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[Q] Flash Droid Charge to other CDMA network

Hi,
is anybody was flashed Droid Charge to Boost Mobile, MetroPCS or other CDMA Networks?
Because i cant connect it to QPST for flash PRL and other settings for my network (Intertelecom, Ukraine).

We discovered early on that QPST just doesn't want to work with this phone. Plus, why did you get a LTE phone when you're just going to use CDMA?
Sent from my Droid Charge running Infinity Beta

kvswim said:
We discovered early on that QPST just doesn't want to work with this phone. Plus, why did you get a LTE phone when you're just going to use CDMA?
Sent from my Droid Charge running Infinity Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sellers on ebay that sell Droid Charge with BAD ESN all write that the phone can be connected to MetroPCS, cricket or other, but when i buy Droid I'm not convinced of that.

does it mean what all CDMA carrier settings are on LTE sim card?

licbez said:
does it mean what all CDMA carrier settings are on LTE sim card?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not entirely sure to what extent the SIM is used. I know when I got my replacement Charge, all that was involved in activating it was putting my SIM in.

licbez said:
does it mean what all CDMA carrier settings are on LTE sim card?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In a way yes, we figured out that LTE and CDMA are both 'controlled' or at least filtered through the sim so its not possible to connect it to QPST or flash to another carrier
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App

Who's tried Droid Charge work with RUIM card?

I tried. Write message "SIM not recognized"

Instal Samsung Drivers from Here
After Turning on USB debugging drivers will get installed Automatically
& it will Create two diag Ports
Samsung Android USB Diagnostic Serial Port (DM) (COM X)
Samsung Android USB Diagnostic Serial Port (WMC) (COM X)
Got the Port, But the problem is CDMA WS is not able to Connect
Also on QPST when we add those ports it shows no Phone
When we Dial **USB UI
Under USB it Shows
CDMA Modem
PDA
LTE Modem
When we Select any on these Modems Drivers gets Installed but it gets Stucked with Driver Named INFT2
I think if we can Solve this Drivers Issue it will be easier to go ahead,
I anybody have gone close please share

I'm interested on getting this phone but would like to make sure it can be flash to my country cdma carrier also.
I have done flashing Galaxy Tab Sprint and Nexus S 4G, both are Samsung so I guess it would be easy with the Samsung Charge ?
Can you take screen shoot of the Phoneutil screen ? On the 2 previous Samsung devices it shows : (sorry I can't post link photo says the admin )
UART :
0 MODEM
0 PDA
USB :
0 MODEM
0 PDA
Or is it different from above ?

mayb they set the phone to read the provision from R-UIM only, U have to unlock so it can read global RUIM. change the setting to NV_Items+R-UIM, CMIIW

Any news on flashing of this phone?

If there is any way (like http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1028588) to change service provider, please share

maethem said:
If there is any way (like http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1028588) to change service provider, please share
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is that a GSM version device?

Try forcing the phone into diagnostic mode, take the DM port under system devices on your PC, hit properties, go to diagnostic, force into diag mode, now if that doesn't work try to force it into diag mode using qpst, under ports right click enable diag mode for dm port!

parin11 said:
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too,where can i get the drivers INFT2？

moyii said:
Me too,where can i get the drivers INFT2？
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try searching "SamsungFlashingUtility", all the driver is there
but still can not change the PRL using qpst

Hi,
Noob trying to answer here
Since Droid Charge uses VIA Telecom Chipset, so it won't work with QPST which is made by Qualcomm. But i found interesting video from youtube, I just have no idea what software is that? Anyone have a clue?

Just found something interesting!
I've been able to update prl using VPCT ( similar to QPST but for VIA Chipset ) and also ETSMain ( similar to QXDM ) but there's a lot of weird menus
For now, I am trying to disable SIM control.. my goal is to completely disable SIM Card control so I can use this phone just like a regular CDMA phone.
Sorry, I can't post the link here..but you can find VPCT and ETSMain on 4shared.com
FYI : I live in Indonesia which is no 4G LTE network here

Menus are probably related to 4G. Phone is likely flashable to a different CDMA network, but obviously would have no 4G connectivity. I wonder if it would be possible to get to a different LTE carrier too.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda premium

[BOUNTY] ($205 so far) Enable HSPA+ on 1900 MHz / 1700MHz for VZW Galaxy S3 i535

Total is shown on 2nd post.
GO TO POST #3 FOR ACHIEVEMENTS, GOALS, NOTES and QUESTIONS
To get some momentum behind this, after reading lair12's "S3 as a world GSM phone" (Link), the great replies to my thread about flashing an AT&T radio to the I535 (Link), and judging from the wealth of information gathered by and the vast knowledge of the great devs such as E.V.A, Adam Outler and Ralekdev when they were working on unlocking the bootloader, I am starting this bounty thread to get some good devs behind this much sought after ability to get full domestic 3G and HSPA+ on the I535, for enabling either 1900MHz or 1700MHz WCDMA on I535 similar to what was done for Galaxy Note i717 (Link). Please add your donations publicly (NOT by pm) to this thread, similar to the bounty thread for unlocking the bootloader. I will update the thread periodically. All regular bounty disclaimers apply. Do any work to reach this goal at your own risk, if you mess up your phone, it's not my fault or anybody else's fault, or if you choose to test any software or firmware on it. Make sure you know what you're doing and that you won't damage your phone before you do it.
Copying the following from another thread:
Requirements to Receive Bounty:​
Be first person to create a method of enabling 1900/1700MHz 3G/HSPA+ capability on SCH-I535
Make a post in this thread with the following:
Proving it works with appropriate photos or screenshots
Providing full step-by-step instructions which anyone else can follow
Wait for another member to follow the method and confirm it works
Claim your bounty via PM from donors
Payment will be processed between each member and the bounty collector via PM on an individual basis.
*** Please note: No hardware modification of the phone's radio chips or antennae is allowed to achieve this goal, it will be by software/firmware/coding/flashing only. If the phone turns out to be missing both the wcdma 1900 or 1700 MHz radio(s), this bounty will be void as the goal will not be achievable without hardware modifications. Even if only one of the wcdma bands is "unlocked" and HSPA+ is achieved on only one domestic carrier, the bounty can still be received. ***
I will start myself by donating $50 to the person that reaches this goal first. Please make posts below for your donations. I will update the list and the total bounty regularly.
*** BUMP ***
Any dev with jtag willing to flash a stock or modified AT&T modem on i535 to try it, or edit the "padding" at the end of a stock i535 modem to see if it causes a brick?
Any dev (such as Ralekdev, or with similar knowledge) willing to modify the modem.bin file from an i535 with parts from an AT&T or T-Mobile modem to keep the i535 signatures and hand-off, but operate as an AT&T radio maybe to enable wcdma modulation on 1900 MHz? The RF path for 1900 MHz is already there for gsm 1900. We can involve the help of some AT&T or T-Mobile forum members and devs if dumps from AT&T / T-Mobile modems or other files are required, that part should not be that difficult.

