Unlocked US996 - LTE issues with T-Mobile SIM - LG V20 Questions & Answers

Hello all!
On T-Mobile Simple Choice plan in the US. LG V20 US996 64GB model. Android 7.0.
(I have multiple screenshots to share but XDA says I need to have 10 posts before sharing links. I have another thread up on /r/LGV20 with a link to some images)
Recently purchased the US996 model off Amazon to replace my defective Nexus 6P. I read on LG's site that it should support bands 2, 4 and 12 which T-Mobile uses. So far, I love the camera, performance and battery life. Aside from that, I am having some network issues.
1. Device always stays connected to Band 4 AWS1. Not connected to bands 2 and 12.
2. LTE coverage overall is sporadic. usually stays on 4G HSPA+ (doesn't show LTE in top-right next to cell reception meter, though it does show LTE in Network Cell Info app).
3. Wi-Fi calling/VoLTE is not working.
Has anyone else reported these issues? Do I need to flash the T-Mobile H918 firmware?
---------------------------
unrelated question
4. I'm still on 7.0, has 7.1.2 been released for the V20?
Thanks all

7.1.2 hasnt been released on stock for any device. however android 7.1.2 is running on emotion os

loguhn said:
7.1.2 hasnt been released on stock for any device. however android 7.1.2 is running on emotion os
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Nexus 6P was running 7.1.2. are you referring to on-nexus devices?

jkraniak said:
My Nexus 6P was running 7.1.2. are you referring to on-nexus devices?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry, i shouldve specified for just the v20, im running 7.1.2 on my v20 through emotion os

I had similar issues with the unlocked US version of the LG G5 (RS988). Even though it is listed as having band 12, I was unable to get it to connect to band 12 on T-Mobile. When I was in 'Extended LTE' (band 12-only) areas, I would be roaming while a T-Mobile Galaxy S7 would have a full T-Mobile LTE signal. In the network settings, the phone wouldn't even see the T-Mobile LTE RAT.
I think it likely that T-Mobile or LG were preventing a band 12 connection due to a lack of VOLTE certification. T-Mobile has required manufacturers to disable band 12 on other unlocked phones that did not have VOLTE certification in the past. I wouldn't be surprised if they do the same with this model.

New question. Can I flash my phone with the H918 (T-Mobile's version) firmware?

jkraniak said:
New question. Can I flash my phone with the H918 (T-Mobile's version) firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ever get an answer for that??? I just had a US996 land in my lap.

gmolds said:
Ever get an answer for that??? I just had a US996 land in my lap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, you'll end up with a brick. The H918 has a different firmware key than any of the other models, so flashing h918 firmware onto anything else results in a brick, and an h918 flashing any other model firmware results in a brick.

You could try flashing the US Cellular US996 firmware though, and see if it makes a difference. The USC firmware is very much cross-flashable on the unlocked US996 (as far as I know, a lot of people crossflash for the security updates as the unlocked model is behind by quite a bit).
https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/development/rom-us99610k-stock-rom-twrp-flashable-t3691784

Well at this point I think I'll just sell this US996 and buy an H918.
Looking at Swappa prices I could probably practically get two H918's for this thing. It's practically Mint and has a 10kWH ZeroLemon battery and case. Only thing I'm not sure about is the message that pops up when you start it warning that the bootloader is unlocked... is that bad or a desired feature?
---------- Post added at 03:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:21 PM ----------
gmolds said:
Well at this point I think I'll just sell this US996 and buy an H918.
Looking at Swappa prices I could probably practically get two H918's for this thing. It's practically Mint and has a 10kWH ZeroLemon battery and case. Only thing I'm not sure about is the message that pops up when you start it warning that the bootloader is unlocked... is that bad or a desired feature?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Scratch that question... -- I'm guessing most would want it unlocked to put root/roms on it.

Related

[Q] Putting D801(tmous) variant on ATT?

