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Hello, I recently visited the USA (Las Vegas) and discovered that my UK bought (UNLOCKED) Samsung Galaxy S3 could not make nor receive calls in the USA. Roaming WAS enabled and I had an R symbol over the signal strength indicator. I have a Vodafone pay as you go sim card which I have used (as my main sim) over numerous years now. I have used it in other phones previously (HTC, Samsung, LG, etc.) over the years and they have all made and received calls in the USA (roaming) no problem. I did get a text message (eventually) when I was in the USA saying welcome to USA and calls cost £1.50, etc, etc. Yet when I tried making a call, I had an automated voice message asking me to contact my operator for some reason (can't remember the specifics). I've never had a problem using my Vodafone sim roaming in the USA and with previous phones, always made and received calls without any hassle (i.e. found a network automatically, e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.). Also, I visited Las Vegas last year with the same sim card but a different phone (HTC Desire HD) and was able to make and receive calls. I recall my brother saying that he had read something on the internet about the UK spec. S3 having hardware differences with the rest of the world versions, including not being able to work in the USA for calls. However, he could not find the site again. Has anybody else had this problem or know about it?
Yee1 said:
Hello, I recently visited the USA (Las Vegas) and discovered that my UK bought (UNLOCKED) Samsung Galaxy S3 could not make nor receive calls in the USA. Roaming WAS enabled and I had an R symbol over the signal strength indicator. I have a Vodafone pay as you go sim card which I have used (as my main sim) over numerous years now. I have used it in other phones previously (HTC, Samsung, LG, etc.) over the years and they have all made and received calls in the USA (roaming) no problem. I did get a text message (eventually) when I was in the USA saying welcome to USA and calls cost £1.50, etc, etc. Yet when I tried making a call, I had an automated voice message asking me to contact my operator for some reason (can't remember the specifics). I've never had a problem using my Vodafone sim roaming in the USA and with previous phones, always made and received calls without any hassle (i.e. found a network automatically, e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.). Also, I visited Las Vegas last year with the same sim card but a different phone (HTC Desire HD) and was able to make and receive calls. I recall my brother saying that he had read something on the internet about the UK spec. S3 having hardware differences with the rest of the world versions, including not being able to work in the USA for calls. However, he could not find the site again. Has anybody else had this problem or know about it?
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I have no idea about roaming in the USA...
However, I do know that the phone works on AT&Ts network, because I live in the USA & use the I9300 on AT&Ts network. The I9300 will not work on T-Mobile's data network, but should work on T-Mo's voice network.
That probably wasn't much help to you. I just wanted to confirm for you that the phone does work on AT&Ts network here.
brkshr said:
I have no idea about roaming in the USA...
However, I do know that the phone works on AT&Ts network, because I live in the USA & use the I9300 on AT&Ts network. The I9300 will not work on T-Mobile's data network, but should work on T-Mo's voice network.
That probably wasn't much help to you. I just wanted to confirm for you that the phone does work on AT&Ts network here.
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Thanks brkshr, that was helpful. Good to know that a GT-I9300 does work in the USA.
I thought the USA had different models (SGH-T999 and SGH-I747). What made you decide to get a GT-I9300?
I may try again (next time I go back to USA) and if still the same, will try an AT&T sim. I must admit, I don't know anything about the different networks in the USA. Can I get a pay as you go sim for free? In England, you can get sim cards for different networks free and then obviously pay to top up.
Yee1 said:
Thanks brkshr, that was helpful. Good to know that a GT-I9300 does work in the USA.
I thought the USA had different models (SGH-T999 and SGH-I747). What made you decide to get a GT-I9300?
I may try again (next time I go back to USA) and if still the same, will try an AT&T sim. I must admit, I don't know anything about the different networks in the USA. Can I get a pay as you go sim for free? In England, you can get sim cards for different networks free and then obviously pay to top up.
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You are correct. The U.S. does have it's own variations. I decided to buy the I9300 for the quad-core & I was hoping that Samsung would be more likely to release sources for it & update it faster. They do update the I9300 faster, but I prefer AOSP (Google's stock Android) over Samsungs TouchWiz & that's where sources come in to play. So now I wish I would have gone with a U.S. variant, because sources for the US variant are released. Oh well! (Sorry for the rant)
Unfortunately, we don't get free SIM cards here. The best thing to do is buy an AT&T SIM card online ahead of time. Then activate it on a prepaid plan when you get here. You need a Micro SIM card. They should cost anywhere from $5 to $15. Otherwise, you have to go into an AT&T store & buy their 'SIM Starter Kit' for $25... Complete BS.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=at&t+sim+card
Thanks again, the link (to Amazon) is very useful. I think I will get an AT&T pre-paid sim card as suggested. At least that way I can use mobile data (when wi-fi is not available) and not have to pay extortionate data roaming charges. Especially useful for mobile data assisted GPS.
One last question though. In the UK, you can keep your number even if you don't top up for ages. In the US, can you buy a pre-paid sim card, use it once, not top up for say a year and still be able to use the sim again, i.e. it won't be deactivated will it? That way I can have it as a holiday sim (I visit the US every year).
