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LTE Radio Bands

Forgive me if this is a trivial question, but since European carriers such as Vodafone and O2 Germany also have the dual-core version of the HOX, is it possible to flash a european radio and use the European LTE frequencies? Or are the frequency bands hard-coded into the chipset?
It was my assumption that the US and European LTE variants used the same hardware components, but were just set up to use different LTE bands.

Frequency support is set in hardware.

redpoint73 said:
Frequency support is set in hardware.
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Thinking more about this, I'm still not convinced it's impossible to flash a european radio on the HOX to swap LTE bands. Unless the physical antenna is different, I'd think that it's a possibility.
With my other phone, the Samsung Skyrocket, we can flash T-Mobile radios to gain support for the 1700 AWS band. The chipset supports it, and it just took a radio flash to activate it. AFAIK, you can't use 1700 and LTE though - that or a radio with support for both doesn't exist.
I guess it depends on what chipset the German One XL uses..but I'll wait to see if someone has luck before I risk my own One X.

The hardware is different, as I already said.
The Skyrocket (and a few other AT&T phones, like the Galaxy Note) included the AWS band in hardware (likely due to the now defunct merger with T-Mobile that was going on at the time). The hardware was there, but AWS was simply not enabled in software. Hacks to make AWS work on these phones just enabled the software side for what is already supported in hardware. Without the hardware already being there, no amount of radio flashing will create support for frequencies not already there.
Its possible that some bands are "hidden" in the same way that AWS was for the Skyrocket. Lots of folks here on T-Mobile are hoping the same AWS support is possible on our phone. But if the hardware is not already there (such as for different LTE bands, as you are asking for), you can't make it happen by flashing radios. In the case of AWS, AT&T had a reason for including support (T-Mobile merger). They don't have a reason for including support for LTE bands willy-nilly, just for the sake of doing so, without any tangible (monetary) reason.

[Q] Add or unlock LTE bands

I bought the american version of the Nexus 5 even though I am on the middle east (for price reasons). Since the snapdragon 800 chip support all LTE bands techniclly speaking, could I activate certain ones to work for me through firmware or modem modification?

Not at the moment,
There are people who believe that it will never be possible due to RF hardware differences between EU and US models.
There are people who believe that a modem firmware hack might unlock some LTE bands in the future.

Well I was hoping for a onesided, positive reply, but I guess you are right, we will wait and see.
What was the case on other Snapdragon 800 phones, were they able to activate it?

I'm only aware of few cases where some RF Bands could be activated/deactivated via an engineering menu.
I have never heard of a case when someone successfully hacked modem firmware and added new RF Bands.

Does anybody succeed trying this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/cro...ad-progress-please-leave-im-updating-t2871269 ?
Should work for any Qualcomm based device like Nexus 5.
Thanks for any feedback.

michelD said:
Does anybody succeed trying this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/cro...ad-progress-please-leave-im-updating-t2871269 ?
Should work for any Qualcomm based device like Nexus 5.
Thanks for any feedback.
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No the program is banned. Besides we already have most the LTE bands on 2 versions. If they could fit them all on they would have done. Maximum 7 LTE bands
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

What do you mean by "the program is banned"??
Yes indeed there are 2 versions, but I purched my nexus 5 when I was in US and I am now in Europe!
So you can easily understand my interest for this topic...

michelD said:
What do you mean by "the program is banned"??
Yes indeed there are 2 versions, but I purched my nexus 5 when I was in US and I am now in Europe!
So you can easily understand my interest for this topic...
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1) never said there wasn't reason for your interest
2) it isn't possible to add European bands to US version. If it was, there would be no need for US version. Limitation on nexus 5 is physical. Maximum 7 bands.
3) the link you provided is for a program that is banned on XDA. You van tell that by reading the thread
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Add 3G and LTE bands to your phone
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fffft said:
Interesting. Can you elaborate on why there might be a "physical" limitation of 7 bands on the Nexus 5? That would be an unusual finding in a recent handset. It's certainly not the case with most current phones e.g. I've enabled dozens of additional bands on my Samsung S5 and others have done the same on various HTC, Sony, LG, etc phones.
If you have any details or a source, that would be appreciated.
.
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Its a limitation of the WTR1605L ref receiver. 7 bands. Actually this was the first (making the msm8974 the first) to be able to do 7. 5 was the previous Max, hence why there used to be a million versions of Samsung galaxy devices
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6541/the-state-of-qualcomms-modems-wtr1605-and-mdm9x25/2
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