So I was looking over the difference between D800 (ATT) and D801 (TMOUS) and it seems that the reception difference is D800 has an LTE band 5 and the D801 has an 3G band of 1700. Whats the practical difference in reception? Seems like att is starting to grow band 5, and 1700 is tmobile. I travel to some remote areas and I think tmobile works there and att struggles (not sure at least it did 2 years ago), but do like the idea of freely switching between the two without having a tradeoff. will probably start with straight talk for att but will switch to the tmous if i cant get service where i move.
Please share thoughts on the best strategy...
thank you
Trying to get an answer on this also
Hi.
I've been trying to get an answer to this also, my post received no answers
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2506590
From my own, uninformed research I think we will be fine taking the T-mobile LG G2 (d801) to AT&T.
Looking at the information below taken from Phone Arena, the LTE band 5 isn't in all AT&T LTE phones
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/HTC-One-X-LTE_id7376
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Samsung-Galaxy-Express-I437_id7515
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Nokia-Lumia-920_id7471
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Nokia-Lumia-925_id7850
Going off of this research I've ordered the D801 but It is possible I can turn out to be wrong.
This explains it more
http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/1...y-compatible-with-atts-lte-and-hspa-networks/
I'm currently using the Tmobile version on ATT and haven't had any issues so far. The only problem I'm having is it appears there is substantially less support for the Tmobile version.
snobrdr2324 said:
I'm currently using the Tmobile version on ATT and haven't had any issues so far. The only problem I'm having is it appears there is substantially less support for the Tmobile version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx for the confirmation
snobrdr2324 said:
I'm currently using the Tmobile version on ATT and haven't had any issues so far. The only problem I'm having is it appears there is substantially less support for the Tmobile version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The D801 CM maintainer was out of county apparently and I'm guessing he held off on uploading everything since he's been gone for a couple weeks and didn't want to push something that would be broken for weeks by chance. We'll start seeing a good bit of roms in the coming weeks and by everything moving to KitKat we'll be in as good of shape as any other device since our devices are plenty similar to each other.
LG G2 d801 (t-mobile) with AT&T straight talk activation help...
I just tried to activate my factory unlocked lg g2 d801 with straight talk with at&t. I set my APN up for the at&t network and used the at&t sim card that came with the straight talk bundle. Now on the lock screen it says invalid SIM card.
What do I have to do to make my phone work? Thanks in advance!
I borked phone flashing a T Mobile based ROM on my canadian G2 (since they both are the D801; by personal research I've observed the D803 works as intended on my canadian D801). I will try later today to flash yet again another T Mo rom on it, but this time I'll flash back the stock kernel. I'll report back.
Just to play it safe, I'd reflash your stock kernel... that way it won't act funny all of a sudden along the way.
omegajester said:
I borked phone flashing a T Mobile based ROM on my canadian G2 (since they both are the D801; by personal research I've observed the D803 works as intended on my canadian D801). I will try later today to flash yet again another T Mo rom on it, but this time I'll flash back the stock kernel. I'll report back.
Just to play it safe, I'd reflash your stock rom... that way it won't act funny all of a sudden.
---------- Post added at 02:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:33 PM ----------
I borked phone flashing a T Mobile based ROM on my canadian G2 (since they both are the D801; by personal research I've observed the D803 works as intended on my canadian D801). I will try later today to flash yet again another T Mo rom on it, but this time I'll flash back the stock kernel. I'll report back.
Just to play it safe, I'd reflash your stock kernel... that way it won't act funny all of a sudden along the way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but I haven't rooted my phone and don't really intend to unless I absolutely need to. It's factory unlocked right out of the box.
It turns out Verizon was holding things up. I'm so happy I'm leaving them.
I tried setting up my APN, but now I can't download or view any media or picture texts in messenger or hangouts. Any suggestions?
LTE on AT&T with D801?
I can't seem to find a clear answer on whether it's possible to get LTE indication and speed on a D801 (TMo) used on AT&T.
Tech Support is giving me the "we can't guarantee data speeds on non-AT&T-branded phones".
This thread seems to say a TMo-branded phone (LG G2 in my case) CAN be provisioned for LTE:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2506590
Most other threads say no, or there's no conclusion in the thread.
Can anyone give me the straight answer and tell me how to go about it? A way to get past the stone-walling AT&T techs?
I have H2O which uses AT&T's network but only HSPA+ and not LTE but the phone sees AT&T's LTE network when searching for networks.
In this thread there is a screenshot of a T-Mobile phone getting LTE indication on the AT&T network.
diamond12 said:
I have H2O which uses AT&T's network but only HSPA+ and not LTE but the phone sees AT&T's LTE network when searching for networks.
In this thread there is a screenshot of a T-Mobile phone getting LTE indication on the AT&T network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Along with a lot of confusion about why his phone was working on LTE. As a relative newb to this stuff I couldn't make any sense of it.
Also in that thread was this comment:
T-Mobile devices support ALL AT&T and T-Mobile bands, except LTE Band 5 (used by AT&T in a few rural areas). What's wrong is AT&T turns off LTE for non-AT&T devices. You have to call them up and give them the IMEI # of an AT&T-branded device (even if it's not yours and even if your SIM isn't in it/you don't plan on using it). They don't check after that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it might be possible to "trick" the carrier into allowing LTE?
Guys, I'm not getting data and sms on my unlocked d801 on at&t. Can anybody share APN settings for at&t that work?
Sent from my XT1053 using xda app-developers app
I got my unlock tmo g2 working on at&t with LTE, mms, and Microsoft exchange email after some effort. It's also connecting to my 3g microcell.
Sent from my XT1053 using xda app-developers app
Sorry for hijacking but anyone moving from D801 to ATT can share their APN Settings. Cant get internet to work to save my life!

