Related
Hi, I am going to be buying the G2 in a couple of days. I am in Pakistan and apparently, every G2 variant is available here. I am not a developer but I do like to customize my phones due to the generosity of all the developers creating flashable zips on XDA .
Which G2 Variant is the best for flashing and modding wise and which Variant is just considered the best? Are there any hardware differences between the variants? Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you
Only major hardware differences I'm aware of is that the Verizon G2 has a different shape back, different (some consider them worse) buttons on the back, and added wireless charging that others do not have.
If I had to say for overall use, the Verizon variant because of the wireless charging capability. The negative aspect of that model is some ROMs have issues with it to some degrees and of course because it's capable of wireless charging that means it's slightly thicker front to back (like 1-2mm) that means you can't use just any old case for it - if it's not a case designed specifically for the Verizon variant to account for that additional thickness, the case just won't fit and there ain't a whole lot of Verizon variant cases available.
Just pointing out the positive and the negative - there is ROM support for the VS980 obviously and those unlock the SIM for use with most any provider (just like the Sprint LS980 variant does too). The button thing on the Verizon variant is a personal preference I suppose: they work exactly the same, they just have a different form factor in how they're laid out because of the addition of the Qi wireless charging antenna inside the battery cover on the Verizon variant.
The International model(s) are nice because they're free of such limitations from the gitgo and SIM unlocked (as I understand them to be).
You'll get arguments about which one ends up being better, I suppose, so the International variants are very popular for those reasons, but with the Verizon model supporting wireless charging (Qi standard) that kinda puts it slightly out front hardware-wise. Of course, some folks don't give a damn about wireless charging just like some don't care about NFC, etc.
Just have to decide for yourself which one might fit your needs and requirements best of all.
br0adband said:
If I had to say for overall use, the Verizon variant because of the wireless charging capability. The negative aspect of that model is some ROMs have issues with it to some degrees and of course because it's capable of wireless charging that means it's slightly thicker front to back (like 1-2mm) that means you can't use just any old case for it - if it's not a case designed specifically for the Verizon variant to account for that additional thickness, the case just won't fit and there ain't a whole lot of Verizon variant cases available.
Just pointing out the positive and the negative - there is ROM support for the VS980 obviously and those unlock the SIM for use with most any provider (just like the Sprint LS980 variant does too). The button thing on the Verizon variant is a personal preference I suppose: they work exactly the same, they just have a different form factor in how they're laid out because of the addition of the Qi wireless charging antenna inside the battery cover on the Verizon variant.
The International model(s) are nice because they're free of such limitations from the gitgo and SIM unlocked (as I understand them to be).
You'll get arguments about which one ends up being better, I suppose, so the International variants are very popular for those reasons, but with the Verizon model supporting wireless charging (Qi standard) that kinda puts it slightly out front hardware-wise. Of course, some folks don't give a damn about wireless charging just like some don't care about NFC, etc.
Just have to decide for yourself which one might fit your needs and requirements best of all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would really like to have the wireless charging feature, I'll be going with Verizon than. Thanks for all the info, greatly appreciate it
p.s just my luck Verizon model is 5-10% cheaper here for some reason
dont buy verizon one, go for D802
mahmoodt said:
I would really like to have the wireless charging feature, I'll be going with Verizon than. Thanks for all the info, greatly appreciate it
p.s just my luck Verizon model is 5-10% cheaper here for some reason
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dont buy verizon one, it doesn't have the LTE Band for Pakistan, so there will be no 4G for you, go for LG G2 D802, if you need more details you can inbox me
nothanks91 said:
dont buy verizon one, it doesn't have the LTE Band for Pakistan, so there will be no 4G for you, go for LG G2 D802, if you need more details you can inbox me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People have this misunderstanding about 4G: it's a term, it means the 4th generation of cellular technology, and because of that LTE is just one 4G technology - it's not the only one.
HSPA/HSPA+ is a 4G technology (actually it's a 3.5G technology but whatever) and can be just as fast as LTE in most markets, even faster in some respects because HSPA/HSPA+ allows for deeper building/structure penetration aka you get a stronger signal when you're indoors, your phone doesn't have to waste as much power to maintain it, hence you get better speeds.
Sure would be nice if people would realize all this someday and that LTE is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to 4G... it's just one side of 4G technology, another object under the 4G "umbrella" and HSPA/HSPA+ is more than capable of providing very high speed data just as well if not better.
