Buying a phone in the USA for use in Europe - General Questions and Answers

Hi there,
I will be visiting the USA this summer and since the swedish crown is fairly high compared to the dollar, the prices are really good compared to the swedish ones. I am thus considering buying a new phone there, and would like to know if, and then what, problems might arise that I need to look out for.
I realize I need to make sure it isn't locked to a carrier for obvious reasons. Are phones today sold with bands unique to different regions or are all bands included to make sure the calling works no matter where I am? Furthermore, will there be any issues with other connectivity, like 3g, 4g or wifi?
any input is much appreciated!

Buy a QUADBAND phone
BloomTwig said:
Hi there,
I will be visiting the USA this summer and since the swedish crown is fairly high compared to the dollar, the prices are really good compared to the swedish ones. I am thus considering buying a new phone there, and would like to know if, and then what, problems might arise that I need to look out for.
I realize I need to make sure it isn't locked to a carrier for obvious reasons. Are phones today sold with bands unique to different regions or are all bands included to make sure the calling works no matter where I am? Furthermore, will there be any issues with other connectivity, like 3g, 4g or wifi?
any input is much appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quad band (also known as quad-band or quadband) literally means four bands. Having more than one frequency in one device is useful to enable roaming between different countries that peg the allowed transmission frequency at different values or to allow a better coverage in the same country.
If you are using your phone internationally and also do travel extensively in the USA, and you wish to be connected at all times with your work or your family, than you must buy a phone with this function. Otherwise, any phone will do just fine, even the really inexpensive ones...

jwoegerbauer said:
Quad band (also known as quad-band or quadband) literally means four bands. Having more than one frequency in one device is useful to enable roaming between different countries that peg the allowed transmission frequency at different values or to allow a better coverage in the same country.
If you are using your phone internationally and also do travel extensively in the USA, and you wish to be connected at all times with your work or your family, than you must buy a phone with this function. Otherwise, any phone will do just fine, even the really inexpensive ones...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your answer!
Other than the quad band, nowthing else is needed? I believe I read somewhere that even wifi-connection could be different in different regions, how about that?
Anything else I need to consider?

BloomTwig said:
Thank you for your answer!
Other than the quad band, nowthing else is needed? I believe I read somewhere that even wifi-connection could be different in different regions, how about that?
Anything else I need to consider?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If a phone has "Wi-Fi CERTIFIED" sticker it flawlessly works overall in the world. You must not have any concerns.

Ok, so as long as it's quad band, wifi certified and is not locked to a certain carrier nothing should be a problem? How hard would such a phone be to find in the USA?
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app

Related

HTC Pro 3G connection problems

I may get flamed for this but I did try and search the WIKI and the Raphael forum. I just purchased an HTC Touch Pro as someone threw me in a pool with my Kaiser still attached to me. I got it through Expansys which I believe is a company in the UK. When I turned it on I saw I was only getting the EDGE network. After doing some research now I see that I may have messed up and I may not be able to connect to the 3G network here in North America. Is this true? Can someone PLEASE confirm this for me? Is there a new ROM I can install or a radio upgrade that will allow this phone to connect to AT&T's service here in the US? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know. This phone is badass and is a huge improvement on the Kaiser. I'd love to get it to work, but the internet speed is the most important thing to me as I'm a systems engineer and tether with it almost daily for work. I hope someone can give me a definitive answer on whether or not I should send this beauty back. Thanks ahead of time for any input whatsoever!
definitive answer: NO
no 3g in USA on at&t or t-mobile
only way is to wait for the FUZE
htc said its not software its hardware!
sorry i know it sux but if u can return it and wait for the fuze, go ahead!
Aaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!
That suuuuuucks! Well, thanks for your quick reply. I guess I'm going to have to see what I can do about returning this thing. Any idea what the ETA on the Fuze is?
Once again, I really appreciate your help. I've been slammed here at work so I haven't had a chance to do the research that I would normally do. I especially appreciate your definitive answer
The Fuze should be released in the next few weeks. The exact date is not known. But by the end of November is almost a guarantee.
Thanks to all!!!
Thanks again. I guess I'll wait for the Fuze. From the pics it looks like they did the same thing as with the Kaiser and removed the front camera for video phone. I guess AT&T is worried about bandwidth issues if everyone starts making video calls. Funny thing is, most people here in North America believe very strongly that we are the most technologically advanced country in the world, yet we can't seem to even compete with other countries, including third world countries like South Africa, on many things including cell phones and reception.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=420865
