Related
This is VERY important information, please read all of it.
LOL I can see I made a mistake by posting this. There's just a bunch of arguing going on and most of you have seemed to disprove s lot of this. I was just relaying the information, maybe I'm too gullible to be here Either way, the information is relevant, but not confirmed by me or anyone, really besides P3droid. I see no reason why he would claim to have this information but just be making stuff up, but who knows. *shrug*
I'm assuming that most of you have seen it by now, but either way, I just felt there was a need to try to get the word out to everyone who might use a custom ROM. Some very disturbing information was brought to light recently by a respected member of the Verizon Droid and Droid X hacking community, known as P3droid. He is a member of Team Black Hat, similar to any development team here. He has made a lot of very important connections as a developer, some within the respective carriers. The information I'm going to share with you mostly pertains to Verizon, but P3droid *specifically* mentions that the implementation is cross-carrier.
My understanding of what's up:
The carriers have been working on an application that runs behind the scenes. The idea behind it is to track what happens on the phone and report back. It can detect unauthorized tethering, root, and custom ROMs. It works by periodically scanning your system partition for modifications, checking to see if your phone's MEID refuses OTA updates, and other unknown methods.
Can't we just remove it?
Sure, but your phone will be flagged by AT&T because the application isn't reporting back. They literally take your phone off of the network and force you to pay the ETF (early termination fee). [brought in to question by the people here, sounds implausible]
What can we do?
Stop tethering for now, I would officially consider it unsafe if you don't want to pay the ETF (maybe) or possibly have your phone flagged by AT&T.
If you want to be on the safe side, revert stock. However, as stated later, this will be very difficult to implement on a GSM network. As of right now, we should be OK, but as I said, better safe than sorry.
If any of your friends have unmodified Captivates, preferably with 2.2 (reverting stock doesn't count), get me a system dump, so I can see if the application in question is there. Directions: Make sure you have the android SDK installed on your computer, you can find it at developer.android.com. Once you have it set up and working, type (for Mac and Linux)
Code:
$ mkdir -p ~/Desktop/app
$ adb pull /system/app ~/Desktop/app
and for Windows,
Code:
cd Desktop
mkdir app
adb pull /system/app "C:\Documents and Settings\[yourusername]\Desktop\app"
Just remember, the Android root community is much bigger than we think. We have some real power. We just need to pull ourselves together and exert it.
What this means for us:
No more root
No more tethering
No more warranty-AT&T will flag your device as bad
Possibly no more connectivity
No more... anything
It is unknown which phones currently have the application preloaded, however it is known that several phones on Verizon have it installed.
Kaik541, a trusted acquaintance of mine pointed out that this would be difficult, if not impossible to implement on a GSM network. It is a very valid point, however I still think that the best plan of action is to proceed with caution.
A quick dialog between P3droid and me:
Have you heard anything about AT&T and unauthorized tethering?
Nothing too specific, just general chatter.
Looks like it's time to stop tethering either way. I'll let all the AT&T guys know, if they don't already
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And finally, hit up the source link for more infos.
http://androidheadlines.com/2011/04/will-rooting-your-android-phone-come-to-an-end.html
and
http://www.mydroidworld.com/forums/...otloaders-rooting-manufacturers-carriers.html
For up to date info, follow P3droid on twitter: http://twitter.com/P3droid and me (but mostly P3droid) http://twitter.com/ytt3r.
Reserved as a natural reflex
There were similar stories like this when iOS 3 or 4 was getting ready to come out. Turned out to be a hoax but it did throw up some red flags for me.
Someone needs to take a fine-toothed comb to the user agreements because I really doubt they can legally checkup on your device when they want to, especially without mentioning this software has been added to the device.
I highly doubt this is a hoax. We seriously need to cover ourselves. This is scary stuff.
Glorious Canada!
But in all seriousness, I believe that this can be dealt with. As for tethering, they have every right to kick you off the network if you aren't paying for a tethering plan (yes, tethering plans are a complete money grab, but you are still violating the TOS). For the OTA, we could spoof it, answering the call, downloading the update, then deleting it and reporting updated with out ever updating.
TheEscapist said:
Glorious Canada!
But in all seriousness, I believe that this can be dealt with. As for tethering, they have every right to kick you off the network if you aren't paying for a tethering plan (yes, tethering plans are a complete money grab, but you are still violating the TOS). For the OTA, we could spoof it, answering the call, downloading the update, then deleting it and reporting updated with out ever updating.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Luckily our Rogers Captivates don't do OTA updates! Not yet, anyways.
And Fully agree on the tethering.
We have some very talented people in this community. I, personally, don't know anything about android development. But I do have enough knowledge about development to know that anything can be reversed, tricked, or even stopped. We have the skills, man-power, and will. We'll be okay in the long-run.
I'm not worried.
We need to comb over the TOS and see if they can legally do this.
How would they hide this program?
they can't. I don't think its implemented yet on any gsm phones, but we know for a fact that the leaked gingerbread for droid x has it.
designfears said:
There were similar stories like this when iOS 3 or 4 was getting ready to come out. Turned out to be a hoax but it did throw up some red flags for me.
Someone needs to take a fine-toothed comb to the user agreements because I really doubt they can legally checkup on your device when they want to, especially without mentioning this software has been added to the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In Canada they have to inform you of changes, from that point you have 30 days to cancel your contract without any penalty, as it is a change of agreement. Not sure if this relates to you US guys and girls,
Also, if they do this, what is to stop you from buying a pay as you go sim card, and using it on your smart phones. The pay as you go plans here in canada have the same options as a contract plan......
So this almost makes no sense....
What a better way to lose a bunch of customers. Doesn't make sense to me either.
You'd think they realize that communities like XDA make having phones like this worthwhile.
Quickest way to kill off the Android platform would be to limit us to the crap roms the carriers put out. I never even thought of an iPhone until I heard this!
I fail to see how they could legally do this. Not to mention forcing an etf will result in people switching networks. No one would put up with that and stay with them.
If this is true, I wonder how hard it would be to hack the app and just have it send back false information.
cappysw10 said:
You'd think they realize that communities like XDA make having phones like this worthwhile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it would be things like side-loading apps or free tethering that they're primarily concerned about.
I wonder if the penalty will only go against giys who get subsidized phones. I buy my phones out right so for that to happen would be off putting.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App
seems very questionable from a legal standpoint. not sure how they can have anything hidden from a user that buys the phone from them, without actually disclosing that it's on there... without a massive lawsuit anyways.
wonder what google thinks of this?
They can't force a ETF that would be illegal if your not violating your contract i.e. tethering.
I have never tethered at all and would gladly cancel my att contract with paying the etf if this happened. IF ATT wont let me use my phone as I want as long as I am not stealing service I will take my service to a carrier that will END OF STORY.
Does this mean the Communities are a lot larger than we think? I originally thought that we were a small marketplace, and didn't have a major impact on things.
So if the Carriers and manufacturers are investing this kind of time, money and effort into stopping the modifications, We must be causing havoc.......
Still doesn't make sense............
