Hey guys, my G2 is on its way out and I'm looking to get a V20 for the at&t network.
All I want is root.
Been reading threads about root, bootloader unlocking, and ARB versions and well, I'm unsure if a phone I would get would be rootable.
I would be buying from amazon or ebay so I wouldn't know how updated it would be.
I feel like a noob out of the loop because it's been so long since I've modded anything android.
What advice do you guys have in regards to which model I should buy? Is any H910 or H910a rootable? And will the ARBs > 0 be rooted for sure?
Your knowledge and advice would be greatly appreciated!
I'm getting a new V20 918 via Ebay and I'm in the same boat as you.
My fingers are crossed.
I am in a similar boat, but on Verizon. I figured the only way I could be sure was to buy a US996 - The universal carrier unlocked US model with unlockable bootloader. It's ordered but won't ship for a while so I'm keeping fingers crossed. I know it doesn't have recent security patches on stock, but perhaps I can get a ROM that does.
Related
Hey all. I finally have to give back my note 7. I want to switch to the V20. Just wondering if the ones on sale now are still rootable or if they were updated and cant be rooted?
That was the first and only bootloader unlockable V20 variant
so it's a go for root
I am coming from the Samsung line, Note 4 to be exact. I know I will be purchasing the v20, as it is the spiritual successor to the Note 4, to me.
I have been browsing the forums here and doing some reading, I see that the v20 is in it's infancy with root/developers breaking into nougat.
I try to find some answers, and I am unable to fully relinquish all my questions.
From what I understand the American models have unlocked bootloaders via Dirty Santa method, and two korean models if I am correct.
My questions are, which model should I buy? I want to have the model that has the MOST developer support. As I have the Exynos Korean model of my Note 4, and the development/custom roms and the like for my model are pretty non-existent, and it sucks.
From what I've read so far, if you want root, unlocked bootloader and the like, to steer clear of Dual Sim v20's. If this is true, what is the reason?
I was looking on the LG site and saw they are offering the US996 (unlocked) with a 200gb SD card.
(http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-US996-Unlocked-v20-titan)
Does 'unlocked' mean that it is SIM unlocked or Bootloader unlocked?
If it's just SIM unlocked, is there ANY model that has Bootloader unlocked from the factory? (and will it have the support of developers, with custom roms and the like?)
Or is the US996 my best bet at unlocked and most widely supported v20.
Lastly, I see there will be a Turkey model release, international sim.
Should I wait around for these other v20's to pop up before purchasing? (I am in no rush to upgrade from note 4, but excited for new v20.)
Thank you everyone for your time in reading this.
I hope this thread helps all newcomers who want to hop on the v20 train.
TL;DR - What is the best model phone to purchase, that will have most DEV support?
The US996 model can be bootloader-unlocked directly from LG.
RichBordoni said:
The US996 model can be bootloader-unlocked directly from LG.
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Right, I saw that! It says it voids manufacturers warranty though. So what if I purchased another variant and unlocked bootloader and sent it in if I messed it up. Would it be a possible gamble of them fixing it vs them knowing my phone is bootloader unlocked because I officially unlocked it via website?
Or should I just purchase based 3rd party warranty, (such as square trade) and not worry about it?
So I'm looking to get a used T-Mobile or AT&T unlocked. I use Straight Talk AT&T right now and may consider jumping to T-Mobile Straight Talk.
Of these 2 devices, which is best for custom ROMS, root access, etc etc? The H918 is bootloader unlocked right, so should that one be better? Or are they equal nowadays?
If the person you buy the H918 from has upgraded to the latest firmware (v10p or v10q -- you need v10k or lower), you can't root it, but the H910 can be rooted on the latest firmware as of today (v10p).
Because AT&T only does encrypted OTA updates, they don't really have a reason to increment ARB, so unless they have some engineer that reads XDA and decides to let the higher ups know that they should increment ARB, the phone will continue to be rootable for the foreseeable future.
-- Brian
Thanks for the info. I'll likely get the AT&T one. If I do get the H910 then and I switch to a T-Mobile SIM, would wifi calling/sms work?
I use an H910 on T-Mobile and everything works just fine.
-- Brian
runningnak3d said:
I use an H910 on T-Mobile and everything works just fine.
-- Brian
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Hey! I'm planning on buying LG v20 too because of LG G5 warranty void ---> corrosion on the main board and price estimate it to get it fixed is 160€.. Lol and it's not even the main problem. There cough*severe LCD screen burn* cough cough and another problem is the GAP at the bottom that maybe is the reason for corrosion.
