SM-G900P On AT&T? - Galaxy S 5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

My D850 died on me, and I have access to a spare SM-G900P Galaxy S5 –*the Sprint model.
I've never tried using a phone from a different network on AT&T before, so I don't know what to expect / how to go about this.
My understanding is that I would first need to unlock the phone. My roommate just finished paying off the phone on Sprint, so my understanding is she can request that they unlock it, yes? Is there a fee for them to do so?
I understand there are also places you can buy unlock codes, or unlock apps from. Is that necessary?
Why can't I just download and use an app to unlock it myself? Is that not a possibility?
So, my second question is about network connectivity.
4G / LTE / HSDPA+ speeds are all pretty important to me. Is it possible to mod this phone somehow to support these connections on AT&T?
I've seen mixed things. I've seen that it's not possible, that it's possible at home, and that it's only possible with access to special proprietary software...
I'm just looking for a straight answer here, as to how I could go about using this phone on AT&T, and what limitations I'd experience.
Thanks guys

its possible to unlock a G900P and use it on at&t, im doing that right now and have been for 8 mos or maybe even 10. You will get HSPA+ out of the box once unlocked and its pretty fast, but to get full lte, you neeed to do some serious digging into the phone itself as the bands needed for LTE on AT&T are locked. Not an easy task. But www.idoneapps.com is the best place to go. For $35 theyll unlock it and their forum is awesome, moderated byIDone and mainly NoDial. They are in Italy, but can unlock your phone.

Related

Tmobile Version has AT&T LTE support, and unlocked bootloader?

So far it looks like the Tmobile S4 has LTE/HSPA+ support for AT&T, and no real signs of a locked bootloader. Anyone else plan on buying that version and unlocking it if the bootloader is in fact unlocked?
Does anyone know of any apps that would test the LTE/HSPA+ bands the phone is capable of? I want to go into a Tmobile and use a test unit to see if I can get service with my LTE AT&T SIM.
https://explore.t-mobile.com/samsung-galaxy-s4
Edit: Well, it looks like I'll be getting the Tmobile variant unsubsidized and use it on AT&T. Tmobile will unlock the phone if you pay the total cost up front. I just need to find a replacement back cover to rid myself of the stupid Tmobile logo on the back... lol.
xxhorseriderxxx said:
So far it looks like the Tmobile S4 has LTE/HSPA+ support for AT&T, and no real signs of a locked bootloader. Anyone else plan on buying that version and unlocking it if the bootloader is in fact unlocked?
Does anyone know of any apps that would test the LTE/HSPA+ bands the phone is capable of? I want to go into a Tmobile and use a test unit to see if I can get service with my LTE AT&T SIM.
https://explore.t-mobile.com/samsung-galaxy-s4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I had the money to buy the S4 outright for full price, I would just get an i9505.
EDIT: Spoke too soon. The i9505 doesn't support AT&T's LTE bands.
Can you post info on the source? I was also curious about this but i was thinking if we changed the radios like they did in the past that maybe we could get something working?
XsMagical said:
Can you post info on the source? I was also curious about this but i was thinking if we changed the radios like they did in the past that maybe we could get something working?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I put the info in the OP that I have so far; the LTE/3G radios are reported to support all of AT&T's bands. The bootloader, I'm going off of a guess since I don't think that Tmobile could afford to bribe Samsung to lock their bootloaders for them.
HMM, ok thanks for the info so far. I might have to go out and pick one up and test it.
Looks like the T-Mobile version has all the same bands and some extra ones added in. For instance the at&t only has lte bands 4&17. The tmobile version has LTE bands 1,2,4,5,7&17. Will T-Mobile unlock their phones for u??
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
I dnot know t mobile has att lte but i am using att phone with t mobile sim in it and i am getting 12-15 Mbps speed.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=40888195&postcount=46
T-Mobile:
HSPA+ Bands: I (UMTS 2100), II (1900), IV (1700/2100/AWS), V (850)
LTE Bands: Band 1 (2100), 2 (1900), 4 (1700/2100), 5(850), 7 (2600) & 17
GSM Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
Rogers - Applies for Bell and Telus:
GSM Bands:850/900/1800/1900
HSPA+/HSPA Bands:850/1900/2100
LTE Bands:2100/2600
AT&T:
4G-LTE Band 4 and 17
3G - UMTS 850/1900/2100MHz
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz
T-Mobile Bootloader Locked or Unlocked ?
xxhorseriderxxx said:
So far it looks like the Tmobile S4 has LTE/HSPA+ support for AT&T, and no real signs of a locked bootloader. Anyone else plan on buying that version and unlocking it if the bootloader is in fact unlocked?
