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What's up guys! I got this pretty cool gig in Japan that I will start in mid-May that's going to last a year at the very least (the American working now with the company said they wanted him to come back for another year, but he had other things here he wanted to pursue.) Anyway, I have quite a few questions and concerns regarding my cell phone service here, as well as my future service in Japan.
Here in the US:
I am not one to resist change... hell, I'm moving halfway across the world (Hiroshima) in a couple of months... but if there is one thing I do not like doing it is most definitely getting a new cell phone number! I have a five week (paid) vacation in December, and I would like to come back to my good ol' T-Mobile HD2 for that month and if I am only on the job for a year, I'd like to come back to the same number. But that's not important, and I don't want anyone to focus on that (like I know some will initially), the question is what is the cheapest way I can go about keeping my current number? As I mentioned, I am currently with T-Mobile, so I'm thinking the cheapest and easiest way to go would be to switch to prepaid after my contract expires? Any other suggestions?
Over there in Japan:
This is the more complex situation. I'm still reading up on the wireless phone service in Japan, and it is quite a bit different from the system we have over here in the States, so if someone catches me saying something incorrect, please let me know!
Anyway, I want an Android phone. Keitai are unique and all, but when it comes down to it, I'd like to be able to keep sync my contacts to Google and use SMS (possibly) to communicate with my family and friends here in the US. The next time I'm in contact with the American who works for the company I'll be with, I will ask him what service he and his co-workers use... though I suspect it's SoftBank, because I believe he has an iPhone. If that's the case, the question of my service provider will (reluctantly) be answered as, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, SoftBank users can talk to other SoftBank users free while being charged when talking to people on other providers no matter what time of day? That being said, for those with the experience, how important is it to use the same provider as the majority of the people you talk to? According to subscription numbers, SoftBank greatly trails docomo in number of subscribers, however I have read online that most people I would likely be communicating with will have SoftBank... very confusing.
The next major question is, of course, which Android phone should I purchase? This is a difficult question because if I am only over there for a year, I would like to be able to bring the phone back to the US and use it. I also would prefer buying a phone that has a decent-sized developer community... Obviously the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II HD LTE come to mind. The international versions of the phones are able to run on UTMS 2100, which (correct me if I'm wrong) means I should be golden for 3G use with AT&T/T-Mobile AND docomo/SoftBank (I don't really care about LTE at this point of its life.) If all that is correct, then it comes down to which phone to buy... the Galaxy Nexus is sweet and all, but the Galaxy S II HD LTE is better equipped... and I'll be running CyanogenMod 9 on whichever one I buy anyway, so software is not an issue. Decisions...
Last, but certainly the most important question I have (in my opinion), is what will be the cheapest way to communicate with my family and friends in the US while I am away for a year? I haven't done much research into this yet, but what are your opinions... Skype, Google Voice... there are some Internet texting options available on the market that may give me the ability to text back and forth, but some of those apps are proprietary. Does anyone know any apps that will give me the ability to text people who don't use the app or have dumbphones? I have no problem spending a bit of money, but I'd like to find the cheapest way possible to keep in contact with loved ones.
I know this is super long, but I want to be thorough in my research and understanding of the environment I will be moving to within the next couple of months. Thanks for taking the time to read and response!
I think the cheapest way to keep your number would be to buy a dumb phone and get the most minimum plan you can. I would buy a nexus because you can use it on t-mobile when you get back. I am not 100% sure, but i think gosms is free texting that can text anyone, regardless of app use. For people with smartphones, a great voip app is viber.
Get your new number and keep your old one. then quickly blast out the new number via SMS to all your contacts. You can use something like what's app to keep in touch for free. All you need is a 3G phone while you are in Japan.
WhatsApp is great, but it's only really good for sending messages to people that have smartphones and data plans. If someone has a smart phone and data plan, you can easily convince them to install the app, because it's unobtrusive and the messages act like text messages. But it won't help you communicate with everyone.
lowandbehold
I think the cheapest way to keep your number would be to buy a dumb phone and get the most minimum plan you can. I would buy a nexus because you can use it on t-mobile when you get back. I am not 100% sure, but i think gosms is free texting that can text anyone, regardless of app use. For people with smartphones, a great voip app is viber.
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I use GO SMS right now and they have a proprietary messaging feature called GO Chat that only others with the app can use. Viber sounds almost exactly what I'm looking for, except I won't be able to use it with my mom, as she has a dumbphone.
My gripe with the Galaxy Nexus is the lack of a microSD card, another reason why I'm considering buying the Galaxy S II HD LTE, which apparently AT&T will be bringing to us over here as the Skyrocket HD. That would make purchasing one easier and cheaper than buying from overseas.
androidapk.net
Get your new number and keep your old one. then quickly blast out the new number via SMS to all your contacts.
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Click to collapse
By new number, do you mean my Japanese phone number?
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions &
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Set up a google voice account. That's a simple way to be texting anyone you know. Just make sure they have that number. As far as keeping your stateside number, I believe Tmob has a service where you can have your line lay dormant for some period of time. I don't know how long for or what the cost is or anything like that. I think I remember that being an option when I had them.
Jesushaxyou said:
Set up a google voice account. That's a simple way to be texting anyone you know. Just make sure they have that number. As far as keeping your stateside number, I believe Tmob has a service where you can have your line lay dormant for some period of time. I don't know how long for or what the cost is or anything like that. I think I remember that being an option when I had them.