Yee1 said:
Thanks again, the link (to Amazon) is very useful. I think I will get an AT&T pre-paid sim card as suggested. At least that way I can use mobile data (when wi-fi is not available) and not have to pay extortionate data roaming charges. Especially useful for mobile data assisted GPS.
One last question though. In the UK, you can keep your number even if you don't top up for ages. In the US, can you buy a pre-paid sim card, use it once, not top up for say a year and still be able to use the sim again, i.e. it won't be deactivated will it? That way I can have it as a holiday sim (I visit the US every year).
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I don't know the answer to that question. Sorry.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Question!!
I bought an unlocked i9300 the quad core international galaxy s3.. i'm using Simple Mobile micro simcard.. i wanted to use AT&T prepaid simcard the one amazon sell.. i 'm asking if anyone used the AT&T with this phone and make it work.. i went to AT&T store and they told me the simcard will never work on my phone so don't buy it..i live in Texas USA.
PS: i'm sorry if this question been asked before and thank you all for your time and help
Have you seen this thread?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1696025
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
I received my Le max 2 (x829) about 5 days ago hoping my carrier would "support" it. Turns out US Cellulars bring your own phone style plan is incredibly limited, and after about 3 hours on the phone I was told that based on the IMEI number I had given them, US Cellular's (USC) system wouldn't be able to support the phone.
Side note right there - I did notice that part of the "rules" given to me on this were already broken on my Current USC phone and that Both the x829 and current phone share some similarity in IMEI number rhythm (maybe nothing but wanted to note it) IE *405033* on one, and 454050** on the other.
Found some time to research today and have found several XDA members noting that they have their x829's working on T-mobile, even T-mobile through Straight Talk. However, when checking "phone comparability" with either one using the IMEI # that all companies want to know atm I'm given an error.
So My question is thus: How did you; a X829 owner get your phone to work on your desired carrier? It seems AT&T and T-mobile seem to be the go to on this which I'm fine with.
A side question would also be: could I use "xposed" to change the IMEI to something my current carrier would "recognize" / was this what every one else has done?
Isn't US Cellular CDMA? For the Le Max 2 you'll need a GSM network.
I just received my x829. Out of the box VoLTE and WIFI calling worked with T-Mobile (on all official EUI 16s roms). I currently use the MADSURFER and both wifi calling and VoLTE are working.
All I had to do was pick up a nano sim which I activated via phone. I bought the Fire HDX 8.9 SIM from amazon for $4.00.
*Edit MADSURFER ROM link is here https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-max-2/development/madsurfers-21s-eui-5-9-rom-t3497125
try this menu *#*#9439#*#*
xlcashlx said:
Isn't US Cellular CDMA? For the Le Max 2 you'll need a GSM network.
I just received my x829. Out of the box VoLTE and WIFI calling worked with T-Mobile (on all official EUI roms). I currently use the MADSURFER and both wifi calling and VoLTE are working.
All I had to do was pick up a nano sim which I activated via phone. I bought the Fire HDX 8.9 SIM from amazon for $4.00.
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US Cellular is listed as CDMA, but all the research I've done before going with the Le Max showed that other GSM only phones like the ONE plus 3t would work on the network based sole on the phones bands support by the phones hardware.
I have plenty of Nano sims thanks to the Straight Talk "phone kit", infact both the At&T and T-mobile ones are in the phone atm. I do appriciate you re-enforcing the notion that VoLTE and Wifi calling work (which would be to my benefit where I live) my fear is that calling and trying to activate the sim will lead the "rep" to ask for the IMEI and again tell me wont work.
@leptdre i'm very leery to try things with out a further explanation, kind of a side effect of the college days.
D4B3N said:
US Cellular is listed as CDMA, but all the research I've done before going with the Le Max showed that other GSM only phones like the ONE plus 3t would work on the network based sole on the phones bands support by the phones hardware.
I have plenty of Nano sims thanks to the Straight Talk "phone kit", infact both the At&T and T-mobile ones are in the phone atm. I do appriciate you re-enforcing the notion that VoLTE and Wifi calling work (which would be to my benefit where I live) my fear is that calling and trying to activate the sim will lead the "rep" to ask for the IMEI and again tell me wont work.
PS: I got the Chinese translation from this thread
https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-max-2/how-to/activate-band-20-lte-x829-t3590010
@leptdre i'm very leery to try things with out a further explanation, kind of a side effect of the college days.
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US Cellular uses the CDMA band 20 (3G) 800MHZ. see: https://www.frequencycheck.com/carriers/u-s-cellular-united-states
I was thinking that the menu was for enabling Band 20 for LTE, but I was wrong. In fact it says: China Telecom's CDMA , china telecom uses CDMA band 20 (3G) like US Cellular.
https://www.frequencycheck.com/carriers/china-telecom-china
I think if you can get US Cellular to activate the service, with this option checked : *#*#9439#*#*, you can get your phone up and running.
I activated mine on Tmobile. Bought a sim from them and activated it online, used the 1st imei number on box, there's 2 imei numbers I assume 1 for each sim slot. After punching it in it knew I was on a LeEco Le Max 2. Rebooted phone and wifi calling appears. Also wife and son have same phone on T-mobile but already had nano sims so they just moved sim to their X829 and that was all they needed to do.
castuis said:
I activated mine on Tmobile. Bought a sim from them and activated it online, used the 1st imei number on box, there's 2 imei numbers I assume 1 for each sim slot. After punching it in it knew I was on a LeEco Le Max 2. Rebooted phone and wifi calling appears. Also wife and son have same phone on T-mobile but already had nano sims so they just moved sim to their X829 and that was all they needed to do.
