Database Users

Upgrading to a Moto G?

Hey everyone, I currently have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus since it came out in late 2011. I think it is time to upgrade. I'm not looking to get the latest and greatest, just a phone that is better and more stable then what I currently have. I know the Moto G (2nd gen) does not have much better specs then my existing phone, so would it be worth the upgrade? Any feedback would be great.
I use my phone for email, games, movies, etc. I also regularly try different roms, kernels, etc.,, so a good dev support is important. I want to get the Nexus 5 but I would prefer to save the $ and use it for other things.
Thanks

xmaciek82x said:
Hey everyone, I currently have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus since it came out in late 2011. I think it is time to upgrade. I'm not looking to get the latest and greatest, just a phone that is better and more stable then what I currently have. I know the Moto G (2nd gen) does not have much better specs then my existing phone, so would it be worth the upgrade? Any feedback would be great.
I use my phone for email, games, movies, etc. I also regularly try different roms, kernels, etc.,, so a good dev support is important. I want to get the Nexus 5 but I would prefer to save the $ and use it for other things.
Thanks
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I have one. I really like it. Battery life is not great so I would get a car charger if you intend on using it as a mobile GPS. The form factor is shirt pocket and convenient, the CPU is fast enough so the phone response is good, and it's inexpensive so if you drown it in the crapper you won't be pooping bricks right after it.
But you need to be aware that if you get a new one of these that the carrier has contractually obligated Motorola to not provide a bootloader unlock code, then there is no way to root it. Verizon is one of these carriers. If you can find a used phone that hasn't been upgraded to kitkat 4.4.4 then you CAN unlock it with Sunshine. But the carriers pushed 4.4.4 via OTA the minute it became available and all the new ones come with it.
Right now there's a lot of "developer version" moto G's for sale on Ebay. Apparently Motorola screwed up and marked a large number of them in their database as restricted from unlocking, then went and dumped them on the secondary market. These CAN be unlocked but Motorola is handling unlock requests on those on a case-by-case basis.
Some carriers do not restrict bootloader unlocking. Who is your carrier?

Thanks for the info! I won;t be going through a carrier, I use T-mobile but usually buy my phone somewhere else and don't worry about contracts. I was going to get the xt1063 on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Moto-2nd-generation-Unlocked/dp/B00MWI4HW0/ref=dp_ob_title_def
It doesn't seem like I should worry about unlocking it and then rooting since it is not carrier specific. My GNEX has an upgraded battery that is the same as the current moto g one, but the moto g has a more efficient processor so I think I'll be ok with the battery life on the moto g.

xmaciek82x said:
Thanks for the info! I won;t be going through a carrier, I use T-mobile but usually buy my phone somewhere else and don't worry about contracts. I was going to get the xt1063 on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Moto-2nd-generation-Unlocked/dp/B00MWI4HW0/ref=dp_ob_title_def
It doesn't seem like I should worry about unlocking it and then rooting since it is not carrier specific. My GNEX has an upgraded battery that is the same as the current moto g one, but the moto g has a more efficient processor so I think I'll be ok with the battery life on the moto g.
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If you don't plan on going outside the us get the xt1064 instead of global. Updates are not faster on one va the other. Plus the xt1064 has an it's to 5.0.1

I do travel outside the US once in a while. Sorry, I am a little confused by your statement. xt1063 does get updates quicker? What other advantages does 1064 have over 1063?

xmaciek82x said:
I do travel outside the US once in a while. Sorry, I am a little confused by your statement. xt1063 does get updates quicker? What other advantages does 1064 have over 1063?
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They are basically the same phone. The us edition received an update from 21.11.23 to 5.0.1 before the global.
The difference is in the supported bands. The US GSM version includes bands that are used by T-Mobile in the US. Frequency Bands (by model) US GSM Model: (Optimized for T-Mobile US) GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 1700 (AWS), 1900 MHz) Global GSM Model: (Optimized for AT&T and Global Use) GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)

So is there still no 5.0.1 for the Global XT1063?

