Database Users

UK Nexus

Hi quick question,
I just managed to sell my htc hd2 for £390 so am about to order my nexus one! (im in the UK) other UK buyers can you tell me how much its all coming to roughly, i understand its about £340 on the credit card from google then probably about another £60 from DHL once they invoice you?
Also I heard that if we're importing a nexus to uk rather than waiting another month or so to get uk version sim free (i guess from google.co.uk?) that the updates/rom etc will be the US versions and we may not get certain benefits/updates/default functionality etc that a UK/european bought nexus will get - what these are I don't know thou!anyone know?
What i was mainly concerned with was that I did hear this may effect gps/maps and sat nav for uk users and that we may not be able to use turn by turn in uk? This may not be true, its just something i remmber reading on another forum?
any thoughts would be appreciated
cheers

Well I believe the UK Nexus will have multi-touch.
I have my Nexus already running Google Nav as it works as per the old method for Hero/Dream.
It depends if you're planning on rooting it or not, if you are then you'll be putting a custom ROM on anyway, which will probably have multi-touch..etc (Cyan is already working on it).
Also the UK will more than likely have a T-mobile brading...etc.
Your Choice.
I have had my DHL bill as yet but it was a tad shy of £355 I think (depends on the exchange rate at the time).

yeah i think by all sounds rooting seems to be the way to go once peeps have had time to iron it out. havent had android phone before but like all i hear, i had the htc hd2 for about 4 hours before i was convinced winmo was a pile of ****! i think i may take the plunge and go for it -my GF keeps saying why dont i just get an Iphone! i think i need this phone to show her why!

If the euro Nexus does have multitouch there's nothing to stop Google updating those US phones sold to UK users - the hardware will be identical.

How do I test multi touch as I thought Eclair supports it out the box? I tried multi touch paint from market and it seems to work fine.

Use Dolphin Browser, this supports multitouch.
We KNOW the phones support it, its just Google couldn't release to US handsets for some reason to do with Apple and copyright??? not entirely sure.

The UK Nexus One ordered from google.com/phone (currently the only place to order the device) does not have multi touch support in the preinstalled apps. The device itself has support, the built in apps do not (ie the built in Gallery app does not zoom when you pinch) That's why installing multitouch supported apps from the Market work.
You will need to install a custom version of Maps for Google Maps Navigation to work outside the US. Keep in mind there are some limitations. Search for the thread in the Dream Android Development forum to read how to install and what the limitations are.

yamanote said:
The UK Nexus One ordered from google.com/phone (currently the only place to order the device) does not have multi touch support in the preinstalled apps. The device itself has support, the built in apps do not (ie the built in Gallery app does not zoom when you pinch) That's why installing multitouch supported apps from the Market work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly what I thought. I prefer the double tap

There is, afaik, no "UK Nexus" and "US Nexus".
They're the same.
If the preinstalled apps in the version sold to US citizens don't have multitouch, the ones sold to Brits won't either.
Same hardware and software, only if you're having it sent to UK, you get the option of getting an adapter for you charger separately.
It's explained on the official support page, which I'm not allowed to link to.

Be very careful about importing any phone into different regions. All kinds of problems can result, including NOT GETTING 3G COVERAGE! If things don't work for you, can you return the phone without trouble? That's a lot of money to spend on a phone that has problems!

John Cipolletti said:
Be very careful about importing any phone into different regions. All kinds of problems can result, including NOT GETTING 3G COVERAGE! If things don't work for you, can you return the phone without trouble? That's a lot of money to spend on a phone that has problems!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Neuxs One is a phone made for the whole world, so importing it will not result in problems with coverage as it supports the mostly used 3g bands around the world.
Also noone is importing the Nexus One to the UK since Google is specifically targetting UK residents and must of course provide customer service to them.
As for other countries which google is not really selling the phone to I don't know, but I assume that the warranty is world wide and you should not have trouble returning it.

fryarch said:
Hi quick question,
Also I heard that if we're importing a nexus to uk rather than waiting another month or so to get uk version sim free (i guess from google.co.uk?) that the updates/rom etc will be the US versions and we may not get certain benefits/updates/default functionality etc that a UK/european bought nexus will get - what these are I don't know thou!anyone know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got mine from Google in the US and it;s a UK edition. How do i know? The Amazon app is Amazon UK and navigation doesn't work.
SC

ScaredyCat said:
I got mine from Google in the US and it;s a UK edition. How do i know? The Amazon app is Amazon UK and navigation doesn't work.
SC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does obvious detect the network of the sim inserted, time and location of where you are automatically. Therefore updating the system and apps accordingly.

m00moo said:
It does obvious detect the network of the sim inserted, time and location of where you are automatically. Therefore updating the system and apps accordingly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? How did it update these apps exactly? I had no 3g/edge/gprs or wifi when I set up. Are you suggesting that OTB there are multiple app versions? Are you saying that if you happend to be in the US and used a UK sim you'd get UK apps? I doubt that very very much, particularly as a SIM is not even required to setup.
SC

Let me break it down for you.
The phone has a inbuilt GPS. When you turn your phone on the very first time regardless of your sim being inserted or not. The phone will set itself up accordingly to where you are. During the first start up the phone takes longer if you didnt notice.
TA DA

m00moo said:
Let me break it down for you.
The phone has a inbuilt GPS. When you turn your phone on the very first time regardless of your sim being inserted or not. The phone will set itself up accordingly to where you are. During the first start up the phone takes longer if you didnt notice.
TA DA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL I seriously doubt that happens either. If it did it would have taken a week for mine to start up. I work in what is essentially a giant Faraday cage. I just can't get a GPS signal inside.
So rather than you just making stuff up, can we stick to the facts?
SC