LG V20 Unlocked (US996) vs TMobile LG V20?

Hey Guys,
So I am seriously interested in this phone but cant decide what the difference is between these 2 variants?
It seems that TMobile LG V20 has no support for CDMA and support for AWS-3 spectrum (Band 66)
The unlocked version seems to support CDMA but I dont know if it has support for Band 66.
Source TMobile LG v20 : http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phones/lg-v20.html
LG v20 Unlocked: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1285961-REG/lg_lgus996_ausasv_lg_v20_4gb_ram.html
Can someone please shed some light on this? Will the unlocked version include all the bells and whistles of TMobile variant?
Thanks.
adit07 said:
Hey Guys,
So I am seriously interested in this phone but cant decide what the difference is between these 2 variants?
It seems that TMobile LG V20 has no support for CDMA and support for AWS-3 spectrum (Band 66)
The unlocked version seems to support CDMA but I dont know if it has support for Band 66.
Source TMobile LG v20 : http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phones/lg-v20.html
LG v20 Unlocked: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1285961-REG/lg_lgus996_ausasv_lg_v20_4gb_ram.html
Can someone please shed some light on this? Will the unlocked version include all the bells and whistles of TMobile variant?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Has there been confirmation that the t-mobile variant is locked?
You'll have to look around but I thought it was confirmed the unlocked version B&H is selling is not Band 66 compliant.
CHH2 said:
You'll have to look around but I thought it was confirmed the unlocked version B&H is selling is not Band 66 compliant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Do you have any link that confirms that?
US996 is USCC (US Cellular) version which does not have B4 HSPA.
I can confirm that, unfortunately, the T-Mobile LG V20 will not come with an unlockable bootloader. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this something I got straight from the top-level guys @ TMO.
Possible good news, see two post below.
What... "top level guys"? What's your connection? Hmmmm
Sent from my awesome T-Mobile LG V10!
@planetbeen That would be Mr. Lucero and Miss Viola, director's in their respective divisions.
Anyways... I might have some good news.
I was called this morning and included in a conversation between TMO and LG. LG is now saying the bootloader will not be "locked down". I tried asking about fastboot and they were being a bit shady and gave me a vague answer.
Take this how you will.
Well we now have a couple people who have received their v20.. Hopefully we'll know very soon!
Sent from my awesome T-Mobile LG V10!
Specs for the US996:
http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-US996-Unlocked-v20-titan
CDMA 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS/800 MHz CDMA; GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; LTE Bands 2/3/4/5/7/12/13/17/20/25
EVDO, EVDO Rev A, 1xRTT, LTE, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, GSM, HSPA+, HSPA
What is the bloatware situation on the T-Mobile vs unlocked? And can all of the bloat be deleted? (Especially any anti-virus software!)
Despite my phone will be arriving on monday, Let me ask you a question that might make you get your choice. do both of then offer great promotions? and which one has the frequencies more suitable to your needs?
I pre ordered the tmobile variant because im currently on tmobile. But that's not the only reason, i grabbed all the offers too and the phone ended up being $520 (+ 49.99 down payment + 53.90 of taxes) thanks to the $200 dollars when you trade-in a 4g phone (any phone that is 4g (preferably 4g lte), and also i get the free H3 earphones (i have to redeem it on LG website). And also, i get the opportunity of the free tablet (sure, at a cost of having to add an extra line but that is only 10 dollars more for 24 month and also is optional). In additon, Tmobile variant has unlocked bootloader, no other variant has reported that as far as i know.
How do you know it has an unlocked bootloader? I got mine yesterday. Is there any way we can check I recovery or something to see if it's locked?
Paradoxumical said:
I can confirm that, unfortunately, the T-Mobile LG V20 will not come with an unlockable bootloader. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this something I got straight from the top-level guys @ TMO.
Possible good news, see two post below.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I take it you are the master of all that is holy?
thatisandwas said:
How do you know it has an unlocked bootloader? I got mine yesterday. Is there any way we can check I recovery or something to see if it's locked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because there was someone who already did it. it doesnt come unlocked, but it is unlockable , at least for the Tmobile version.
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/lgv20/comments/58568e/v20unlockable_bootloadervery_simplesame_as_g4g5/
also there are some posts around in XDA LG V20 section, the first 3 sub-sections. Right now @bountyman334 has tried several methods to root it however he hasnt hit the spot yet. But im sure there are also quite a few people who haven't spoken but are trying to root it. You will have to ask them how did the manage to do it, but at least we know that if we have the Tmobile variant, we have unlockable bootloader. :good::good:
Oh man that is awesome to hear! I was just saying the only thing that could make this phone the best in years would be if I could install custom roms like the old days!
thatisandwas said:
Oh man that is awesome to hear! I was just saying the only thing that could make this phone the best in years would be if I could install custom roms like the old days!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But remember, unlocked bootloader doesnt mean you will get root and roms. (I will soon be an owner of the V20 tmobile variant so is not like i m not expecting for a rooting method and roms soon after) . On the other hand, we are closer than any other variants
ice5192 said:
I take it you are the master of all that is holy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Holy, light, pure, good and just.
No guarantee.....but......
joseguillen1994 said:
But remember, unlocked bootloader doesnt mean you will get root and roms. (I will soon be an owner of the V20 tmobile variant so is not like i m not expecting for a rooting method and roms soon after) . On the other hand, we are closer than any other variants
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am hoping that with an unlocked Bootloader more devs will jump on-board; especially with Samsung no longer being dev friendly for US models. I am very pleased with the V20. I wasn't sure I would find something I was happy with to replace my TMobile Note 4. But so far this is an excellent choice.
FAUguy said:
Specs for the US996:
CDMA 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS/800 MHz CDMA; GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; LTE Bands 2/3/4/5/7/12/13/17/20/25
EVDO, EVDO Rev A, 1xRTT, LTE, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, GSM, HSPA+, HSPA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the same as the unlocked LG G5. It won't work on Sprint. Why would any company make an unlocked cell phone that works on three of the four US carriers? Phones that work on Sprint can be used on RingPlus who offer free phone/data plans.
LG's unlocked phones are an abortion done with pliers.

