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Hello,
Apologies if this does not go here or if there's a better community to ask this question in, but I figured it was worth a shot.
My conundrum is this: ATT isn't releasing a pink v20. I have an unlimited plan from back in the day that they will pry from my cold dead hands, and I am not going to pay 800 dollars for a phone that I can't buy in the best color, especially when they teased everyone by saying "it will be available in pink" without adding the "only in Asia" caveat.
I know the pink phones exist in Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. However the Korean phones seem to only barely support 4g on ATT (1/4 bands supported is not okay), and the Taiwan/HK phones are dual sim which I had seen referred to as "a piece of (excrement)" from a unlocked bootloader development perspective on this very forum.
I have watched the teardown video posted some time ago (I can't post it because 1 post wonder, if you google "lg v20 takedown" it's basically the first result) and most of the boards seem to pop out quite easily which got me thinking, could one take the body components from the Korean model (F800S/K/L) and transfer the boards from the ATT version released in the US into it? To me the main questions with regards to this seem to be the following:
1) Does anyone know if there are any significant internal dimensional differences on the boards between the F800S/K/L and the H910/H915? I am not sure what model is featured in the teardown video but I would guess it's a F800 of some sort as this was in Korea.
2) Does anyone know if there's any components attached to the front screen module (that's what I'm calling the piece on the far right/the engineer's left in the video which everything placed to the left of it is ultimately attached to) which would cause incompatibilities when the boards from another phone are attached to them (assuming for a second that they fit in the first place)? For example, whatever bit determines which frequencies the antennas can receive, as there'd be no point in swapping the body of the if the phone then loses the att frequency compatibility.
Again, this is probably a long shot, but I figured I would ask just in case anyone had experience tearing down both models.
Thanks, and let me know if this question belongs somewhere else.
Chances are good but I would venture the biggest challenge is antenna connection and compatibility. Basically the top and bottom plastic pieces of phone. I would dog deeper into that first before considering.
Alright, I will check it out, thanks much for the advice.
Seems to me that Lg made this phone pretty DIY repair friendly. At first glance there are easily accessible phillips head screws. None of that proprietary garbage.
As an FYI, I emailed LG on the off-chance that I wouldn't get the equivalent of a form letter back, but no such luck.
This was the response I received:
Thanks for the email. We really appreciate that you took time to share your concern. We apologize for any inconvenience you may be experiencing.
We hope everything is going well with you.
The V20 Pink is not available in U.S. models; what we have is Titan and Silver. Apparently, the international model phones may look alike exactly as the phones that we have here however, the components and internal parts were totally different. So as to answer your inquiry, we do not encourage that you swap the boards as it may cause system problems and incompatibility issues.
Also, if you really want the V20 in Pink, you may just buy an unlocked version so you can use AT&T service; however, it carries no U.S. warranty since that is not a U.S. model.
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Click to collapse
Looks like I'll just wait until someone does a teardown of the ATT model to check things out.
As an update to this situation, I have been trolling the internet for spare parts (why buy two phones if you can just buy the pink bits and transfer the components?) and noticed a trend on ebay from parts sellers that I am not sure if is correct or not, but probably worth reporting.
I noticed that there are several listings for frame + screen (always in black because of course they are ) which list compatible models for the part.
LG V20 H990TR H910 H915 F800L
LG V20 LS997 US996 VS995 H990ds
LG V20 T-mobile H918
So far as I can tell the sellers are using the same set of stock photos for everything so I can't get a good sense of what dimensional and/or design differences may exist, however off the top of my head the first line looks like the non-CDMA models and the second line is either dual sim or CDMA models, and then the final line is T-mobile standing alone.
Except for T-Mobile this breakdown by model seems to square with what I would assume parts designers would do.
Don't take as gospel that these parts compatibilities exist within these model groups however it is suggestive.
I will post an update when and if I learn more.
This update has just became available today it is only 200mb so I would say it is mainly just android security updates. I have not installed it yet because I will have to factory reset first just wanted to let others know that might be stock and not rooted.
I'm on 21a and downloading 21b now.
Was on 11d, but did the 10b Brightpoint KDZ last month that messed up the LTE. So had to root and reflash the 11c, to then update to 11d and then 21a.
Got 21b installed. May 1 2017 Security update. Everything else says the same (baseband, kernel, and build).
Maybe they at least fixed the network switching so we will receive more of our calls. That is really the only bug i have noticed since upgrading to Nougat. I think you pointed that out as well.
FAUguy said:
Got 21b installed. May 1 2017 Security update. Everything else says the same (baseband, kernel, and build).
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firenemesis7 said:
Maybe they at least fixed the network switching so we will receive more of our calls. That is really the only bug i have noticed since upgrading to Nougat. I think you pointed that out as well.
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Yes, the past two weeks with 21a, the main issue has been that the RS988 is missing about half of the incoming class (will stay on LTE and not change to HSPA), or when placing a call about 25-30% of them will not go through on the first try (shows it change from LTE to HSPA and sit there for 30 seconds, and then go back to LTE without placing th call).
