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H918 -- Why won't it work on Verizon despite lack of CDMA support?

I've had this thing since early winter, and at first verizon thought it would work. I've even had it log onto verizon towers (via looking at phone info in settings) before
I know the radios for CDMA are missing, but the LTE bands are there. Verizon does NOT REQUIRE phones to support CDMA anymore. Why can't we make the h918 work/register properly on verizon? Yes, it is unlocked.

I'm very interested in this as well.
I have a H918 LG V20, I travel internationally and I use this phone with all SIM cards... But why doesn't it work with a Verizon SIM card?
I have problems with AT&T also for some reason.
I've had previous Android devices like the LG G5 variant and that worked fine on Verizon, AT&T, and Internationally.

technocrat7 said:
I'm very interested in this as well.
I have a H918 LG V20, I travel internationally and I use this phone with all SIM cards... But why doesn't it work with a Verizon SIM card?
I have problems with AT&T also for some reason.
I've had previous Android devices like the LG G5 variant and that worked fine on Verizon, AT&T, and Internationally.
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I don't use Verizon, but here's my guess:
For calls and SMS to work on a carrier on LTE only, you'll need VoLTE support. And at least for the major U.S. carriers, they each decide through some sort of certification which phones are allowed to get VoLTE. This will be more important in a few years when all the carriers go LTE-only after dropping all 2G/3G/CDMA networks. Currently on Verizon, if a phone can't get VoLTE, it would rely on CDMA for calls and text messages. Since the H918 isn't whitelisted for VoLTE and doesn't have CDMA bands, it won't work properly on Verizon's network. It can only get VoLTE on the T-Mobile network in the U.S.

activate ATT v35 on sprint or any cdma mvno

tried to run the imei number on the sprint and verizon site, says cannot be activated. Went to sprint and called verizon, says att branded phone cannot be activated. This is unlocked, works on tmo. tried searching for a solution in the forum but no dice.

nerd2k said:
tried to run the imei number on the sprint and verizon site, says cannot be activated. Went to sprint and called verizon, says att branded phone cannot be activated. This is unlocked, works on tmo. tried searching for a solution in the forum but no dice.
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Doesn't matter if it's "unlocked", other carriers have their rules for what they allow on their networks. Most AT&T phones don't have CDMA, and Sprint, Verizon (for now) still uses CDMA.
On non-branded phones you won't get VoLTE from most carriers (T-Mobile is the exception) and without VoLTE you would need to temporarily drop down to CDMA for voice calls on Sprint and Verizon.
Even on phones that have CDMA, like the LG V30 US998, Verizon still wants you to buy their branded phones -- because end of this year when CDMA goes away, those phone still won't have VoLTE. So in a few months those phones won't be able to make phone calls. I have two relatives with LG V30/V30+ US998 on Verizon. Don't ask how, there are ways. But even of 2020 they will need new phones when Verizon kills CDMA and they can't get VoLTE on non-Verizon phones.

nerd2k said:
tried to run the imei number on the sprint and verizon site, says cannot be activated. Went to sprint and called verizon, says att branded phone cannot be activated. This is unlocked, works on tmo. tried searching for a solution in the forum but no dice.
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As an owner of an AT&T v35 I can tell you it will work nicely on the Verizon network including VoLTE and VoWIFI. You do have to jump through a few hurdles. You will need a SIM activated on the Verizon network. That may mean buying a new phone from Verizon. You also need to SIM unlock the v35 by buying a code from a site like codes2unlock.com. You may also need to cross flash to the NA rom. These things should be done in that order, and there is no going back to an AT&T rom afterwards.
ChazzMatt said:
Even on phones that have CDMA, like the LG V30 US998, Verizon still wants you to buy their branded phones -- because end of this year when CDMA goes away, those phone still won't have VoLTE. So in a few months those phones won't be able to make phone calls. I have two relatives with LG V30/V30+ US998 on Verizon. Don't ask how, there are ways. But even of 2020 they will need new phones when Verizon kills CDMA and they can't get VoLTE on non-Verizon phones.
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Chazz, can you clarify this? I have a US998 v30s running on Verizon with VoLTE. It was my understanding that it will not be affected by shutdown of cdma by Verizon. I like the phone and want to continue using it.