ScaredyCat said:
LOL I seriously doubt that happens either. If it did it would have taken a week for mine to start up. I work in what is essentially a giant Faraday cage. I just can't get a GPS signal inside.
So rather than you just making stuff up, can we stick to the facts?
SC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok you should stick to your idea of google having 4 boxes of nexus ones. they have one for US, UK, Singapore and HK.
They shipped you a UK one since your navigation doesnt work and it had amazon UK installed

m00moo said:
ok you should stick to your idea of google having 4 boxes of nexus ones. they have one for US, UK, Singapore and HK.
They shipped you a UK one since your navigation doesnt work and it had amazon UK installed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also guessing that it didn;t to the laser etching as i signed in to gmail.
SC

I take it there's still no confirmation as to whether it will be available sim-free from an EU webstore when it is offered on Vodafone? In fact, unless things change, when it is subsidised by VF, it may be a case of signing up to a vodafone contract on google.com and still importing the handset. If there is some sort of google.co.uk offering, then presumably the price will reflect the VAT element.

i got one from ebay 470 free shipping..
Works fine so far, how do i get the maps working? whats the old hero method? Ive never had an hero lol

Paid apps/Navigation in Europe

Hi guys,
I bought Nexus One while on a trip to US and I'm extremely happy with the phone so far.
Two nits are that I cannot access any paid apps. I was using dev G1 before so I actually never saw paid apps on my phone, but now I with N1 I was hoping I'll be able to buy them.
Is it because my SIM card is not in US? Or what? How can I turn it on?
Related question is about navigation system. I know it's turned off by default outside of US, but I also know people turned it on. I assume I need some app for it (NaviLink?), that I have to buy (see point 1) so I need paid apps first, and then some file. Is that all I need? Am I right that this will give me car navigation capability?
thnx

Extended controls app for free wifi hotspot on Nexus 6P on Verizon ?

Ok I have been reading around but I have what I think is a moot question but i have not heard it answered specifically before.
I currently have a Galaxy Nexus (completely stock) phone with grandfathered unlimited on Verizon. I use an app called Extended Controls from the Google play store and by turning on the widget app for wifi hotspot I have been getting free use of my unlimited for when I am working out of range of any decent wifi.
Since my device was not updated past 4.2.2 I am now wanting to buy the new Nexus 6P for Christmas ( I have had the same Galaxy Nexus for 4 years! - no case either).
From what I have been reading once I get Verizon to give me the new sim and add me to the account to maintain my unlimited (after I pay full price ) I will no longer be able to use this app to gain access to my free wifi hotspot.
It seems that other people's methods (foxfi etc - I never used any other besides Extended Controls) no longer work but I have not seen anyone here mention having used Extended Controls.
So my questions are :
1) when I get the Nexus 6P - will I have to use root in order to obtain the free wifi hotspot as some others have mentioned?
2 ) is there a safe rooting for dummies yet for the Nexus 6P which is just about foolproof?
3) What is it that Verizon did that now blocks those apps - which we used before - from working now?
So I currently use about 28 - 35 GB per month so moving off unlimited is out of the question at this point. I stream music at my job - in a building where there is no wifi allowed - and I do it in my car as part of my cummute (45min - 1hr ) getting to work. I cannot imagine buying a $650 phone as nice as the Nexus 6P and not having the ability to use my unlimited the way I still do now.
I have done a few searches in the 6P thread but I didn't see anyone mention the Extended Controls app not working and they don't say it does work on the Google Store.
thank you in advance for anyone to steer me in the right direction. At this point I will be lucky to get a 6P by Christmas and hopefully by then have a few days vacation to figure out how to get the phone working like I need it to work.

Hmmmmm, if memory serves me correctly (had the same phone, same plan from vz - but over 2 yrs ago), I never had to use an app for hot spot - but - I unlock/root as soon as I get a device and run custom roms/kernels.
So, again, if I remember, part of vz tweaking the os is hiding the Android native hot spot feature. So, by getting stock Android, you'll have that feature, and shouldn't need any special apps - you can even add a tile to the quick settings drop down to switch hot spot on/off.
If I also remember, there was an entry added by some carriers in a database on the phone that would check if hot spot was allowed by the carrier - when carriers would charge separately for hot spot data. Most if not all custom roms at the time were kind enough to fix that for ya - yet another good reason to unlock and root.
What you could try is - cutting down your present SIM - and just using it in the new device. My understanding is if you already have an activated SIM, you can just use it in a new device, no need to get vz involved - which is always a good thing imho.
I'd Google - cut down SIM - you'll get tons of info and how tos on the subject. I'm planning on doing this when my 6p comes in.
Lol - this is what I said to Verizon when I got my n5 2 years ago;
"I've been waiting about 15 years to say this - cancel my forking account"
Verizon never had coverage where I lived, not even calls, so I was paying $125/month for 2 lines - pay for each text, sharing like 700 minutes talk between 2 lines - and never really able to use any of it!
Unlimited talk/text and 5 gigs a month fit $45 on straight talk now - and I can make calls and text from home now. Would never go back to Verizon!