Unfortunately, 21b seems to have the same issue.
Over the weekend, I was debating on going with the HTC U11 or an S8/S8+ in the upcoming weeks, was going to wait for people on here to try out the U11 for a while. But the yesterday the Samsung Mobile EBay page had the S8+ listed for $699 and with 24mo payment with PqyPal Credit. So I figured fro $50 more than the U11, go with th S8+, not that I'm a fan of curved screens, but at least there is a 3.5mm headphone jack, has SamsungPay, and the screen is AMOLED (which is miss). But the draws of the U11 was the camera, non-curved screed (though LCD), and fingerprint scanner on the front. But the lack of headphone jack means it can't be charged while connected via AUX input to my cars audio, and I saw posts on here about HTC got rid of all their apps (gallery, mms, dialer, calendar) and opted for the Google ones that aren't as good. So at this point I sould have the S8+ later this week. If I like it, then I'll sell my G5 with all the accessories that came with it (Cam mod, 4 batteries, charging pack, VR headset).
Hi! If I have root and TWRP then how do I install the update?
spinoza_web said:
Hi! If I have root and TWRP then how do I install the update?
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As far as I know, OTA updates will only install if you are 100%stock. So that means removing TWRP, unrooting, and relocking the bootloader.
How I did it. I just factory reset and wiped everything in twrp then flashed the complete rs98821a zip that autoprime put together for us and then was able to install the OTA update. You will have to reinstall Twrp and root but you do not have to mess with the bootloader.
spinoza_web said:
Hi! If I have root and TWRP then how do I install the update?
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Click to collapse
I got in the S8+ yesterday. After using it for a day and setting it up, I'm not 100% sure that I'll keep it. The regular S8 was out of stock and I'm not a big fan of curved screens. But I figured I'd give it a try.
But regarding the calling issue with the G5 (21a/21b), the S8+ is much faster between changing modes between LTE Data and HSPA Calls. So that right there proves the issue isn't related to the GoPhone service, as I never had any issue on the G5 before the Nougat update.
Too bad I still can get the S8+ to work with the K-9 Mail LED Notifications. Must be an issue with that app and Android 7.
FAUguy said:
I got in the S8+ yesterday. After using it for a day and setting it up, I'm not 100% sure that I'll keep it. The regular S8 was out of stock and I'm not a big fan of curved screens. But I figured I'd give it a try.
But regarding the calling issue with the G5 (21a/21b), the S8+ is much faster between changing modes between LTE Data and HSPA Calls. So that right there proves the issue isn't related to the GoPhone service, as I never had any issue on the G5 before the Nougat update.
Too bad I still can get the S8+ to work with the K-9 Mail LED Notifications. Must be an issue with that app and Android 7.
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Looks like you got S8+, so, which version did you get? G955U or G955F? And how is Samsung pay? Does the Spay rewards and deals work?
justnewbee said:
Looks like you got S8+, so, which version did you get? G955U or G955F? And how is Samsung pay? Does the Spay rewards and deals work?
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The Samsung eBay page had the S8 G950U for $599 and the S8+ G955U for $699, along with a 24 month PayPal Credit financing. I has intended to go with the S8, but after I got home that night, only the S8+ was still available.
After using it for a few days now, it is really too tall for comfort, and a bit more heavy than I like (actually the weight of the phone is mostly at the top, so when used in landscape mode I can feel more of the weight on the left hand), keep in mind the Note 4 is about the same weight, but feels more comfortable to hold than the S8+.
From what I've read, the US Unlocked "U" models work with Samsung Pay and Rewards. I have it installed and all setup on the phone, but haven't tried it in a store yet. The "F" International models I read don't work with Samsung Pay in the US unless you do some flashing and tricking it out, but can still have issues. So I decided not to go with the F model, but would rather have the exynos processor than the 835.
Right now, Samsung.com has the S8 (and S8+) with a $200 trade in offer, so I'm going to go that route and get the S8 and sent in my old Note 2 (since they sell for less than $200 on eBay and Swappa) and hold on to my Note 3 and 4 for now. Also thinking about ordering the U11 from Amazon. Once I get those in, I can compare the U11, S8 and S8+ and decide which one to keep and return the others.
Normally I would do all this in a store, but Sprint don't have the U11 on display locally.
Once all that get done, then I'll see about selling my G5, do a factory reset on it (21b).
FAUguy said:
The Samsung eBay page had the S8 G950U for $599 and the S8+ G955U for $699, along with a 24 month PayPal Credit financing. I has intended to go with the S8, but after I got home that night, only the S8+ was still available.
After using it for a few days now, it is really too tall for comfort, and a bit more heavy than I like (actually the weight of the phone is mostly at the top, so when used in landscape mode I can feel more of the weight on the left hand), keep in mind the Note 4 is about the same weight, but feels more comfortable to hold than the S8+.
From what I've read, the US Unlocked "U" models work with Samsung Pay and Rewards. I have it installed and all setup on the phone, but haven't tried it in a store yet. The "F" International models I read don't work with Samsung Pay in the US unless you do some flashing and tricking it out, but can still have issues. So I decided not to go with the F model, but would rather have the exynos processor than the 835.