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T-Mobile and AT&T are GSM carriers, which means that the sim is the only identification module.
US Cellular, Verizon, Sprint are CDMA carrier, the identification must come from the phone it self. The sim is only use for 4G LTE because 4G uses a standard relying on GSM to identify the customer.
You should see this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OrNuAf6C3I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTgxp7WTnKw
Thanks guys, sorry I work nights so I'm just getting all this... I'll take a look at the videos first.
Will SMS and MMS work over the wifi as well or just calling?
xlcashlx said:
Isn't US Cellular CDMA? For the Le Max 2 you'll need a GSM network.
I just received my x829. Out of the box VoLTE and WIFI calling worked with T-Mobile (on all official EUI roms). I currently use the MADSURFER and both wifi calling and VoLTE are working.
All I had to do was pick up a nano sim which I activated via phone. I bought the Fire HDX 8.9 SIM from amazon for $4.00.
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Did you mean you use MADSURFER custom rom and wifi calling is working on T-Mobile US? Can you point to the rom page? Thanks.
castuis said:
I activated mine on Tmobile. Bought a sim from them and activated it online, used the 1st imei number on box, there's 2 imei numbers I assume 1 for each sim slot. After punching it in it knew I was on a LeEco Le Max 2. Rebooted phone and wifi calling appears. Also wife and son have same phone on T-mobile but already had nano sims so they just moved sim to their X829 and that was all they needed to do.
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Click to collapse
I had a Straight Talk kit from an earlier attempt to use a Zenfone 2... the rep with strait talk wouldn't "force" activate the sim for my area because "no coverage". Apparently my city/town where I will use it the most doesn't have enough coverage From At&T or T-mobile to warrant being able to transfer my number from USC. Going to try "re-upping" the AT&T sim A user on another thread has noted that @ stock on EUI rom wifi calling was still available with At&t.
Edit:
https://www.amazon.com/Fire-HDX-8-9-Activation-T-Mobile/dp/B00L8BYGJQ - decided to go with that as xlCashlx did and try t-mobile... so far out of all the reps I've delt with over the last couple of days, t-mobile's has been more forth coming with information than any of the others.
jeeradej said:
Did you mean you use MADSURFER custom rom and wifi calling is working on T-Mobile US? Can you point to the rom page? Thanks.
Click to expand...
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https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-max-2/development/madsurfers-21s-eui-5-9-rom-t3497125
OP Good luck with T-Mobile
So did anyone tried to use it with Verizon? According to willitwork site should be a go, but someone needs to confirm. For example I am using the Zuk Z2 from China and the 4G on VZN is working like a champ.
T-mobile here. When my x829 arrived, I simply pulled out the sim in my Moto G4 and immediately had service on the le max 2. Didn't even contact T-mobile.
orangepowerpokes said:
T-mobile here. When my x829 arrived, I simply pulled out the sim in my Moto G4 and immediately had service on the le max 2. Didn't even contact T-mobile.
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Did it came with the stock rom or some sort of custom one when you bought it, thanks?
It came with the EUI factory rom by letv. Now that I think about it, I never actually tested TMO on that factory ROM. My wife has the x820 and I have the x829, both on TMO and both on different roms.
However, I have flashed the small EUI rom with no problems, plus you can find other user's experiences with TMO on stock EUI and everything I've seen points to good compatibility.
I'd recommend looking thru some of the threads on slickdeals for this phone. There has been a lot of discussion on different experiences with US carriers, mainly from a budget/value perspective. I'm on the walmart TMO $30/mo 5GB LTE plan (pay as you go) and really like it.
https://slickdeals.net/newsearch.php?src=SearchBarV2&q=le+max+2&searcharea=deals&searchin=first
To answer my own question and to advise everyone else that lives in the US and is planning to use the phone on Verizon network, you need to look elsewhere. Let me elaborate, I am getting LTE on the phone right after inserting the SIM card, but voice is not working no matter what, I even made a trip to my nearby VZN store to make sure that they dont have to go and white-list my IMEI or something. To put it in a more polite words, they declined to do anything, even after the fact that I have a corporate SIM that my company pays hundreds of thousands of $ per year to VZN for all the subscribers we have internally, on top of that I had my Zuk Z2 to prove them that, other phones that are not VZN "approved" can work with no problem with both LTE and voice. The last comment from the representative was that there are loopholes and some not approved phones can work, duh, I had the evidence with me, and again they refused to add the LeMax 2 IMEI to their "good" list.
So if you are planning to buy this phone, consider the fact that you will only be able to use it on ATT, T-Mobile and the rest of the GSM providers in the US.
If you have an old Verizion (USA) unlimited data plan (or perhaps other "older" phone plans) that you've been holding onto AND you plan on buying unlocked phones you may want to read about what I learned today... This is mostly a PSA, but if anyone knows of a way to actually "fix" the issue please reply.