Lucke said:
seems very questionable from a legal standpoint. not sure how they can have anything hidden from a user that buys the phone from them, without actually disclosing that it's on there... without a massive lawsuit anyways.
wonder what google thinks of this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read the linked threads.......They say Google is helping them.
http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/04/06/6419016-google-tightens-reins-on-android-
It looks like Google is thinking of locking down also. It would protect us from Carrier modding woes, but what's gonna start happening when they decide not to release source codes....
Before people jump all over this -- I know there are hundreds of threads about how at&t detects tethering and then all the moral-rich folks will get up in arms about paying for a service and to stop stealing... well I dont care. My question is simple:
If AT&T cant detect what APN an android device uses since it all transfers through the primary wireless APN... and the best they can do is say what type of site a mobile device is requesting... how can they say you are tethering?
With apps that mimic other browsers for full site browsing I feel like they really cant prove definitively what I am using. Please correct me if I am wrong.
HoneyNutz said:
Before people jump all over this -- I know there are hundreds of threads about how at&t detects tethering and then all the moral-rich folks will get up in arms about paying for a service and to stop stealing... well I dont care. My question is simple:
If AT&T cant detect what APN an android device uses since it all transfers through the primary wireless APN... and the best they can do is say what type of site a mobile device is requesting... how can they say you are tethering?
With apps that mimic other browsers for full site browsing I feel like they really cant prove definitively what I am using. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they really want to do some packet inspection they could look at something as simple as the UA string or TTL. They could watch for known background services such as AV programs calling home to check for updates or Windows update doing the same.
Well played. I thought that was considered deep packet inspection to know what is requesting what (which I thought they were banned from doing unless authorized by a gov entity)
But I will keep that in mind. I am surprised they pinged me for my 4gb use though -- seriously at&t...seriously... Makes me want to stream hulu 24/7 to truely show a data hog.
HoneyNutz said:
Well played. I thought that was considered deep packet inspection to know what is requesting what (which I thought they were banned from doing unless authorized by a gov entity)
But I will keep that in mind. I am surprised they pinged me for my 4gb use though -- seriously at&t...seriously... Makes me want to stream hulu 24/7 to truely show a data hog.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems like it's probably being done in some capacity - an interesting read: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20107040-266/carriers-may-be-handicapping-cell-phone-networks/
HoneyNutz said:
Well played. I thought that was considered deep packet inspection to know what is requesting what (which I thought they were banned from doing unless authorized by a gov entity)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
does it really surprise you that at&t would be the company to break a federal law, then play dumb and claim ignorance?? Really?? lol
Entertaining conversation with ATT last night. Basically they stated that I have been using data for consistent periods of time... to which i responded I stream all day long which isn't against the terms. They then said their were pointers that stated I could be tethering. I said please provide me with a time period when one of these pointers occurred so I can check my usage against it. They said they don't have the ability (or willingness?) to do that.
The rep then went on to explain that using bluetooth in my car is also considering tethering
<insert WTF face here>
So apparently if you use one of those radio connectors that lets you play your music in the car..THATS TETHERING. These people are all morons. I was hoping for a legitimate explanation but got none. Basically they said well if nothing changes then i will lose my unlimited plan. I told them if they can tell me what they are seeing beyond consistent data use then I will hunt down what they are seeing and correct it. Its like saying stop walking past that street...but not giving them context to what street.
Sure I am tethering but I want them to tell me WHEN I am tethering. If they cant prove that beyond a reasonable doubt then they seriously need to reevaluate their priorities. Especially considering I max out around 4gb a month. Next month I am streaming netflix 24/7 and not tethering just to mess with them just a little more
i tether my sons ipod all the time, they don't catch that!
Glad I didn't yet sell my S4, because I believe the Verizon S5 is soon to be the most returned phone in Android history.
While Verizon/Samung/Android didn't "actively" mislead anyone about the capabilities of this phone, they clearly allowed people to believe things to the contrary, and it royally pisses me off.
1> There is no sense in having a finger print scanner that doesn't work most of the time, and doesn't allow for purchases with PayPal as originally intended/advertised.**Now working**
2> Crippling the download booster function and not even offering an explanation is simply unacceptable.
3> Having an extSdCard that 4.4 doesn't allow 3rd party apps to access is not "secure", it's stupid.
4> Rooting and allowing awesome developers to do what they do is what Android is ALL ABOUT, and this phone is the epitome of preventing that.
5> I'm sure there are other things yet to make it to light, that will also have no explanation for the defiance of logic.
Verizon, Android, and Samsung have succeeded in making the iPhone of the Android world. Frankly, I'd rather have an iPhone, and iCant stand em. Best of luck to those that decide to stick it out and pray for root, as I believe that is the only thing that could possibly salvage this joke of a device. Anyone involved in it's creation, should feel ashamed.
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted by hypocrites as self evident, as if they never personally ridiculed, or violently opposed it."
That's a negative sense. Can you imagine it positively ?
If you see it as positively then developer edition give ours good opportunity.. i believe it..
jpmcnown said:
Glad I didn't yet sell my S4, because I believe the Verizon S5 is soon to be the most returned phone in Android history.
While Verizon/Samung/Android didn't "actively" mislead anyone about the capabilities of this phone, they clearly allowed people to believe things to the contrary, and it royally pisses me off.
1> There is no sense in having a finger print scanner that doesn't work most of the time, and doesn't allow for purchases with PayPal as originally intended/advertised.
2> Crippling the download booster function and not even offering an explanation is simply unacceptable.
3> Having an extSdCard that 4.4 doesn't allow 3rd party apps to access is not "secure", it's stupid.
4> Rooting and allowing awesome developers to do what they do is what Android is ALL ABOUT, and this phone is the epitome of preventing that.
5> I'm sure there are other things yet to make it to light, that will also have no explanation for the defiance of logic.
Verizon, Android, and Samsung have succeeded in making the iPhone of the Android world. Frankly, I'd rather have an iPhone, and iCant stand em. Best of luck to those that decide to stick it out and pray for root, as I believe that is the only thing that could possibly salvage this joke of a device. Anyone involved in it's creation, should feel ashamed.
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted by hypocrites as self evident, as if they never personally ridiculed, or violently opposed it."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're being a bit dramatic...this phone will get some returns being so locked down, but the number of us that care about root is small, less than 3% I would bet. This will be the best selling Android phone of the year for any carrier most likely.
1) Fingerprint scanner can be greatly improved if you scan the sides of your fingers as well.
2) Agreed and explanation would be nice, but on the other hand they could be trying to avoid a lot of people using this and unknowingly eating up all their data allotment. Consumers have come to understand that being on your wifi doesn't use your data, so if they enabled this feature, they would be using their data while on wifi as well, many without understanding. Then lots of people get overages and get upset with the carriers, causing a headache and more bad PR.
3) Agree again, but Google is asking OEM's to do this with KitKat, it's not unique to Samsung.
4) Rooting/ROMing is not even close to being what Android is "ALL ABOUT", but it's a nice perk with most phones.