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I've done a ton of reading on Google Voice today and I may have come up with a solution, though I don't know if it will work, as I've never used Google Voice before.
It's my understanding that when a number is ported to Google Voice, it ends the service with whoever the provider is, and I do not have to renew service with another cell phone provider in order to keep my number (correct me on this if I'm wrong.) Ironically, my contract with T-Mobile ends a couple days before I am supposed to fly over to Japan.
So when my contract is up, all I simply need to do is port my current number over to Google Voice and I will have the ability to send and receive texts to and from (and here's an important question) anyone... or... only those who have data plans? Someone with a dumbphone or without Google Voice will be able to text me, right?
As for making and receiving calls, I'm look at GrooVe IP as a way to accomplish this while being able to keeping my current cell phone number. Does anyone have any experience with that app?
You can text anyone with texting on their plan from GVoice. A buddy of mine has a feature phone and he receives them just fine.
Hi
First please pardon my english
I'm new in all these android things, and i'm interested in buying Evo view 4g because of it's price and all it's positive review
but since i live outside us/europe (FYI i live in indonesia) i wont be able to get sprint contract
there's this 1 negative review, i'll paste it here
IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO SIGN UP FOR A TWO YEAR SPRINT PLAN READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPH !
If you intend to use this without connecting it to a Sprint Account there are some things you should consider before making this purchase:
1: You will NOT ever be able to update the Profile, Firmware or PRL of this device. This is very bad.
2: The Cellular network radios will always be on. They will create a SIGNIFICANT drain on your battery as they will be in constant scan mode unable to connect. There are ways around this. There is some software available on the Official Android Marketplace called "Network" that can take you to a page where you can modify the radio settings. It is not 100% reliable, and if you read through the comments on that Applications Review page you will see that it is not working for everyone. There are more permanent ways to deal with cell radios if you are willing and able to root your Evo View 4g. That is a complicated process and as of now many of the "fixes" for cell radios are PERMANENT meaning once you disable them , you can never get them back.
3: You are going to get nagged to death. Each time you boot the tablet you will be presented with a Sprint screen that urges you to activate the device. You will not be able to set your own homepage in the default browser, as, until you have activated the phone Sprint spams bloat at you instructing you to contact a Sprint Rep asap. This will happen during use as well, though it seems to happen randomly, and not very often, but it will happen if you do not disable the Radios.
4: Sprint will often interrupt whatever you are doing on the tablet to remind you that you have not activated it yet..........
5: The screen is not as sharp, vivid or responsive as that of the Best Buy Flyer.
This tablet may not "REQUIRE" a Sprint account for "use" but the features and functionality of this tablet are greatly lessened if you do not have a Sprint Account.
If you want to use this as a wifi only device this is a very poor choice of purchase. You are MUCH better off snagging a wifi only Flyer.
Bottom line the View / Flyer are great tablets, but, if you do not plan to sign up for a Sprint account this is NOT the right tablet for you. Sprint has purposefully built in crippling features to those who use it without a Sprint Account.
I am very sorry I purchased this. I really wish I had just gone with another Flyer.
I am pretty ticked off at the merchant too.......... Claiming that this does not "REQUIRE" a Sprint account to use is the same thing as saying that a Honda Civic does not "REQUIRE" headlights to drive.
Think this over very carefully...... The price really isn't that great.......
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because this 14th of march my friend who lives in US will come to indonesia, it's $100-$200 cheaper to buy in US than in indonesia, so i have less than 2 weeks to decide on what tablets to buy
in indonesia CDMA have better internet quality compared to GSM, that's why i'm considering view to be my 1st android tablet, since i can't use sprint service, i'll have to inject the tablet with indonesian CDMA provider, will i miss a lot of things like the review above stated? especially #1
1: You will NOT ever be able to update the Profile, Firmware or PRL of this device. This is very bad.
Thank you
Wow, that reviewer doesn't know a thing about the tablet. All of that is completely false. Pretty much everyone around here doesn't use the device on Sprint.
1. The firmware updates come from HTC via the internet. While Sprint has a hand in approving them, they don't actually send them out. I had no problems downloading, installing, and using the OTA Honeycomb update without any Sprint service. You don't need any PRL updates if you're not using it on Sprint.
2. You can easily turn the cellular radios off - it's called airplane mode. You can still use WiFi/Bluetooth/GPS in airplane mode. There are also other simple ways to deactivate them discussed in this thread.
3. When you boot up the tablet from being turned completely off, you get a prompt to activate it, which you can quickly dismiss. There are no other Sprint prompts at any time. There's no "nagging" whatsoever. And you can even get rid of that activation prompt with root or without root.
4. There are never any interruptions to activate the tablet after the first one when booting it up.
5. The screen is exactly the same as the screen on the Flyer.
Now, as far as being able to use it on an Indonesian CDMA provider, that's something I can't authoritatively give an answer on. In the U.S., it can be successfully flashed to be used on only one other CDMA carrier - Boost - and that's because Boost uses Sprint's network. I'd say there's a good chance you may not be able to use it with any Indonesian CDMA carrier, but I can't say for sure.
bsweetness said:
Wow, that reviewer doesn't know a thing about the tablet. All of that is completely false. Pretty much everyone around here doesn't use the device on Sprint.
