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Hey guys
I was up until recently the proud owner of an LG G4. Details of what happened to it can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/g4/general/expository-thread-bootloop-t3313771
As possibly getting the G4 fixed will take months, I'm (unfortunately) in the market for a new phone.
I use Cricket Wireless which means I have to buy all my phones upfront; This isn't bad though, as I view all my devices as investments that should be future-proof for ideally atleast 2-2.5 years. I had hoped that with buying a G4, I would be able to sustain it for 2+ years. But this doesn't look like it will be the case...
I'm looking to get a Nexus 6P. It looks like the best option for someone like me who needs a phone that is factory unlocked by default and has a good compatibility with all most all cellular providers In the US. So I just have a couple of questions:
1. Since the Nexus 6P is factory unlocked by default and has such a wide range of supported bands, it should work with Cricket (being that it is an ATT MVNO), right? (even if this seems obvious, I would like some reassurance before I buy).
2. What has been everyone's experienced with Google's protection, warranty, coverage, and RMA policies? This is very important in making sure that I'll always have SOMEONE to talk to if my phone breaks.
3. What's the situation on wireless hotspot with the 6P? I know its included in the OS, but it apparently doesn't work for all carriers. I've heard some people complain that it doesn't work on ATT, Cricket, and that they've used the SIM tool trick (from the 5X) to get hotspot to work (this was actually in another thread here at XDA).
4. Supposedly rooting your phone makes hotspot really easy and accessible, and I've heard that rooting/flashing the 6P is harmless and very very easy to do. Anyone can comment on this?
5. Are there any large, production-scale issues with the Nexus 6P? It's been a couple of months since its release so I hope a lot of the flaws that were present with the earlier manufactured devices are gone. (Once again, I'm trying to avoid an issue like Bootloop which had happened to many of the early adopters of the G4)
6. Finally, are there any other phones that others would recommend that come factory unlocked by default? I could buy a Galaxy S6 from Cricket, and then I would have the support of my carrier and all, but I definitely don't think the GS6 is a better phone than the 6P...
Thank you guys for reading!
OmriSama said:
Hey guys
I was up until recently the proud owner of an LG G4. Details of what happened to it can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/g4/general/expository-thread-bootloop-t3313771
As possibly getting the G4 fixed will take months, I'm (unfortunately) in the market for a new phone.
I use Cricket Wireless which means I have to buy all my phones upfront; This isn't bad though, as I view all my devices as investments that should be future-proof for ideally atleast 2-2.5 years. I had hoped that with buying a G4, I would be able to sustain it for 2+ years. But this doesn't look like it will be the case...
I'm looking to get a Nexus 6P. It looks like the best option for someone like me who needs a phone that is factory unlocked by default and has a good compatibility with all most all cellular providers In the US. So I just have a couple of questions:
1. Since the Nexus 6P is factory unlocked by default and has such a wide range of supported bands, it should work with Cricket (being that it is an ATT MVNO), right? (even if this seems obvious, I would like some reassurance before I buy).
2. What has been everyone's experienced with Google's protection, warranty, coverage, and RMA policies? This is very important in making sure that I'll always have SOMEONE to talk to if my phone breaks.
3. What's the situation on wireless hotspot with the 6P? I know its included in the OS, but it apparently doesn't work for all carriers. I've heard some people complain that it doesn't work on ATT, Cricket, and that they've used the SIM tool trick (from the 5X) to get hotspot to work (this was actually in another thread here at XDA).
4. Supposedly rooting your phone makes hotspot really easy and accessible, and I've heard that rooting/flashing the 6P is harmless and very very easy to do. Anyone can comment on this?
5. Are there any large, production-scale issues with the Nexus 6P? It's been a couple of months since its release so I hope a lot of the flaws that were present with the earlier manufactured devices are gone. (Once again, I'm trying to avoid an issue like Bootloop which had happened to many of the early adopters of the G4)
6. Finally, are there any other phones that others would recommend that come factory unlocked by default? I could buy a Galaxy S6 from Cricket, and then I would have the support of my carrier and all, but I definitely don't think the GS6 is a better phone than the 6P...
Thank you guys for reading!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only thing I'm experiencing is not being able to send MMS.
What is the trick for the N6P to get hotspot service?
Thanks
OmriSama said:
Hey guys
I was up until recently the proud owner of an LG G4. Details of what happened to it can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/g4/general/expository-thread-bootloop-t3313771
As possibly getting the G4 fixed will take months, I'm (unfortunately) in the market for a new phone.
I use Cricket Wireless which means I have to buy all my phones upfront; This isn't bad though, as I view all my devices as investments that should be future-proof for ideally atleast 2-2.5 years. I had hoped that with buying a G4, I would be able to sustain it for 2+ years. But this doesn't look like it will be the case...
I'm looking to get a Nexus 6P. It looks like the best option for someone like me who needs a phone that is factory unlocked by default and has a good compatibility with all most all cellular providers In the US. So I just have a couple of questions:
1. Since the Nexus 6P is factory unlocked by default and has such a wide range of supported bands, it should work with Cricket (being that it is an ATT MVNO), right? (even if this seems obvious, I would like some reassurance before I buy).
2. What has been everyone's experienced with Google's protection, warranty, coverage, and RMA policies? This is very important in making sure that I'll always have SOMEONE to talk to if my phone breaks.
3. What's the situation on wireless hotspot with the 6P? I know its included in the OS, but it apparently doesn't work for all carriers. I've heard some people complain that it doesn't work on ATT, Cricket, and that they've used the SIM tool trick (from the 5X) to get hotspot to work (this was actually in another thread here at XDA).