jayjr1105 said:
So is there still no 5.0.1 for the Global XT1063?
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Yes and no..... For XT1063 If your phone comes with 21.11.17 then yes there are 3 otas to flash 22.11.6 22.11.16 and 22.21.25. If it comes with 21.11.23 then you are still waiting for lollipop. For XT1064 if your phone comes with 21.11.17 then you can upgrade only to 5.0 with ota 22.11.6 if it has 22.11.23 there is an ota for 5.0.1 in 22.21.25.
If you are not afraid of unlocking the boot loader then you can flash firmware to get to 5.0.1 either way

Android The Greek said:
Yes and no..... For XT1063 If your phone comes with 21.11.17 then yes there are 3 otas to flash 22.11.6 22.11.16 and 22.21.25. If it comes with 21.11.23 then you are still waiting for lollipop. For XT1064 if your phone comes with 21.11.17 then you can upgrade only to 5.0 with ota 22.11.6 if it has 22.11.23 there is an ota for 5.0.1 in 22.21.25.
If you are not afraid of unlocking the boot loader then you can flash firmware to get to 5.0.1 either way
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Yep, XT1063 on 21.11.23. Unlocking the BL requires a request to Motorola correct? And it voids warranty automatically?

jayjr1105 said:
Yep, XT1063 on 21.11.23. Unlocking the BL requires a request to Motorola correct? And it voids warranty automatically?
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Yup. Its only 149.99 for me so I didn't care and unlocked the boot loader. If you don't do that its a waiting game for the ota, or someone with root to pull their ota and post.

I have a n5 and my wife has a moto g 2014. Without a doubt pay the extra 100 or 150 and buy the n5. Its better in every way possible, even battery life if you flash elementalX kernal.

My HTC M7 died so I picked a 2nd Gen unlocked G up. Its not bad at all so far we'll see after I get lollipop how it runs.

Lokke9191 said:
I have a n5 and my wife has a moto g 2014. Without a doubt pay the extra 100 or 150 and buy the n5. Its better in every way possible, even battery life if you flash elementalX kernal.
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Clearly spec wise the N5 is a better phone. You're stating the obvious. People buy the Moto G because they want to save some money. That extra $150 could potentially buy you 6 months worth of phone service. Some people value the $ savings vs. having a slightly faster, larger phone.

jayjr1105 said:
Clearly spec wise the N5 is a better phone. You're stating the obvious. People buy the Moto G because they want to save some money. That extra $150 could potentially buy you 6 months worth of phone service. Some people value the $ savings vs. having a slightly faster, larger phone.
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When I said every way possible, I was not referring to merely the specs. Every way possible, including dev support, kernels, roms, n5 is less glitchy, feels better in the hand, better screen quality, etc. etc. . Ive never had a freeze up, or random reboot like my wifes moto g has almost everyday. Id easily pay 150 dollars to avoid having a year of frustration with my phone, that i use every day and rely on. If people like you want to put up with sub par dev, and a glitchy device that feels like a brick, made of dated hardware just to save 150 bucks, have fun with that. Im all for saving money, which is why my wife bought the moto g instead of spending a little more and getting an n5, which I've had problem free since release. Big mistake.

I used to have a Nexus5 which I sold and bought the moto g. For normal everyday use there's no significant difference(at least for me). Battery life was horrible on the nexus, something that was obviously better when I used the elementalx kernel, but the moto g lasts even longer with the exact same use. SOT 5hr 20' on the nexus (with changed kernel) where on the moto g I can easily get 6hours and it's completely stock. My record is 7 hours 6'. And to be honest I never had a reboot having the phone for 3 months now.
Στάλθηκε από το Moto G μου

mark_kou said:
I used to have a Nexus5 which I sold and bought the moto g. For normal everyday use there's no significant difference(at least for me). Battery life was horrible on the nexus, something that was obviously better when I used the elementalx kernel, but the moto g lasts even longer with the exact same use. SOT 5hr 20' on the nexus (with changed kernel) where on the moto g I can easily get 6hours and it's completely stock. My record is 7 hours 6'. And to be honest I never had a reboot having the phone for 3 months now.
Στάλθηκε από το Moto G μου
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Exactly the same situation here...however i gave my nexus 5 to elder brother...
Finally got rid of horrible battery life... Moto g2 runs widout a glitch and more than happy to keep it wid me... Although no custom rom support but i dont care as long as i dont feel the urgency to flash one