1. The firmware updates come from HTC via the internet. While Sprint has a hand in approving them, they don't actually send them out. I had no problems downloading, installing, and using the OTA Honeycomb update without any Sprint service. You don't need any PRL updates if you're not using it on Sprint.
2. You can easily turn the cellular radios off - it's called airplane mode. You can still use WiFi/Bluetooth/GPS in airplane mode. There are also other simple ways to deactivate them discussed in this thread.
3. When you boot up the tablet from being turned completely off, you get a prompt to activate it, which you can quickly dismiss. There are no other Sprint prompts at any time. There's no "nagging" whatsoever. And you can even get rid of that activation prompt with root or without root.
4. There are never any interruptions to activate the tablet after the first one when booting it up.
5. The screen is exactly the same as the screen on the Flyer.
Now, as far as being able to use it on an Indonesian CDMA provider, that's something I can't authoritatively give an answer on. In the U.S., it can be successfully flashed to be used on only one other CDMA carrier - Boost - and that's because Boost uses Sprint's network. I'd say there's a good chance you may not be able to use it with any Indonesian CDMA carrier, but I can't say for sure.
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wow thank you for the answer, i think i'll get this baby then
is the offer from amazon $289 the best offer atm in US? i'm planning on buying the stylus and screen guard also
when i tried to search in google about where to buy, all i got is reviews with no store that sells this product except for amazon, and yes i have no knowledge about international stores
One thing that kept me away from the view was the updates such as possible ICS will have to be pushed by sprint. I would assume just like a phone that the updates are controlled by the carrier and if they want you to have it. This alone makes the flyer a better deal in my opinion. This is am assumption of course. Also with out having a sim slot this becomes very limited on what carriers it can be used on. I know the flyer comes without sim access but the view is locked to sprint. The 32gb model looked very appealing at 250 but the negatives out weigh the positives.
Jjday7 said:
One thing that kept me away from the view was the updates such as possible ICS will have to be pushed by sprint. I would assume just like a phone that the updates are controlled by the carrier and if they want you to have it. This alone makes the flyer a better deal in my opinion. This is am assumption of course.
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As I mentioned in my post, this isn't true. While Sprint does approve the updates, the updates are actually built and sent out by HTC. This is the case with Android phones as well - the manufacturers build and send out the updates with the carrier's approval. The carrier does not push them out. My View has never been activated on Sprint, and I received the OTA update to Honeycomb shortly after I purchased it. It all works via the internet and has nothing to do with cellular connectivity. You'll still get any and all official updates on the View even if it's never been activated with Sprint.
---------- Post added at 12:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:59 AM ----------
callmeanoob said:
wow thank you for the answer, i think i'll get this baby then
is the offer from amazon $289 the best offer atm in US? i'm planning on buying the stylus and screen guard also
when i tried to search in google about where to buy, all i got is reviews with no store that sells this product except for amazon, and yes i have no knowledge about international stores
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The lowest I can find for current prices via a quick search is $274.94 on eBay. It's been down as low as $239 brand new a few times over the past three months, so it will probably drop again. But if you're operating in a specific time frame for the purchase, that range seems to be what they're currently going for.
Hello all, I'm making a thread hoping somebody with far more experience than I in this field can answer some questions that I have.
My current personal smartphone is a Samsung Galaxy Stardust "S766C". It's currently running Android 4.3 Jellybean, and is on the Tracfone network.
Recently, I've noticed a number of apps that I've wanted to install only support Android 4.4 or higher. (Yes, Pokemon GO is one of them). I've checked with my phone's software update, and it doesn't seem any updates are available for my OS, so it doesn't seem I'll be getting any further official updates for this device.
So what I was wondering, is if it's possible to root this phone and install a newer, more compatible OS, such as 5.0 or 6.0? I've also heard custom ROMs can also accomplish a similar feat. Basically, what would I need to do to get these apps installed and functioning normally, without bricking my phone or accidentally discontinuing service?
I've conducted a bit of research, but have been scarce in finding specific tutorials or solutions to my given scenario. I really do not want to upgrade my phone, I purchased it less than a year ago and the hardware is still more-than-enough to meet my needs.
Thanks.
Unfortunately it does not look like there are any options to update your phone, whether officially or unofficially. That's one of the downsides to having a less popular phone on a less popular network. Tracfone and Samsung couldn't care less to update a $100 phone as it's hard enough for them to keep up with the Galaxy S and Note lines while the developers that are into modding phones don't have the inclination or the source code from Samsung for devices like these to be able to make newer versions of Android run properly on older devices. As far as Pokemon Go, you might want to keep an eye on this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help/to-patch-pokemon-to-4-3-jelly-bean-beta-t3412608, though be warned that there are some unofficial versions floating around that might have some spyware included: https://blogs.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/trojanized-pokemon-go-android-app-found-wild/.
es0tericcha0s said:
Unfortunately it does not look like there are any options to update your phone, whether officially or unofficially. That's one of the downsides to having a less popular phone on a less popular network. Tracfone and Samsung couldn't care less to update a $100 phone as it's hard enough for them to keep up with the Galaxy S and Note lines while the developers that are into modding phones don't have the inclination or the source code from Samsung for devices like these to be able to make newer versions of Android run properly on older devices. As far as Pokemon Go, you might want to keep an eye on this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help/to-patch-pokemon-to-4-3-jelly-bean-beta-t3412608, though be warned that there are some unofficial versions floating around that might have some spyware included: https://blogs.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/trojanized-pokemon-go-android-app-found-wild/.
