Tmobile customer - Safe to buy Unlocked phones? New upcoming Tmo bands? - Samsung Galaxy S7 Questions and Answers

Sorry, I'm not too much in the know, but I heard there is some sort of new update coming in the near future that will improve various aspects of the S7 like better in building reception etc.
So what do I need to be on the look out for? This deal from Target is pretty fair on top of my 5% Red Card bonus. Would this phone work with whatever update Tmo pushes out to receive the full benefits vs a tmobile puchased S7?
http://www.target.com/p/unlocked-samsung-galaxy-s7-edge-g930f-32gb-gsm-black/-/A-51032209

bump

Nope, your link is for the international version, which won't get VoLTE, wifi calling, or updates. You want either the 930T or 930u. Anything else won't work properly.
Edit for clarification - The upcoming changes for the S7 are for more advanced LTE functionality. The extended range/building penetration are already in place, it's Band 12 LTE. The international version you linked will receive data on this band, but you CANNOT call/sms on it, as it's a data only band. The only calling/SMS that can be done on it would be on VoLTE, which you will not have.
So yeah, you'd be getting a crippled phone with none of the advantages you want.

In the last week, the rom maker below got a Note 7 port working on a 930f with T-mobile VOLTE + wifi calling + video calling. Assuming you root and want custom roms, there is an viable option in the international model.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/s7-edge/development/rom-n7-rom-port-romcontrol-t3430358
That being said for the OP:
Why target, swappa is $200 less on either model.
The international model has no US warranty.
The international model is faster with a better battery life but is slighltly weaker playing games: having both for now, completely stock, the 930f is slightly faster feeling. On the other hand, it is like night and day to compare a custom/tweaked rom/kernel of a 930F to a engineering bootloader based 930t's stock rooted rom (the custom roms seem to remove video calls)
The US model (if root matters) has a root solution that can be negated in future builds.
The international model's root trips knox, unlike the US version, reducing the resale value.
entropism said:
Nope, your link is for the international version, which won't get VoLTE, wifi calling, or updates. You want either the 930T or 930u. Anything else won't work properly.
Edit for clarification - The upcoming changes for the S7 are for more advanced LTE functionality. The extended range/building penetration are already in place, it's Band 12 LTE. The international version you linked will receive data on this band, but you CANNOT call/sms on it, as it's a data only band. The only calling/SMS that can be done on it would be on VoLTE, which you will not have.
So yeah, you'd be getting a crippled phone with none of the advantages you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Related