check this thread,complete coverage of the issue...
All post from viper are particulary informative. Still a little bit of hope...
Well AT&T isn't even setup to handle video calls (afaik), so I don't think it's something they're "worried" about.
Awesome labbbby!
Don't know why I couldn't find that thread earlier. It's exactly what I was looking for. I guess I'll wait a liiiiiittle bit. I don't want to part with this thing. Besides, I'm addicted to that damn teeter game.
lokibjensen said:
I may get flamed for this but I did try and search the WIKI and the Raphael forum. I just purchased an HTC Touch Pro as someone threw me in a pool with my Kaiser still attached to me. I got it through Expansys which I believe is a company in the UK. When I turned it on I saw I was only getting the EDGE network. After doing some research now I see that I may have messed up and I may not be able to connect to the 3G network here in North America. Is this true? Can someone PLEASE confirm this for me? Is there a new ROM I can install or a radio upgrade that will allow this phone to connect to AT&T's service here in the US? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know. This phone is badass and is a huge improvement on the Kaiser. I'd love to get it to work, but the internet speed is the most important thing to me as I'm a systems engineer and tether with it almost daily for work. I hope someone can give me a definitive answer on whether or not I should send this beauty back. Thanks ahead of time for any input whatsoever!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you spend God-knows-how-much on a device without researching it well enough in the first place. Wow.
Well unlocked GSM Touch Pros use 3G on the 2100mhz freq (European) and U.S 3G is on the 850/1900mhz freq (T-mobile chose the 1700mhz route..don't ask why).
Send it back and wait for the U.S version which is branded through ATT as the Fuze.
I should have said, "almost all input is welcome"
LordLugard said:
So you spend God-knows-how-much on a device without researching it well enough in the first place. Wow.
Well unlocked GSM Touch Pros use 3G on the 2100mhz freq (European) and U.S 3G is on the 850/1900mhz freq (T-mobile chose the 1700mhz route..don't ask why).
Send it back and wait for the U.S version which is branded through ATT as the Fuze.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know I said I welcome ANY input. I didn't really expect the sarcasm though. I'm in the middle of moving our offices and being that I'm the IT director it's pretty demanding. I have owned the 8125 (Wizard), the 8525 (Hermes), and the 8925 (Kaiser) before this one. When my Kaiser got ruined I was forced to replace it ASAP because I need instant email/contacts/calendar, tethering, and I use it as my GPS. I figured instead of shelling out $400-$500 for a new Kaiser quickly, I may as well add a couple hundred more and get an upgrade. My mistake I guess. Normally I'm more careful but under these circumstances I didn't have the luxury. I guess thanks for the input anyway. Next time try and be a little nicer to strangers.
Interesting change
While looking at what exactly I had purchased from Expansys I saw that they touted the phone as being, "Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent)". This would lead me to believe that it should be able to connect to the AT&T network here as it says it can connect to the 850/1900MHz frequency. I also looked underneath the battery to see the exact model and it's a RAPH100. I could swear I saw somewhere that this is the new North American version. I'm doing some more research and I'll post whatever I find in case it helps someone else in the future with my issue.
Sorry but almost all of us have the RAPH100 and we're all stuck with an almost useless g-note phone. It was an expensive lesson that may be salvageable if a radio antenna mod gets discovered and if not... it'll make a great paperweight.
I'm looking forward to the X1 or X1a or X1i or whatever they call it today.
Dammit
Well, I guess my ray of hope is now crushed. I can't wait around for a mod. I'm going to continue trying to send it back. I can't believe that they would say it connects to that frequency and not actually work. That's terrible. It reminds me of the whole problem with the missing drivers on the Kaiser. Time for another htclassaction.org website.
lokibjensen said:
While looking at what exactly I had purchased from Expansys I saw that they touted the phone as being, "Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Expansys have quoted correctly. GSM, GPRS and EDGE are all supported at these frequencies, but none of those technologies are 3G
Good luck getting a refund - it's not the retailers fault you didn't understand what you were buying
handsomedog said:
Expansys have quoted correctly. GSM, GPRS and EDGE are all supported at these frequencies, but none of those technologies are 3G
Good luck getting a refund - it's not the retailers fault you didn't understand what you were buying
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe they shouldn't sell a 3G phone in the US that doesn't do 3G. It's kind of hard in today's world to be up on every single kind of technology so one expects a company to list major issues such as this. I apologize that I'm not as knowledgeable as you about phone frequencies and protocols. I do know that there are a lot of other technical fields that I'm very knowledgeable about and would definitely try and give someone help without trying to put them down or make them look stupid because they didn't understand something that is not part of their expertise.