HSPA/HSPA+ is more widespread than LTE too, at least based on looking at coverage charts worldwide - it's a slightly older technology (which means it's had more time to be put into action around the world) but again, it can be just as fast and even faster than LTE in some markets so, it's not something that should be dismissed outright.
I had a chance to sell my G2 the other day, the person that came to buy it was disappointed because it didn't show "4G LTE" on the status bar and I tried to explain that it was pulling down 38Mbps using HSPA+ and using LTE would be slower (on this phone, it actually is) and it would use more battery power, but he didn't care or didn't even comprehend what I was saying:
All he cared about was seeing "4G LTE" in the status bar so he decided not to buy it. I swear, ignorance is a horrible thing, especially in today's world where the info is right there and it's available and people willfully choose to stay ignorant of it.
Anyway, LTE ain't everything...
dont buy verizon one, go for D802
br0adband said:
People have this misunderstanding about 4G: it's a term, it means the 4th generation of cellular technology, and because of that LTE is just one 4G technology - it's not the only one.
HSPA/HSPA+ is a 4G technology (actually it's a 3.5G technology but whatever) and can be just as fast as LTE in most markets, even faster in some respects because HSPA/HSPA+ allows for deeper building/structure penetration aka you get a stronger signal when you're indoors, your phone doesn't have to waste as much power to maintain it, hence you get better speeds.
Sure would be nice if people would realize all this someday and that LTE is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to 4G... it's just one side of 4G technology, another object under the 4G "umbrella" and HSPA/HSPA+ is more than capable of providing very high speed data just as well if not better.
HSPA/HSPA+ is more widespread than LTE too, at least based on looking at coverage charts worldwide - it's a slightly older technology (which means it's had more time to be put into action around the world) but again, it can be just as fast and even faster than LTE in some markets so, it's not something that should be dismissed outright.
I had a chance to sell my G2 the other day, the person that came to buy it was disappointed because it didn't show "4G LTE" on the status bar and I tried to explain that it was pulling down 38Mbps using HSPA+ and using LTE would be slower (on this phone, it actually is) and it would use more battery power, but he didn't care or didn't even comprehend what I was saying:
All he cared about was seeing "4G LTE" in the status bar so he decided not to buy it. I swear, ignorance is a horrible thing, especially in today's world where the info is right there and it's available and people willfully choose to stay ignorant of it.
Anyway, LTE ain't everything...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just because American Carriers brand HSPA/HSPA+ as 4G doesn't mean that they are actually 4G, hack even LTE is not truly 4G, i was just explaining to the guy that the verizon model doesn't have 1800 MHZ LTE frequency band which is being used by local carriers (Waridtel, Zong) in pakistan, so he wont be able to access LTE which is Branded as 4G in Pakistan, i hope you got my point
br0adband said:
People have this misunderstanding about 4G: it's a term, it means the 4th generation of cellular technology, and because of that LTE is just one 4G technology - it's not the only one.
HSPA/HSPA+ is a 4G technology (actually it's a 3.5G technology but whatever) and can be just as fast as LTE in most markets, even faster in some respects because HSPA/HSPA+ allows for deeper building/structure penetration aka you get a stronger signal when you're indoors, your phone doesn't have to waste as much power to maintain it, hence you get better speeds.
Sure would be nice if people would realize all this someday and that LTE is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to 4G... it's just one side of 4G technology, another object under the 4G "umbrella" and HSPA/HSPA+ is more than capable of providing very high speed data just as well if not better.
HSPA/HSPA+ is more widespread than LTE too, at least based on looking at coverage charts worldwide - it's a slightly older technology (which means it's had more time to be put into action around the world) but again, it can be just as fast and even faster than LTE in some markets so, it's not something that should be dismissed outright.
I had a chance to sell my G2 the other day, the person that came to buy it was disappointed because it didn't show "4G LTE" on the status bar and I tried to explain that it was pulling down 38Mbps using HSPA+ and using LTE would be slower (on this phone, it actually is) and it would use more battery power, but he didn't care or didn't even comprehend what I was saying:
All he cared about was seeing "4G LTE" in the status bar so he decided not to buy it. I swear, ignorance is a horrible thing, especially in today's world where the info is right there and it's available and people willfully choose to stay ignorant of it.
Anyway, LTE ain't everything...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
Was just gonna post my opinion on which variant to choose, LTE is a real thing to consider.
