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Hi, I am going to be buying the G2 in a couple of days. I am in Pakistan and apparently, every G2 variant is available here. I am not a developer but I do like to customize my phones due to the generosity of all the developers creating flashable zips on XDA .
Which G2 Variant is the best for flashing and modding wise and which Variant is just considered the best? Are there any hardware differences between the variants? Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you
Only major hardware differences I'm aware of is that the Verizon G2 has a different shape back, different (some consider them worse) buttons on the back, and added wireless charging that others do not have.
If I had to say for overall use, the Verizon variant because of the wireless charging capability. The negative aspect of that model is some ROMs have issues with it to some degrees and of course because it's capable of wireless charging that means it's slightly thicker front to back (like 1-2mm) that means you can't use just any old case for it - if it's not a case designed specifically for the Verizon variant to account for that additional thickness, the case just won't fit and there ain't a whole lot of Verizon variant cases available.
Just pointing out the positive and the negative - there is ROM support for the VS980 obviously and those unlock the SIM for use with most any provider (just like the Sprint LS980 variant does too). The button thing on the Verizon variant is a personal preference I suppose: they work exactly the same, they just have a different form factor in how they're laid out because of the addition of the Qi wireless charging antenna inside the battery cover on the Verizon variant.
The International model(s) are nice because they're free of such limitations from the gitgo and SIM unlocked (as I understand them to be).
You'll get arguments about which one ends up being better, I suppose, so the International variants are very popular for those reasons, but with the Verizon model supporting wireless charging (Qi standard) that kinda puts it slightly out front hardware-wise. Of course, some folks don't give a damn about wireless charging just like some don't care about NFC, etc.
Just have to decide for yourself which one might fit your needs and requirements best of all.
br0adband said:
If I had to say for overall use, the Verizon variant because of the wireless charging capability. The negative aspect of that model is some ROMs have issues with it to some degrees and of course because it's capable of wireless charging that means it's slightly thicker front to back (like 1-2mm) that means you can't use just any old case for it - if it's not a case designed specifically for the Verizon variant to account for that additional thickness, the case just won't fit and there ain't a whole lot of Verizon variant cases available.
Just pointing out the positive and the negative - there is ROM support for the VS980 obviously and those unlock the SIM for use with most any provider (just like the Sprint LS980 variant does too). The button thing on the Verizon variant is a personal preference I suppose: they work exactly the same, they just have a different form factor in how they're laid out because of the addition of the Qi wireless charging antenna inside the battery cover on the Verizon variant.
The International model(s) are nice because they're free of such limitations from the gitgo and SIM unlocked (as I understand them to be).
You'll get arguments about which one ends up being better, I suppose, so the International variants are very popular for those reasons, but with the Verizon model supporting wireless charging (Qi standard) that kinda puts it slightly out front hardware-wise. Of course, some folks don't give a damn about wireless charging just like some don't care about NFC, etc.
Just have to decide for yourself which one might fit your needs and requirements best of all.
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I would really like to have the wireless charging feature, I'll be going with Verizon than. Thanks for all the info, greatly appreciate it
p.s just my luck Verizon model is 5-10% cheaper here for some reason
dont buy verizon one, go for D802
mahmoodt said:
I would really like to have the wireless charging feature, I'll be going with Verizon than. Thanks for all the info, greatly appreciate it
p.s just my luck Verizon model is 5-10% cheaper here for some reason
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dont buy verizon one, it doesn't have the LTE Band for Pakistan, so there will be no 4G for you, go for LG G2 D802, if you need more details you can inbox me
nothanks91 said:
dont buy verizon one, it doesn't have the LTE Band for Pakistan, so there will be no 4G for you, go for LG G2 D802, if you need more details you can inbox me
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Click to collapse
People have this misunderstanding about 4G: it's a term, it means the 4th generation of cellular technology, and because of that LTE is just one 4G technology - it's not the only one.
HSPA/HSPA+ is a 4G technology (actually it's a 3.5G technology but whatever) and can be just as fast as LTE in most markets, even faster in some respects because HSPA/HSPA+ allows for deeper building/structure penetration aka you get a stronger signal when you're indoors, your phone doesn't have to waste as much power to maintain it, hence you get better speeds.
Sure would be nice if people would realize all this someday and that LTE is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to 4G... it's just one side of 4G technology, another object under the 4G "umbrella" and HSPA/HSPA+ is more than capable of providing very high speed data just as well if not better.
HSPA/HSPA+ is more widespread than LTE too, at least based on looking at coverage charts worldwide - it's a slightly older technology (which means it's had more time to be put into action around the world) but again, it can be just as fast and even faster than LTE in some markets so, it's not something that should be dismissed outright.
I had a chance to sell my G2 the other day, the person that came to buy it was disappointed because it didn't show "4G LTE" on the status bar and I tried to explain that it was pulling down 38Mbps using HSPA+ and using LTE would be slower (on this phone, it actually is) and it would use more battery power, but he didn't care or didn't even comprehend what I was saying:
All he cared about was seeing "4G LTE" in the status bar so he decided not to buy it. I swear, ignorance is a horrible thing, especially in today's world where the info is right there and it's available and people willfully choose to stay ignorant of it.
Anyway, LTE ain't everything...
dont buy verizon one, go for D802
br0adband said:
People have this misunderstanding about 4G: it's a term, it means the 4th generation of cellular technology, and because of that LTE is just one 4G technology - it's not the only one.
HSPA/HSPA+ is a 4G technology (actually it's a 3.5G technology but whatever) and can be just as fast as LTE in most markets, even faster in some respects because HSPA/HSPA+ allows for deeper building/structure penetration aka you get a stronger signal when you're indoors, your phone doesn't have to waste as much power to maintain it, hence you get better speeds.
Sure would be nice if people would realize all this someday and that LTE is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to 4G... it's just one side of 4G technology, another object under the 4G "umbrella" and HSPA/HSPA+ is more than capable of providing very high speed data just as well if not better.
HSPA/HSPA+ is more widespread than LTE too, at least based on looking at coverage charts worldwide - it's a slightly older technology (which means it's had more time to be put into action around the world) but again, it can be just as fast and even faster than LTE in some markets so, it's not something that should be dismissed outright.
I had a chance to sell my G2 the other day, the person that came to buy it was disappointed because it didn't show "4G LTE" on the status bar and I tried to explain that it was pulling down 38Mbps using HSPA+ and using LTE would be slower (on this phone, it actually is) and it would use more battery power, but he didn't care or didn't even comprehend what I was saying:
All he cared about was seeing "4G LTE" in the status bar so he decided not to buy it. I swear, ignorance is a horrible thing, especially in today's world where the info is right there and it's available and people willfully choose to stay ignorant of it.
Anyway, LTE ain't everything...
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Click to collapse
Just because American Carriers brand HSPA/HSPA+ as 4G doesn't mean that they are actually 4G, hack even LTE is not truly 4G, i was just explaining to the guy that the verizon model doesn't have 1800 MHZ LTE frequency band which is being used by local carriers (Waridtel, Zong) in pakistan, so he wont be able to access LTE which is Branded as 4G in Pakistan, i hope you got my point
br0adband said:
People have this misunderstanding about 4G: it's a term, it means the 4th generation of cellular technology, and because of that LTE is just one 4G technology - it's not the only one.