4. Supposedly rooting your phone makes hotspot really easy and accessible, and I've heard that rooting/flashing the 6P is harmless and very very easy to do. Anyone can comment on this?
5. Are there any large, production-scale issues with the Nexus 6P? It's been a couple of months since its release so I hope a lot of the flaws that were present with the earlier manufactured devices are gone. (Once again, I'm trying to avoid an issue like Bootloop which had happened to many of the early adopters of the G4)
6. Finally, are there any other phones that others would recommend that come factory unlocked by default? I could buy a Galaxy S6 from Cricket, and then I would have the support of my carrier and all, but I definitely don't think the GS6 is a better phone than the 6P...
Thank you guys for reading!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Yes, it works with every carrier in the USA.
2. Mine hasn't broken, so I dunno
3. Out of the box, hotspot is determined by carrier. Install a custom rom, however, and they almost always have modified the build.prop to use hotspot with any carrier.
4. It's very easy, and it's even easier if you shell out a few bucks for Skipsoft Toolkit.
5. I've heard of bent 6Ps, but mine hasn't done that.
6. Nexus and OnePlusOne are both solid AT&T compatible devices that allow you to choose any carrier (except for CDMA on the OPO.) I would not get an MVNO branded phone unless I planned on being with that MVNO until the phone is outdated. The resale value is notoriously terrible when MVNOs get their hands on them.
rickyray9 said:
1. Yes, it works with every carrier in the USA.
2. Mine hasn't broken, so I dunno
3. Out of the box, hotspot is determined by carrier. Install a custom rom, however, and they almost always have modified the build.prop to use hotspot with any carrier.
4. It's very easy, and it's even easier if you shell out a few bucks for Skipsoft Toolkit.
5. I've heard of bent 6Ps, but mine hasn't done that.
6. Nexus and OnePlusOne are both solid AT&T compatible devices that allow you to choose any carrier (except for CDMA on the OPO.) I would not get an MVNO branded phone unless I planned on being with that MVNO until the phone is outdated. The resale value is notoriously terrible when MVNOs get their hands on them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is great advice! Thank you. I totally forgot about OnePlus; aren't all their phones GSM factory unlocked?
Quality and durability, so far, have been great for me. I switched from Virgin to T-mobile when I got it, so hotspot is included with my service and it has worked pretty well the couple of times I tried it. Google pay is handy so I don't have to whip my cards out to pay for stuff (just got a free Chromecast for using it 10 times this month). I am using stock ROM with out root (I just haven't really needed it for anything bad enough yet). There are a ton of cases, screen protectors, etc. available for the 6P. No TouchWiz is also a wonderful thing.
My partner did have an issue using speaker phone on his unit (we both pre-ordered and got early units). Google customer service with pretty good. He didn't want to be without a phone during the exchange, so they did hit his card for the purchase price again, but the replacement arrived two days later and within 5 days the money was credited back to him. We both have the extended warranties that say they'll replace the phones even if we break them or drown them, etc. for two years. Haven't had to test them on that so far, but it's good to have. It does cost you $80 deductible every time you need a replacement outside of manufacturers warranty.
I'd say the 6P is pretty solid investment, especially with the extended warranty. Even you wear the dam thing out in 23 months, cash in that warranty and get a fresh one. Also, check out T-mobiles no contract plans. I had planned on getting another pre-paid plan, but they offer a hell of deal for $50 post-paid yet no contract....You'll not likely run out data and you can turn their "Binge On" BS off. Good luck!
I would advise against getting the G4, as the LTE radios were carrier-locked, so at the time when I switched to Cricket back in June, I would've been **** outta luck. I have the 6P right now, Note 4 prior to the 6P, and I've had no problem fully utilizing the phone on Cricket's network. Your phone will be plug-and-play ready to go, as in popping in the SIM card (nano SIM), and you'll be good. Cricket sells the Nano SIM with Micro and standard sized adapter. Yes, your data download speed will be throttled to 8MBPS, but it's still plenty enough to get stuff done. If you're worried about the data cap (10GB on Pro plan), you can just reset your plan in the middle of the month once you reach your data cap, and the data counter will reset on Cricket's end. I use about 40GB a month, roughly. No worries there, either. Have fun =)
I use it on cricket and it works fine. I use it in NYC and have lte everywhere. Hotspot works on my stock rooted nexus 6p. Let me know if you have any questions.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
talkcc144 said:
Only thing I'm experiencing is not being able to send MMS.
What is the trick for the N6P to get hotspot service?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Supposedly if you pop out the SIM card, pop it back in, and then try to go into hotspot while its authenticating it'll work.
tzbigworm said:
I would advise against getting the G4, as the LTE radios were carrier-locked, so at the time when I switched to Cricket back in June, I would've been **** outta luck. I have the 6P right now, Note 4 prior to the 6P, and I've had no problem fully utilizing the phone on Cricket's network. Your phone will be plug-and-play ready to go, as in popping in the SIM card (nano SIM), and you'll be good. Cricket sells the Nano SIM with Micro and standard sized adapter. Yes, your data download speed will be throttled to 8MBPS, but it's still plenty enough to get stuff done. If you're worried about the data cap (10GB on Pro plan), you can just reset your plan in the middle of the month once you reach your data cap, and the data counter will reset on Cricket's end. I use about 40GB a month, roughly. No worries there, either. Have fun =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean, I did get the G4 and I thought it worked very well with Cricket. The LTE speeds were good but so were the H+ ones lol. And I was an early adopter too.
How do you reset your plan?
Warbuff said:
I use it on cricket and it works fine. I use it in NYC and have lte everywhere. Hotspot works on my stock rooted nexus 6p. Let me know if you have any questions.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But hotspot didn't work unrooted right?
