Develop Bugs

Sprint galaxy nexus questions

I have a few questions specific to the Sprint version of the galaxy nexus:
1. Updates - who provides them? Does google have to go through sprint? Or can you download them direct from google like you can with GSM/Verizon? If google direct, does google provide up to date versions? They don't for verizon (who is still on 4.0.2)
2. If google doesn't provide them direct, what are the chances that the modding community can provide a pure google experience with a fully up to date copy of android? I mean no modifications at all beyond what you would otherwise find in the pure google release.
3. Do third party ROM's and google direct ROM's have access to the ## codes? E.g. ##DATA, etc.
4. Does the stock nexus include bloatware (e.g. crappy NASCAR alikes, amazon mp3, sprintzone, etc)
5. The Verizon CDMA has connection issues, can the same be said about Sprint?
6. I've heard about some problems with some screens looking like crap, has this been the case with the sprint version?

bump

1. I believe Google supplies updates to all of the nexus phones.
2. Even with direct updates from Google the modding community will just about always provide better update support for any android phone. Not too mention the tweaks and mods that truly push the power of the phone.
3. No bloatware at all on the Sprint galaxy nexus.
4. I have had no connection issues.
5. This screen is beautiful, but some people seem to notice things in pentile screens while others do not.
I started using smartphones with a blackberry curve, then a Samsung moment, then an HTC Evo 4g, then the HTC Evo 3d and now my SAMSUNG galaxy nexus (I still prefer the nexus prime name as it would have gone well with my transformer prime). This is by far the best phone out of the bunch.
sent from my sprint nexus prime

I missed number 3, but I don't know so it doesn't matter.
sent from my sprint nexus prime

Rakeesh_j said:
I have a few questions specific to the Sprint version of the galaxy nexus:
1. Updates - who provides them? Does google have to go through sprint? Or can you download them direct from google like you can with GSM/Verizon? If google direct, does google provide up to date versions? They don't for verizon (who is still on 4.0.2)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google makes the updates for the software, then hands it to (and continues to work with) Sprint to develop the kernel and radio stacks to work with the update. The update gets tied up in that process, exactly how it does with Verizon. Updates will be slower because of it.
2. If google doesn't provide them direct, what are the chances that the modding community can provide a pure google experience with a fully up to date copy of android? I mean no modifications at all beyond what you would otherwise find in the pure google release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People will take the update files from GSM and take the changes and add them to new CDMA ROMs, but they will still be using the old radios from the previous updates (because those aren't included in the GSM ROMs of course). So basically it's a hack job that just makes you feel better because you have the updated build number, but isn't really an update. Often the updates for GSM don't do anything to fix the CDMA model, and its purely cosmetic. Fixes that the CDMA version need will only come in the CDMA update.
3. Do third party ROM's and google direct ROM's have access to the ## codes? E.g. ##DATA, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Short codes are just pinging your carrier and returning the data. Shouldn't be ROM specific.
4. Does the stock nexus include bloatware (e.g. crappy NASCAR alikes, amazon mp3, sprintzone, etc)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shouldn't have any Sprint apps (Verizon includes 2 tools). Any that are included can be disabled.
5. The Verizon CDMA has connection issues, can the same be said about Sprint?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dunno. Different networks and software versions (slightly). The radios are probably of the same quality though.
6. I've heard about some problems with some screens looking like crap, has this been the case with the sprint version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint version has the same screen tech/process/manufacturer as the other models. It'll be subject to the same inconsistencies and "issues" that people see. Its the same production line.

martonikaj said:
People will take the update files from GSM and take the changes and add them to new CDMA ROMs, but they will still be using the old radios from the previous updates (because those aren't included in the GSM ROMs of course). So basically it's a hack job that just makes you feel better because you have the updated build number, but isn't really an update. Often the updates for GSM don't do anything to fix the CDMA model, and its purely cosmetic. Fixes that the CDMA version need will only come in the CDMA update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I'd assume they'd still have the android core fixes at least? Take for example the API additions and calendar app changes from 4.0.2 to 4.0.3.
martonikaj said:
Short codes are just pinging your carrier and returning the data. Shouldn't be ROM specific.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that's true on GSM but CDMA is different. For example, if you load CM9 to an HTC Evo or an HTC Hero, you lose access to those codes.
Don't suppose anybody could test this for me? E.g. load AOKP or CM9 to their galaxy nexus and try them.