HSPA/HSPA+ is a 4G technology (actually it's a 3.5G technology but whatever) and can be just as fast as LTE in most markets, even faster in some respects because HSPA/HSPA+ allows for deeper building/structure penetration aka you get a stronger signal when you're indoors, your phone doesn't have to waste as much power to maintain it, hence you get better speeds.
Sure would be nice if people would realize all this someday and that LTE is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to 4G... it's just one side of 4G technology, another object under the 4G "umbrella" and HSPA/HSPA+ is more than capable of providing very high speed data just as well if not better.
HSPA/HSPA+ is more widespread than LTE too, at least based on looking at coverage charts worldwide - it's a slightly older technology (which means it's had more time to be put into action around the world) but again, it can be just as fast and even faster than LTE in some markets so, it's not something that should be dismissed outright.
I had a chance to sell my G2 the other day, the person that came to buy it was disappointed because it didn't show "4G LTE" on the status bar and I tried to explain that it was pulling down 38Mbps using HSPA+ and using LTE would be slower (on this phone, it actually is) and it would use more battery power, but he didn't care or didn't even comprehend what I was saying:
All he cared about was seeing "4G LTE" in the status bar so he decided not to buy it. I swear, ignorance is a horrible thing, especially in today's world where the info is right there and it's available and people willfully choose to stay ignorant of it.
Anyway, LTE ain't everything...
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Click to collapse
Hello,
Was just gonna post my opinion on which variant to choose, LTE is a real thing to consider.
I opted to go with the Verizon variant because of this, in my country (Dominican Republic) this is the only variant that allows me to use LTE here, so I went with this one, and I'm glad I did, I didn't even know about the wireless charging, it was a pleasant surprise to me as fate would have it, my sister got a Nokia Wireless charger as a gift from her carrier (She has an iPhone) she came to me to know if she could sell it, as soon as I saw it, I tried it on my phone and it worked great! Needless to say I took it from her hands instantly.
Anyways, when I finally used LTE I was blown away! 100 Mbits/s was something Id never experienced. no matter how good HSPA+ is, it will never be as fast as LTE, and the battery life is great even if you leave it on all day. I never turn it off, though its good to know that I can if i want to.
If you get the Verizon variant you will need to at least root the phone to enjoy it completely. Because the wifi hotspot doesn't work if you are using a non Verizon SIM, there is a thread here which allows you to bypass it VERY easily, and it works awesomely.
Besides that, everything else is pretty much on par, there are at least 2 "Best Roms" for the G2 and they both work on the Verizon Variant. One of those two best is developed by XDABBEB who is the awesome Dev who brought us the Camera mod which is insanely good! and he also made a ROM specifically for the Verizon Variant which I installed on a friends VS980 and is working great with ART and his camera mod, the G3 UI preinstalled, and other cool things preinstalled.
Its your choice in the end.
Sorry for the long post, just wanted to give you the VS980 perspective from someone who owns and uses it as a daily driver.
If you have any other questions regarding this variant, do not hesitate to ask.
-X
Xer0 WindKey said:
Hello,
Was just gonna post my opinion on which variant to choose, LTE is a real thing to consider.
I opted to go with the Verizon variant because of this, in my country (Dominican Republic) this is the only variant that allows me to use LTE here, so I went with this one, and I'm glad I did, I didn't even know about the wireless charging, it was a pleasant surprise to me as fate would have it, my sister got a Nokia Wireless charger as a gift from her carrier (She has an iPhone) she came to me to know if she could sell it, as soon as I saw it, I tried it on my phone and it worked great! Needless to say I took it from her hands instantly.
Anyways, when I finally used LTE I was blown away! 100 Mbits/s was something Id never experienced. no matter how good HSPA+ is, it will never be as fast as LTE, and the battery life is great even if you leave it on all day. I never turn it off, though its good to know that I can if i want to.
If you get the Verizon variant you will need to at least root the phone to enjoy it completely. Because the wifi hotspot doesn't work if you are using a non Verizon SIM, there is a thread here which allows you to bypass it VERY easily, and it works awesomely.
Besides that, everything else is pretty much on par, there are at least 2 "Best Roms" for the G2 and they both work on the Verizon Variant. One of those two best is developed by XDABBEB who is the awesome Dev who brought us the Camera mod which is insanely good! and he also made a ROM specifically for the Verizon Variant which I installed on a friends VS980 and is working great with ART and his camera mod, the G3 UI preinstalled, and other cool things preinstalled.
Its your choice in the end.
Sorry for the long post, just wanted to give you the VS980 perspective from someone who owns and uses it as a daily driver.
If you have any other questions regarding this variant, do not hesitate to ask.
-X
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Hello, Nice to see a fellow Dominican around. The Verizon version as you said has surprisingly excellent support around here (For a LG Phone anyways). Would you mind telling how you got 4g to work? what carrier was it with? Claro,tricom or Orange?
thanks in advance.
elander said:
Hello, Nice to see a fellow Dominican around. The Verizon version as you said has surprisingly excellent support around here (For a LG Phone anyways). Would you mind telling how you got 4g to work? what carrier was it with? Claro,tricom or Orange?
thanks in advance.
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Click to collapse
Hello, nice to know I'm not the only one!
I didn't do anything special to make it work, I'm on Claro, just popped in my 4G LTE Sim on the phone and it worked automagically.
In the settings menu I have "Global" selected. Then I used xposed to get rid of that annoying invalid Sim notification.
sorry for being off topic but instead making a new thread i just wanna know why my lg g2 it doesn't have the update software option. i have the ls980 version the sprint and not only that but the camera makes blurry photos and videos .
And when i apply some light pressure on the screen i get blotches which it is very weird and ugly
thank you
nothanks91 said:
dont buy verizon one, it doesn't have the LTE Band for Pakistan, so there will be no 4G for you, go for LG G2 D802, if you need more details you can inbox me
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Click to collapse
You are right, I went to buy the Verizon variant but LTE was not working on it (My provider is Warid). I ended up checking all the variants except D802 and LTE was not working on any of them. I was unable to find the D802, people were actually selling it, however, they were all frauds, they had ported different models to the D802 rom, so it showed D802 in the Phone Information (so they could charge more). Even after the port none of the phones I tested were able to run Warid LTE. After searching for hours I was unable to find the D802 in the market, so my question now is that if i buy any of the models is there a way to have Warid LTE work on it, I am not in favor of messing with basebands though unless it's completely safe.
You need to do some research and find out specifically which LTE bands that carrier you want to sign on with is using, then find the G2 that matches it. There's a chance you might be out of luck with the actual LTE support because no G2 variant will support it (which is a possibility) so be aware of this.
This chart page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks#Asia
shows WaridTel using Band 3, apparently. On this page:
http://www.waridtel.com/lte/handset-compatibility
it clearly shows they have support for the LG G2 D802 and D802TA (whatever variant that is) so that's what you should be looking for, obviously.
You just might not be able to get LTE support for both reasons: hardware on the G2 not having it as well as your carrier not being a match for whatever G2 variant you happen to be looking for.
Do the research, then you'll be able to figure things out. Warid must be getting their network access from one of the more major providers, you just have to figure out which LTE band(s) are being utilized and go from there. The D802 might just be your ticket, so to speak, now you have to find a real one.