I don't have any experience with the n5 but my experience with my new moto g 2014 has been nothing like what lokke9191 is describing. I've had 0 reboots, 0 boot loops and 0 app crashes. Just like anyone else, I need a dependable phone as well and I've had no indication that the moto G 2014 doesn't meet that requirement. I would recommend reading a few reviews on both the moto G 2013 and the 2014 to get a better sense of the bang for your buck these phones give you as far as specs go.
I'm on Tmobile and passed up the opportunity to get a moto x for $340 and couldn't be happier with my moto g. I got a Consumer Cellular xt1064 from Sears for $150 and paid $3 for an unlock code on Ebay. I needed tethering so the first thing I did was get a stock xt1064 KitKat ROM (21.11.23) and I've stuck with it since (I'm not going to go to Lollipop yet because of the reports of bugs across almost all Android devices).
Edit: @OP: I would look very carefully into xt1063 vs xt1064 - the Consumer Cellular Sears models appear to be xt1064 and not xt1063. Also, I don't know if the xt1063 will get H+ on Tmobile but the xt1064 definitely does. If the xt1063 doesn't get H+ you're going to be stuck on 2G.
Finally, I don't think it is fair to compare XDA support for the n5 to that of the moto g 2014 - the n5 has been out way longer than the moto g 2014. I had no trouble finding what I needed on XDA to get the stock Motorola KitKat installed (vs the Consumer Cellular ROM). Also, depending on what the needs of the OP are, custom ROMs could be a total waste of time.

My wife's moto G has been fantastic in every way. Battery is 3 times better than her Galaxy S2, 0 random reboots or any nonsense like that. She is on Straight Talk $45 unlimited plan. Plain and simple it's an amazing phone for $150. I do regret getting the global version over the US. I will likely stick with AT&T prepaid providers but it would have been nice to have Tmobile as an option. Still is just no 4G.

On day 3 now and haven't had a single random reboot or any problems. Battery life has been great and lollipop is running without a hitch.
Also I have the unlocked US version on tmobile and don't really feel the loss of LTE with what I do.
Great phone for the price

draztikrhymez said:
On day 3 now and haven't had a single random reboot or any problems. Battery life has been great and lollipop is running without a hitch.
Also I have the unlocked US version on tmobile and don't really feel the loss of LTE with what I do.
Great phone for the price
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LTE is overrated in my opinion

Reasearch into the LG G4 US991 Model

So i saw the G4 went down to 299 on Amazon.com and decided to buy it for my parents.
http://www.amazon.com/LG-G4-Unlocked-Leather-Warranty/dp/B01774WPQ8
After purchasing and it was too late to cancel, I noticed a lot of people complaining they were having sporadic issues with the US991 model.
This model was manufactured by LG for US Cellular. They are a CDMA based USA Cellular Provider.
When I Googled the mode, I found a page for this specific model directly on LG's website.
http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-US991-Genuine-Leather-Black-g4
Specifications
Type Smart Phone
Form Factor Bar
OS Android™ 5.1 (Lollipop)
Technology GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE*
Processor Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 808 with (integrated) 1.8 GHz 64-bit Hexa-Core CPU
RAM 3 GB
Network Hepta Band/Dual Mode*
Frequencies LTE Bands 2/4/5/12/13/17/25, CDMA 800, 1900 MHz, WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz, GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz*
From what I can tell, WCDMA is just another name for UMTS which is the basis for HSPA/HSPA+ Which means that this phone should be compatible with jut about any GSM carrier providing H+ 3.5g data services as well as typical Voice and Messaging services. What this should mean overall, is this will work as an unlocked international GSM compatible phone.
Data Transmission EVDO, EVDO Rev.A, 1xRTT, LTE*
Dimensions 5.86" (H) x 3.00" (W) x 0.38" (D)
Weight 5.46 oz
Display 5.5" (2560 x 1440) with 538 ppi and 500 nit
Touch Screen Yes
Battery Capacity 3,000 mAh
Talk Time Up to 18.5 hours**
Total Internal Memory 32 GB (21.9 GB usable)
microSD™ Memory Slot Supports card up to 2 TB***
Also, based on US Cellular's unlocking policy page for unlocked carrier locked phones,
http://www.uscellular.com/site/legal/mobile-wireless-device-unlocking.html
The US991 G4 comes carrier unlocked from US Cellular so if there are OS updates and such there shouldn't be any cases of carrier relocking (YMMV).
All in all if you are purchasing it just for general cellphone purposes it seems fine. Rooting and ROMing is another issue entirely.
If anyone can add some additional information to this I would be glad.
I hope this helps someone out there.