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

SM-G930F, USA AT&T Customer, on Panama CSC -- Which firmware question

As the title says I'm on the latest Panama CSC firmware but I've seen many references to the BTU firmware, which should be this one here at SamMobile? I just traded my Nexus 6P for this phone, I don't want/need to root don't want to flash a custom ROM I just want to make sure that I have the best/most correct stock ROM for me in the US on AT&T. I've noticed that my Tab S2 is running a BTU ROM, granted it's a WiFi only tablet but I know it works here for me, which makes me question if I shouldn't switch from the Panamanian ROM.
Questions:
What advantage does switching to the BTU firmware give me?
Will the BTU ROM get me Nougat sooner than others?
Will OTAs still happen (will they happen on the Panama version for that matter?)
Is it as simple grabbing the firmware from SamMobile and flashing it to the phone using Odin?
Or -- should I just stick with the ROM I have now?
I just got this device to use in the US as well, only with T-Mobile. When I got it, it was running the Italian firmware which worked fine except no Samsung Pay. So, I dug around and found a thread here on XDA on how to get Samsung Pay working on this model. That lead me to flash the Australian firmware (XSA) in order for working Samsung Pay (which it is working beautifully now!). That was my only reasoning for flashing a new firmware ... However, I am seeing certain firmwares have historically had faster updates. (From what I have seen around, people mentioned BTU & XSA have seen faster updates - nothing concrete on this, just something I remembered seeing in a post or two ... I assume (and hope) OTAs will happen as normal)
If you want to flash a new firmware, yes, it's as simple as downloading it and flashing with Odin. It will wipe internal storage, so be sure to backup accordingly.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
I've also seen references to the XSA firmware as well. I think that Samsung Pay is now working on BTU as well. SPay is working, upto the point of actually buying something, on my phone right now with the Panamanian Firmware so I'm assuming that SPay is working most everywhere now. If I do flash I'll go BTU simply because it's an English language native version, yeah I realize it shouldn't matter but I feel better. Also my Samsung Tablet is on a BTU firmware and it gets OTAs so I know that should also work.
Thanks for confirming.
YankInDaSouth said:
I just got this device to use in the US as well, only with T-Mobile. When I got it, it was running the Italian firmware which worked fine except no Samsung Pay. So, I dug around and found a thread here on XDA on how to get Samsung Pay working on this model. That lead me to flash the Australian firmware (XSA) in order for working Samsung Pay (which it is working beautifully now!). That was my only reasoning for flashing a new firmware ... However, I am seeing certain firmwares have historically had faster updates. (From what I have seen around, people mentioned BTU & XSA have seen faster updates - nothing concrete on this, just something I remembered seeing in a post or two ... I assume (and hope) OTAs will happen as normal)
If you want to flash a new firmware, yes, it's as simple as downloading it and flashing with Odin. It will wipe internal storage, so be sure to backup accordingly.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay.. so there's a short answer and a long answer.
The short answer - If you look at all the firmware news and firmware download sites (Sammobile, etc) - you will notice that historically, XSA and BTU variants are the fastest to market with some other variants quickly following and some taking a lot longer. (also go to the end of this reply to see a note about the US market)
Now for the long answer (it's quite long.. so if you don't really care about the details just skip it..)
The CSC is country specific for a reason - it can contain changes to the cellular modem behavior and optimizations (for example, band preference), support advanced features (VoLTE - or HD Voice as it's sometimes referred to, WiFi calling), and compliance with local regulatory requirements (for example, camera shutter sound control, use of Samsung Pay).
As such, is most cases, you are better off using the version specifically optimized for your carrier and country, which usually translates into better cell performance (signal strength, dl/ul speeds) and the ability to leverage advanced features (VoLTE, WiFi Calling) as supported by your carrier. It's actually something quite annoying with Samsung, iPhones (and even some android phones) don't need all these local adaptations.
The issues with using your country and carrier-specific firmware are that you will probably get some additional bloatware, updates may take longer, and some features like Samsung Pay will not be available. In recent years, the modem optimization part (signal strength, and speeds) has been improving to a point where most firmware work well in most places and networks.
So basically it's a trade off - do you want a phone that is optimized for your network and will give you best cell reception, speeds, and potentially support VoLTE, etc.
or do you care more about timely security updates, and potentially support of services not available in your original firmware.
If it's the latter, than you may consider flashing a different region's firmware.
That changes a when dealing with the US market (and some others)
In the US, the big carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint) actually implement hardware (and / or low level firmware) changes directly with Samsung.
Aside from the obvious changes (using SD820 instead of Exynos 8890) the cellular modem (and supporting software) are completely different and the carriers add specific software to optimize its services and offer advanced features (besides filling your phone with tons of bloatware and taking forever to certify new builds)
So as a US AT&T customer, you will not get any advanced features (HD Calling, Wifi calling) regardless of which firmware region you use. In that case, using XSA or BTU have no downside to them.
The only way to get these advanced features is to get an unlocked SD820 variant (SM-930U) and flash AT&T's (or you respective carrier's) CSC on it (using TWRP) but that means using 3rd party ROMS and manually updating your phone. (and tripping knox).
N-way said:
Okay.. so there's a short answer and a long answer.
The short answer - If you look at all the firmware news and firmware download sites (Sammobile, etc) - you will notice that historically, XSA and BTU variants are the fastest to market with some other variants quickly following and some taking a lot longer. (also go to the end of this reply to see a note about the US market)
Now for the long answer (it's quite long.. so if you don't really care about the details just skip it..)
The CSC is country specific for a reason - it can contain changes to the cellular modem behavior and optimizations (for example, band preference), support advanced features (VoLTE - or HD Voice as it's sometimes referred to, WiFi calling), and compliance with local regulatory requirements (for example, camera shutter sound control, use of Samsung Pay).
As such, is most cases, you are better off using the version specifically optimized for your carrier and country, which usually translates into better cell performance (signal strength, dl/ul speeds) and the ability to leverage advanced features (VoLTE, WiFi Calling) as supported by your carrier. It's actually something quite annoying with Samsung, iPhones (and even some android phones) don't need all these local adaptations.
The issues with using your country and carrier-specific firmware are that you will probably get some additional bloatware, updates may take longer, and some features like Samsung Pay will not be available. In recent years, the modem optimization part (signal strength, and speeds) has been improving to a point where most firmware work well in most places and networks.
So basically it's a trade off - do you want a phone that is optimized for your network and will give you best cell reception, speeds, and potentially support VoLTE, etc.
or do you care more about timely security updates, and potentially support of services not available in your original firmware.
If it's the latter, than you may consider flashing a different region's firmware.
That changes a when dealing with the US market (and some others)
In the US, the big carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint) actually implement hardware (and / or low level firmware) changes directly with Samsung.
Aside from the obvious changes (using SD820 instead of Exynos 8890) the cellular modem (and supporting software) are completely different and the carriers add specific software to optimize its services and offer advanced features (besides filling your phone with tons of bloatware and taking forever to certify new builds)
So as a US AT&T customer, you will not get any advanced features (HD Calling, Wifi calling) regardless of which firmware region you use. In that case, using XSA or BTU have no downside to them.
The only way to get these advanced features is to get an unlocked SD820 variant (SM-930U) and flash AT&T's (or you respective carrier's) CSC on it (using TWRP) but that means using 3rd party ROMS and manually updating your phone. (and tripping knox).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent information, that was exactly what I needed to know. I went into this knowing I wouldn't have all the features I could but I have what I want and need. I was using a nexus 6P prior so none of them were available to me before. I'll grab the BTU firmware and flash that.
Thank you for this detailed and concise answer! This is exactly the kind of information that I have been looking for to help me make a decision on whether to get this device or not!
I'm on AT&T now and wanted the unlocked bootloader in order to use custom recovery (TWRP), which is why I was looking at the Exynos variant of the S7 in the first place. But after reading your explanation, it seems like far too many tradeoffs to make the purchase worthwhile for me.