[bounty][1BTC + 60USD] Add 700 1700 LTE Bands on n9005

Bounty for the first person to post a solution to add the 1700 700 LTE bands to the n9005.
Seeing as its believed to be hardware supported many of us are trying to unlock those frequencies for true international LTE.
Possible solutions proposed:
Flashable AWS modem for n9005
NVRAM dump with AWS config.
Bids** so far:
IamNoone: 1BTC
Nakedtime: 20USD
xaviero17: 40USD
**Feel free to bid USD, I just happen to find BTC more appealing.
current BTC Trade value: http://bitcoinity.org/markets
Heres hoping we get some workable solutions. Even if they're easy.
If the hardware supports, you would simply need to import (and maybe modify slightly) the QCN file from an N900W8 variant and upload to your 9005 device.
QCN contains IMEI, must also be edited to remove imei.
Besides, has one been dumped from a W8?
Someone feel free to dump...
Would this mean we could use the 9005 on at&t LTE and 3g network?
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
dirtbikerr450 said:
Would this mean we could use the 9005 on at&t LTE and 3g network?
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
N9005 already operates on ATT HSDPA and UMTS.
This is for ATT LTE.
I would love to see lte band 18 and 19 supported. Those are the japanese 800Mhz bands, that practically no phone except the crippled japanese provider models support.
Anyway, modifying the radio to send on those (or any not certified) bands would very likely be illegal in nearly any jurisdiction, wouldn't it?
cgi said:
I would love to see lte band 18 and 19 supported. Those are the japanese 800Mhz bands, that practically no phone except the crippled japanese provider models support.
Anyway, modifying the radio to send on those (or any not certified) bands would very likely be illegal in nearly any jurisdiction, wouldn't it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In a case like this it would be much more likely for it to be a hardware issue stopping you. I don't think that a band like that, which is not supported on any Snapdragon note 3 (or am I wrong?) Would be possible to just change by software. I do know that if the antenna isn't designed for the frequency the signal would suck and you would likely also get signal reflections into the phones output amps, among other problems. And that is assuming you child even get the chip to try to transmit on those bands....which I also don't think you could do
asaqwert said:
In a case like this it would be much more likely for it to be a hardware issue stopping you. I don't think that a band like that, which is not supported on any Snapdragon note 3 (or am I wrong?) Would be possible to just change by software. I do know that if the antenna isn't designed for the frequency the signal would suck and you would likely also get signal reflections into the phones output amps, among other problems. And that is assuming you child even get the chip to try to transmit on those bands....which I also don't think you could do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not are not exactly wrong, but the bands 18 and 19 are very close to bands 5 and 6. Both are supported as far as I can tell, although 6 is only for UTMS. But that means that the power amps and antenna tuning should be there. Also, qualcomm advertises this "rf360 solution" which is supposed to support more or less all bands between 700 and 2700MHz. No idea, whether is is in the note3 though.
So you see, I did give this some thought.
cgi said:
I would love to see lte band 18 and 19 supported. Those are the japanese 800Mhz bands, that practically no phone except the crippled japanese provider models support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We might want to make a separate Bounty for this kind of thing. Such as unlocking ALL frequencies supported by the Snapdragon.
cgi said:
Anyway, modifying the radio to send on those (or any not certified) bands would very likely be illegal in nearly any jurisdiction, wouldn't it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I prefer to make the assumption that people have honorable intentions. For several people, they're just trying to get LTE on AT&T.
There's no good reason that anyone would want to use illegal frequencies, since such frequencies would likely not give them cell service anyway.
Sonorus said:
We might want to make a separate Bounty for this kind of thing. Such as unlocking ALL frequencies supported by the Snapdragon.
I prefer to make the assumption that people have honorable intentions. For several people, they're just trying to get LTE on AT&T.
There's no good reason that anyone would want to use illegal frequencies, since such frequencies would likely not give them cell service anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think what he means (judging from the knowledge he would seem to have on the topic) frequencies that are not certified for use in a given jurisdiction, not "illegal"frequencies in some other way. In the US fir example, if you use a device that transmits on any frequency that your device has not specifically been passed for by the fcc (and above a maximum power limit which is rather low, from what I recall) then you are breaking federal fcc regulation with respect to creating possible interference, transmitting radio signals on a band your device want created for etc. It can get you into big trouble. Having said that, unlocking your phone in the states is legal to, but no one is ever going to find out. Same thing with the frequency thing, they have those laws so that a) when someone creates interference they can stop/prosecute them and b) so they can stop people importing devices for sale that are not certified.
Having said that, if it is not a frequency that is explicitly supported by the hardware then but that is simply close to a supported one, it would require more than just a hack. It would require reverse engineering the Qualcomm code and then writing your own hardware interface software etc, that is assuming that the bands are close enough that the amps and antenna would work, then you would have to hack the rest of the firmware to actually utilize these new bands and actually talk to your other new software.
In short, it is highly unlikely that it would be possible, at least given the time and resources that most people would spend on dev work (which I understand is a lot but this is a much bigger deal than dev work on open source code) and also Qualcomm probably would not look to kindly on us reverse engineering their stuff. Also, it is quite possible that the hardware commands simply would not exist for the software to ask the hardware to do this. I am not familiar enough with the Qualcomm hardware nor mobile hardware in this way, as I've never programmed or dine dev work on android phones(single dad now with not enough time as it is) so I can't say for sure here but I have a hunch that the hardware simply was created to offer functionality on certain bands and that is all it would offer. If it was unsupported in software but supported in hardware, that's one thing, but unsupported in hardware pretty much means you're sol in my opinion
asaqwert said:
I think what he means (judging from the knowledge he would seem to have on the topic) frequencies that are not certified for use in a given jurisdiction, not "illegal"frequencies in some other way. In the US fir example, if you use a device that transmits on any frequency that your device has not specifically been passed for by the fcc (and above a maximum power limit which is rather low, from what I recall) then you are breaking federal fcc regulation with respect to creating possible interference, transmitting radio signals on a band your device want created for etc. It can get you into big trouble. Having said that, unlocking your phone in the states is legal to, but no one is ever going to find out. Same thing with the frequency thing, they have those laws so that a) when someone creates interference they can stop/prosecute them and b) so they can stop people importing devices for sale that are not certified.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I meant. If it was just a matter of editing a config file, it would be unlikely to cause any interference. I do assume, that the original radio firmware is well-behaved and doesn't start sending on a given frequency unless it picks up a cell tower there first. However, regulators have been known to look unkindly at uncertified devices, especially if you cause interference. And you most certainly void your certification if you modify the radio.