Does anyone know of any apps that would test the LTE/HSPA+ bands the phone is capable of? I want to go into a Tmobile and use a test unit to see if I can get service with my LTE AT&T SIM.
https://explore.t-mobile.com/samsung-galaxy-s4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm feeling like a newbie today cause I have my new T-Mobile Galaxy S4 in front of me & still playing with new features after 3 hours.
Tell me how to check to see if bootloader is unlocked and I'll do it.
Also trying to remember where we go to unlock the developer tools. Only remember that it must be clicked 7 times?
Just remembered, Settings.About Device>Build Number <Click Build Number 7 times, back out and Developer options magically appears.
Now i can go into it and toggle USB debugging. Now I only feel 95% newbie.
Glenn
So .. How do I get TMoble 4G on my HTC One X
What do I have to do get off Edge and onto Tmobile 3g/4g. I have the unlocked HTC One X ... What apps are there, and what steps needs to be followed.
trvlpoet said:
What do I have to do get off Edge and onto Tmobile 3g/4g. I have the unlocked HTC One X ... What apps are there, and what steps needs to be followed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you realize you are in the S4 forum?
weltwon said:
I'm feeling like a newbie today cause I have my new T-Mobile Galaxy S4 in front of me & still playing with new features after 3 hours.
Tell me how to check to see if bootloader is unlocked and I'll do it.
Also trying to remember where we go to unlock the developer tools. Only remember that it must be clicked 7 times?
Just remembered, Settings.About Device>Build Number <Click Build Number 7 times, back out and Developer options magically appears.
Now i can go into it and toggle USB debugging. Now I only feel 95% newbie.
Glenn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you don't have to worry about checking the bootloader, it has already been confirmed to be unlocked
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2258476
I love this thread, i cant wait to get the Tmo version of the S4 and return this locked down model.
Stroked from my Dirty Nocturnal'd Galaxy S4
scott14719 said:
Do you realize you are in the S4 forum?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh ... thanx... fustration!!!!
Has anybody tried their T-Mobile phone on AT&T yet?
If so, I have a couple of questions.
1. Can you use the T-Mobile phone to wireless tether (become a wifi hotspot) on AT&T's network? The AT&T version can be used to tether (with a simple hack). I was just wondering if a different .APK would be needed to do the same with the T-Mobile phone on AT&T's network or if the T-Mobile phone already has an APK installed that works on AT&T's network?
2. I realize an existing AT&T sim card can just simply be placed into the sim unlocked T-Mobile phone for it to work, but how would I go about changing the imei and other phone info that AT&T has in their system about the phone? In other words, would AT&T cause problems with anyone using a T-Mobile phone on their network even if the person paid full price for the phone and it is unlocked? Would it be better to have them change the system information at a store versus over the telephone?
3. It is reported that the T-Mobile phone works fine on AT&T's LTE network, has anyone verified this and does the phone show LTE when on AT&T's LTE network?
Thank you for any replies. Hopefully this information can help people decide if they want to buy the T-Mobile S4 to use on AT&T or not.
scott14719 said:
Has anybody tried their T-Mobile phone on AT&T yet?
If so, I have a couple of questions.
1. Can you use the T-Mobile phone to wireless tether (become a wifi hotspot) on AT&T's network? The AT&T version can be used to tether (with a simple hack). I was just wondering if a different .APK would be needed to do the same with the T-Mobile phone on AT&T's network or if the T-Mobile phone already has an APK installed that works on AT&T's network?
2. I realize an existing AT&T sim card can just simply be placed into the sim unlocked T-Mobile phone for it to work, but how would I go about changing the imei and other phone info that AT&T has in their system about the phone? In other words, would AT&T cause problems with anyone using a T-Mobile phone on their network even if the person paid full price for the phone and it is unlocked? Would it be better to have them change the system information at a store versus over the telephone?
