had an issue because T-Mobile Volte worked with all of them.
It's also possible the problem with the P20 Pro was fixed after I got rid of the phone since it was a firmware issue that was fixable in a software update . I kept mine for 6 months before throwing in the towel. The only workaround was to turn off 4G in the network settings. With 4G off you would receive all calls since Volte is a 4G function.
I personally love Huawei phones. Hopefully after Trump is gone all of the nonsense with Huawei being barred from using Google apps and bullied out of the US market will go away but they might decide selling their products here isn't worth the aggravation.
I've also used a bunch of unlocked Xiaomi phones on T-Mobile with no issues. A nice feature in MIUI is that if Volte doesn't work out of the box there's a dial code you can enter to manually enable it.
Band 66 is an offload for band 4 when band 4 traffic is high but if a phone doesn't have band 66 it just stays on 4 so not having 66 on an unlocked phone has never caused any problems for me.
Band 71 is only live in parts of the country and is relatively new. It can transmit a signal over unusually long distances and is used to provide cell coverage in rural areas where it would cost too much to build a full network of cell towers.

jhs39 said:
Not having bands 66 & 71 don't cause the problem with T-Mobile calls going straight to voicemail--if band 12 is supported on a phone T-Mobile assumes the phone also supports Volte and if it doesn't then you get calls going straight to voicemail.
I'm not familiar with the Mate 20X but before the M20P I had a P20 Pro, Mate 10 Pro and P10 Pro and none of those phones had an issue because T-Mobile Volte worked with all of them.
It's also possible the problem with the P20 Pro was fixed after I got rid of the phone since it was a firmware issue that was fixable in a software update . I kept mine for 6 months before throwing in the towel. The only workaround was to turn off 4G in the network settings. With 4G off you would receive all calls since Volte is a 4G function.
I personally love Huawei phones. Hopefully after Trump is gone all of the nonsense with Huawei being barred from using Google apps and bullied out of the US market will go away but they might decide selling their products here isn't worth the aggravation.
I've also used a bunch of unlocked Xiaomi phones on T-Mobile with no issues. A nice feature in MIUI is that if Volte doesn't work out of the box there's a dial code you can enter to manually enable it.
Band 66 is an offload for band 4 when band 4 traffic is high but if a phone doesn't have band 66 it just stays on 4 so not having 66 on an unlocked phone has never caused any problems for me.
Band 71 is only live in parts of the country and is relatively new. It can transmit a signal over unusually long distances and is used to provide cell coverage in rural areas where it would cost too much to build a full network of cell towers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
P20 pro was certified and worked fully on T-Mobile , most devices after that were not.
I don't think my mate 20x connected to band 12, but if it did, then yes it'll probably go straight to voicemail.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

sbi1 said:
I must the F model. I travel to Israel with a local SIM and they use the F model, and it's the only possibility I have to use their WiFi calling while there. I am not 100% sure it'll work because of firmware but better chances with F model.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The SM-G975F is the Exynos SoC variant for Europe. The SM-G9750 has the Snapdragon SoC and dual SIM's as well. Wifi Calling will work on both devices in any region, including Israel as long as the service provider offers it. The only thing I would recommend is you do some research on Exynos vs Snapdragon SoC's in the S10. Good luck!

varcor said:
The SM-G975F is the Exynos SoC variant for Europe. The SM-G9750 has the Snapdragon SoC and dual SIM's as well. Wifi Calling will work on both devices in any region, including Israel as long as the service provider offers it. The only thing I would recommend is you do some research on Exynos vs Snapdragon SoC's in the S10. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am aware of the differences between the two chips.
In regards to WiFi Calling - I am a bit skeptical. This provider does have WiFi calling services, however they have a list of devices that are supported. Clearly they list devices and firmwares that they sell, not BYOD phones, and they sell the F version. I currently use ZTE Axon 7, I have WiFi calling on T-Mobile but it does not work on the Israeli network and when I try to 'register' it for this service through their app, it clearly says that the device is not supported.
That being said - I can't tell you if my phone doesn't work on their WF calling because it's not even sold in Israel. It could very well be that any version of Galaxy S10+ will be supported regardless of firmware. simply because it is sold there. Clearly there is no way to know this beforehand. I asked them, they of course can only guarantee phones that are sold by them and are on the list.
BTW - the Israeli version of the 975F is single SIM, they don't have the D/S, although I can't imagine this should have any impact of phone supporting or not supporting WF calling.
What's the difference between the F and the O, other than the region they are sold in?
Thanks.