The short version is that apparently the old (original) unlimited data plans are setup to only work with locked down "Verizon" phones. I'm still working out all the ramifications of this and could use some help further down in this thread. What this means is that you can NOT activate a NEW sim card in an "non-Verizon" (unlocked) phone IF you're also on an original unlimited data plan (and perhaps any other older plans beyond a certain date?). You CAN; however, activate a NEW sim card in an OLD Verizon phone and after setup is complete you can then move that sim over to your new phone. This should not be a problem for NEW Verizon phone plans OR locked down phones that are considered "Verizon phones" by Verizon software.
As far as I can tell (so far), activating a new sim in an old phone and then moving to the new phone doesn't cause any issues with your service, but I could use some help testing this out in greater detail to confirm.
Here's my story:
I've been on a Verizon unlimited 4G data plan since they first offered them many years ago. I've remained on this plan through price increases and the removal of unlimited only to watch them return it (I almost switched to a new plan months ago... almost). I used to have a Droid Razr Maxx which got rooted and I enjoyed root for awhile. I eventually upgraded to the Droid Turbo (employee edition) which took a long time to gain root so I simply never tried. I decided I wanted root access again and all the joys that brings so after much research into my next phone I landed on the LG V30 unlocked edition. I got my order from B&H Photo a few days ago. I also decided that I wanted a new sim card as I've always felt my old one was "touchy". Could never put my finger on, but mostly I just wanted to start fresh with the V30.
A couple days ago I went into an official (USA) Verizon store and made my request to get a new sim activated on my V30. I didn't think this would be an issue as they sell V30s and I know others have been running "non-Verizon" phones without issues. The CS rep was supportive of this, but after inserting the new card and trying to activate it the Verizon software on his employee tablet shot back something about "this phone does not support this data plan" (or something similar). He tried to troubleshoot the issue for about 10 minutes, but then gave up since I was able to get the V30 working by using my old sim from my Droid Turbo. I accepted this and decided I'd just try again in a few days.
During this time I had no issues with the V30 using my data or making phone calls. I did eventually "kill" the V30 by exploring the band selection screen in the service menu, but a hard factory restore later and I was up and running again. Today I decided to try and get a new sim card again, only this time I decided to head to Best Buy since they sell the unlocked V30 online. My thought was "if they sell the unlocked V30, maybe they'll better understand my issue with a new sim activation"....
After finding the "sim card expert" I requested we went to work. He pulled our a new SIM, dialed up his Verizon contact number and we waited. Once the Verizon rep was on the phone we continued onto activating the sim only to be met with the same error "phone & plan don't like each other". The Verizon rep was stumped after many trial and error attempts on getting it to go through. My issue was eventually escalated to a tech that had more power to get things working and even he was stumped. After nearly 2 hours of digging into provisions and my account info he informed me that my "old" data plan was setup in such a way that it ONLY allows new activations with "Verizon" phones. Of course he suggested I move to a new unlimited data plan (with all the new fine print and prioritizations after 22GB intact of course, ha). He added that there was nothing he could do to change my plan settings to allow new "non-Verizon" phones. He was supportive of activating the new sim on my old Droid Turbo and then placing it into the V30 though. Once we did that the V30 was up and running again. On some quick tests everything appears to be working as well (would like some help to verify this though).
So there's the info I learned today, hopefully this helps someone else avoid any headaches later. How accurate this info is depends on the Verizon tech on the other end of the phone though as I'm only repeating what I was told. The tech did say that he never ran into this before (as I assume most people simply keep swapping in their old sim cards) and he did add that newer plans and phones shouldn't run into this issue and that it's strictly my old plan causing the hiccups on their system. He did check into moving me to the new data plan for activation and then putting my back into my old plan, but came back with "it's not possible".
Now then... all the above said I could use some help ensuring that my unlocked V30 is working correctly on Verizon with my current phone plan.
I've installed an run "RX Monitor", but what I notice is that I see no CDMA options listed under "operator" or "registered cells" or "Neighbor cells". All I see are "LTE" connections that seemingly only use "Band 13". I've driven between different cities from corn fields to the center of town and any time I check I see only "LTE" and "Band 13". Based on what I've read this seems odd... but I don't know enough about it to say for certain.
What I can say is that I can make phone calls (though they seem to be going over LTE and using HD Voice) and I send/receive SMS and MMS texts. I can go online and download and all the good stuff.
Is there a way to further test my phone? When I run RX Monitor on my wife Droid Turbo I can see a CDMA option and other LTE cells, but her phone does not report enough data to compare (ie, it doesn't list the band anywhere in the data) that I can see.
Is there another program or some other way to test or check this? My concern is that I've yet to see "3G" or "1x" on my V30 and I worry that if I end up in an area with more limited coverage that the V30 will simply not work vs switching to 3G or lower (something my Droid Turbo has done in the past).
Any thoughts?... and thank you.
teknomedic said:
The short version is that apparently the old (original) unlimited data plans are setup to only work with locked down "Verizon" phones.
What this means is that you can NOT activate a NEW sim card in an "non-Verizon" (unlocked) phone IF you're also on an original unlimited data plan (and perhaps any other older plans beyond a certain date?). You CAN; however, activate a NEW sim card in an OLD Verizon phone and after setup is complete you can then move that sim over to your new phone. This should not be a problem for NEW Verizon phone plans
After finding the "sim card expert" I requested we went to work. He pulled our a new SIM, dialed up his Verizon contact number and we waited. Once the Verizon rep was on the phone we continued onto activating the sim only to be met with the same error "phone & plan don't like each other".