I opted to go with the Verizon variant because of this, in my country (Dominican Republic) this is the only variant that allows me to use LTE here, so I went with this one, and I'm glad I did, I didn't even know about the wireless charging, it was a pleasant surprise to me as fate would have it, my sister got a Nokia Wireless charger as a gift from her carrier (She has an iPhone) she came to me to know if she could sell it, as soon as I saw it, I tried it on my phone and it worked great! Needless to say I took it from her hands instantly.
Anyways, when I finally used LTE I was blown away! 100 Mbits/s was something Id never experienced. no matter how good HSPA+ is, it will never be as fast as LTE, and the battery life is great even if you leave it on all day. I never turn it off, though its good to know that I can if i want to.
If you get the Verizon variant you will need to at least root the phone to enjoy it completely. Because the wifi hotspot doesn't work if you are using a non Verizon SIM, there is a thread here which allows you to bypass it VERY easily, and it works awesomely.
Besides that, everything else is pretty much on par, there are at least 2 "Best Roms" for the G2 and they both work on the Verizon Variant. One of those two best is developed by XDABBEB who is the awesome Dev who brought us the Camera mod which is insanely good! and he also made a ROM specifically for the Verizon Variant which I installed on a friends VS980 and is working great with ART and his camera mod, the G3 UI preinstalled, and other cool things preinstalled.
Its your choice in the end.
Sorry for the long post, just wanted to give you the VS980 perspective from someone who owns and uses it as a daily driver.
If you have any other questions regarding this variant, do not hesitate to ask.
-X
Xer0 WindKey said:
Hello,
Was just gonna post my opinion on which variant to choose, LTE is a real thing to consider.
I opted to go with the Verizon variant because of this, in my country (Dominican Republic) this is the only variant that allows me to use LTE here, so I went with this one, and I'm glad I did, I didn't even know about the wireless charging, it was a pleasant surprise to me as fate would have it, my sister got a Nokia Wireless charger as a gift from her carrier (She has an iPhone) she came to me to know if she could sell it, as soon as I saw it, I tried it on my phone and it worked great! Needless to say I took it from her hands instantly.
Anyways, when I finally used LTE I was blown away! 100 Mbits/s was something Id never experienced. no matter how good HSPA+ is, it will never be as fast as LTE, and the battery life is great even if you leave it on all day. I never turn it off, though its good to know that I can if i want to.
If you get the Verizon variant you will need to at least root the phone to enjoy it completely. Because the wifi hotspot doesn't work if you are using a non Verizon SIM, there is a thread here which allows you to bypass it VERY easily, and it works awesomely.
Besides that, everything else is pretty much on par, there are at least 2 "Best Roms" for the G2 and they both work on the Verizon Variant. One of those two best is developed by XDABBEB who is the awesome Dev who brought us the Camera mod which is insanely good! and he also made a ROM specifically for the Verizon Variant which I installed on a friends VS980 and is working great with ART and his camera mod, the G3 UI preinstalled, and other cool things preinstalled.
Its your choice in the end.
Sorry for the long post, just wanted to give you the VS980 perspective from someone who owns and uses it as a daily driver.
If you have any other questions regarding this variant, do not hesitate to ask.
-X
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, Nice to see a fellow Dominican around. The Verizon version as you said has surprisingly excellent support around here (For a LG Phone anyways). Would you mind telling how you got 4g to work? what carrier was it with? Claro,tricom or Orange?
thanks in advance.
elander said:
Hello, Nice to see a fellow Dominican around. The Verizon version as you said has surprisingly excellent support around here (For a LG Phone anyways). Would you mind telling how you got 4g to work? what carrier was it with? Claro,tricom or Orange?
thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, nice to know I'm not the only one!
I didn't do anything special to make it work, I'm on Claro, just popped in my 4G LTE Sim on the phone and it worked automagically.
In the settings menu I have "Global" selected. Then I used xposed to get rid of that annoying invalid Sim notification.
sorry for being off topic but instead making a new thread i just wanna know why my lg g2 it doesn't have the update software option. i have the ls980 version the sprint and not only that but the camera makes blurry photos and videos .