Anyway, I did unpack the radio firmware and looked around in it with a hex editor a bit, hoping for a lucky find of the needle in the haystack, so to say. What I found was not very encouraging. It's a batch of binary files. Some looking like bootloaders, others looking like L4 realtime kernels. There also seems to be a qurt kernel, whatever that is. Maybe some kind of Qualcomm realtime os implementation. Also dsp firmware or some such. Then I found some strings that might be part of digital signatures. I did some googling on suggestive strings I found, but if there is any documentation on that stuff, then Qualcomm keeps it secret (or I am too stupid to find it).
There was no such thing as "SupportLTEon700MHz=false" or something like that. Not that I expected anything like that.
So unless there is an insider somewhere willing to violate all kinds of NDAs and contracts, it is unlikely that this will happen, I think.
Both of you are making this more complicated than it probably needs to be.
For one, the phones that DO support 700 and 1700 use the same chipset. This is something that was done on the Note 2. A simple config change unlocked those frequencies. I believe we'd only need to repeat the concept for the Note 3. In other words, all we need is for someone familiar with the process to take on the job.
The Snapdragon 800 (N9005's chipset) does accept the LTE_B17 line of flags. (LTE band 17). It's already in the hardware, we just need to turn it on.
This bounty explicitly states for 700 and 1700 LTE bands, which the chipset DOES support at least 1 of those bands. This isn't about the Japanese bands, that was brought up by someone else and isn't what this topic is about. Please make a separate bounty for that feature so that people aren't confused about THIS topic.
So unless there is an insider somewhere willing to violate all kinds of NDAs and contracts, it is unlikely that this will happen, I think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has already happened on other phones. It's a matter of incentive.
Sonorus said:
Both of you are making this more complicated than it probably needs to be.
For one, the phones that DO support 700 and 1700 use the same chipset. This is something that was done on the Note 2. A simple config change unlocked those frequencies. I believe we'd only need to repeat the concept for the Note 3. In other words, all we need is for someone familiar with the process to take on the job.
The Snapdragon 800 (N9005's chipset) does accept the LTE_B17 line of flags. (LTE band 17). It's already in the hardware, we just need to turn it on.
This bounty explicitly states for 700 and 1700 LTE bands, which the chipset DOES support at least 1 of those bands. This isn't about the Japanese bands, that was brought up by someone else and isn't what this topic is about. Please make a separate bounty for that feature so that people aren't confused about THIS topic.
This has already happened on other phones. It's a matter of incentive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://wccftech.com/enable-t-mobile-hspa-aws-bands-on-at-t-galaxy-s4-sgh-i337-sgh-i337m/ as reference
WorldIRC said:
http://wccftech.com/enable-t-mobile-hspa-aws-bands-on-at-t-galaxy-s4-sgh-i337-sgh-i337m/ as reference
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh I would love to see this come out for the Note 3 a nice simple way to pick up the extra bands our hardware is capable of.
Me and another member got relatively far with this but was not able to flash the N900W8 modem onto an N9005 because the boot loader is locked. We were going to try a few other things before I gave up and just bought an N900W8 for cheaper than what I paid for the N9005.
The QCN file was edited to match that of an N900W8 with respect to a few entries in the LTE BC CONFIG. Unfortunately just changing it resulted in no service. We then proceeded to change the WCDMA band configuration to match, but like members of the S3, this is apparently overwritten some how by the device on boot. You need to reboot the phone for the modified QCN to take effect, so basically it did nothing.
Whatever solution you guys come up with its probably a matter of a complete modem and QCN file then reboot to make it happen.
I tried to write a custom update.zip file that overwrote the two partitions containing the modem.bin and NON-HLOS.bin without success.
Rogers parameter 6828:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9KfOSKSSjgdSEE2Z043U09JTGc/edit?usp=sharing
LTE BC CONFIG MENTION:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=33234706&postcount=43
In regards to an update.zip. You must execute the flash after following the same sequence of steps as when flashing with odin. (eg remove battery, put battery in, hold vol down and home, plug in USB cable, then odin will come up) Except instead of vol down, use vol up. Something about this sequence unlocks the ability to flash modems (in odin, recovery and root). (if you don't do it, writes to the mmc will timeout)
While you /can/ flash modems for W8 and T on the N9005, they will fail to boot, apparently enforced by the PBL (the lowest level bootloader on the device).
Changing individual parameters in NVRAM may not take effect for a number of reasons;
1) There are two partitions (MODEM*1 and MODEM*2) that seem to contain NVRAM parameters, but are not directly part of EFS. They look like backups of critical parts of NVRAM, i suspect during the boot sequence, these BINs push NVRAM parameters into EFS, overwriting any changes. I was unable to trivially decipher the contents, but i didn't put a lot of effort into it.
2) Some kind of failsafe similar to the Modem flashing problem. (modem wont stick! maybe NVRAM wont either!)
3) Modem itself may set certain parameters in NVRAM. Only way to test this i think would be to try changing IMEI in NVRAM, and see if it reverts back on reboot. As the modem doesn't pertain to your IMEI, it would never correct it if it was incorrect.
Personally i think #2 is the case, and will try to enable change via cold boot method.
I have successfully changed the modem partition to contain arbitrary data, as long as the binaries are untouched. As soon as they are modified (even eg. changing the name of the baseband), they will not operate. So they are probably protected by signature or hash.
Got NV#06828 to stick as 5B0001. It was originally D50008.
It however, does not enable the necessary bands, it would appear. The value is persisting across reboots, so indeed it has been changed permanently.
I suspect NV#01877 needs modified as well. But i've been unsuccessful in getting it to stick.
I'm attempting to change 040002 to 060000 in item 1877.
The fact that i was able to write NV#06828 suggests that 01877 is likely changeable as well. Still haven't figure out what conditions are allowing writes to persist. Luck of the draw seems to be what makes it work.
Sonorus said:
Got NV#06828 to stick as 5B0001. It was originally D50008.
It however, does not enable the necessary bands, it would appear. The value is persisting across reboots, so indeed it has been changed permanently.
I suspect NV#01877 needs modified as well. But i've been unsuccessful in getting it to stick.
I'm attempting to change 040002 to 060000 in item 1877.
The fact that i was able to write NV#06828 suggests that 01877 is likely changeable as well. Still haven't figure out what conditions are allowing writes to persist. Luck of the draw seems to be what makes it work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. Thanks for the information.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Bumping this
I'll pledge $20 for 700MHz AT&T band