Rakeesh_j said:
Well I'd assume they'd still have the android core fixes at least? Take for example the API additions and calendar app changes from 4.0.2 to 4.0.3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They'd include anything that was part of the GSM OTA that wasn't radio or CDMA specific. So you'd get feature adds, but not bugfixes. Most people are looking for bug fixes, which they don't get. As I said, for the most part these CDMA ROMs that include parts of the GSM OTAs can be pretty useless and are usually just cosmetic.
I think that's true on GSM but CDMA is different. For example, if you load CM9 to an HTC Evo or an HTC Hero, you lose access to those codes.
Don't suppose anybody could test this for me? E.g. load AOKP or CM9 to their galaxy nexus and try them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No idea, don't like or use CDMA.

Google is the owner for the core of the updates, sprint and Verizon both have minor BS on them that can be deleted, no Verizon issues since day one of release, and load AOKP as soon as you can, mskip(XDA) makes the BEST rooting software on the net for this phone
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA

[Q] Is Knox Available Yet?

Is Knox actually available? The last thing I read says that it's available for the S4, but it's up to the carriers whether it's installed. I know wanting to use this software goes against the grain for XDA, but I actually want to use one phone instead of feeling like a moron while I walk around with two smartphones.
If you're wondering WTF I would need to go to such extremes, my work is forcing MobileIron on us and is one of the approved security apps for Knox.What the MobileIron can do and the policies being put into place has a lot of us saying "HELL NO" to putting it on our personal devices. We are reimbursed for the cell phone plan, but they want to treat personal hardware like corporate hardware even though it's just e-mail and we don't handle anything sensitive. The main concerns that the Security team has is already addressed in ActiveSync presently, but they are looking for more control.

noc007 said:
Is Knox actually available? The last thing I read says that it's available for the S4, but it's up to the carriers whether it's installed. I know wanting to use this software goes against the grain for XDA, but I actually want to use one phone instead of feeling like a moron while I walk around with two smartphones.
If you're wondering WTF I would need to go to such extremes, my work is forcing MobileIron on us and is one of the approved security apps for Knox.What the MobileIron can do and the policies being put into place has a lot of us saying "HELL NO" to putting it on our personal devices. We are reimbursed for the cell phone plan, but they want to treat personal hardware like corporate hardware even though it's just e-mail and we don't handle anything sensitive. The main concerns that the Security team has is already addressed in ActiveSync presently, but they are looking for more control.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to settings - Application Manager - All
If it's installed it'll be listed there as 'Samsung Knox'. My Galaxy S4 has it installed.

dj_aj said:
Go to settings - Application Manager - All
If it's installed it'll be listed there as 'Samsung Knox'. My Galaxy S4 has it installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the reply. I checked out a VZW and T-Mobile branded S4s. On both of them that's there, but I've got a feeling that's just the framework. The application itself isn't listed in the App Drawer of the launcher or in the Samsung Apps. I poked around a bit in the settings to see if it might be under there, but didn't find anything. Granted it was about five minutes in the store so not as through as I'd like.
Kinda hoping someone has had experience getting it going.

I don't even think there are any APKs floating around yet. You'll probably waiting for a bit longer.
http://www.samsung.com/global/business/mobile/solution/security/samsung-knox

Tap and Pay: Google Wallet

Anyone got this working on CM?