After nearly 2 hours of digging into provisions and my account info he informed me that my "old" data plan was setup in such a way that it ONLY allows new activations with "Verizon" phones. He added that there was nothing he could do to change my plan settings to allow new "non-Verizon" phones.
He was supportive of activating the new sim on my old Droid Turbo and then placing it into the V30 though. Once we did that the V30 was up and running again.
Click to expand...
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Thank you for all the information.
ChazzMatt said:
Thank you for all the information.
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I know it was a long read, but hopefully it made sense.
With full root access would it be possible to label an unlocked V30 as a "Verizon" V30 in software to trick the Verizon registration process into direct activation?
I don't know. The two have different FCC ID, so that would be one way for Verizon to tell the difference.
On the U.S.Moto Maxx 1225, people could unlock the bootloader, then flash Verizon firmware over it to turn it into a Droid Turbo XT1254 because they had the exact same FCC ID and were exactly the SAME device. Verizon just rebranded theirs as a "Droid Turbo" to pretend it was some kind of exclusive. It wasn't even exclusive in the U.S.!
Until Sunshine came along to unlock the Droid Turbo bootloader (a year after release), the Moto XT1225 served as the "dev" version of the Droid Turbo.
Sent from my LG-US998 using Tapatalk
I assume I'm not the only grandfathered Verizon data plan with an unlocked V30... can anyone else confirm that simply moving the sim over from another phone allows the V30 full access to the Verizon network.. CDMA, LTE, 3G, etc?
As I've said so far I only ever seen LTE with 4G. Though I did see CDMA once shortly after activation.. but then nothing
I recently got a Note 8 (at best buy, 300 off,but a down payment, and device payment plan). The sim activated on the Note 8, but my previous active sim was on an Unlocked S8 Plus (g955u1). I then activated the Note 8 Sim on my wife's back up S5, and then put the sim in my S8 plus unlocked. Inhave used the Note yet, because I dont have a glass protector yet and in case I have buyers remorse, I can return the Note 8.
If you have the grandfathered plan (which I do), you jusy simply have to get a 4g Verizon smart phone with a nano sim slot , activate it in there and put it in the Unlovked Lg v30. You should be able to get CDMA and 4g LTE connection.
Sent from my SM-G955U1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Hmm I've had the same sim (just shaved down) since my OG Droid. Would this make a difference?
Ooo yeah here we go
Per Verizon's agreement with the FCC when they purchased radio band frequencies, Verizon must allow any compatible device to work on their network. If your device has CDMA and the LTE bands (2, 4, 13) then it will FULLY work. You will be able to make CDMA calls, LTE calls if VoLTE is functional on your device, and use data.
It is true that they are stingy on activation and there is NOTHING the techs can do to activate an unlocked phone. They did't write any code to block it let alone are aware of it. Don't bother even trying. Just get an old Verizon phone that takes nano SIM or go to a store and find an employee willing to activate it in a display phone then give it to you.
I've been using the same SIM for years from my Droid Turbo. It's been in a Nexus 6, Nexus 5x, Moto G4 Play, and an HTC One M8 without any usability issues.
---------- Post added at 12:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:38 AM ----------
Charlie_Don't_Surf said:
Hmm I've had the same sim (just shaved down) since my OG Droid. Would this make a difference?
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Click to collapse
Yes, that SIM card you have is still considered a mini SIM and will not activate in newer phones that take nano SIM.
I shaved down a micro SIM to fit a nano Sim slot. I tried to have it reactivated and Verizon was unable to. I informed the tech that it was actually a micro SIM and he activated it in a dummy Galaxy S3 and it worked.
---------- Post added at 12:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:43 AM ----------
teknomedic said:
I know it was a long read, but hopefully it made sense.
With full root access would it be possible to label an unlocked V30 as a "Verizon" V30 in software to trick the Verizon registration process into direct activation?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon and probably the others use the IMEI number to check if it is a VZW or non-VZW phone before activation. Unless you obtained another IMEI number and used it, they can always tell it is a non-VZW phone. But I'm pretty sure that is illegal.
I'm on an unlocked/google Nexus 6. It wasn't purchased from Verizon. I also have an old unlimited data plan. Once a stockish rom comes out for the LG V30 I'll take the plunge and test this out. Hopefully my sim will work in the v30, since it already works with an unlocked phone.
All good info. Thanks everyone.
How could I test the phone though? Is there a way to force CDMA calling vs LTE.... Also... Using RX monitor why would I only be seeing band 13 with no CDMA listed?
I'll update here what I learn comparing a "Verizon V30" vs my B&H unlocked V30. I purchased a second V30 using the Verizon $300 off deal to combine it with the $400 rebate from LG. I know, I know.. it's locked down... but for a cheap backup phone I'm not complaining. I'll run as many comparisons for cellular service as I'm able to.
I know of RX Monitor... hopefully that will confirm or deny that my unlocked V30 is using the network in the same way as the "Verizon" V30.