Phazmos,
Thanks for the reply but I am probably still a little confused.
If I remember correctly when the Nexus 6 came out many did what you suggest - cut their sim to fit - but the phone didn't always register as an official verizon device. Unfortunately my company provides me with a 17% discount on my monthly bill but only if you can prove that your phone is officially on the network. Verizon actually calls me every year to reverify it.
I am not sure how Extended controls works on the 4.2.2 version Galaxy Nexus I have now but I am pretty sure that it turns on the wifi hotspot without Verizon knowing about it. If I go straight to the "portable wifi hotspot" part of my settings then it comes up with the same error as everyone else on Verizon without wifi hotspot enabled. But "this .99 app- Extended Controls - just turns it on ... on the sly.
If the new version of the 6P has that feature and I just turn it on then Verizon will charged me. - I am already going to have to eat the extra $20 per month.
I am planning on buying the phone through Google but I will have to talk to a couple of the main Verizon stores here to guarantee that they will turn on my new sim (I am scared of cutting my current sim- what if I **** it up then I have no phone not even the Nexus!)
I have heard of people convincing the store manager to activate their new micro sim in a store model and then put it in the phone.
I am so leary of spending $650 and then having them refuse to activate it correctly.
Also I have always been afraid of rooting because I figured that right out of the box I could have a brand new $650 brick on my hands.
What I do know is that I cannot continue with this dinasour that I have now! It is way past it's prime days.
I really would like to switch over to something like T-mobile but even here in Northern VA - their coverage lacks in too many areas that I travel to.

mhughes1966 said:
Phazmos,
Thanks for the reply but I am probably still a little confused.
If I remember correctly when the Nexus 6 came out many did what you suggest - cut their sim to fit - but the phone didn't always register as an official verizon device. Unfortunately my company provides me with a 17% discount on my monthly bill but only if you can prove that your phone is officially on the network. Verizon actually calls me every year to reverify it.
I am not sure how Extended controls works on the 4.2.2 version Galaxy Nexus I have now but I am pretty sure that it turns on the wifi hotspot without Verizon knowing about it. If I go straight to the "portable wifi hotspot" part of my settings then it comes up with the same error as everyone else on Verizon without wifi hotspot enabled. But "this .99 app- Extended Controls - just turns it on ... on the sly.
If the new version of the 6P has that feature and I just turn it on then Verizon will charged me. - I am already going to have to eat the extra $20 per month.
I am planning on buying the phone through Google but I will have to talk to a couple of the main Verizon stores here to guarantee that they will turn on my new sim (I am scared of cutting my current sim- what if I **** it up then I have no phone not even the Nexus!)
I have heard of people convincing the store manager to activate their new micro sim in a store model and then put it in the phone.
I am so leary of spending $650 and then having them refuse to activate it correctly.
Also I have always been afraid of rooting because I figured that right out of the box I could have a brand new $650 brick on my hands.
What I do know is that I cannot continue with this dinasour that I have now! It is way past it's prime days.
I really would like to switch over to something like T-mobile but even here in Northern VA - their coverage lacks in too many areas that I travel to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Registering as official may be a problem - a problem with most any unlocked device. Carriers, vz in particular, can be real touchy about devices not supplied by them.
Oh, took a look at that app on play store - guess what - I also bought that app! Had to be like 3 or 4 years ago! Was surprised to see "purchased" when I found it. But, I didn't have to use it for hot spot, not after unlocking/rooting and loading custom roms.
I never used hot spot much, mostly when our network would go down - I'd for up the hot spot to get a few co-workers internet access till it came back up, and I'd just use native Android hot spot. That tells me you have the database thing going on. If I remember, that would send the native hot spot through a certain gateway (I think) and if you didn't have access, browsers would be redirected to the "sign up for hot spot" page from the carrier.
I also thought most carriers, vz included, didn't care about hot spot usage any more. There was a BIG stink about that a few years back - as in you're paying for data - how you use it is up to you, not the carrier. As I recall, there were a few law suites from users.
Anyway - since the new device isn't carrier supplied - or approved as they like to call it, you'll have other issues when going the new SIM/imei not in their database route.
A note on SIM trimming - it's super easy - and if you do screw it up - tell them you lost service and tried pooping the SIM out, then you dropped it and the dog ate it and get another! They want your $$$ - believe me - they'll give you another. I'd even "mention" to them you're gonna get this device - which works on any carrier, and mention att, tmobile and any other carrier - and you'd be more than happy going to a carrier that does support the device. Again, they want your $$$, they'll accommodate - and try to get ya to a new limited data plan - beware!
And a note on unlocking/rooting - real easy and real reliable on that device - same for any nexus device, especially if gotten from Google. The nexus line is actually for developing the os and apps. You could say it's made to load custom Android versions - when you want to test, you do it on a nexus.
PS - I resurrected my gnex a few months ago - loaded lollipop on it and gave it to my sister as her droid x2 finally died. It ran it pretty good for an old timer! Just like I run pretty good - for an old timer!
Good luck!

Wow you rooted your old Galaxy Nexus and got Lollipop running? Interesting.
Maybe after I get the newer phone I will experiment on the old nexus. The screen actually still looks pretty good. it is just the way it operates on the older software that makes me want to throw it in the Potomac.

mhughes1966 said:
Wow you rooted your old Galaxy Nexus and got Lollipop running? Interesting.
Maybe after I get the newer phone I will experiment on the old nexus. The screen actually still looks pretty good. it is just the way it operates on the older software that makes me want to throw it in the Potomac.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did, actually unlocked/rooted a week after I got it. As soon as some development started happening, I started loading roms. Nexus devices get the most love from devs, there was a lollipop version available, so away we went. Once you're unlocked and rooted and have a custom recovery, loading roms is basically a matter of downloading it and installing it. Pretty painless.
Don't know if you've seen lollipop, but it finally made Android a beautiful looking os - Android lost the acne and grew up, so to speak. And since newer Android is made to work on many different devices with lots of different hardware, it's made to run on minimal, or marginal, hardware. The gnex certainly fits into the minimal hardware category now days.
I forgot to mention yesterday, there is another thread here - what to expect from Verizon - I think it is, where questions like this are being actively discussed.
You may get more info there - you're not the only 1 wondering about Verizon. Googling - 6p on Verizon - also gets an article or 2 on the subject. That's where I got some of my info (I've been in technology close to 20 years now, so I'm the go to tech guy for a lot of people, including more than a few Verizon users).
And always remember, there's a work around for everything, ya just gotta find it!
Oh, surprised to hear the screen was still good. The gnex had a horrible screen. Amoled displays have come a looooong way since the gnex. Mine w had a horrid blue cast to it, especially when turned down, and was starting to burn in. Never noticed the blue till I got my next phone, the nexus 5. On that the whites were actually white - I almost fell over - it was that much of a difference!