I don't think the find 7 is supported by Google and is not able to be used with tap to play. Additionally i think due to security reasons i think you have to be on 4.4.
https://support.google.com/wallet/answer/1347934?hl=en
I was looking into this a few days ago when I held up a line at the supermarket slapping my phone unsuccessfully against the pay pad.
-sent from my Find 7a using tapatalk

Uh60m Pilot said:
I don't think the find 7 is supported by Google and is not able to be used with tap to play. Additionally i think due to security reasons i think you have to be on 4.4.
https://support.google.com/wallet/answer/1347934?hl=en
I was looking into this a few days ago when I held up a line at the supermarket slapping my phone unsuccessfully against the pay pad.
-sent from my Find 7a using tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply....but I am on 4.4 and individual phone manufacturer is not an issue. Tap and Pay should be working.

brownrt said:
Thanks for the reply....but I am on 4.4 and individual phone manufacturer is not an issue. Tap and Pay should be working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tap and pay is not working with AOSP and any device that has a PN544 chipset.
PN547 and Broadcom chipsets only.

Entropy512 said:
Tap and pay is not working with AOSP and any device that has a PN544 chipset.
PN547 and Broadcom chipsets only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. But could you clarify.
Does it not work on AOSP roms on PN544 chipsets?
or
Does it not work on PN544 Chipsets?

brownrt said:
Interesting. But could you clarify.
Does it not work on AOSP roms on PN544 chipsets?
or
Does it not work on PN544 Chipsets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is closed-source only for PN544 chipsets. OEMs must pay NXP extra money for the feature.
Which means that it is only available for PN544 chipsets if an OEM officially releases 4.4 for a device. Blob NFC support tends not to transfer well between devices, no one has successfully transferred the HTC M7 or Sony Z Ultra NFC blobs to any other device.
Google has also given some OEMs exceptions to the HCE requirement for devices with 544s - this includes their very own 2012 Nexus 7. (grouper has not had tap-to-pay since Wallet dropped NFC SE support.)
NXP pushed PN547 support to AOSP a month or two ago, and some of the code (such as the name pn54x) HINTS that it is not just for PN547 - but no one has succeeded in getting it to work on anything but a PN547 device. https://android-review.googlesource.com/#/c/103142/

Entropy512 said:
It is closed-source only for PN544 chipsets. OEMs must pay NXP extra money for the feature.
Which means that it is only available for PN544 chipsets if an OEM officially releases 4.4 for a device. Blob NFC support tends not to transfer well between devices, no one has successfully transferred the HTC M7 or Sony Z Ultra NFC blobs to any other device.
Google has also given some OEMs exceptions to the HCE requirement for devices with 544s - this includes their very own 2012 Nexus 7. (grouper has not had tap-to-pay since Wallet dropped NFC SE support.)
NXP pushed PN547 support to AOSP a month or two ago, and some of the code (such as the name pn54x) HINTS that it is not just for PN547 - but no one has succeeded in getting it to work on anything but a PN547 device. https://android-review.googlesource.com/#/c/103142/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was an incredibly detailed and useful reply chock full of widgitable quotations and knowdgification! So Thanks for that.
For Posterity:
HCE=Host Card Emulation
NXP= Co-inventor of NFC with Sony
Another question, the Oppo forums have hinted at 4.4 and unified storage coming soon. It sounds like you are also saying that unless Oppo pays-to-play it's still not going to happen? That's rather unfortunate.

brownrt said:
That was an incredibly detailed and useful reply chock full of widgitable quotations and knowdgification! So Thanks for that.
For Posterity:
HCE=Host Card Emulation
NXP= Co-inventor of NFC with Sony
Another question, the Oppo forums have hinted at 4.4 and unified storage coming soon. It sounds like you are also saying that unless Oppo pays-to-play it's still not going to happen? That's rather unfortunate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. Other useful stuff:
SE - Secure element. The pre-HCE approach to tap-and-pay. All Oppos lacked this.
NCI - NFC Controller Interface (I think) - a standard for how drivers/software talks to NFC chips. PN547 and all of Broadcom's chips are NCI-compliant, the PN544 (older) is not. Pretty much all Oppos have a PN544.
Oppo is working on various partition merging schemes. They originally tried Coldbird's repartitioning stuff but it was a total disaster with lots of users screwing up their devices. Their engineers are looking into LVM, but I don't know what the status on this is at the moment. For KitKat, they've actually removed any support for merged partitions.
I do not know if their KitKat releases have HCE. I'm not sure if they have to PAY NXP for the capability - it may be included as part of their purchase of the chips, but restricted from being open-sourced by an NDA. (Similar to lots of Qualcomm's stuff.) I know that getting GMS (gapps) approval from Google if you don't support HCE requires Google to grant you a special exemption for the resulting CTS failure now. (I can't dig up the link discussing this at the moment...)