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I see, that's unfortunate, I was really hoping there would be at least some sort of option available to give this phone some extra life, but I guess I'll have to look into upgrading sooner than I originally thought.
I'll keep an eye on the Pokemon GO thread, but it doesn't seem like they're getting anywhere too quickly.
Iron124 said:
I see, that's unfortunate, I was really hoping there would be at least some sort of option available to give this phone some extra life, but I guess I'll have to look into upgrading sooner than I originally thought.
I'll keep an eye on the Pokemon GO thread, but it doesn't seem like they're getting anywhere too quickly.
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Not sure what kind of budget you're working with, but if you know someone with an Amazon Prime account, you can get the new Blu HD R1 for $60 with 2 GBs of RAM, 16 GB storage + SD card slot, quad core Mediatek processor, 5" 720P screen, 8 MP camera, and 6.0 Marshmallow. It's nothing special and the discount is because it has lockscreen ads, but it's an upgrade over your current phone in most every way, and is unlocked for any GSM network (Tracfone has GSM and CDMA options). You can remove ads by just replacing the lockscreen with a 3rd party app. Got one coming this week to give to my mom.
es0tericcha0s said:
Not sure what kind of budget you're working with, but if you know someone with an Amazon Prime account, you can get the new Blu HD R1 for $60 with 2 GBs of RAM, 16 GB storage + SD card slot, quad core Mediatek processor, 5" 720P screen, 8 MP camera, and 6.0 Marshmallow. It's nothing special and the discount is because it has lockscreen ads, but it's an upgrade over your current phone in most every way, and is unlocked for any GSM network (Tracfone has GSM and CDMA options). You can remove ads by just replacing the lockscreen with a 3rd party app. Got one coming this week to give to my mom.
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I do have Amazon Prime, but only the student version. I get free shipping, but I suppose this deal is not included. Total for that phone comes to $109, out of my budget range by about a mile.
I also couldn't find any confirmation that it worked with Tracfone, only Verizon, AT&T, and Net10. Theoretically, it'll just work if I purchase the $1 BYOP Tracfone kit?
Iron124 said:
I do have Amazon Prime, but only the student version. I get free shipping, but I suppose this deal is not included. Total for that phone comes to $109, out of my budget range by about a mile.
I also couldn't find any confirmation that it worked with Tracfone, only Verizon, AT&T, and Net10. Theoretically, it'll just work if I purchase the $1 BYOP Tracfone kit?
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There's 2 versions of the phone - regular and the one with ads that is $50 off. I'm not sure about whether that is an option for the student version of Prime or not.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H2E0J5M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - see if that link works for you.
But yea, works on Tmo or ATT and I think Tracfone can support either, if I remember right. ATT network for sure.
es0tericcha0s said:
There's 2 versions of the phone - regular and the one with ads that is $50 off. I'm not sure about whether that is an option for the student version of Prime or not.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H2E0J5M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - see if that link works for you.
But yea, works on Tmo or ATT and I think Tracfone can support either, if I remember right. ATT network for sure.
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Yep, same link that I followed, I can purchase it even though it says "only for prime members", but for $109.
Lame. Have to befriend someone else with a regular Prime account.
Hi all,
Im a still a bit green around the edges when it comes to dealing with android os.
I have 2 lgv30 (tmobile) and my goals are.....(this is what i need help with)
1. I want to run everything locally, no cloud, no sync, no backups, no services, nothing. I paid for these phones so i shouldnt have google or tmobile in my grille mining my personal data.
2. I dont care if google apps work or not....like i said im trying to get all my stuff on my phone working from my phone and not shared.
3. I have to use microsoft outlook and the home screen launcher microsoft makes is nice... Not intrusive like the google services stuff.
Im trying to clamp down on this privacy securitu stuff thats run amok with google... Copperhead OS is great and i would use it if my phone would work with it.... I dont login or sync any google accounts but i would really like to strip down and know how to achieve my goal with android 8.0.... The bloat, the privacy invasive crap, etc.... Looks like with 8.0 you can lockdown per app per permission....
Any thoughts or ideas?
Thanks
J
Ratfink11 said:
2. I dont care if google apps work or not....like i said im trying to get all my stuff on my phone working from my phone and not shared.
3. I have to use microsoft outlook and the home screen launcher microsoft makes is nice... Not intrusive like the google services stuff
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Click to collapse
LOL. Do you even imagine why RIM and their BBOS vanished? And Meego too? Because Uncle Sam wants your data, not because Android was somewhat better than they or Win Mobile 6.5. With WinMobile 6.5 you could store all your data locally, but seems that now only option is either to disable all google apps on your phone or better get root and flash some Gapps-free ROM.
You may want to read such topics maybe you'll find there more helpfull advices
Ratfink11 said:
Hi all,
Im a still a bit green around the edges when it comes to dealing with android os.
I have 2 lgv30 (tmobile) and my goals are.....(this is what i need help with)
1. I want to run everything locally, no cloud, no sync, no backups, no services, nothing. I paid for these phones so i shouldnt have google or tmobile in my grille mining my personal data.