To prepare for new 6P and nano sim you can buy a Sadapter Sim to Nano Sim adapter. Buy this quality brand only.
Visit a Verizon company store mention you'll be getting a new phone, one with nano sim like iphone or moto-x, and would they activate a new nano sim for you so you are prepared to plug and play when you get new phone. In meantime insert nano sim and adapter into your Gnex. For above you might get better cooperation going to Bestbuy vs Verizon.
.
For activating Hotspot while bypassing Verizon check, it is to be determined if any current apps like Foxfi will work. You will probably need to do the build prop edit for "tether provisioning" mentioned elsewhere. You can prep for this also by downloading tools (adb & fastboot) and Drivers to your PC.
There are some Guides on XDA to walk you through steps to get to and through the "tether provisioning" bit.

Thought I might add a little to the conversation based on my experiences... I recently updated from my Nexus 5 (which I loved) to the Nexus 5x. on my unrooted Nexus 5 Wifi worked wonderfully with ATT as my carrier. On my updated Nexus 5x I can turn on the Wifi hotspot and bluetooth network sharing - HOWEVER it is buggy and the throughput is not good. A few of the bugs are I cannot turn on the wifi hotspot via the quick tile, only from the settings menu, the first time I select the hotspot a toast message pops up stating it is checking with carrier then flashes off and I have to turn it on again at which point it does come on. I actually get better speed from the Bluetooth network sharing...
so from what I have read the Nexus 6p is the same in this area as the Nexus 5x so you may want to look at getting a Nexus 5 which would be a great update from your phone and can run Android Marshmallow - I am strongly considering going back...

I have a nexus 6p, and cannot use my hotspot (I'm on an AT&T based MVNO). The phone will say "please contact AT&T to enable hotspot". There are workarounds (at least as of android 6.0.1) for non-rooted phones, such as ejecting the sim card, reinserting it, and quickly activating hotspot before the phone has a chance to provision (confirmed working if your timing is right), but this gets annoying really fast. There is no other way to override this check at this time on the stock ROM, which is really disappointing. I don't know if other MVNOs will be the same, but I'm really disappointed Google chose to take this path

Axon 7 roaming support and other questions. (also Axon 7 Max)

I'm looking for a new phone and the Axon 7 was looking like the clear choice but I'm starting to have serious doubts. The phone works perfectly with AT&T and T-Mobile networks, it takes a process to get it to work with Verizon and doesn't work at all with Sprint. This raises the obvious question, what about roaming? I'm not sure who has agreements with who for roaming coverage, but you can see that this would leave only two networks for roaming and that is assuming there is an agreement. How will the phone act when there is a stronger signal from a tower that it can't actually work with, despite being using the same frequency? I just don't know. Who has agreements with who? Have any of you guys tested roaming? T-Mobile in my area is only worthy of consideration with roaming, hence my concern. I want a versatile phone so I can switch providers at will.
If you can answer ANY of the following, please do so.
1. How do I make sure I get the "A2017U" model? I see lots of Axon 7s for sale and the model is never specified.
2. How big of a deal are the slow updates? What will you do when they inevitably top updating at all?
3. IF I get this phone I will likely keep the stock ROM to keep double tap to wake, shake for light etc. plus it doesn't seem like it's worth it according to Axon 7 owners. Is rooting, bootloader and recovery to stock reliable at this point?
4. Do you think the 128GB/6GB RAM models are worth it? It seems that some have sold for as low as $400 used but they tend to be over $500.
5. Are there "A2017U" models with this enhanced storage and RAM? How do I tell?
6. What native ways are there to unlock the screen? Of course there is pass, pin and fingerprint, any others?
7. What is your batter life like?
My last couple of questions are perhaps a bit off topic, do any of you happen to know details about the Axon 7 Max? I'm wondering what the speaker setup is. Honestly, I don't like the fact that is has a "3d" display which is really gimmicky and supposedly is old tech. Does anyone here have experience with this tech? I wish they were going with a nice screen like the one in the regular Axon 7. I will probably stick to the regular Axon 7, the 5.5" screen is still bigger than my LG G2's screen and it's cheaper.