And when i apply some light pressure on the screen i get blotches which it is very weird and ugly
thank you
nothanks91 said:
dont buy verizon one, it doesn't have the LTE Band for Pakistan, so there will be no 4G for you, go for LG G2 D802, if you need more details you can inbox me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right, I went to buy the Verizon variant but LTE was not working on it (My provider is Warid). I ended up checking all the variants except D802 and LTE was not working on any of them. I was unable to find the D802, people were actually selling it, however, they were all frauds, they had ported different models to the D802 rom, so it showed D802 in the Phone Information (so they could charge more). Even after the port none of the phones I tested were able to run Warid LTE. After searching for hours I was unable to find the D802 in the market, so my question now is that if i buy any of the models is there a way to have Warid LTE work on it, I am not in favor of messing with basebands though unless it's completely safe.
You need to do some research and find out specifically which LTE bands that carrier you want to sign on with is using, then find the G2 that matches it. There's a chance you might be out of luck with the actual LTE support because no G2 variant will support it (which is a possibility) so be aware of this.
This chart page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks#Asia
shows WaridTel using Band 3, apparently. On this page:
http://www.waridtel.com/lte/handset-compatibility
it clearly shows they have support for the LG G2 D802 and D802TA (whatever variant that is) so that's what you should be looking for, obviously.
You just might not be able to get LTE support for both reasons: hardware on the G2 not having it as well as your carrier not being a match for whatever G2 variant you happen to be looking for.
Do the research, then you'll be able to figure things out. Warid must be getting their network access from one of the more major providers, you just have to figure out which LTE band(s) are being utilized and go from there. The D802 might just be your ticket, so to speak, now you have to find a real one.
Do not buy Verizon LG G2. I used this model for a month and found it problematic in Pakistan. That's the only reason it is cheaper than other G2 models.
Sent from my Samsung phone using XDA Free mobile app.
br0adband said:
You need to do some research and find out specifically which LTE bands that carrier you want to sign on with is using, then find the G2 that matches it. There's a chance you might be out of luck with the actual LTE support because no G2 variant will support it (which is a possibility) so be aware of this.
it clearly shows they have support for the LG G2 D802 and D802TA (whatever variant that is) so that's what you should be looking for, obviously.
You just might not be able to get LTE support for both reasons: hardware on the G2 not having it as well as your carrier not being a match for whatever G2 variant you happen to be looking for.
Do the research, then you'll be able to figure things out. Warid must be getting their network access from one of the more major providers, you just have to figure out which LTE band(s) are being utilized and go from there. The D802 might just be your ticket, so to speak, now you have to find a real one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went with your suggestion and pinpointed D802 as the variant that would work for me. However, the issue here was that most people had ported D802 ROMs on American or Korean variants and it was really hard finding out if it was the original D802. So, after testing my SIM card and configuring almost 2 dozen sets for LTE, I decided to not buy the G2 . Good news though I ended up buying the G3, LTE working and I am loving it
I had to spend $120 extra, which was a way out of my budget but I don't regret it, G3 is just too good
Thank you so much for taking the time and giving me all the advice, I really appreciate it
You're welcome, and congrats on the choice/purchase, I wish I could afford a G3 myself to be honest but, maybe someday.
I had first D802 16gb with 7 icons in dock but latest android 4.2.2 from UK, next was 32 but from local shop (europe), but only with 6 icons in dock. I prefer UK roms.
Right now (just started looking into this) this seems like a no-brainer. Performance is much better and it's rooted!!!! I know you lose wifi calling in theory (although mine hasn't worked since I purchased it despite hours of troubleshooting and tweaking (sucks bc no coverage at home (rural)), but that can potentially be addressed by a custom rom? Thoughts?
I did the switch. Battery life is better. Speed difference is unnoticeable. Signal/Calling quality is fine. I would most likely switch back if root was available for the t-mobile model (but wouldn't if advanced calling was available for international).
Getting wifi calling + VOLTE + video calling is no small task if that matters to you (the S6's wifi calling was never ported to international models even though they shared the same chipset). It would take porting a qualcomm written csc to a exynos chipset and either porting t-mobile's custom ims implimentation or making the standard ims implimentation work with t-mobile. That being said, it has been done. The Galaxy S5 saw advanced calling from the S6 ported back, HTC's flagships have had wifi calling ported.