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.
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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.

Install T-Mobile software instead of international

Hi everyone. I purchased a OnePlus 8 5G directly from OnePlus, running on the T-Mobile network. After trying to figure out why I didn't receive the T-Mobile 5G SA update (10.5.17.IN55CB), I realized my phone is running the international version of the software. I guess this is because it's factory unlocked but I didn't realize this would limit my access to T-Mobile 5G updates! I never travel internationally and don't really care about an unlocked bootloader, etc. as long as the SIM is unlocked.
Can I manually download and install the T-Mobile software so I will get the 5G SA update (and future T-Mobile OTA updates)?
i was also wondering if that would make a difference. maybe someone could provide the modem.img from that update, if it changed. flashing the euro modem on the international rom definitely made a difference for me. not really with speed but overall coverage and stability.
nickdearing88 said:
Hi everyone. I purchased a OnePlus 8 5G directly from OnePlus, running on the T-Mobile network. After trying to figure out why I didn't receive the T-Mobile 5G SA update (10.5.17.IN55CB), I realized my phone is running the international version of the software. I guess this is because it's factory unlocked but I didn't realize this would limit my access to T-Mobile 5G updates! I never travel internationally and don't really care about an unlocked bootloader, etc. as long as the SIM is unlocked.
Can I manually download and install the T-Mobile software so I will get the 5G SA update (and future T-Mobile OTA updates)?
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Right now you dont want it. It breaks incoming and outgoing phone calls.
Seems they pulled the update as well
Guys I'm on TMO but switched over to global voluntarily. Honestly check out TMO 5G info and you'll find it's not as great as you think. It's the beginning of a software change. Veteran modders know the beginning of updates have a lot of bugs.
If you really want it then get the MSM Tool, downgrade to 10.5.7 and let it upgrade you manually to 10.5.17. then you can get back to global if you'd like with the modem. Happy modding!
Thanks, it sounds like it was premature. I live in a rural area and my main concerns are 1) better (not reliant on LTE) 600Mhz coverage and 2) lower latency.
Do you think the global software line will get an SA update down the road? Are there any other difference between the global and T-Mobile line of software that would affect my coverage performance with LTE or 5G?
nickdearing88 said:
Thanks, it sounds like it was premature. I live in a rural area and my main concerns are 1) better (not reliant on LTE) 600Mhz coverage and 2) lower latency.
Do you think the global software line will get an SA update down the road? Are there any other difference between the global and T-Mobile line of software that would affect my coverage performance with LTE or 5G?
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Great question, This is my first OnePlus phone so I can't tell you if and when gonna will get the update. What I have heard of that TMO is rolling out 5G in several layers. This first one is pretty low key but it had some books already. Second and third would be better. I guess check around here to see more about it. If you are absolutely sure you want this update then you can use MSM took to downgrade then just let the TMO servers do the work for you. Happy modding!
nickdearing88 said:
Thanks, it sounds like it was premature. I live in a rural area and my main concerns are 1) better (not reliant on LTE) 600Mhz coverage and 2) lower latency.
Do you think the global software line will get an SA update down the road? Are there any other difference between the global and T-Mobile line of software that would affect my coverage performance with LTE or 5G?
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Click to collapse
I would be surprised if the global version got an update for SA 5g. That's TMO specific and OnePlus would have zero care about a specific carrier of all the world's carriers .
There are differences in modems according to TMobile. I can't remember specifics but I think it was carrier aggregation on band 66 ( I don't remember much so I may be way off)
Josh McGrath said:
I would be surprised if the global version got an update for SA 5g. That's TMO specific and OnePlus would have zero care about a specific carrier of all the world's carriers .
There are differences in modems according to TMobile. I can't remember specifics but I think it was carrier aggregation on band 66 ( I don't remember much so I may be way off)
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Yeah, I figured that was unlikely with the global version, although I'm sure carriers across the world will begin deploying SA 5G at some point.
I was going to start a new thread but after you notes about the modem differences, this might relate to another issue I've noticed: When connected to Band 2 (1900 Mhz) with LTE or 5G, I was getting really good speeds (~30Mbps Down/5Mbps Up). Now, when I test using 5G or LTE (by turning off 5G) my speed tests are horrible: ~1Mbps Down/0.7Mbps Up. I have tested with "Smart 5G" on and off, and also removed and reinstalled the SIM card. If I pop the SIM card out and put it back into my Pixel 2, I get 30Mpbs Down/5Mpbs Up with LTE on Band 2. My Pixel 2 was purchased directly from Google and is factory unlocked/direct Google updates.
