Database Info

[Q] What is S-Off and what is the difference between Sensation and the 4g.

Hello every one, I am thinking of getting a Sensation so decided to ask you about 2 issues ;
1) I keep seeing S-Off and for the hell of me I know not what this is.
2) While attempting a purchase on Amazon for phone and accessories, I always see Sensation and Sensation 4g. I can guess that the 4G has the 4g network capabilities which I will not need (in Egypt we do not have it yet) but for accessories will it really matter or is it the same when it comes to accessories and only the protocol differs.
Thanks a lot for the replies.

Accessories are the same.
S-off is r/w access to the nand on which system recovery and boot are stored.

Thanks. So no I can purchase accessories without needing to worry. As for the S-Off I still do not comprehend. What is it again?? Is it the ability to read and write to the nand from the recovery partition. did I understand correctly.

There is no difference between Sensation and Sensation 4G other than branding. Both have the same HSPA+ speeds, T-mobile is just branding it as "4G". Sensation 4G is for USA, and Sensation is for the other parts of the world (S4G is locked)
Swyped from my HTC Sensation

Pretty much. If s-off means nothing to you in terms of rooting your phone enjoy your purchase.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App

S-off means you can put modified software (ROMs) on your device and generally make it better. You have two methods to get S-OFF: xda way (revolutionary.io) or official HTC way. The xda way is better
Sent from my HTC Sensation using XDA Premium App

in layman's terms, it's "rooting"your phone (ability to replace any and all files on your phone). Being able to do that will allow you the ability to change any visual aspect you can think possible on your phone, just about any kind of performance, over clocking your cpu, undervolting your phone, enabling faster charging times, extreme power saving abilities, even the ability top change the entire operating system to something completely different... Along with loads more you can do that were never possible "stock". Removing these chains can come at a risk if you don't know what you're doing so make sure you research before unlocking your phones full potential.

Thanks every one for your explanation. Highly appreciated. I will get it for sure then. Cya soon on sensation sub forums.

Get the sensation without the t-mobile branding on it. You can flash tmobile rom if you like after s-off and it would be the same as the tmobile version sensation 4G, unless you like the tmobile branding stamped on your phone

don't forget the different bands!

skygear said:
don't forget the different bands!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi skygear,
You and the user idavid actually posted contradicting claims You say the UMTS bands are _different_, idavid says they are the _same_ (several posts above yours). Can anyone actually verify what is actually the case?
Here's my phone - it's a T-Mobile Sensation 4G, and the website I bought it from originally claimed the UMTS bands were 900, 1700, 2100. When I got the box from them, the bands stated on the box were 1700, 2100, 1900 (in that order). I checked the website (newayci.com) again today and they corrected the specs to match those on the box, but in the carrier chart they claim my Sensation 4G won't work on Bell at all and only as 2G on Rogers - which does not make sense as Bell and Rogers use the same UMTS 1900 band.
So you see there's quite a lot of confusion, and it would be great if we could collectively clarify that. Is there any way to check it (except for getting a Rogers or Bell SIM with a 3G plan and putting that one in?)?
I am using the phone on Wind Mobile in Toronto, and it works fine, but I wasn't able to figure out so far if it will work as 3G on Rogers or Bell, who use UMTS 1900 band.
I posted the same question in another thread too, I'll report what I get from there (if anything).
Thanks in advance for help.

T-mobile HTC sensation signal problems

I need help, I'm already desperate...
Got a T-mobile HTC sensation, it was already unlocked for other carriers but no S-off or unlocked bootloader.
I got an S-off, unlocked the bootloader, changed CID, flashed Android Revolution HD 6.7.2, but I have HORRIBLE signal reception. So I found that update file in the header which said "- HTC Sensation 4G (U.S. T-Mobile PG5810000 | T-MOB010) users can flash this for better signal and data speeds!" I installed it... NO IMPROVEMENT, my last hope is flash a different radio. Anybody knows what's the problem and how to fix it?
configs right now
different carrier sim (not t-mobile)
S-off, unlocked loader
HBOOT: 1.27.11111
Radio: Radio_11.76A.3504.00P_11.24A.3504.31_M
cid changed to 1111111
firmware: 3.33
ROM right now: is the XE version with beats (tried 1.2.2 too, no change)
Kernel: faux
EDIT: just found out that my wifi is not working either, tried the boot.img fix, didn't help. I get Wifi for a brief second and if I managed to connect it will stay for a while, but if I don't no wifi after that.