Day 11:
TOTAL = $205​
Donations:​"newuser134" = $50
"ac21365" = $30
"Buff McBigstuff" = $25
"cvsolidx17" = $20
"mybook4" = $25 (for T-Mobile HSPA+) or $50 (for T-Mobile HSPA+ on 1700 AND 1900)
"preusstang" = $20
"worldlyinquirer" = $10​
As a separate item, you may wish to donate to replace or repair someone's hard bricked i535 phone if they flash an AT&T modem, when ALL options to find out, prior to actually flashing, have been exhausted to determine whether a cross-device modem flash would brick or not. In that case a volunteer would flash a modem with the agreement of others on this thread. Only in that case, would others who chose to before the flash took place, donate to help replace or repair that person's phone. So far these donations have been made for that purpose:
"mybook4" = $25
"newuser134" = $25​

Achievements / Steps
Main Goal: Enable HSPA+ data on 1700 MHz/1900 MHz (or both) on the Samsung GS3 SCH-i535
To enable the use of it on US gsm carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile) for voice, sms and high speed data
The VZW GS3 is capable of roaming on 850Mhz/900Mhz/1800Mhz/1900Mhz GSM and 2100Mhz WCDMA. As pointed out, if we have the necessary hardware to receive 1900Mhz, it is possible that flashing another modem may allow us to gain the capability to run WCDMA hspa/hspa+ over 1900Mhz.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WARNING, testing modems can result in a hard brick that is only recoverable by JTAG.
As answers are found, they will be posted here with links to the posts containing the results.
Main Milestones:
Find out whether or not all of our existing modems lack the ability to utilize hspa/hspa+ over 1900Mhz WCDMA (also verify the area the user tries the sim operates hspa/hspa+ on 1900Mhz WCDMA).
a) Try AT&T post paid sim using VRLF2 modem
b) Try AT&T post paid sim using VRLG1 modem
c) Try AT&T post paid sim using VRLG7 modem
d) Try AT&T post paid sim using VRLEC modem​
Find out whether or not it is possible to flash a modem other than the Verizon released/leaked modems. This is more of a follow up bootloader investigation. I recommend those investigating this to look in the original bootloader unlock thread opened by Adam Outler in the Original Development Section.
a) Find someone with JTAG skills who would be willing to attempt to​
i) hex edit an existing modem, changing some non-critical section (perhaps any padding that may exist at the end of the image). This would allow us to see whether or not secure boot checks the modem partition (unfortunately, it almost certainly does).
ii) flash an AT&T modem (will most likely fail due to a different hardware identifier and signature)​
b) Investigate whether or not secure boot can be disabled (even if it involves a small hardware mod to accomplish it). The bootloader unlocking thread has a decent amount of info on this, but we still would need to research further.
c) Reverse the machine code of the modem image to ARM assembly and then to C using Ralekdev's method described in the bootloader unlocking thread. This could give us some info on how the secure boot chain is enforced.​
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*** Would modifying NV entries be the solution, if it's not, o not just, the modem? Either way, it is deeper than /system, because flashing a rooted stock AT&T rom (just /system, /data and kernel) did not unlock wcdma 1900, so it is something beyond the rom and kernel. See this post.

$30 towards this. Regardless whether it works or not, I just want someone to prove whether this phone has the proper hardware for WCDMA on 1900/1700.
Sent from my Choco Taco using xda premium

I have $25

Will donate $20 if I can successfully flash T-Mobile's as well as pull both 3g and 4G data
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