Limeybastard said:
P20 pro was certified and worked fully on T-Mobile , most devices after that were not.
I don't think my mate 20x connected to band 12, but if it did, then yes it'll probably go straight to voicemail.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Devices don't need to be certified by T-Mobile to work with Volte. All of my recent Xiaomi phones worked with Volte--none of the models were officially sold in the US or certified by T-Mobile. The P20 Pro was not sold in the US so there was zero reason for it to be certified by T-Mobile. The last Huawei phone officially sold here was the Mate 10 Pro. AT&T and Verizon require that devices be certified by them to work with Volte on their networks but T-Mobile does not. T-Mobile is very BYOP friendly.

jhs39 said:
Devices don't need to be certified by T-Mobile to work with Volte. All of my recent Xiaomi phones worked with Volte--none of the models were officially sold in the US or certified by T-Mobile. The P20 Pro was not sold in the US so there was zero reason for it to be certified by T-Mobile. The last Huawei phone officially sold here was the Mate 10 Pro. AT&T and Verizon require that devices be certified by them to work with Volte on their networks but T-Mobile does not. T-Mobile is very BYOP friendly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the clarification. So why is it then that same device , but using different sim card would show the Volte toggle or hide it from the user menu? Example, mate 20 does have Volte capabilities yet its missing the Volte toggle switch. I know on the Xioami devices one can enter a #*code to force it show that option. I think what makes it even more convulsing is that Huawei global versions have various region firmware via their Cust codes. Each one I noticed behaves slighly different using same T-Mobile SIM card. Cheers
You mentioned all calls went to VM on up 20pro, why do you think that was the case, you mentioned earlier that you thought possibly it may have been firmware related amongst other things.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

sbi1 said:
I am aware of the differences between the two chips.
In regards to WiFi Calling - I am a bit skeptical. This provider does have WiFi calling services, however they have a list of devices that are supported. Clearly they list devices and firmwares that they sell, not BYOD phones, and they sell the F version. I currently use ZTE Axon 7, I have WiFi calling on T-Mobile but it does not work on the Israeli network and when I try to 'register' it for this service through their app, it clearly says that the device is not supported.
That being said - I can't tell you if my phone doesn't work on their WF calling because it's not even sold in Israel. It could very well be that any version of Galaxy S10+ will be supported regardless of firmware. simply because it is sold there. Clearly there is no way to know this beforehand. I asked them, they of course can only guarantee phones that are sold by them and are on the list.
BTW - the Israeli version of the 975F is single SIM, they don't have the D/S, although I can't imagine this should have any impact of phone supporting or not supporting WF calling.
What's the difference between the F and the O, other than the region they are sold in?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're correct regarding Single SIM for the SM-G975F, the Dual SIM option is available in the SM-G975F/DS. I personally wouldn't consider obtaining a device in Israel if the majority of the time I'm the US. The major differences are SoC's, a minor difference in CPU Clock Speed and Cores. The SM-G975F has no FM Radio and offers fewer Primary Network capabilities. You can view a back-to-back comparison here.
https://www.phonemore.com/compare/p...gb-vs-galaxy-s10-plus-sm-g9750-128gb/10134260
This is quite different than your original question but with that being stated I would be confident enough in the SM-G9750's compatibility with the Israeli network for Wifi Calling. The worst case is not having Wifi Calling in Israel, which isn't an absolute necessity however you'll have the Snapdragon SoC which is a far better chipset with fewer bugs. For me it's the obvious choice if I were faced with your considerations.
You're most welcome

varcor said:
You're correct regarding Single SIM for the SM-G975F, the Dual SIM option is available in the SM-G975F/DS. I personally wouldn't consider obtaining a device in Israel if the majority of the time I'm the US. The major differences are SoC's, a minor difference in CPU Clock Speed and Cores. The SM-G975F has no FM Radio and offers fewer Primary Network capabilities. You can view a back-to-back comparison here.
https://www.phonemore.com/compare/p...gb-vs-galaxy-s10-plus-sm-g9750-128gb/10134260
This is quite different than your original question but with that being stated I would be confident enough in the SM-G9750's compatibility with the Israeli network for Wifi Calling. The worst case is not having Wifi Calling in Israel, which isn't an absolute necessity however you'll have the Snapdragon SoC which is a far better chipset with fewer bugs. For me it's the obvious choice if I were faced with your considerations.
You're most welcome
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SoC, meaning the chip?
You see, your definition of "worst case not having Wifi calling" is important to me , simply because where I usually stay in Israel there is almost no reception at all (inside the house I am staying in), that's the main reason I want a device that will be able to use their Wifi calling.
Also, I looked at the eBay seller that you mention and I don't even think he carries the O model any more, all I see is the F model, unless of course I am missing something.
Thanks.