Do not buy Verizon LG G2. I used this model for a month and found it problematic in Pakistan. That's the only reason it is cheaper than other G2 models.
Sent from my Samsung phone using XDA Free mobile app.
br0adband said:
You need to do some research and find out specifically which LTE bands that carrier you want to sign on with is using, then find the G2 that matches it. There's a chance you might be out of luck with the actual LTE support because no G2 variant will support it (which is a possibility) so be aware of this.
it clearly shows they have support for the LG G2 D802 and D802TA (whatever variant that is) so that's what you should be looking for, obviously.
You just might not be able to get LTE support for both reasons: hardware on the G2 not having it as well as your carrier not being a match for whatever G2 variant you happen to be looking for.
Do the research, then you'll be able to figure things out. Warid must be getting their network access from one of the more major providers, you just have to figure out which LTE band(s) are being utilized and go from there. The D802 might just be your ticket, so to speak, now you have to find a real one.
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I went with your suggestion and pinpointed D802 as the variant that would work for me. However, the issue here was that most people had ported D802 ROMs on American or Korean variants and it was really hard finding out if it was the original D802. So, after testing my SIM card and configuring almost 2 dozen sets for LTE, I decided to not buy the G2 . Good news though I ended up buying the G3, LTE working and I am loving it
I had to spend $120 extra, which was a way out of my budget but I don't regret it, G3 is just too good
Thank you so much for taking the time and giving me all the advice, I really appreciate it
You're welcome, and congrats on the choice/purchase, I wish I could afford a G3 myself to be honest but, maybe someday.
I had first D802 16gb with 7 icons in dock but latest android 4.2.2 from UK, next was 32 but from local shop (europe), but only with 6 icons in dock. I prefer UK roms.
I'm looking to buy a new phone but don't want/need the latest and greatest. I'm happy with the performance of my HTC One Mini, my work HTC One X/XL and my wife's S4 Active, all AT&T phones used in the U.S. My One Mini just suffered a horrible mountain bike crash which busted the screen up pretty bad, then too, my old eyes are tired of that tiny screen. I've also had bad luck with the built in battery and lack of SD card slot. So I was thinking S4 would be ok by me. Asking on the device forum I've gotten 50-11 answers some of which are conflicting answers. I was thinking the i9505 would be the right phone until someone piped up stating it wouldn't work on LTE here. From all I've seen it looks to me like that senior member don't know what they're talking about. Here's my criteria:
1. 4.5" to 5" screen
2. Unlocked/unlockable and can easily accept custom ROMs
3. Prefer to stick with a Kit Kat Rom as it gets along with my Do Not Disturb app better than Lollipop due to the built-in app on Lollipop
4. Removable battery
5. SD Slot
6. LTE service on AT&T/T-Mobile and Caribbean and South American Countries
7. Custom ROM must allow hotspot w/o AT&T controlling my use (I have unlimited internet on my plan and want to make use of it)
Background: I'm almost green having only installed a custom ROM on my work phone an HTC One X/XL from AT&T. Apparently it's one of the harder phones to unlock the bootloader and permanent Root is impossible I think. I 1st installed CM12.1 on the HTC ONE X and ran into conflicts and buggy operations. After a few weeks of testing I backed it up, wiped it and installed CM11 which I truly like. No experience or much understanding of KNOX, ODIN or ODEX. I only read bits and pieces on those while trying to figure out which S4 variant will fit my need. Lastly, were can I get a new phone off contract? Anybody purchased from www.Cell2Get.com? I was about to buy this phone prior to the member claiming it wouldn't work on AT&T.
http://www.cell2get.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-i9505-16gb-unlocked-gsm-android-cell-phone-p-5122.html
IRBent said:
I'm looking to buy a new phone but don't want/need the latest and greatest. I'm happy with the performance of my HTC One Mini, my work HTC One X/XL and my wife's S4 Active, all AT&T phones used in the U.S. My One Mini just suffered a horrible mountain bike crash which busted the screen up pretty bad, then too, my old eyes are tired of that tiny screen. I've also had bad luck with the built in battery and lack of SD card slot. So I was thinking S4 would be ok by me. Asking on the device forum I've gotten 50-11 answers some of which are conflicting answers. I was thinking the i9505 would be the right phone until someone piped up stating it wouldn't work on LTE here. From all I've seen it looks to me like that senior member don't know what they're talking about. Here's my criteria:
1. 4.5" to 5" screen
2. Unlocked/unlockable and can easily accept custom ROMs
3. Prefer to stick with a Kit Kat Rom as it gets along with my Do Not Disturb app better than Lollipop due to the built-in app on Lollipop
4. Removable battery
5. SD Slot
6. LTE service on AT&T/T-Mobile and Caribbean and South American Countries
7. Custom ROM must allow hotspot w/o AT&T controlling my use (I have unlimited internet on my plan and want to make use of it)
Background: I'm almost green having only installed a custom ROM on my work phone an HTC One X/XL from AT&T. Apparently it's one of the harder phones to unlock the bootloader and permanent Root is impossible I think. I 1st installed CM12.1 on the HTC ONE X and ran into conflicts and buggy operations. After a few weeks of testing I backed it up, wiped it and installed CM11 which I truly like. No experience or much understanding of KNOX, ODIN or ODEX. I only read bits and pieces on those while trying to figure out which S4 variant will fit my need. Lastly, were can I get a new phone off contract? Anybody purchased from www.Cell2Get.com? I was about to buy this phone prior to the member claiming it wouldn't work on AT&T.
http://www.cell2get.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-i9505-16gb-unlocked-gsm-android-cell-phone-p-5122.html
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- AT&T has it's own variant of the S4. It's called the "SGH-I337".
- The I9505 will not work with LTE on the AT&T network. It support different bands. So the member was correct. You can see it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S4#Model_variants
- The "SGH-I337" has a locked bootloader and cannot be unlocked. Only some old devices will have an unlocked bootloader because they never upgraded their software. Thus you cannot use custom roms like CM.
Lennyz1988 said:
- AT&T has it's own variant of the S4. It's called the "SGH-I337".
- The I9505 will not work with LTE on the AT&T network. It support different bands. So the member was correct. You can see it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S4#Model_variants
- The "SGH-I337" has a locked bootloader and cannot be unlocked. Only some old devices will have an unlocked bootloader because they never upgraded their software. Thus you cannot use custom roms like CM.
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Click to collapse
So is the GT-I9505G the preferred phone to have and to mod and if so, can I buy new one without getting a fake?
"Google Play Edition
At the Google I/O 2013 keynote, Samsung and Google revealed that an edition of the U.S. S4 would be released on June 26, 2013 through Google Play, initially featuring stock Android 4.2.2, later updated to 4.4.4, with Samsung provided updates; it has an unlockable bootloader (similar to Nexus devices) and supports LTE on AT&T and T-Mobile's networks. The model number is GT-I9505G."
I'm likely "that member", because I have an I9505 (not I9505G) running on Straight Talk, which is a US MVNO that rents bandwidth from all the major US carriers. The I9505 will not work on LTE here in the US because the LTE frequencies used worldwide (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20) are not the frequencies used by the carriers here in the US. The I9505G is a different story. It has the LTE frequencies needed to work here in the US, and does not have Touchwiz as it uses stock Android.