I had an international Note5 on T-Mobile's network. I hated not having WiFi calling and advanced messaging features and such. I was able to flash a ROM that included some of the lost features luckily, but that would not be the case here since the chipsets are different (at least not possible now). Additionally, for some reason the signal was always worse than my girlfriend's Note5 even when side-by-side. Consistently worse... I wouldn't deal with the hassle again.
hi, I switched too and I'm glad I did, battery is definitely better and I didn't notice performance differences (nor reception). I believe wifi calling hasn't been/can't be ported but some roms support VOLTE. Just be advised that samsung doesn't honor the warranty of international variants in the US hence insurance companies such as Upsie won't insure your device.
How do you switch?
Sent from my SM-G935T using XDA-Developers mobile app
You have no warranty though, and Samsung Pay can be tricky to get working.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
Just got an international variant yesterday. Loving it but been struggling to change my CSC to one that supports Samsung Pay. I know the LYS CSC supports it and I've flashed it in Odin which reported success and did fine but upon using my device it didn't change my CSC. So confused as to why...
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Buy a 935F from ebay/swappa. Pay off your 935t, sell it on swappa/ebay.
mackentosh said:
How do you switch?
Sent from my SM-G935T using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the first phone I've owned that I really haven't felt the need to root. I used to want to root to disable bloatware and to change the theme of the system which I can do on the S7 edge without root. Only thing I do miss is the ad blocking with root but that's a small annoyance that I can live it. Also with the T-Mobile version you get all the necessary bands for extended range LTE which is amazing here in the LA area. Everywhere I go I have solid LTE whether it's indoors or oudoors. I also just used Samsung pay yesterday for the first time at Sprouts grocery store and it worked so easily on the first try! This pay system is flawless. The old lady behind me had a surprised look on her face when I payed that way. Got a free $20 gift card from Samsung for using it for the first time. Just my personal opinion on why the carrier branded T-Mobile version is better.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
The international variant supports all the LTE bands supported by the tmobile one (and more) see http://www.phonemore.com/compare/ph...-samsung-galaxy-s7-edge-sm-g935f-64gb/3305854
And the G935F connects fine to band 12
srod562 said:
This is the first phone I've owned that I really haven't felt the need to root. I used to want to root to disable bloatware and to change the theme of the system which I can do on the S7 edge without root. Only thing I do miss is the ad blocking with root but that's a small annoyance that I can live it. Also with the T-Mobile version you get all the necessary bands for extended range LTE which is amazing here in the LA area. Everywhere I go I have solid LTE whether it's indoors or oudoors. I also just used Samsung pay yesterday for the first time at Sprouts grocery store and it worked so easily on the first try! This pay system is flawless. The old lady behind me had a surprised look on her face when I payed that way. Got a free $20 gift card from Samsung for using it for the first time. Just my personal opinion on why the carrier branded T-Mobile version is better.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is my SM-935T Model phone two sim cards active okay..?
i bought it on ebay dual sim for 620$ shipped. its way snappier and the battery life is significantly better. i havent rooted it yet
Remix22 said:
The international variant supports all the LTE bands supported by the tmobile one (and more) see http://www.phonemore.com/compare/ph...-samsung-galaxy-s7-edge-sm-g935f-64gb/3305854
And the G935F connects fine to band 12
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What CSC are you on?
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Nitemare3219 said:
I had an international Note5 on T-Mobile's network. I hated not having WiFi calling and advanced messaging features and such. I was able to flash a ROM that included some of the lost features luckily, but that would not be the case here since the chipsets are different (at least not possible now). Additionally, for some reason the signal was always worse than my girlfriend's Note5 even when side-by-side. Consistently worse... I wouldn't deal with the hassle again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My experience with my international S6 was very similar to yours. I moved back to the states with it and signed up with T-mobile. In my gym, which is underground, I could barely get a 4G signal (or nothing at all). Emails and notifications wouldn't come through even when I was connected to 4G. I got the s7e on tmobile and although signal still isn't strong, notifications come through reliably.
Not too scientific as they are different phone models and I've never paid this observation too much mind but now that I've heard your story, I'm inclined to think that carrier specific models might be better at picking up signal on that carrier.
Been using international version for a while, returned my t-mobile version on the 20th day, by that time it was apparent to me that the t-mobile version would not be getting rooted anytime soon. In my opinion this device is much better rooted, especially since i like a lot of color schemes on my status bar and the Ads were driving me crazy. would've preferred a rooted t-mobile version, but a rooted international version is light years better than a stock version of any kind imo.
I'm on MID (Iraq)
Rydah805 said:
What CSC are you on?