We're using one on T-Mobile, and everything is working just fine...no issues so far.

buydig had it for $290 on its eBay store (it went up now) with both black and red leather backs.
LTE bands are OK for AT&T (2,4,12,17) and T-Mobile (2,4,12) in the US.
It's missing LTE bands 1,3,7 which are used in Europe.
WCDMA doesn't have the 1700/2100 band that T-Mobile was using but has refarmed to 1900 in most areas now.

My friend bought the same buydig/ebay deal as above, is using it on Verizon. He just popped his sim out of his dead razr m and it works ok, except it being an unregistered device. His is listed as US99110A for software version, Kernel 3.10.40. It won't do a software update with the sim in (obviously) nor without the sim in it. I guess flashing the US Cellular KDZ over would work, but then it includes all their bloat and there's no way to get back to it's current unbranded status. Would be awesome if it could be updated.

G4 US991 on T-Mobile
GeodudeFFP said:
We're using one on T-Mobile, and everything is working just fine...no issues so far.
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Hi, I just received mine, also using on T-Mobile. Works fine, but a couple issues, and possibly a deal breaker:
(1) After upgrading to Marshmallow and signing onto Google to synchonize apps, LG Backup no longer works. Icon still there, but no response when clicked.
(2) Upgrading, from G3, happy to report that Facebook app no longer crashes with Acore error -- not sure if that's because (a) settings changed, (b) upgraded from G3 to G4, or (c) Marshmallow cured it
(3) Cannot find wifi calling, which is necessary for using free text on GoGoInflight-equipped airliners.
I like the $275 price, but #3 may be a deal breaker. If can't make it work within budget, must choose between NEW G4 without wifi-calling, or used G4 with it.
Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated!

skatsinas said:
Hi, I just received mine, also using on T-Mobile. Works fine, but a couple issues, and possibly a deal breaker:
(1) After upgrading to Marshmallow and signing onto Google to synchonize apps, LG Backup no longer works. Icon still there, but no response when clicked.
(2) Upgrading, from G3, happy to report that Facebook app no longer crashes with Acore error -- not sure if that's because (a) settings changed, (b) upgraded from G3 to G4, or (c) Marshmallow cured it
(3) Cannot find wifi calling, which is necessary for using free text on GoGoInflight-equipped airliners.
I like the $275 price, but #3 may be a deal breaker. If can't make it work within budget, must choose between NEW G4 without wifi-calling, or used G4 with it.
Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated!
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I don't think wifi calling is available as-is with US991 on T-Mobile, but you may be able to use an app for it. Check out "Hangouts Dialer - Call Phones" app.

can any of you guys confirm whether 3g on T-mobile works? I can see that 2g and 4g LTE are fine, just not sure about 3g since my provider has 3g crossed out for this phone.

StraightTalk won't activate it on one of their Verizon SIMs even though it will work on Verizon. I sent mine back and bought a used Verizon model.
Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

YoColdRain said:
can any of you guys confirm whether 3g on T-mobile works? I can see that 2g and 4g LTE are fine, just not sure about 3g since my provider has 3g crossed out for this phone.
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I previously wrote
WCDMA doesn't have the 1700/2100 band that T-Mobile was using but has refarmed to 1900 in most areas now.
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Click to collapse
So, if you are in an area that T-Mobile refarmed their 3G from the 1700/2100 band to the 1900 band, then you should get 3G. My understanding is that they have done so in most if not all areas.