3. It is reported that the T-Mobile phone works fine on AT&T's LTE network, has anyone verified this and does the phone show LTE when on AT&T's LTE network?
Thank you for any replies. Hopefully this information can help people decide if they want to buy the T-Mobile S4 to use on AT&T or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can, for now, use PDAnet for tethering.
As far as changing the phone to appear as "unknown" to AT&T's system, don't do it without a backup of your /efs folder. I don't recommend doing it either because it's not really worth changing things around to hide that you're on a Tmobile phone, because for the most part, they don't care as long as you're paying them your monthly bill. I personally know a friend who has used her unlocked HTC Amaze on AT&T without issue (she was stuck to 2G speeds). The only way for you to have an "unknown" phone on your account is to use an international model phone such as the HTC one or the i9500 (unconfirmed that the i9300/i9500 model is entered into AT&T's system, I only hèard a rumour that AT&T has the IMEI of those phones in its system). My i9100 currently shows up as "unknown" in my bill statement.
I took a screenshot, but I don't have a link of the LTE working conformation (attached). I won't be getting my phone until I am on holiday in New Hampshire so that I can avoid the sales tax on purchasing the Tmobile variant. I would ask my parents to buy it for me, and I send them the money, but they have no technological skills whatsoëver close to asking/knowing what to ask for at the Tmobile store. Sorry guys, lol.
my t mobile m919 stock mdl rooted..tetheting works out of the box SN at&t and on their system it doesn't know what kind of phone I have...
Sent from my SGS 4

[Q] AT&T LG G2 unlocked to use on T-Mobile Carrier Rom/Root Questions

Hey Guys,
So, I bought a AT&T LG G2 phone (I had a gift card at Best Buy- they don't carry T-Mobile). I heard that AT&T had the same towers so it's easier to work with an unlocked phone through them, so I bought it there instead from T-Mobile itself.
However, now I realized I don't have some of the features I would have on a T-mobile LG G2, such as my wifi calling, etc. Now, since the phone is unlocked (and I just got it rooted), would installing a T-Mobile rom affect my phone in any way, good or bad? Should I only use AT&T roms? How would I use T-mobile app services?
I searched google for 2 days and couldn't find anything relevant to my question. I've used this site a lot in the past year-two for rooting and such. Thank you guys in advance for continuing to support open development for android.
Wondering the same, about to switch to tmobile.
*Answer solved through own testing
trh1341 said:
Wondering the same, about to switch to tmobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, seems like no one has an answer to it...
Anyway, I went ahead and bought the phone. Since I do a lot of testing and rooting myself, this was the first time working on this type. I'm glad you posted, because I would have just forgotten about it now that I've solved the question I had... However, I figure it'd help in the future in case someone is also wondering the same.
Now, with that all stated... down to the answer.
If you bought an AT&T phone, and do an unlock code to use it on another carrier (such as T-mobile since they use the same towers), the rom you MUST use are the AT&T roms... NOT the T-mobile roms. The problem is, when you buy a AT&T phone, unlock it, and root your device to use another rom, it will not be compatible with T-Mobile roms because of the image files, etc. So yes- you will be losing all the features a T-Mobile rom would have such as wi-fi calling, etc...
However, a way to go about this (and it won't work with ALL the features that comes in a T-Mobile phone/rom), is to install a AT&T rom of your choice without all the crappy AT&T bloatware that you can't even use, and go to the T-Mobile section to look for an APK version of the files. Most of the time, T-Mobile roms will also remove the bloatware, however, some developers are kind enough to provide the bloatware APK files in case users would like to have certain one of them features, such as WiFi Calling.
So, that's how I did it, and it's working good.