Right now, Samsung.com has the S8 (and S8+) with a $200 trade in offer, so I'm going to go that route and get the S8 and sent in my old Note 2 (since they sell for less than $200 on eBay and Swappa) and hold on to my Note 3 and 4 for now. Also thinking about ordering the U11 from Amazon. Once I get those in, I can compare the U11, S8 and S8+ and decide which one to keep and return the others.
Normally I would do all this in a store, but Sprint don't have the U11 on display locally.
Once all that get done, then I'll see about selling my G5, do a factory reset on it (21b).
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Thanks a lot for your detailed info. I am going to buy US Unlocked "U" model, though I am interested in exynos processor.
justnewbee said:
Thanks a lot for your detailed info. I am going to buy US Unlocked "U" model, though I am interested in exynos processor.
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I ended up buying the S8 from the Samsung site ($624) then take off $200 for a trade-in (will send my old Verizon Note 2 since they only sell for about $100...though would like to keep it), and add tax and $0 for 2-day shipping, and was $450 total. Did the Samsung Credit (24 month).
Going to send the S8+ back (Samsung's eBay page) for $742 credit. So that's a savings of $300 ($100 less for the S8 ad $200 for the trade-in).
The S8+ isn't a bad phone, just a bit too tall and more heavy than I like, so I'm sure the S8 will fit better.
Been using the S8 for a week now, sent the S8+ back.
No calling issues with either one (GoPhone) and I noticed they change much quicker between LTE for data and HSPA for calls than the G5 (21a/b).
FAUguy,
Hi, I have recently found to be in the same issue with LTE BRIGHTPOINT and LTE problems. Can you please read my post and see if you know something I don't?
Thanks
https://forum.xda-developers.com/u/...e-connectivity-problems-t3649465/post73300658
Skimpypimp said:
FAUguy,
Hi, I have recently found to be in the same issue with LTE BRIGHTPOINT and LTE problems. Can you please read my post and see if you know something I don't?
Thanks
https://forum.xda-developers.com/u/...e-connectivity-problems-t3649465/post73300658
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I read the post. Where did you buy the phone from?
Look at my post on this thread from Page 6 onward:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g5/help/calling-rs988-users-nougat-t3608345/page6
I had to do the Bootload Unlock via the LG web site, to then allow rooting of the phone.
Then had to do all the flashing in steps. I wouldn't say it was difficult, but took quite some time to get it all done.
FAUguy said:
I read the post. Where did you buy the phone from?
Look at my post on this thread from Page 6 onward:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g5/help/calling-rs988-users-nougat-t3608345/page6
I had to do the Bootload Unlock via the LG web site, to then allow rooting of the phone.
Then had to do all the flashing in steps. I wouldn't say it was difficult, but took quite some time to get it all done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I guess I'm screwed because even though I have the RS988, when I request the unlock boot loader code from LG it says I can't get it. I got my phone off eBay. Ugh.
Skimpypimp said:
Well I guess I'm screwed because even though I have the RS988, when I request the unlock boot loader code from LG it says I can't get it. I got my phone off eBay. Ugh.
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See if you can do eBay or PayPal buyer protection.
I'd file a claim on it with them if the seller refuses to offer a refund. I'd state that it is not compatible with your carrier (MetroPCS T-Mobile).
FAUguy said:
See if you can do eBay or PayPal buyer protection.
I'd file a claim on it with them if the seller refuses to offer a refund. I'd state that it is not compatible with your carrier (MetroPCS T-Mobile).
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I would hate to go through all that.
Through your adventure did you get any stock firmware flashed without root and not the BRIGHTPOINT version of it?
I think it has something to do with BRIGHTPOINT firmware.
Skimpypimp said:
I would hate to go through all that.
Through your adventure did you get any stock firmware flashed without root and not the BRIGHTPOINT version of it?
I think it has something to do with BRIGHTPOINT firmware.
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The issue is that I didn't know the firmware I flashed on my rs988 was for Brightpoint. After I flashed it , I had 0 LTE on the phone.
So it was a few weeks later when I decided to go though the process. Did the the LG Bootloader unlock, and flashed one of the kdz files that was Android 6 that I had been using. Then worked the phones firmware update from there.
After it was all done, the RS988 with the 21b firmware has full LTE connectivity. The only issue is that if I place a call, and it changes over to HSPA, that it then can take a few minutes to return back to LTE.
I've now been using an S8 for two months, and it changes between LTE, HSPA, and back to LTE within a few seconds.
I just bought one from ebay and didn't know that it's different from the factory unlocked version..
Is there a way to unlock the bootloader or root this phone? If not I will have to sell it again....
You can't unlock the bootloader on the US Cellular version.
Sent from my LG-US997 using Tapatalk
Amd4life said:
You can't unlock the bootloader on the US Cellular version.
Sent from my LG-US997 using Tapatalk
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Crap. Researching this topic for the LG V30.