I'm in for $25 if we can get hspa+ working on TMobile.
$50 if we can get hspa+ working on TMobile for both 1900Mhz (WCDMA) and 1700/2100Mhz (AWS).
I'll be switching to TMobile when my contact ends. They still have unlimited data.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 08:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:14 PM ----------
The VZW GS3 is capable of roaming on 800Mhz/900Mhz/1800Mhz/1900Mhz GSM and 2100Mhz WCDMA. As pointed out by newuser134, if we have the necessary hardware to receive 1900Mhz, it is possible that flashing another modem may allow us to gain the capability to run WCDMA hspa/hspa+ over 1900Mhz.
Might be a good idea to focus on some areas to start. WARNING, testing modems can result in a hard brick that is only recoverable by JTAG. As we find answers, we should post them in the opening post with links to the posts containing the results.
1) Find out whether or not all of our existing modems lack the ability to utilize hspa/hspa+ over 1900Mhz WCDMA (also verify the area the user tries the sim operates hspa/hspa+ on 1900Mhz WCDMA).
a) Try AT&T post paid sim using LF2 modem
b) Try AT&T post paid sim using LG1 modem
c) Try AT&T post paid sim using LG7 modem
2) Find out whether or not it is possible to flash a modem other than the Verizon released/leaked modems. This is more of a follow up bootloader investigation. I recommend those investigating this to look in the original bootloader unlock thread opened by Adam Outler in the Original Development Section.
a) Find someone with JTAG skills who would be willing to attempt to
i) hex edit an existing modem, changing some non-critical section (perhaps any padding that may exist at the end of the image). This would allow us to see whether or not secure boot checks the modem partition (unfortunately, it almost certainly does).
ii) flash an AT&T modem (will most likely fail due to a different hardware identifier and signature)
b) Investigate whether or not secure boot can be disabled (even if it involves a small hardware mod to accomplish it). The bootloader unlocking thread has a decent amount of info on this, but we still would need to research further.
c) Reverse the machine code of the modem image to ARM assembly and then to C using Ralekdev's method described in the bootloader unlocking thread. This could give us some info on how the secure boot chain is enforced.
Some background info...
Some thoughts:
1) We may need to change more than just the modem partition (mmcblk0p1) for 1900Mhz WCDMA to work. For example, the Synergy IMEI backup script saves backup copies of modemst1, modemst2, efs, fsg, and backup (mmcblk0p12, mmcblk0p13, mmcblk0p11, mmcblk0p21, and mmcblk0p20). Clearly some cellular related data is stored in these partitions. Flashing just the AT&T modem might not play nice with the related partitions (although I don't see this preventing a boot as these partitions are not part of the boot chain; more likely you would boot to no cellular connection).
2) The bootloader unlocking thread has a lot of info regarding the boot chain partition order. I could be wrong, but I believe the modem hands off control to executable code at a very specific location in the next partition in the boot chain (after loading the executable code to memory?). If this location differs between the AT&T and verizon phones, it could cause a hard brick (a jump to the wrong location). During the bootloader unlocking efforts, Ralekdev was able to reverse several verizon GS3 bootloader partition's machine code (1s and 0s) into arm assembly and then reverse them to C. Using his methodology, we may be able to see if the AT&T and VZW modems (mmcblk0p1) both jump to the same partition at the same location. This could help us to know if flashing the AT&T would definitely hard brick (this isn't the only way the AT&T modem could hard brick, but identifying one way could stop us before we did hard brick). This is tedious work and we would need a full dump from someone with an AT&T phone (mmcblk0p1,2,3,etc). The alternative would be someone with JTAG and brass ones just flashing the modem.
Also check this out http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...php?p=31705003
It is the full partition layout for a 32GB i535.
PS, I read through some of the bootloader unlocking thread again (brings back good memories). This post by Ralekdev
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...php?p=30082055 may explain why flashing an AT&T modem might hard brick. The AT&T modem would need to have the same hardware identifier and signature as the VZW one for the msm8960 to hand over execution to it. I'm gonna take a wild guess that it doesn't. I believe Verizon's locked bootloader may have just struck again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Our current bootloader unlocking method was achieved by flashing an unsecure aboot partition (mmcblk0p5). In English (lol), there are several partitions in the boot chain leading to the kernel. The last one is aboot. The one after aboot is the kernel or the recovery partition (depending on whether you are or are not booting to recovery). Each partition in the boot chain checks to see that the next one has the correct signature before handing over execution to it. The unsecure aboot partition we now use to "unlock the bootloader" doesn't enforce (or just doesn't check) the signature of the kernel partition. This is why we are able to run custom kernels not signed by Samsung.
However, the bootloader partitions earlier than aboot still enforce signature checking before handing off execution. The first signature checks are done in hard coded msm8960 firmware. Although I'm not 100% certain of this, I believe the modem partition signature is checked in hardware by the msm8960 prior to execution (it would be a poor security system if it wasn't). So, unless we had Samsung's i535 private key used to sign the modem partition (something that would take more time than the current age of the universe to brute force on the world's fastest supercomputers), the AT&T modem would fail the signature check and the boot process would stop there. The AT&T and TMobile variants (and sprint for that matter) don't have Qualcomm's Secure Boot enabled, so their modem partition isn't subject to a signature check and enforcement.
On the bright side, if we were able to find a way to run a custom (non-i535) modem partition, we would have discovered a true bootloader unlock at one of the lowest levels.
Before the unsecure aboot partition was leaked and the i535 community rejoiced, there was some talk about seeing whether or not a QFuse for secure boot had been blown (permanently enabling secure boot). I don't think we ever found out with 100% certainty whether or not it was. If it isn't, we might still be able to disable secure boot, but it may involve a small hardware modification (a pull up or pull down resistor on an msm8960 GPIO pin. Annoying (and would take quite a while to locate the right one), but not too crazy to do with guts and a decent soldering iron. A software method is definitely preferred, but when you get that low level, you are sometimes dealing with read only segments.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone does indeed do WCDMA on 2100, the question we all would like answered is what other bands is the phone capable of operating WCDMA on, and if it does have that hardware, we need to figure out what Verizon did to the software to have it disabled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a great discussion, when we got the unsecure aboot a month ago, I thought of this same issue, because on phones like HTC, when you get S-off, the phone basically doesn't care what code you put on it, it just loads it (as long as it is executable code). However, we just created a "hole" in the signature check, as you said, the unsecure aboot is still signed with the right signature, it just doesn't check for more signatures after that point. I posted this question in a thread right at that point, I'll look for it, but I don't think anyone responded to it. To achieve a truly unlocked phone on the same level as the other carrier versions, the CPU secure boot needs to be disabled. That is why I was still bothered by "secure boot enabled" when you go into Odin mode. This is not to say that what the devs did wasn't unbelievable and we are still benefiting from the fruits of all their work on unlocking the bootloader, so we did reach that goal, but I'm just making an observation that to truly be able to flash any partition without worry of not making the hand-over to the next partition, secure boot needs to be disabled.
I did some work on Motorola 6811 micro controllers when I was in college, there were different versions, some were only test chips and thus programmable only once, using e-fuses, so I understand how incredibly stupid and annoying it would be if Verizon has blown the q-or e-fuses in everyone's I535, which we paid for just like those on other carrier networks, but we didn't get the same phone they did if this is in fact true. In the bootloader R&D thread, which is now closed, E.V.A and I shortly had a few posts about enabling the gpio pin to turn off secure boot, they were trying to figure out the right voltage for the pull up resistor source, I think it ended up being 3V or something like that (don't try it without doublechecking that), but apparently there was a different pin somewhere that grounded that gpio thru a FET transistor, so applying the pull up voltage didn't help. Another thought was that even though the q-fuse may not have been blown (I sure hope it wasn't), that the gpio was somehow pulled down internally through the chip inside with a weak ground (like a voltage divider), so a higher pull up current (bias) was needed to actually disable secure boot. Adam also mentioned that not all Samsung schematics are always correct, that even though the manual said a high is needed to disable secure boot, it may actually need to be grounded, so that it was internally pulled high, and that it needed to be grounded externally for it to work right. Another option would be that it's a combination of pins that need the right input, not just that one (I think it was q-fuse 6 or 7), so until the right voltage is applied to all those pins, secure boot won't get disabled.
This all assumes that he q-fuse isn't blown, so there is a way to disable secure boot. If it is blown, then it cannot be disabled. Then the only option would be to make a hybrid AT&T / VZW modem file that has the signature needed, but executes the same things as the AT&T modem, hence enabling the 1900 MHz band.
A final thought is that just like the original aboot never enforced security on the /system or /recovery partitions, maybe when secure boot is on, it enforces signature checks when they are in some partitions, but if the code in the specific partition doesn't ask for it, like the unsecure aboot now doesn't, maybe the modem isn't checked for signature, ad th modem doesn't check for signature when handing over to the next link in the boot chain. That's why I was saying we just need to do it, and have someone with jtag do it, so no one bricks their phone, but we get an answer to the question without making a mistake that can't be recovered from.
Your thoughts, and anyone else's, are greatly appreciated, and it would be great at this point, to continue on to tackle the issue of secure boot, and figure out what we can flash to this phone without bricking it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're not really trying to improve reception, we're trying to open some frequencies for gsm/wcdma that would make this phone fully functional on AT&T or T-Mobile, it wouldn't really change anything on Verizon and CDMA/LTE. It would just make this phone a true multi-network phone. Right now it can get "4G" data on gsm carriers overseas, but not on AT&T or T-Mobile, when we solve this problem, it will get 3G/4G data on ANY gsm network, even domestic ones. So you could take your phone to AT&T or T-Mobile and get service there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, like ac21365 said, this phone does in fact receive wcdma 2100, we're uncertain about wcdma 1900, and although it is highly unlikely that this one might be there, wcdma 1700 (AWS band). Here's the interesting part though, the chipset in this phone is identical to the one in the AT&T version, I747, that one has both 2100 and 1900 bands. Our Verizon phone also has ALL the gsm bands that the AT&T version has (gsm 850, 900, 1800 and 1900), so the 1900 band filter, antenna and amplifier is already there for gsm. If they wanted to save money, why not remove all the gsm stuff since this is a CDMA phone? At this point, it would be cheaper to leave all the hardware stuff on the phone the way it is and just make them all the same, rather than make multiple versions, which would actually be more expensive. It is strange that all the gsm/wcdma bands that Verizon needs for their overseas gsm roaming is there, but the only one that would le you ge AT&T's "4G", is disabled, even though the chipset is physically able to receive/handle it. So it makes no sense that to save money, they left wcdma 2100 fully capable on this phone, but removed wcdma 1900. It could very likely be disabled by Verizon's modem software. That's why we want to get to the bottom of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Called the local at&t store. They wouldn't let me try a post paid sim in store unless I signed up for a plan. Very customer friendly, lol.
In other news, incubus posted that the developer edition of the vzw gs3 is available for sale. I'm curious if we can use some of the partitions? Finding someone who has bought this will be tough.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