Project-Fi LG V20 versions/bands

Hello, I'm new to this stuff, but does anybody know what version of the V20 (TMo, Sprint, 996, etc) bands match Project-Fi's bands the closest? I have a T-Mo V2 currently on Fi but it sometimes doesn't ring when I receive phone calls. I'm guessing it is because it is missing a band or something (or maybe it's just a defective phone) and that's why the call doesn't go through.
Thanks in advance!
My understanding for it to work properly you need the pixel or the nexus 6 or might also include the nexus 5. Any other phone you will run in to issues as they say only the T-Mobile band will work. Might be why you are having issues with your lg phone.
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk
Thanks for the quick response. I know it isn't "officially" supported by Fi. I'm just trying to get as many bands as possible to work with. I understand I won't have quite as good of a signal as I would if I had a Pixel but I can't stand the huge bezels and smaller screen. I'm wondering if I might have better luck with the 996 instead of the TMo version.
Well I'm pretty sure Fi uses Sprint and T-Mobile at the same time. Since Sprint is a CDMA network, a T-Mobile phone isn't going to be able to use it, except for VoLTE, and even then probably not.
I don't know too much info about WCDMA (TMO) and CDMA (Sprint) band usage by the two carriers, so I can't give too much info there.
T-Mobile uses LTE bands 1(?), 2/4, 4/66, 12 (there's weird frequency stuff where B4 matches B2 on one of its frequencies. 4 and 66 use the same frequency range). Sprint uses 25, 26, 41 (don't ask, I have no idea, since VZ and ATT use 2,4,13 and 2,4,17 respectively, and 17 is a subset of 12).
The T-Mobile V20 supports 1,2,3,4,5,7,12,13,17,20 (some of these aren't mentioned by the FCC because they weren't tested, and LG's site doesn't mention them. T-Mobile has the full list, except for 17, but that's just 12 like I said earlier). WCDMA-wise, it supports I, II, IV, V. It has no CDMA support nor Sprint LTE support.
Sprint's variant supports LTE bands 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12/17, 25, 26, 41. It also happens to support all the WCDMA bands the T-Mobile variant does, plus the 900MHz frequency.
The US996 is the same story as the LS997, but with the addition of B13 and B20, minus B25 and B41. I can't find info, but I assume the WCDMA bands are the same.
Strangely enough, the LS997 has more current functionality in the US than the US996. I recommend you go for that. It is $793 instead of $770 like the TMO, but that's $7 less than the US996, and it'll work fine on T-Mobile, ATT (if you roam) and Sprint. Roaming on Verizon will be alright in most places, but the lack of VZ's low frequency band (13), it might have trouble in rural areas. Luckily, you probably won't have to worry about Verizon compatibility (and it probably supports it without mentioning it anyway).
Has anyone got T-Mobile to run on the Verizon v20...I can get text and call to work together all day ,or 4g works all day with out the others.If I get all 3 working at once it keeps cutting off network then comes back on..I've did the APN,and network.Just wondering if it has been done...
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Thanks for the very in-depth post. I really appreciate your time and effort. I never even thought about the Sprint version until you said that. Will all those bands be active without unlocking the (Sprint) phone? If so, then that is the phone I'll get.
Thanks again for all the info!
Patrick
Zacharee1 said:
Well I'm pretty sure Fi uses Sprint and T-Mobile at the same time. Since Sprint is a CDMA network, a T-Mobile phone isn't going to be able to use it, except for VoLTE, and even then probably not.
I don't know too much info about WCDMA (TMO) and CDMA (Sprint) band usage by the two carriers, so I can't give too much info there.
T-Mobile uses LTE bands 1(?), 2/4, 4/66, 12 (there's weird frequency stuff where B4 matches B2 on one of its frequencies. 4 and 66 use the same frequency range). Sprint uses 25, 26, 41 (don't ask, I have no idea, since VZ and ATT use 2,4,13 and 2,4,17 respectively, and 17 is a subset of 12).
The T-Mobile V20 supports 1,2,3,4,5,7,12,13,17,20 (some of these aren't mentioned by the FCC because they weren't tested, and LG's site doesn't mention them. T-Mobile has the full list, except for 17, but that's just 12 like I said earlier). WCDMA-wise, it supports I, II, IV, V. It has no CDMA support nor Sprint LTE support.
Sprint's variant supports LTE bands 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12/17, 25, 26, 41. It also happens to support all the WCDMA bands the T-Mobile variant does, plus the 900MHz frequency.
The US996 is the same story as the LS997, but with the addition of B13 and B20, minus B25 and B41. I can't find info, but I assume the WCDMA bands are the same.