Any requests or other programs I should use for comparison??
From what I understand, the grandfathered Unlimited has nothing to do with it. As far as I know, Verizon has only activated NEW sim cards on Verizon branded equipment. Once your number is provisioned on a Verizon phone, there is no issue moving the sim between unlocked phones.
Guyinlaca said:
From what I understand, the grandfathered Unlimited has nothing to do with it. As far as I know, Verizon has only activated NEW sim cards on Verizon branded equipment. Once your number is provisioned on a Verizon phone, there is no issue moving the sim between unlocked phones.
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THIS. This is what I've always been told the past few years. Recently someone said Verizon had changed their policies and they somehow activated a SIM card on a 2015 Moto X Pure, but I think that was some kind of fluke. I would still use this policy as the guiding principle for control freak Verizon.
AT&T and T-mobile don't care where your phone came from, they'll activate your phone. I'm on AT&T and have never had an AT&T branded phone. I even brought in two Moto XT1225 from other countries; the Moto XT1225 is the "international" version of the Verizon Droid Turbo XT1254. It was also basically a 5.2" version of the Moto Nexus 6. AT&T didn't have the XT1225 in their database. I said call it a Moto Nexus 6, which they did have in their database. BOOM. Activated. Two of them. And not just on AT&T, but AT&T Prepaid, because I own my phones and only want to pay for monthly service not pay an arm and a leg to subsidize some AT&T branded phone I will NEVER buy.
I'm not here to bash carriers (but I will bash most MVNOs), but the CDMA twins Sprint and Verizon are more trouble than they're worth, in my opinion. I want to use a carrier's signal, but I don't want to buy a carrier's locked down, often overpriced, devices. I don't want to have to buy a carrier phone just to be able to activate a non-carrier phone on that carrier. That's ridiculous.
Does the hot spot work out of the box on the unlocked V30 US998 on the old verizon unlimited plan?
bugswray said:
Does the hot spot work out of the box on the unlocked V30 US998 on the old verizon unlimited plan?
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yes, it does.
I have the B&H US998 V30+ on Verizon, but I gave up unlimited a year or two ago. Still not on the new unlimited yet.
Are you able to get any VM notifications on this phone?
I only get garbled text messages from Verizon, and there is no VM indication.
I have to check for missed calls and manually call *86 to see if I have any voicemail.
Other than that I think it is functioning fully. However I have never seen a 3G icon in the status bar.
I have a Verizon 4G Network Extender in my house, and I get good 4G at work.
teknomedic said:
I assume I'm not the only grandfathered Verizon data plan with an unlocked V30... can anyone else confirm that simply moving the sim over from another phone allows the V30 full access to the Verizon network.. CDMA, LTE, 3G, etc?
As I've said so far I only ever seen LTE with 4G. Though I did see CDMA once shortly after activation.. but then nothing
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I am a Grandfathered user with 450 anytime minutes and paying for text messages still. I moved from an LG G4 to an HTC 10 to an LG V30 just fine. Popped the simcard out of my HTC 10 and installed it into my unlocked V30 and it works perfectly. I don't have any wifi calling though and I'm assuming because I'm not installing any verizon apps what so ever. I don't require wifi calling so i'm good. But it drops to 3G when it has no LTE signal just fine and VoLTE works perfectly. Hope that helps you out.
dvgb173 said:
I have the B&H US998 V30+ on Verizon, but I gave up unlimited a year or two ago. Still not on the new unlimited yet.
Are you able to get any VM notifications on this phone?
I only get garbled text messages from Verizon, and there is no VM indication.
I have to check for missed calls and manually call *86 to see if I have any voicemail.
Other than that I think it is functioning fully. However I have never seen a 3G icon in the status bar.
I have a Verizon 4G Network Extender in my house, and I get good 4G at work.
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It's the same for me... just messed up text messages. I even tried to source the Verizon Voicemail app, but it refused to install... sooo... I setup Google Voice instead and after some tweaking it's working great, Google AI or whatever even gives me its best translation of the voice mail too in text form so I don't need to listen
The one thing I have noticed with Google Voice and normal voicemail is that if I let the phone ring through Google voice works perfectly, BUT if I decide to swipe the "ignore" or whatever button, then the normal voicemail picks it up. It's kinda nice in a way having two voice mail boxes... but also wish I knew how to fix that issue and force everything to google voice.
FunktasticLucky said:
I am a Grandfathered user with 450 anytime minutes and paying for text messages still. I moved from an LG G4 to an HTC 10 to an LG V30 just fine. Popped the simcard out of my HTC 10 and installed it into my unlocked V30 and it works perfectly. I don't have any wifi calling though and I'm assuming because I'm not installing any verizon apps what so ever. I don't require wifi calling so i'm good. But it drops to 3G when it has no LTE signal just fine and VoLTE works perfectly. Hope that helps you out.
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It does help, thank you.
So far it appears that only tmobile networks allow this phone, since at&t does not support VoLTE with this phone (must set to 3g in order to receive texts/calls). I love this phone, but tmobiles cell towers don't offer a good signal in my area (using straight talk w/ tmobile card). So this got me wondering, which wireless carriers can this actually use now days? What do you personally use with this phone, and how is the service? Verizon definetly won't work either, so it looks like I am out of options... Any replies to this would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks!