Not supposedly. It works. You just slide the sim tray out a little bit, put the enable hotspot setting on your screen, slide the tray back in, wait 3 seconds, and enable hotspot. Sometimes takes a few times for the timing, but always works.
OmriSama said:
Supposedly if you pop out the SIM card, pop it back in, and then try to go into hotspot while its authenticating it'll work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I caveat by saying the forum would not let me post anywhere but the general forum right now so that's why I'm posting here.
I've read a bunch of conflicting threads and info lately but nothing concise in regards to what I'm trying to do and need some help.
This is my first ever android phone. I'm coming from an iPhone 6 as a heavy business user. WiFi Calling is extremely important because my house has terrible cell reception. I recently purchased an SM-G935FD (duos phone) and I'm a USA AT&T customer. I rooted the phone day one but had not yet swapped the SIM card. I chose the DUOs because I do quite a bit of international travel and I liked the hardware of the XYNOS platform better than snapdragon. Unfortunately I didn't realize or suspect that WiFI calling would potentially become a problem. I could care less about Samsung or Apple Pay for that matter, nor do I really care about Voltos. But wifi calling is a deal breaker.
I rooted the phone, and I put flash fire on there but really don't know how to use it. I found some people saying that my phone can accept both the SM-G935F firmwares and FD firmwares, but others who were skeptical. And people saying that there were firmwares that did have wifi calling enabled and others who said no.
At the moment I am back on the iPhone 6 because the Samsung is useless to me until I figure out how to get wifi calling enabled on there.
So... I'm confused. IS there a firmware I can flash my rooted unlocked S7 that will enable this? How exactly do I go about doing that with either flash fire or smart switch? I looked, but I am having difficulty finding a guide on doing this. The phone is already a paperweight, but I don't want to brick it as well lol.
Thanks for the help.
Usaf-lt-g said:
I caveat by saying the forum would not let me post anywhere but the general forum right now so that's why I'm posting here.
I've read a bunch of conflicting threads and info lately but nothing concise in regards to what I'm trying to do and need some help.
This is my first ever android phone. I'm coming from an iPhone 6 as a heavy business user. WiFi Calling is extremely important because my house has terrible cell reception. I recently purchased an SM-G935FD (duos phone) and I'm a USA AT&T customer. I rooted the phone day one but had not yet swapped the SIM card. I chose the DUOs because I do quite a bit of international travel and I liked the hardware of the XYNOS platform better than snapdragon. Unfortunately I didn't realize or suspect that WiFI calling would potentially become a problem. I could care less about Samsung or Apple Pay for that matter, nor do I really care about Voltos. But wifi calling is a deal breaker.
I rooted the phone, and I put flash fire on there but really don't know how to use it. I found some people saying that my phone can accept both the SM-G935F firmwares and FD firmwares, but others who were skeptical. And people saying that there were firmwares that did have wifi calling enabled and others who said no.
At the moment I am back on the iPhone 6 because the Samsung is useless to me until I figure out how to get wifi calling enabled on there.
So... I'm confused. IS there a firmware I can flash my rooted unlocked S7 that will enable this? How exactly do I go about doing that with either flash fire or smart switch? I looked, but I am having difficulty finding a guide on doing this. The phone is already a paperweight, but I don't want to brick it as well lol.
Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u need to go read over the custom roms and recoverys forum for the s7 edge.
ecg803 said:
u need to go read over the custom roms and recoverys forum for the s7 edge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I think I got it figured out. I changed the CSC using TWRC over to an att USA CSC and that seems to have at least enabled the menus for this functionality. I haven't moved the SIM back over there to test it though.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I would move this thread to the AT&T specific section. My understanding is that specific drivers are needed to do WiFi calling on AT&T and it's not baked in and the model you bought is not sold in the states whether it's sim unlocked or not. Also, why would you root/jailbreak a phone running an OS that you have no real experience with? If you can't get it to work then I'd return it and either buy the AT&T version outright an have them unlock it for you or go to Best Buy, Amazon or Samsung themselves and buy the single sim unlocked version. You may still have issues with that unlocked version if AT&T's Wifi calling is as locked up as I remember. T-Mobiles wifi calling works with your handset but it also has oddities such as the TMO sim must be in sim slot 1 to work. Because that model is not normally used with U.S. carriers .. they kinda don't give a crap about it so the work is on you.
Since this is your first Android phone .. I don't want you to think this is a problem with the OS or even with Samsung. It's just how things work. Apple allows carrier specific network files to be pushed to iOS where that's not the case with Android. I think maybe backup and stop hacking on things would be a good piece of advice. Take it for what it is. I just would like to prevent another iOS switcher from running around saying Android suck because things didn't go the way they thought would.
Cheers.
aergern said:
I would move this thread to the AT&T specific section. My understanding is that specific drivers are needed to do WiFi calling on AT&T and it's not baked in and the model you bought is not sold in the states whether it's sim unlocked or not. Also, why would you root/jailbreak a phone running an OS that you have no real experience with? If you can't get it to work then I'd return it and either buy the AT&T version outright an have them unlock it for you or go to Best Buy, Amazon or Samsung themselves and buy the single sim unlocked version. You may still have issues with that unlocked version if AT&T's Wifi calling is as locked up as I remember. T-Mobiles wifi calling works with your handset but it also has oddities such as the TMO sim must be in sim slot 1 to work. Because that model is not normally used with U.S. carriers .. they kinda don't give a crap about it so the work is on you.