Strangely enough, the LS997 has more current functionality in the US than the US996. I recommend you go for that. It is $793 instead of $770 like the TMO, but that's $7 less than the US996, and it'll work fine on T-Mobile, ATT (if you roam) and Sprint. Roaming on Verizon will be alright in most places, but the lack of VZ's low frequency band (13), it might have trouble in rural areas. Luckily, you probably won't have to worry about Verizon compatibility (and it probably supports it without mentioning it anyway).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
preilly44 said:
Thanks for the very in-depth post. I really appreciate your time and effort. I never even thought about the Sprint version until you said that. Will all those bands be active without unlocking the (Sprint) phone? If so, then that is the phone I'll get.
Thanks again for all the info!
Patrick
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well unlocking doesn't actually unlock any bands. It just allows use on other carriers. These bands are always available for use. I don't know Sprint's unlocking policy, since I'm on T-Mobile, but check it out. It might be pre-unlocked like Verizon phones.
---------- Post added at 01:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:32 AM ----------
kenbrownstone said:
Has anyone got T-Mobile to run on the Verizon v20...I can get text and call to work together all day ,or 4g works all day with out the others.If I get all 3 working at once it keeps cutting off network then comes back on..I've did the APN,and network.Just wondering if it has been done...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The VS995 supports all the GSM (2G) frequencies that T-Mobile uses, although it doesn't support as many as the T-Mobile variant, so Canadian coverage might be weird with traditional calls and texts.
It's also missing B4 UMTS, which is a pretty important one. If you're in an area without 2G but with HSPA+, you could have issues. It also doesn't support LTE B12, T-Mobile's low frequency band. This is important to have in cities.
I don't have 12 here...usually 2/4
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 06:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:46 PM ----------
Like I said all works just not together
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
kenbrownstone said:
I don't have 12 here...usually 2/4
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 06:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:46 PM ----------
Like I said all works just not together
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm thinking that's probably not a T-Mobile thing then. All stock messaging? Are your APNs right?
Yes sir all good..that's what is strange..I have moto z force running on T-Mobile no issue
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
kenbrownstone said:
Yes sir all good..that's what is strange..I have moto z force running on T-Mobile no issue
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried a factory reset? Maybe a replacement phone? It might be worth it just to get the V20 from T-Mobile. I know it's more expensive, but it'll probably work.
Zacharee1 said:
Have you tried a factory reset? Maybe a replacement phone? It might be worth it just to get the V20 from T-Mobile. I know it's more expensive, but it'll probably work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might just send back and get another...Bad thing is it came with a scratch so I was sending back anyway...A scratch over a inch long with a gap in the middle and it looks deep to were it messes with the colors on the screen...My nephew has a lg that has same issue..This is one nice phone though
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
kenbrownstone said:
I might just send back and get another...Bad thing is it came with a scratch so I was sending back anyway...A scratch over a inch long with a gap in the middle and it looks deep to were it messes with the colors on the screen...My nephew has a lg that has same issue..This is one nice phone though
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a great phone. I just wish it was more consistent.
My first V20 had severe noise reduction on everything, and weird bumps on the transition from the screen glass to the plastic bezels. One side would be more pronounced than the other. My replacement is better in noise reduction, but it still has those uneven transitions.
My mom's V20 has almost no weird transition, but it does have some noise reduction issues. This phone is weird to say the least
So I just got a Sprint ls997 and when I take the Project-Fi sim card out of my working T-Mo v20 and put it in the Sprint V20 it just shows the invalid sim card icon in the upper right corner (nothing in notifications though). Does that mean I need to unlock the Sprint version of the phone? If so, why didn't I have to unlock the T-Mo version? I looked quickly and couldn't find any websites that would unlock the Sprint V20.
Thanks in advance!
Zacharee1 said:
Well I'm pretty sure Fi uses Sprint and T-Mobile at the same time. Since Sprint is a CDMA network, a T-Mobile phone isn't going to be able to use it, except for VoLTE, and even then probably not.
I don't know too much info about WCDMA (TMO) and CDMA (Sprint) band usage by the two carriers, so I can't give too much info there.