Just to confirm, will the US991 will get 4g on both verizon and gsm carriers? I have to switch my vzw sim back to a micro sim before I can try. I'm also going to switch to an mvno in a couple of months, just want to make sure it'll work.

royalflush5 said:
Just to confirm, will the US991 will get 4g on both verizon and gsm carriers? I have to switch my vzw sim back to a micro sim before I can try. I'm also going to switch to an mvno in a couple of months, just want to make sure it'll work.
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It should work on Verizon LTE since it has all 3 LTE bands verizon uses.
Sent from my LGUS991 using XDA-Developers mobile app

dennis5pia said:
It should work on Verizon LTE since it has all 3 LTE bands verizon uses.
Sent from my LGUS991 using XDA-Developers mobile app
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Thanks! Would you happen to know about GSM compatibility? I'd like to keep my options open when my contract with big red ends

royalflush5 said:
Thanks! Would you happen to know about GSM compatibility? I'd like to keep my options open when my contract with big red ends
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Of course, as far as the phone supports the LTE band the GSM carrier work with and the phone is set to Global.
It supports LTE Band 2/4/5/12/13/17/25. I'm using it on GSM carriers with LTE band 2 and 4.
Sent from my LGUS991 using XDA-Developers mobile app

Just bought a new G4 on eBay with extra battery, battery charger cradle, and extra leather cover for $289 shipped. Brand new. Box says manufacture month was 03/16. Its working great so far. Its on MM out of the box. Threw an Unlimited T-Mobile SIM in it and its working pretty good. Nice.

Hi. I'm wondering if I can get some help with this device. I purchased this device unlocked from my local Rent a Center in New York. Since its unlocked, I am using with my servicer provider Metropcs. Here's where im having some issues. Metropcs offers WiFi Calling on all their devices [ have a LG K7 ] as does T-mobile since they own metro. I noticed that the feature is MIA on my G4. I did some research and found out from LG that the phone itself was originally a US Cellular device. I then called US Celluar. I spoke with their techs and was informed that they don't offer WiFi calling at all with their service, but it doesnt mean the phone doesnt support it. Believe it or not, the tech told me that its more or less a software thing. I went through the stage to upgrade the device to Marshmallow, but apparently its not available. I noticed that all US Cellular LG G4's have Marshmallow. Im wondering if theres a root method that might fix my issues. I looked around and didnt see one for this LG G4 US99111a. I only see them for US99110. Can anyone here at XDA possibly help? Any and all info will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

mrrock79 said:
Hi. I'm wondering if I can get some help with this device. I purchased this device unlocked from my local Rent a Center in New York. Since its unlocked, I am using with my servicer provider Metropcs. Here's where im having some issues. Metropcs offers WiFi Calling on all their devices [ have a LG K7 ] as does T-mobile since they own metro. I noticed that the feature is MIA on my G4. I did some research and found out from LG that the phone itself was originally a US Cellular device. I then called US Celluar. I spoke with their techs and was informed that they don't offer WiFi calling at all with their service, but it doesnt mean the phone doesnt support it. Believe it or not, the tech told me that its more or less a software thing. I went through the stage to upgrade the device to Marshmallow, but apparently its not available. I noticed that all US Cellular LG G4's have Marshmallow. Im wondering if theres a root method that might fix my issues. I looked around and didnt see one for this LG G4 US99111a. I only see them for US99110. Can anyone here at XDA possibly help? Any and all info will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is not root method yet. Since wifi calling is a metropcs/t-mobile feature you can't get it in a device is not from them, unless someone port a metropcs/t-mobile ROM to other carrier devices.
Sent from my LGUS991 using XDA-Developers mobile app

I kinda figured this was the case, but was hoping. Im wondering though that if and when US Cellular does support WiFi Calling, will an update from LG activate the feature. Either way, its a great phone. No complaints. Just wondering what marshmallow is like on it.

Not sure if the wifi calling feature from one carrier works in any other carrier.
Sent from my LGUS991 using XDA-Developers mobile app

It does with other phones I have had. I owned an Iphone 6 Plus from Verizon. The phone is factory unlocked, and I used it on Tmobile/ATT/Sprint before moving to metro. Verizon initially didnt offer Wifi calling. The feature was active in the phone once I left verizon for the others. So its possible. Hence my confusion as to why its not active with the G4, and why I believe the tech at US Cellular told me that its more or less a software issue.