Kernels vs Radios
kkira13 said:
Kernel: faux
EDIT: just found out that my wifi is not working either, tried the boot.img fix, didn't help. I get Wifi for a brief second and if I managed to connect it will stay for a while, but if I don't no wifi after that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried a different kernel? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1269247 (maybe its for AOSP only though)
Sensation Kernel Update (different and more recent than above): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1256668
Different (userfriendly) radios? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1459767
Remember to make a backup before install.

yes I have tried 2-3 kernels, including Bricked.
and I have changed 7-8 different radios/firmwares
P.S. fixed wifi with WiFix, at least this 2 issues are not connected

Greetings. I'm taking a stab at asking my question here because it seems sort of related.
I'm a T-mobile USA customer with a brand new SIM card in my Sensation 4g that I bought a few months ago.
My bootloader is unlocked, I'm S-off, I've flashed the custom firmware (version: 3.32.401.3) that was recommended for those flashing the Cyanogenmod 9 ROM. I'm currently using the most recent STABLE Cyanogenmod 9 ROM (not 9.1, but the STABLE 9 ROM). I'm using the stock Cyanogenmod 9 kernel (the one that came with the ROM: 3.0.26-g7290c7f). I never bothered to flash a new radio, not sure if that's a mistake or not.
My reception is good but it seems rather obvious that my phone is completely unable to hook up to or unaware of the 4g network. When downloading, the icon in the taskbar always shows either "3g" or "H" and when I check the "Status" in "About Phone" my "Mobile Network Type" is always listed as UMTS:3 or HSDPA:9.
Can anyone make any suggestions for how I might begin the trouble shooting process to remedy this issue. Thank you in advance for any sage like advice you might provide, I'm pretty lost here.

iamabot said:
Greetings. I'm taking a stab at asking my question here because it seems sort of related.
I'm a T-mobile USA customer with a brand new SIM card in my Sensation 4g that I bought a few months ago.
My bootloader is unlocked, I'm S-off, I've flashed the custom firmware (version: 3.32.401.3) that was recommended for those flashing the Cyanogenmod 9 ROM. I'm currently using the most recent STABLE Cyanogenmod 9 ROM (not 9.1, but the STABLE 9 ROM). I'm using the stock Cyanogenmod 9 kernel (the one that came with the ROM: 3.0.26-g7290c7f). I never bothered to flash a new radio, not sure if that's a mistake or not.
My reception is good but it seems rather obvious that my phone is completely unable to hook up to or unaware of the 4g network. When downloading, the icon in the taskbar always shows either "3g" or "H" and when I check the "Status" in "About Phone" my "Mobile Network Type" is always listed as UMTS:3 or HSDPA:9.
Can anyone make any suggestions for how I might begin the trouble shooting process to remedy this issue. Thank you in advance for any sage like advice you might provide, I'm pretty lost here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
H is good. It means you are on an HSDPA network. That's 4G for the purposes of this conversation (though what really constitutes 4G is a little more involved)
HSDPA:9 might just be the best speeds that are available in your area. For instance 8 is the best I can get at my house. No amount of better phones will fix that. It's just what's available from the tower.

Skipjacks said:
H is good. It means you are on an HSDPA network. That's 4G for the purposes of this conversation (though what really constitutes 4G is a little more involved)
HSDPA:9 might just be the best speeds that are available in your area. For instance 8 is the best I can get atso my house. No amount of better phones will fix that. It's just what's available from the tower.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's helpful thank you. One last question in the interest of clarification. Should I find myself in an HSPA+ reception area, should I expect the information over the reception bars to change from 3g to 4g and would "Mobile Network Type" then reflect HSPA+ as opposed to HSDPA 9?
Just curious so I might know what to look for when crossing into better network areas.
Thanks again for the tip.

The H means 4g technically. You can update your radio and ril very easily. Will find links and edit post
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1202867
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using xda app-developers app

lackdog said:
The H means 4g technically. You can update your radio and ril very easily. Will find links and edit post
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1202867
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the link. I guess what I was wondering is whether or not I actually need to update my radio, I'd feel a lot more confident in my reception if I ever saw HSPA+ listed in my phone's "Mobile Network Type", but I never do. I had previously thought that HSDPA was 3G, but maybe I'm missing something.
Thanks for the link, flashing a new radio is something I had been giving consideration, I'm just wondering how user friendly the process is. Like picking a needle out of a haystack, or is there someway to narrow down what radio/ril combo is best for one's phone/network.
I'll read through the thread for the link you posted and update my progress here later. Thanks for the info.