5) Okay
This phone will likely get root at some point, but who knows for sure. Luckily, there's other great options to pick from as well.
jpmcnown said:
Glad I didn't yet sell my S4, because I believe the Verizon S5 is soon to be the most returned phone in Android history.
While Verizon/Samung/Android didn't "actively" mislead anyone about the capabilities of this phone, they clearly allowed people to believe things to the contrary, and it royally pisses me off.
1> There is no sense in having a finger print scanner that doesn't work most of the time, and doesn't allow for purchases with PayPal as originally intended/advertised.
2> Crippling the download booster function and not even offering an explanation is simply unacceptable.
3> Having an extSdCard that 4.4 doesn't allow 3rd party apps to access is not "secure", it's stupid.
4> Rooting and allowing awesome developers to do what they do is what Android is ALL ABOUT, and this phone is the epitome of preventing that.
5> I'm sure there are other things yet to make it to light, that will also have no explanation for the defiance of logic.
Verizon, Android, and Samsung have succeeded in making the iPhone of the Android world. Frankly, I'd rather have an iPhone, and iCant stand em. Best of luck to those that decide to stick it out and pray for root, as I believe that is the only thing that could possibly salvage this joke of a device. Anyone involved in it's creation, should feel ashamed.
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted by hypocrites as self evident, as if they never personally ridiculed, or violently opposed it."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your forgot the fact the 98% of S5 users don't care about those facts, you are a minority. I am glad you didn't buy an S5 so we don't have to hear you whine about what we already know. Those that bought in know what we are getting into, coming from a former S4 user w/ Root. If we don't get root, that will suck, but I will be just fine, the less I tinker with my phone, the more I enjoy other things in life.
I have a great idea for you, go to TMobile, they will pay your ETF and get your dream phone.
wow... calm it down son...
waiting for root exploit is part of the fun for me... yes, it sucks i can't have root out of the box to restore my apps but samsung made plenty of upgrades that will keep me busy till a root is out... if it ever does.
I got your back JP. The Verizon Samsung Galaxy s5 turned out to be all the things I thought it would be. I.E. more of the same from Samsung and Verizon both. I am so glad I jumped ship to HTC and got the M8. I am comfortably S-off'ed, doing whatever the hell I want with my 600$ phone.
Guys, cut him ssome slack. I'm sure each and every one of you has *****ed about buying a 600$ phone and not being able to modify it at some point.
I was able to successfully obtain f-off on the Galaxy S5.
jucytec said:
wow... calm it down son...
waiting for root exploit is part of the fun for me... yes, it sucks i can't have root out of the box to restore my apps but samsung made plenty of upgrades that will keep me busy till a root is out... if it ever does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong post
fillyo said:
Then go to the M8 forums, we don't care about your thoughts on the S5 and why you bought the M8. I'm not in there posting why I didn't buy the One. I went to buy the One on launch day but chickened out because the camera sucks and the bezel is huge and it is too tall.
Sent from my SM-G900V using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read my post again monkey. I never said I bought an M8. I said I don't mind waiting for root. M8 is garbage
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
nicholi2789 said:
I got your back JP. The Verizon Samsung Galaxy s5 turned out to be all the things I thought it would be. I.E. more of the same from Samsung and Verizon both. I am so glad I jumped ship to HTC and got the M8. I am comfortably S-off'ed, doing whatever the hell I want with my 600$ phone.
Guys, cut him ssome slack. I'm sure each and every one of you has *****ed about buying a 600$ phone and not being able to modify it at some point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then go to the M8 forums, we don't care about your thoughts on the S5 and why you bought the M8. I'm not in the One forum posting that it is a POS and why I didn't buy the One. I went to buy the One on launch day but chickened out because the camera sucks and the bezel is huge and it is too tall. But that is my choice, I'm not ****ting on everyone else's who bought the One by telling them that in their forums. We know this phone will not be cracked and who cares, works fine as it. I just want root for tether and debloat.
It's funny that you see M8 and Nexus 5 fanboys posting all over the S5 articles everywhere bashing the S5, it's a joke. You must not be happy with your choice. I guess this is what happens to the top dog.
Sent from my SM-G900V using xda app-developers app
Eh, people just need to reinforce their decision to go for prettyness over functionality. But we all cannot be teenage girls. And yes, sometimes the most popular device is actually the best.
I think this whole "rebel against popularity" stems from the battle between iOS and Android. Unfortunately Samsung is being seen as the new Apple in the android environment when clearly the provider, in this case VZW, is the oppressor.
Sent from my shiny new GS5 using XDA Premium.
previous device: Galaxy Nexus
jpmcnown said:
Glad I didn't yet sell my S4, because I believe the Verizon S5 is soon to be the most returned phone in Android history.
While Verizon/Samung/Android didn't "actively" mislead anyone about the capabilities of this phone, they clearly allowed people to believe things to the contrary, and it royally pisses me off.
1> There is no sense in having a finger print scanner that doesn't work most of the time, and doesn't allow for purchases with PayPal as originally intended/advertised.
2> Crippling the download booster function and not even offering an explanation is simply unacceptable.
3> Having an extSdCard that 4.4 doesn't allow 3rd party apps to access is not "secure", it's stupid.
4> Rooting and allowing awesome developers to do what they do is what Android is ALL ABOUT, and this phone is the epitome of preventing that.
5> I'm sure there are other things yet to make it to light, that will also have no explanation for the defiance of logic.
Verizon, Android, and Samsung have succeeded in making the iPhone of the Android world. Frankly, I'd rather have an iPhone, and iCant stand em. Best of luck to those that decide to stick it out and pray for root, as I believe that is the only thing that could possibly salvage this joke of a device. Anyone involved in it's creation, should feel ashamed.
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted by hypocrites as self evident, as if they never personally ridiculed, or violently opposed it."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Yes it does allow payments via Paypal, stop being a tool and READ, maybe even Google something....
2. The gentlemen above me gave a great explanation. It just wouldn't make sense in a capped data environment.
3. If Root were obtained, this wouldn't be an issue. 3rd party apps CAN access the card BTW, they just can't write to folders other than their own. You do know the My Files app works, right????
4. No. Providing smartphone users with an OS that has tightly integrated Google services as a means for Google to serve you relevant ads is what ANDROID is all about. You and I and the rest of us who care about customizing are miniscule compared to the BILLION PLUS Android users. Get a clue dude.
5. Stop being a tool, get off the forums, go play around with the phone, maybe even watch a video or two about all the tips and tricks the phone has, and then come back, when you're ready to not sound like a whiny teenager.
---------- Post added at 01:25 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:20 AM ----------
nicholi2789 said:
I got your back JP. The Verizon Samsung Galaxy s5 turned out to be all the things I thought it would be. I.E. more of the same from Samsung and Verizon both. I am so glad I jumped ship to HTC and got the M8. I am comfortably S-off'ed, doing whatever the hell I want with my 600$ phone.
