Develop Bugs

HTC M8 Dual SIM is it Possible to Change the Band to make 4G work in Switzerland?

How to know which LTE band?
Hi!
I know that this has been talked before, but I could not find anything that works.
I have bought a HTC M8 dual sim in switzerland. Back in Argentina, I tried to make 4G work, and, of course, it doesn't.
I have read that there is some chance to change the band, by the qualcomm.
so.. how do I know which band(S) does my phone have?
Thanks in advance!

I use "LTE Discovery" App. Available on the Play Store.

xxopiumxx said:
Hi!
I know that this has been talked before, but I could not find anything that works.
I have bought a HTC M8 dual sim in switzerland. Back in Argentina, I tried to make 4G work, and, of course, it doesn't.
I have read that there is some chance to change the band, by the qualcomm.
so.. how do I know which band(S) does my phone have?
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to this webpage, it supports LTE bands 3, 7, 8 and 20. And according to list of LTE bands by country on Wiki, Argentina uses LTE band 4. So it makes sense that you don't have LTE.
While radios are typically interchangeable among "regular" GSM M8 versions (s-off required to flash radios); this is not true for the Dual SIM. So while you are correct that band support is software based on the Snapdragon 801, the normal method to change bands is to flash another carrier version's radio. I don't think you have another version's radio to flash. Some folks have modified the the NV values on the CDMA M8 to change band support. But to my knowledge, nobody has gotten this to work on non-CDMA versions of the M8 (the changes just revert themselves after reboot).
I suspect you are out of luck. This is really something you should have researched before buying the phone.

redpoint73 said:
According to this webpage, it supports LTE bands 3, 7, 8 and 20. And according to list of LTE bands by country on Wiki, Argentina uses LTE band 4. So it makes sense that you don't have LTE.
While radios are typically interchangeable among "regular" GSM M8 versions (s-off required to flash radios); this is not true for the Dual SIM. So while you are correct that band support is software based on the Snapdragon 801, the normal method to change bands is to flash another carrier version's radio. I don't think you have another version's radio to flash. Some folks have modified the the NV values on the CDMA M8 to change band support. But to my knowledge, nobody has gotten this to work on non-CDMA versions of the M8 (the changes just revert themselves after reboot).
I suspect you are out of luck. This is really something you should have researched before buying the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I kind of did. This is an fantastic mobile, besides the LTE detail; and by buying it in europe I've spent less than half of its price in Arg. pitifully.. I need the dual SIM. So, still a win win.
I will try to modify the NV values with QXDM... maybe i still have some luck left.
thanks =D

Htc one m9w model

Hello, I bought from eBay Htc one m9 and today I have got the phone and I found that's is an M9w model.
I can't find any info about this model so I thought maybe some one here knows..
Thanks.

enablee said:
Hello, I bought from eBay Htc one m9 and today I have got the phone and I found that's is an M9w model.
I can't find any info about this model so I thought maybe some one here knows..
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's China version. You can see CID is HTCCN_701. Can use wcdma/FDD LTE/TD LTE(Band 39 is not support).
Use 810 Ver 2.0.:silly:

oliver962464 said:
It's China version. You can see CID is HTCCN_701. Can use wcdma/FDD LTE/TD LTE(Band 39 is not support).
Use 810 Ver 2.0.:silly:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, this is a GSM version isn't it?
Is it safe to put a international (401) or unlocked (617) ruu?

shaqman89 said:
So, this is a GSM version isn't it?
Is it safe to put a international (401) or unlocked (617) ruu?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. As far as I can tell the m9w is gsm only.
Beamed in by telepathy.

shivadow said:
Yes. As far as I can tell the m9w is gsm only.
Beamed in by telepathy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This somewhat gets me confused.
I bought a used one with s-off condition, and found it was using stock marshmallow sprint firmware (651).
If it's gsm only, then wouldn't it have an issue with sprint firmware,which is for CDMA?
After reading a lot, I was under the impression that you can't switch firmwares between gsm and CDMA.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

shaqman89 said:
This somewhat gets me confused.
I bought a used one with s-off condition, and found it was using stock marshmallow sprint firmware (651).
If it's gsm only, then wouldn't it have an issue with sprint firmware,which is for CDMA?
After reading a lot, I was under the impression that you can't switch firmwares between gsm and CDMA.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yikes - pretty sure you can't, and that trying is a great way to brick your device. I'd guess that the model you have is somehow a CDMA version. Perhaps you could post some device information for us to research to help you determine exactly what you've got?