U.S. Cellular is selling the LG V30+ (128GB version) as the US998 model, whereas the "official" carrier unlocked LG V30 US998 that will be sold by LG, B&H photo, Best Buy, Amazon is the one that qualifies for bootloader unlock -- but is only 64GB. It's not the LG V30+. I was hoping we could buy the U.S. Cellular 128GB version and it would also qualify, since it's the SAME MODEL NUMBER.
ChazzMatt said:
Crap. Researching this topic for the LG V30.
U.S. Cellular is selling the LG V30+ (128GB version) as the US998 model, whereas the "official" carrier unlocked LG V30 US998 that will be sold by LG, B&H photo, Best Buy, Amazon is the one that qualifies for bootloader unlock -- but is only 64GB. It's not the LG V30+. I was hoping we could buy the U.S. Cellular 128GB version and it would also qualify, since it's the SAME MODEL NUMBER.
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Click to collapse
Nope. Probably IMEID numbers in a database.
I also apparently bought the US Cellular US997 without fully realizing I couldn't unlock the bootloader.
I happen to use Verizon and the phone did indeed come carrier unlocked and works fine.
I attempted to do the official bootloader unlock (putting in my IMEI and my Device ID) and got an error: 'Unfortunately, your device(United States, (US CELLULAR_TULSA(USA))does not support unlocking the bootloader'
I emailed LG just to see if they can do anything but I doubt I'll get a response.
My phone says the software version is US99712a and when I check for updates there are none. Does anyone know if I could flash the .kdz for 14a (or presumably the new 15a) via LG UP or might that bork things?
tahlsr said:
I also apparently bought the US Cellular US997 without fully realizing I couldn't unlock the bootloader.
I happen to use Verizon and the phone did indeed come carrier unlocked and works fine.
I attempted to do the official bootloader unlock (putting in my IMEI and my Device ID) and got an error: 'Unfortunately, your device(United States, (US CELLULAR_TULSA(USA))does not support unlocking the bootloader'
I emailed LG just to see if they can do anything but I doubt I'll get a response.
My phone says the software version is US99712a and when I check for updates there are none. Does anyone know if I could flash the .kdz for 14a (or presumably the new 15a) via LG UP or might that bork things?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi tahlsr, I'm not sure on your update question, but was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing where you bought the device? I'm in the process of buying one and worried about getting a US Cellular model. It's amazing in a way that LG would have 2 models like this with the exact same model number, and yet be different...
I bought it on ebay and I think the auction was a bit misleading. It just said unlocked (which it is) US997. I guess I should have been more careful. If you buy it used I would ask the seller to confirm that it is not the US Cellular US997 since as you say... it's confusing that there are two US997's. Unfortunately LG is doing that again with the V30 and the US998.
AsItLies said:
Hi tahlsr, I'm not sure on your update question, but was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing where you bought the device? I'm in the process of buying one and worried about getting a US Cellular model. It's amazing in a way that LG would have 2 models like this with the exact same model number, and yet be different...
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Buy the unlocked/non-carrier version of the US997 from B&H.
That's what I have.
Thanks tech_head. At this point I may just wait for the V30 US998 unlocked/non-carrier version and hope the dev scene for that model takes off.
tech_head said:
Buy the unlocked/non-carrier version of the US997 from B&H.
That's what I have.
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Thanks tech_head, that's exactly what I have coming, ordered a few days ago. It's frustrating because these version numbers are almost identical, and sellers may not even know there's a difference, and what it could mean (unlock / can't unlock).
From what I've read, B&H can be trusted to send you exactly what you order, thanks for adding your input. I'll worry less between now and when I get it
Yeah... B&H is legit. Ebay... less legit if not careful. : )
I just got mine and tried to unlock the bootloader but the same thing happend to me i am very disappointed
That stinks. Did you buy an ebay auction and did that auction mention it was a US Cellular model?
tahlsr said:
I also apparently bought the US Cellular US997 without fully realizing I couldn't unlock the bootloader.
I happen to use Verizon and the phone did indeed come carrier unlocked and works fine.
I attempted to do the official bootloader unlock (putting in my IMEI and my Device ID) and got an error: 'Unfortunately, your device(United States, (US CELLULAR_TULSA(USA))does not support unlocking the bootloader'
I emailed LG just to see if they can do anything but I doubt I'll get a response.
My phone says the software version is US99712a and when I check for updates there are none. Does anyone know if I could flash the .kdz for 14a (or presumably the new 15a) via LG UP or might that bork things?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also fell into the US997 trap US Cellular to me was just another carrier that wasn't in Florida.
The reason to unlock the bootloader for the first time to me wasn't worth the effort. It is a great device as is.
I've updated the device twice since owning it using the KDZ files no negative issues.
I now also feel that it is very deceitful of LG Electronics the launch two different devices with the same general model number.
Waiting patiently for delivery of my Pixel 2 XL. At least now I'll get updates.
-kdkinc
Which kdz's did you use to upgrade? When you do that it wipes the phone so in my case it may not be worth it.