PS- One last thing, you may have trouble going on the internet or playstore when you're unlocked to a different carrier. All you need to do is find the APN settings for your carrier. So in this case, I bought an AT&T phone, bought unlock code to use on my carrier T-Mobile, and got the T-Mobile APN settings set up, reboot, and I get all my 4G data, etc. You can get this by calling T-Mobile. Just say, you bought an unlocked phone and can't access data, internet, etc, and was told to set up a APN. Or, you can use google. :good:
Hope I helped everyone else out there!!
johnnyjrmoua said:
Hope I helped everyone else out there!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, would I be correct in stating that you will only get 4G in areas where it is offered @ 1900 MHz? What about 2100 MHz? Otherwise you will only get 3G HSPA+? As you can tell I'm a bit confused about compatibility between networks. According to wikipedia they will be doing away with 1900 MHz 4G by 2015. I'm trying to decide if it's worth buying an AT&T or Verizon phone to use on the T-Mobile pre-paid network because it seems the T-Mobile phones are not getting very much development.
johnnyjrmoua said:
Well, seems like no one has an answer to it...
Anyway, I went ahead and bought the phone. Since I do a lot of testing and rooting myself, this was the first time working on this type. I'm glad you posted, because I would have just forgotten about it now that I've solved the question I had... However, I figure it'd help in the future in case someone is also wondering the same.
Now, with that all stated... down to the answer.
If you bought an AT&T phone, and do an unlock code to use it on another carrier (such as T-mobile since they use the same towers), the rom you MUST use are the AT&T roms... NOT the T-mobile roms. The problem is, when you buy a AT&T phone, unlock it, and root your device to use another rom, it will not be compatible with T-Mobile roms because of the image files, etc. So yes- you will be losing all the features a T-Mobile rom would have such as wi-fi calling, etc...
However, a way to go about this (and it won't work with ALL the features that comes in a T-Mobile phone/rom), is to install a AT&T rom of your choice without all the crappy AT&T bloatware that you can't even use, and go to the T-Mobile section to look for an APK version of the files. Most of the time, T-Mobile roms will also remove the bloatware, however, some developers are kind enough to provide the bloatware APK files in case users would like to have certain one of them features, such as WiFi Calling.
So, that's how I did it, and it's working good.
PS- One last thing, you may have trouble going on the internet or playstore when you're unlocked to a different carrier. All you need to do is find the APN settings for your carrier. So in this case, I bought an AT&T phone, bought unlock code to use on my carrier T-Mobile, and got the T-Mobile APN settings set up, reboot, and I get all my 4G data, etc. You can get this by calling T-Mobile. Just say, you bought an unlocked phone and can't access data, internet, etc, and was told to set up a APN. Or, you can use google. :good:
Hope I helped everyone else out there!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey johnny, so you were able to get wifi calling feature on at&t branded lg g2 unlocked?
AT&T phone switch to T mobile Wifi calling do not work
trh1341 said:
Wondering the same, about to switch to tmobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bought phone from ebay, it is an AT&T phone unlocked and want to use for T-mobile./ With T-mobile network I have to use wifi calling features in order to use in the house.
Could you please explain me how and how much it cost to get wifi calling feature in LG G2 ?

Unlock S5 From Sprint To Tmobile?

I recently got the S5 on sprint and im beyond disappointed with sprints new spark and lte network out here in NY. Im considering going to Tmobile since there lte speeds are crazy good and connection is steady out here. My question is can i get my phone unlocked and bring my sprint version phone over to Tmobile? I was told by a Tmobile rep that my phone would go down to 2g speeds and its not guaranteed to even get lte. Which i find hard to believe since since my phone has the option to also go on GSM/UMTS. Whats your guys thoughts on this?
darknatas said:
I recently got the S5 on sprint and im beyond disappointed with sprints new spark and lte network out here in NY. Im considering going to Tmobile since there lte speeds are crazy good and connection is steady out here. My question is can i get my phone unlocked and bring my sprint version phone over to Tmobile? I was told by a Tmobile rep that my phone would go down to 2g speeds and its not guaranteed to even get lte. Which i find hard to believe since since my phone has the option to also go on GSM/UMTS. Whats your guys thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bump
19 25996965
darknatas said:
Bump
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Click to collapse
Sprint phones cant work with T-Mobile, Sprint blocks other US GSM carriers from using their phone.
Sprint phones can only be used outside of the states
Vlade12 said:
Sprint phones cant work with T-Mobile, Sprint blocks other US GSM carriers from using their phone.