Entropy512 said:
Yup. Other useful stuff:
SE - Secure element. The pre-HCE approach to tap-and-pay. All Oppos lacked this.
NCI - NFC Controller Interface (I think) - a standard for how drivers/software talks to NFC chips. PN547 and all of Broadcom's chips are NCI-compliant, the PN544 (older) is not. Pretty much all Oppos have a PN544.
Oppo is working on various partition merging schemes. They originally tried Coldbird's repartitioning stuff but it was a total disaster with lots of users screwing up their devices. Their engineers are looking into LVM, but I don't know what the status on this is at the moment. For KitKat, they've actually removed any support for merged partitions.
I do not know if their KitKat releases have HCE. I'm not sure if they have to PAY NXP for the capability - it may be included as part of their purchase of the chips, but restricted from being open-sourced by an NDA. (Similar to lots of Qualcomm's stuff.) I know that getting GMS (gapps) approval from Google if you don't support HCE requires Google to grant you a special exemption for the resulting CTS failure now. (I can't dig up the link discussing this at the moment...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In case you didn't know, It appears tap and pay works on the new Color OS 2.0 kk4.4.2. I cant completely confirm because the vending machines wont accept the mastercard debit (I suppose thats the protocol Wallet uses for transactions) but it does behave the same way my other phone with tap and pay behaves.

brownrt said:
In case you didn't know, It appears tap and pay works on the new Color OS 2.0 kk4.4.2. I cant completely confirm because the vending machines wont accept the mastercard debit (I suppose thats the protocol Wallet uses for transactions) but it does behave the same way my other phone with tap and pay behaves.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't surprise me... It appears that lacking HCE is now an automatic CTS failure, which Google will only give you an exception for if you can prove that your hardware can't support it (such as with grouper).
The question, of course, is whether it's possible to do blob transplant hacks to use this stuff on AOSP-derivative firmwares.
Now that we have it for the device itself, it's something I can take another crack at.

NFC drivers TW vs CW*

So let me get this straight, we have a working TW NFC, but cant use Google wallet because of no Emulator in the current kitkat version? How is it that when i had the LG Flex i could use google wallet without any issues and it was on 4.2 for the longest. I assume that all KITKAT versions had this feature, and only reason why CW is not working because of drivers for our chipsets. So if TW has the drivers already, how is this preventing to be introduce in the CW version of android that has the Emulation built in it? If sprint has it, how is that not ported over as well if they have the same chipset? Please dumb this down, if you can to make it easier for all of us to understand. I try to use softcard, but get denied because im rooted. Bypass?

Xposed and the rootcloak module will get softcard to work.
As I understand it, our NFC chip is not used in any other device right now that does support Google wallet. Because of that, we can't port it from another device, there's nothing to port it from. It's not built in to the main chip like many other functions. It's a separate chip that we don't have open source drivers for. Or really any complete drivers that will work for GW. AOSP ROMs can't get any NFC at all because of driver issues.
The carriers are really pushing Softcard, so even a newer version of Android might not support it on our devices. If that is a big deal for you, you need to buy a device that can do it out of the box. There are no guarantees that we will ever be able to use Google wallet payments. Having used Google wallet and softcard, I don't see the point other than as a novelty. Not enough places support it, and some have problems with it. So it might not work even if the store has the equipment. So I have to keep another payment option available anyway. And there's the need to carry ID..