2. I dont care if google apps work or not....like i said im trying to get all my stuff on my phone working from my phone and not shared.
3. I have to use microsoft outlook and the home screen launcher microsoft makes is nice... Not intrusive like the google services stuff.
Im trying to clamp down on this privacy securitu stuff thats run amok with google... Copperhead OS is great and i would use it if my phone would work with it.... I dont login or sync any google accounts but i would really like to strip down and know how to achieve my goal with android 8.0.... The bloat, the privacy invasive crap, etc.... Looks like with 8.0 you can lockdown per app per permission....
Any thoughts or ideas?
Thanks
J
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let's hope you don't have a T-Mobile exclusive V30 then, because that one is unrootable, bootloader not unlockable, etc. (the only one out of all V30 that can be customized pretty extensively)
1. k, just flash e.g. lineageOS, RR, AEX, dot os, etc. and leave gapps away (only flash the ROM)
2. You want to minimize Google tracking ? Install AdAway as a basis with its 4 blocking lists to be added to your hosts file, then install Blokada - use the "Mother of All ..." (the XDA extensive blocking list), install firewalls (best opensource based) and block off internet access to apps. With "App Ops"/"Privacy Guard" you can fine-grained tweak which apps run in background, at boot, keep your device awake and other things (e.g. location permissions). There's others but that's it for now
3. See if you can get an app or functionality (via XPosed, etc.) that lets you see if there is more internet communication with Outlook & MS Home Screen Launcher than there should be and block it via firewall or add it to hosts file, the extensive blocking list on Blokada might be too much and prevent Outlook from functioning properly so you might need to go with a less aggressive option
Privacy/Security wise it's not only Google, it's Microsoft, Google, FB, Twitter, etc.
It's all companies together and a pretty wide surveillance net.
In any case use a Browser that supports adblocking, disabling of Javascript and additional features (thinking about tracking cookies, invisible image trackers, etc. etc.)
Yeah, there are more things you can tweak related to permissions with 8.0
The following might be interesting:
https://www.naturalnews.com/2018-08...ation-even-if-you-turn-off-location-data.html
https://apnews.com/828aefab64d4411b...-Google-tracks-your-movements,-like-it-or-not
https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/ap-report-google-knows-where-you-are-even-if-you-disable-tracking/
So in that case we might need location spoofers or anything related (if those even work)
Well....?????
I do have the TMobile LG V30.
looks like im going to have to wait a couple months before it can be rooted???? From what im reading its still being worked on? Unfortuneatley i didnt have the option to go with the unlocked versions.
I definately want to move to Lineage...
Any suggestions or further info regarding rooting and unlocking bootloader would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks everyone for your help.
Ratfink11 said:
Well....?????
I do have the TMobile LG V30.
looks like i'm going to have to wait a couple months before it can be rooted???? From what im reading its still being worked on?
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Click to collapse
Won't ever be done. I'll be glad to be proven wrong, of course. I'm just stating probability. T-mobile H932 was released October 2017. This is now mid-August 2018.
1) RSA encryption on H932 is completely different from other North America variants.
2) Other phones are coming along which gets developers' attention. No one is really working on the H932 specifically, because of point #3...
3) There's no need since every V30/V30+/V30S on the planet -- EXCEPT for the T-mobile H932 has easy bootloader unlock, TWRP, root. Use one of those on T-mobile.
Ratfink11 said:
Unfortunately i didnt have the option to go with the unlocked versions.
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Click to collapse
Why not? Somebody held a gun to your head? Lots of T-mobile users are using the unlocked versions on T-mobile. No one forced you to buy the H932 specifically.
The carrier unlocked US998 (or the H931, H933, VS996, AS998, LS998 CONVERTED to US998) runs just fine on T-mobile. Plus, the carrier unlocked V30S.
So, there's SEVEN different North America V30/V30+ variant choices for you to buy to run on T-mobile. Mint LS998 V30+ is $315 on eBay right now, and eBay often gives 10% to 20% flash sales to bring the price even lower. Lots of people in this forum bought for 20% off for Father's Day sale, including me.
I've been on AT&T since 2012 and I've NEVER owned an AT&T branded phone. I always buy carrier unlocked phones.
So are you saying i can install lineage os on my tmobile lg v30?
My company has a contract account with tmobile....similar to goverment accounts. Tmobile supplies the phones we have to use..They wont activate any phone except the ones they provide. However, phones can have custom roms and still be used.
I also have employees that have the need for two or more phones due to seperating phone from tethering needs and new bandwidth coming from tmobile. Tmobile provided ALL the phones at huge discounts, no money up front and low monthly payments.
Not everyone has money to throw around......And im guessing here....perhaps like you can? Maybe your the richest man in the world? It must be nice... If someone did hold a gun to my head at our time of purchase we would all be dead because we dont have trust funds like you might have?Its really wonderful you can purchase 2 lg v30 on ebay or amazon and drop 2k with no issues....my employees cant....
Ratfink11 said:
So are you saying i can install lineage os on my tmobile lg v30?
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I'm saying you can NOT. H932 does not have the fastboot flash commands necessary to install TWRP and root, using the LG Oreo bootloader unlock expoit @TxanMoe found. The other North America variants can be "converted" to US998 for the necessary fastboot flash commands. For some after that, you can even convert back to original model if you wish.
H932 has different RSA encryption than the other North America variants so it's impossible.