iamabot said:
That's helpful thank you. One last question in the interest of clarification. Should I find myself in an HSPA+ reception area, should I expect the information over the reception bars to change from 3g to 4g and would "Mobile Network Type" then reflect HSPA+ as opposed to HSDPA 9?
Just curious so I might know what to look for when crossing into better network areas.
Thanks again for the tip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your data connection will still say 3G, unless you start to use the data then it will automatically switch to 4G/H (saves battery this way)
HTC made a fault with the Sensation with building the antennas into the back case (hand over the back of the phone = small loss of reception)

Theres a program called getRIL in the play store. You can update your radio and ril as long as your root. Which i assume u are. I do it thep old fasion way though.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using xda app-developers app

[Q] How do I know if my phone can get 4G

It's probably a silly question but I don't know how to check. I bought an HTC One X off ebay, it' s brand new and unlocked (but I can tell it used to be on orange.). I'm currently on O2 but thinking about switching so I can get 4G but I won't bother if my phone can't get it. So how do I know if it can use the 4G network?
Thanks in advance.

Assume you are talking LTE (although the official definition of "4G" was revised to include evolved forms of HSPA).
For LTE compatibility, you have to find the specs for the exact model of One X you have (which may get confusing) and find out what band/frequency of LTE the phone is compatible with. Don't confuse this with the GSM or HSPA bands, you've got to look for the LTE band.
Then you need to find the LTE band/frequency used by your carrier. If the LTE frequencies are the same (phone is compatible with your carrier's LTE network) and the phone is unlocked, it should work.
Keep in mind that frequency/band support is most usually set in hardware. So the phone has to be equipped (in hardware) with the correct band. No amount of radio flashing will change the LTE band.

Thanks for your help. So how do I find out the exact model of my phone?
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app

IllusiaX said:
So how do I find out the exact model of my phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And therein lies the challenge. Matching your phone to a model number or accurate specs is not an easy thing. Telling us what carrier version or country would be a good start.
Also, be sure to hit the "thanks" button for any of my posts that you find helpful.

Thanks! I'm on O2 pay as you go but I bought the phone unlocked from eBay, it was previously on the orange network. I'm in the UK and I'm pretty sure the phone is a UK model.
I can't find the thanks button on this app but ill be sure to press it when I check in on my laptop
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app

[Q] Sensation GSM/HSDPA chip removable?

hi everyone, i have a sensation xe that i think came from oversea's. and a broken sensation from North america
my xe connects only via edge/2g. and would love it if it was up with the times on 3g/hspa/4g. i dont think there is a way to modify the bands by upgrading the baseband or radio version. but is the chip on the board removable at all? ( im assuming the factory makes a standard board, that can then be processed for where in the world its intended to be used)
could i swap the working cell chipset from the N.A version to my XE?
thanks in advance!

Joshmartini said:
hi everyone, i have a sensation xe that i think came from oversea's. and a broken sensation from North america
my xe connects only via edge/2g. and would love it if it was up with the times on 3g/hspa/4g. i dont think there is a way to modify the bands by upgrading the baseband or radio version. but is the chip on the board removable at all? ( im assuming the factory makes a standard board, that can then be processed for where in the world its intended to be used)
could i swap the working cell chipset from the N.A version to my XE?
thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Josh,
I've a very similar problem ... I would like to change the frequencies of my XE to get 3G coverage.
I think you can do it flashing a modem version with the 850/1900 support ... we share the same Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon chip to other HTC terminals that use those frequencies to connect 3G, so it should be possible , but I don't know how to do it
I'm just new to this and some ppl say that would be possible, but no one has tried before ....
more info here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1202867&highlight=z710a&page=119
Regards.

.
Meblin said:
Hi Josh,
I've a very similar problem ... I would like to change the frequencies of my XE to get 3G coverage.
I think you can do it flashing a modem version with the 850/1900 support ... we share the same Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon chip to other HTC terminals that use those frequencies to connect 3G, so it should be possible , but I don't know how to do it
I'm just new to this and some ppl say that would be possible, but no one has tried before ....
more info here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1202867&highlight=z710a&page=119
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the link, i read a few pages and didnt find anyone successfully completing the idea, i think it would be more worthwhile to just move along to another phone
appreciate the help though!