computerslayer said:
Yikes - pretty sure you can't, and that trying is a great way to brick your device. I'd guess that the model you have is somehow a CDMA version. Perhaps you could post some device information for us to research to help you determine exactly what you've got?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I also thought that should be the case as well.
Anyway, this is from fastboot.
Code:
(bootloader) kernel: lk
(bootloader) product: htc_himawhl
(bootloader) version: 1.0
(bootloader) imei: 3572xxxx453xxxx
(bootloader) version-main: 3.41.651.21
(bootloader) boot-mode: download
(bootloader) version-baseband: [email protected]
(bootloader) version-bootloader: 1.0.0.0000
(bootloader) mid: 0PJA20000
(bootloader) cid: SPCS_001
I'm aware that mid and cid could be changed using fastboot commands, but I never heard about changing the product field if this is really m9w version.
Anyway, I checked the imei with the box, and it matches.
The label on the box says it's m9w.
If i checked based on active bands, it is a cdma phone with only sprint 4g bands available, but going by imei (checked on imeidata.net), I got the bands are supposed to match witth the international model. I don't know how reliable that site is, though.
Code:
GSM 1800, GSM 1900, GSM 900, GSM850 (GSM800), LTE FDD BAND 1, LTE FDD BAND 20, LTE FDD BAND 28, LTE FDD BAND 3, LTE FDD BAND 5, LTE FDD BAND 7, LTE FDD BAND 8, LTE TDD BAND 38, LTE TDD BAND 40, LTE TDD BAND 41, WCDMA FDD Band I, WCDMA FDD Band II, WCDMA FDD Band V, WCDMA FDD Band VIII
Would that data be sufficient to see anything strange?

A little digging turns up that sprint spark is the most likely carrier using td-lte.
Cdma devices dont have a sim while gsm devices do. That's why you can't xflash. M9 gsm sort of does both.
Beamed in by telepathy.

shivadow said:
A little digging turns up that sprint spark is the most likely carrier using td-lte.
Cdma devices dont have a sim while gsm devices do. That's why you can't xflash. M9 gsm sort of does both.
Beamed in by telepathy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry if I'm not following entirely.
So you are saying that it is possible for m9w to be flashed using sprint firmware which would explains my case above?
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

shaqman89 said:
Sorry if I'm not following entirely.
So you are saying that it is possible for m9w to be flashed using sprint firmware which would explains my case above?
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends.
If your network is "sprint" then you need to check if the phone has a sim card port. If it does then you have a gsm phone. If not then it's cdma.
Sprint also does gsm phones but the question is "how do you know if the firmware you're downloading is cdma or gsm?". Because you CANNOT cross flash a cdma firmware to a gsm device or vice versa.
So, presuming you DO have a sim card port it's gsm for sure so you can treat it as a generic gsm device BUT sprint are known for making their devices difficult to work with, but that could be cdma devices.. So yes, with gsm you should be able to mess with it to flash stuff but make sure you make a backup the very second you get into TWRP (everything except data) and, if you can, make the files available to flippy for others to recover their devices (your contribution for the help you have had and will get?). I can host the files forever on my gdrive with my m9 backup if needed and flippy will add them to his help thread in the general section.
So, by common locigal deduction, we don't know for sure but now you know how to tell if it is gsm or cdma but still be careful with firmwares as one mistake = a doorstop.
Beamed in by telepathy.

shaqman89 said:
Thanks. I also thought that should be the case as well.
Anyway, this is from fastboot.
I'm aware that mid and cid could be changed using fastboot commands, but I never heard about changing the product field if this is really m9w version.
Anyway, I checked the imei with the box, and it matches.
The label on the box says it's m9w.
If i checked based on active bands, it is a cdma phone with only sprint 4g bands available, but going by imei (checked on imeidata.net), I got the bands are supposed to match witth the international model. I don't know how reliable that site is, though.
Would that data be sufficient to see anything strange?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For what it's worth, the SKU you're software is reporting is 651 - that's definitely a CDMA version (Sprint).