Sprint phones can only be used outside of the states
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So even if i get the phone unlocked i wont be able to use it on tmobile?
darknatas said:
So even if i get the phone unlocked i wont be able to use it on tmobile?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. Sprint uses different frequency ranges, so unlocked or not it's just not going to communicate.
ATT and T-Mobile work due to the overlap. In fact, for a while there ATT was going to purchase T-Mobile before the FCC put a halt to that.
Glad too as T-Mobile is now shaking up the market and forcing (encouraging?) Verzion and ATT to try and adopt similar measures in order to maintain customer base.
Vlade12 said:
Sprint phones cant work with T-Mobile, Sprint blocks other US GSM carriers from using their phone.
Sprint phones can only be used outside of the states
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think this is correct. Albeit S5 is a different phone, but I unlocked 4 SPH-L720 S4's from Sprint to Tmobile no problem using the following thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2530610
If S5 could use the same methods, you would get 3G and HSPA+ on the Sprint S5 using a TMobile SIM.
I was able to get LTE using a TMobile SIM on a Sprint S4 by using DFS to edit the NV to enable AWS 1700 LTE Band in NV items, then flashing the TMobile HOS and MODEM bin files - along with copying the *ril*.so libraries to the system/lib directory. This ultimately allowed me to select the LTE/WCDMA/GSM option in Mobile Networks.
Not many people know about this but I found it in an i337 thread on how to unlock AWS on a S4.
bcas9472 said:
I dont think this is correct. Albeit S5 is a different phone, but I unlocked 4 SPH-L720 S4's from Sprint to Tmobile no problem using the following thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2530610
If S5 could use the same methods, you would get 3G and HSPA+ on the Sprint S5 using a TMobile SIM.
I was able to get LTE using a TMobile SIM on a Sprint S4 by using DFS to edit the NV to enable AWS 1700 LTE Band in NV items, then flashing the TMobile HOS and MODEM bin files - along with copying the *ril*.so libraries to the system/lib directory. This ultimately allowed me to select the LTE/WCDMA/GSM option in Mobile Networks.
Not many people know about this but I found it in an i337 thread on how to unlock AWS on a S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you can get full speeds on gsm networks with the sprint version? in the US or out?
Is that right?
bcas9472 said:
I dont think this is correct. Albeit S5 is a different phone, but I unlocked 4 SPH-L720 S4's from Sprint to Tmobile no problem using the following thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2530610
If S5 could use the same methods, you would get 3G and HSPA+ on the Sprint S5 using a TMobile SIM.
I was able to get LTE using a TMobile SIM on a Sprint S4 by using DFS to edit the NV to enable AWS 1700 LTE Band in NV items, then flashing the TMobile HOS and MODEM bin files - along with copying the *ril*.so libraries to the system/lib directory. This ultimately allowed me to select the LTE/WCDMA/GSM option in Mobile Networks.
Not many people know about this but I found it in an i337 thread on how to unlock AWS on a S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Has anyone comfermed this? To my knowledge the Sprint/Verizon phones are not cross compatable with AT&T and T-mobile. Some verizon phones are the exception but basicily its a no go from CDMA phone to GSM tech.
confirm
i can confirm the sprint s4 does work on tmobile with a bit of editing and following the gsm domestic tutorial on xda, however this part about the modem.bin and hlos isnt confirmed and i have done this and ended up hard bricking my devices and had to jtag to repair them. ive tried many times and always bricked so i say no go.
this forum is for the sprint s5 and i would hope we can find a loophole to get it gsm unlocked. any ideas? ive tried a few things but no luck
Theres alot of incorrect information here. The latest Sprint phones using sim cards ARE ABLE to use T-Mobile and AT&T as long as GSM is in the hardware. I dont own the S5 but for those blinding others with frequency talk I'm tired of seeing, read it and weep:
http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=4408
Sprint S5 supports GSM. Now of course no LTE on T-Mobile due to the lack of the 1700 frequency,
but your 4G will be fine. Depending on where you live, you may not even care about LTE over 4G.