I really hate LG now . the most stupid company you would find on this earth
I'm sure by now anyone with an Amazon Prime account has seen the advertisements for the $399.99 LG G6 and G6+ which is a great deal, and it's enough of one that I'm getting ready to retire my iPhone SE and make the switch over...especially since I can lengthen the warranty to two years total. What I cannot find out is which version Amazon is selling when it's released November 9th, 2017 and if T-Mobile and/or AT&T users will still have the normal functions like WiFi calling (which I rely upon) and VoLTE on each respective carrier. I'd rather not buy a Prime device only to discover that it doesn't have the same features as a carrier-specific device has and this has me worried. Buying a brand new unlocked G6 would give me the two years of full warranty on the device and hopefully all of the T-Mobile features offered on the carrier-specific model even if the bootloader isn't unlocked. Heck, I'd attempt a FlashFire to get new firmware onto the phone if it were made possible just to regain WiFi Calling/VoLTE but wanted input from others before I decide to go this route. I'm also not opposed to grabbing something like the LG V20 from BHPhotoVideo as well since this is the route I want to go. If you guys have any knowledge that I haven't been able to figure out in the last week of research I'd appreciate it very much. Cheers.
They go in depth with this story,not sure if it helps at all.
That's one of the articles I managed to find, and it did help out in figuring out which phone I wanted to invest in but I didn't get much more info on the device itself. Because it's an Amazon device we already know that it's not going to be able to have an unlocked bootloader which really stinks but that's the cost of buying a subsidized phone through Amazon. I considered just buying the LG V20 through BHPhotoVideo for cheaper so there are no integrated Amazon advertisements and it has a better internal camera (as far as specs go) but having 12MP+12MP vs 16MP is a little too close of a call to make any kind of speculation, although having 64GB of storage with the V20 would be nicer than the included 32GB in the LG G6. At least we have a micro-SD slot to have more storage in both models, which means that if we can get the phone rooted then App2SD won't be a problem.
I just know I'm ready to retire and sell this crappy iPhone SE and move away from the insane Apple prices to get a better device with a less restrictive environment. My only hope is that the LG G6 has the same characteristics as my iPhone SE, such as WiFi calling and VoLTE. I know it has all of the right LTE bands so that won't be an issue, and later on I'll probably just give Amazon more money to ditch the advertisements. I just wish that I could find a $450 LG G6 brand new that I could unlock the bootloader on, and that's my conundrum. It seems that if you want the subsized Prime version it's only $399 but if you want an subside-free G6 you still have to shell out $200 more.
P.S. Thanks for the quick response.
im already planning on getting this but i wont be able till at least black friday at the earliest. it fills all my needs now that the U11+ wont be available in the US. the model number for the 6+ is LGUS997U so im hoping that rooting will be possible along with custom ROMs. l hope someone else takes the plunge first.
droidbot1337 said:
im already planning on getting this but i wont be able till at least black friday at the earliest. it fills all my needs now that the U11+ wont be available in the US. the model number for the 6+ is LGUS997U so im hoping that rooting will be possible along with custom ROMs. l hope someone else takes the plunge first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm taking the plunge and it'll be here the day of release. Knowing Amazon's history with locking bootloaders it's already pretty apparent that unlocking it will not be a possibility but will still check irregardless in hopes that I'm wrong. At least I hope it can be rooted some how and figure out how to ditch all of the bogus Amazon advertisements without paying them another $50 to remove them from my device, and will report all of that information that I can find out on my own as well. The LG V20 directly from T-Mobile was my original go-to replacement but for the same amount of money I'd rather have the slightly faster LG G6 even if it is hampered by Amazon's crap. Considering I'm moving up from an iPhone SE this thing is going to be a massive upgrade.
EDIT: I've independently confirmed it will indeed have T-Mobile WiFi calling and VoLTE built into the firmware because Amazon did the same thing with the Moto G5s firmware that they molested. They might have injected it with Amazon bloatware but they did also include WiFi calling and VoLTE from each of the providers so there's a very strong chance anyone who uses this device on their home network will still have those features included with the LG line of phones.
bmurphr1 said:
I'm taking the plunge and it'll be here the day of release...........
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Click to collapse
YES!!!! im so envious of you!! i hope that they can be unlocked as the price is just far too tempting. im going to try and contact LG USA and see what i can get from them. good luck and please keep us informed, cheers!!
I'm looking at the LG G6 also. I've been a Nexus user and am still using the N5X. Now that Google has went overboard with their pricing and are no longer making any devices that are good values, I'm looking elsewhere. I've always been an LG fan. I'm looking at the LG G6 as the price on it is excellent. There are a good number of carrier unlocked devices available for just over $400 and I think we will see some good sales between Black Friday and New Year's.
I was also considering the Amazon version but I'm not sure how difficult it will be to get rid of them afterwards.
gorilla p said:
....I was also considering the Amazon version but I'm not sure how difficult it will be to get rid of them afterwards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
?? all it has is a few bloat apps but all you would need to do is flash another ROM. thats considering it can be rooted. im still debating on the 6+ or waiting for the HTC U12 which should be better than the U11+ or at least i hope.