shivadow said:
It depends.
If your network is "sprint" then you need to check if the phone has a sim card port. If it does then you have a gsm phone. If not then it's cdma.
Sprint also does gsm phones but the question is "how do you know if the firmware you're downloading is cdma or gsm?". Because you CANNOT cross flash a cdma firmware to a gsm device or vice versa.
So, presuming you DO have a sim card port it's gsm for sure so you can treat it as a generic gsm device BUT sprint are known for making their devices difficult to work with, but that could be cdma devices.. So yes, with gsm you should be able to mess with it to flash stuff but make sure you make a backup the very second you get into TWRP (everything except data) and, if you can, make the files available to flippy for others to recover their devices (your contribution for the help you have had and will get?). I can host the files forever on my gdrive with my m9 backup if needed and flippy will add them to his help thread in the general section.
So, by common locigal deduction, we don't know for sure but now you know how to tell if it is gsm or cdma but still be careful with firmwares as one mistake = a doorstop.
Beamed in by telepathy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint-branded M9s are always CDMA devices. Since LTE exists CDMA phones use sim cards as well. Please be carefull with such posts as the one I quoted. People might think they own a GSM device although they don't.

Flippy498 said:
Sprint-branded M9s are always CDMA devices. Since LTE exists CDMA phones use sim cards as well. Please be carefull with such posts as the one I quoted. People might think they own a GSM device although they don't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, not 100% true at all. Sprint have sprint spark which is td-lte and uses gsm devices. I did extensive research into it last night.
If the cdma phones use simcards then those devices are gsm. Cdma devices are tuned at the factory for specific networks hence the lack of simcard slot. Simcards support gsm and the m9 with a sim doesn't support cdma but instead wcdma along with all the gsm bands too.
So I'm willing to bet a testicle. You?.
Beamed in by telepathy.

In short, I think this means, sprint is giving me a hard time lol.
So, just to summarize:
- From the box and imei, it seems I have m9w model (GSM)
- According to firmware, and available bands, I have sprint network (CDMA)
- Judging by the availability of a sim card slot (the provider I am using is GSM), it's definitely GSM capable.
So, going for that, it seems that it really is a CDMA model, just with different brandings?
Am I right?
As for the backup, I don't mind sharing it, though I don't see much benefit, since I have tried a sprint RUU, and it works fine.
I also used ViperOne and using only Sprint kernel would make it be able to recieve network signal.
So, I think it's safe to say that the one I am using one of Sprint variant, so I should be careful when cross-flashing.
CMIIW.

@shivadow:
Link #1
SIM cards: Before the advent of 4G LTE, the obvious difference between GSM and CDMA devices were with regards to the SIM card.
[...]
You may have noticed the latest smartphones intended for CDMA networks also coming with SIM card slots, to take advantage of the network’s 4G LTE capabilities. While GSM and CDMA devices cannot be interchanged even now, and will never be cross-compatible, that won’t make a difference as we continue to make a push towards 4G LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Link #2
Many Sprint and Verizon phones now have SIM cards, but that isn't because of CDMA. The SIM cards are generally there for Sprint's and Verizon's 4G LTE networks, because the LTE standard also uses SIM cards. The phones may also have SIM slots to support foreign GSM networks as "world phones." But those carriers still use CDMA to authenticate their phones on their own home networks.
[...]
The problem is, they're turning it on in different frequency bands, with different 3G backup systems, and even, in the case of the new Sprint Spark network, using an LTE variant (TD-LTE) that doesn't work with any other U.S. carrier's phones. There are very few phones that support all of the carriers' LTE bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Link #3 (and Link #4 for comparison)
OEM ID: 0PJA20000
Supported Cellular Networks: CDMA800 (BC0), CDMA1900 (BC1/BC14)
Supported Cellular Data Links: cdmaOne, CDMA2000 1x, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev A
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Sprint M9 is not a traditional CDMA phone but that's due to LTE being a GSM technology and therefore requiring a sim card*. Nevertheless it's still CMDA enough for not being compatible with GSM firmware like the dev edition (617) or the wwe version (401). My statement is still valid. If you tell people every phone with a sim slot is a GSM device they may try to flash GSM RUUs on CDMA devices and brick their phone this way.
* Well, and because CDMA carriers probably understood that their phones need to support at least some GSM bands if they don't want to lose all customers who travel to other countries where CDMA most likely isn't supported at all.
Edit @shaqman89: Can you please take a look at the bottom of the backside of your M9? HTC engraved the model id at this place on the European WWE version. I don't know for sure but I guess that this might be the case for the other versions of the M9, as well. If you own a sprint M9 you should find "0PJA200" there. (The engraving lacks two zeros if you compare it with the MID that you get with fastboot getvar.)