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am on Sprint. Been on a samsung s4 that had been fairly well rooted, hacked to do a lot of things. Most important: hotspot tethering, and sim unlocked.
Very disappointed that the G5 couldn't do simultaneous LTE data stream while i am talking on the phone (not using VOIP). My old S4 could handle both talking and LTE data streaming at the same time.
Also the G5 has the new security update preventing me from opening up hidden menu to enable tethering.... so that sucks
GPS receiver in G5 also a little weaker than S4
The G5 camera is much better than S4. it's a nicer looking faster phone.... just a little disappointed about a lot of these other things.
I am willing to give the G5 another try only if someone has a lightly used sprint G5 with older security software ver ZV8 or earlier so i can use the hidden menu apk PM if you have one for sale.
Sprint sold to T-Mobile and T-Mobile is selling off Sprint bands between now and Q1 2022 requiring a phone change to stay on their network. I like my V20 and am not impressed with the new Android phones on offer. (*)
Are there any US providers with whom a Sprint V20 will still work? Good 4G performance (1-10Mbps) is fine for my needs and I need to have reliable SMS. I don't want 5G, HD video, gaming performance, or anything like that. I've checked the usual AT&T, Verizon, etc. but unless I'm misreading something, their networks will not accept this phone.
(*) I just sent back a Pixel 5a/5g after preferring the V20 in a side-by-side comparison.
Verizon
I checked with the IMEI and Vzn says it is not comaptible?
Which V20 do you have? vs995 is the Verizon model, and will work on Verizon. us996 is the unlocked model, and will work on Verizon (that's what I use on verizon). Other models of the v20 will be tied to their particular carrier.
Mine says LS997 in one of the panels. As mentioned in the original post, I am currently with Sprint. The phone boots with a Sprint splash screen but should be unlocked. Hoping to find a compatible provider.
That is the Spring Model, apparently only compatible with Spring. Sorry. :-(
The Sprint V20 isn't configured to get VoLTE and doesn't pass any whitelist or IMEI compatibility check for the 3 U.S. carriers, so you'll have to switch to one of the other carrier-branded models, either the H918 for T-Mobile, H910 for AT&T, or VS995 for Verizon.
If your LS997 really is SIM-unlocked, and you can change APN settings (Sprint phones are notorious for having that option grayed out, regardless of whether they are SIM-unlocked or not), then you may still be able to get it to work on T-Mobile without VoLTE until they shut down both 3G and 2G networks next year. However, even before their shut downs, T-Mobile may start actively blocking phones at any time like AT&T do, so I wouldn't go with an LS997 as the only phone.
This blows so much in the wrong ways. Still have the ls997, but had get free a71 to keep service for TMobile. Tech waste at its finest. Forced to do unwanted.
Thanks, everyone. Looks like I am out of luck and have to get another phone regardless of cellular provider.
I am interested in recommendations something 2 or more years old that I could get refurbished to work with what's coming so I can trawl eBay. I'll look for other V20s per @C D but options would be good.
What I like about the V20 and would like to carry over in no particular order.
- Replaceable battery (hence older models)
- Notifications are fast (The Pixel 5a/5g I returned had issues)
- Camera with manual settings. Not an expert photographer but the manual mode has come in handy
- Runs the few apps I care about effortlessly (BlueMail, Newpipe, Berlin Philharmonic apps)
- Slot for a memory card
- Second screen
- Rock solid Bluetooth performance
Rich_Palermo said:
Thanks, everyone. Looks like I am out of luck and have to get another phone regardless of cellular provider.
I am interested in recommendations something 2 or more years old that I could get refurbished to work with what's coming so I can trawl eBay. I'll look for other V20s per @C D but options would be good.
What I like about the V20 and would like to carry over in no particular order.
- Replaceable battery (hence older models)
- Notifications are fast (The Pixel 5a/5g I returned had issues)
- Camera with manual settings. Not an expert photographer but the manual mode has come in handy
- Runs the few apps I care about effortlessly (BlueMail, Newpipe, Berlin Philharmonic apps)
- Slot for a memory card
- Second screen
- Rock solid Bluetooth performance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Based on that, I'd say if you can go with Verizon or its MVNOs, the Verizon LG V50 would fit most of these. It has roughly the same size as the V20 and still has the fingerprint scanner on the back, too. I guess you'd have to test the notifications and Bluetooth performance, but as long as whatever seller you go with has a good return policy, that shouldn't be a problem.