Phone has arrived, is model US966, and even though is the international model still has VoLTE and WiFi Calling baked into the ROM. I've verified that it does indeed work as it should for T-Mobile as I have the Hanset + WiFi logo in my top left notification tray. So far it seems Amazon really did make this device into the most universal of all of the LG G6 devices that exist (aside from being unable to unlock the bootloader.
Amazon really put this firmware through the ringer..it does have mountains of bloatware that we can work around, but it works with T-Mobile WiFi Calling, VoLTE, and HD Voice (all confirmed by moving a dead zone in my house where I received full WiFI but could not obtain any indoor signal of any kind. I had several conversations that all sounded like I was standing right next to the person, and I had no cellular service at the time the call was made. Just as I suspected, they molested the G6 just like they did the Moto G5s into forcing it to support T-Mobile's feature sets and most likely the same for the other three providers as well.
bmurphr1 said:
Phone has arrived, is model US966, and even though is the international model still has VoLTE and WiFi Calling baked into the ROM. I've verified that it does indeed work as it should for T-Mobile as I have the Hanset + WiFi logo in my top left notification tray. So far it seems Amazon really did make this device into the most universal of all of the LG G6 devices that exist (aside from being unable to unlock the bootloader.
Amazon really put this firmware through the ringer..it does have mountains of bloatware that we can work around, but it works with T-Mobile WiFi Calling, VoLTE, and HD Voice (all confirmed by moving a dead zone in my house where I received full WiFI but could not obtain any indoor signal of any kind. I had several conversations that all sounded like I was standing right next to the person, and I had no cellular service at the time the call was made. Just as I suspected, they molested the G6 just like they did the Moto G5s into forcing it to support T-Mobile's feature sets and most likely the same for the other three providers as well.
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Do you know if it's possible to pay to remove the lockscreen ads? Also, are the ads just on the lockscreen or do they show up in other places?
I know you can pay to remove Kindle ads at https://www.amazon.com/mn/dcw/myx.html
Joe USer said:
Do you know if it's possible to pay to remove the lockscreen ads? Also, are the ads just on the lockscreen or do they show up in other places?
I know you can pay to remove Kindle ads at https://www.amazon.com/mn/dcw/myx.html
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Ads are on lockscreen and on the desktop, but the desktop widget no problem. When you unlock the device using your fingerprint though you never see the advertisements so it's not bothering me that much. I have yet to figure out if we can purchase the removal of advertisements though as I've only had these few short hours with the device, but every T-Mo function that you'd find on a carrier-branded device works on the Amazon Prime variant. If I can pay an extra $50 or so to get rid of the advertisements I probably will do just that.
In the mean time I tried to sign up for the second year of the LG G6 free warranty program, and since the phone is a US996 model device you can't complete the registration page. I e-mailed the help desk to see if we'll be able to register for the free second year of service as an Amazon agent said that there should be no reason that it shouldn't work. I will respond back once I get word from the LG team regarding the additional free year of warranty coverage.
EDIT: You can legitimately remove ads from the phone through Amazon but they want an extra $100 to just remove them. I'll wait on someone else to figure out how to hack the ads away from the firmware. I dig the LG interface though as it's similar to the iPhone layout and makes it easier for me to understand rather than having an app drawer like my Fire tablet does. The phone is definitely worth $399...not $499 though once you buy the removal of advertisements.
congrats @bmurphr1!! im happy it works well since like you i too am a tmo user. also, the model number is listed as 997U but you said its US996, is that right? anyway, i hope the bootloader can soon be unlocked because that would make this phone an amazing device.
droidbot1337 said:
congrats @bmurphr1!! im happy it works well since like you i too am a tmo user. also, the model number is listed as 997U but you said its US996, is that right? anyway, i hope the bootloader can soon be unlocked because that would make this phone an amazing device.
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I did, but it's actually US997 according to what I'm looking at right now on the Hardware info screen. My initial statement was a typo because I was in a rush to get this phone up and running since I'm moving over from the iOS world. Model number is confirmed US997 and the bootloader from what I've been able to ascertain so far is that LG is not unlocking the bootloader for the phone because they were strong-armed by Amazon to lock it down so that it couldn't be altered in any way - thus making people pay the $100 just to have advertisements removed from the device.
bmurphr1 said:
I did, but it's actually US997 according to what I'm looking at right now on the Hardware info screen. My initial statement was a typo because I was in a rush to get this phone up and running since I'm moving over from the iOS world. Model number is confirmed US997 and the bootloader from what I've been able to ascertain so far is that LG is not unlocking the bootloader for the phone because they were strong-armed by Amazon to lock it down so that it couldn't be altered in any way - thus making people pay the $100 just to have advertisements removed from the device.
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ugh!!... so its useless for those of us that want custom ROMs then? that sucks! i really hope someone finds a way to unlock it. i might just wait to see what the HTC u12 looks like. thanks for the info.