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fffft said:
Thank you for the informative reply. You are right of course and I see now where the confusion is arising as well. As you said, the previous max was five bands as in a pentaband phone. And the WTR1605L now supports 7 bands as in a heptband phone. Three bands below 1 Ghz, three bands above and one band at 2.5 Ghz. Bands meaning spectrum frequency segments e.g. 700/800/900/1700/1800/2100/2600 Mhz.
The confusion and this is ironic as well is that 3GPP, the organization who defines the GSM standard also uses the term band to refer to something confusingly different i.e. intra-band segments. And that usage while seemingly ill advised has become ubiquitous. So a band without a context can refer to the contigous 800 Mhz segement. Or half a dozen subsets of it, each of those subsets also being an officially designated 3GPP "band" as well.
When you look at the specs for a given phone, the term bands is often used in the latter sense. For example, the S5 uses the same WTR1605L chip and is obstensibly a 7 band phone as well. And it is indeed limited to 7 "major" bands for lack of a better description. But the specs appear to show the S5 as supporting 16 "bands" i.e. eight LTE "bands", four 3G "bands" and four 2G "bands". And our NV edits can enable dozens more "bands" in the way that carriers refer to them.
Anyway, suffice it to say that rootSU is absolutely correct that the hardware is limited to seven "bands". And at the same time, we can still add dozens of discrete "bands" in the sense that the carriers use the term. Yeah it is confusing.
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Yes you can see on the box of the D820, what would appear to be 9 bands, but they all fall within the 7
However, since we have no solid documentation, we cannot still add dozens or even 1 carrier used-term. Its closed source.
Edit > but there is no real benefit to having a d820 and a d821 if they could get everything on the same die.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

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Has anybody tried to change LTE bands?

hi there, i was wondering, since this phone has MSM8960 which is LTE-capable, and is in fact an LTE phone save for the fact that it is locked to 1900mhz, if it would be possible to "unlock" the radio to be able to use EU/World LTE frequencies.
now, i know that the antenna inside is most likely tuned to 1900mhz so the reception would not be optimal, but still i'm curious cause i found out that there is a tool called QPST service programing from qualcomm that seems to be able to change the radio settings
example link -> http://galaxys4root.com/galaxy-s4-t...aws-bands-on-att-galaxy-s4-sgh-i337sgh-i337m/
so yeah, has anybody tried yet?

Braccoz said:
hi there, i was wondering, since this phone has MSM8960 which is LTE-capable, and is in fact an LTE phone save for the fact that it is locked to 1900mhz, if it would be possible to "unlock" the radio to be able to use EU/World LTE frequencies.
now, i know that the antenna inside is most likely tuned to 1900mhz so the reception would not be optimal, but still i'm curious cause i found out that there is a tool called QPST service programing from qualcomm that seems to be able to change the radio settings
example link -> http://galaxys4root.com/galaxy-s4-t...aws-bands-on-att-galaxy-s4-sgh-i337sgh-i337m/
so yeah, has anybody tried yet?
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I haven't such QPST knowledge, but I believe that QPST can enable the missing bands only if the are listed by the baseband, and then purposely disabled by Motorola when it sells the same phone in different areas.
I'm afraid it's not our case, given the phone is meant for a single market.
I believe that the antennas and filters shouldn't be a big problem, the problem is to have an hacked baseband, which is a task that very few people can do.
That said keep what I wrote with a grain of salt, and see if someone else has better ideas.

The Solutor said:
I haven't such QPST knowledge, but I believe that QPST can enable the missing bands only if the are listed by the baseband, and then purposely disabled by Motorola when it sells the same phone in different areas.
I'm afraid it's not our case, given the phone is meant for a single market.
I believe that the antennas and filters shouldn't be a big problem, the problem is to have an hacked baseband, which is a task that very few people can do.
That said keep what I wrote with a grain of salt, and see if someone else has better ideas.
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nah, it should be just a matter of chaning the right NV settings to the appropriate values. that's the hard part basically, cause there are a ton and it's not immediate to locate them

i mean that biggest problem is antena switch

CornholioGSM said:
i mean that biggest problem is antena switch
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Still a guess, but I blieve that hardly the switch would be a problem, if properly driven.
Btw a definite answer to this question should come identifying the switch IC and checking its datasheet.
Do you know what IC is doing that function in our Phone ?

The Solutor said:
Still a guess, but I blieve that hardly the switch would be a problem, if properly driven.
Btw a definite answer to this question should come identifying the switch IC and checking its datasheet.
Do you know what IC is doing that function in our Phone ?
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if i dont forgot i can check it tomorrow

this thread is very actual in our time. I would also like to check out LTE for other bands in Verizon phones.
the problem is that topic starter gives link to activate AWS band, it's not LTE, it's WCDMA 1700MHz

olegfusion said:
this thread is very actual in our time. I would also like to check out LTE for other bands in Verizon phones.
the problem is that topic starter gives link to activate AWS band, it's not LTE, it's WCDMA 1700MHz
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It was just an example, I believe.
And BTW would be nice to have the UMTS900 too.
In Italy some small areas are already covered, and starting from January/2014 wil be possible for the Operators to use it nationwide.
I tested it already on during the last summer vacations and is just awesome.
Better coverage than GSM900. with the speed of 3G.