Iphone is kind of different. But I hope it works with Android
Sent from my LGUS991 using XDA-Developers mobile app

International Version

I was just looking at the prices for the P10 Lite on Amazon and both the 3gb and 4gb RAM models are listed as International Versions. Does that mean it can't be used in the US?

adam79 said:
I was just looking at the prices for the P10 Lite on Amazon and both the 3gb and 4gb RAM models are listed as International Versions. Does that mean it can't be used in the US?
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Not necessarily. It may lack carrier features and it won't work on CDMA networks (Verizon and Sprint).
Remember to check the bands the phones support and compare it to the bands your network uses. You'll want all your network's bands to be supported for optimal performance and connectivity. It should still work even with a band or two missing but you may run into issues occasionally depending on what bands are missing.

Trixanity said:
Not necessarily. It may lack carrier features and it won't work on CDMA networks (Verizon and Sprint).
Remember to check the bands the phones support and compare it to the bands your network uses. You'll want all your network's bands to be supported for optimal performance and connectivity. It should still work even with a band or two missing but you may run into issues occasionally depending on what bands are missing.
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I think I'm gonna go with the LG G5 RS988. It only has a quad-core processor and still out performs most phones, in it's price range, with octo-cores. It also runs on all three bands that MetroPCS uses. It destroys the P10 Lite in every category when comparing them side by side on GSMArena.

Adam O'Blivion said:
I think I'm gonna go with the LG G5 RS988. It only has a quad-core processor and still out performs most phones, in it's price range, with octo-cores. It also runs on all three bands that MetroPCS uses. It destroys the P10 Lite in every category when comparing them side by side on GSMArena.
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Of course. LG G5 is a flagship device from last year, so it should be better than a budget phone. It's cheap now because of the poor sales.
I should note that you run the risk of bootloops which has plagued a lot of LG phones including the G5 I believe. Not trying to dissuade you but I feel like I should give you a heads up so you know what you're getting into (or potentially getting into).

g4 plus on verizon postpaid?

Hi, I know this question has been asked before but I see mixed answers. So I got a used Moto G4 plus off ebay (actually by mistake, i meant to buy an E plus to be used on my existing verizon postpaid account). I know the G4 plus is not officially supported by verizon but I thought I should give it a try anyway.
I tried to pop my sim card from my current verizon phone into it and it doesn't work. when i switched the network to 4g/lte then the G4 can use data but not voice or text. So I am just wondering if I should tinker some more or it definitely will not work because the hardware is lacking. I read posts about how some were able to just put an active sim card in there and get it to work but that was probably a different version of it?
This moto G4 plus is XT1641, build MPJ24.139.23.3, running android 6.0.1. I think this is probably not a "regular" XT1641 because it does say 32gb but only has 2gb ram and only 1 sim slot (the "regular" XT1641 that I looked up has 32gb, 3gb ram and dual sim).
and I did root this moto G4 plus before even checking compatibility. I felt so smart back then but thinking back that was a really dumb thing to do.
Any advice is greatly appreciated!

V20-friendly US carriers? (Sprint user needs to migrate)

Sprint sold to T-Mobile and T-Mobile is selling off Sprint bands between now and Q1 2022 requiring a phone change to stay on their network. I like my V20 and am not impressed with the new Android phones on offer. (*)
Are there any US providers with whom a Sprint V20 will still work? Good 4G performance (1-10Mbps) is fine for my needs and I need to have reliable SMS. I don't want 5G, HD video, gaming performance, or anything like that. I've checked the usual AT&T, Verizon, etc. but unless I'm misreading something, their networks will not accept this phone.
(*) I just sent back a Pixel 5a/5g after preferring the V20 in a side-by-side comparison.

Verizon

I checked with the IMEI and Vzn says it is not comaptible?

Which V20 do you have? vs995 is the Verizon model, and will work on Verizon. us996 is the unlocked model, and will work on Verizon (that's what I use on verizon). Other models of the v20 will be tied to their particular carrier.