Edit @shaqman89: Can you please take a look at the bottom of the backside of your M9? HTC engraved the model id at this place on the European WWE version. I don't know for sure but I guess that this might be the case for the other versions of the M9, as well. If you own a sprint M9 you should find "0PJA200" there. (The engraving lacks two zeros if you compare it with the MID that you get with fastboot getvar.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right. It's really faint and small, but there is a model id there.
It is 0PJA200. I guess that's settle it and could be hard confirmation that this is a sprint variant.

Flippy498 said:
@shivadow:
Link #1
Link #2
Link #3 (and Link #4 for comparison)
The Sprint M9 is not a traditional CDMA phone but that's due to LTE being a GSM technology and therefore requiring a sim card*. Nevertheless it's still CMDA enough for not being compatible with GSM firmware like the dev edition (617) or the wwe version (401). My statement is still valid. If you tell people every phone with a sim slot is a GSM device they may try to flash GSM RUUs on CDMA devices and brick their phone this way.
* Well, and because CDMA carriers probably understood that their phones need to support at least some GSM bands if they don't want to lose all customers who travel to other countries where CDMA most likely isn't supported at all.
Edit @shaqman89: Can you please take a look at the bottom of the backside of your M9? HTC engraved the model id at this place on the European WWE version. I don't know for sure but I guess that this might be the case for the other versions of the M9, as well. If you own a sprint M9 you should find "0PJA200" there. (The engraving lacks two zeros if you compare it with the MID that you get with fastboot getvar.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I owe you a testicle but I have no obligation to pay up on the clause that neither of us actually know what the hell is going on.. [emoji12]
But, what does that mean for the m9w?. Have we established that its a sprint phone and the regular firmware is ok or does it have an alter ego like jekyll and hyde?. Is there an easy way to find out if it'll be locked out, like branding etc.. Can you use any sim for any network?. A test on a 3g only network could reveal some truth?. Will the m9 take a 3g sim card?..
Beamed in by telepathy.

shivadow said:
I owe you a testicle but I have no obligation to pay up on the clause that neither of us actually know what the hell is going on.. [emoji12]
But, what does that mean for the m9w?. Have we established that its a sprint phone and the regular firmware is ok or does it have an alter ego like jekyll and hyde?. Is there an easy way to find out if it'll be locked out, like branding etc.. Can you use any sim for any network?. A test on a 3g only network could reveal some truth?. Will the m9 take a 3g sim card?..
Beamed in by telepathy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The sprint phone and any GSM firmware are incompatible due to the different partition layout. The "problem" of this thread lies in the naming of the phone/thread. There are several variants called M9w which all have different MIDs (and slightly different hardware). Just like almost every GSM M9 is called M9u. That's why I prefer identifying them via the MID or their codename. The number part of the MID or the ul/uhl/wl/whl ending of the codename tell you exactly which model is lying in front of you.
Newer CDMA phones (every model that uses LTE) have some GSM frequencies enabled. On the one hand for being able to use LTE and on the other hand since many US customers who traveled to non-CDMA countries prefered GSM carriers in the US, as well, since they could keep their GSM phone whenever they left the US. Many CDMA customers had to buy a GSM phone and a sim card whenever they left the US due to the lack of CDMA on the rest of the world.
As far as I know sprint phones are sim-locked. However, you can contact sprint and request an unlock code so that non-sprint sim cards can be used, as well. Nevertheless, the sprint version doesn't support all GSM frequencies so you might not get any reception if your GSM carrier doesn't use the frequencies that are supported by the phone. That's why it's in almost every case impossible to get LTE with a non-sprint sim card on a sprint M9. (The same apllies to the verizon variant.)

So basically what you're saying is "sell the m9w and buy a wwe"?.
Beamed in by telepathy.

shivadow said:
So basically what you're saying is "sell the m9w and buy a wwe"?.
Beamed in by telepathy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, not really. There is no variant that supports every existing frequency. Therefore, the best variant for user 1 isn't necessarily the best variant for user 2, as well.
Scenario a): You live in the US
If you own a sprint sim card the sprint m9 is totally fine. If you own a verizon sim card you should get the verizon variant. If you own a t-mobile US or an AT&T sim card and rely on VoLTE you should get one of their dedicated variants. If you don't care about VoLTE but own a GSM sim card you should get either the unlocked or the dev edition (both are actually the same phone - only the CIDs differ slightly and the dev edition's bootloader is already unlocked).
Scenario b): You live outside the US
If you rely on VoLTE you should get a phone that got branded by your carrier. If you don't care about VoLTE you should get one of the unbranded versions. There is SKU 401 for Europe, SKU 708 and 709 for Asia and SKU 710 for Australia and New Zealand. They're all (the branded and the unbranded versions) the same if you look at the hardware but the firmware is optimized for the dedicated continent/country/carrier.
With S-OFF you can always convert your GSM phone from one version to another. However, the frequencies that are supported by the US GSM variants differ slightly from the ones of the rest of the world.
Tl;dr: You should always choose the variant that suits you best.