[Q] How can the 4G frequency be changed from 1700mhz to 1800 mhz

I've searched for 3 days now, trying to get some info on this, there are various discussions on xda and on other sites that come along the same line, most of the answers are:
No it can't be done - it's hardware related - there are different variants for each region (seems this is not the case with the ONE)
You need someone with QPST but it probably can not be done.
But there is none that actually clears it up, it's mostly "I think it is...................."
What I found out is that the chip regulating 4G LTE connectivity on all HTC one variants is the same (600 MHz Hexagon QDSP6V5A part of the MSM8974 chip and it can sport the ALL LTE frequencies), so it is not a hardware difference between the EMEA and the Verizon, now the question is do I need someone with this QPST or will it only be a case of changing the baseband - all this, is my own conclusion, feel free to give me feedback on this
now on the Verizon site LTE spec says:
Network: LTE Band 13/4 (700/1700 MHz)
CDMA/1xEVDO Rev. A (800/1900 MHz)
the HTC site for Verizon says 4G LTE:
EMEA: 800/900/1800/2600 MHz
Verizon: 700/AWS/1800/2600 MHz
Yet I still don't get any 4G
Sadly there is so much info and it's hard to follow it all. So please can someone explain what and how things actually work?
Why do I need to know all this? Cause I have a Verizon m8 and I'm using it in Europe and I can't get 4G - atm I'm using Insertcoin with ElementalX 8.0.5 kernel and everything is working on the phone aside 4G - I flashed various roms on it, never had ANY problem, aside small things that a Google search solved.
Anyone that can enlighten me? Any help would be appreciated.
Bump
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using xda app-developers app
So are you not getting any 4G LTE? If so I'm not sure why. I get 4G LTE almost everywhere I go.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using xda app-developers app
Nope not getting it at all
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using xda app-developers app
masucu said:
I've searched for 3 days now, trying to get some info on this, there are various discussions on xda and on other sites that come along the same line, most of the answers are:
No it can't be done - it's hardware related - there are different variants for each region (seems this is not the case with the ONE)
You need someone with QPST but it probably can not be done.
But there is none that actually clears it up, it's mostly "I think it is...................."
What I found out is that the chip regulating 4G LTE connectivity on all HTC one variants is the same (600 MHz Hexagon QDSP6V5A part of the MSM8974 chip and it can sport the ALL LTE frequencies), so it is not a hardware difference between the EMEA and the Verizon, now the question is do I need someone with this QPST or will it only be a case of changing the baseband - all this, is my own conclusion, feel free to give me feedback on this
now on the Verizon site LTE spec says:
Network: LTE Band 13/4 (700/1700 MHz)
CDMA/1xEVDO Rev. A (800/1900 MHz)
the HTC site for Verizon says 4G LTE:
EMEA: 800/900/1800/2600 MHz
Verizon: 700/AWS/1800/2600 MHz
Yet I still don't get any 4G
Sadly there is so much info and it's hard to follow it all. So please can someone explain what and how things actually work?
Why do I need to know all this? Cause I have a Verizon m8 and I'm using it in Europe and I can't get 4G - atm I'm using Insertcoin with ElementalX 8.0.5 kernel and everything is working on the phone aside 4G - I flashed various roms on it, never had ANY problem, aside small things that a Google search solved.
Anyone that can enlighten me? Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Each model must have a different *antenna* configuration so that they are optimized to their respective regions. The *antenna* is separate from the actual radio you mentioned above. This is why there are so many models, which I thought I had explained in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2710720&page=5
Even if you could override what band the phone connected to, the performance would be abysmal. The fix for this would be to physically change the antenna. If you could do this on your own, you deserve an honorary degree in electrical engineering since antenna design isn’t the easiest thing in the world. Here’s where to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell's_equations
Since there is a discrepancy between the Verizon and HTC spec sheets, I would do the following:
1.) Focus your research on seeing which one is correct by contacting HTC and Verizon.
2.) If Verizon’s is correct, you’re done. Romania’s carriers only transmit LTE on 1800 Mhz (band 3). Otherwise…
3.) If HTC’s sheet is correct, focus on why you can’t detect 1800 MHz. It must be something in your unlock method or Verizon really locked the hell out of the radios for some reason.
subhumanderelict said:
Each model must have a different *antenna* configuration so that they are optimized to their respective regions. The *antenna* is separate from the actual radio you mentioned above. This is why there are so many models, which I thought I had explained in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2710720&page=5
Even if you could override what band the phone connected to, the performance would be abysmal. The fix for this would be to physically change the antenna. If you could do this on your own, you deserve an honorary degree in electrical engineering since antenna design isn’t the easiest thing in the world. Here’s where to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell's_equations
Since there is a discrepancy between the Verizon and HTC spec sheets, I would do the following:
1.) Focus your research on seeing which one is correct by contacting HTC and Verizon.
2.) If Verizon’s is correct, you’re done. Romania’s carriers only transmit LTE on 1800 Mhz (band 3). Otherwise…
3.) If HTC’s sheet is correct, focus on why you can’t detect 1800 MHz. It must be something in your unlock method or Verizon really locked the hell out of the radios for some reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers mate, went to an actual engineer that handles repairs here in Romania for various brands and we both decided to make it our own personal project to make this happen a Verizon M8 turned into a Euro version one, ill report back with the results in about 2 weeks. Seems technically it can be done, just needs a some work. Thanks again for the reply though.
masucu said:
Cheers mate, went to an actual engineer that handles repairs here in Romania for various brands and we both decided to make it our own personal project to make this happen a Verizon M8 turned into a Euro version one, ill report back with the results in about 2 weeks. Seems technically it can be done, just needs a some work. Thanks again for the reply though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's actually kind of admirable! Seriously, I wish you luck; it would be really awesome if you succeeded. If you begin making progress, I would love to hear about it!
Just in case you didn't know about it, here is the teardown guide with a link to the tools you'd need to open up the M8:
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/HTC+One+(M8)+Teardown/23615
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
masucu said:
Cheers mate, went to an actual engineer that handles repairs here in Romania for various brands and we both decided to make it our own personal project to make this happen a Verizon M8 turned into a Euro version one, ill report back with the results in about 2 weeks. Seems technically it can be done, just needs a some work. Thanks again for the reply though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Macusu,
Just to remember, I believe the problem is not only related to the antenna itself, maybe there are other kind of locks since, as discussed in the other topic, Here in Brazil and I`m not being able to attach it to 4G 2600MHz (Even if the phone supports this frequency).
UntouchableS said:
Hi Macusu,
Just to remember, I believe the problem is not only related to the antenna itself, maybe there are other kind of locks since, as discussed in the other topic, Here in Brazil and I`m not being able to attach it to 4G 2600MHz (Even if the phone supports this frequency).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thing is they are waiting for all the tools atm, I mean they don't yet have all the new kits for it, it should be arriving, and the engineer is actually a certified person being one that works in a certified HTC service, so once we get the entire .... kit, he will start working on it toghther with the software engineer and so on, hope that it will all sort out, i did get another phone in the mean time as well, but as i said i will be reporting back.
Thank
subhumanderelict said:
That's actually kind of admirable! Seriously, I wish you luck; it would be really awesome if you succeeded. If you begin making progress, I would love to hear about it!
Just in case you didn't know about it, here is the teardown guide with a link to the tools you'd need to open up the M8:
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/HTC+One+(M8)+Teardown/23615
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the guide, hopefully we wont need it but I will let you know how it goes.
masucu said:
Thanks for the guide, hopefully we wont need it but I will let you know how it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you succeed?
MikkelJakobsen said:
Did you succeed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would like to know also...
sandm4n said:
I would like to know also...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So would I...I'm also from Brazil and brought the Verizon model because it is said to support the 2600 frequency. So frustrating

Does Mi4 have LTE now?