7th1rt3en said:
I'm looking for a new phone and the Axon 7 was looking like the clear choice but I'm starting to have serious doubts. The phone works perfectly with AT&T and T-Mobile networks, it takes a process to get it to work with Verizon and doesn't work at all with Sprint. This raises the obvious question, what about roaming? I'm not sure who has agreements with who for roaming coverage, but you can see that this would leave only two networks for roaming and that is assuming there is an agreement. How will the phone act when there is a stronger signal from a tower that it can't actually work with, despite being using the same frequency? I just don't know. Who has agreements with who? Have any of you guys tested roaming? T-Mobile in my area is only worthy of consideration with roaming, hence my concern. I want a versatile phone so I can switch providers at will.
1. How do I make sure I get the "A2017U" model? I see lots of Axon 7s for sale and the model is never specified.
2. How big of a deal are the slow updates? What will you do when they inevitably top updating at all?
3. IF I get this phone I will likely keep the stock ROM to keep double tap to wake, shake for light etc. plus it doesn't seem like it's worth it according to Axon 7 owners. Is rooting, bootloader and recovery to stock reliable at this point?
4. Do you think the 128GB/6GB RAM models are worth it? It seems that some have sold for as low as $400 used but they tend to be over $500.
5. Are there "A2017U" models with this enhanced storage and RAM? How do I tell?
6. What native ways are there to unlock the screen? Of course there is pass, pin and fingerprint, any others?
7. What is your batter life like?
My last couple of questions is perhaps a bit off topic, do any of you happen to know details about the Axon 7 Max? I'm wondering what the speaker setup is. Honestly, I don't like the fact that is has a "3d" display which is really gimmicky and supposedly is old tech. Does anyone here have experience with this tech? I wish they were going with a nice screen like the one in the regular Axon 7. I will probably stick to the regular Axon 7, the 5.5" screen is still bigger than my LG G2's screen and it's cheaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You get the A2017U by buying it in the USA. Not through Aliexpress for example. Getting another model is not the end of the world anyways... the modem is very much alike, it only differs from others on specific places like Japan and I think Spain.
Slow updates? We got Nougat before the Oneplus 3T. The real problem is that ZTE's updates add one feature and break 3 other things that are totally unrelated, then they release an update with fixes and break other things... But at this moment everything is working just fine. And even the S8 had similar problems, e.g. not working SD card, so there is no safe bet on the software department regarding OEMs
All the unlock and root stuff is dangerous on this device. If you fucc up too much you can still get an RMA and pretend like you woke up and the device didn't... otherwise you can pay a fee to get it reflashed. Also some ROMs have the shake to turn the flashlight on and dt2w thing, for example Resurrection Remix. But the stock ROM is really good especially if you slap a launcher on top of it, and there is no real reason to root besides apps and maybe some specific Xposed modules you would want to have
6 GB ram and 128 GB storage, plus force touch... your judgement. I literally NEVER use more than 3 GB of RAM even while gaming intensive stuff. Repeat, NEVER. There are some people who might be mining bitcoin with their phones or whatever, and fill up the RAM, so if you're one of them then go ahead and buy an A2017. Also so much storage for what? Use an SD card, and if you need dual SIM support, do that guide where you stick the SIM's guts to the SD card. And force touch might be interesting, but I'm not sure whether it is utilized on Android's apps... may be useless
No enhanced A2017Us AFAIK. I'm almost 100% sure that there aren't enhanced A2017U's, only A2017s.
Pass, PIN, pattern, fingerprint. Wouldn't know why you'd want any more. The fingerprint sensor placement is really comfortable despite the huge skepticism.
Battery life... Most people are reporting ~5 hrs SOT. I can get that on stock Android N. And if you feel adventurous and install a custom LOS based ROM, a full black theme, a kernel, and AKT profiles, you can easily double or sometimes triple that, depending on your usage.
Right now I'm using stock A2017G Android 6.0.1 with AKT profiles. I usually put it on Extreme battery saving and the phone still behaves like a flagship should (with the occasional ¼ second freeze every half a minute). some people (especially A2017 people) reported hideous drain, mostly on standby. But those are just isolated cases...
And the last couple of questions, no idea. Is the 3d screen they want to use like the one in the 3DS (2 pixel arrays with different angle of view)? I'm pretty courious...

Choose an username... said:
Getting another model is not the end of the world anyways... the modem is very much alike, it only differs from others on specific places like Japan and I think Spain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The U model is very much different from the rest. It has 3 CDMA bands (global has 0), and LTE bands that are only used in North America (absent from global model).
Choose an username... said:
No enhanced A2017Us AFAIK. I'm almost 100% sure that there aren't enhanced A2017U's, only A2017s.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ZTE USA did offer the enhanced model, dubbed the "Limited Edition", for a short period of time. It's no longer on their website, but you can google "zteusa.com Axon 7 Limited Edition" for more info.

xtermmin said:
The U model is very much different from the rest. It has 3 CDMA bands (global has 0), and LTE bands that are only used in North America (absent from global model).
ZTE USA did offer the enhanced model, dubbed the "Limited Edition", for a short period of time. It's no longer on their website, but you can google "zteusa.com Axon 7 Limited Edition" for more info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regarding the Limited Edition phones, are you sure they weren't just A2017s?

7th1rt3en said:
This raises the obvious question, what about roaming? I'm not sure who has agreements with who for roaming coverage, but you can see that this would leave only two networks for roaming and that is assuming there is an agreement. How will the phone act when there is a stronger signal from a tower that it can't actually work with, despite being using the same frequency? I just don't know. Who has agreements with who? Have any of you guys tested roaming? T-Mobile in my area is only worthy of consideration with roaming, hence my concern. I want a versatile phone so I can switch providers at will.
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The A2017U has all the major bands used by all US carriers. The roaming will be determined by the provider that you use the phone on. All phones try to stick to the native network as long as possible, and will only roam when there is no native signal, and even then the roaming is based off your carrier's agreements. Some carriers have regional roaming agreements (for example, in some areas, T-Mobile customers can roam onto AT&T), while some carriers have no roaming agreements at all (ex: if you're on T-Mobile, you can't connect to Verizon towers at all except for E911).
---------- Post added at 01:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:57 AM ----------
Choose an username... said:
Regarding the Limited Edition phones, are you sure they weren't just A2017s?
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Yes because zteusa.com wouldn't sell the Chinese model in the US. The Chinese model doesn't have the majority of bands used in the US.

Choose an username... said:
You get the A2017U by buying it in the USA. Not through Aliexpress for example.
All the unlock and root stuff is dangerous on this device.
6 GB ram and 128 GB storage, plus force touch... your judgement.
Pass, PIN, pattern, fingerprint. Wouldn't know why you'd want any more. The fingerprint sensor placement is really comfortable despite the huge skepticism.
Battery life... Most people are reporting ~5 hrs SOT. I can get that on stock Android N. And if you feel adventurous and install a custom LOS based ROM, a full black theme, a kernel, and AKT profiles, you can easily double or sometimes triple that, depending on your usage.
And the last couple of questions, no idea. Is the 3d screen they want to use like the one in the 3DS (2 pixel arrays with different angle of view)? I'm pretty courious...
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So buying used or on ebay could be a problem then, alright.
I just want root for apps, that was the main thing.
The fact that they are scarce makes the "enhanced" model overpriced anyway, it might be worth it if that wasn't the case.
I wear gloves at work that WILL generally work with touchscreens well enough to answer a call but perhaps not enough to reliably put in a code to read a text. Obviously they wont work with fingerprint scanner. That's okay thought, there are ways around that. It would just be ideal to have face or iris unlock. I like the Samsung S8 feature where it can tell if it's on your body or not but I knew not to expect that.
If the odds are as bad when flashing then I will just have to live with the battery life as it is.
Yeah, not sure about the 3D screen on the 7 Max. Actually, the guy in the video I watched stated that it was done better than previous "3D" screens. It should only work in landscape mode if it relies of viewing angles.