Guys, cut him ssome slack. I'm sure each and every one of you has *****ed about buying a 600$ phone and not being able to modify it at some point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I doubt most of us have. Apart from it being an old argument that accomplishes NOTHING, it also is pretty naive to buy a phone THINKING that people who VOLUNTEER and work on donations would spend time to find an exploit, as if this is owed or expected. The sense of entitlement for people who believe this is ridiculous.
S5 does have root, does have custom boot loader, and already has roms. It is VERIZON that has your phone locked.
I'm sorry to say it, but I jumped over to T MOBILE and they paid my ETF fee....up to $350...
$50 A month unlimited, instead of $90 or so, plus additional line too. ...
So far I'm happy with the switch though.
Sorry you are having issues with your version.
If I come across anything to help you guys I will post in here for you.
Sent from my rooted 'beaned' SM-G900T using Tapatalk Premium
mexiken said:
1. Yes it does allow payments via Paypal, stop being a tool and READ, maybe even Google something....
2. The gentlemen above me gave a great explanation. It just wouldn't make sense in a capped data environment.
3. If Root were obtained, this wouldn't be an issue. 3rd party apps CAN access the card BTW, they just can't write to folders other than their own. You do know the My Files app works, right????
4. No. Providing smartphone users with an OS that has tightly integrated Google services as a means for Google to serve you relevant ads is what ANDROID is all about. You and I and the rest of us who care about customizing are miniscule compared to the BILLION PLUS Android users. Get a clue dude.
5. Stop being a tool, get off the forums, go play around with the phone, maybe even watch a video or two about all the tips and tricks the phone has, and then come back, when you're ready to not sound like a whiny teenager.
---------- Post added at 01:25 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:20 AM ----------
No, I doubt most of us have. Apart from it being an old argument that accomplishes NOTHING, it also is pretty naive to buy a phone THINKING that people who VOLUNTEER and work on donations would spend time to find an exploit, as if this is owed or expected. The sense of entitlement for people who believe this is ridiculous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Follow your own advice, I'll wait.......
2. I wish I was so naive that no explanation, would be considered an explanation.
3. You do know that "My Files" is not a third party app, right????? I understand that most of these issues would be a non-issue with root access, but please oh wise one, explain how this apparent increased root difficulty is peculiarly carrier-specific?
4. No one in the history of the world has ever said "I'm going to get an Android so I can have relevant ads." At least one person has said, "I want to customize the **** out of my phone, therefore, Android."
5. Thank you, I had no idea that there was information about this phone anywhere other than XDA. Perhaps in my quest, I may find this elusive information about the Verizon S5 fingerprint scanner usable with Paypal you speak of.
6. I do NOT feel "entitled" to root. I understand that what you call "volunteering" isn't also about NOT getting paid, which is why I have no problem supporting the awesome efforts of root/recovery/rom/app developers. I DO feel entitled to features advertised to be available in a product, and if/when those features are deliberately disabled, I DO feel entitled to an explanation. Unless you can provide explanations instead of a cult-like defense reserved for Apple Forums, please limit your responses to the tools that may kiss you ass elsewhere.
This is no different than if a car company was to release a model of vehicle with a set of unique features, only to have the dealership remove them, and not bother to tell anyone about it. Then when you realize that those features are missing, and take to a forum (typically) full of enlightened people with explanations and solutions, you instead receive rhetoric like "Stop *****ing about the car not having heated seats(albeit not a unique feature), it has a steering wheel, doesn't it you ungrateful prick?"
em0ney14 said:
S5 does have root, does have custom boot loader, and already has roms. It is VERIZON that has your phone locked.
I'm sorry to say it, but I jumped over to T MOBILE and they paid my ETF fee....up to $350...
$50 A month unlimited, instead of $90 or so, plus additional line too. ...
So far I'm happy with the switch though.
Sorry you are having issues with your version.
If I come across anything to help you guys I will post in here for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your input, I am seriously weighing my options, I've been checking out the T-Mobile S5 forums, and see a lot of interesting things going on over there. I haven't been under contract with Verizon for years, and frankly, coverage is the only thing that's preventing me from leaving, and they unfortunately have no competition in that regard. Still considering throwing my grandfathered unlimited data plans on ebay, and exchanging coverage for capability.
jpmcnown said:
Thanks for your input, I am seriously weighing my options, I've been checking out the T-Mobile S5 forums, and see a lot of interesting things going on over there. I haven't been under contract with Verizon for years, and frankly, coverage is the only thing that's preventing me from leaving, and they unfortunately have no competition in that regard. Still considering throwing my grandfathered unlimited data plans on ebay, and exchanging coverage for capability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same boat. I have piece of mind, that wherever I go I have service with Verizon. Although tmobile has great service where I live in Atlanta, I've also traveled north and south and felt so cheap and angry having a phone with a G and edge icon for data majority of the time. I mean it's 2014 for crying out loud. LOL! Also the fact my family lives in West Virginia where there's no tmobile service and it roams on att at the worst capped speeds. At that point I promise to not let Verizon go because it has a stellar LTE icon at least 90% of the way. Once I get back to Atlanta, I say, well I have great coverage where I live, costs is cheaper, and mainly bootloaders are unlocked with tmobile. Once I travel on the road again it's the same cycle of me back pedaling leaving Verizon because they're hands down the most reliable, I have a 20% discount, and unlimited data. I'm tempted to suspend my service with Verizon and only reconnect when I travel until tmobile gets there coverage wise. Since I've been off contract forever I can suspend my line for at least half the year without being billed. I feel ridiculous going through this as an adult because I like to flash ROMS. Help me? LOL!
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
jpmcnown said:
I was able to successfully obtain f-off on the Galaxy S5.
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This is hands-down the funniest post I've ever read on XDA. I agree, after my Note 3, I'm all done with Samsung devices permanently. They don't care about their customers at all. They've been most unhelpful after I've exhausted every channel of support imaginable looking for a solution. I wish Motorola would make a high-end device again, which I bet they are. Regardless, don't get too excited about the S5 getting unlocked. I've been working with another S4 developer for about 6 months now, and while we've got a great understanding of what's going on, there's not much we can do. We're still working, but don't get this device expecting custom ROMs and kernels. Root is realistic though, and I'd imagine it'll be here soon
Remember that you have 14 days after renewal of contract or purchase of the device to bring it back and tell those red trolls that you can't root this bad boy.
jpmcnown said:
Thanks for your input, I am seriously weighing my options, I've been checking out the T-Mobile S5 forums, and see a lot of interesting things going on over there. I haven't been under contract with Verizon for years, and frankly, coverage is the only thing that's preventing me from leaving, and they unfortunately have no competition in that regard. Still considering throwing my grandfathered unlimited data plans on ebay, and exchanging coverage for capability.
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Click to collapse
How does the work, selling your unlimited plan? Do you have to lose your phone number as well?
Free storage from Copy:
https://copy.com?r=cScoov
jpmcnown said:
Glad I didn't yet sell my S4, because I believe the Verizon S5 is soon to be the most returned phone in Android history.
While Verizon/Samung/Android didn't "actively" mislead anyone about the capabilities of this phone, they clearly allowed people to believe things to the contrary, and it royally pisses me off.