Planning to buy a new Mi4 from kijiji. Wondering whether it supports LTE bands in Canada? I;'m with telus
Short answer. No, not yet.
veladem said:
Short answer. No, not yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK.Thanks
Is this a software issue or the LTE version is a different hardware in the future? In other words, if i buy the mi4 now, will i be able to get LTE when its available?
Sadly it seems to be a hardware limitation. Xiaomi was smart when they made the phone and only have it what it needed unlike some companies that overlook the small things and pay in the end.
yes it does not. as no opomart and other sites are selling FDD-LTE version which 1700/2100 works perfect with ATT / T-Mobile in US
4G:FDD-LTE 1800(B3)/2100(B1)MHz
This may seem far fetched but I'll ask anyway. Is there a way to change the hardware frequencies set within the phone to match the connectivity frequencies that's in your area?
shakim24 said:
This may seem far fetched but I'll ask anyway. Is there a way to change the hardware frequencies set within the phone to match the connectivity frequencies that's in your area?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In theory, the chip should support them. It would be a matter of writing the specific band values into your phones memory (NV). However, this pre-supposes that the phone could be modified on that level to begin with, which is doubtful.
You would need:
Unlock/root
Custom rom
Custom kernel
QPST (for editing)
QXDM (write enabling)
access to switch usb diagnostic mode
The majority of the work would be getting around MIUI and Qualcomm's restrictions they implement in their code. While not impossible, as you can see, the changes required aren't necessarily for the faint of heart. I suppose one upside would be the phone doesn't cost an arm and a leg, so if you wound up with a brick, you might have an easier time bouncing back from the loss.
kibmikey1 said:
In theory, the chip should support them. It would be a matter of writing the specific band values into your phones memory (NV). However, this pre-supposes that the phone could be modified on that level to begin with, which is doubtful.
You would need:
Unlock/root
Custom rom
Custom kernel
QPST (for editing)
QXDM (write enabling)
access to switch usb diagnostic mode
The majority of the work would be getting around MIUI and Qualcomm's restrictions they implement in their code. While not impossible, as you can see, the changes required aren't necessarily for the faint of heart. I suppose one upside would be the phone doesn't cost an arm and a leg, so if you wound up with a brick, you might have an easier time bouncing back from the loss.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the insight bro. You really broke down into detail what was needed to be done. Was scrolling around and found this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2871269. Would like your opinion on it. It's for unlocking LTE as well.
I think they released the LTE-FDD version , seach for it!
already got one with LTE...its out already
Hi, I don't know how helpful this is for you but I have bought two from China for myself and my wife. Although I have not tried on the MIUI OS, I have flashed AOSP on to both phones and they both work at least on O2 and EE. I am receive 4G on my EE Mi4, however my wife does not have a 4G sim so can not confirm hers but she does receive 3G signals.
O2s 4G sim did not receive 4G signals on my Mi4 though (reason for me switching)
Hope this helps you
Only bands 1, 3, 41