Since this is your first Android phone .. I don't want you to think this is a problem with the OS or even with Samsung. It's just how things work. Apple allows carrier specific network files to be pushed to iOS where that's not the case with Android. I think maybe backup and stop hacking on things would be a good piece of advice. Take it for what it is. I just would like to prevent another iOS switcher from running around saying Android suck because things didn't go the way they thought would.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok slow down. I don't think any of that at all regarding saying or
Thinking android sucks nor would I make such a conclusion. Lol. Also couldn't put the thread there, wouldn't let me create a thread over there (said im "too newb")
I'm a LONG time older comp sci major who works for a software company and has been doing consulting for a number of years. All day every day I deal with every software imaginable. It just HAPPENS that this is my first android phone, and Therefore is not that familiar to me yet. The only reason I had an iPhone and idevices (all jailbroken) in the first place was because at the time, my company was locked to Apple mobile devices. I'm actually simultaneously working with piemessage to try and get a VM up and running to allow me to use iMessage on Android
Also I understand their may be some nuisances of screwing with other packages and drivers. I did do the CSC update and that "enabled" at least the menus and the ability to turn the features On. Whether or not it's working, I have no idea. Without a SIN card inserted however, I was able to place a cal using google hangouts dialer without any issue whatsoever, but as that is a different app then the actual phone dialer... I'm not sure if that proves anything. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but making a wifi cal through Hangouts Dialer connected to my google voice number without a SIM card inserted is different than dialing a number using the phone app.
Unfortunately, the only real way for me to test it, is to take the SIM back out of my iPhone, call att again and have them switch the IMEI again. At least google voice wouldn't configure properly until I did that and it took forever to get the call forwarding reset. And my problem is I'm going on a business trip tomorrow and don't have the time to be swapping SIM cards back and forth.
Maybe I'll just put it in letter without calling AT&T and see if it works anyways. Are there any prevalent icons up at the top to indicate it's a wifi call being made vs a cell call?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Usaf-lt-g said:
Ok slow down. I don't think any of that at all regarding saying or
Thinking android sucks nor would I make such a conclusion. Lol. I'm a
LONG time older comp sci major who works for a software company and has been doing consulting for a number of years. All day every day I deal with every software imaginable. It just HAPPENS that this is my first android phone, and Therefore is not that familiar to me yet. The only reason I had an iPhone and idevices (all jailbroken) in the first place was because at the time, my company was locked to Apple mobile devices. I'm actually simultaneously working with piemessage to try and get a VM up and running to allow me to use iMessage on Android
Also I understand their may be some nuisances of screwing with other packages and drivers. I did do the CSC update and that "enabled" at least the menus and the ability to turn the features On. Whether or not it's working, I have no idea. Without a SIN card inserted however, I was able to place a cal using google hangouts dialer without any issue whatsoever, but as that is a different app then the actual phone dialer... I'm not sure if that proves anything. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but making a wifi cal through Hangouts Dialer connected to my google voice number without a SIM card inserted is different than dialing a number using the phone app.
Unfortunately, the only real way for me to test it, is to take the SIM back out of my iPhone, call att again and have them switch the IMEI again. At least google voice wouldn't configure properly until I did that and it took forever to get the call forwarding reset. And my problem is I'm going on a business trip tomorrow and don't have the time to be swapping SIM cards back and forth.
Maybe I'll just put it in letter without calling AT&T and see if it works anyways. Are there any prevalent icons up at the top to indicate it's a wifi call being made vs a cell call?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, ya never know what folks know.
I've just encountered a lot of folks who are smart techies who have used iPhones for a long time and Android frustrates them and then they freak out. My bad. I apologize.
I still think you need to check the AT&T specific section. I've read that the proper support for AT&T's wifi calling isn't baked into AOSP like T-Mobile has theirs baked in. This could have changed but I don't think so. The other calls ie. Hangouts, Google Voice and Skype aren't controlled by AT&T so I would assume they'd work regardless. The wifi calling registers with AT&T's servers/routers ... what they require for this handshake I'm not entirely sure. I know that when I tried it out using my Nexus 6P it didn't work out of the box but I didn't spend a lot of time on it either.
Ah. I get you about the business trip thing. It's why I bought the unlocked S7E .. I have to swap to often when traveling. I did this after I bought the version you have. I found that 1 sim slot would do LTE/3G/2G and the other was stuck on 2G only and that it would random switch from sim 1 to sim 2 when I was in the States with my personal TMO sim and my work AT&T simcard. It was too irritating so now I just expense the TMO account and gave back the AT&T sim. Not an option for everyone .. I get that.
Also, I did read that AT&T likes to jack folks around on speed when it's not one of their phones and there is a fix involving the EMEI number being changed in your account .. I can't remember where on XDA I found that trick but I'm sure a search will find it for you.
Hope you get it working. The S7E is a nice phone.
Safe travels. Cheers.
hey go check out sac23 rom it is USA att ported note 7 rom. It has wifi calling.
ecg803 said:
hey go check out sac23 rom it is USA att ported note 7 rom. It has wifi calling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good call. Just loaded it, will test wifi calling.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What was your result? I'm in the same boat, thought this model would be useful for business trips. Also need Wi-Fi calling at home, but no dice.
Ok, I read that official support for the Axon 7 on Verizon's network is a no go. I've got one that I had active on VZW last year when I had to return my Note 7, but I just couldn't deal with the foibles (like constant roaming icon, and occasional LTE signal loss).
Question: if I want to use it again, what is recommended as far as rom, settings, tweaks, etc...to make it as trouble free as possible. My son is using it now on T-Mobile, but I want to move him over to our Verizon plan now that they offer unlimited again.
What are you using?
Any help is appreciated.
If you flash any custom room that is not based on stock miui, it will perfectly on Verizon, I myself use it on Verizon and as long as you change the room of the device it will run well on Verizon as it was a regular Verizon phone
tedkord said:
Ok, I read that official support for the Axon 7 on Verizon's network is a no go. I've got one that I had active on VZW last year when I had to return my Note 7, but I just couldn't deal with the foibles (like constant roaming icon, and occasional LTE signal loss).