1> There is no sense in having a finger print scanner that doesn't work most of the time, and doesn't allow for purchases with PayPal as originally intended/advertised.
2> Crippling the download booster function and not even offering an explanation is simply unacceptable.
3> Having an extSdCard that 4.4 doesn't allow 3rd party apps to access is not "secure", it's stupid.
4> Rooting and allowing awesome developers to do what they do is what Android is ALL ABOUT, and this phone is the epitome of preventing that.
5> I'm sure there are other things yet to make it to light, that will also have no explanation for the defiance of logic.
Verizon, Android, and Samsung have succeeded in making the iPhone of the Android world. Frankly, I'd rather have an iPhone, and iCant stand em. Best of luck to those that decide to stick it out and pray for root, as I believe that is the only thing that could possibly salvage this joke of a device. Anyone involved in it's creation, should feel ashamed.
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted by hypocrites as self evident, as if they never personally ridiculed, or violently opposed it."
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Nice of you to share how you really feel about the GS5. Now you should take that to the M8 forums since it will get you a lot more mileage there. Here people just don't care.
I'm very happy with my GS5 and a lot of people are too.
Sounds like you don't even have the phoeu, but came here to troll instead.
Good luck with that.
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
brazcub said:
Nice of you to share how you really feel about the GS5. Now you should take that to the M8 forums since it will get you a lot more mileage there. Here people just don't care.
I'm very happy with my GS5 and a lot of people are too.
Sounds like you don't even have the phoeu, but came here to troll instead.
Good luck with that.
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Yeah, you got me, I'm pissed about a phone I didn't buy. What part of my diatribe would give any sane person the impression that I don't own the Verizon S5 genius?
I've submitted two reviews on the Verizon website giving my honest opinion of the device. They have denied posting both times due to what they say violates the guidelines. Admittedly, my first review was rather harsh. After the first denial, I went back and read the guidelines and posted a very toned down version. I didn't post anything that was specifically prohibited in the second review. They did not see it that way and denied posting the second version for the same given reason. Apparently, Verizon will not tolerate ANY criticism of their company by reviewers.
Here are their guidelines:
Verizon values your feedback!
When writing your review, please consider the following guidelines:
Focus on the product and your individual experience using it
Provide details about why you liked or disliked a product
All submitted reviews are subject to the terms set forth in our Terms of Use
We reserve the right not to post your review if it contains any of the following types of content or violates other guidelines:
Obscenities, discriminatory language, or other language not suitable for a public forum
Advertisements, “spam” content, or references to other products, offers, or websites
Email addresses, URLs, phone numbers, physical addresses or other forms of contact information
Critical or spiteful comments on other reviews posted on the page or their authors
In addition, if you wish to share feedback with us about product selection, pricing, ordering, delivery or other customer service issues, please do not submit this feedback through a product review. Instead, contact us directly.
Enjoy writing your review!
What is the text of your review?
KarlStyles said:
What is the text of your review?
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I didn't keep my exact text, but this is pretty close to what I said in my edited review:
Samsung did a great job designing this device. Why isn't this device sold with an unlockable bootloader as the manufacturer intended? Power users should be able to use their own property as they see fit as long as it doesn't break any laws.
I'm disappointed that Verizon chose not to offer the 32gb version of this phone. Because of the way that Android manages memory, many apps can't be moved to the Micro SD card. For users that need a lot of apps, memory will quickly become an issue.
I'm not happy that the phone is sold loaded down with software that is designed to promote sales and marketing of other products and I'm not allowed to disable or uninstall it.
They own the site so they're entitled to filter content as they see fit.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using xda app-developers app
mike163 said:
I didn't keep my exact text, but this is pretty close to what I said in my edited review:
Samsung did a great job designing this device. Why isn't this device sold with an unlockable bootloader as the manufacturer intended? Power users should be able to use their own property as they see fit as long as it doesn't break any laws.
I'm disappointed that Verizon chose not to offer the 32gb version of this phone. Because of the way that Android manages memory, many apps can't be moved to the Micro SD card. For users that need a lot of apps, memory will quickly become an issue.
I'm not happy that the phone is sold loaded down with software that is designed to promote sales and marketing of other products and I'm not allowed to disable or uninstall it.
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Click to collapse
I don't disagree with anything you said, but it does fall out of their guidelines. It is more a complaint against Verizon than a review of the phone. Maybe the way to go about it is to rephrase it more like a product review. For example, instead of generalizing on limited apps to card, phrase it as your experience. Something like "unlike previous phones, the new android system didn't let me move as many apps to the external card. As a result, I find the 16 gb storage is filling up quickly." Then move to disappointed that Verizon doesn't have 32gb version.
Similarly you can mention that the device runs ok, and Samsung added a feature to turn off system apps in order to conserve battery and reduce clutter. But then move to however there is a lot of bloat that can't be turned off.
I'm not sure what to do with the rooting portion, maybe keep it as a final note rather than making that your main point. I would also add a starting statement of "I've used the phone for x days and here's my impression so far". That may be enough to qualify it to their standard.
Btw, you didn't mention the fact that Verizon disabled two of the main advertised features of the phone - download boost and finger print payments.
You must be maintain guidelines.. All time..
I'm considering going back to T-Mobile over the S5 root issues. It gets worse and worse each year with them. I've been a loyal customer for 10 years and they took my unlimited away, bloated my phone with apps, raised rates and now they pretty much don't allow the truth to be told on their site. I've been due for an upgrade for a LONG time and I think I might take up t-mo's buy out your contract thing just to stick it to them.
1timer said:
I'm considering going back to T-Mobile over the S5 root issues. It gets worse and worse each year with them. I've been a loyal customer for 10 years and they took my unlimited away, bloated my phone with apps, raised rates and now they pretty much don't allow the truth to be told on their site. I've been due for an upgrade for a LONG time and I think I might take up t-mo's buy out your contract thing just to stick it to them.
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I'm debating going with you to be honest.
thewebsiteisdown said:
I'm debating going with you to be honest.
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Me too. Another Cincinnatian here as well. Shame T-Mo coverage isn't that great here. Neither is Sprint...only good ones are VZW and ATT and C-Bell (now VZW! I think I am gonna puke).
SOCOM-HERO said:
Me too. Another Cincinnatian here as well. Shame T-Mo coverage isn't that great here. Neither is Sprint...only good ones are VZW and ATT and C-Bell (now VZW! I think I am gonna puke).
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Look what I just read.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/te...s-browsing-to-advertisers-20140426-zqzzq.html
thewebsiteisdown said:
Look what I just read.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/te...s-browsing-to-advertisers-20140426-zqzzq.html
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Do you know that every other provider DOESN'T do this? Doubt it's just VZW.
jmill75 said:
Do you know that every other provider DOESN'T do this? Doubt it's just VZW.
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Verizon has their phones locked down completely and T-mobile doesn't. There for I can rid the problem with T-mobile pretty easily, not so much with Verizon. That's my point what's yours?
thewebsiteisdown said:
Verizon has their phones locked down completely and T-mobile doesn't. There for I can rid the problem with T-mobile pretty easily, not so much with Verizon. That's my point what's yours?