LTE Band 12, VoLTE, and T-Mobile

I am starting this thread, since there seems to be a lot of confusion around "newer" LTE bands, like Band 12 on T-Mobile, which apparently require a fully functioning and "approved" VoLTE phone to get reception.
There are various threads in device-specific forums, but they are not getting a lot of attention, and this is a significant enough problem that it should be more visible.
T-Mobile at this point has pretty fantastic coverage via the 700MHz Band 12 LTE network.
The only problem is that Band 12 requires the phone to be VoLTE "certified". The rumor was that phones could still connect to this band/LTE-network and send/receive data, but that they would fall back to alternative bands, even 3G or 2G, for phone calls. For a lot of people that would be "good enough" if not ideal.
Based on some recent testing, this is NOT CORRECT:
While phones may "sometimes" connect to Band 12 for data, the much more common scenario is apparently that the phone will disconnect from Band 12 almost immediately, or will refuse to connect to Band 12, and will instead default to an alternative LTE, 4G, 3G, or 2G connection.
In other words: even if you have perfect LTE Band 12 coverage (5/5 bars, or 100%), your "Band 12 capable" phone may instead try to connect to a really ****ty GPRS or EDGE tower that has barely any reception for the phone.
I recently encountered this with my Xperia X Compact while travelling: My phone would barely be able to connect to a T-Mobile tower with a GPRS data connection, while my wife's Moto G4 would get 5/5 or 100% LTE reception. Swapping SIM cards had the same result, so we know the problem rests with the phone.
Searching for "Available Mobile Networks" on my "band 12 capable" phone would show various T-Mobile 4G networks, but the phone would be unable to connect to them.
Talking to other Xperia X Compact owners, they have the same problem: the phone will sporadically connect to Band 12, but it is not a reliable connection (if the phone even connects) and it will (more likely) prefer other networks/bands/frequencies.
Based on the phone having the proper frequencies, I would assume that T-Mobile has some mechanism on some (or the majority of) towers where they disconnect non-VoLTE certified devices.
Anecdotally, I also had a similar issue with my previous phone - a Nexus 5x. The phone is even VoLTE certified, but when using Cyanogenmod/LineageOS, it would have really terrible reception, despite the location having almost perfect Band 12 coverage - LineageOS/CM does not (or had no) VoLTE support.
I have also tried "hacking" the X Compact to enable VoLTE support by adding the relevant lines to the build.prop and enabling the option under Settings and (*#*#4636#*#*) but this does not appear to make any difference.
A list of T-Mobile "VoLTE certified" phones can be found here:
http://www.spectrumgateway.com/compatible-phones
Would be great if anyone has any suggestions how to resolve this, or force the phone to prioritize Band 12, but it would otherwise appear that the only solution is to get the phone certified by T-Mobile (so much for net neutrality and open access).
I'm using an Xperia X Compact and my home market only has band 12 lte and I can't connect to it. Which means I'm always in 3g or roaming and rarely have data in buildings. It's maddening because I will only buy Sony. I think they are the only manufacturer making attractive handsets and the build quality is light years beyond well marketed, poorly constructed brands like Samsung and LG. But regardless of anyone's choice of manufacturer, a device with a functioning 700 mhz lte radio should function just fine on the corresponding network regardless of where it was purchased.
Would certifying this device and enabling VOLTE be particularly costly to Sony? Correct me if I'm wrong but based on internal components this device should be capable of this ja?
I think it wouldn't hurt to send petitions to both the manufacturer and T-mobile USA. This certainly doesn't help Sony in a market they are seriously struggling in. It also isn't very uncarrier to favor certain devices over others.
The only reason I switched from Verizon was the ability to choose my device. That and the things John Legere was doing to change the industry. I believed in what he was saying. But right now it isn't working for me and likely many others. He should know. I can say firsthand that the guy answers his emails. I think we need to show both parties that this is worth their attention.
---------- Post added at 01:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 AM ----------
I should mention that after multiple calls to T-mobile tech support I received a cryptic call very late at night from someone high up in tech support.
Long story short he at least admitted that even though it wasn't a t mobile device and even though it didn't support VoLTE, it should still connect to band 12 just fine. He also said that they were having problems with this sort of thing in my area and that it should be resolved in a month. He also said my IMEI was logged and I would be given priority in the matter. Whatever that means.
I should also mention that was a month ago and he didn't have an email to give me. He did however give me a phone number (probably just the department) that I need to dig up.
Could just be a bunch of fluff because they are afraid to lose customers. Then again he was from tech support not customer retention. And as I said t mobile does listen to its customers.
POMF2K said:
I'm using an Xperia X Compact and my home market only has band 12 lte and I can't connect to it. Which means I'm always in 3g or roaming and rarely have data in buildings. It's maddening because I will only buy Sony. I think they are the only manufacturer making attractive handsets and the build quality is light years beyond well marketed, poorly constructed brands like Samsung and LG. But regardless of anyone's choice of manufacturer, a device with a functioning 700 mhz lte radio should function just fine on the corresponding network regardless of where it was purchased.
Would certifying this device and enabling VOLTE be particularly costly to Sony? Correct me if I'm wrong but based on internal components this device should be capable of this ja?
I think it wouldn't hurt to send petitions to both the manufacturer and T-mobile USA. This certainly doesn't help Sony in a market they are seriously struggling in. It also isn't very uncarrier to favor certain devices over others.
The only reason I switched from Verizon was the ability to choose my device. That and the things John Legere was doing to change the industry. I believed in what he was saying. But right now it isn't working for me and likely many others. He should know. I can say firsthand that the guy answers his emails. I think we need to show both parties that this is worth their attention.
---------- Post added at 01:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 AM ----------
I should mention that after multiple calls to T-mobile tech support I received a cryptic call very late at night from someone high up in tech support.
Long story short he at least admitted that even though it wasn't a t mobile device and even though it didn't support VoLTE, it should still connect to band 12 just fine. He also said that they were having problems with this sort of thing in my area and that it should be resolved in a month. He also said my IMEI was logged and I would be given priority in the matter. Whatever that means.
I should also mention that was a month ago and he didn't have an email to give me. He did however give me a phone number (probably just the department) that I need to dig up.
Could just be a bunch of fluff because they are afraid to lose customers. Then again he was from tech support not customer retention. And as I said t mobile does listen to its customers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since I did encounter this also on my Nexus 5x with LineageOS, I doubt that what T-Mobile told you is true. They must be actively blocking these non-certified handsets, since the phone should just attempt connecting.
So who do we need to appeal to? T mobile or Sony.?
POMF2K said:
So who do we need to appeal to? T mobile or Sony.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both. Maybe also complain to the FCC - I thought that carriers needed to provide open access to their network. Verizon got into hot water for not doing so ...
Does your compact ever connect to lte for a few seconds after a reboot?
I might try to force LTE and restart and see if that has any effect.
I just flashed the UK. T mobile networks work just fine. Well except lte/4g but that was expected.