You sure? Here's the AT&T white list, more may have been added since...
I am positive. And yes, I have seen my phone on the list. no phone calls or text messaging when on LTE (and at&t). I looked into changing the IMEI so that I could use a random generated one that matches an s20 or some other phone that is more compatible, then gave up on it. At this point Im looking to sell my s10 lite so I can buy a oneplus 8T/Pro, just so I get better compatibility. Supposedly AT&T is also dropping support for international versions of cell phones, which this is. I went through 3 different at&t sim cards and all have the same result. I just wish there was a way to change my IMEI (or somehow spoof a different phone some other way)
On The Go Repairs said:
I am positive. And yes, I have seen my phone on the list. no phone calls or text messaging when on LTE (and at&t). I looked into changing the IMEI so that I could use a random generated one that matches an s20 or some other phone that is more compatible, then gave up on it. At this point Im looking to sell my s10 lite so I can buy a oneplus 8T/Pro, just so I get better compatibility. Supposedly AT&T is also dropping support for international versions of cell phones, which this is. I went through 3 different at&t sim cards and all have the same result. I just wish there was a way to change my IMEI (or somehow spoof a different phone some other way)
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Is VoLTE enabled etc in hidden phone settings?
Did you have AT&T reset it on their end?
Talk to AT&T advanced tech support.
If white listed it should work!
I have straight talk which gives three options: at&t, TMobile, or Verizon (so I can't call att directly). I went into the hidden menu settings and VoLTE was turned off and greyed out. I even opened a file and added a few lines (might have been build.prop or something like that, don't remember) and all that did was switch it on in the settings (but still greyed out).
When I called straight talk tech support and asked them to provision VoLTE, all they would say is that the sim card is provisioned, and that's all they can do. Phone and text used to work if I set it on 3g (instead of lte), but this was less than optimal. I also read a reddit post today from someone four hours away that said they killed off the 3g now, so I'm not going to try using another at&t card until I get a different phone that is compatible. I know this phone is capable of VoLTE but at&t sucks, and they want to force a bunch of people to upgrade to newer phones for whatever reason.
I've even had this phone work with a Verizon sim card swapped from a different phone, but after a few days it gets shut off. So it's not a question of compatibility more than it is at&t just being jerks.
OnTheGoRepairs said:
I have straight talk which gives three options: at&t, TMobile, or Verizon (so I can't call att directly). I went into the hidden menu settings and VoLTE was turned off and greyed out. I even opened a file and added a few lines (might have been build.prop or something like that, don't remember) and all that did was switch it on in the settings (but still greyed out).
When I called straight talk tech support and asked them to provision VoLTE, all they would say is that the sim card is provisioned, and that's all they can do. Phone and text used to work if I set it on 3g (instead of lte), but this was less than optimal. I also read a reddit post today from someone four hours away that said they killed off the 3g now, so I'm not going to try using another at&t card until I get a different phone that is compatible. I know this phone is capable of VoLTE but at&t sucks, and they want to force a bunch of people to upgrade to newer phones for whatever reason.
I've even had this phone work with a Verizon sim card swapped from a different phone, but after a few days it gets shut off. So it's not a question of compatibility more than it is at&t just being jerks.
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Straight talk maybe the issue. I don't know for sure. Maybe it's the sim card.
Both my N10+'s N975U, N975U1 made the jump seamlessly, no changes were needed on my side.
However the N975U was configured for 4G VoLTE already.
On the new N975U1 all I did was plug the N975U sim card in and it was online.
I feel you... this was an unwanted learning curve for me and had me doing a lot of Google searches.
Hi, i bought a unlocked xq-bc62 in US. I travel a lot and discovered 5G won't work in several carriers networks, no matter what I do in the phone ( I spend more time outside US). I called the carriers support and they confirmed their network doesn't have any lock preventing the use of overseas 5G bought phones. So far, I tried to use it in Portugal, UK, Ireland and Brazil but 5G is not recognized by the phone. I changed the sim for a 5G local one, changed ASN, manually chose network (5G ones are not displayed) and no success. I even tried to pray, but again, no success. I contacted Sony Support and they said phone will only work in 5G in 2 of the 3 main carriers in US and not outside US, despite the phone tech specs says it will work in all the frequencys used by above carriers. There are some threads here that confirm xq-bc62 Is not a full 5g phone. All said and done, my Question: is it possible to flash another region Image like xq-bc52 or xq-bc72 in this hardware? Will it work fine and, mainly, will 5G networks be accessible outside US? Tks
Some times its hardware but you can try mtk engineer mode settings there may be something of use there
If you can get the original vendor file usually have (user low ship...) its usually international
Unless the phone is using 4.5G and not real 5G
marcofgn2 said:
Hi, i bought a unlocked xq-bc62 in US. I travel a lot and discovered 5G won't work in several carriers networks, no matter what I do in the phone ( I spend more time outside US). I called the carriers support and they confirmed their network doesn't have any lock preventing the use of overseas 5G bought phones. So far, I tried to use it in Portugal, UK, Ireland and Brazil but 5G is not recognized by the phone. I changed the sim for a 5G local one, changed ASN, manually chose network (5G ones are not displayed) and no success. I even tried to pray, but again, no success. I contacted Sony Support and they said phone will only work in 5G in 2 of the 3 main carriers in US and not outside US, despite the phone tech specs says it will work in all the frequencys used by above carriers. There are some threads here that confirm xq-bc62 Is not a full 5g phone. All said and done, my Question: is it possible to flash another region Image like xq-bc52 or xq-bc72 in this hardware? Will it work fine and, mainly, will 5G networks be accessible outside US? Tks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, the US models have numerous disabled features and run late on updates. I've also noticed it's crippled or disabled while roaming. I'm not sure if it's directly from disabled features or it it has been blocked by telcos because it malfunctions. (It gets kicked off cell towers in the US)
The US model has slightly different radio hardware so I would expect problems flashing the OS from another region. There are some tricks for changing the feature lists that might be a safer bet.