Joshmartini said:
hi everyone, i have a sensation xe that i think came from oversea's. and a broken sensation from North america
my xe connects only via edge/2g. and would love it if it was up with the times on 3g/hspa/4g. i dont think there is a way to modify the bands by upgrading the baseband or radio version. but is the chip on the board removable at all? ( im assuming the factory makes a standard board, that can then be processed for where in the world its intended to be used)
could i swap the working cell chipset from the N.A version to my XE?
thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as far i knew...hspa is support is hardware level support ...and present in our SOC than may be we can use it...may be htc locked it by some way or disable that feature for gsm sensations :/ or sensation's SOC's are fabed without that part...

Jawwad.John said:
as far i knew...hspa is support is hardware level support ...and present in our SOC than may be we can use it...may be htc locked it by some way or disable that feature for gsm sensations :/ or sensation's SOC's are fabed without that part...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There´s no way to change the GSM/HSDPA chip , to work with other bands...
Because it´s no a chip only, its an array of different components to get the specific band´s
So if you think that the motherboard of an American version its exactly the same of an European version , you´re wrong.
There are differences between them.
So , the best way to get your 3G network , its buying a phone that has the correct 3G bands.
I was working for about 8 years in a manufacture center of an important phone brand.

charliert said:
There´s no way to change the GSM/HSDPA chip , to work with other bands...
Because it´s no a chip only, its an array of different components to get the specific band´s
So if you think that the motherboard of an American version its exactly the same of an European version , you´re wrong.
There are differences between them.
So , the best way to get your 3G network , its buying a phone that has the correct 3G bands.
I was working for about 8 years in a manufacture center of an important phone brand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well all settled...u have to buy a 3g phone..

That's correct
Enviado desde mi HTC Sensation 4G usando Tapatalk 2

[Q] HTC ONE SV (k2_u) without LTE?

Hi guys
I recently bought a generic unbranded HTC ONE SV from a German website, as I was looking for an LTE-enabled phone that didn't have a screen big as a flatscreen TV.
I have had the phone now for a couple of weeks and I am overall happy with it. The only problem is that it does not seem to get any LTE action. My operator (Tele2 Sweden) assures me my sim card is enabled for 4G and I live in the center of a city with excellent 4G coverage. Yet, my phone shows an H at best (haven't actually ever seen even an H+).
Digging around this and other forums, I found a few indications that my ONE SV version K2_U (model id PL8013000) might actually not have support for LTE after all.
It seems also all ROM updates currently available are for the K2_UL model, including the one for JB (I have tried to flash these to my device after unlocking/rooting/s-offing it, but never actually managed to succeed with it, while I can flash and reflash the stock ROM for the k2_u version)
TBH I am quite confused: all HTC websites and reviews refer to the ONE SV as an LTE enabled phone, and I cannot find any official reference to the fact that there might be a version of this phone without LTE... So I wonder if maybe I am doing something wrong, or if maybe there is a software lock that has disabled LTE on my phone and that I can fix.
Or have I simply been screwed?
With the Easter holidays I'll have to wait until Tuesday to be able to call HTC... so if in the meantime anybody has any idea I would really appreciate it

There seems to be a lot of K2_U, non-LTE, in the US. You can have a look on the One SV root thread you'll find some.

In fact, in germany the LTE version is ONLY sold by operators (O2, Vodafone, Telekom).
All others come without LTE.

old.splatterhand said:
In fact, in germany the LTE version is ONLY sold by operators (O2, Vodafone, Telekom).
All others come without LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'd think HTC would mention that on their website though... I am not upset about them selling a non-LTE version of the phone, I am outraged by the fact that they don't bother informing consumers that a phone advertised as LTE also happens to have a non-LTE version... I have also contacted them trough the htc.com website, but they did not bother to answer either.
If I had more time to waste on this I'd probably complain with the German consumer protection authorities, but TBH I have learned my lesson and this is the last HTC I buy
Thanks for your replies guys!

What does LTE means? I currently have old.splatterhands non-LTE stock rom installed for my HTC One SV. But for unknown reason, WiFi and radio connection are very weak.

LTE is fast, mobile internet.

old.splatterhand said:
LTE is fast, mobile internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I know if I have a LTE k2u device?

esp7 said:
How do I know if I have a LTE k2u device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have the stock back/battery cover on the phone?
When you have a phone with LTE, it should be written on the backcover (4G LTE, or something like that).
If there is only written beatsaudio, you have non-LTE.

Thanks - non-LTE however

esp7 said:
Thanks - non-LTE however
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems you are rooted, so you can try this: Saturn III