7th1rt3en said:
So buying used or on ebay could be a problem then, alright.
I just want root for apps, that was the main thing.
The fact that they are scarce makes the "enhanced" model overpriced anyway, it might be worth it if that wasn't the case.
I wear gloves at work that WILL generally work with touchscreens well enough to answer a call but perhaps not enough to reliably put in a code to read a text. Obviously they wont work with fingerprint scanner. That's okay thought, there are ways around that. It would just be ideal to have face or iris unlock. I like the Samsung S8 feature where it can tell if it's on your body or not but I knew not to expect that.
If the odds are as bad when flashing then I will just have to live with the battery life as it is.
Yeah, not sure about the 3D screen on the 7 Max. Actually, the guy in the video I watched stated that it was done better than previous "3D" screens. It should only work in landscape mode if it relies of viewing angles.
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Oh shoot sorry I forgot about like 4 other unlocking methods... You can use Voice recognition either from ZTE's own implementation or Google's. Also you have Google's On body detection to keep it unlocked when you have it with you, and Trusted places and Trusted Devices
Also there is a high sensitivity mode for gloves, never tried it myself though.
Also I said that the battery is even better on some select custom ROMs, but I never said it was bad... 5 hours of screen on time is a crapton! Imagine 10.

xtermmin said:
The A2017U has all the major bands used by all US carriers. The roaming will be determined by the provider that you use the phone on. All phones try to stick to the native network as long as possible, and will only roam when there is no native signal, and even then the roaming is based off your carrier's agreements. Some carriers have regional roaming agreements (for example, in some areas, T-Mobile customers can roam onto AT&T), while some carriers have no roaming agreements at all (ex: if you're on T-Mobile, you can't connect to Verizon towers at all except for E911).
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So, in the case of Sprint lot allowing Axon 7s on their network, this would change if it is using their network as part of a roaming agreement? In the case of Verizon not even working without a special procedure after a recent update, this problem goes away if one is just roaming on their network? What you are describing is just a normal roaming situation with a phone that works on all networks involved but I thought that the Axon 7 has unique problems with 2 networks. I even see it advertised on Amazon as not working with Verizon or Sprint AT ALL! This despite the fact that it has the necessary reception to do so. I just want to know for sure if it will roam on those networks given these problems.
xtermmin said:
Yes because zteusa.com wouldn't sell the Chinese model in the US. The Chinese model doesn't have the majority of bands used in the US.
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The problem is that they are all on the secondary market at this point and there is no way to know for sure what one is getting.

Choose an username... said:
Oh shoot sorry I forgot about like 4 other unlocking methods... You can use Voice recognition either from ZTE's own implementation or Google's. Also you have Google's On body detection to keep it unlocked when you have it with you, and Trusted places and Trusted Devices
Also there is a high sensitivity mode for gloves, never tried it myself though.
Also I said that the battery is even better on some select custom ROMs, but I never said it was bad... 5 hours of screen on time is a crapton! Imagine 10.
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Oh, that's perfect! I didn't realize the on body was a google thing. No, the battery life is fine, it just sucks knowing it's capable of more but too risky to attempt. Do you happen to knows the details of the warranty? Does it matter who I buy from or if I buy used?

7th1rt3en said:
Oh, that's perfect! I didn't realize the on body was a google thing. No, the battery life is fine, it just sucks knowing it's capable of more but too risky to attempt. Do you happen to knows the details of the warranty? Does it matter who I buy from or if I buy used?
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I don't know about the warranty from USA, I have an A2017G. With this model they give you one year of warranty and an additional year of VIP warranty which includes a free screen replacement for the first 6 months and water damage stuff...
I'm sending a couple of pics of the warranty. Just be advised: the warranty explicitly doesn't cover acts of God!

7th1rt3en said:
So, in the case of Sprint lot allowing Axon 7s on their network, this would change if it is using their network as part of a roaming agreement? In the case of Verizon not even working without a special procedure after a recent update, this problem goes away if one is just roaming on their network? What you are describing is just a normal roaming situation with a phone that works on all networks involved but I thought that the Axon 7 has unique problems with 2 networks. I even see it advertised on Amazon as not working with Verizon or Sprint AT ALL! This despite the fact that it has the necessary reception to do so. I just want to know for sure if it will roam on those networks given these problems.
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Roaming is separate from Sprint's device activation policy. You'll hardly ever roam onto Sprint though, as they have the worst coverage of the big 4.
Special procedure is not needed to get it working on Verizon. You just need to have an already-activated SIM card.
The problem is not unique to the Axon 7. It's the same as any other phone. For example, the Nexus 5 was not compatible with Verizon, yet Sprint users were able to load a custom PRL that allowed them to only connect to Verizon's towers (roaming, of course. Sprint has a roaming agreement with Verizon).
It's not advertised as being compatible with Verizon because it's not officially approved by Verizon and you need an already-activated SIM card in order to use it.
Yes, you should be able to roam onto them but that requires your carrier to have a roaming agreement with those other carriers.
What carrier are you on?