You can't purchase one new because they've been discontinued for some time now. You may want to check out Swappa (link at the top of the page) and see if they have a used one you can purchase.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
I'm likely "that member", because I have an I9505 (not I9505G) running on Straight Talk, which is a US MVNO that rents bandwidth from all the major US carriers. The I9505 will not work on LTE here in the US because the LTE frequencies used worldwide (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20) are not the frequencies used by the carriers here in the US. The I9505G is a different story. It has the LTE frequencies needed to work here in the US, and does not have Touchwiz as it uses stock Android.
You can't purchase one new because they've been discontinued for some time now. You may want to check out Swappa (link at the top of the page) and see if they have a used one you can purchase.
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Really good and interesting reply. Being new to this stuff and having not kept up with cellphone technology, some of the things you guys just know, I'm having to try to understand. At first I assumed all 9505's were the same, but apparently I was wrong there. Then I also thought that since most cellphone review sites showed a plethora of Freq. and bands, with at least on or two being those that AT&T and most other North American GSM carriers use, I assume that meant I could get that model of phone. little did I know that those two lines of freqs and bands were for different versions of that same model, one for here and being a carrier locked phone and the other line being and international phone without the proper band for use here. So now after learning that difference it appears to me that there may be now way possible to purchase a new S4 and turn it into a custom ROM phone. So if I understand you and the carrier stuff correctly, you're using a plain 9505 and piggybacking off AT&T by way of StraightTalk like so many of us do. However since your phone is an international version you don't have LTE, is that right? One last thing I've yet to read or learn about but saw when I was putting CM11 and 12.1 on my HTC One X/XL (AT&T), I kept seeing stuff about "the radio". The way it read made me think they were NOT talking about an FM radio for music, but the freqs the phone itself uses. I think I recall them flashing "radios" which I assume they meant they were able to change the original freqs/bands that the model came with to one more useful here. Is that something that truly exists and can be done even on an S4 variant? My assumption is that it CANNOT be done or else you'd have done so already on your i9505.
IRBent said:
So if I understand you and the carrier stuff correctly, you're using a plain 9505 and piggybacking off AT&T by way of StraightTalk like so many of us do. However since your phone is an international version you don't have LTE, is that right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct.
IRBent said:
My assumption is that it CANNOT be done or else you'd have done so already on your i9505.
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Click to collapse
Again correct. With Samsung, their firmware loading software, Odin, actually checks and makes sure the parts of the firmware match the model of the S4 connected to the PC. If they don't match, Odin will instantly fail. The only way to try and enable LTE on the I9505 is to delve into the low-level firmware for the LTE chip and attempt to rewrite it so it can see the added frequencies. However, I don't recommend it. Not only is it a very intricate process compared to something like rooting, it's also quite possible that you could render the LTE chip non-functional. I tried it, and nearly lost the ability to use my phone at all due to having my phone's SIM lock restored.
If you do decide to get an S4, an I9505G is likely your best bet. Not only does it have the AT&T frequencies, it's also got an unlocked bootloader (unlike the AT&T model) and is also carrier unlocked right out of the box. That last means you can use it on T-Mobile and carriers which use GSM SIM cards. Other choices would be the T-Mobile S4 (SGH-M919) or the North American S4 (SGH-I337M). All these phones include the AT&T frequencies and also have an unlocked bootloader so customization is easier.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
If you do decide to get an S4, an I9505G is likely your best bet. Not only does it have the AT&T frequencies, it's also got an unlocked bootloader (unlike the AT&T model) and is also carrier unlocked right out of the box. That last means you can use it on T-Mobile and carriers which use GSM SIM cards. Other choices would be the T-Mobile S4 (SGH-M919) or the North American S4 (SGH-I337M). All these phones include the AT&T frequencies and also have an unlocked bootloader so customization is easier.
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Click to collapse
I thank you so much sir. This answer is direct and explains exactly what I wanted to know. I only wish it were possible to purchase one of those models new so I could ensure years of use void of glitches due to possible abuse by the previous owner. If I can't find one of the above models I will probably be looking for some other make/model, preferably a new phone not used. Do you know if it's possible to get a new phone that meets the criteria below?
1. Unlocked bootloader or one that can be unlocked
2. Removable battery
3. 4.7" - 5" screen
4. SD card
5. Capable of being used as a hotspot ( I have unlimited internet but need to thwart AT&T from controlling my use)
6. Rootable and custom ROM capable
7. Can be used in U.S, South America and Caribbean (I think most of those places all use the same freqs/bands as U.S.)
That is why on Swappa you search for the ones labeled Mint or New. My device was Mint off Swappa, and the main reasons were that it was always in a case, and had a tempered glass screen protector installed.
For a current flagship-level device, looking at your laundry list, I believe you need to adjust your expectations. Not because of the software, but because of the hardware. LG is perhaps the only manufacturer still offering both removable batteries and MicroSD card slots, but their flagship device has a larger screen than you want. Motorola doesn't have removable batteries. Google provides neither, just like Samsung. Sony is an unknown, but their devices are not common here in the US.
Your best option is to go with a larger screen size and get an LG G4. If you absolutely MUST have the smaller screen, then you want a used Galaxy S4 or S5, so long as they aren't AT&T devices.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
For a current flagship-level device, looking at your laundry list, I believe you need to adjust your expectations. Not because of the software, but because of the hardware. LG is perhaps the only manufacturer still offering both removable batteries and MicroSD card slots, but their flagship device has a larger screen than you want. Motorola doesn't have removable batteries. Google provides neither, just like Samsung. Sony is an unknown, but their devices are not common here in the US.
Your best option is to go with a larger screen size and get an LG G4. If you absolutely MUST have the smaller screen, then you want a used Galaxy S4 or S5, so long as they aren't AT&T devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I should have made it clear too that flagships, latest and greatest wasn't necessary. I'm happy with the speeds my older HTC ONE X and HTC ONE Mini supply. But closing in on 50 years old, my eyes and the Mini's screen don't get along so well anymore.
If you have bad eyesight, a bigger screen can be a godsend.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
If you have bad eyesight, a bigger screen can be a godsend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. I need a bigger screen but a smaller phone because my hands can't reach around my HTC ONE Mini. Sometimes it sucks being 5'4". LOL
IRBent said:
Exactly. I need a bigger screen but a smaller phone because my hands can't reach around my HTC ONE Mini. Sometimes it sucks being 5'4". LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would not recommend someone buying the S4 anymore. It was and still is a great phone, but newer models are just way better. The battery life is to short with the standard battery.
Based on your preferences I would recommend one of the following:
- LG Nexus 5
- Oneplus one
- Motorola X Play
But then again, maybe they are to big for you. The LG is the smallest but doesn't have a sd slot.
Lennyz1988 said:
Based on your preferences I would recommend one of the following:
- LG Nexus 5
- Oneplus one
- Motorola X Play
But then again, maybe they are to big for you. The LG is the smallest but doesn't have a sd slot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amazing discovery by me just now. Yes, I've seen folks here talk about the brand OnePlus but I didn't know who or what OnePlus was until just now. I used to keep up with all things electronics related, reading review sites and forums like this. 10 years ago or so a DVD manufacturer named OPPO was the talk. Excellent brand but unheard of. I just learned that OnePlus is a company started by an OPPO founder. I'm so out of the loop.