cvsolidx17 said:
Will donate $20 if I can successfully flash T-Mobile's as well as pull both 3g and 4G data
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do realize that we will def. not be able to get T-Mobile 4G right? We're talking about HSPA+ here (3G data). TMO's 4G LTE uses different hardware. Please modify your post to reflect whether or not you're still in this.
Count me in for $20 towards at least AT&T ( this would let me use straight talk w/o messing with cdma workshop and the dirty clone job :/ )
BTW, thank you for starting this bounty. I hope this issue gains some momentum now!

preusstang said:
You do realize that we will def. not be able to get T-Mobile 4G right? We're talking about HSPA+ here (3G data). TMO's 4G LTE uses different hardware. Please modify your post to reflect whether or not you're still in this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think what he means by that is T-Mobile's "4G", which they've had before even starting on their LTE, both T-Mobile and AT&T refer to HSPA+ as "4G", so that's what he means. The scope of this bounty never included LTE service from ANY other provider, so a donation for that wouldn't even be accepted as it is not possible to reach that goal. Just to reiterate, this bounty is for either wcdma 1900 OR wcdma 1700, or both, whichever is possible by hardware. We are not attempting to enable any other carrier's LTE service on this phone.
Hope that clarifies things a little.

mybook4 said:
Called the local at&t store. They wouldn't let me try a post paid sim in store unless I signed up for a plan. Very customer friendly, lol.
In other news, incubus posted that the developer edition of the vzw gs3 is available for sale. I'm curious if we can use some of the partitions? Finding someone who has bought this will be tough.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The signatures may not work on the hardware-coded signatures that these phones are looking for though, and even if they do, they probably didn't write its firmware to make the radio activate those bands we want though anyway. However, that phone may be the way for us to get to the solution; the dev edition doesn't have secure boot enabled (most likely, otherwise I wouldn't want one) but the hardware is IDENTICAL to the i535 (regular) version, so maybe if we could raise enough w/ the bounty to get one, we could flash att or t-mo modems, and see if that would enable 1900 wcdma band, right? It would help us on the way to "dev" the right modem file, hehe, since it's the dev edition.

Someone claims to have flashed an at&t modem on a Verizon GS3 and still been able to boot. Hopefully it isn't a spoof (that would be pretty messed up as it could lead others to hard brick their devices).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=31936888
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

mybook4 said:
Someone claims to have flashed an at&t modem on a Verizon GS3 and still been able to boot. Hopefully it isn't a spoof (that would be pretty messed up as it could lead others to hard brick their devices).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=31936888
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't seem like a spoof or hoax, judging from the person's membership length and info. The other reason is that from what I've read on the AT&T sections, when they flash a pure (non-modified to utilize the i747 radios) T-Mobile (T999) modem, the i747 doesn't brick either, but it loses signal completely. Unless the information was gathered from those threads (which seems unlikely), it seems somewhat realistic. I don't know why anyone on this forum, after being a member for that long, would make up something that horrific and cause everyone on here to hard brick their phones. Now we just need to get someone with jtag, maybe Adam Outler, to flash an AT&T modem and see what happens.

newuser134 said:
It doesn't seem like a spoof or hoax, judging from the person's membership length and info. The other reason is that from what I've read on the AT&T sections, when they flash a pure (non-modified to utilize the i747 radios) T-Mobile (T999) modem, the i747 doesn't brick either, but it loses signal completely. Unless the information was gathered from those threads (which seems unlikely), it seems somewhat realistic. I don't know why anyone on this forum, after being a member for that long, would make up something that horrific and cause everyone on here to hard brick their phones. Now we just need to get someone with jtag, maybe Adam Outler, to flash an AT&T modem and see what happens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but there is one key difference between our GS3 and every other variant... Secure Boot. It's the only reason I'm hesitant/skeptical but I really hope the poster is genuine. If he/she is, I feel he/she should be included in the reward (if it turns out to be a breakthrough that helps us get working 1900Mhz hspa).
If an AT&T modem flash works on our device without bricking it, it must mean that either the modem partition (one of the earliest parts of the boot chain) isn't checked for signature / hardware identifier or that the AT&T modem he used was signed with the same private key used to sign our modems.
I wonder if the AT&T bootloader partitions do any checks of subsequent boot partitions? If they don't, this could be a way around secure boot. If they do, they may check to see if secure boot is enabled before actually enforcing the check. All this is speculation until we receive confirmation from the poster.
... <drumroll>...
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

mybook4 said:
Yeah, but there is one key difference between our GS3 and every other variant... Secure Boot. It's the only reason I'm hesitant/skeptical but I really hope the poster is genuine. If he/she is, I feel he/she should be included in the reward (if it turns out to be a breakthrough that helps us get working 1900Mhz hspa).
If an AT&T modem flash works on our device without bricking it, it must mean that either the modem partition (one of the earliest parts of the boot chain) isn't checked for signature / hardware identifier or that the AT&T modem he used was signed with the same private key used to sign our modems.
I wonder if the AT&T bootloader partitions do any checks of subsequent boot partitions? If they don't, this could be a way around secure boot. If they do, they may check to see if secure boot is enabled before actually enforcing the check. All this is speculation until we receive confirmation from the poster.
... <drumroll>...
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I was wondering about: If any checks are enforced even if a partition does have checks written into it if secure boot is disabled. What is the exact roll of secure boot? Does it only do hardware check on the first partition boot (modem), or is it like a "guard", and forces every subsequent partition look for a signature to? If the latter is true, then disabling secure boot would make ALL signature checks turn off and obsolete, making the phone truly unlocked whether the software code asks for signatures or not. If the initial condition is true (only checks the first boot partition) then like you said, getting a modem file that has no signature check would almost entirely get around secure boot, I wouldn't really bother us any more if we managed to get firmware that has no signature check, kind of like the unsecure aboot.
Why is it so difficult to get a dev with jtag setup to try this for us? To flash a stock AT&T or T-Mobile modem and see what happens?