ttabbal said:
Xposed and the rootcloak module will get softcard to work.
As I understand it, our NFC chip is not used in any other device right now that does support Google wallet. Because of that, we can't port it from another device, there's nothing to port it from. It's not built in to the main chip like many other functions. It's a separate chip that we don't have open source drivers for. Or really any complete drivers that will work for GW. AOSP ROMs can't get any NFC at all because of driver issues.
The carriers are really pushing Softcard, so even a newer version of Android might not support it on our devices. If that is a big deal for you, you need to buy a device that can do it out of the box. There are no guarantees that we will ever be able to use Google wallet payments. Having used Google wallet and softcard, I don't see the point other than as a novelty. Not enough places support it, and some have problems with it. So it might not work even if the store has the equipment. So I have to keep another payment option available anyway. And there's the need to carry ID..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok thanks, i assume that other notes had the same chip. So the question is why did tmobile request another chip, when the other models are working just fine with another version. Was this requested, or just random chip they wanted to introduce. I cant use softcard because i dont have those cards they use, and i refuse to get them. If it has a standard mastercard or visa, than i would..

We don't know why the other NFC chip was chosen. Only Samsung and T-Mobile know for sure. The engineers could have just found it easier to layout the board with it. Unless an official statement is made, which probably won't happen, we'll never know.
The card is just a placeholder. It's not any different than a paypal account. You put money in from normal Visa or MC. If you don't want to, that's your choice. Just making sure you know what it is. Some people were thinking it was a normal AMEX credit account.
Even though I don't have any real desire to use either app, I find it annoying that users can't choose the one that works best for them. That should never be an issue.

yea that is why I love GW, u can add any CC to it, no need to buy another card to xfer money to it over and over when u need to use it.

Question 5G in an unlisted country.

Had anyone figured a way to do this? i searched throughout all the internet about this.. and yet to find a solution.
I don't live in a country that Google sells the GP6P and(from my understanding) they'll lock it, NR availability will be set to False. Now i'm on a rooted GP6P and tried some modules(old mostly), none of them worked -- my ISP definitely supports 5G -- , if there is a module to enable it please upload it.
And whilst at that.. a way to get call screening enabled aswell...

No one figured out yet or simply don't want to.. For now we only have VoLTE by changing some build.prop parameters with Magisk module.
I was wondering... @Freak07 you seem to be a cool dude who eagerly supports the Pixel 6, maybe you would have any idea about it?
My carrier (Orange Poland) uses same 5G band and frequency as officially supported one (Magenta Austria) and I can't use 5G anyway..
On Pixel 5 it was simple because of QPST tool, with Tensor we are doomed
Another idea is to simply create a bounty, money would quickly improve the success

+1 for the bounty.
I am done waiting for my carrier to play nice with Google. My problem is that I also totally dislike Samsung, Oneplus etc.
We need to get this organised asap, I am sure there are plenty developers here on XDA willing to take that bounty.
Maybe we can use a platform like bountysource.com ?

mightyvenom said:
Maybe we can use a platform like bountysource.com ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GoFundMe would be better, because you can't collect $ from people on the site you mentioned. Actually as someone who is on XDA since 2010 and already organized one bounty...maybe I'd be someone trustworthy enough to organise it

reas0n said:
GoFundMe would be better, because you can't collect $ from people on the site you mentioned. Actually as someone who is on XDA since 2010 and already organized one bounty...maybe I'd be someone trustworthy enough to organise it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah, I totally forgot about gofundme, sorry!
Feel free to organize this, hopefully we can get enough people onboard to make for a tempting bounty.

I'm in too. (Vodafone Czech Republic)

I will try to work on it this weekend
Gonna use GiveButter since GoFundMe isn't supported in Poland.. GiveButter works worldwide in theory

I can provide any data from P6 latest Android 13DP2 (DP3 should be soon)