Hey guys
I was up until recently the proud owner of an LG G4. Details of what happened to it can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/g4/general/expository-thread-bootloop-t3313771
As possibly getting the G4 fixed will take months, I'm (unfortunately) in the market for a new phone.
I use Cricket Wireless which means I have to buy all my phones upfront; This isn't bad though, as I view all my devices as investments that should be future-proof for ideally atleast 2-2.5 years. I had hoped that with buying a G4, I would be able to sustain it for 2+ years. But this doesn't look like it will be the case...
I'm looking to get a Nexus 6P. It looks like the best option for someone like me who needs a phone that is factory unlocked by default and has a good compatibility with all most all cellular providers In the US. So I just have a couple of questions:
1. Since the Nexus 6P is factory unlocked by default and has such a wide range of supported bands, it should work with Cricket (being that it is an ATT MVNO), right? (even if this seems obvious, I would like some reassurance before I buy).
2. What has been everyone's experienced with Google's protection, warranty, coverage, and RMA policies? This is very important in making sure that I'll always have SOMEONE to talk to if my phone breaks.
3. What's the situation on wireless hotspot with the 6P? I know its included in the OS, but it apparently doesn't work for all carriers. I've heard some people complain that it doesn't work on ATT, Cricket, and that they've used the SIM tool trick (from the 5X) to get hotspot to work (this was actually in another thread here at XDA).
4. Supposedly rooting your phone makes hotspot really easy and accessible, and I've heard that rooting/flashing the 6P is harmless and very very easy to do. Anyone can comment on this?
5. Are there any large, production-scale issues with the Nexus 6P? It's been a couple of months since its release so I hope a lot of the flaws that were present with the earlier manufactured devices are gone. (Once again, I'm trying to avoid an issue like Bootloop which had happened to many of the early adopters of the G4)
6. Finally, are there any other phones that others would recommend that come factory unlocked by default? I could buy a Galaxy S6 from Cricket, and then I would have the support of my carrier and all, but I definitely don't think the GS6 is a better phone than the 6P...
Thank you guys for reading!
OmriSama said:
Hey guys
I was up until recently the proud owner of an LG G4. Details of what happened to it can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/g4/general/expository-thread-bootloop-t3313771
As possibly getting the G4 fixed will take months, I'm (unfortunately) in the market for a new phone.
I use Cricket Wireless which means I have to buy all my phones upfront; This isn't bad though, as I view all my devices as investments that should be future-proof for ideally atleast 2-2.5 years. I had hoped that with buying a G4, I would be able to sustain it for 2+ years. But this doesn't look like it will be the case...
I'm looking to get a Nexus 6P. It looks like the best option for someone like me who needs a phone that is factory unlocked by default and has a good compatibility with all most all cellular providers In the US. So I just have a couple of questions:
1. Since the Nexus 6P is factory unlocked by default and has such a wide range of supported bands, it should work with Cricket (being that it is an ATT MVNO), right? (even if this seems obvious, I would like some reassurance before I buy).
2. What has been everyone's experienced with Google's protection, warranty, coverage, and RMA policies? This is very important in making sure that I'll always have SOMEONE to talk to if my phone breaks.
3. What's the situation on wireless hotspot with the 6P? I know its included in the OS, but it apparently doesn't work for all carriers. I've heard some people complain that it doesn't work on ATT, Cricket, and that they've used the SIM tool trick (from the 5X) to get hotspot to work (this was actually in another thread here at XDA).
4. Supposedly rooting your phone makes hotspot really easy and accessible, and I've heard that rooting/flashing the 6P is harmless and very very easy to do. Anyone can comment on this?
5. Are there any large, production-scale issues with the Nexus 6P? It's been a couple of months since its release so I hope a lot of the flaws that were present with the earlier manufactured devices are gone. (Once again, I'm trying to avoid an issue like Bootloop which had happened to many of the early adopters of the G4)
6. Finally, are there any other phones that others would recommend that come factory unlocked by default? I could buy a Galaxy S6 from Cricket, and then I would have the support of my carrier and all, but I definitely don't think the GS6 is a better phone than the 6P...
Thank you guys for reading!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only thing I'm experiencing is not being able to send MMS.
What is the trick for the N6P to get hotspot service?
Thanks
OmriSama said:
Hey guys
I was up until recently the proud owner of an LG G4. Details of what happened to it can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/g4/general/expository-thread-bootloop-t3313771
As possibly getting the G4 fixed will take months, I'm (unfortunately) in the market for a new phone.
I use Cricket Wireless which means I have to buy all my phones upfront; This isn't bad though, as I view all my devices as investments that should be future-proof for ideally atleast 2-2.5 years. I had hoped that with buying a G4, I would be able to sustain it for 2+ years. But this doesn't look like it will be the case...
I'm looking to get a Nexus 6P. It looks like the best option for someone like me who needs a phone that is factory unlocked by default and has a good compatibility with all most all cellular providers In the US. So I just have a couple of questions:
1. Since the Nexus 6P is factory unlocked by default and has such a wide range of supported bands, it should work with Cricket (being that it is an ATT MVNO), right? (even if this seems obvious, I would like some reassurance before I buy).
2. What has been everyone's experienced with Google's protection, warranty, coverage, and RMA policies? This is very important in making sure that I'll always have SOMEONE to talk to if my phone breaks.
3. What's the situation on wireless hotspot with the 6P? I know its included in the OS, but it apparently doesn't work for all carriers. I've heard some people complain that it doesn't work on ATT, Cricket, and that they've used the SIM tool trick (from the 5X) to get hotspot to work (this was actually in another thread here at XDA).
4. Supposedly rooting your phone makes hotspot really easy and accessible, and I've heard that rooting/flashing the 6P is harmless and very very easy to do. Anyone can comment on this?
5. Are there any large, production-scale issues with the Nexus 6P? It's been a couple of months since its release so I hope a lot of the flaws that were present with the earlier manufactured devices are gone. (Once again, I'm trying to avoid an issue like Bootloop which had happened to many of the early adopters of the G4)
6. Finally, are there any other phones that others would recommend that come factory unlocked by default? I could buy a Galaxy S6 from Cricket, and then I would have the support of my carrier and all, but I definitely don't think the GS6 is a better phone than the 6P...
Thank you guys for reading!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Yes, it works with every carrier in the USA.
2. Mine hasn't broken, so I dunno
3. Out of the box, hotspot is determined by carrier. Install a custom rom, however, and they almost always have modified the build.prop to use hotspot with any carrier.
4. It's very easy, and it's even easier if you shell out a few bucks for Skipsoft Toolkit.
5. I've heard of bent 6Ps, but mine hasn't done that.
6. Nexus and OnePlusOne are both solid AT&T compatible devices that allow you to choose any carrier (except for CDMA on the OPO.) I would not get an MVNO branded phone unless I planned on being with that MVNO until the phone is outdated. The resale value is notoriously terrible when MVNOs get their hands on them.
rickyray9 said:
1. Yes, it works with every carrier in the USA.
2. Mine hasn't broken, so I dunno
3. Out of the box, hotspot is determined by carrier. Install a custom rom, however, and they almost always have modified the build.prop to use hotspot with any carrier.