I just came to a feeling of "revelation" after reading through some of the AT&T threads about the AT&T Note working on T-Mobile, to the conclusion that if a phone is capable of gsm on ANY band, it MUST also be capable of wcdma on that same band (as long as the phone has wcdma capability on other bands and is not a pre-3G/pre-wcdma era phone, like old flip phones, and we all know our phone is capable of wcdma 2100 AND gsm 1900).
This is why: the difference between gsm and wcdma is frequency/spectrum bandwidth and software manipulation by the CPU, kind of like wave and mp3 files. All the signals go to the same tranceiver, so if the phone has hardware for gsm 1900, it already has the hardware and RF path for wcdma 1900. It also has the ability to take larger chunks of a gsm band and use software to decode a wider frequency portion and turn in into a higher bandwidth (speed) wcdma connection. It's the modem software that does this. This wouldn't work if we were concluding the same thing for interchangeability between gsm and LTE, because LTE uses MiMo (multiple-in Multiple-out connections), and that is a different method of reaching higher data rates, it is not just a different modulation scheme using a wider bandwidth, so gsm and LTE aren't interchangeable even on the same frequency, but gsm and wcdma are. That's how they were able to change 3G into HSPA+ "4G", and receive higher data rates just by changing software, that's why 3G gsm phones can usually also get HSPA+ speeds on AT&T, but they don't call it 4G, just H+. That's why T-Mobile is going to re-farm its EDGE network to run HSPA+ on 1900 MHz, otherwise it would use it for LTE. The antennae are already there, the difference is modifying how the band is used with the help of software. Compare it to putting a large picture on a network of multiple tv screens as one big picture, instead of on just one screen. With the right software and multiple screens (in our case CPU power), it can be done.
That is why the 3G gsm/wcdma capable Verizon iPad 3 (newest version) can also receive AT&T's HSPA+, because the modem software is there, or the same iPhone 4s, if unlocked, can run on Verizon's CDMA 850/1900 and AT&T's wcdma 850/1900 without any hardware differences.
The difference between CDMA, gsm and wcdma is just software to understand the modulation/demodulation and the width of the frequency band, notice how they all use the same frequencies (850/900/1800/1900)? LTE is totally different and requires different bands (like 700, 1700 - this is not the same as 1700 AWS part of the band that is used for t-Mobile's wcdma) and won't work with the others.
All that is needed is the right modem software to literally "patch" the i535 radio to understand wcdma modulation on 1900 MHz, the same way it does on 2100 MHz. Right now it can receive wcdma on 1900 MHz, but it means nothing to the phone, it needs the ability to "read" it, we already know it has the ability to decode wcdma signals.
The only factors that decide this, are provisioning (sim), RF hardware (we know it is there for 1900 MHz) AND, the right modem software. When we put in an AT&T sim, we've provided 2 of these requirement, the one missing is the modem file. If someone can write the correct modem / shuffle the right files onto the right partitions (it may not be just the modem partition as we have seen from the imei problems), I know this phone could do it. I hope this proves it to everyone else the way it just proved it to me. I think that's why the Note was able to run on t-mobile, it had the RF hardware, it just needed the software decoding. Call it a codec if you will, that's all that's missing.
Now, if anyone is able to figure out what is needed, that's a different question, but being able to flash AT&T or t-mobile modems is the very first step. Now we need to figure out if it will brick or not.

wow I really hope this goes somewhere! as I will be planning to use my S3 on Simple Mobile once my contract ends with VZW
40$ vs 70$ is a huge difference for me

I was able to get 3g on ATT.

Strothmann said:
I was able to get 3g on ATT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone know why this says EDGE and shows edge speeds, but the icons say 3G or 4G? Shouldn't phone info say "UMTS" under network type?

ITs due to me revering back to vzw. when i took the screenshot.

Locked

Bought this phone on ebay, later found out its face locked. Would rooting this then flash with a cooked rom make this phone usable ?

Reboot to bootloader and select "Factory".

kcipopnevets said:
Reboot to bootloader and select "Factory".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That dont work, its still locked.

Shining Light said:
That dont work, its still locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2580060

danger2u said:
try this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2580060
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was my next suggestion, arrgh! Anyways, performing an FXZ will terminate existing root, and you will lose root permanently (as of now). Hopefully it's on Jelly Bean... Or you can try to continuously get the security lock wrong in an effort to cause it to factory reset. You'll at least still have the su binary still. Good luck!
Something else you can try before performing above... Reboot to bootloader, select "Recovery", and when you see the Android in distress, press and hold Vol + and then press and release Power to get the recovery menu options. Scroll down to "wipe data/factory reset" and let it do its thing.

Thanks for the help guys.
Im planning to root this and flash a cooked rom on it, whats the safest way to get rid of this face locked? (i def dont want to lose the ability to root it)
Whats the best cooked rom on here? Prefer something thats fast without overclocking and dont have too much pre-installed apps on it.
PS im gonna use this phone on att network, talk and txt should work fine right? Internet i know im not getting LTE i can live with that

Shining Light said:
Thanks for the help guys.
Im planning to root this and flash a cooked rom on it, whats the safest way to get rid of this face locked? (i def dont want to lose the ability to root it)
Whats the best cooked rom on here? Prefer something thats fast without overclocking and dont have too much pre-installed apps on it.
PS im gonna use this phone on att network, talk and txt should work fine right? Internet i know im not getting LTE i can live with that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're stuck with the stock ROM (unless you can get a bootloader unlock code, which is only available for recently manufactured devices).
Unless you have LTE, the phone isn't going to work on AT&T. The Droid series is exclusive to Verizon, which uses CDMA technology for 3g service. AT&T uses GSM, and the phone doesn't have GSM radios.