Question: if I want to use it again, what is recommended as far as rom, settings, tweaks, etc...to make it as trouble free as possible. My son is using it now on T-Mobile, but I want to move him over to our Verizon plan now that they offer unlimited again.
What are you using?
Any help is appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nougat fixed many of the Verizon issues, and even included Verizon VoLTE support. I've had no issues with Verizon on LOS, seen others use stock fine as well.
Verizon fully working on stock? In call web browsing, VoLte and LTE+?
xtermmin said:
Nougat fixed many of the Verizon issues, and even included Verizon VoLTE support. I've had no issues with Verizon on LOS, seen others use stock fine as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey there sorry to bother you and I know this is an old thread but I need some direction here. I'm currently using L.o.s RR on the A2017U 64gb cause I was under the impression that it was the only way to get Verizon fully working. Maybe I missed understood you but did you say any nougat stock rom will also allow me to use Verizon fully? And if so can you point me to a good one? My phone is sluggish as hell right now with RR I'm using and I think I rather go back to stock. Not to mention I'm missing the great audio I had lol. Not worth it in my opinion. Thanks in advance.
Hi guys,
I realize that the main carriers in the US will be dropping the old network protocols in 2022, which means my current V20 will no longer work for voice calls. From what I gather, I'd need to run a stock/stock-based ROM to get VoLTE working, which is a deal breaker for me. I need recent security updates and modern Android releases on my phones.
With that being said, any thoughts on a replacement device this coming year? I will certainly miss the replaceable battery the most. Is there a device you recommend that has a relatively easy battery to replace? Honestly, the phone is used for light browsing, email, etc. Pictures and movies are frequently taken from it, so a good camera is a must. The memory card is paramount today, but unsure how long this can last. A device with an active development history with root access, should it be needed, is required for this replacement.
I've been spoiled with the V20 for years now. I just don't know where to start replacing it. Your opinions are greatly appreciated!
The options in the U.S. for a proper replacement are slim to none, depending on your priorities. I don't know much about how easy it is to replace batteries for newer phones, but I can give you an overview for most of the other stuff:
- Phones with hand-removable batteries: Probably not worth going for at this point. Most have specs that are barely better than the V20 with lower screen resolutions, and spare batteries are much less common to find for them. And half of them are from Europe and therefore have almost zero usable LTE bands in the U.S.
- Phones with non-stock custom ROMs that have VoLTE working in the U.S.: Probably limited to the Google Pixels, Motorola, and OnePlus models. Forget about all LG and Samsung phones here since they both use closed-source proprietary files that makes it pretty much impossible for anyone to figure out how to get VoLTE and other stock features to work on AOSP or LineageOS-type ROMs. And unfortunately, Pixels and the higher end OnePlus phones have no microSD card slots, and Motorola phones haven't been known for top quality cameras in a long time.
- Others: There are also Sony phones, but their higher end models are so expensive that I never bothered looking far into any of them.
So, it looks like you'll have to decide which features are must-haves for you and which are OK to let go in order to widen your options a bit.
C D said:
The options in the U.S. for a proper replacement are slim to none, depending on your priorities. I don't know much about how easy it is to replace batteries for newer phones, but I can give you an overview for most of the other stuff:
- Phones with hand-removable batteries: Probably not worth going for at this point. Most have specs that are barely better than the V20 with lower screen resolutions, and spare batteries are much less common to find for them. And half of them are from Europe and therefore have almost zero usable LTE bands in the U.S.
- Phones with non-stock custom ROMs that have VoLTE working in the U.S.: Probably limited to the Google Pixels, Motorola, and OnePlus models. Forget about all LG and Samsung phones here since they both use closed-source proprietary files that makes it pretty much impossible for anyone to figure out how to get VoLTE and other stock features to work on AOSP or LineageOS-type ROMs. And unfortunately, Pixels and the higher end OnePlus phones have no microSD card slots, and Motorola phones haven't been known for top quality cameras in a long time.
- Others: There are also Sony phones, but their higher end models are so expensive that I never bothered looking far into any of them.
So, it looks like you'll have to decide which features are must-haves for you and which are OK to let go in order to widen your options a bit.
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Thanks for taking the time. I really appreciate the input. Yeah, this is pretty much what I expected. The reason I am leaving the V20, and also a Samsung Note 4 isn't because they no longer work for me, but because of the VoLTE push. It makes me sad. ;(
I have looked at the removable battery options, and to your point, the specs are horrible. I don't think a truly removable battery will work. However, if there's a phone with a non-removable battery that doesn't take an act of God to change, that would be an option.
I do not want to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars every couple of years for a new device. Custom ROMs have made these devices last years and years. It's also better for the environment. I don't need 20 cores and a TB of RAM in a phone based on my use cases unlike everyone seems to think they do. Without the ability to custom ROM, once the manufacturer ditches the device, it forces one to spend again even though it could last many more years. It seems many aren't really too worried or informed about running a computer in your pocket missing critical security updates. These truths irk the **** out of me!
I wonder if a Pixel would suffice despite the lack of external storage... I know they get updates pretty quickly, are being supported for like 5 years by Google, etc. I think development is pretty active for them too, but I'll have to investigate. The Sony suggestion was a good one to mention, but yeah, ridiculous in price.
I guess I'll start there. If anyone else has other suggestions or advice, I greatly appreciate it. I haven't had to stay up with things because of these wonderful devices and the plethora of options over the years. All good things must come to an end...
I, too, would like to find a more current phone with an easily replaceable battery (pref. without using a heat gun). But it needs to be rootable.