Ratfink11 said:
My company has a contract account with tmobile....similar to goverment accounts. Tmobile supplies the phones we have to use..They wont activate any phone except the ones they provide. However, phones can have custom roms and still be used.
I also have employees that have the need for two or more phones due to seperating phone from tethering needs and new bandwidth coming from tmobile. Tmobile provided ALL the phones at huge discounts, no money up front and low monthly payments.
Not everyone has money to throw around......And im guessing here....perhaps like you have. Its really wonderful you can purchase 2 lg v30 on ebay or amazon and drop 2k with no issues....my employees cant....
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Then you didn't read what I wrote. I suggest you read before replying. How does $252 per phone on eBay = $2,000? I'll post again since you didn't read. I'll even do the math for you:
ChazzMatt said:
Mint LS998 V30+ is $315 on eBay right now, and eBay often gives 10% to 20% flash sales to bring the price even lower. Lots of people in this forum bought for 20% off for Father's Day sale, including me.
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$315 - 20% = $252.
Convert that to US998, root, use on T-mobile with custom ROM. Lots of people use them on T-mobile. It's called Bring Your Own Phone. T-mobile allows non-branded phones to be used on T-mobile -- example Google Pixel phones or ANY compatible phone.
If your company's contract prevents that, too bad. Personal accounts do not prevent that.
Can you buy a another V30 phone and put your company T-Mobile SIM card in? Then root?
Google Pay: apparently, to use it in the US, you need to go to Settings / More / Secure Element Position / use HCE wallet. The default SIM wallet gets rejected everywhere (you get "insert chip card" or "card read error"). The supposedly more secure "Secure Element" doesn't register at any terminals I encountered. Could be that the tech is too new to have support. I don't know I figured this out today after forgetting my wallet and having the gas tank empty sign pop up...
Now for carrier support - I'm in Houston, Texas. So far, I'm on MINT wireless (T-Mobile MVNO). It gets great LTE everywhere - 63.9MBps down 27.6 up at my house inside the 610 loop on a Saturday evening. In Katy, TX (west of Houston) I'm getting 13.2MBps down 8.1 up at 1045AM Monday inside a huge office building. For reference, my Moto Z2 Force on Sprint basically gets similar results and its modem is optimized for Sprint's LTE network aggregation. So I'd say that's a win.
I checked all the bands and towers prior to ordering. The missing T-Mobile US bands are B66 and B71 - these happen to be only on towers that have the Mi 9 supported bands (B2 B4 B12). I.e., you won't have B66 if you don't already have a supported band. B71 is using old over the air TV frequencies so it isn't available in most markets to begin with, as there are still TV stations occupying the band. I checked all the tower maps across the country and it looks like pretty solid coverage although I haven't gone cross country with the phone yet.
Now you can use AT&T or Cricket (MVNO) and it only is missing band 30. Apparently this can matter in congested markets but the phone supports carrier band aggregation so you are likely not to notice much difference. Anyone with experience please post your results.
Here's the link to check frequency support if you desire to see for yourself. Finding the actual towers is more work zooming in on towers to see the bands available...
https://www.frequencycheck.com/comp...te-m1902f1g-xiaomi-battle-angel/united-states
Hope this helps some of you out!
Oh another side note - Google Maps works BEST in low drain mode - i.e. internal GPS mode. Saves battery and is accurate all over my area. If I do high accuracy weird things start happening. Not complaining this is a plus as it adds battery life by mistake
mslezak said:
Hope this helps some of you out!
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Click to collapse
I've actually been thinking of getting this phone, was play fighting with my 7 year old and naturally, because my luck my oneplus 6 got jumped on and the screen shattered. I'm on T-Mobile, use 2 sims so my options are limited. Is there a particular model # you have? Any advice you have to offer someone looking to pick one up? Thanks
Ducter said:
I've actually been thinking of getting this phone, was play fighting with my 7 year old and naturally, because my luck my oneplus 6 got jumped on and the screen shattered. I'm on T-Mobile, use 2 sims so my options are limited. Is there a particular model # you have? Any advice you have to offer someone looking to pick one up? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah just get a Global Version from a reputable source - like Gearbest. I have a 64gb the 128gb is more popular. No SD Card storage and this takes the best 4k video according to benchmarks. 64gb is running $500 at the moment in Blue. I didn't use shipping insurance, they packed it VERY well, took about 10 days to get here (hybrid USPS / FedEx Smart post is free). I like the MIUI custom interface some don't. It's clean and full of cool features like clearing RAM, exploring you folders, remote app to control all your TVs. I keep Mi Cloud off and use Google Photos and backup.
There's also a few used ones 128gb on eBay but be careful - ensure they are legit and not Chinese ones flashed with Global ROMs. Common issue that's why I say go official...
mslezak said:
There's also a few used ones 128gb on eBay but be careful - ensure they are legit and not Chinese ones flashed with Global ROMs. Common issue that's why I say go official...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Forgive my ignorance but what's wrong with the Chinese flashed?
Thanks
Edit- this was the particular one I was considering.
Ducter said:
Forgive my ignorance but what's wrong with the Chinese flashed?
Thanks
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Click to collapse
Well they are cheaper for a reason. They aren't designed to be used out of China. They are missing a band (can't recall which one). They have to unlock the bootloader (15 day wait) before flashing it or have to do it some unofficial way. If you lock the BL on Global Official it will brick the Chinese phone.