Take a look at page 3 of Atrix HD teardown:
http://www.techinsights.com/uploade...2013/techinsights-motorola-atrix-hd-mb886.pdf
There are not only antenna switches at play, but also band specific power amplifiers.
Besides the hardware parts, I guess that our BP firmware will also be one of the show stoppers for achieving LTE e.g. at 800Mhz on Q.
[Atrix HD is very similar device (we share the same kernel) and we are able to use also its BP firmware to some extent (so the BP signature seems to be the same as on Q).]

olegfusion said:
the problem is that topic starter gives link to activate AWS band, it's not LTE, it's WCDMA 1700MHz
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it was just an example so show that it is actually possible to unlock frequencies the phone was not meant to work with

kabaldan said:
Take a look at page 3 of Atrix HD teardown:
http://www.techinsights.com/uploade...2013/techinsights-motorola-atrix-hd-mb886.pdf
There are not only antenna switches at play, but also band specific power amplifiers.
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Nice find, thanks.
Interestingly enough looks like the Atrix HD doesn't have any ACPM-5005, which is present (for sure) on the Photon Q, (is a band 5 850MHz power amplifier), while the Atrix HD is stated to support that band.
Too bad I cant read the full list of PQ ICs, some of them are unreadable, on the broken logic board I have handy.
For sure there are two ACPM-5002 (band 2/1900Mhz) power amplifiers, and the ACPM-7051, quad band GSM and band 1 & 5 (2100/850) LTE/UMTS/LTE PA
At least looks like the signals are routed differently between the two phones

Xiaomi, firmware and LTE bands

So In another forum someone mentioned that xiaomi phones with qualcomm chips do have LTE bands used in the west like band 4 AWS, but are disabled by firmware because of licensing costs and those bands not being used in the target market (china and other asian countries)
Is this true? and if it is has anyone found a way to change the firmware to re-enable those LTE bands?

there is a lot out there about it im gonna dig deep into it when my phone arrives just picked up a mint condition for 135 guy had it listed as mi4i but the pictures showed me different
it does have the bands
people have been able to successfully enable them in baseband but they did not get lte i asked what rom and kernel as they can play a roll also
if youd like i can share my bookmark links lots of reading

nckfrs said:
if youd like i can share my bookmark links lots of reading
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Sure go ahead

Three Network Versions

Hey everyone,
the new Zenfone 6 is amazing, besides the FlipCamera it has nearly everything (big battery, microSD, 3,5 mm headphone,...).
Just one thing irritates me: there are three Versions A, B and C, as one can see here under "Network Standard"
https://www.asus.com/Phone/ZenFone-6-ZS630KL/Tech-Specs/
So can someone tell me what that means? Like if I get the European version A (with Band 20), will I than for instance not be able to use it in the USA for telephone / SMS?! Or just not LTE / can I still use it like on UMTS? No LTE at all or just not certain carriers?
Hope someone can make it clear to me, thanks in advance

You'll be able to use it anywhere, it's just there's slightly less band coverage, so some networks in some countries would be nixed.
See Kimovil.com for network compatibility.
Gearbest currently have the 6GB / 64GB Version C (most bands) for €495.

It means you'll have to be sure to verify you get the version with the bands needed for your particular carrier. You have to be very careful and verify before buying as it seems with the ZenFone 5Z, for example, sellers don't always properly clarify which version they're selling.
You need to find out which of the main bands your phone carrier uses then match them up to one of the versions. I use AT&T prepaid, so for for example I need a phone with coverage for bands 2,4,5,8, and 17 if I recall correctly.
If some bands aren't covered you won't have LTE in that area, as not all areas you're in are using the same network frequency bands. Therefore coverage can get worse when you travel with a phone without full band support.

Checked out the bands available on the Asus site you linked (thank you very much BTW) and it seems they are missing bands 66(extension of band 4) & 71 (600mhz frequency) so it seems like it may work okay on TMobile.
What do you guys think if those two bands are missing? Will it be detrimental to daily use or not really? Currently on an OG Pixel and this Asus offering is looking like a future purchase!!

CDMA (Sprint or Verizon) compatiblity in the US?