POMF2K said:
Does your compact ever connect to lte for a few seconds after a reboot?
I might try to force LTE and restart and see if that has any effect.
I just flashed the UK. T mobile networks work just fine. Well except lte/4g but that was expected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does connect sometimes but it then usually kicks down to Band 4 or a GSM band (HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE, or even GPRS).
I cannot find any info how to prioritize LTE bands, so I assume this is T-Mobile's band 12 cell tower's kicking the phone off when they notice that it is not VoLTE approved.
Interesting discussion on Howard forums....
http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...rtphones-with-band-12-LTE-w-o-VoLTE-now/page2
POMF2K said:
Interesting discussion on Howard forums....
http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...rtphones-with-band-12-LTE-w-o-VoLTE-now/page2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting discussion though nothing new.
Yes, we know that Band 12 phones should be able to get a data connection, yet T-Mobile apparently actively disconnects them (or bars them from connecting), especially in areas where Band 12 would give you great coverage but there is no other coverage.
F Sony and F T-Mobile for this!
BTW: here is an article about the follow up model: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/08/sony-xperia-xz1-compact/
Please leave comments about Sony not getting their phones approved for VoLTE with T-Mobile and the phone therefore NOT REALLY WORKING with the carrier.
It would seem to me that the only solution to this problem would be either T-Mobile accepting a standard spec for VoLTE, they open source their code for VoLTE, or someone figures out how to implement VoLTE and trick T-Mobile to think it is an approved "whitelisted" phone.
Given that the T-Mobile network is getting worse and worse every day without Band 12 coverage, I find it really surprising that most people just don't seem to care. Does nobody use their phone outside of WiFi?
andTab said:
It would seem to me that the only solution to this problem would be either T-Mobile accepting a standard spec for VoLTE, they open source their code for VoLTE, or someone figures out how to implement VoLTE and trick T-Mobile to think it is an approved "whitelisted" phone.
Given that the T-Mobile network is getting worse and worse every day without Band 12 coverage, I find it really surprising that most people just don't seem to care. Does nobody use their phone outside of WiFi?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a standard spec, the problem is the certification. It requires a certificate from T-mobile to be used by the phone, which is gained through certification. And if SONY is detecting T-mobile at the modem level then there isn't anything a ROM can do with or without a ROM. I had a Z5, but this drove me crazy so I switched to a Pixel.
I wouldn't expect this to change based on SONY de-prioritizing the US phone market, so either upgrade to a new supported sony phone or move on (shrug)
sovanyio said:
There is a standard spec, the problem is the certification. It requires a certificate from T-mobile to be used by the phone, which is gained through certification. And if SONY is detecting T-mobile at the modem level then there isn't anything a ROM can do with or without a ROM. I had a Z5, but this drove me crazy so I switched to a Pixel.
I wouldn't expect this to change based on SONY de-prioritizing the US phone market, so either upgrade to a new supported sony phone or move on (shrug)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That can't be true.
I accept that T-Mobile may issue a certificate but that must be processed on the rom/OS/phone.apk level. Otherwise, every custom ROM on any certified phone would work. We all know that is not the case.
If it's the rom/OS/phone.apk though, why can't we hack a phone to work with TMUS / VoLTE?
I have an x compact and while it is the best device I have ever owned it is essentially unusable on T-Mobile or att.
andTab said:
That can't be true.
I accept that T-Mobile may issue a certificate but that must be processed on the rom/OS/phone.apk level. Otherwise, every custom ROM on any certified phone would work. We all know that is not the case.
If it's the rom/OS/phone.apk though, why can't we hack a phone to work with TMUS / VoLTE?
I have an x compact and while it is the best device I have ever owned it is essentially unusable on T-Mobile or att.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because the SONY modem firmware doesn't even attempt to negotiate VoLTE, which does *not* happen in user space. It is likely possible to hack the qualcomm modem with QPST to enable this, but without documentation and correct values one will not get very far.
sovanyio said:
Because the SONY modem firmware doesn't even attempt to negotiate VoLTE, which does *not* happen in user space. It is likely possible to hack the qualcomm modem with QPST to enable this, but without documentation and correct values one will not get very far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it was the modem, then flashing a new system (eg custom ROM) should not make any difference.
I also have a Nexus 5x. With stock it is fantastic and uses VoLTE on T-Mobile. With LineageOS, it is useless on Band 12. SAME MODEM!
Experience therefore shows that it is the OS/System that somehow prevents this from working.
andTab said:
If it was the modem, then flashing a new system (eg custom ROM) should not make any difference.
I also have a Nexus 5x. With stock it is fantastic and uses VoLTE on T-Mobile. With LineageOS, it is useless on Band 12. SAME MODEM!
Experience therefore shows that it is the OS/System that somehow prevents this from working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus 5x is a different phone made by a different manufacturer with a different firmware scheme. You cannot compare them directly.
I noticed that the XZ1 Compact says right on the website compatible with t mobile band 12 and wifi calling... this is infuriating. It should be easy for them to patch the Xperia x compact.
I would have never purchased this if I had known. Especially since they apparently flashed an update to my old t mobile z3 that allows voice over lte and band 12.
Sony X Compact
sovanyio said:
There is a standard spec, the problem is the certification. It requires a certificate from T-mobile to be used by the phone, which is gained through certification. And if SONY is detecting T-mobile at the modem level then there isn't anything a ROM can do with or without a ROM. I had a Z5, but this drove me crazy so I switched to a Pixel.
I wouldn't expect this to change based on SONY de-prioritizing the US phone market, so either upgrade to a new supported sony phone or move on (shrug)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has to be on Sony, use the t-mobile BYOD app to check, I have a Huawei mate 9 that I just purchased, connects perfectly on band 12, VoLTE works just like it's supposed to. On a side note I went through three Sony phones before I bought this Huawei, had to return all three due to quality control issues, one had worst touches that made the phone unusable, one wouldn't pick up the SIM card, and the third wouldn't power on at all, thank good Amazon refunded my money on all three. They may have the Sony name on the phone, but they are still build by the lowest bidder in China and makes with Sony's name.
revjamescarver said:
It has to be on Sony, use the t-mobile BYOD app to check, I have a Huawei mate 9 that I just purchased, connects perfectly on band 12, VoLTE works just like it's supposed to. On a side note I went through three Sony phones before I bought this Huawei, had to return all three due to quality control issues, one had worst touches that made the phone unusable, one wouldn't pick up the SIM card, and the third wouldn't power on at all, thank good Amazon refunded my money on all three. They may have the Sony name on the phone, but they are still build by the lowest bidder in China and makes with Sony's name.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See this: http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/0...cked-smartphones-and-yep-its-still-confusing/ It is up to an OEM to decide to go through this process per-phone. Since no US carrier carried the phone they didn't not bother spending the money or time to certify it. I loved the SONY design, but since they weren't supporting the market I had to abandon them for other phones.

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