Now if you want to mod it and stay on Xiaomi.eu custom ROMs then you'd be alright. Just check for the missing band I don't know if it's US or EU...
But keep in mind they can install whatever ROM or spyware or ads they want. Do you want to take that chance? If you don't care and want to install Xiaomi.eu right away get knowledgeable and don't enter anything (banking info etc) before flashing. The cheapest Chinese one I found on sale was $426 and the reviews "looked" positive on Alibaba but digging deeper tons of phone issues and no warranty service or DOA service. 45-60 day delivery times. I said screw that and paid more for a reputable source. Of course it's your choice.
mslezak said:
Well they are cheaper for a reason. They aren't designed to be used out of China. They are missing a band (can't recall which one). They have to unlock the bootloader (15 day wait) before flashing it or have to do it some unofficial way. If you lock the BL it will brick the phone.
Now if you want to mod it and stay on Xiaomi.eu custom ROMs then you'd be alright. Just check for the missing band I don't know if it's US or EU...
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Click to collapse
Good enough for me then. I'm not use to these phones, I've generally had phones that were a bit more straight forward.
Ducter said:
Good enough for me then. I'm not use to these phones, I've generally had phones that were a bit more straight forward.
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Click to collapse
Ducter -
You'd do fine with the 64GB Global. It takes 2 SIM cards right off the bat. Most people don't know you can just use Google Photos (you may need it from the Play Store) and it will store all your high res photos for free saving space on the device. https://www.gearbest.com/cell-phones/pp_009200231138.html?wid=1349303 you can use Topcashback for 3.5% off if you want. https://www.topcashback.com/ref/mslezak and use a cash back credit card over PayPal for more back. So I got 4.5% off. Or $477.50 total and no sketchy website, great packaging, and tracking.
mslezak said:
Google Pay: apparently, to use it in the US, you need to go to Settings / More / Secure Element Position / use HCE wallet. The default SIM wallet gets rejected everywhere (you get "insert chip card" or "card read error"). The supposedly more secure "Secure Element" doesn't register at any terminals I encountered. Could be that the tech is too new to have support. I don't know I figured this out today after forgetting my wallet and having the gas tank empty sign pop up...
Now for carrier support - I'm in Houston, Texas. So far, I'm on MINT wireless (T-Mobile MVNO). It gets great LTE everywhere - 63.9MBps down 27.6 up at my house inside the 610 loop on a Saturday evening. In Katy, TX (west of Houston) I'm getting 13.2MBps down 8.1 up at 1045AM Monday inside a huge office building. For reference, my Moto Z2 Force on Sprint basically gets similar results and its modem is optimized for Sprint's LTE network aggregation. So I'd say that's a win.
I checked all the bands and towers prior to ordering. The missing T-Mobile US bands are B66 and B71 - these happen to be only on towers that have the Mi 9 supported bands (B2 B4 B12). I.e., you won't have B66 if you don't already have a supported band. B71 is using old over the air TV frequencies so it isn't available in most markets to begin with, as there are still TV stations occupying the band. I checked all the tower maps across the country and it looks like pretty solid coverage although I haven't gone cross country with the phone yet.
Now you can use AT&T or Cricket (MVNO) and it only is missing band 30. Apparently this can matter in congested markets but the phone supports carrier band aggregation so you are likely not to notice much difference. Anyone with experience please post your results.
Here's the link to check frequency support if you desire to see for yourself. Finding the actual towers is more work zooming in on towers to see the bands available...
https://www.frequencycheck.com/comp...te-m1902f1g-xiaomi-battle-angel/united-states
Hope this helps some of you out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! I am still highly considering getting the Mi 9.
I go to this site for freq questions:
https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/US/xiaomi-mi-9
I would probably go with the Transparent version, as I have seen it on ebay for the 256GB version for less than $700...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Xiaomi-Mi-...e-Mobile-LTE-Unlocked-Global-Rom/223482996714
I am REALLY wanting the OnePlus 7 Pro, but if it is more than $750, then I think I will go with the Mi 9.
thevirgonian said:
Awesome! I am still highly considering getting the Mi 9.
I go to this site for freq questions:
https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/US/xiaomi-mi-9
I would probably go with the Transparent version, as I have seen it on ebay for the 256GB version for less than $700...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Xiaomi-Mi-...e-Mobile-LTE-Unlocked-Global-Rom/223482996714
I am REALLY wanting the OnePlus 7 Pro, but if it is more than $750, then I think I will go with the Mi 9.
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Click to collapse
$645 that's a kick ass phone. My brother has the latest iPhone and Samsung Galaxy I like the Mi 9 more. All your preference. Mi 9 is rated top photos and video by dxomark (https://www.diyphotography.net/xiaomi-mi9-camera-beats-out-the-iphone-xs-max-in-dxo-mark-test/) and is the fastest phone ATM see my 64GB model AnTuTu can't imagine what the extra RAM will do.