Stanto said:
CDMA (Sprint or Verizon) compatiblity in the US?
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Looks like the C variants might work for you but double check the bands for your carrier Kimovil.com.

mudnightoil said:
See Kimovil.com for network compatibility.
Gearbest currently have the 6GB / 64GB Version C (most bands) for €495.
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Thanks for the hint.
I need Band 20 (O2 Germany), so I can only use Version A (so no B or C for me).
---edit---
I just checked: T-Online and Vodafone use Band 20 and 32 (in Germany), but none of the three versions support both.

MartyM76 said:
If some bands aren't covered you won't have LTE in that area, as not all areas you're in are using the same network frequency bands. Therefore coverage can get worse when you travel with a phone without full band support.
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Ok, but does it mean I will at least have telephone and SMS in those areas, where the LTE band won't be supported?!

JJ111 said:
Ok, but does it mean I will at least have telephone and SMS in those areas, where the LTE band won't be supported?!
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Yes, as long at the other bands are supported (which they should be) it will drop to 3G/4G or whatever. That's why people using some Chinese phones for example in the USA can use everything but LTE.
You might
need to check however about VoLTE, I think. I don't have T-Mobile but you should read more about that as I've seen it mentioned in XDA & other places.
---------- Post added at 12:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:48 PM ----------
> Gearbest currently have the 6GB / 64GB Version C (most bands) for €495
I only see the A version there. Where did you find the C version?

This device just hit my radar... looks like we might have an upgrade winner!
For Tmobile US, C model is the way to go. The two highest bands that are missing with this device would get you better signal indoors / less interference, but I am not sure how far along that tech even is.

charlatan01 said:
The two highest bands that are missing with this device would get you better signal indoors / less interference, but I am not sure how far along that tech even is.
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By highest bands do you mean 66 and 71? The only phones that use band 71 at the moment are Samsung s8 Active and LG V30. I currently have an OG Pixel and it does not use 66 or 71 and I get great coverage in the East coast even when going north into the mountains.

wreq5 said:
By highest bands do you mean 66 and 71? The only phones that use band 71 at the moment are Samsung s8 Active and LG V30. I currently have an OG Pixel and it does not use 66 or 71 and I get great coverage in the East coast even when going north into the mountains.
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'
Yep, those are the two. Those two are still relatively new, and general Tmo coverage continues to improve here in Colorado.

I imagine that once the phone is sold on the asus.com website that particular variant will support all the main carriers LTE bands. I would be surprised if there were any major issues with that otherwise what's the point of even selling it in the USA?

SantinoInc said:
I imagine that once the phone is sold on the asus.com website that particular variant will support all the main carriers LTE bands.
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Yes, for example in the case of the 5Z I just ordered (to get me by since I desperately need a phone with a better camera & no OLED to cause eye strain) the bands listed for phones at the Asus USA online store cover AT&T properly and to the best of my knowledge T-Mobile as well.
I figured out that they don't list phones there that aren't USA network compatible. I still check, regardless, just to feel 100% sure but that's what I found.
It's the 3rd party sellers you really need to be careful about and always verify.

The OnePlus 7 pro has bands 66 and 71.

This probably would have been my first choice until I noticed the different versions. With more and more manufacturers choosing to release single, global bands phones, I really don't understand why Asus insist on continuing to release regional versions of their phones.
Back in the days when everyone made regional models, I had the Padfone Infinity 2 and it was a great phone (until a late OTA release have it the new ZenUI, which was promptly removed). After reading that the latest ZenUI 6 has been slimmed down to an almost stock Android experience, I thought it might once again be similar to what Asus provided before ZenUI came along and that I can now once again consider Asus phones. Wrong!
I spend time in both Europe and Asia and there is no version that covers both areas major LTE bands. So Asus will have to remain on the list of phones to ignore.

Robbo.5000 said:
This probably would have been my first choice until I noticed the different versions. With more and more manufacturers choosing to release single, global bands phones, I really don't understand why Asus insist on continuing to release regional versions of their phones.
Back in the days when everyone made regional models, I had the Padfone Infinity 2 and it was a great phone (until a late OTA release have it the new ZenUI, which was promptly removed). After reading that the latest ZenUI 6 has been slimmed down to an almost stock Android experience, I thought it might once again be similar to what Asus provided before ZenUI came along and that I can now once again consider Asus phones. Wrong!
I spend time in both Europe and Asia and there is no version that covers both areas major LTE bands. So Asus will have to remain on the list of phones to ignore.
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I'm in the same position. The C version covers everything I need except for Band 20 which is a necessity throughout Europe. The A version has Bamd 20 but won't work on US LTE. They did the same thing with the Zenfone 2 and inexplicably mixed up the bands regionally. I'll stick with my NexS for now but keep an eye on this phone in case the Limited edition they usually release solves the problem.

prestonmcafee said:
The OnePlus 7 pro has bands 66 and 71.
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I don't want the OP7. This isn't the OP7 forum.