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LOL, yes you may be able to get rid of carrier IQ type programs running on your phone. Not sure what this has to do with TMOBILE seeing what websites you are visiting using there network and selling this to advertising companies etc....
Ex 2: Just because I run Chrome in incognito mode doesn't mean Time Warner doesn't monitor my traffic.
Back to you, whats your point, you said it like "OMG LOOK AT WHAT I JUST READ" "BAD VERIZON"
LOLOLOLOLOL
jmill75 said:
LOL, yes you may be able to get rid of carrier IQ type programs running on your phone. Not sure what this has to do with TMOBILE seeing what websites you are visiting using there network and selling this to advertising companies etc....
Ex 2: Just because I run Chrome in incognito mode doesn't mean Time Warner doesn't monitor my traffic.
Back to you, whats your point, you said it like "OMG LOOK AT WHAT I JUST READ" "BAD VERIZON"
LOLOLOLOLOL
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Almost all mega-corps data mine like crazy. Fine. Discover that I like rooting on XDA, have a facebook account, play video games...I don't care.
What I do care about is being able to do what I want, when I want with my device. VZW doesn't seem to care about the customer at all anymore.
SOCOM-HERO said:
Almost all mega-corps data mine like crazy. Fine. Discover that I like rooting on XDA, have a facebook account, play video games...I don't care.
What I do care about is being able to do what I want, when I want with my device. VZW doesn't seem to care about the customer at all anymore.
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Exactly thank you for summing it up for me.
VZW, and ATT, are required by law to allow you to network unlock the device, not boot loader unlock. The carrier covers warranty claims on the device, therefore it is in their interest to minimize the amount of damage "power users" can do to their devices
in my opinion, this trend of carriers locking bootloaders is the direct result of unscrupulous "modders" sending in for warranty or insurance claims after bricking their devices.
finally, we are by far the minority of smartphone users. a very very small percentage of Samsung, or the carriers, customer base and we DO have other options. the Nexus line, HTC with their unlockable bootloaders, GPE, and Dev edition devices.
/rant sorry
Russ77 said:
great input, thanks.
call it whatever you want, companies are in business to make money. if they're giving up profit margin due to fraudulent warranty claims on modified devices, they're well within their rights to sell locked devices.
was anyone here really surprised that the s5 is locked? really?
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How much profit has been lost on this? $10k? $1 million? If you took the entire user base of XDA or any other tech forum and had all of them return broken phones, then you'd attention of a company like VZW. Otherwise, they don't care. They just want to pick a fight they can win easily and make the "modding" community look bad because 1% have not followed directions or are just plain dumb.
A) if you bring in a rooted device that is bricked, they won't even offer you a claim
B) How many people are dumb enough to spend hours on XDA and other sites following instructions and asking questions, only to just give up and go back to VZW/ATT with their bricked phone and say "Idk how this happened?"
Please. These companies aren't in business to make money, they are in business to advance an agenda for shareholders while raking in the money from consumers who have a rapidly disappearing range of options to consider. Cincinnati is a great recent example. Our local provider just got bought out by VZW and at the same time, laid off a decent chunk of staff to make way for the corporate shift. All the while, these same companies lie to the customer with their marketing fluff.
I am not an advocate for one carrier over another, as I have no vested interest in any one of them over another. However, I will say that T-Mo's "in your face" approach to their new marketing is quite polarizing to the rest of the status quo in the industry of "corporate bs doublespeak" where one day you have a contract for $99/mo unlimited everything, and the next, you are paying $130 with a data cap. (Which happens to be what happened to me).
If the PC industry was this way, we wouldn't have half the progress we have seen in the last 20 years. Instead, the PC industry (mac included) embraced unique user created content (hackers included) and actually employed some of those who were great at it to work for them. But, NO, not in the telecom industry. It is the most ridiculous double standard.
So yes, these companies can go shove it. I'm done here. I won't be getting an S5 or and HTC M8 at this point. I have analyzed the phones and neither one is getting the "ok" from me anyhow. I just think it is very interesting how much a company is willing to combat what the "android community," if you can even call it one, has become.
A bunch of polarizing, angry tech loving people who never agree on anything, myself included. Get me out of here. I'm done.
Make it easy on yourself. Don't buy Samsung-Verizon ****. I got an m8. Sharp looking phone, rooted and unlocked in days. Even if you rock stock, there is far less bloat. Sense isn't the steaming pile that touchwiz is. And they sell 32 GB for the same price as this unholy garbage.
SOCOM-HERO said:
Me too. Another Cincinnatian here as well. Shame T-Mo coverage isn't that great here. Neither is Sprint...only good ones are VZW and ATT and C-Bell (now VZW! I think I am gonna puke).
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I'm from NKY and just switched from sprint to T-Mobile. I don't get LTE in NKY, and I haven't been to Cinci yet since the switch. That being said, my coverage has been pretty good and so long as I'm in anything resembling civilization I pretty much always get 4g (5-10Mbps). It's not all bad, and hopefully LTE is on the way, Unlimited data is nice, and I have JUMP, so being able to upgrade yearly is awesome as well.
1timer said:
I'm considering going back to T-Mobile over the S5 root issues. It gets worse and worse each year with them. I've been a loyal customer for 10 years and they took my unlimited away, bloated my phone with apps, raised rates and now they pretty much don't allow the truth to be told on their site. I've been due for an upgrade for a LONG time and I think I might take up t-mo's buy out your contract thing just to stick it to them.
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Click to collapse
They didn't take away unlimited, they basically forced you to opt out of that option in order to pay for contract price phones when you upgrade. I've never had the unlimited, so it's nothing I really bothered to complain about. I did however, end up doubling my coverage for the same price one day 2 years ago when I was on the My Verizon app, and noticed they were offering it. Of course they didn't bother to advertise it anywhere else though.
I will never lose Verizon. I know it sucks how freaking crazy they are locking everything, but there are Devs out there who always find a way. I can not simply give up the best coverage just for root. As much as it might suck one day, not being able to actually use your phone due to **** service would be even worse.
---------- Post added at 12:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:49 AM ----------
k.electron said:
Make it easy on yourself. Don't buy Samsung-Verizon ****. I got an m8. Sharp looking phone, rooted and unlocked in days. Even if you rock stock, there is far less bloat. Sense isn't the steaming pile that touchwiz is. And they sell 32 GB for the same price as this unholy garbage.
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Click to collapse
Samsung phones are superior to HTC. Not just my opinion, but basically backed up by facts. S5 has the best display on the market, hands down. Faster processor, better camera, better layout, better extras. The only thing the HTC has over the S5 is exterior speakers, but honestly, who even uses them that much? You're either listening to music on your headphones, or plugging the phone into better speakers anyways
Hi guys,
I've been a member of XDA for a while now. I'm not as active as I hoped to be when I joined but I live such a busy life it's impossible to stay on and continuously remain active.