4. It's very easy, and it's even easier if you shell out a few bucks for Skipsoft Toolkit.
5. I've heard of bent 6Ps, but mine hasn't done that.
6. Nexus and OnePlusOne are both solid AT&T compatible devices that allow you to choose any carrier (except for CDMA on the OPO.) I would not get an MVNO branded phone unless I planned on being with that MVNO until the phone is outdated. The resale value is notoriously terrible when MVNOs get their hands on them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is great advice! Thank you. I totally forgot about OnePlus; aren't all their phones GSM factory unlocked?
Quality and durability, so far, have been great for me. I switched from Virgin to T-mobile when I got it, so hotspot is included with my service and it has worked pretty well the couple of times I tried it. Google pay is handy so I don't have to whip my cards out to pay for stuff (just got a free Chromecast for using it 10 times this month). I am using stock ROM with out root (I just haven't really needed it for anything bad enough yet). There are a ton of cases, screen protectors, etc. available for the 6P. No TouchWiz is also a wonderful thing.
My partner did have an issue using speaker phone on his unit (we both pre-ordered and got early units). Google customer service with pretty good. He didn't want to be without a phone during the exchange, so they did hit his card for the purchase price again, but the replacement arrived two days later and within 5 days the money was credited back to him. We both have the extended warranties that say they'll replace the phones even if we break them or drown them, etc. for two years. Haven't had to test them on that so far, but it's good to have. It does cost you $80 deductible every time you need a replacement outside of manufacturers warranty.
I'd say the 6P is pretty solid investment, especially with the extended warranty. Even you wear the dam thing out in 23 months, cash in that warranty and get a fresh one. Also, check out T-mobiles no contract plans. I had planned on getting another pre-paid plan, but they offer a hell of deal for $50 post-paid yet no contract....You'll not likely run out data and you can turn their "Binge On" BS off. Good luck!
I would advise against getting the G4, as the LTE radios were carrier-locked, so at the time when I switched to Cricket back in June, I would've been **** outta luck. I have the 6P right now, Note 4 prior to the 6P, and I've had no problem fully utilizing the phone on Cricket's network. Your phone will be plug-and-play ready to go, as in popping in the SIM card (nano SIM), and you'll be good. Cricket sells the Nano SIM with Micro and standard sized adapter. Yes, your data download speed will be throttled to 8MBPS, but it's still plenty enough to get stuff done. If you're worried about the data cap (10GB on Pro plan), you can just reset your plan in the middle of the month once you reach your data cap, and the data counter will reset on Cricket's end. I use about 40GB a month, roughly. No worries there, either. Have fun =)
I use it on cricket and it works fine. I use it in NYC and have lte everywhere. Hotspot works on my stock rooted nexus 6p. Let me know if you have any questions.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
talkcc144 said:
Only thing I'm experiencing is not being able to send MMS.
What is the trick for the N6P to get hotspot service?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Supposedly if you pop out the SIM card, pop it back in, and then try to go into hotspot while its authenticating it'll work.
tzbigworm said:
I would advise against getting the G4, as the LTE radios were carrier-locked, so at the time when I switched to Cricket back in June, I would've been **** outta luck. I have the 6P right now, Note 4 prior to the 6P, and I've had no problem fully utilizing the phone on Cricket's network. Your phone will be plug-and-play ready to go, as in popping in the SIM card (nano SIM), and you'll be good. Cricket sells the Nano SIM with Micro and standard sized adapter. Yes, your data download speed will be throttled to 8MBPS, but it's still plenty enough to get stuff done. If you're worried about the data cap (10GB on Pro plan), you can just reset your plan in the middle of the month once you reach your data cap, and the data counter will reset on Cricket's end. I use about 40GB a month, roughly. No worries there, either. Have fun =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean, I did get the G4 and I thought it worked very well with Cricket. The LTE speeds were good but so were the H+ ones lol. And I was an early adopter too.
How do you reset your plan?
Warbuff said:
I use it on cricket and it works fine. I use it in NYC and have lte everywhere. Hotspot works on my stock rooted nexus 6p. Let me know if you have any questions.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But hotspot didn't work unrooted right?
Not supposedly. It works. You just slide the sim tray out a little bit, put the enable hotspot setting on your screen, slide the tray back in, wait 3 seconds, and enable hotspot. Sometimes takes a few times for the timing, but always works.
OmriSama said:
Supposedly if you pop out the SIM card, pop it back in, and then try to go into hotspot while its authenticating it'll work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TL;DR: Specifically looking for a Note 4 that satisfies the following:
- GSM Unlocked 4G LTE and works in the US*
- Has an unlocked bootloader (is rootable, custom ROM-able, etc.)
- Is exempt from, or at least has the fewest reported instances of, the infamous eMMC failure, if possible
*I don't have much knowledge on carrier frequency bands - if it does calls, SMS, and 4G LTE data at reasonable speeds for a 6 year old phone (can stream a video at 480p), that's fine
I have a N910A (the AT&T one) and it's by far and wide the best phone I've ever had. It has an unparalleled set of hardware features that no phone on the market today has beat (IR, S-Pen, user-removable battery, user-servicable internal electronics to an extent, 16MP camera with focus, stabilization and 1080p60 recording, SD card slot, and headphone jack, all in one package). But sadly it fell victim to the eMMC issue earlier this year. So far the cardboard fix combined with wakelock has kept it usable, but it still runs slow, overheats, and randomly freezes doing simple tasks.
However I refuse to give up on the 4 just yet. I have a bunch of spare batteries, plus all my chargers are still micro USB, and the phone still does everything I need it to and more; had it not been for the eMMC issue it would still be going strong.
I'm leaning toward either the N910T (Snapdragon, T-Mobile) for its great software modding potential, or the N910C (Exynos) because I've heard the Exynos one may be less prone to the eMMC failure (?) and has better performance (?), but this is speculation. Plus the Exynos one is more expensive and harder to find. I had thought about just getting a motherboard of one of those two models to put in my AT&T shell, but with that comes the hassles of possibly needing to swap the cameras too, coming across other incompatibilities like carrier frequencies, and worst of all getting one with a bad ESN.
If I'm right that N910T or N910C is the way to go, I'm hoping for some input to steer me in the right direction by addressing a few questions I have that I couldn't find clear answers to:
1. Is it true that the Exynos one isn't prone to eMMC failures, or is every Note 4 susceptible all the same? If the latter is true that pretty much confirms I would go for N910T.
2. Is the Exynos version more or less equivalent to the Snapdragon one in terms of usability when used in the US?
3. Does one or the other have greater custom ROM support?
4. Would I run into any other issues using the Exynos one in the US that the T-Mobile one wouldn't have?
Any input is appreciated, but please be aware I'm really looking for input based on my question. If you're only here to recommend a new phone outside of the Note series, it will take some hard convincing
My carrier is TracFone. Let me know if you need any more info. Thanks for your help!
It's hard to say really, but what you need to know first is.. Which carriers had the most eMMC failure, then go from there.. If your here in the states, then either ATT again, or T-Mobile. I have had 3 Note4 1 with Verizon, and 2 Sprint.. Neither one had failures.. I sold the one from Verizon when I went back to Sprint.. The first Sprint I had for less than 6 months, as I got bored, and wanted something new.. But with the phones being locked down, and me not happy with phones I have had including my Pixel 3a Xl which is being kept in it's box only as a spare.. I went back to this phone, because of root, removable battery, S-pen, really decent camera that came in the custom rom etc. And believe it or not, with a little tweaking, it is just as smooth as my Pixel.