@Shining Light You REALLY need to research these things before continuing on. It's unlikely you'll get unlocked so ROMs are out of the question for your case. Hopefully you're lucky and the bootloader unlock method opens again. Did you try asking the seller for their security past the face lock? If you revert to stock with RSD Lite, root will be a mere dream to you.

rlmesq said:
You're stuck with the stock ROM (unless you can get a bootloader unlock code, which is only available for recently manufactured devices).
Unless you have LTE, the phone isn't going to work on AT&T. The Droid series is exclusive to Verizon, which uses CDMA technology for 3g service. AT&T uses GSM, and the phone doesn't have GSM radios.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think both the statements above are incorrect.
1. The bootloader unlock codes are actually not available for recently manufactured devices. Two of us have 1/10/2014 assembled devices and the unlock codes are unavailable with the seller. How recent should the devices be then?
2. I am using the same phone on GSM (though, outside US). So, the phone does have GSM bands supported. There are many who are using it on AT&T and T-mobile. Someone mentioned that the latest patch has disabled T-mobile network, but I suspect something else may have gone wrong in that case.

s_u_n said:
I think both the statements above are incorrect.
1. The bootloader unlock codes are actually not available for recently manufactured devices. Two of us have 1/10/2014 assembled devices and the unlock codes are unavailable with the seller. How recent should the devices be then?
2. I am using the same phone on GSM (though, outside US). So, the phone does have GSM bands supported. There are many who are using it on AT&T and T-mobile. Someone mentioned that the latest patch has disabled T-mobile network, but I suspect something else may have gone wrong in that case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The chinese seller says that he has unlock codes for devices assembled in 2014 but some report that while their phones was assembled in 2014 - the unlock code was still not available - but, most of the time if the phone is build in 2014, there should be the code for it.
rlmesq said:
Unless you have LTE, the phone isn't going to work on AT&T. The Droid series is exclusive to Verizon, which uses CDMA technology for 3g service. AT&T uses GSM, and the phone doesn't have GSM radios.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW!!! This statement could not possible be any more wrong - DAMN! C'mon people, just google your anwer before posting!
Supported frequencies:
2G Network CDMA 800 / 1900
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G Network LTE 700 MHz Class 13 / 1700 / 2100

Tmobile velvet discussion

i am posting in regards to any if not all information regarding the mediatek powered velvet.
the reason for this post is to see where or how we can approach finding a root solution. i by no means am a developer that can guarantee anything but experimentation.
now, knowing this is a mediatek 1000c
-can we use mediatek root solutions that are provided here on xda for current mediatek soc?
-would download mode also be present/exploitable? (like past models)
-due to this being a tmobile variant expect that we cannot crossflash due to different soc/rsa keys
ill be receiving my device tomorrow to tinker with as soon as i get it. ive been around the lg scene since the v10/g2 days and helped out the v30(h932) community by loaning my device to a real developer in the lg scene, runningnak3d. ill be researching and asking around for tips.
any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Update 1: oem unlock available out of the box, phone needs to be paid off until the bootloader is allowed to be unlocked properly.
Update 2: fastbootd is accessible through adb command, also this has a somewhat close to stock android recovery only accessible through fastbootd screen(havent tried adb command for recovery yet). choosing bootloader returns you to system. Download mode is the usual volume up and plug in the usb. No DLL extracted yet to do a file DUMP.

I wish there was a way to ”debrand” this LG Velvet 5G. I purchased mine from amazon “factory unlocked” however when I received it, it was an unlocked Tmobile version. I instantly was grumpy but it was just a spare/play around phone while my OP9 Pro was being repaired. but now that I am running into issues with my OP9 (lost in mail) I am stuck using this piece and am pissed. I would love to take Tmo off of this thing bc it randomly slows down to a crawl and must be rebooted to remedy it.

Need help! The G900tm is permanently unlocked. Only 2g works in any of the network modes. Using the g-mon pro program, I found out that the phone detects 3 / 4G, but cannot connect to them. I downgraded the firmware to 10j with a full reset, the phone connected to 4g (band 20), worked for 20 minutes and the network was gone! I tried a SIM card from another operator, but nothing changed. I can't understand what is the reason!

1ches said:
Need help! The G900tm is permanently unlocked. Only 2g works in any of the network modes. Using the g-mon pro program, I found out that the phone detects 3 / 4G, but cannot connect to them. I downgraded the firmware to 10j with a full reset, the phone connected to 4g (band 20), worked for 20 minutes and the network was gone! I tried a SIM card from another operator, but nothing changed. I can't understand what is the reason!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of curiosity how was the phone unlocked? Which method did you do?

1ches said:
Need help! The G900tm is permanently unlocked. Only 2g works in any of the network modes. Using the g-mon pro program, I found out that the phone detects 3 / 4G, but cannot connect to them. I downgraded the firmware to 10j with a full reset, the phone connected to 4g (band 20), worked for 20 minutes and the network was gone! I tried a SIM card from another operator, but nothing changed. I can't understand what is the reason!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in the same situation with my g900tm ..... Did you found any soultion ?

Anyone having issues with LG velvet connecting to TMO network...I just can't connect...my phone keeps connecting and disconnecting to network every 5 secs until the battery dies. No luck with TMO nor their tech support/ crop store ...all is a joke . Wanted to check if any one facing similar issues

Unlocked or not?

I got a Metro by T-Mobile phone unlocked on eBay and while the phone no longer rejects MVNO sims, it won't connect to any network either. It still connects when I put the Metro sim back in but it won't connect with sims from Lyca, Tello or Hello Mobile, all T-Mobile MVNOs. The phone is a TCL 30 XE 5G (T767W) and I bought two of them new and they both have the same problem. I'm new to the T-Mobile network and I don't know if I'm missing something. I've never had this kind of trouble on Verizon or AT&T. Has anyone else run into a problem like this? I appreciate any help anyone can offer.
Thanks!

Look inside here:
How to Check If Android Phone is Unlocked or Locked
Before buying a new Android Phone, it is best to check if Android Phone is Unlocked or Locked. Here are 2 ways to check the Simlock status of your Android phone.
www.unlockboot.com

xXx yYy said:
Look inside here:
How to Check If Android Phone is Unlocked or Locked
Before buying a new Android Phone, it is best to check if Android Phone is Unlocked or Locked. Here are 2 ways to check the Simlock status of your Android phone.
www.unlockboot.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to that site my phone is unlocked but it still won't connect to any network unless the original Metro sim is installed.

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
According to that site my phone is unlocked but it still won't connect to any network unless the original Metro sim is installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you need to enter service menu and change your radio settings or maybe you need to flash a different modem for your specific model number.
I know you said you bought them new but can you confirm that their IMEI is intact?