T-Mobile uses LTE bands 1(?), 2/4, 4/66, 12 (there's weird frequency stuff where B4 matches B2 on one of its frequencies. 4 and 66 use the same frequency range). Sprint uses 25, 26, 41 (don't ask, I have no idea, since VZ and ATT use 2,4,13 and 2,4,17 respectively, and 17 is a subset of 12).
The T-Mobile V20 supports 1,2,3,4,5,7,12,13,17,20 (some of these aren't mentioned by the FCC because they weren't tested, and LG's site doesn't mention them. T-Mobile has the full list, except for 17, but that's just 12 like I said earlier). WCDMA-wise, it supports I, II, IV, V. It has no CDMA support nor Sprint LTE support.
Sprint's variant supports LTE bands 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12/17, 25, 26, 41. It also happens to support all the WCDMA bands the T-Mobile variant does, plus the 900MHz frequency.
The US996 is the same story as the LS997, but with the addition of B13 and B20, minus B25 and B41. I can't find info, but I assume the WCDMA bands are the same.
Strangely enough, the LS997 has more current functionality in the US than the US996. I recommend you go for that. It is $793 instead of $770 like the TMO, but that's $7 less than the US996, and it'll work fine on T-Mobile, ATT (if you roam) and Sprint. Roaming on Verizon will be alright in most places, but the lack of VZ's low frequency band (13), it might have trouble in rural areas. Luckily, you probably won't have to worry about Verizon compatibility (and it probably supports it without mentioning it anyway).
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Click to collapse
preilly44 said:
So I just got a Sprint ls997 and when I take the Project-Fi sim card out of my working T-Mo v20 and put it in the Sprint V20 it just shows the invalid sim card icon in the upper right corner (nothing in notifications though). Does that mean I need to unlock the Sprint version of the phone? If so, why didn't I have to unlock the T-Mo version? I looked quickly and couldn't find any websites that would unlock the Sprint V20.
Thanks in advance!
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Click to collapse
The Sprint phone should be unlocked I think, but if it isn't, they will unlock it for you if you call. Any device made after February 2015 is like that for Sprint.
You're rebooting when you put the SIM In right?
Thanks, I called Sprint and they said it was still tied to the previous owners account. The previous owner said they paid it off and removed it from their account on 12/22 so they called and requested to have it unlocked. Sprint said it would take 3-5 business days after they did paid it off and it would automatically be unlocked. I'm not sure I believe that but we'll see in a couple days.
Yes, the battery was out when I installed the sim card so it was rebooted.
Thanks for all your help and advice!
Zacharee1 said:
The Sprint phone should be unlocked I think, but if it isn't, they will unlock it for you if you call. Any device made after February 2015 is like that for Sprint.
You're rebooting when you put the SIM In right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a quick update, according to Sprint, the phone now should be unlocked. Is there a way on the phone I can tell if it is unlocked? When I put a sim card in from another carrier I'm getting the icon at the top of the screen of a sim card with an ! in it. When I try to make a phone call it does not go through. It also doesn't show my phone number or any other info related to the sim card on the phone's info screen.
Any advice?
preilly44 said:
Thanks, I called Sprint and they said it was still tied to the previous owners account. The previous owner said they paid it off and removed it from their account on 12/22 so they called and requested to have it unlocked. Sprint said it would take 3-5 business days after they did paid it off and it would automatically be unlocked. I'm not sure I believe that but we'll see in a couple days.
Yes, the battery was out when I installed the sim card so it was rebooted.
Thanks for all your help and advice!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
preilly44 said:
Just a quick update, according to Sprint, the phone now should be unlocked. Is there a way on the phone I can tell if it is unlocked? When I put a sim card in from another carrier I'm getting the icon at the top of the screen of a sim card with an ! in it. When I try to make a phone call it does not go through. It also doesn't show my phone number or any other info related to the sim card on the phone's info screen.
Any advice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should try rebooting if you haven't.
Thanks, I should have said in the last post that I've tried battery pulls and even a factory reset.
Zacharee1 said:
You should try rebooting if you haven't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
preilly44 said:
Thanks, I should have said in the last post that I've tried battery pulls and even a factory reset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm. Maybe call Sprint again. It sounds like the unlock may not have been processed.