I completely misunderstood the Verizon issue, that isn't a big deal at all. I also didn't know that the sprint issue was just a matter of activation. ZTE is coming out with a Sprint phone so perhaps Sprint might reconsider. I'm currently using T-Mobile pre-paid, so no roaming and my phone does not receive band 12 so my reception sucks. I'm not sure what carrier I will end up on. I'm looking at all but sprint, including MVNOs.

7th1rt3en said:
So buying used or on ebay could be a problem then, alright.
I just want root for apps, that was the main thing.
The fact that they are scarce makes the "enhanced" model overpriced anyway, it might be worth it if that wasn't the case.
I wear gloves at work that WILL generally work with touchscreens well enough to answer a call but perhaps not enough to reliably put in a code to read a text. Obviously they wont work with fingerprint scanner. That's okay thought, there are ways around that. It would just be ideal to have face or iris unlock. I like the Samsung S8 feature where it can tell if it's on your body or not but I knew not to expect that.
If the odds are as bad when flashing then I will just have to live with the battery life as it is.
Yeah, not sure about the 3D screen on the 7 Max. Actually, the guy in the video I watched stated that it was done better than previous "3D" screens. It should only work in landscape mode if it relies of viewing angles.
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You can definitely buy used ones without problems. Just make sure your buying the U.S version. Most, if not all, the 7s on Swappa are U.S. Swappa is much better for buying phones than eBay, and you can negotiate price. I bought mint condition for $280 last week (which I wish I waited, because now they're being sold at 260.
I asked my seller if he would provide original receipt for warranty, and I was able to register the device in my name (he hadn't registered it). Apparently all you need is receipt for proof of purchase date, so as long as you make that a term for the sale, transferring or using the warranty is no problem at all. Once again, this is also what makes Swappa great.
If you want a full 2 years, Newegg has open box deal for $315. I wouldn't think twice about that, and was considering it, but the phone I got was almost brand new and in mint condition for $35 less. Newegg open box items are always mint condition in my experience, and they were devices owned for less than 2 weeks.
5 hours of SOT to me is great. I'd say it's above average,, especially compared to my iPhone 7.

JoRocker said:
You can definitely buy used ones without problems. Just make sure your buying the U.S version. Most, if not all, the 7s on Swappa are U.S. Swappa is much better for buying phones than eBay, and you can negotiate price. I bought mint condition for $280 last week (which I wish I waited, because now they're being sold at 260.
I asked my seller if he would provide original receipt for warranty, and I was able to register the device in my name (he hadn't registered it). Apparently all you need is receipt for proof of purchase date, so as long as you make that a term for the sale, transferring or using the warranty is no problem at all. Once again, this is also what makes Swappa great.
If you want a full 2 years, Newegg has open box deal for $315. I wouldn't think twice about that, and was considering it, but the phone I got was almost brand new and in mint condition for $35 less. Newegg open box items are always mint condition in my experience, and they were devices owned for less than 2 weeks.
5 hours of SOT to me is great. I'd say it's above average,, especially compared to my iPhone 7.
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I've purchased 3 items through Swappa and never on ebay, if I buy used that is likely the route I will take. It seems that most of my concerns were unfounded and there were feature that I was not aware of, so that's great. I will take your advice on the warranty and receipt. Are you saying that you can transfer the warranty even if it HAD been previously registered?

7th1rt3en said:
I've purchased 3 items through Swappa and never on ebay, if I buy used that is likely the route I will take. It seems that most of my concerns were unfounded and there were feature that I was not aware of, so that's great. I will take your advice on the warranty and receipt. Are you saying that you can transfer the warranty even if it HAD been previously registered?
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All they want is phone IMEI and receipt. Registering isn't even important it just skips the steps of proving purchase every time you want to use the warranty. I was able to register in my name, because previous owner never used the warranty, but even if they had used it, you can still use the warranty with the original receipt, and update the address that they have in their system for the phone. Just don't tell them you aren't the original owner, because technically it's not supposed to be transferable.

I do have one last question, just how bad is signal strength?

7th1rt3en said:
I do have one last question, just how bad is signal strength?
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Not bad at all for me. I get four bars at home when my iPhone 7 gets 2. I don't know why people say it's bad. Maybe I just got lucky.

7th1rt3en said:
I do have one last question, just how bad is signal strength?
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Well, your mileage may vary... I have OK signal, but a lot of people complain about it. Go to the signal reception thread over at Real life review

Choose an username... said:
Well, your mileage may vary... I have OK signal, but a lot of people complain about it. Go to the signal reception thread over at Real life review
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The thing is that a lot of people do not state their location, their model or their build so it's hard to know exactly what the implications are. There is at least one guy in Europe who stated that he tested both the A2017G and A2017U and that the A2017U did considerably better. His idea is that if one has the A2017U and has a bad signal in the states that they should do an RMA. That phone had the B27 update which supposedly boosts performance according to multiple comments I've read. I guess what I could do is figure out when B27 came out and only pay attention to the comments of USA based users after that date, I'll do that and report back.
-----------------------------------------------B27 update-----------------------------------------------
-10dBm worse than my Nexus 6p
First time owning the phone that I noticed I got full bars
TMobile in NYC and no cellular reception issues so far
Dallas on T-mobile and reception/data speeds are not as consistent or fast as they were on my Galaxy S5
So b27 update made signal WAY better for me!
Tmobile here in south florida, i can tell you signal on this phone suxs
Signal strength improved drastically with the b27 update for US version
-----------------------------------------------B29 update-----------------------------------------------
I just recently got the phone, and I haven't noticed any reception issues
So far I've had comparable coverage & speeds as my LG G4.
The A7 just flat out had lower throughput. Mobile data wasn't the only area of weakness. Wifi too. (B29)
it has better signal in my house than a iPhone6 and my OPO (both using T-Mobile)
The US version I pulled out of the box has a production date of Nov 14. Around two months after the first update addressing the antenna. I have no issues.
When I went to update the software, the newest build was already installed. cell signal bar on my stats is all orange and broken. HTC 10, the signal bar is all green
B27 = 3 negative, 3 positive and 1 ambiguous
B29 = 2 negative, 4 positive
Anyway, thanks for the help guys.