Sure, Sprint locks the darn thing up to avoid it getting into the hands of other domestic carriers, but
just as the Sprint Note 3 and my Sprint LG G2, a workaround has been invented. For the G2 it was as
"borrowing" the stock T-Mobile LG G2 firmware and tweaking it to boot up on our LS980. We have
about 3 different tastes of working unlocked roms, not only sticking to T-Mobile, but other carriers
reported working such as Metro PCS and AT&T. So my guess is that the S5 may need a similar
treatment, nobody wants Sprint honestly. The first 14 days (brought in my own LG Optimus G LS970)
I was with them service was glorious here in NYC. But after the 14 day "trial period" ended I was
DAMNED into horrible service, constant 3G instead of 4G, etc. Thanks to refusing to make payments
due to the disgusting service, my GS4's IMEI is basically crap, so I sold it in the same week I got it.
I should have never swapped it out for the LG OG...
Honestly, I'll thank every OP I see that "unlocks" the Sprint version of any phone for domestic GSM
use. Their silly Sprint Spark is useless, why introduce something new when they dont even have full
4G coverage here in the USA? And their agents sound like "AI" controlled cyborgs: "Oh we're sorry to
hear that, your zone is scheduled to be recieving 4G soon." Yeah right. I feel sorry for those who suffer
in other states.
ANYWAYS sorry for drifting off topic. The recap here is that the Sprint S5 IS capable of domestic GSM with some modding.
And also that I hate Sprint.
Any Updates on this
Does anyone have any news on this? I have a S5 from sprint and want to use it with tmobile or other gsm carrier. any1 have any updates on the UCCI deal i read about somewhere? I have the spc phone is rooted what do i need to do? cant bring up the service menu to change things there.. kind a lost pls help
..
lease has anyone found a solution for enabling aws bands on galaxy s5? i have the at&t active version unlocked and rooted using on tmobile but i get only edge :/
What is the verdict? Is there anyone who knows you can use it on any network? I am getting mine tomorrow and am unlocking it. Is there a way to test if they will work on any network? I have many sim cards from diff carriers.
..
unlock sprint
fffft said:
There have been a lot of threads about this, so clearly few are even bothering to search the forum for existing threads and the wealth of information in them.
Sprint is a CDMA system like Verizon & USC. CDMA per se is incompatible with GSM, which is what most of the world uses. The Sprint S5 only supports some of the most common GSM frequency bands and moreover will have a locked bootloader and SIM.
Sprint will not unlock the SIM (actually SPC code) to allow using it with other domestic carriers. You can find third party vendors that will "SPC unlock" your Sprint phone. But then you will find that Sprint's S5 won't support any of the LTE bands on other CDMA or GSM carriers and misses some GSM bands too.
Nor can you use custom ROMs, kernels or recoveries in the normal manner due to the locked bootloader. You could probably use the Verizon Safestrap method to emulate a limited palette of custom ROMs, but you would have to do your due dilligence there and look into the details.
In short, if you jump through enough hoops, you can use a Sprint S5 on another carrier like TMobile. But it will always be marginal. You won't get LTE data speeds, you will see more congestion than those using native handsets, due to your reduced number of bands. And you may have no coverage at all in some fringe areas served by a TMB band that your handset doesn't have.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The limitation of what "bands" the radio will cover are software defined. if you look around. you can find a way to modify those defined rules.
to allow it to use 1700 LTE. although the legality may be questionable as the FCC approval for that model was not tested with the LTE. The baseband chip/radio still supports the band with the software changes
..
impossible
fffft said:
There have been a lot of threads about this, so clearly few are even bothering to search the forum for existing threads and the wealth of information in them.
Sprint is a CDMA system like Verizon & USC. CDMA per se is incompatible with GSM, which is what most of the world uses. The Sprint S5 only supports some of the most common GSM frequency bands and moreover will have a locked bootloader and SIM.
Sprint will not unlock the SIM (actually SPC code) to allow using it with other domestic carriers. You can find third party vendors that will "SPC unlock" your Sprint phone. But then you will find that Sprint's S5 won't support any of the LTE bands on other CDMA or GSM carriers and misses some GSM bands too.
Nor can you use custom ROMs, kernels or recoveries in the normal manner due to the locked bootloader. You could probably use the Verizon Safestrap method to emulate a limited palette of custom ROMs, but you would have to do your due dilligence there and look into the details.