Droidriven said:
Maybe you need to enter service menu and change your radio settings or maybe you need to flash a different modem for your specific model number.
I know you said you bought them new but can you confirm that their IMEI is intact?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your reply! Both phones were shipped to me from Metro by T-Mobile. The phones were able to connect with an MVNO sim when I set the radio to 2G only mode but that option disappeared when the phones updated to Android 12 and now they can't connect at all. Even before the update, the phones would frequently disconnect and I had to set them back to 2G only mode to get service back so there was always something wrong. I'm pretty good with computers but I've never flashed a phone before and I've been suspecting that I would have to do that with these phones. I'll be happy to check their IMEI numbers if you could let me know what I'm looking for. I'd also like to learn more about flashing a new modem as you mentioned above that sounds like it might address the problem. And if you wouldn't mind letting me know where I could find the service menu?
Thanks in advance!!

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
Thank you for your reply! Both phones were shipped to me from Metro by T-Mobile. The phones were able to connect with an MVNO sim when I set the radio to 2G only mode but that option disappeared when the phones updated to Android 12 and now they can't connect at all. Even before the update, the phones would frequently disconnect and I had to set them back to 2G only mode to get service back so there was always something wrong. I'm pretty good with computers but I've never flashed a phone before and I've been suspecting that I would have to do that with these phones. I'll be happy to check their IMEI numbers if you could let me know what I'm looking for. I'd also like to learn more about flashing a new modem as you mentioned above that sounds like it might address the problem. And if you wouldn't mind letting me know where I could find the service menu?
Thanks in advance!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After they updated, have you tried booting into recovery and wiping the cache partition(not factory reset)? Sometimes, after updates, wiping cache is necessary to remove conflicts between previously existing data and the new update.
If you are getting a connection of any kind then your IMEI is fine.
Flashing a modem is sometimes necessary but it can have risks if you flash the wrong thing.
I'm not familiar with TCL devices or how they are flashed. Typically, to flash a different modem requires downloading a firmware that has the modem that you want/need then extracting the modem from the firmware then flash the extracted modem onto the device.
Methods to access service/radio menu different from device to device, I don't know how it is done on TCL devices. Most of the time it is done by using your dialer and dialing a specific code, if there is a dialer code for your device, you should be able to find it with a Google search for:
"TCL 30 XE 5G dialer menu code"
Or
"TCL 30 XE 5G service menu"

Droidriven said:
After they updated, have you tried booting into recovery and wiping the cache partition(not factory reset)? Sometimes, after updates, wiping cache is necessary to remove conflicts between previously existing data and the new update.
If you are getting a connection of any kind then your IMEI is fine.
Flashing a modem is sometimes necessary but it can have risks if you flash the wrong thing.
I'm not familiar with TCL devices or how they are flashed. Typically, to flash a different modem requires downloading a firmware that has the modem that you want/need then extracting the modem from the firmware then flash the extracted modem onto the device.
Methods to access service/radio menu different from device to device, I don't know how it is done on TCL devices. Most of the time it is done by using your dialer and dialing a specific code, if there is a dialer code for your device, you should be able to find it with a Google search for:
"TCL 30 XE 5G dialer menu code"
Or
"TCL 30 XE 5G service menu"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to find my phone's service mode or engineering mode (hope they're the same thing) and get service back by setting the phone to 2G only mode again but that doesn't solve the problem of it losing service when LTE or 5G are turned on. Are there any other settings I could try changing?

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
I was able to find my phone's service mode or engineering mode (hope they're the same thing) and get service back by setting the phone to 2G only mode again but that doesn't solve the problem of it losing service when LTE or 5G are turned on. Are there any other settings I could try changing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you use the service menu to find out which bands/frequencies and network type the current modem/radio is using?
Can you find out which bands/frequencies and network type that your carrier network is using?
Compare them to see if they are compatible.
Or, try calling customer support for your carrier, there may be something they need to do in their system from their end to get your device to connect.

Droidriven said:
Can you use the service menu to find out which bands/frequencies and network type the current modem/radio is using?
Can you find out which bands/frequencies and network type that your carrier network is using?
Compare them to see if they are compatible.
Or, try calling customer support for your carrier, there may be something they need to do in their system from their end to get your device to connect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by network type?
There are a lot of options to choose from, several of them list bands. Is there a specific menu I should look for?
The carrier I have the phone on is Tello which is a T-Mobile MVNO. I've also tried Lyca and Hello Mobile both are also Tmo MVNOs and all three had the same problem. The phones are from Metro by T-Mobile so everything should be compatible. Tello customer service has tried to help but they can't figure it out.

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
What do you mean by network type?
There are a lot of options to choose from, several of them list bands. Is there a specific menu I should look for?
The carrier I have the phone on is Tello which is a T-Mobile MVNO. I've also tried Lyca and Hello Mobile both are also Tmo MVNOs and all three had the same problem. The phones are from Metro by T-Mobile so everything should be compatible. Tello customer service has tried to help but they can't figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But, are the bands that are presently available on the device within the range of bands that your carrier uses? Do the network and the device use the same bands? If so, you shouldn't need to flash a different modem, if not, you may need a different modem.
Did you boot into recovery and wipe the cache partition to remove any potential conflicts caused by updating to android 12?
Are you certain that the SIM(s) you are trying to use is/are valid and active? If they have been previously deactivated, they won't work
Don't skip through my posts and only answer part of my questions. Let's cover the bases without skipping an answer to a question. Otherwise, it could lead to a wild goose chase that could have been avoided by answering everything I ask.

Droidriven said:
But, are the bands that are presently available on the device within the range of bands that your carrier uses? Do the network and the device use the same bands? If so, you shouldn't need to flash a different modem, if not, you may need a different modem.
Did you boot into recovery and wipe the cache partition to remove any potential conflicts caused by updating to android 12?
Are you certain that the SIM(s) you are trying to use is/are valid and active? If they have been previously deactivated, they won't work
Don't skip through my posts and only answer part of my questions. Let's cover the bases without skipping an answer to a question. Otherwise, it could lead to a wild goose chase that could have been avoided by answering everything I ask.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry about the confusion. I did wipe the cache and in the past I've done a full factory reset from recovery mode it didn't help. And this problem already existed before the update to Android 12. It started the moment I changed sims. The phones only ever worked right with the original Metro sim and still do. That's why I wasn't sure if they were unlocked right but they don't reject other sims either.
The sims are active and have never been deactivated and now that I can force the phones back into 2G mode again, I can make and receive calls and use 2G data.
As for the bands I'm finding in the service menu, this is where it gets weird. They're all selected, there must be over a hundred bands turned on including bands I know this phone doesn't support.
I have confirmed the phone supports all the same bands that Tello uses. Tello uses the same bands as T-Mobile.