cmrntnnr said:
As an owner of an AT&T v35 I can tell you it will work nicely on the Verizon network including VoLTE and VoWIFI. You do have to jump through a few hurdles. You will need a SIM activated on the Verizon network. That may mean buying a new phone from Verizon.
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My brother-in-law found Verizon store rep willing to break the rules for he and my sister's USS98 V30+ (converted from Sprint LS998). They switched from AT&T to Verizon.
This guy said "Verizon wants you to buy their phones, of course. They'll tell you this phone (US998) won't work, but it will." He activated two SIM cards and put them in their US998.
He said "If you have any issues, ONLY see me here at this store. Don't talk to any other reps about this." Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. (Monty Python reference.)
My brother-in-law and sister don't have V35 on Verizon, but you probably have VoLTE because you enabled VoLTE on another phone (Droid Turbo)? I don't know if they have Verizon VoLTE on US998 V30+, but I assumed they didn't...
cmrntnnr said:
Chazz, can you clarify this? I have a US998 v30s running on Verizon with VoLTE. It was my understanding that it will not be affected by shutdown of cdma by Verizon. I like the phone and want to continue using it.
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If you have Verizon VoLTE now, then nothing will change.
I assumed my brother-in-law and sister don't have VoLTE and are temporarily dropping to CDMA for phone calls. But I have no way of easily checking. Neither would know what "VoLTE" is nor "CDMA".
I merely told them their US998 phones were carrier unlocked and would work on Verizon -- if they got already-activated SIM cards. My brother-in-law used his considerable sales skills and found a helpful rep.

thanks a ton @chazz for the clarification. i have already move to AMZ 9.0 which looked to be pure android. was not able to get NAO due to error(sha256 auth error). AMZ was the only one that worked from multiple different firmwares(lgfirmware /sammobile) from us region and it works awesome.
For the verizon sim card, can i buy flip phone or a throw away verizon smart phone with the activated sim card and use it with the v35. similarly can you use the approach for sprint?
Again your response is much appreciated.

You should consider features you want to have on your account when buying the phone from Verizon. Some can be toggled through the the settings menu on the v35 like Advanced Calling for VoLTE, but others can't like visual voice mail. Ask to have them activated when you buy the phone. Keep that Verizon phone, you may have to get help in the future from Verizon and it will come in handy! They won't be impressed with the v35.
I don't have proof of it and am not in a position to test, but I suspect you cannot activate a Sprint sim on a Sprint phone and then move to the v35. My understanding from reading about the open market ULM and AT&T branded v35 is that Sprint maintains an IMEI whitelist. Sprint only allows Sprint branded phones on their network. This is why the ULM model is preferred for Google FI.
Please post what you learn so others can benefit.
nerd2k said:
thanks a ton @chazz for the clarification. i have already move to AMZ 9.0 which looked to be pure android. was not able to get NAO due to error(sha256 auth error). AMZ was the only one that worked from multiple different firmwares(lgfirmware /sammobile) from us region and it works awesome.
For the verizon sim card, can i buy flip phone or a throw away verizon smart phone with the activated sim card and use it with the v35. similarly can you use the approach for sprint?
Again your response is much appreciated.
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VS995 - do 'Unlocked' versions still have HD Voice?

I am trying to buy a new V20 VS995 on ebay right now, but the only NEW ones all say they are 'Unlocked' (I need the VS995 because I have Verizon). I made a previous post yesterday and the responses made me do some research, and I have now learned that Verizon is retiring CDMA around the end of the year, and 4G NON-HD Voice phones will no longer work on the network beyond that. The VS995 does indeed have HD-Voice, but I am confused if the 'Unlocked' versions of the VS995 for sale are devoid of that feature, and if they are still Verizon compatible (since I also have read the "unlocked" US996 model no longer works on Verizon)? If so, then I'd rather get a non-unlocked VS995 phone because it would still be useful beyond 2020. I am a total noob compared to most people here... so these may be basic questions. If anyone can help me in making my decision, I'd be so so thankful.

I'm sorry if my post made no sense. I am just wondering if VoLTE is on the VS995 'unlocked' version. Or if I need to get a 'Network Locked' version to have the VoLTE feature. Verizon it seems will discontinue any non-VoLTE phones, and not allow me to activate them at this point. Just what I read, maybe I'm wrong. I don't want to waste my money. I hope this question makes some sense.