sbi1 said:
SoC, meaning the chip?
You see, your definition of "worst case not having Wifi calling" is important to me , simply because where I usually stay in Israel there is almost no reception at all (inside the house I am staying in), that's the main reason I want a device that will be able to use their Wifi calling.
Also, I looked at the eBay seller that you mention and I don't even think he carries the O model any more, all I see is the F model, unless of course I am missing something.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SoC is System on Chip, same as Chipset. If Wifi calling is a top priority buy the Exynos device to be certain but be advised there are numerous concerns over the chipset on XDA and other sites, plus Network Aggrigaton for Exynos in the US has issues with some T-Mobile clients. You may lose Wifi Calling or VoLTE in the US.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/s10-plus/help/exynos-att-t-mobile-t3920491
They still offer the SM-G9750, the link I shared is correct, not sure you missed something. The also sell the SM-G975F and SM-G975F/DS.

VS995 - do 'Unlocked' versions still have HD Voice?

I am trying to buy a new V20 VS995 on ebay right now, but the only NEW ones all say they are 'Unlocked' (I need the VS995 because I have Verizon). I made a previous post yesterday and the responses made me do some research, and I have now learned that Verizon is retiring CDMA around the end of the year, and 4G NON-HD Voice phones will no longer work on the network beyond that. The VS995 does indeed have HD-Voice, but I am confused if the 'Unlocked' versions of the VS995 for sale are devoid of that feature, and if they are still Verizon compatible (since I also have read the "unlocked" US996 model no longer works on Verizon)? If so, then I'd rather get a non-unlocked VS995 phone because it would still be useful beyond 2020. I am a total noob compared to most people here... so these may be basic questions. If anyone can help me in making my decision, I'd be so so thankful.

I'm sorry if my post made no sense. I am just wondering if VoLTE is on the VS995 'unlocked' version. Or if I need to get a 'Network Locked' version to have the VoLTE feature. Verizon it seems will discontinue any non-VoLTE phones, and not allow me to activate them at this point. Just what I read, maybe I'm wrong. I don't want to waste my money. I hope this question makes some sense.

All VS995 phones actually came SIM unlocked out of the box because for a while up until last summer, Verizon was required by law to have their phones come unlocked as part of a deal when they purchased some network frequencies a while back. So, all VS995 models are the same and may only differ by the software that's currently installed when you buy one. VoLTE on Verizon should work on any VS995.

C D said:
All VS995 phones actually came SIM unlocked out of the box because for a while up until last summer, Verizon was required by law to have their phones come unlocked as part of a deal when they purchased some network frequencies a while back. So, all VS995 models are the same and may only differ by the software that's currently installed when you buy one. VoLTE on Verizon should work on any VS995.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I couldn't find that information anywhere, so it really helps a lot for you to share it.

Isn't VoLTE dependent on whether your service provider provides it. I only get voicemail messages when I put my fone on LTE/CDMA.
Settings>More>MobileNetworks>SystemSelect> NetworkMode give me options of Global, LTE/CDMA and LTE/GSM/UTMS. I don't get any calls if I select LTE/CDMA but data goes to 4G+ and won't throttle down to 3g. Advanced calling is greyed out as an option to select but that must be because my network provider doesn't provide it.

ezzony said:
Isn't VoLTE dependent on whether your service provider provides it. I only get voicemail messages when I put my fone on LTE/CDMA.
Settings>More>MobileNetworks>SystemSelect> NetworkMode give me options of Global, LTE/CDMA and LTE/GSM/UTMS. I don't get any calls if I select LTE/CDMA but data goes to 4G+ and won't throttle down to 3g. Advanced calling is greyed out as an option to select but that must be because my network provider doesn't provide it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, availability of VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling depends on the support of the carrier. And at least in the U.S., if the carrier provides those features, the phone also has to be on whatever certification whitelist the carrier uses. Within the next 2–3 years, all major U.S. carriers are planning to shut down all networks below LTE (2G/3G/CDMA), so VoLTE will become a requirement to make phone calls over here. This may become an issue for any unlocked US996 owners in the U.S. as I don't know if that model gets VoLTE on the other carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile, who strongly prefer their carrier-branded H910 and H918 variants.