Do you think this is because of the carrier agg issue you mentioned? In my area Band 4/Band 66 is only used for T-Mobile 2G/3G, to my knowledge. LTE is offered on Bands 2, 12, and 71. 5G NR seems to only be on Band 71 here at present.
Josh McGrath said:
I would be surprised if the global version got an update for SA 5g. That's TMO specific and OnePlus would have zero care about a specific carrier of all the world's carriers .
There are differences in modems according to TMobile. I can't remember specifics but I think it was carrier aggregation on band 66 ( I don't remember much so I may be way off)
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Click to collapse
Josh, not often this happens, but I disagree with what you say here. Normally I agree with everything you post. However, this time I have to disagree.
5G SA is not at all T-Mo specific and is a standardized implementation for carriers should they choose to go that route.
However, OnePlus caring about it is up in the air, lulz!
See here: https://ibasis.com/what-is-5g-sa-nsa/
5G SA means stand alone. This means that the device will only ride on 5G and not aggregate with 4G.
If I am wrong please correct me. Thanks!
Nathan.7118391 said:
If you are absolutely sure you want this update then you can use MSM took to downgrade then just let the TMO servers do the work for you.
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I and many others posted that they cannot get the update. Those that did said they had connectivity issues. I suspect that T-Mo pulled the update. I don't know this for fact, however I cannot get the update. T-Mo site says check back after 8/31. That's crazy weird. Others also complain. I think the update is borked hence the lack of wide roll out. . Again, dont know this for fact but just speculating...
Scott said:
Josh, not often this happens, but I disagree with what you say here. Normally I agree with everything you post. However, this time I have to disagree.
5G SA is not at all T-Mo specific and is a standardized implementation for carriers should they choose to go that route.
However, OnePlus caring about it is up in the air, lulz!
See here: https://ibasis.com/what-is-5g-sa-nsa/
5G SA means stand alone. This means that the device will only ride on 5G and not aggregate with 4G.
If I am wrong please correct me. Thanks!
...
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Click to collapse
For sure. I do stand corrected here on SA. I was referring to the specific bands that TMobile uses for SA 5g vs world bands SA 5g but who knows if that's impossible but I, like you, think that OP will not care about it or would screw it up.
As for the modem differences, I was referring to an older post from TMobile on their forums during the 6t launch days so I can't really remember exactly what it was. I think if you searched my posts from way you could find it
Speaking of, I am incredibly disappointed in tmos 5g. I'm lucky to get 20 dl. Are you having any better luck
Scott said:
Josh, not often this happens, but I disagree with what you say here. Normally I agree with everything you post. However, this time I have to disagree.
5G SA is not at all T-Mo specific and is a standardized implementation for carriers should they choose to go that route.
However, OnePlus caring about it is up in the air, lulz!
See here: https://ibasis.com/what-is-5g-sa-nsa/
5G SA means stand alone. This means that the device will only ride on 5G and not aggregate with 4G.
If I am wrong please correct me. Thanks!
I and many others posted that they cannot get the update. Those that did said they had connectivity issues. I suspect that T-Mo pulled the update. I don't know this for fact, however I cannot get the update. T-Mo site says check back after 8/31. That's crazy weird. Others also complain. I think the update is borked hence the lack of wide roll out. . Again, dont know this for fact but just speculating...
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Click to collapse
Yeah I think you are right. As soon as it was available it became unavailable. They will roll it out when those bugs are fixed. This is one of the reasons I don't like TMO stock. They are buggy and slow to update. Not to mention all the bloatware.
Josh McGrath said:
Speaking of, I am incredibly disappointed in tmos 5g. I'm lucky to get 20 dl. Are you having any better luck
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I am EXTREMLEY disappointed
History of my observations...
When I first switched to T-Mobile with the 6T the speeds were great. Well, decent. But around the time the S20 series came out I noticed extreme sluggishness with the 6T. Compared it to the people in the store and there's wer the same. A massive down turn in speed. I suspect it had something to do with the implementation of 5G in the area. It was my guess... Anways, moved back to T-Mobile two months ago and got this phone. The speeds are even worse. So this phone on 5G is just as bad as LTE. I disabled 5G and tested. Same results.
Long story short, T-mobile did something and slowed my connection down.
Your lucky. Very luck. I routinely get 2 to 5 mbs when I am home. In town I dont think I got over 25Mbs. AT&T has the best network in Fargo. 200MBS down on S20U all day!