I was planning on buying h918 because it is 20€ cheaper on EBay but if it is updated to the latest firmware would I be screwed? So would it be safer to just buy h910 for the sake of rooting? Thanks
runningnak3d said:
I use an H910 on T-Mobile and everything works just fine.
-- Brian
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May i asked what rom you are using to get wifi calling to work on tmobile? Thanks
@raven213 I am running stock v10m that I debloated and tweaked. Don't want to hijack his thread, so if you want to open a thread on wifi calling, I can hopefully help you out.
-- Brian
I just rooted my us996 us cellular variant and was wondering what all ROMs support this variant. I know most people will say I should just buy an unlocked version but I got this phone for really good deal and don't want to get rid of it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
rafe83 said:
I just rooted my us996 us cellular variant and was wondering what all ROMs support this variant. I know most people will say I should just buy an unlocked version but I got this phone for really good deal and don't want to get rid of it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Lineage, 16.0 unofficial. us996-ds version
I seen that. Thanks. I'm going to try that one here shortly.
rafe83 said:
I just rooted my us996 us cellular variant and was wondering what all ROMs support this variant. I know most people will say I should just buy an unlocked version but I got this phone for really good deal and don't want to get rid of it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Hi,
How did you root your US Cellular US996? My h918 died from water damage that happened before I owned it, and now I'm stuck with an unrooted US996 for US Cellular, but I haven't found how to root it and unlock the bootloader.
Thanks,
Rob
frohro said:
Hi,
How did you root your US Cellular US996? My h918 died from water damage that happened before I owned it, and now I'm stuck with an unrooted US996 for US Cellular, but I haven't found how to root it and unlock the bootloader.
Thanks,
Rob
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Click to collapse
LG official bootloader unlock guide:
LG Developer
The official developer resources for LG products and platforms.
developer.lge.com
Click How to Unlock the Bootloader for instructions.
All the US996 variants were recently silently added to the list of devices that can be unlocked:
V20 LG Official Unlock..
So, I happened to get my hands on a pair of V20's. Both were us996 models. One was the USA and the other was UCL (US Cellular). In the past, the UCL was not able to be unlocked on LG's website. I was able to unlock the USA model just fine...
forum.xda-developers.com
After that install the TWRP from here:
[Recovery][Unofficial]TWRP 3.3.1-1 : 2019-10-25
Inspired by Backcheck building for the VS995, I've decided to build the latest TWRP for the US996 and now most other V20 variants as well. I'm an amateur, but so far in my own use it seems to be working fine (flashes Open Gapps, Lineage, and...
forum.xda-developers.com
and flash Magisk to root:
Releases · topjohnwu/Magisk
The Magic Mask for Android. Contribute to topjohnwu/Magisk development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
Hi all, I just got a sprint ls997 but was disappointed to see that my firmware(or software, I dunno) update of ZVA prevents me from rooting the phone. Now I'm considering buying an unlocked (us996) version, but am having issues with this forum from inexperience. What I find is guides for installing custom ROMs, rooting, etc. but they seem not to talk about the requirements of your phone or the firmware updates you need to be before in order for it to work. I had this issue with my sprint version; the guide said you could install the ROM on an ls997, but did not mention anything else. So I just need someone who understands all of this modding stuff to tell me. Could I just go buy a us996 right now and be able to root it? Is it still possible?
Thank you!
As far as I know, pretty much any other V20 model is still rootable nowadays. There are different rooting guides for different models, and most should tell you the exact requirements if you look carefully. Regarding the US996, there are actually three variations of it, and one of them is by far the easiest V20 to root since it is the only one supported by LG for unlocking the bootloader on their website. The trick will be identifying and finding this unlocked US996 USA variant, and you can find more info in this older thread.
C D said:
As far as I know, pretty much any other V20 model is still rootable nowadays. There are different rooting guides for different models, and most should tell you the exact requirements if you look carefully. Regarding the US996, there are actually three variations of it, and one of them is by far the easiest V20 to root since it is the only one supported by LG for unlocking the bootloader on their website. The trick will be identifying and finding this unlocked US996 USA variant, and you can find more info in this older thread.
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Hmm. Is the LS997 totally locked down in terms of unlocking the bootloader? I got a US996 and unlocked it, but unfortunately the service is not compatible with Sprint.
The only way an LS997 can be rooted is if it hasn't been updated past May 1, 2017 (Software version LS997ZV7 - I happen to be using one of these). Anything after that is irreversibly locked down, and unfortunately, those older LS997 models are very hard to find nowadays. Ironically, many of them have been cross-flashed with US996 firmware to be used on GSM networks, mostly overseas (you'd be able to tell from the sticker behind the battery if it hasn't been peeled off). And yes, the LS997 is the only V20 model that can be used on the Sprint network.