In short, if you jump through enough hoops, you can use a Sprint S5 on another carrier like TMobile. But it will always be marginal. You won't get LTE data speeds, you will see more congestion than those using native handsets, due to your reduced number of bands. And you may have no coverage at all in some fringe areas served by a TMB band that your handset doesn't have.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What in the heck? Who fed you this bologna? Do you work for Sprint? Cause I have various complaints for you if you do. My SPRINT G2 running a T-Mobile G2 stock rom which is unlocked DOMESTICALLY works perfectly fine with T-Mobile's 4G. I don't think many people care about LTE, getting off of Sprint alone is a huge leap for mankind (in this case G900P owners). And as it was mentioned, there are ways to get that nice LTE band for various devices with simple mods, problem is that it is NOT widely recognized yet and very few people know that the possibility exists because of various misleading posts that "its all in the hardware" and fingers being pointed at Qualcomm's techniques. Yes there is a possibility for a domestic unlock, sure there might not be LTE for it, but most people will be content with the fact that they can use their expensive locked down phone with another carrier. Honesty Sprint devices would be better off being sold for less than carriers that actually DO allow domestic unlocks. Why do we pay over half a "K" for a phone that in reality we do not completely have full rights over? Why do other carriers alow domestic unlocks and Sprint wants to be greedy and lock in all of their customers with shady contracts and decieving bills?
Thats why many of us including myself would be beyond grateful if we even get some 3G with another carrier. We have CDMA capabilities, we have GSM capabilities, all we need is some sort of domestic unlock.
There is NO third party unlock code of any sorts that will unlock a phone that is unlocked OTA. Check around for many posts from various foreign users who have gotten stuck with a useless Galaxy S5 that can only be used with wifi thanks to Sprint. Is it their fault? No. It is purely Sprint's fault for being so damn greedy. Thankfully I am hearing news that by February of 2015 all devices will be GSM and have the capabilities to be unlocked for domestic use.
Custom roms, honestly most of us are just unsatisfied with the average and like to go to the unique side. But is Cyanogenmod going to allow us to use Air Gestures and all the other cool features of the S5? Not really. Custom kernels would be nice, but many people only seek then in order to overclock their device, which this device is in particular really doesn't need any more added power (or battery drain) than it already has. Optimization tweaks might be worth it but I dont see it helping. If someone could fix the delayed multitasking transitions (switching from one app to the other at times is delayed a second or two) or the crashing browser without custom roms or kernels, then it is best not to waste time on the development of such things. But then again there are those who prefer stock android in combination with other features such as the AMOLED screen technology, but it is best to look for another device.

[Q] Which version should I go with

I have poured through these forums only to get more confused on the topic. I hate to put out a similar question but think I must.
I am using the AT&T network but I have to pay full price for a variety of reasons. So I would like to know which will be best variant given the following considerations ...
1) International Travel
I have to go to Israel and Europe about once a year and need to be able to use different sim cards. I don't need the fastest bands while Im there but need it to work though.
2) LTE Bands
90% of the time I am in the USA and I want the best compatibility and fastest speeds with AT&T. From what I understand the T-mobile version covers most but will I have any issues?
3) Root
A must have eventually. More important than item 4.
4) ASOP ROMS
If it all possible I would like to run cyanogenmod or something similar in the future. I hear the tmobile has an unlocked boot loader. AT&T said it would unlock the phone for me if I pay full price but this doesn't mean the bootloader correct?
5) WIFI Calling
I wold definitely like to use this once its available.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am ready to buy once I get this straightened out.
You should get... Note 4.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
McGragger said:
I have poured through these forums only to get more confused on the topic. I hate to put out a similar question but think I must.
I am using the AT&T network but I have to pay full price for a variety of reasons. So I would like to know which will be best variant given the following considerations ...
1) International Travel
I have to go to Israel and Europe about once a year and need to be able to use different sim cards. I don't need the fastest bands while Im there but need it to work though.
2) LTE Bands
90% of the time I am in the USA and I want the best compatibility and fastest speeds with AT&T. From what I understand the T-mobile version covers most but will I have any issues?
3) Root
A must have eventually. More important than item 4.