Be aware it won't come with Google apps installed although you can add it. Chinese version. You probably will need to unlock the BL (15 day wait) and burn the Xiaomi.eu ROM for best USA support. I don't know how they are selling it that cheap to be honest. $600 on AliExpress +$13 DHL shipping if you trust AliExpress... YMMV https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32999...d=2750amp-F88T4W4zk6Om8WCBZyD3TQ1556644946258
mslezak said:
$645 that's a kick ass phone. My brother has the latest iPhone and Samsung Galaxy I like the Mi 9 more. All your preference. Mi 9 is rated top photos and video by dxomark (https://www.diyphotography.net/xiaomi-mi9-camera-beats-out-the-iphone-xs-max-in-dxo-mark-test/) and is the fastest phone ATM see my 64GB model AnTuTu can't imagine what the extra RAM will do.
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Click to collapse
AND it still has the IR blaster, which I REALLY miss from my Lg G5 days. That is actually REALLY valuable when it comes to controlling your TV.
The MAIN reason when I even want the OnePlus 7 Pro at this point is because it is supposed to have UFS 3.0, which should make everything about the phone much faster...I just wish it was going to have an IR blaster.
...and of course the "no questions asked" bootloader unlock and rooting that OnePlus allows. I can't live without root...
From what I can see there is a 15 day wait time for the official Xiaomi unlock site. I don't even want to wait 15 days!! LOL
thevirgonian said:
AND it still has the IR blaster, which I REALLY miss from my Lg G5 days. That is actually REALLY valuable when it comes to controlling your TV.
The MAIN reason when I even want the OnePlus 7 Pro at this point is because it is supposed to have UFS 3.0, which should make everything about the phone much faster...I just wish it was going to have an IR blaster.
...and of course the "no questions asked" bootloader unlock and rooting that OnePlus allows. I can't live without root...
From what I can see there is a 15 day wait time for the official Xiaomi unlock site. I don't even want to wait 15 days!! LOL
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Click to collapse
Yeah my unlock opens up Friday so I feel you. See my post I edited $613 AliExpress 256GB Transparent edition Mi 9 but please, please check the company feedback! I cancelled an order before after reading from the Mi Store empty boxes, broken phones, used phones arriving... And they were a top rated store!
IR blaster is awesome I turn on my TVs and DVRs and it supports basically anything made (even off brand) and is super convenient
I'm using this phone in Canada. no problems with reception or anything it just works great! Main reason I bought it was for the IR blaster. A month in I must say I'm loving it! Running the eu ROM on Chinese 128gb model I bought on AliExpress
thevirgonian said:
Awesome! I am still highly considering getting the Mi 9.
I go to this site for freq questions:
https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/US/xiaomi-mi-9
I would probably go with the Transparent version, as I have seen it on ebay for the 256GB version for less than $700...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Xiaomi-Mi-...e-Mobile-LTE-Unlocked-Global-Rom/223482996714
I am REALLY wanting the OnePlus 7 Pro, but if it is more than $750, then I think I will go with the Mi 9.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Something to note fellow modder the Mi 9 running Xiaomi.eu weekly edition can use EX Manager to overclock the GPU and people are getting 400-420k AnTuTu benchmarks depending on how you set it up. Higher end scores turn off Fsync which is all fine if your system is stable - if not it can be bad - alters memory checks. I'm not sure you want a GPU running that hot all the time - RevOS has a game mode so you can turn it on just for games or whenever you want. Battery likely will drain quickly. Nonetheless that's faster than the leaked OnePlus Pro benchmarks. Revolution OS you have to add EX Kernel manager to the Game Turbo program to get it to throttle, unlock BL, TWRP, Magisk, etc. https://sourceforge.net/projects/revolutionos-miui/files/ I think straight Xiaomi.eu is cleaner 9.4.26 but haven't tried it yet. Some people say it is rock solid even at 810Mhz OC on the GPU. 2 days left to start modding...
In all honesty OnePlus devs will likely enable the same hacks so take the phone you prefer.
I'm using the Chinese variant on ATT. No issues whatsoever. I unlocked the BL and running ROS rom. Using GPay also. I bought it online from Giztop.
anandlal said:
I'm using the Chinese variant on ATT. No issues whatsoever. I unlocked the BL and running ROS rom. Using GPay also. I bought it online from Giztop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you getting LTE+ connections?
Sent from my MI 9 using Tapatalk
pimpmaneaton said:
Are you getting LTE+ connections?
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LTE+ and VoLTE both.
anandlal said:
LTE+ and VoLTE both.
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Click to collapse
Have you changed any network settings at all. I have a Chinese variant and no matter what, I cannot get this to go LTE+ when my last few previous phones have. Am on tmobile but bands are supported for carrier aggregation.
Could you possibly take a screen shot of the phone information in *#*#4636#*#*. Scroll down to remove the first 3 lines in the screen shot. Just want to see the rest of the information.
Sent from my MI 9 using Tapatalk
pimpmaneaton said:
Have you changed any network settings at all. I have a Chinese variant and no matter what, I cannot get this to go LTE+ when my last few previous phones have. Am on tmobile but bands are supported for carrier aggregation.
Could you possibly take a screen shot of the phone information in *#*#4636#*#*. Scroll down to remove the first 3 lines in the screen shot. Just want to see the rest of the information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you go.
anandlal said:
Here you go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, can you take it with network data connected(WiFi off).
Sent from my MI 9 using Tapatalk
pimpmaneaton said:
Sorry, can you take it with network data connected(WiFi off).
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Click to collapse
Keep in mind that I live out in the suburbs of Denver and have poor reception. I normally use a Microcell tower at home. I turned it off for this screenshot.