Mine says LS997 in one of the panels. As mentioned in the original post, I am currently with Sprint. The phone boots with a Sprint splash screen but should be unlocked. Hoping to find a compatible provider.

That is the Spring Model, apparently only compatible with Spring. Sorry. :-(

The Sprint V20 isn't configured to get VoLTE and doesn't pass any whitelist or IMEI compatibility check for the 3 U.S. carriers, so you'll have to switch to one of the other carrier-branded models, either the H918 for T-Mobile, H910 for AT&T, or VS995 for Verizon.
If your LS997 really is SIM-unlocked, and you can change APN settings (Sprint phones are notorious for having that option grayed out, regardless of whether they are SIM-unlocked or not), then you may still be able to get it to work on T-Mobile without VoLTE until they shut down both 3G and 2G networks next year. However, even before their shut downs, T-Mobile may start actively blocking phones at any time like AT&T do, so I wouldn't go with an LS997 as the only phone.

This blows so much in the wrong ways. Still have the ls997, but had get free a71 to keep service for TMobile. Tech waste at its finest. Forced to do unwanted.

Thanks, everyone. Looks like I am out of luck and have to get another phone regardless of cellular provider.
I am interested in recommendations something 2 or more years old that I could get refurbished to work with what's coming so I can trawl eBay. I'll look for other V20s per @C D but options would be good.
What I like about the V20 and would like to carry over in no particular order.
- Replaceable battery (hence older models)
- Notifications are fast (The Pixel 5a/5g I returned had issues)
- Camera with manual settings. Not an expert photographer but the manual mode has come in handy
- Runs the few apps I care about effortlessly (BlueMail, Newpipe, Berlin Philharmonic apps)
- Slot for a memory card
- Second screen
- Rock solid Bluetooth performance

Rich_Palermo said:
Thanks, everyone. Looks like I am out of luck and have to get another phone regardless of cellular provider.
I am interested in recommendations something 2 or more years old that I could get refurbished to work with what's coming so I can trawl eBay. I'll look for other V20s per @C D but options would be good.
What I like about the V20 and would like to carry over in no particular order.
- Replaceable battery (hence older models)
- Notifications are fast (The Pixel 5a/5g I returned had issues)
- Camera with manual settings. Not an expert photographer but the manual mode has come in handy
- Runs the few apps I care about effortlessly (BlueMail, Newpipe, Berlin Philharmonic apps)
- Slot for a memory card
- Second screen
- Rock solid Bluetooth performance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Based on that, I'd say if you can go with Verizon or its MVNOs, the Verizon LG V50 would fit most of these. It has roughly the same size as the V20 and still has the fingerprint scanner on the back, too. I guess you'd have to test the notifications and Bluetooth performance, but as long as whatever seller you go with has a good return policy, that shouldn't be a problem.
The second screen doesn't really exist in any phone other than the V10 and V20, and a removable battery only exists in phones (Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro and Teracube 2e) that are more of a sidegrade/downgrade to the V20 while missing many of its features.
If you need compatibility with all U.S. carriers and don't mind the bigger size and lower screen resolution, there is a carrier model of the V60 for each of the big 3 carriers.
Another notable older all-rounder that's easy to find renewed/refurbished on eBay would be the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 if you don't mind the curved screen and being stuck on Android 10.
I own both a Sprint V50 and a Note 9 (both rooted), and while they lack the removable battery and second screen, they both have an LED notification light (though the V50 has a weird one on the back that's also the 5G logo) and absolutely blow away the V20 in both performance and battery life. Unfortunately, I can't recommend the Sprint V50 yet since I can't seem to get a signal to stay on T-Mobile, and while it does work perfectly on an AT&T MVNO, AT&T could block it at any point since it's not on their whitelist.
You may be able to find most of these for around $300 or less in mint/refurbished/open box shape, and it's up to you to decide if those are worth over getting a different V20 at likely less than half the price.

I will chase all of these down! The Pixel 5a/5g I tried was Android 12 and I thought it was hard to use compared to prior versions. Lots of UI customization features I don't need/want at the expense of core capabilities. My V20 has Android 8 and it works just fine.
I think Sprint is out of the equation and whatever I get has to be for one or more of the other carriers/their resellers.