4) ASOP ROMS
If it all possible I would like to run cyanogenmod or something similar in the future. I hear the tmobile has an unlocked boot loader. AT&T said it would unlock the phone for me if I pay full price but this doesn't mean the bootloader correct?
5) WIFI Calling
I wold definitely like to use this once its available.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am ready to buy once I get this straightened out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
805 snapdragon will have the better dev support.
I have the exynos version and it's amazing.. especially with exposed.. no issues here what so ever..

[Q] Will my Unlocked Sprint S4 work with a Verizon prepaid SIM?

I have been doing research and searching these forums for a few days now, I'm trying to not be one of those people who ask questions that have been answered. But at this point I'm at the end of the road.
I bought a Sprint Galaxy S4, model SPH-L720.
I unlocked it using this method Sprint Galaxy S IV SPH-L720 SIM Unlock Method
Reverted back to MDC baseband and all that good stuff, just as instructed. It seemed to have went well without a hitch.
My question now is:
I want to buy one of these Verizon 4G Sim Activation Kits from walmart
Is it possible that I can buy one of those, insert the SIM into my unlocked Sprint S4, and have a working phone? I ask because I don't want to drop $50 if it doesn't have a chance of working. The instructions for this say that it will work with a VERIZON S4, but since my SPRINT S4 is unlocked, should that be okay?
I don't know much, but in my reading I found that Sprint and Verizon both use CDMA, not GSM. So I figured I had a better chance of this phone working if I go with Verizon because of this.
I am in the United States.
If you need any other information or screen shots please let me know, thank you for taking the time to help me out!!
EDIT: would it be possible to test it out, if one of my friends has a verizon phone under contract, and I took their SIM and inserted it into my phone?
Try it.
Like the guy above me said. Try it. One way to find out. Personally I don't think it would work. As the whole point of unlocking the sprint Gs4 is to use it on GSM networks. From what I know you have to flash the sprint phone to Verizon. Plus you WONT get LTE on Verizon because the bands are not supported. So you'll only get 3g.
daniel4653 said:
Like the guy above me said. Try it. One way to find out. Personally I don't think it would work. As the whole point of unlocking the sprint Gs4 is to use it on GSM networks. From what I know you have to flash the sprint phone to Verizon. Plus you WONT get LTE on Verizon because the bands are not supported. So you'll only get 3g.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you for the info! i'm just learning about all of this, so i don't have a firm grip on everything yet.
in the tutorial i used and linked above, the file I used with Odin was actually titled "S4 Flasher", so I believe I unlocked it and flashed it with this? Again, Im sorry, Ive tried searching and am just looking for verification if Im correct.
I'm not worried about LTE, 3G is fine really. Also, I'm not set on Verizon, I just want my phone to work, doesn't matter what network I'm using. If it would be "safer" or a better bet to get into a GSM prepaid, I will do that instead. I was just under the assumption (incorrectly probably lol) that since sprint is CDMA, that going to another CDMA carrier would be easier.
Cricket, Net10, StraightTalk, and AT&T etc are all available at the store I think if I go GSM
Again thanks for taking the time to help everyone!
Galaxy330 said:
thank you for the info! i'm just learning about all of this, so i don't have a firm grip on everything yet.
in the tutorial i used and linked above, the file I used with Odin was actually titled "S4 Flasher", so I believe I unlocked it and flashed it with this? Again, Im sorry, Ive tried searching and am just looking for verification if Im correct.
I'm not worried about LTE, 3G is fine really. Also, I'm not set on Verizon, I just want my phone to work, doesn't matter what network I'm using. If it would be "safer" or a better bet to get into a GSM prepaid, I will do that instead. I was just under the assumption (incorrectly probably lol) that since sprint is CDMA, that going to another CDMA carrier would be easier.
Cricket, Net10, StraightTalk, and AT&T etc are all available at the store I think if I go GSM
Again thanks for taking the time to help everyone!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unlocked my sprint GS4 and went to Cricket. And I've been happier than when i was with Sprint (service wise). I have signal in 98% of the places I go to. Which is a HUGE improvement over sprint. And even though this phone only connects to HSPA+ which is capped at 3.5 Mbps its plenty fast for all my daily activities. So I recommend a GSM prepaid.

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