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
Sorry about the confusion. I did wipe the cache and in the past I've done a full factory reset from recovery mode it didn't help. And this problem already existed before the update to Android 12. It started the moment I changed sims. The phones only ever worked right with the original Metro sim and still do. That's why I wasn't sure if they were unlocked right but they don't reject other sims either.
The sims are active and have never been deactivated and now that I can force the phones back into 2G mode again, I can make and receive calls and use 2G data.
As for the bands I'm finding in the service menu, this is where it gets weird. They're all selected, there must be over a hundred bands turned on including bands I know this phone doesn't support.
I have confirmed the phone supports all the same bands that Tello uses. Tello uses the same bands as T-Mobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanks for confirming.
It is weird, everything seems to be in place. Have you made sure your APNs(Access Point Names) are set correctly for the network?
I can't be certain that you have all of your network and radio settings set correctly because I have no idea what settings you have, what the options are or if there are any tucked away somewhere that isn't obvious.
If everything is right on your end, it may be something on their end that they need to get right.

Droidriven said:
Ok, thanks for confirming.
It is weird, everything seems to be in place. Have you made sure your APNs(Access Point Names) are set correctly for the network?
I can't be certain that you have all of your network and radio settings set correctly because I have no idea what settings you have, what the options are or if there are any tucked away somewhere that isn't obvious.
If everything is right on your end, it may be something on their end that they need to get right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the APN was the first thing I checked and Tello confirmed it too.
I can send you screenshots of the service menus if that would help.
Tello is now saying the phone might not be "fully unlocked" I don't know what that means. Is there more than one way to lock a phone? Did T-Mobile come up with another way of locking their phones? A screen in the settings menu does warn the phone is still locked and it isn't yet eligible to be unlocked but it accepts the sim and connects to 2G at least. Could Tello be on to something here?

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
Yeah, the APN was the first thing I checked and Tello confirmed it too.
I can send you screenshots of the service menus if that would help.
Tello is now saying the phone might not be "fully unlocked" I don't know what that means. Is there more than one way to lock a phone? Did T-Mobile come up with another way of locking their phones? A screen in the settings menu does warn the phone is still locked and it isn't yet eligible to be unlocked but it accepts the sim and connects to 2G at least. Could Tello be on to something here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are couple of different kinds of "unlocked"
There is SIM/carrier unlock and there is bootloader unlock. They two completely different things and have nothing to do with each other.
Have you tried going through the carrier unlock process yourself to confirm it has been done correctly?

Droidriven said:
Have you tried going through the carrier unlock process yourself to confirm it has been done correctly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know how to do that.

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
I don't know how to do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally, there is a website that you go to to get an unlock code.
Google search:
"TCL 30 XE 5G (T767W) SIM unlock"

Droidriven said:
Generally, there is a website that you go to to get an unlock code.
Google search:
"TCL 30 XE 5G (T767W) SIM unlock"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My understanding is that Metro phones can't be unlocked with a code. Instead, they're unlocked by a preinstalled carrier app when the phone becomes eligible for an unlock, which my phone isn't. In my case, I bought an unlocking service from eBay which had me hook up my phone to my PC via USB for the unlock. Is there another way to check?

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
My understanding is that Metro phones can't be unlocked with a code. Instead, they're unlocked by a preinstalled carrier app when the phone becomes eligible for an unlock, which my phone isn't. In my case, I bought an unlocking service from eBay which had me hook up my phone to my PC via USB for the unlock. Is there another way to check?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You got scammed, whether they did it on purpose or not is another question. They probably didn't rob you on purpose, it is just a matter of there never being any kind of guarantee that a 3rd party unlocking service works on every device. You took that chance when you chose to go that route.
If there is an app that is supposed to be used, why is your device not eligible to unlock via the app? You will have to use the official unlock method if/when it is eligible, hopefully the 3rd party unlock service hasn't done anything that conflicts with the official method.
I suggest that, in the future, don't make gambles or look for shortcuts when buying devices without being 100% certain that you are buying from a reputable source that guarantees their products and services. It is best to buy directly from the carrier/manufacturer or from Swappa. I wouldn't buy from eBay unless I could confirm that there was a legitimately proven unlock method for the specific model number that I'm considering purchasing before I actually purchase the device.
If you can return the device and get your money back, I suggest you do it or report it to eBay to see if they will protect your purchase since what you got is not what you agreed to purchase.

Droidriven said:
You got scammed, whether they did it on purpose or not is another question. They probably didn't rob you on purpose, it is just a matter of there never being any kind of guarantee that a 3rd party unlocking service works on every device. You took that chance when you chose to go that route.
If there is an app that is supposed to be used, why is your device not eligible to unlock via the app? You will have to use the official unlock method if/when it is eligible, hopefully the 3rd party unlock service hasn't done anything that conflicts with the official method.
I suggest that, in the future, don't make gambles or look for shortcuts when buying devices without being 100% certain that you are buying from a reputable source that guarantees their products and services. It is best to buy directly from the carrier/manufacturer or from Swappa. I wouldn't buy from eBay unless I could confirm that there was a legitimately proven unlock method for the specific model number that I'm considering purchasing before I actually purchase the device.
If you can return the device and get your money back, I suggest you do it or report it to eBay to see if they will protect your purchase since what you got is not what you agreed to purchase.
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I got the phones new from Metro not eBay. The only thing I got from eBay was the unlocking service which cost me $8. And I didn't pay anything for the phones either as they were free with the purchase of one month of Metro service. So there's really no point in returning the phones and I'm not gonna bother opening a case with eBay over $8.
Metro won't unlock the phones until I've paid for six months of their service.
A quick search on eBay comes up with multiple sellers offering unlocks for my specific phone model locked to Metro. I've been thinking about just trying to get the phones unlocked again by another seller but everything and everyone seems to be telling me the phones are already unlocked so I don't know what I should try next. Is there a way to check if the phones are really unlocked?

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
I got the phones new from Metro not eBay. The only thing I got from eBay was the unlocking service which cost me $8. And I didn't pay anything for the phones either as they were free with the purchase of one month of Metro service. So there's really no point in returning the phones and I'm not gonna bother opening a case with eBay over $8.
Metro won't unlock the phones until I've paid for six months of their service.
A quick search on eBay comes up with multiple sellers offering unlocks for my specific phone model locked to Metro. I've been thinking about just trying to get the phones unlocked again by another seller but everything and everyone seems to be telling me the phones are already unlocked so I don't know what I should try next. Is there a way to check if the phones are really unlocked?
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You've already used methods to check if it is unlocked. Obviously, the service you paid for didn't work, you can't get your money back for that, those services don't come with any guarantee. As I said, you can take another chance and try another 3rd party service that also is not guaranteed or you can wait and do it the official way. I'm betting the unlock service is a waste of time and money and you'll have to wait and do it the right way. That is the cost of blindly taking a shortcut.