The Galaxy Xcover Pro looked promising (replaceable battery), but isn't rooted.
Wish the Fairphone would come to the states.
Anyone else care to share?
From what I have read, any device that has 3g, phones or other devices - are screwed. All forced upgrade.
Mysticblaze347 said:
From what I have read, any device that has 3g, phones or other devices - are screwed. All forced upgrade.
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Yup, exactly. So, coming from a V20, and based on my loose requirements above, have you any suggestions for a new device?
DaCHeF36 said:
Yup, exactly. So, coming from a V20, and based on my loose requirements above, have you any suggestions for a new device?
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I wish I did. Removable battery and specs is key. Then features. All phones in the US are non removable battery that are 5G able which is required at most if not all carriers. I personally am with Sprint - well now Tmobile. I still have my V20 (out of service). Free downgrade was Samsung A71 5G. It sucks. Decent specs with no OEM Unlock. No current support anywhere to root.
I have been looking but no luck so far.
Mysticblaze347 said:
I wish I did. Removable battery and specs is key. Then features. All phones in the US are non removable battery that are 5G able which is required at most if not all carriers. I personally am with Sprint - well now Tmobile. I still have my V20 (out of service). Free downgrade was Samsung A71 5G. It sucks. Decent specs with no OEM Unlock. No current support anywhere to root.
I have been looking but no luck so far.
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Yeah, North American Samsung phones have locked bootloaders. The only current way to get some of them rooted is if they haven't been updated past a certain date due to anti-rollback (Sounds awfully familiar to us LS997 owners, doesn't it?) and then go through a paid service like this one (you can see the supported devices and required software versions – bootloader version numbers are the 5th digit from the right in the baseband version – in the 2nd post).
My understanding is that our phones (V20) will continue to work for now since they have 4g. Yes, we can also access the 3g band, but my phone rarely switches to it. We should be fine for a while on the V20 on 4g.
PS - That's presuming our phones are stock or near-stock and still have functioning VoLTE / HD calls. Stock Android and A_O (Alpha Omega) ROM has this. I believe these phones are safe to use in 2022 and beyond when 3g drops.
baldybill said:
My understanding is that our phones (V20) will continue to work for now since they have 4g. Yes, we can also access the 3g band, but my phone rarely switches to it. We should be fine for a while on the V20 on 4g.
PS - That's presuming our phones are stock or near-stock and still have functioning VoLTE / HD calls. Stock Android and A_O (Alpha Omega) ROM has this. I believe these phones are safe to use in 2022 and beyond when 3g drops.
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Right, but it also depends on what the carrier supports as AT&T and Verizon use whitelists.
In the U.S., VoLTE support on the American V20 models goes something like this (and of course stock-based ROMs are a must for this):
- H910 gets VoLTE on AT&T and its MVNOs
- H918 gets VoLTE on T-Mobile and its MVNOs
- VS995 gets VoLTE on Verizon and its MVNOs
- US996 may get VoLTE on some of the above. I've gotten it to work on T-Mobile, 1 out of 2 T-Mobile MVNOs (worked on Tracfone's T-Mobile card but not Liberty Wireless), and an AT&T MVNO (Red Pocket's GSMA).
- LS997 is not configured to have VoLTE out of the box, so any LS997 that has been updated past May 2017 will for sure soon be useless in the U.S. for making and receiving phone calls. For the few of us who still have the older rooted LS997 models, I will soon look into installing Alpha Omega ROMs from the US996 to see if VoLTE can get enabled through there since the hardware is likely present, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
baldybill said:
My understanding is that our phones (V20) will continue to work for now since they have 4g. Yes, we can also access the 3g band, but my phone rarely switches to it. We should be fine for a while on the V20 on 4g.
PS - That's presuming our phones are stock or near-stock and still have functioning VoLTE / HD calls. Stock Android and A_O (Alpha Omega) ROM has this. I believe these phones are safe to use in 2022 and beyond when 3g drops.
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Click to collapse
I'm not 100% sure about the V20, but I know the Note 4 has 4G, but for data only. It requires calls over 3G on non-stock ROMs. I don't run stock LG ROMs because they are way behind on security updates. Just upgraded to LOS 18.1 giving me security updates from 12/2021. It's much safer.
If you mean that VoLTE will work on a stock-base ROM, you are probably correct. However, that's not an option for me, and in reality, it really shouldn't be for others too! Many, many people are either ignorant to or just don't care about security. There are so many vulnerabilities, including RCE ones, addressed constantly. This is a handheld computer, so it's just like leaving unpatched systems on your network. If you're running Windows 7 still, for example, you're asking to get owned. Bad idea.
Thanks for your feedback though. It is appreciated! If you have any replacement recommendations, I am all ears!
I'll be watching this thread to see where others land, as far as their next device.
Both my wife and I have US996's on Verizon. I'm on A-O Oreo with HD calling enabled. Hers is not on A-O Oreo, hd calling is enabled in the account, but I can't get the toggle in the settings to be "un-greyed". Tried the trick to turn it on and off online, but the page errors out everytime. Guess I'll have to make the time to get her phone flashed to see if that fixes it.
All that aside, I too have been facing the same dilemma as the OP. SD card, root, and straight forward disassembly would be my main needs. IR blaster would be nice. I don't mind replacing a non-removable battery, have disassembled many devices requiring heat.
pistacios said:
I'll be watching this thread to see where others land, as far as their next device.
Both my wife and I have US996's on Verizon. I'm on A-O Oreo with HD calling enabled. Hers is not on A-O Oreo, hd calling is enabled in the account, but I can't get the toggle in the settings to be "un-greyed". Tried the trick to turn it on and off online, but the page errors out everytime. Guess I'll have to make the time to get her phone flashed to see if that fixes it.