Just figured out how Amazon neutered this phone from being tampered with by individuals like us...they went and jacked around with the bootloader so that it freezes as soon as you boot into it. I'm very experienced when it comes to using fastboot on Android devices and I can tell you this bootloader has been tampered with. What happens is when you run "adb reboot bootloader" it reboots into the neutered bootloader and just freezes so that no commands can be sent or received from the device. If we could get the device-id then we could put it through the LG database, but Amazon found a way to mess with it just enough so that it crashes every single time you try to boot into it using the Android debugging bridge. That's how they crippled this phone so that no one would be able to flash new firmwares to the device or jack with it and remove their new found glory in LG devices. I'd love to be able to flash a non-Amazon bootloader only over to this phone to see if I could unlock it and catch on to something new but I'm too afraid to jeopardize my only working cell phone at the moment so I'd be worried about doing that. If the bootloader would unfreeze though and give us the code for a full bootloader unlock we could say byebye to the entire firmware OS and switch over to something like Lineage or better...assuming somebody has a kitchen that would work on an Amazon-molested US997 LG G6.
droidbot1337 said:
ugh!!... so its useless for those of us that want custom ROMs then? that sucks! i really hope someone finds a way to unlock it. i might just wait to see what the HTC u12 looks like. thanks for the info.
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I saw this on the latest Amazon Fire tablet and that's why I returned it. Now you see why I was hesitant.
I'm having a hard time deciding now, but I'm going there will be some solid $399 deals between Black Friday and Christmas. Otherwise, I might just get a OnePlus 3T.
gorilla p said:
I saw this on the latest Amazon Fire tablet and that's why I returned it. Now you see why I was hesitant.
I'm having a hard time deciding now, but I'm going there will be some solid $399 deals between Black Friday and Christmas. Otherwise, I might just get a OnePlus 3T.
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Amazon got smart and neutered all of their Prime-branded devices so that they can't be bootloader unlocked any longer. The only hope we have of actually achieving custom firmware on this device is by using something like FlashFire to perform a hot-flash on the device to move it to a non-Amazon firmware, which is what I did on my Fire 2015 (Ford) tablet that I still use occasionally at the gym to watch Netflix and YouTube when I steal their WiFi. If you wanted to buy the phone just to unlock the bootloader unfortunately you're SOL, but there's still a chance something could be in the works for this device.
Honestly, I'd rather see either a complete removal of the advertisements from the stock US997 Amazon Prime G6 or someone who was able to successfully flash a ZIP file using FlashFire to the G6 without completely killing it along with WiFi Calling/VoLTE/HD Voice. The first one isn't out of the realm of possibility, but the second one is just a pipe dream since I essentially require WiFi calling and VoLTE. We're gonna need to find a way to root this firmware and I haven't found a way to do so as of yet, though it is running Nougat 7.0 with the September security update.
gorilla p said:
I saw this on the latest Amazon Fire tablet and that's why I returned it. Now you see why I was hesitant.
I'm having a hard time deciding now, but I'm going there will be some solid $399 deals between Black Friday and Christmas. Otherwise, I might just get a OnePlus 3T.
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why the 3T and not the 5T? my brother has the 5 and loves it. i refuse to buy a device without expandable storage so that leaves me with few options....... well, few good options. im just gonna wait till leaks of the HTC U12 start to circulate. if that sucks ill just buy the regular G6.
droidbot1337 said:
why the 3T and not the 5T? my brother has the 5 and loves it. i refuse to buy a device without expandable storage so that leaves me with few options....... well, few good options. im just gonna wait till leaks of the HTC U12 start to circulate. if that sucks ill just buy the regular G6.
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Just the cost. OnePlus is upping the price with every release and I don't think the OP5 is that much better than the OP3T. Especially since I don't use my phone for anything crazy. My N5X still performs more than good enough for me. I have the GPU underclock and touchboost disabled to improve battery and still no lag at all. I really wish there was another affordable Nexus device. They should've come out with an Android One premium line featuring The 820 or 822 chipset.
I also received my Amazon us997 G6 yesterday. As mentioned earlier, the lock screen ads aren't very intrusive unless there are no other notifications at the time. If there are personal notifications like email, text message, missed phone call, etc. then the Amazon ad takes up about 15% of the lock screen. If no notifications are present, the entire lock screen is an ad. However, also as mentioned before, the double press of the finger print button makes the ads visible for the amount of time it takes to double press.
I run nova launcher and have not been bothered with any ads either.
Coming from big red on their lg g4 and having that special old plan, I did a SIM card chop with some cutlery scissors and made it a nano. Without getting too involved, an app like Foxfi is not needed on this phone. I will be keeping this phone primarily because of this. The price point, limited intrusive ads, 2 year warranty and not needing a special app previously mentioned have made this my newest phone.
Now i just hope lg has rid themselves of the nightmare Bootloop plague that has hit every lg phone that my family has owned.
Searched but found nothing. Since May of 2013 I've been using an LG Optimus G Pro E980 on AT&T (rooted, unlocked, tethered) . The Bluetooth issue from KiKat and earlier (fixed in Lollipop, but this phone cannot get L) is causing me to have to factory reset the phone a little too often lately, and I feel it's time for, and I'd like to get an upgrade.