All VS995 phones actually came SIM unlocked out of the box because for a while up until last summer, Verizon was required by law to have their phones come unlocked as part of a deal when they purchased some network frequencies a while back. So, all VS995 models are the same and may only differ by the software that's currently installed when you buy one. VoLTE on Verizon should work on any VS995.

C D said:
All VS995 phones actually came SIM unlocked out of the box because for a while up until last summer, Verizon was required by law to have their phones come unlocked as part of a deal when they purchased some network frequencies a while back. So, all VS995 models are the same and may only differ by the software that's currently installed when you buy one. VoLTE on Verizon should work on any VS995.
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Thank you thank you thank you!!! I couldn't find that information anywhere, so it really helps a lot for you to share it.

Isn't VoLTE dependent on whether your service provider provides it. I only get voicemail messages when I put my fone on LTE/CDMA.
Settings>More>MobileNetworks>SystemSelect> NetworkMode give me options of Global, LTE/CDMA and LTE/GSM/UTMS. I don't get any calls if I select LTE/CDMA but data goes to 4G+ and won't throttle down to 3g. Advanced calling is greyed out as an option to select but that must be because my network provider doesn't provide it.

ezzony said:
Isn't VoLTE dependent on whether your service provider provides it. I only get voicemail messages when I put my fone on LTE/CDMA.
Settings>More>MobileNetworks>SystemSelect> NetworkMode give me options of Global, LTE/CDMA and LTE/GSM/UTMS. I don't get any calls if I select LTE/CDMA but data goes to 4G+ and won't throttle down to 3g. Advanced calling is greyed out as an option to select but that must be because my network provider doesn't provide it.
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Yes, availability of VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling depends on the support of the carrier. And at least in the U.S., if the carrier provides those features, the phone also has to be on whatever certification whitelist the carrier uses. Within the next 2–3 years, all major U.S. carriers are planning to shut down all networks below LTE (2G/3G/CDMA), so VoLTE will become a requirement to make phone calls over here. This may become an issue for any unlocked US996 owners in the U.S. as I don't know if that model gets VoLTE on the other carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile, who strongly prefer their carrier-branded H910 and H918 variants.

4g calling on US996?

I'm currently using a US996 (the "real" factory unlocked version, not the US cellular one), and was hoping to do so for as long as possible. Unfortunately, my current carrier is AT&T and it seems that they will be dropping support for 3g calling early next year- which I am told will render my model unable to place or receive phone calls.
Anyways, I have *heard* that my device will be supported if I switch to T-mobile, but this comes from some googling a year or so ago and probably some less-than-reliable sources.
I was hoping to get a run-down on what my options are if I want to retain both my current device and ability to make phone calls come 2022. I currently have an unlocked bootloader + LineageOS installed on my phone as well, and would prefer to maintain that rather than having to use a locked-down carrier ROM

I have seen mixed reports from users who got VoLTE working on T-Mobile for their US996 while others did not (I'm still on a Sprint MVNO, so I won't be able to test this myself until T-Mobile completely takes over the network). But what's certain is that only the H910 can get VoLTE on AT&T (they keep a whitelist that determines which phones can get it), and LineageOS on pretty much any LG phone will likely never have it working.
So, at a minimum, you'll have to at least go back to a stock-based ROM if you plan on using a V20 next year on any carrier in the U.S.

I am not XDA savvy so forgive me if this is not what you are asking.
I have US996 factory unlocked ,I am on stock 8.0 and use Net10 which is ATT and do calling with LTE. which I assume is 4G.

mghia said:
I am not XDA savvy so forgive me if this is not what you are asking.
I have US996 factory unlocked ,I am on stock 8.0 and use Net10 which is ATT and do calling with LTE. which I assume is 4G.
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What OP is saying is that the calls on AT&T and its MVNOs for a US996 are actually done through 3G/HSPA and not LTE, unlike cellular data. AT&T's own H910 is the only V20 model that can make calls through LTE (VoLTE) on their network. Once AT&T turns off the 3G networks early next year, calls will no longer work on the US996 and any phone that's not on AT&T's whitelist.
You should be able to see this on your phone: When making a call, the LTE icon will not stay up, indicating that VoLTE is not working.