Anyway, to my point and reason for starting this thread. There are certain individuals with the knowledge on this site (and others) whom are fully capable of flashing LTE capable devices. The ones that can be flashed anyway. I'm not talking about illegal flashing, donor phones or anything like that. I'm talking about simple, legal flashing to another wireless carrier such as taking a VZW Galaxy S3 and flashing it to Page+.
I've offered to pay one individual to show/teach me how it's done. I can flash 3G devices without issue. But asking someone to teach you, show you or otherwise provide you with tips on how to flash LTE phones is a lost cause. They use this ability to make money charging $35 a pop to flash phones. And that's fair I guess. If you can do something others cannot then you charge for it right?
But what gets me is that we are Android enthusiast's. An open-source mobile development project that went beyond the expectations of it's original dev's at Google I would imagine. Now, it's arguably the most popular mobile OS in the world. To me it's the most popular anyway, to h3ll with iOS.
Anyway, for us to be all about the open source scene and what not but to refuse to share knowledge about flashing LTE devices because of pure greed is beyond me. We live out lives based on free, open source software but when it comes to something such as flashing LTE devices there is no way anyone will help you learn how to do it or especially show you how to do it.
That's why I'm starting this thread. I want/need to learn how to flash LTE phones to Page Plus. That's it... I run a smartphone shop and often have client's come in wanting options or directly asking me if I can flash a phone to Page+ for them. Well sure! But only if it's a 3G device. :-/
The only other way is for me to use a certain individual who charges $35 to flash the phones remotely. If I try to double it up to $70 then my client's are turned off as there is a shop further away from mine who has a T-Mobile employee there who flashes phones for $35. So I want to be able to offer this service to my clients for the same. I cannot charge them $35, jump online and wait on the person who's name I will not mention to get to me when they can. I make no money, in fact, the time I would have to spend doing this would cost me money because in my field time truly is money.
I need an open source enthusiast whom isn't p0ser. One whom is willing to teach me how to flash LTE phones so that I can offer this service to my customer's. I do not care about the money, I simply want people to know that I can do anything for them at my shop. Telling them I cannot flash LTE phones is just bad for my business in general.
So, with all of that said I would really be impressed if a true enthusiast came out of the wood work to help me with this little problem. Me and the thousands of other individuals who need to know how to flash LTE devices. I mean wow, the things we use this site for... Yet no one will reveal the secrets of LTE flashing. It boggles my mind.
And yes, I've read thread after thread on forum after forum trying to decipher the methods used to flash these phones. I know it's simple, it's as simple as flashing a 3G device to Page+. That's what makes me even more discouraged about it all. It's so easy to do. That means it's easy to teach. I have all of the necessary software do flash nearly any device. But the exact steps to follow are what I am missing.
So, someone, anyone who cares about the open source movement and the ability we have to share knowledge please step forward and show not only me, but everyone here that open source development is not used for profit but for expanding our knowledge. It seems that some of us of gotten off of track over the years. Greed is one of the things that makes Apple a horrible company, it's also what makes people turn into individuals they never meant/hoped to be.
So c'mon guys, let's forget all of the bs and let's get back to our roots here. Who's willing to help me learn how to flash LTE devices? I can offer compensation if I must but again, that would go against the idea behind open source. I simply need to learn how to do this, period. And I'll do whatever I need to do in order to learn.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this and hopefully it will do some good.
Sincerely and Respectfully,
PAinguIN
The info I found here is completely baffling to me. Half the phones listed say they're a 4G device and will work with voice/text/data/ The other half say they won't work because they're 4G phones. So as for the "why" you might be able to flash a particular phone, I don't know. Seems dependent on a phone-by-phone basis.
Does Page Plus even offer LTE service? Does it even offer 4G of any sort (like HSPA+)? The coverage map on their website only lists EV-DO for data. Plans list amounts of data, but make no mention of 4G or LTE.
Or are you merely trying to get LTE capable Verizon phones to work with Page Plus service, regardless of what actual speed of data they can get?
There's many aspects of this that I don't understand. Are you the operator of a corporate-owned store? Are you a franchise? Do you operate as an authorized representative of Page Plus, as well as other MVNOs? I really don't know how these type of shops work, although I see them everywhere.
Offering to flash for free might be breaking some sort of contract or something. I agree that it's greedy to charge so much for so quick/simple a task, but I'm not surprised they charge so much either, since bringing a phone and paying the money to flash it is way cheaper than buying a new phone (and the phone selection on their website is craptacular - just plain awful), so they get the money where they can.
The software to flash phones in this way, I'm betting, took a lot of development, time, and money. The fact that this service isn't available to you, and must be done through a separate, paid service, means to me that they're keeping this to themselves for reasons that should be obvious.
XDA is a community devoted to developing and "hacking" (primarily) the Android system. What you're looking for has far less to do with Android. and more to do with the carriers themselves. Some phones can be flashed, some can't. Or rather, ones that "can't" perhaps can, but would require a bunch of R&D to get done, and isn't worth it to find out. What I mean to say is that what you're asking for probably won't be done. Not without forking over a ton of money, because what you'd expect/hope to do is impossible, and the people who could do it have already done so, and they are the very people who offer this service at $55 a pop because it took a lot of time and money to figure out how to do it.
And no personal offense intended, but Page Plus looks like a horrible choice to go with for anyone who expects to use a smartphone. The phone selection sucks beyond comprehension. Seriously, the only thing it has going for it besides its cheap rates is that it has Verizon's coverage. But who needs that kind of coverage? Probably people that can afford Verizon's actual plans and can enjoy its LTE network and/or travel across the country a lot, and wouldn't bother with this joke of a company in the first place. Bring your own 4G phone? Why? Go with a Verzion pre-paid plan. Or tell Big Red to stick it and go with a company that doesn't anally rape their customers, like T-Mobile. It just seems to me that there's better options, including Verizon-powered MVNOs than Page Plus. When it comes to smartphones, anyway. Basic voice/text plans are probably OK.
Whatever. I don't know why I spent so much time responding to your post. I sincerely wish you success in your business. The world certainly needs people like you that want to give their customers what they need for as little money as possible, and with as little nickel-and-diming (ass-raping) as necessary. But the software/hardware/firmware limitations on so many phones made for the US market make what you're hoping for a physical and/or logistical/financial impossibility (or, simply, more than it's worth) to realize.
Planterz said:
The info I found here is completely baffling to me. Half the phones listed say they're a 4G device and will work with voice/text/data/ The other half say they won't work because they're 4G phones. So as for the "why" you might be able to flash a particular phone, I don't know. Seems dependent on a phone-by-phone basis.
Does Page Plus even offer LTE service? Does it even offer 4G of any sort (like HSPA+)? The coverage map on their website only lists EV-DO for data. Plans list amounts of data, but make no mention of 4G or LTE.
Or are you merely trying to get LTE capable Verizon phones to work with Page Plus service, regardless of what actual speed of data they can get?
There's many aspects of this that I don't understand. Are you the operator of a corporate-owned store? Are you a franchise? Do you operate as an authorized representative of Page Plus, as well as other MVNOs? I really don't know how these type of shops work, although I see them everywhere.