Carrier iq?

In regard to my three v20 h910's i got, and the looming february 2022 3g deactivation from att, and the fact that no custom rom supports volte (i tested lineageos, it says lte until dropping to umts when you answer or make a call).
I've got no problem working on making stock more like lineageos, i at least have that option; and that's pretty great since now i'm rocking a debloated, signature spoofing, microg oreo stock firmware (and i'm also doing the same thing with MM 6.0 on my parent's g3's because same thing).
The point is going back to stock, does carrier iq have no more lingering apk's? Is it now renamed since att purchased that company? What's up with it?
similiken said:
In regard to my three v20 h910's i got, and the looming february 2022 3g deactivation from att, and the fact that no custom rom supports volte (i tested lineageos, it says lte until dropping to umts when you answer or make a call).
I've got no problem working on making stock more like lineageos, i at least have that option; and that's pretty great since now i'm rocking a debloated, signature spoofing, microg oreo stock firmware (and i'm also doing the same thing with MM 6.0 on my parent's g3's because same thing).
The point is going back to stock, does carrier iq have no more lingering apk's? Is it now renamed since att purchased that company? What's up with it?
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Click to collapse
LGv20 H910 Root Step by Step guide to install Oreo Stock & debloat, Wi-fi Calling, VoLTE, LTE Data, all working!
Darnrain1 said:
LGv20 H910 Root Step by Step guide to install Oreo Stock & debloat, Wi-fi Calling, VoLTE, LTE Data, all working!
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Click to collapse
Looks like i was good. Already got the att_iqi package removed.
I also added in a lot of extra data to your thread you quoted here that you'll most definitely want to go over.
EDIT: Looks like i was right, att acquired carrier iq in order to have carrier iq under att ownership. Many articles make it sound like att acquired and dismantled them. Yet it makes absolutely no sense why a company would purchase another in order to not use their new to them intellectual propery and new to them arm of business.

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