I wanted to keep it...

Once I got the phone setup and on the Sprint network I tried a test SMS to someone. They replied and the message came in. Then it repeated itself over and over indefinitely. I had someone else send me a SMS message but that message never came through. I received the last message that was sent once again.
Countless hours on the phone with Sprint escalated through tech support. Took it back to the store. They tried to "flash" it but could not. Swapped out for another Essential Ph-1 and it did the same thing.
I told them to keep it. It has caused enough stress in my life for years at this point.

Curious, there have been a few random issues (not just on Sprint) that have turned out to be APN related. Do you know if they checked the APN settings and verified they were correct for their network? I changed a couple settings on TMobile to match what their recommendation is on their website and I know a couple AT&T people have had to change a thing or two as well.

ack154 said:
Curious, there have been a few random issues (not just on Sprint) that have turned out to be APN related. Do you know if they checked the APN settings and verified they were correct for their network? I changed a couple settings on TMobile to match what their recommendation is on their website and I know a couple AT&T people have had to change a thing or two as well.
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To be honest I do not know if they checked that and I did not know to check it.

So you only had the phone for a few hours? Your call but I think you may have jumped the gun.

spotmark said:
So you only had the phone for a few hours? Your call but I think you may have jumped the gun.
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I did not know what else to do. Guess I should have asked you guys first.

chasdw said:
I did not know what else to do. Guess I should have asked you guys first.
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No use crying over spilled milk. Enjoy whatever you went with.

This is entirely speculation, but it could be on either Sprint's side or the Messenger app itself. What you describe mirrors my experience with my unlocked Galaxy S8 and using the Messenger app. I switched that line over to the Essential phone it started working fine with text messages. If you try again in the future, try disabling the advanced SMS features (called RDS I think?).

CollinFX45 said:
This is entirely speculation, but it could be on either Sprint's side or the Messenger app itself. What you describe mirrors my experience with my unlocked Galaxy S8 and using the Messenger app. I switched that line over to the Essential phone it started working fine with text messages. If you try again in the future, try disabling the advanced SMS features (called RDS I think?).
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Thank you, appreciate the advice.

I work for sprint and this is an uncommon issue that has plagued the network for years. If your phone is not rooted, a simple profile update can fix this. One common issue we have seen with the essential phones bought through sprint is it not activating fully the first time. After the phone says it's activated still go through the settings, tap about, tap "OMADM updates" and click profile update. It was reprovision the phone correctly and reboot again. Sometimes it gets stuck on the last step. As long as the reception goes blank and then comes back with a LTE logo then you are done and can reboot the phone.
I know you already went with another phone but you could just as easily have the same issues on another phone. This comment is more for those who are looking for answers to your issue.

hellot1M said:
I work for sprint and this is an uncommon issue that has plagued the network for years. If your phone is not rooted, a simple profile update can fix this. One common issue we have seen with the essential phones bought through sprint is it not activating fully the first time. After the phone says it's activated still go through the settings, tap about, tap "OMADM updates" and click profile update. It was reprovision the phone correctly and reboot again. Sometimes it gets stuck on the last step. As long as the reception goes blank and then comes back with a LTE logo then you are done and can reboot the phone.
I know you already went with another phone but you could just as easily have the same issues on another phone. This comment is more for those who are looking for answers to your issue.
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Very much appreciate the reply. I have not gone with a different phone because I am not really interested in any others at this time.
I did try what you suggested on both of the essential phones. It did not work on either.
I will probably go back by the Sprint store tomorrow to see if they figured anything out.
I cannot be without a phone and I do not currently have time to troubleshoot one that is not working.
I will keep chugging along with my old phone for the time being.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

To be clear, Sprint Technical Support is so close to useless you might as well ask your dog how to fix your phone. You'd get the same quality of information and save yourself some time to boot. This is not necessarily Sprint's fault. It's very likely that Essential isn't giving them enough information. For example, I was trying to get files transfered from my PC to my Essential Phone earlier today. All I got was an big empty nothing telling me "This Folder is Empty." Figured it was something very simple but I couldn't figure out what. Sprint's second level support told me to call HP (computer OEM). Came onto this forum and somebody mentioned "just change the setting in notifications from charging to file transfer." Yep! It really was that easy! And Sprint should have easy fixes like that extremely well documented.
It makes me more that a little nervous to realize that Sprint is completely clueless about this phone and that Essential is next to impossible to get in touch with. Makes me wish I could have held out for the other Sprint exclusive coming soon: The LG V30+. Same 128GB internal, better screen, waterproof certification, drop proof certification, OLED screen instead of the PH-1's disappointing LCD panel, bigger screen, has an SD card slot, better camera, and above all else, well supported. Unfortunately, my old phone was broken and I needed to replace it immediately and as cheaply as possible. $15 per month made the PH-1 the best option available for me. Even the LG G6 with it's inferior specs, processor, etc. would have cost me more -- $20 per month.
We'll see how I'm feeling about my PH-1 in a week. Right now there's a lot of good and a lot of bad, so it's hard to say. At least by shear dumb luck I got the PH-1 at a budget phone price.

I had the same issue and took it to a Sprint store today. After a lot of trial and error, turning off Google voice did the trick for me. Even though they already switched me to a new phone.

I wanted to keep it but Pixel 2 coming out in October and camera subpar.
Sent from my Pixel XL using XDA-Developers Legacy app

I am on sprint and I have had zero issues, in fact I have a better signal with this phone because it utilizes the LTE + network. This is very interesting to me.