All that aside, I too have been facing the same dilemma as the OP. SD card, root, and straight forward disassembly would be my main needs. IR blaster would be nice. I don't mind replacing a non-removable battery, have disassembled many devices requiring heat.
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Sorry to hear you're in the same predicament...
I'm trying to justify my SD requirement these days. Why is it one for you exactly?
DaCHeF36 said:
Sorry to hear you're in the same predicament...
I'm trying to justify my SD requirement these days. Why is it one for you exactly?
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Mainly because if anything happens where I can't access internal phone storage due to hardware failure, at least I know I can salvage data from the SD card externally.
C D said:
Right, but it also depends on what the carrier supports as AT&T and Verizon use whitelists.
In the U.S., VoLTE support on the American V20 models goes something like this (and of course stock-based ROMs are a must for this):
- H910 gets VoLTE on AT&T and its MVNOs
- H918 gets VoLTE on T-Mobile and its MVNOs
- VS995 gets VoLTE on Verizon and its MVNOs
- US996 may get VoLTE on some of the above. I've gotten it to work on T-Mobile, 1 out of 2 T-Mobile MVNOs (worked on Tracfone's T-Mobile card but not Liberty Wireless), and an AT&T MVNO (Red Pocket's GSMA).
- LS997 is not configured to have VoLTE out of the box, so any LS997 that has been updated past May 2017 will for sure soon be useless in the U.S. for making and receiving phone calls. For the few of us who still have the older rooted LS997 models, I will soon look into installing Alpha Omega ROMs from the US996 to see if VoLTE can get enabled through there since the hardware is likely present, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
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Crossing my fingers that my US996 (w/AO Rom) will work with Verizon. So far, I can toggle the "HD Calls" switch in the settings, so I'm hopeful.
If not, I'll prob. use the VS995.
pistacios said:
Mainly because if anything happens where I can't access internal phone storage due to hardware failure, at least I know I can salvage data from the SD card externally.
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That makes perfect sense. BTW, pistachios rock! lol..
baldybill said:
Crossing my fingers that my US996 (w/AO Rom) will work with Verizon. So far, I can toggle the "HD Calls" switch in the settings, so I'm hopeful.
If not, I'll prob. use the VS995.
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My US996 w/A-O on Verizon has made calls over 4gLTE. The only way I'm able to confirm that is if the recipient of the call is also "HD calling", it will show an "HD" icon in green during the call.
Really wish I could figure out WIFI calling. That would probably take flashing a VS995 ROM, and that still is a gamble.
Another wish would be if LG would have just released the propietary files to make it all work with a Lineage based ROM, since they are no longer in the mobile game and have closed the bootloader unlock service as of late November.
Does anyone share concerns over running stock-based software that hasn't been updated for years to continue using these devices? Are you aware of the critical vulnerabilities released monthly for Android OSes? I just want to make sure everyone understands the risks of such an approach.
pistacios said:
Really wish I could figure out WIFI calling. That would probably take flashing a VS995 ROM, and that still is a gamble.
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Wi-Fi calling is heavily carrier-based, and since there never was a universal all-carrier USA V20 model, you almost certainly have to be on VS995 firmware to get it. Another lesser-known thing to try would be changing your US996's IMEI number to another one that still passes Verizon's IMEI check if you happen to have a phone like that around. I cannot openly discuss the method here since it's illegal in some countries (but not the U.S. – more info here) but it's quite simple to do, and you can message me if you need some pointers. This can be done on my LS997 and US996 but not the H918.
DaCHeF36 said:
Does anyone share concerns over running stock-based software that hasn't been updated for years to continue using these devices? Are you aware of the critical vulnerabilities released monthly for Android OSes? I just want to make sure everyone understands the risks of such an approach.
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Click to collapse
To me, it mainly depends on what you do on your phone. My usage is likely quite different from yours. You can see my view on this and what my post-V20 daily driver phone has been since September in a similar topic thread on the V20 Subreddit from a few months ago.
And if you want to have a deeper look, you can see most of the stuff of what I've been running on my V20s over here.
I do have full data = text, downloads, etc but no calls. All incoming are direct to VM. Any outgoing attempts fail immediately.
It's rooted and I have full ADB access. I replaced the ROM yesterday with 11 google pixle (something like that - I'm not at home where the files are). It worked for a while then stopped again. Dead as far as calls go. The original ROM is voLTE enabled without an option to toggle that. The newer ROM has voLTE and is toggled on. Of course I tried toggling voLTE, airplane mode, toggled cell-data, power cycle on off etc. Nothing gets it going. I'm on ATT. They recently did a G5 update on 2/22/22 and calls worked until yesterday (3/8) . ATT tried sending signals and a few times i was able to make (1).. yes - ONE call - then it fails afterwords - weird isn't it?
I'm hoping you guys might know a pretty solid ROM i can install (old or new - whatever works best with this phone) nothing fancy - just operational is fine. Or if you think I have a hardware issue and should add a hook to the phone for a lure I'd rather not if I can get it going again - I believe it should work but maybe something with the ATT G5 is adding to my troubles - any suggestions please - I'm at a loss
Thanks in advance - Jim
Hi Jim, I just joined xda in hopes of finding out if a new rom will solve this G5plus moto problem. From what I gather, the standard installed rom does not support Volte and when the wireless services dropped 3g, it somehow dinked with volte/lte (that level no longer supported). I am in the same situation with my g5+ - text but no voice. I use H2o wireless service. From my upfront investigation, volte is a software solution, and no extra chips are required, but I may be wrong, I am just getting started with this. It seems odd to me that I can take out my sim and put it in an older J3 Samsung, and calls go through fine and I can see Volte settings listed. What was moto thinking on the G5+, makes no sense. Sooooo, if anyone has any input to this problem or know if a rom might solve it, chime in please, the phone is still okay for low level use.