Funds are somewhat limited right now for a phone purchase, and the G6 ticks almost all of the boxes in the search for my next phone. That along with the reduced price on Amazon, puts this at the top of my list.
Amazon Prime currently has the G6 for $399 with Lockscreen ads, or $549 without. I figure for $150 savings, I'd opt for the ads and see if they are removable after the sale. I've seen some tutorials on how to remove the Prime Lockscreen ads from the Moto G5 where some code is injected and it removes the ads, at least until the next OTA update, but I've not seen a hack for the G6. I'm curious if anyone has the Prime-version G6 with ads and if they've been successful in removing the ads.
Can a pristine version of the OS be dropped onto the G6 and turn it into a "normal" no-ad version (AT&T)?
I have not scoured the threads yet (didn't want to get super involved in learning everything about the phone if ad-removal is not doable), but is this phone relatively easily hackable,, bootloader-unlockable, rootable? And, if so, is there a no-ad hack, or are the tools accessible, and is there an ad-free OS that will work on an AT&T G6?
Thanks in advance!!!
andygold said:
Searched but found nothing. Since May of 2013 I've been using an LG Optimus G Pro E980 on AT&T (rooted, unlocked, tethered) . The Bluetooth issue from KiKat and earlier (fixed in Lollipop, but this phone cannot get L) is causing me to have to factory reset the phone a little too often lately, and I feel it's time for, and I'd like to get an upgrade.
Funds are somewhat limited right now for a phone purchase, and the G6 ticks almost all of the boxes in the search for my next phone. That along with the reduced price on Amazon, puts this at the top of my list.
Amazon Prime currently has the G6 for $399 with Lockscreen ads, or $549 without. I figure for $150 savings, I'd opt for the ads and see if they are removable after the sale. I've seen some tutorials on how to remove the Prime Lockscreen ads from the Moto G5 where some code is injected and it removes the ads, at least until the next OTA update, but I've not seen a hack for the G6. I'm curious if anyone has the Prime-version G6 with ads and if they've been successful in removing the ads.
Can a pristine version of the OS be dropped onto the G6 and turn it into a "normal" no-ad version (AT&T)?
I have not scoured the threads yet (didn't want to get super involved in learning everything about the phone if ad-removal is not doable), but is this phone relatively easily hackable,, bootloader-unlockable, rootable? And, if so, is there a no-ad hack, or are the tools accessible, and is there an ad-free OS that will work on an AT&T G6?
Thanks in advance!!!
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You cannot drop a new ROM because the BL is locked.
The Essential phone is $399 with the 360 camera on Amazon for Cyber Monday.
Essential Phone does not work for me. One of my requirements is expandable memory. I'm constantly factory resetting my current phone often when I screw something up while hacking. All my important data and music files are on micro SD, and a reset to the phone is a quick process without having to reinstall 60 gigs worth of data.
andygold said:
Essential Phone does not work for me. One of my requirements is expandable memory. I'm constantly factory resetting my current phone often when I screw something up while hacking. All my important data and music files are on micro SD, and a reset to the phone is a quick process without having to reinstall 60 gigs worth of data.
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I understand; but if you BL unlock and install TWRP, you don't have to factory reset.
You can do a dirty flash and keep your data.
You aren't going to be hacking anything on a BL locked LG G6.
I do understand your point though. It's just that Amazon, locks their promo devices down.
I was under the impression that the US997 was BL Unlockable.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g6/how-to/official-lg-g6-bootloader-unlock-t3614719
andygold said:
I was under the impression that the US997 was BL Unlockable.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g6/how-to/official-lg-g6-bootloader-unlock-t3614719
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Only if you buy one that is specified to be unlocked.
There are two versions with the same number and only the one sold from places like B&H has an unlockable bootloader.
The US Cellular version is also called a US997 and you cannot unlock the BL.
The Amazon version is locked down.
tech_head said:
Only if you buy one that is specified to be unlocked.
There are two versions with the same number and only the one sold from places like B&H has an unlockable bootloader.
The US Cellular version is also called a US997 and you cannot unlock the BL.
The Amazon version is locked down.
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Love this forum and those who post here!!!!
I was not aware there was more than one version of the US997. I thought there was one and only one US997, but now I stand corrected. Thank you!
Just to reiterate....are you saying that there is no work around via flashing to get the firmware that B&H, or a non-Amazon seller might have?
And a change of subject, and possibly a newbie question...I've never purchased an "unlocked" non-carrier-branded phone before, so I have absolutely no experience in these matter!!!!! I'm going to be using this phone on the AT&T network. Since it is not branded to AT&T, how will I get OS updates and security patches? Can I assume that AT&T won't even push OTA updates towards this phone?
And I've read a thread that said that with an unbranded device, I would not get VoLTE, nor WiFi calling. Any truth to this?
With a locked BL there will be nothing you can do with the Amazon version except use it.
As for AT&T, I don't know about VoLTE or WiFi calling.
On Verizon I get VoLTE and I don't care about WiFi calling.
OS updates come from LG. Verizon can't push updates to my phone.