The second screen doesn't really exist in any phone other than the V10 and V20, and a removable battery only exists in phones (Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro and Teracube 2e) that are more of a sidegrade/downgrade to the V20 while missing many of its features.
If you need compatibility with all U.S. carriers and don't mind the bigger size and lower screen resolution, there is a carrier model of the V60 for each of the big 3 carriers.
Another notable older all-rounder that's easy to find renewed/refurbished on eBay would be the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 if you don't mind the curved screen and being stuck on Android 10.
I own both a Sprint V50 and a Note 9 (both rooted), and while they lack the removable battery and second screen, they both have an LED notification light (though the V50 has a weird one on the back that's also the 5G logo) and absolutely blow away the V20 in both performance and battery life. Unfortunately, I can't recommend the Sprint V50 yet since I can't seem to get a signal to stay on T-Mobile, and while it does work perfectly on an AT&T MVNO, AT&T could block it at any point since it's not on their whitelist.
You may be able to find most of these for around $300 or less in mint/refurbished/open box shape, and it's up to you to decide if those are worth over getting a different V20 at likely less than half the price.
I will chase all of these down! The Pixel 5a/5g I tried was Android 12 and I thought it was hard to use compared to prior versions. Lots of UI customization features I don't need/want at the expense of core capabilities. My V20 has Android 8 and it works just fine.
I think Sprint is out of the equation and whatever I get has to be for one or more of the other carriers/their resellers.
I do have full data = text, downloads, etc but no calls. All incoming are direct to VM. Any outgoing attempts fail immediately.
It's rooted and I have full ADB access. I replaced the ROM yesterday with 11 google pixle (something like that - I'm not at home where the files are). It worked for a while then stopped again. Dead as far as calls go. The original ROM is voLTE enabled without an option to toggle that. The newer ROM has voLTE and is toggled on. Of course I tried toggling voLTE, airplane mode, toggled cell-data, power cycle on off etc. Nothing gets it going. I'm on ATT. They recently did a G5 update on 2/22/22 and calls worked until yesterday (3/8) . ATT tried sending signals and a few times i was able to make (1).. yes - ONE call - then it fails afterwords - weird isn't it?
I'm hoping you guys might know a pretty solid ROM i can install (old or new - whatever works best with this phone) nothing fancy - just operational is fine. Or if you think I have a hardware issue and should add a hook to the phone for a lure I'd rather not if I can get it going again - I believe it should work but maybe something with the ATT G5 is adding to my troubles - any suggestions please - I'm at a loss
Thanks in advance - Jim
Hi Jim, I just joined xda in hopes of finding out if a new rom will solve this G5plus moto problem. From what I gather, the standard installed rom does not support Volte and when the wireless services dropped 3g, it somehow dinked with volte/lte (that level no longer supported). I am in the same situation with my g5+ - text but no voice. I use H2o wireless service. From my upfront investigation, volte is a software solution, and no extra chips are required, but I may be wrong, I am just getting started with this. It seems odd to me that I can take out my sim and put it in an older J3 Samsung, and calls go through fine and I can see Volte settings listed. What was moto thinking on the G5+, makes no sense. Sooooo, if anyone has any input to this problem or know if a rom might solve it, chime in please, the phone is still okay for low level use.
Thank you,
Barry
When I re-flash the ROM I can make one call again then nothing. This tells me it's not hardware but software. So I decided to visit T-Mobile to see how it works on their G5 voLTE network and it does quite perfectly. It's not the phone, never was!
So here's what I'm finding out so far. ATT has created a 'white list' of phones they are allowing on their new roll out of the 5G voLTE system. The Moto G5 Plus is not on that list. According to an ATT blog site they are blocking IMEI's that aren't on that list from making calls. The arguments on that site include comments that regardless of your phones proven and manufactured ability to process voLTE calls they aren't going to allow them. It's BS. According to this site it was up to the manufactures to submit phones for approval. Obviously they aren't going to submit discontinued phones, so...