Oh I am in for middle east UAE Pixel fans

The Pixel 6 (non pro) community made a module for that purpose, I don't know if that one works for the P6 Pro, I'd advise not to use it, but you could ask the creator of the mod (github page is linked in that thread) if he is able to help you guys.
Activating 5G in unsupported countries?
I know this might require root, which I am more than willing to do. But is there a process or a magisk module that can activate 5G on unsupported countries? (btw im from PH)
forum.xda-developers.com
I remember that there was a relatively easy fix for the p4(a) and p5 to activate 5G in unsupported countries, even though I'm not sure if that still applies to the P6 Pro. Root required for both methods.
You could try these steps out (make backups!!!), but be warned that it might brick certain things.
https://www.getdroidtips.com/enable-5g-unlisted-countries-pixel-4a5g-pixel-5/

Morgrain said:
The Pixel 6 (non pro) community made a module for that purpose, I don't know if that one works for the P6 Pro, I'd advise not to use it, but you could ask the creator of the mod (github page is linked in that thread) if he is able to help you guys.
Activating 5G in unsupported countries?
I know this might require root, which I am more than willing to do. But is there a process or a magisk module that can activate 5G on unsupported countries? (btw im from PH)
forum.xda-developers.com
I remember that there was a relatively easy fix for the p4(a) and p5 to activate 5G in unsupported countries, even though I'm not sure if that still applies to the P6 Pro. Root required for both methods.
You could try these steps out (make backups!!!), but be warned that it might brick certain things.
https://www.getdroidtips.com/enable-5g-unlisted-countries-pixel-4a5g-pixel-5/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The pixel 6 lineup isn't on a Qualcomm chipset, Google has made their own chip called Tensor. Now the difference is that in Qualcomm's way they give you developer tools such as the Qualcomm Product Support Tools (QPST) which makes the Chip unlock its 5G capability, easy. Now in Googles Tensor's case we don't have access to these type of tools, and the Chip itself can lock the 5G modem.

TheShinyEnd said:
The pixel 6 lineup isn't on a Qualcomm chipset, Google has made their own chip called Tensor. Now the difference is that in Qualcomm's way they give you developer tools such as the Qualcomm Product Support Tools (QPST) which makes the Chip unlock its 5G capability, easy. Now in Googles Tensor's case we don't have access to these type of tools, and the Chip itself can lock the 5G modem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That eliminates the second method with the file editing, but the first method was successful for the Pixel 6 non Pro, so that should be a possibility for you guys here, even though that Magisk mod might have to be adjusted slightly.

Morgrain said:
That eliminates the second method with the file editing, but the first method was successful for the Pixel 6 non Pro, so that should be a possibility for you guys here, even though that Magisk mod might have to be adjusted slightly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If so I'll give it a ago in a little bit..
- I have the Pro version.

Do not flash that file. It's for Qualcomm chips and you're basically flashing Qualcomm directories onto your phone.
I don't know how anyone can say it was successful.
5G and other 5G features are controlled by the carrier settings. And that's not easy to manipulate.
Don't ever approach this phone with a "well this module works for 4/4a/5/5a" mentality.

+1 don't do it, Tensor is Exynos based, QPST only worked on previous Pixels

Getting lucky with the relatively simple flags to enable VoLTE by flashing tons of other crap onto your phone is not a validation.

Okay I won't do it. And yeah that's what I thought.
Just that the fact that it worked on the non pro model caught my attention.

I've given up on 5G now even though my network supports it Google have said they wont certify the device, certainly won't be getting another Google phone after this

I'm still confused as to why people imported this device when carrier support was clear from day one.
I don't think it's right that an OEM controls that, but that's the reality we're dealing with.

LLStarks said:
I'm still confused as to why people imported this device when carrier support was clear from day one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I know why, I will give my best shot:
Many prefer using Pixel phones as they offer the closest experience to iPhone (regularly OS updates for years to come, clean OS without unnecessary bloatware and clutter etc.) and they are willing to accept the current state of not having full connectivity support with a hope that things might change in the (near) future.
It's not like the first time a phone manufacturer aknowledges customer feedback. Call me overly optimistic but I think they will eventually cave in, at least for unlocking VoLTE and VoWiFi. Because more and more countries are shutting down the 3G cell towers.
As for unlocking 5G support - from my understanding that would be more complicated as that's subject to each country's policy and legislation.