Seeing as you live in the US. It would be more beneficial for you to get a US variant of the Note 4. As both the international variants won't receive LTE from US Cell Providers with the exception of T-Mobile, I believe
Hi guys,
I realize that the main carriers in the US will be dropping the old network protocols in 2022, which means my current V20 will no longer work for voice calls. From what I gather, I'd need to run a stock/stock-based ROM to get VoLTE working, which is a deal breaker for me. I need recent security updates and modern Android releases on my phones.
With that being said, any thoughts on a replacement device this coming year? I will certainly miss the replaceable battery the most. Is there a device you recommend that has a relatively easy battery to replace? Honestly, the phone is used for light browsing, email, etc. Pictures and movies are frequently taken from it, so a good camera is a must. The memory card is paramount today, but unsure how long this can last. A device with an active development history with root access, should it be needed, is required for this replacement.
I've been spoiled with the V20 for years now. I just don't know where to start replacing it. Your opinions are greatly appreciated!
The options in the U.S. for a proper replacement are slim to none, depending on your priorities. I don't know much about how easy it is to replace batteries for newer phones, but I can give you an overview for most of the other stuff:
- Phones with hand-removable batteries: Probably not worth going for at this point. Most have specs that are barely better than the V20 with lower screen resolutions, and spare batteries are much less common to find for them. And half of them are from Europe and therefore have almost zero usable LTE bands in the U.S.
- Phones with non-stock custom ROMs that have VoLTE working in the U.S.: Probably limited to the Google Pixels, Motorola, and OnePlus models. Forget about all LG and Samsung phones here since they both use closed-source proprietary files that makes it pretty much impossible for anyone to figure out how to get VoLTE and other stock features to work on AOSP or LineageOS-type ROMs. And unfortunately, Pixels and the higher end OnePlus phones have no microSD card slots, and Motorola phones haven't been known for top quality cameras in a long time.
- Others: There are also Sony phones, but their higher end models are so expensive that I never bothered looking far into any of them.
So, it looks like you'll have to decide which features are must-haves for you and which are OK to let go in order to widen your options a bit.
C D said:
The options in the U.S. for a proper replacement are slim to none, depending on your priorities. I don't know much about how easy it is to replace batteries for newer phones, but I can give you an overview for most of the other stuff:
- Phones with hand-removable batteries: Probably not worth going for at this point. Most have specs that are barely better than the V20 with lower screen resolutions, and spare batteries are much less common to find for them. And half of them are from Europe and therefore have almost zero usable LTE bands in the U.S.
- Phones with non-stock custom ROMs that have VoLTE working in the U.S.: Probably limited to the Google Pixels, Motorola, and OnePlus models. Forget about all LG and Samsung phones here since they both use closed-source proprietary files that makes it pretty much impossible for anyone to figure out how to get VoLTE and other stock features to work on AOSP or LineageOS-type ROMs. And unfortunately, Pixels and the higher end OnePlus phones have no microSD card slots, and Motorola phones haven't been known for top quality cameras in a long time.
- Others: There are also Sony phones, but their higher end models are so expensive that I never bothered looking far into any of them.
So, it looks like you'll have to decide which features are must-haves for you and which are OK to let go in order to widen your options a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for taking the time. I really appreciate the input. Yeah, this is pretty much what I expected. The reason I am leaving the V20, and also a Samsung Note 4 isn't because they no longer work for me, but because of the VoLTE push. It makes me sad. ;(
I have looked at the removable battery options, and to your point, the specs are horrible. I don't think a truly removable battery will work. However, if there's a phone with a non-removable battery that doesn't take an act of God to change, that would be an option.
I do not want to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars every couple of years for a new device. Custom ROMs have made these devices last years and years. It's also better for the environment. I don't need 20 cores and a TB of RAM in a phone based on my use cases unlike everyone seems to think they do. Without the ability to custom ROM, once the manufacturer ditches the device, it forces one to spend again even though it could last many more years. It seems many aren't really too worried or informed about running a computer in your pocket missing critical security updates. These truths irk the **** out of me!
I wonder if a Pixel would suffice despite the lack of external storage... I know they get updates pretty quickly, are being supported for like 5 years by Google, etc. I think development is pretty active for them too, but I'll have to investigate. The Sony suggestion was a good one to mention, but yeah, ridiculous in price.
I guess I'll start there. If anyone else has other suggestions or advice, I greatly appreciate it. I haven't had to stay up with things because of these wonderful devices and the plethora of options over the years. All good things must come to an end...
I, too, would like to find a more current phone with an easily replaceable battery (pref. without using a heat gun). But it needs to be rootable.
The Galaxy Xcover Pro looked promising (replaceable battery), but isn't rooted.
Wish the Fairphone would come to the states.
Anyone else care to share?
From what I have read, any device that has 3g, phones or other devices - are screwed. All forced upgrade.
Mysticblaze347 said:
From what I have read, any device that has 3g, phones or other devices - are screwed. All forced upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, exactly. So, coming from a V20, and based on my loose requirements above, have you any suggestions for a new device?
DaCHeF36 said:
Yup, exactly. So, coming from a V20, and based on my loose requirements above, have you any suggestions for a new device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish I did. Removable battery and specs is key. Then features. All phones in the US are non removable battery that are 5G able which is required at most if not all carriers. I personally am with Sprint - well now Tmobile. I still have my V20 (out of service). Free downgrade was Samsung A71 5G. It sucks. Decent specs with no OEM Unlock. No current support anywhere to root.
I have been looking but no luck so far.
Mysticblaze347 said:
I wish I did. Removable battery and specs is key. Then features. All phones in the US are non removable battery that are 5G able which is required at most if not all carriers. I personally am with Sprint - well now Tmobile. I still have my V20 (out of service). Free downgrade was Samsung A71 5G. It sucks. Decent specs with no OEM Unlock. No current support anywhere to root.
I have been looking but no luck so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, North American Samsung phones have locked bootloaders. The only current way to get some of them rooted is if they haven't been updated past a certain date due to anti-rollback (Sounds awfully familiar to us LS997 owners, doesn't it?) and then go through a paid service like this one (you can see the supported devices and required software versions – bootloader version numbers are the 5th digit from the right in the baseband version – in the 2nd post).
My understanding is that our phones (V20) will continue to work for now since they have 4g. Yes, we can also access the 3g band, but my phone rarely switches to it. We should be fine for a while on the V20 on 4g.
PS - That's presuming our phones are stock or near-stock and still have functioning VoLTE / HD calls. Stock Android and A_O (Alpha Omega) ROM has this. I believe these phones are safe to use in 2022 and beyond when 3g drops.
baldybill said:
My understanding is that our phones (V20) will continue to work for now since they have 4g. Yes, we can also access the 3g band, but my phone rarely switches to it. We should be fine for a while on the V20 on 4g.