I'm with ConsumerCellular which is ATT essentially. Finally after 4 days CC says they have a new SIM that has been fixing this issue and shipped one out for me today. I'll get it next week. I'll update here accordingly. They call it a "3-In-1 Smart Sim - A" I'll find out just how smart it is ;-)
Yea, I found the att whitelist and all the controversy. Let us know what happens when you get it, maybe H2o can send me one also. Possibly too much programming to allow the G5+ in the mix, could get interesting as time passes.
https://www.att.com/es-us/idpassets/images/support/pdf/Service-Capabilities-Unlocked-Devices-ATT-Network.pdf
I'm leaving ATT. Consumer Cellular sent me the newer SIM. They couldn't get it to work either. The T-Mobile sim worked perfectly in my existing phone - voLTE, 4G (not a 5G phone) and wifi calling. In the mean time to make matters worse, I received a Moto One 5G Ace (brand new phone) direct from Motorola claiming to have whatever upgrade was necessary. Doesn't work either on ATT. I called Moto to question why menu options are missing. Without hesitation she said it's not a 5g phone for ATT and offered a refund. Really.. ok, who am I to argue - I'm taking the refund. I'm moving my existing phone to T-Mobile and not fighting with the big bad ATT bully for doing this.
IMHO ATT doesn't deserve to keep any customer they've done this too. Laziest roll-out in history
So don't fight it, just leave. Any company that blocks IMEI's and dumps customers who own known good 4G voLTE phones is saying loud and clear - LEAVE US.
so that's how I'm fixing the ATT issue. Just the way they way want it.
Yeah, I'll echo this. My G5Plus is on StraightTalk (AT&T MVNO), and voice just stopped working days ago. The SIM works for voice in my Pixel 3a though so getting a new SIM would do nothing. Pretty bogus that VoLTE works with some carriers and/or variants of this phone, just not AT&T apparently.
According to the ATT blog they're blocking the IMEI's of any phone not on their white list. I'm confident it would work they just don't want to be bothered with testing it since the manufacture didn't send them a phone. It's a discontinued phone so why would Motorola do that. However being discontinued only means they made a production run of so many phones and have sold out. On to better iterations .. I get that. They still work and will for years to come on 4G and voLTE. It's an ATT thing. They work great on T-Mobile (not a fan but..)
jgdorado said:
I'm leaving ATT. Consumer Cellular sent me the newer SIM. They couldn't get it to work either. The T-Mobile sim worked perfectly in my existing phone - voLTE, 4G (not a 5G phone) and wifi calling. In the mean time to make matters worse, I received a Moto One 5G Ace (brand new phone) direct from Motorola claiming to have whatever upgrade was necessary. Doesn't work either on ATT. I called Moto to question why menu options are missing. Without hesitation she said it's not a 5g phone for ATT and offered a refund. Really.. ok, who am I to argue - I'm taking the refund. I'm moving my existing phone to T-Mobile and not fighting with the big bad ATT bully for doing this.
IMHO ATT doesn't deserve to keep any customer they've done this too. Laziest roll-out in history
So don't fight it, just leave. Any company that blocks IMEI's and dumps customers who own known good 4G voLTE phones is saying loud and clear - LEAVE US.
so that's how I'm fixing the ATT issue. Just the way they way want it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I left, the ole Moto G5+ up and running with voice on T-Mobile, the 15 buck plan unlimited talk/text 3GB data. Cut my bill in half, will see how it goes and for how long.
Thanks for all of your replies. My wife's Moto 5 Plus suddenly stopped making or receiving calls last week and I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why. She has a pay-by-the-minute plan through TracFone, which uses AT&T's network (among others). Guess she'll have to look for a different carrier now. Judging from others' replies here, T-Mobile seems to be the way to go.
Just got a notice from StraightTalk that my iPhone 5s will no longer work soon, for similar reasons. I probably should upgrade, as half of my apps no longer work on its old iOS... but I really don't want to give up my headphone jack.
jgdorado said:
According to the ATT blog they're blocking the IMEI's of any phone not on their white list. I'm confident it would work they just don't want to be bothered with testing it since the manufacture didn't send them a phone. It's a discontinued phone so why would Motorola do that. However being discontinued only means they made a production run of so many phones and have sold out. On to better iterations .. I get that. They still work and will for years to come on 4G and voLTE. It's an ATT thing. They work great on T-Mobile (not a fan but..)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jgdorado,
Thank You So Much! We went from Verizon, to AT&T to Pure Talk -only to find out what you just told us about being black listed by AT&T. We just switched today to T-Mobile and ey wallah -both Moto G5 Plus, XT1687 work on Android 8.1 perfectly now. WFI Calling, & voLTE working. You ROCK! God Bless y'all, especially XDA Dev's!