Shall I switch A2107G to USA bands?

Hi there. I live in Canada and use A2017G. How to switch it to USA bands and is it safe to do? Or should I wait for Oreo (seems like November)?
Thanks
I think you are stuck with whatever bands that are hardcoded into the G. Probably has something to do with the baseband/radio/modem. I did find an article on XDA awhile back that claims you can add bands to your phone, but it seemed mostly suited toward Samsung. In any case, it doesn't really matter, a G model should still receive a minimum of 4G with most US carriers, but maybe not LTE. I'd imagine Canadian carriers are similar. But I do have to wonder, you live in North America, so why buy a G. The U is the variant that is designed for this region. And U has better support, ROMs, etc.
Maybe you can just flash the A2017U modem
ttkian said:
Maybe you can just flash the A2017U modem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you can avoid suggesting things you clearly have no idea about.
While you're at it, why don't you flash a modem from another phone?
---------- Post added at 05:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:51 AM ----------
evilKabab said:
Hi there. I live in Canada and use A2017G. How to switch it to USA bands and is it safe to do? Or should I wait for Oreo (seems like November)?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't add bands that the phone doesn't have. By changing the daughterboard of an A2017U to an A2017's, a guy simply lost all connectivity, plain and simple. Antenna stuff is hardware stuff.
Oreo won't really add bands either
@Choose an username...: I have read other topics on XDA that say you can use QPST/QFIL to add basebands, on almost any device that has a Qualcomm CPU. But I havent tried this myself. It may just be a matter of placebo, or people wanting to believe that it works, when really nothing may be changing. You could also brick your phone during the attempt, which is part of the reason I havent tried yet.
I think that all A7s have nearly the same hardware, including the same (hardware) modem/radio, but with different basebands enabled/disabled depending on which model you have. But I have no proof of this. I will leave this to people that are willing to deeply dissect the hardware.
And then there are the modem files you can flash, which vary according to your model. I am not sure what would happen if you attempt to flash a A2017G/A2017 modem on a A2017U (or any other combo). I think the worst you will face is a loss of Internet/text/phone calls.
When I first bought my A7 I was going to get the Chinese version from AliExpress, because it has more RAM, storage, and ForceTouch. But then I realized that it doesn't have most of the basebands that my carrier (T-Mobile) supports. And you never know where most of the AE sellers get the hardware, they could be stolen, preowned, whatever. I have bought numerous 'new' items there before, but they ranged in quality, ranging from brand new to fair condition. So I thought better of it and bought a new A2017U from NewEgg, complete with ZTE's Passport warranty and 3 years SquareTrade insurance. And I'm glad I did, since a few months ago I had to make use of that warranty to get my A7 unbricked from DFU, before the tool was available.
I think only differences between A7 models are in processor i.e. bands. There are variants in SD 820.
AnonVendetta said:
... But then I realized that it doesn't have most of the basebands that my carrier (T-Mobile) supports.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're in the same boat... My carrier using AWS bands just like T-MO. A2017G was working perfectly fine maybe missing just one band on LTE. And recently new band was introduced - LTE band 13 (700mhz), which supposed to improve indoor reception - big issue for Axon 7 and AWS. They call it 'Extended Rabge LTE.
So A2017U has that band, but A2017G doesnt. My assumption was that both phones are sharing the same hardware and bands available are controlled by software.
I clicked some numbers and got into some engineering menu where I see choices: USA Bands, Cellular 800. So I picked USA and restarted.
EPIC FAIL!
I lost 3g AWS on SIM1! Only 4G present, which is actually working fine. Just imagine phone with perfect 4G connectivity internet is flying, but you cannot place a phone call... (My carrier - Freedom Mobile doesnt have 2G GSM). I tried to switch it back - no luck
Solution - I use SIM2.
Oreo
Just installed it no OTA had to use sd card. That actually fixed SIM1 band problem. It doesnt seem I have band 13 (that is what I wanted), but connectivity seems better and switching between 3g and 4g is very fast...