PS - That's presuming our phones are stock or near-stock and still have functioning VoLTE / HD calls. Stock Android and A_O (Alpha Omega) ROM has this. I believe these phones are safe to use in 2022 and beyond when 3g drops.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, but it also depends on what the carrier supports as AT&T and Verizon use whitelists.
In the U.S., VoLTE support on the American V20 models goes something like this (and of course stock-based ROMs are a must for this):
- H910 gets VoLTE on AT&T and its MVNOs
- H918 gets VoLTE on T-Mobile and its MVNOs
- VS995 gets VoLTE on Verizon and its MVNOs
- US996 may get VoLTE on some of the above. I've gotten it to work on T-Mobile, 1 out of 2 T-Mobile MVNOs (worked on Tracfone's T-Mobile card but not Liberty Wireless), and an AT&T MVNO (Red Pocket's GSMA).
- LS997 is not configured to have VoLTE out of the box, so any LS997 that has been updated past May 2017 will for sure soon be useless in the U.S. for making and receiving phone calls. For the few of us who still have the older rooted LS997 models, I will soon look into installing Alpha Omega ROMs from the US996 to see if VoLTE can get enabled through there since the hardware is likely present, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
baldybill said:
My understanding is that our phones (V20) will continue to work for now since they have 4g. Yes, we can also access the 3g band, but my phone rarely switches to it. We should be fine for a while on the V20 on 4g.
PS - That's presuming our phones are stock or near-stock and still have functioning VoLTE / HD calls. Stock Android and A_O (Alpha Omega) ROM has this. I believe these phones are safe to use in 2022 and beyond when 3g drops.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not 100% sure about the V20, but I know the Note 4 has 4G, but for data only. It requires calls over 3G on non-stock ROMs. I don't run stock LG ROMs because they are way behind on security updates. Just upgraded to LOS 18.1 giving me security updates from 12/2021. It's much safer.
If you mean that VoLTE will work on a stock-base ROM, you are probably correct. However, that's not an option for me, and in reality, it really shouldn't be for others too! Many, many people are either ignorant to or just don't care about security. There are so many vulnerabilities, including RCE ones, addressed constantly. This is a handheld computer, so it's just like leaving unpatched systems on your network. If you're running Windows 7 still, for example, you're asking to get owned. Bad idea.
Thanks for your feedback though. It is appreciated! If you have any replacement recommendations, I am all ears!
I'll be watching this thread to see where others land, as far as their next device.
Both my wife and I have US996's on Verizon. I'm on A-O Oreo with HD calling enabled. Hers is not on A-O Oreo, hd calling is enabled in the account, but I can't get the toggle in the settings to be "un-greyed". Tried the trick to turn it on and off online, but the page errors out everytime. Guess I'll have to make the time to get her phone flashed to see if that fixes it.
All that aside, I too have been facing the same dilemma as the OP. SD card, root, and straight forward disassembly would be my main needs. IR blaster would be nice. I don't mind replacing a non-removable battery, have disassembled many devices requiring heat.
pistacios said:
I'll be watching this thread to see where others land, as far as their next device.
Both my wife and I have US996's on Verizon. I'm on A-O Oreo with HD calling enabled. Hers is not on A-O Oreo, hd calling is enabled in the account, but I can't get the toggle in the settings to be "un-greyed". Tried the trick to turn it on and off online, but the page errors out everytime. Guess I'll have to make the time to get her phone flashed to see if that fixes it.
All that aside, I too have been facing the same dilemma as the OP. SD card, root, and straight forward disassembly would be my main needs. IR blaster would be nice. I don't mind replacing a non-removable battery, have disassembled many devices requiring heat.
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Sorry to hear you're in the same predicament...
I'm trying to justify my SD requirement these days. Why is it one for you exactly?
DaCHeF36 said:
Sorry to hear you're in the same predicament...
I'm trying to justify my SD requirement these days. Why is it one for you exactly?
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Mainly because if anything happens where I can't access internal phone storage due to hardware failure, at least I know I can salvage data from the SD card externally.
C D said:
Right, but it also depends on what the carrier supports as AT&T and Verizon use whitelists.
In the U.S., VoLTE support on the American V20 models goes something like this (and of course stock-based ROMs are a must for this):
- H910 gets VoLTE on AT&T and its MVNOs
- H918 gets VoLTE on T-Mobile and its MVNOs
- VS995 gets VoLTE on Verizon and its MVNOs
- US996 may get VoLTE on some of the above. I've gotten it to work on T-Mobile, 1 out of 2 T-Mobile MVNOs (worked on Tracfone's T-Mobile card but not Liberty Wireless), and an AT&T MVNO (Red Pocket's GSMA).
- LS997 is not configured to have VoLTE out of the box, so any LS997 that has been updated past May 2017 will for sure soon be useless in the U.S. for making and receiving phone calls. For the few of us who still have the older rooted LS997 models, I will soon look into installing Alpha Omega ROMs from the US996 to see if VoLTE can get enabled through there since the hardware is likely present, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
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Crossing my fingers that my US996 (w/AO Rom) will work with Verizon. So far, I can toggle the "HD Calls" switch in the settings, so I'm hopeful.
If not, I'll prob. use the VS995.
pistacios said:
Mainly because if anything happens where I can't access internal phone storage due to hardware failure, at least I know I can salvage data from the SD card externally.
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That makes perfect sense. BTW, pistachios rock! lol..
baldybill said:
Crossing my fingers that my US996 (w/AO Rom) will work with Verizon. So far, I can toggle the "HD Calls" switch in the settings, so I'm hopeful.
If not, I'll prob. use the VS995.
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My US996 w/A-O on Verizon has made calls over 4gLTE. The only way I'm able to confirm that is if the recipient of the call is also "HD calling", it will show an "HD" icon in green during the call.
Really wish I could figure out WIFI calling. That would probably take flashing a VS995 ROM, and that still is a gamble.
Another wish would be if LG would have just released the propietary files to make it all work with a Lineage based ROM, since they are no longer in the mobile game and have closed the bootloader unlock service as of late November.
Does anyone share concerns over running stock-based software that hasn't been updated for years to continue using these devices? Are you aware of the critical vulnerabilities released monthly for Android OSes? I just want to make sure everyone understands the risks of such an approach.
pistacios said:
Really wish I could figure out WIFI calling. That would probably take flashing a VS995 ROM, and that still is a gamble.
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Wi-Fi calling is heavily carrier-based, and since there never was a universal all-carrier USA V20 model, you almost certainly have to be on VS995 firmware to get it. Another lesser-known thing to try would be changing your US996's IMEI number to another one that still passes Verizon's IMEI check if you happen to have a phone like that around. I cannot openly discuss the method here since it's illegal in some countries (but not the U.S. – more info here) but it's quite simple to do, and you can message me if you need some pointers. This can be done on my LS997 and US996 but not the H918.
DaCHeF36 said:
Does anyone share concerns over running stock-based software that hasn't been updated for years to continue using these devices? Are you aware of the critical vulnerabilities released monthly for Android OSes? I just want to make sure everyone understands the risks of such an approach.
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To me, it mainly depends on what you do on your phone. My usage is likely quite different from yours. You can see my view on this and what my post-V20 daily driver phone has been since September in a similar topic thread on the V20 Subreddit from a few months ago.
And if you want to have a deeper look, you can see most of the stuff of what I've been running on my V20s over here.