kevinmcmurtrie said:
Yep, the US models have numerous disabled features and run late on updates. I've also noticed it's crippled or disabled while roaming. I'm not sure if it's directly from disabled features or it it has been blocked by telcos because it malfunctions. (It gets kicked off cell towers in the US)
The US model has slightly different radio hardware so I would expect problems flashing the OS from another region. There are some tricks for changing the feature lists that might be a safer bet.
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How would one check what is and isn't turned on network wise??
I was able to flash the XQ-BC52 ROM in my XQ-BC62 hardware. So far, working fine in 4G+, but I´m in area with no 5G coverage. Tomorrow I will go to an 5G area and check f it worked. If not, I will try the XQ-BC72. I will keep you posted.
kevinmcmurtrie said:
Yep, the US models have numerous disabled features and run late on updates. I've also noticed it's crippled or disabled while roaming. I'm not sure if it's directly from disabled features or it it has been blocked by telcos because it malfunctions. (It gets kicked off cell towers in the US)
The US model has slightly different radio hardware so I would expect problems flashing the OS from another region. There are some tricks for changing the feature lists that might be a safer bet.
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Click to collapse
Would you mind to message me what tricks you are talking about? Tks
marcofgn2 said:
Would you mind to message me what tricks you are talking about? Tks
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Click to collapse
Maybe something along the lines of Getting VoLTE and VoWiFi on unlisted carriers by flashing mbn file or 5II/1&5III VoLTE patch. [Guide to release the root] or https://band.radio/
I haven't rooted yet so I haven't tried them. I bring a T-Mobile LG Velvet 5G with me when I travel. It's a little slower but doesn't have all the telco problems.
Test done, xqbc-52 doesn't see 5G network as well. XQ-BC72 SEA is a no go, don't even recognize the SIM card in the phone.
Will try another firmwares and the tweaks kevinmcmurtrie mentioned above, but my feeling is: I paid the 5G price for the Phone and actually got a a 4G Phone. Very frustrated with Sony. Thinking seriously about going back to Samsung.
marcofgn2 said:
Test done, xqbc-52 doesn't see 5G network as well. XQ-BC72 SEA is a no go, don't even recognize the SIM card in the phone.
Will try another firmwares and the tweaks kevinmcmurtrie mentioned above, but my feeling is: I paid the 5G price for the Phone and actually got a a 4G Phone. Very frustrated with Sony. Thinking seriously about going back to Samsung.
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Click to collapse
But hey here's the pros, best physical camera sensors, Micro SD card Slot and headphone jack...
UPDATE!!! 5G is working!!!!! After Several Attempts, I finally got 5G. What worked for me, in Claro BR Network, was flash a Hybrid ROM. I Flashed A XQ-BC52 ROM with Modem files from XQ-BC72. So far everything working as it should. My only concern, next month I will be in Germany, may I have trouble in LTE over there with XQ-BC72 modems?
Ainz_Ooal_Gown said:
But hey here's the pros, best physical camera sensors, Micro SD card Slot and headphone jack...
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Tks for the spirits up Ainz_Ooal_Gown. The main reason I Bougth Sony 1 iii is the 3,5 mm jack. I hate USB adapters......
Ok, major setback. it worked for 3 hours and when I turned on my second Sim card the phone 5G was gone. Turned it off, reset radio configs, but no success. Apparently turning the second sim on override the BC72 configs. Time to get serious now and root the phone, what I'm very reluctant to do.
marcofgn2 said:
UPDATE!!! 5G is working!!!!! After Several Attempts, I finally got 5G. What worked for me, in Claro BR Network, was flash a Hybrid ROM. I Flashed A XQ-BC52 ROM with Modem files from XQ-BC72. So far everything working as it should. My only concern, next month I will be in Germany, may I have trouble in LTE over there with XQ-BC72 modems?
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How did you manage to do that? Could you please explain the process?
Settings, Network & internet, Smart connectivity and turn off. On by default. See if it works. I found where I am at it tends to look for wifi over 5G.
arjun_m4 said:
How did you manage to do that? Could you please explain the process?
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That's what I want to more..i have the xq-bc72 on mint mobile and no5g.even my kids xiaomi 11 5g ne has 5g on mint.
I am on Mint, T-mobile towers. 5G works great, has to be in your settings. For MMS use the T-mobile APN settings.
I would like to activate 4g+ on my xq-bc52!
how to do ?
thank you.