Phone says it's a V20 US996 but LG says LS997?

I have an interesting issue here folks. I recently purchased a new LG V20 US996 specifically so I could root/flash it. I've been using it for a few days to ensure there are no issues with the phone and tonight I sat down to start the process. In attempting to get the unlock.bin from LG, the IMEI and Device ID return as an "un-unlockable" Sprint LS997 phone on LG's developer site, however, the sticker under the battery and all the info in Settings/About Phone state it is a US996. Any insight would greatly be appreciated.
ps1pi said:
I have an interesting issue here folks. I recently purchased a new LG V20 US996 specifically so I could root/flash it. I've been using it for a few days to ensure there are no issues with the phone and tonight I sat down to start the process. In attempting to get the unlock.bin from LG, the IMEI and Device ID return as an "un-unlockable" Sprint LS997 phone on LG's developer site, however, the sticker under the battery and all the info in Settings/About Phone state it is a US996. Any insight would greatly be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might have bought a refurb
Sent from my LG-H910 using XDA Labs
cnjax said:
You might have bought a refurb
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Click to collapse
Thank you for the reply, I appreciate it. If that were the case, wouldn't the phone software list as a 997? Apologies for my ignorance.
ps1pi said:
If that were the case, wouldn't the phone software list as a 997? Apologies for my ignorance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks like you have one of those rare, older, rootable LS997 (Sprint) models that was cross-flashed with US996 firmware in order to be used with GSM-based networks. I believe a bunch of them were sold this way in unofficial markets outside the U.S. While the phone is still rootable using the DirtySanta method, I think you'd still be limited to the LTE bands of the LS997 hardware (most sources show LTE bands 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 25, 26, 41).
This type of phone is most useful for those who want to use a rooted V20 on the Sprint network in the U.S. (all of the more recently updated LS997 models are unrootable)
C D said:
It looks like you have one of those rare, older, rootable LS997 (Sprint) models that was cross-flashed with US996 firmware in order to be used with GSM-based networks. I believe a bunch of them were sold this way in unofficial markets outside the U.S. While the phone is still rootable using the DirtySanta method, I think you'd still be limited to the LTE bands of the LS997 hardware (most sources show LTE bands 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 25, 26, 41).
This type of phone is most useful for those who want to use a rooted V20 on the Sprint network in the U.S. (all of the more recently updated LS997 models are unrootable)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the explanation. That makes sense. I just heard back from the dealer on Amazon that I bought it from. His explanation is that "my supplier, in order to meet demand, transformed a 997 into a 996.". Thanks again.

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