Offering to flash for free might be breaking some sort of contract or something. I agree that it's greedy to charge so much for so quick/simple a task, but I'm not surprised they charge so much either, since bringing a phone and paying the money to flash it is way cheaper than buying a new phone (and the phone selection on their website is craptacular - just plain awful), so they get the money where they can.
The software to flash phones in this way, I'm betting, took a lot of development, time, and money. The fact that this service isn't available to you, and must be done through a separate, paid service, means to me that they're keeping this to themselves for reasons that should be obvious.
XDA is a community devoted to developing and "hacking" (primarily) the Android system. What you're looking for has far less to do with Android. and more to do with the carriers themselves. Some phones can be flashed, some can't. Or rather, ones that "can't" perhaps can, but would require a bunch of R&D to get done, and isn't worth it to find out. What I mean to say is that what you're asking for probably won't be done. Not without forking over a ton of money, because what you'd expect/hope to do is impossible, and the people who could do it have already done so, and they are the very people who offer this service at $55 a pop because it took a lot of time and money to figure out how to do it.
And no personal offense intended, but Page Plus looks like a horrible choice to go with for anyone who expects to use a smartphone. The phone selection sucks beyond comprehension. Seriously, the only thing it has going for it besides its cheap rates is that it has Verizon's coverage. But who needs that kind of coverage? Probably people that can afford Verizon's actual plans and can enjoy its LTE network and/or travel across the country a lot, and wouldn't bother with this joke of a company in the first place. Bring your own 4G phone? Why? Go with a Verzion pre-paid plan. Or tell Big Red to stick it and go with a company that doesn't anally rape their customers, like T-Mobile. It just seems to me that there's better options, including Verizon-powered MVNOs than Page Plus. When it comes to smartphones, anyway. Basic voice/text plans are probably OK.
Whatever. I don't know why I spent so much time responding to your post. I sincerely wish you success in your business. The world certainly needs people like you that want to give their customers what they need for as little money as possible, and with as little nickel-and-diming (ass-raping) as necessary. But the software/hardware/firmware limitations on so many phones made for the US market make what you're hoping for a physical and/or logistical/financial impossibility (or, simply, more than it's worth) to realize.
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Click to collapse
Planterz,
Yes, I'm just trying to get LTE capable VZW (and certain Sprint phones as rare as they are) to work on P+. I know 3G speeds are possible but as you pointed out 4G LTE is not. That's not really important. As long as SMS, MMS, and mobile web is there then my client's will be happy.
And no, I'm not an authorized Page+ provider. The shop I own started from something I did on the side for extra money. I'm an IT guy by trade but about 3 months ago I decided to resign from my day job, focus on phones and now I'm opening my own shop! It has really been amazing!
But anyway, I plan on becoming an authorized P+ provider because from what I read it's very easy to do so. From what i understand it is perfectly legal to flash devices that Page Plus supports (and some that they do not) to their network. It will, however, automatically cancel any contract that was previously associated with the phone. This will result in early termination fees and all of that jazz. Oh, and this is only if you flash it while it's active on an account. If it is not attached to a wireless carrier then there's nothing to worry about.
And, you are right, XDA is primarily devoted to the development of 3rd party, open source Android OS's. The hacking, well, the hacking comes in place when devices will not let you unlock their boot loader. Such as Samsung. You cannot unlock the bootloader on an S4 (not sure about the S5) yet... And Samsung does not help you with this. They do not encourage unlocking the boot loader.. HTC, however, encourages you to and provides you with the means to unlock your boot loader free of charge. This is one of the main reasons's I have used HTC phones for the last 4-5 years. Since the EVO was released and then the HTC One M7.
But still, what is done here on XDA is much more than simply hacking phones and development. There are lots of threads associated with flashing and some of them have very useful info if you're wanting to flash a 3G device. (Which is easy by the way). But, LTE devices... Unfortunately the story is not the same.
I was just hoping someone could point me in the right direction or be so kind as to show me how it's down or send me the process for flashing, say, a Galaxy S3 on VZW (which is an LTE device). It only takes about 5-10 minutes...
And, lol!!! You have the wrong idea about my shop. I started buying and selling smartphones a couple of years ago. I've worked in the IT field for over a decade and have many loyal clients on the side. Slowly, I began to learn how to repair iPhone's and Android devices. I found a guy who did repairs, a local university student, he and I partnered up. We split everythihng 50/50. Things went surprisingly well! He graduated in May and moved back home, reluctantly...
I continued to carry the torch... My shop is not going to be a Page Plus shop. We have places named "Talk Unlimited" around here that serve that purpose. But as I said, I just hate having to tell people it's going to cost them $75 for a $35 job or even have to send them to Talk Unlimited whom charges $75 as well.
So no, we offer a wide array of services for smartphones including buying/selling. In addition, we offer services in the IT field which cover the entire spectrum. From computer repair and virus removal to enterprise level networking and defense contracting.
I gave up a darn good job and have staked everything I have in this business. So it has to be the BEST! It must offer what other's are incapable of offering and do so much cheaper. Which we do... And in the grand scheme of things being able to flash LTE phones really doesn't matter. But it's only good business to be able to provide the service if needed by a client.
I should have been more clear on that when I started the thread. So once again, no, I am not opening up a shop providing only flashing services to Page Plus and their crappie phones. And they are crappy, just as you pointed out. LOL!
With all of that said, do you know anyone I can speak to or any thread I can check out? Vip3r is the one whom I've used in the past. He knows his stuff, but he will not teach me how to do it. Not even if I pay him. And I understand, he has his reasons. I do not hold it against him. But i need to be able to offer this service if the time comes to where another client needs a solution and flashing to P+ is the only one you know?
Thank you for posting. Perhaps your post will help get a conversation started or something with some answers. Lol!
Thanks again Planterz!
PAinguIN
It's only a matter of time...
As my title states, "It's only a matter of time.". Once I discover how to flash LTE devices I will post my findings here. For everyone to see, read and use. To me, this is the only fair way to do things. Keeping open knowledge from others and forcing them to spend hours and hours online (which I don't have) to find all of the little answers needed is simply not an option for me nor is it for most others.
It appears that I'm missing out on only one or two steps in the process. I guess I'm going to have to ruin a few of my LTE devices as I try to learn this on my own. The process is (I would say) 90% similar to flashing a VZW iPhone 4 to Page Plus. But with a couple of missing steps. I need these steps.
If/when I discover how to do this on my own I will post it in this thread for EVERYONE to see. No longer will people have to ask questions about LTE flashing. Because it will ALL be RIGHT HERE! Mark my word, as soon as I discover what I'm doing wrong and perfect the process then it will be posted here in absolute detail.
If anyone has any information to contribute to this thread I, personally, and many, many others would be more grateful than you could possibly imagine.
Thanks,
PAinguIN
I am now an authorized P+ dealer...
And as time goes by I will piece together the puzzle of flashing non-VZW phones to P+ with MMS/SMS and at least 3G.
If anyone has any insight or tips into this please share.
Thanks!