Oh nifty this phone becomes more and more an issue. So now I ahve to add this to my plate. Seems like it will still be a year. OK but the US996 has LTE so why is this still a problem? Why wont it just use the LTE band?
Please be kind I do not know all the acronyms or how any of this all works.
Cant the US996 also run on Verizon?

mghia said:
Oh nifty this phone becomes more and more an issue. So now I ahve to add this to my plate. Seems like it will still be a year. OK but the US996 has LTE so why is this still a problem? Why wont it just use the LTE band?
Please be kind I do not know all the acronyms or how any of this all works.
Cant the US996 also run on Verizon?
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Because of its whitelist I linked in the second post, AT&T actively blocks any phone not on the list from using LTE for calls (VoLTE = voice over LTE).
As for Verizon, they blocked direct activation of the US996 starting in 2018. You will see that entering your phone's IMEI number on Verizon's website will give you a message saying it's not compatible with their network even though it is perfectly capable. It may still work if you insert an already-active Verizon SIM card in there, but I don't use Verizon, so I can't say for sure if that still works.

Wow, talk about a way to force new contracts and phone sales. I never had a phone not be useable for PHONE CALLS. I guess I am grateful for the heads up as I was not aware and Net10 did not inform me of such things. I bought this phone because of specs and it was a removeable battery . But it seems this phone just was a pain from the start, with the screen issues, and the company claiming they would upgrade to Pie and never did.
T-mobile did not have useable coverage in my area when I tired it several years ago. So I really do not know what is going on since they now have Sprint.

Not sure if you're still looking at this thread but i have a v20 us996 factory unlocked and a G6 us997 factory unlocked and they BOTH get VoLTE on Red Pocket Mobile AT&T mvno. Calls DO NOT fall back to 3g or 2g and data stays active while in calls.

G4/G4 Plus people -- How's the 3G "sunset" going for you?

I've been following the phasing out of 3G and don't mind adjusting to change even if it renders my G4 Plus obsolete. My main question is whether or not G4/G4 Plus models are obsolete in reality. After all, it's a 4G phone that supports VoLTE and wi-fi calling.
AT&T Prepaid is telling me the phone is "3G dependent" and they're trying to muscle me into a newer phone. BS sales pitches from wireless carriers I get. But extra pressure in the form of a two-day notice is especially dubious.
Here's the interesting part of AT&T's notice sent yesterday:
"ALERT! It's time to replace your 3G dependent phone! ...If you don't replace your phone, by July 25, 2021, any calls you make will be redirected to customer service so we can help you upgrade to a newer phone. Some features like voicemail won't work when calls are redirected. To avoid service disruption please call (877) 475-2662 to get your new FREE phone today or stop by your AT&T store for other options."
First, my G4 Plus isn't from AT&T and is carrier unlocked. Second, what do they mean by "3G dependent" for a 4G phone? This would make sense if 4G traffic traditionally passed through 3G relays. But AT&T pretty much owns the market in my city and 4G signals aren't hard to find. What adds to my confusion is that whenever I read about the end of 3G the usual takeaway is that 4G devices 'should be ok' and not to worry.
Officially, 3G ends in February 2022 but I never intended to wait that long even if our athene models won't work as usual. I was hoping to make it to the end of summer or December at the latest. It seems the carriers are ratcheting up their unofficial dates.
For now I'm planning a stopgap that involves a different carrier. I'd appreciate hearing how other athene users are adjusting.

The situation is better for me. I have 2 sims, Airtel and Jio and haven't used 3G network since more than 2 years.
Jio offers 4G only network since its launch in September, 2016 and athene supports Jio 4G VoLTE officially. So, no problem with that.
Airtel discontinued its 3G service in many parts of the Country more than ~1.5 years ago, including where I live. But, athene unofficially supports Airtel 4G VoLTE on AOSiP Pie (at least for me, other Pie ROMs require Airtel VoLTE hack found in Themes, Apps and Mods sections). So, no problem with that either.
My primary device is Asus Max Pro M1 and will complete almost 3 years soon, but if something happens to the device then I won't be stranded and I can use athene as my fallback device because both carriers support 4G VoLTE.

From what I've figured out so far, the reason AT&T says their SIM will stop working come February 2022 is because they plan to blacklist older phones regardless of 4G capability. i.e., Just another extortion tactic US carriers are known for. Can't say for sure about other carriers, although I can't imagine Verizon not playing the same joker card.