Thank you,
Barry
When I re-flash the ROM I can make one call again then nothing. This tells me it's not hardware but software. So I decided to visit T-Mobile to see how it works on their G5 voLTE network and it does quite perfectly. It's not the phone, never was!
So here's what I'm finding out so far. ATT has created a 'white list' of phones they are allowing on their new roll out of the 5G voLTE system. The Moto G5 Plus is not on that list. According to an ATT blog site they are blocking IMEI's that aren't on that list from making calls. The arguments on that site include comments that regardless of your phones proven and manufactured ability to process voLTE calls they aren't going to allow them. It's BS. According to this site it was up to the manufactures to submit phones for approval. Obviously they aren't going to submit discontinued phones, so...
I'm with ConsumerCellular which is ATT essentially. Finally after 4 days CC says they have a new SIM that has been fixing this issue and shipped one out for me today. I'll get it next week. I'll update here accordingly. They call it a "3-In-1 Smart Sim - A" I'll find out just how smart it is ;-)
Yea, I found the att whitelist and all the controversy. Let us know what happens when you get it, maybe H2o can send me one also. Possibly too much programming to allow the G5+ in the mix, could get interesting as time passes.
https://www.att.com/es-us/idpassets/images/support/pdf/Service-Capabilities-Unlocked-Devices-ATT-Network.pdf
I'm leaving ATT. Consumer Cellular sent me the newer SIM. They couldn't get it to work either. The T-Mobile sim worked perfectly in my existing phone - voLTE, 4G (not a 5G phone) and wifi calling. In the mean time to make matters worse, I received a Moto One 5G Ace (brand new phone) direct from Motorola claiming to have whatever upgrade was necessary. Doesn't work either on ATT. I called Moto to question why menu options are missing. Without hesitation she said it's not a 5g phone for ATT and offered a refund. Really.. ok, who am I to argue - I'm taking the refund. I'm moving my existing phone to T-Mobile and not fighting with the big bad ATT bully for doing this.
IMHO ATT doesn't deserve to keep any customer they've done this too. Laziest roll-out in history
So don't fight it, just leave. Any company that blocks IMEI's and dumps customers who own known good 4G voLTE phones is saying loud and clear - LEAVE US.
so that's how I'm fixing the ATT issue. Just the way they way want it.
Yeah, I'll echo this. My G5Plus is on StraightTalk (AT&T MVNO), and voice just stopped working days ago. The SIM works for voice in my Pixel 3a though so getting a new SIM would do nothing. Pretty bogus that VoLTE works with some carriers and/or variants of this phone, just not AT&T apparently.
According to the ATT blog they're blocking the IMEI's of any phone not on their white list. I'm confident it would work they just don't want to be bothered with testing it since the manufacture didn't send them a phone. It's a discontinued phone so why would Motorola do that. However being discontinued only means they made a production run of so many phones and have sold out. On to better iterations .. I get that. They still work and will for years to come on 4G and voLTE. It's an ATT thing. They work great on T-Mobile (not a fan but..)
jgdorado said:
I'm leaving ATT. Consumer Cellular sent me the newer SIM. They couldn't get it to work either. The T-Mobile sim worked perfectly in my existing phone - voLTE, 4G (not a 5G phone) and wifi calling. In the mean time to make matters worse, I received a Moto One 5G Ace (brand new phone) direct from Motorola claiming to have whatever upgrade was necessary. Doesn't work either on ATT. I called Moto to question why menu options are missing. Without hesitation she said it's not a 5g phone for ATT and offered a refund. Really.. ok, who am I to argue - I'm taking the refund. I'm moving my existing phone to T-Mobile and not fighting with the big bad ATT bully for doing this.
IMHO ATT doesn't deserve to keep any customer they've done this too. Laziest roll-out in history
So don't fight it, just leave. Any company that blocks IMEI's and dumps customers who own known good 4G voLTE phones is saying loud and clear - LEAVE US.
so that's how I'm fixing the ATT issue. Just the way they way want it.
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Click to collapse
I left, the ole Moto G5+ up and running with voice on T-Mobile, the 15 buck plan unlimited talk/text 3GB data. Cut my bill in half, will see how it goes and for how long.
Thanks for all of your replies. My wife's Moto 5 Plus suddenly stopped making or receiving calls last week and I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why. She has a pay-by-the-minute plan through TracFone, which uses AT&T's network (among others). Guess she'll have to look for a different carrier now. Judging from others' replies here, T-Mobile seems to be the way to go.
Just got a notice from StraightTalk that my iPhone 5s will no longer work soon, for similar reasons. I probably should upgrade, as half of my apps no longer work on its old iOS... but I really don't want to give up my headphone jack.
jgdorado said:
According to the ATT blog they're blocking the IMEI's of any phone not on their white list. I'm confident it would work they just don't want to be bothered with testing it since the manufacture didn't send them a phone. It's a discontinued phone so why would Motorola do that. However being discontinued only means they made a production run of so many phones and have sold out. On to better iterations .. I get that. They still work and will for years to come on 4G and voLTE. It's an ATT thing. They work great on T-Mobile (not a fan but..)
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jgdorado,
Thank You So Much! We went from Verizon, to AT&T to Pure Talk -only to find out what you just told us about being black listed by AT&T. We just switched today to T-Mobile and ey wallah -both Moto G5 Plus, XT1687 work on Android 8.1 perfectly now. WFI Calling, & voLTE working. You ROCK! God Bless y'all, especially XDA Dev's!