Data issues

So I have a Verizon model M9 using it with a GSM sim. Its a data sim which can roam on both T-Mobile and AT&T.
Here is my issue, T-Mobile is only EDGE in my area, and the phone works perfectly fine on that, but for some strange reason on AT&T HSPA+/3G It will work for a few min and all the sudden stop working even though "H" will still be at the top of the phone like data is there when its went away.
Its not the carrier, or the sim as this exact sim works perfectly fine with my Verizon G4, iPhone 6S, iPhone 5, and so on with no issues.
Any suggestions for those who use this model on another carrier? Or any suggestions what May be causing this?
I've changed my SKU, S-off, root, etc even running stock roms (non verizon roms) , same issue so its not Verizon software causing it. Also tried setting it to WCDMA and other settings and the issue still occurs.
Any ideas would be great! I really like this phone and hate to have to sell it and go find something else or may end up going back to my G2 for my 2nd line. Could Fast Dormancy cause this?
Thanks!

You're going to be handicapped by the physical limitations of the Verizon M9. Check out what bands T-Mobile & AT&T use and see which ones match up with your moel. The bands that the Verizon HTC M9 supports are:
LTE Band 13/4 (700/1700MHz),
CDMA/1xEVDO Rev. A (800/1900 MHz)
EDGE/GSM (850/900/1800/1900)
HSPA/UMTS(850/900/1900/2100)

computerslayer said:
You're going to be handicapped by the physical limitations of the Verizon M9. Check out what bands T-Mobile & AT&T use and see which ones match up with your moel. The bands that the Verizon HTC M9 supports are:
LTE Band 13/4 (700/1700MHz),
CDMA/1xEVDO Rev. A (800/1900 MHz)
EDGE/GSM (850/900/1800/1900)
HSPA/UMTS(850/900/1900/2100)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks but it's not a matter of being supported. It supports AT&T 100% 2G and 3G wise. I get HSPA+ just fine without issue its a matter of the phone some how loosing data connection randomly until putting it into airplane mode or rechoosing the network under network selection. But it's fully supported AT&T 3G wise.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There is a thread in the forums by stifilz to enable more bands but if that's not the issue than something that worked for me was here

bigp951 said:
There is a thread in the forums by stifilz to enable more bands but if that's not the issue than something that worked for me was here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I might try that. Yeah it's not the matter of the bands is the issue.
What's strange is I'm not having signal issues as signal is perfect it's just the weird loosing data issue while signal is perfectly fine. But worth a shot.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

LTE?

My phone fully supports LTE,even the sim card i use is 4G compatible,but somehow i'm not able to use it.And yes,i'm in LTE covering area.Any ideas?

Was LTE working for you before?
What I recommend first is to try your sim on another lte capable phone and/or sim with working lte on your phone

RaZaR1998 said:
My phone fully supports LTE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you know this? There is no M8 version that supports all LTE bands in all regions.Every M8 version supports different LTE bands, based on the region/version (carrier ID).
In particular, if you are using an M8 version intended for another region, it may be difficult of impossible to make it work on LTE on your local carrier's network.

redpoint73 said:
How do you know this? There is no M8 version that supports all LTE bands in all regions.Every M8 version supports different LTE bands, based on the region/version (carrier ID).
In particular, if you are using an M8 version intended for another region, it may be difficult of impossible to make it work on LTE on your local carrier's network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My M8 is T-MOB version.Maybe ,,transforming" to EU can fix that?

RaZaR1998 said:
My M8 is T-MOB version.Maybe ,,transforming" to EU can fix that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What bands or bands does your carrier use for LTE?
Which T-Mobile version? US or Europe?

redpoint73 said:
What bands or bands does your carrier use for LTE?
Which T-Mobile version? US or Europe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LTE B3 (1800 +).Not sure if it is EU or US

What OS number in bootloader? Does it say s-of or s-off in bootloader?
Assuming it is T-Mob US (which would be more common than T-Mob Europe): As I already said, making LTE work on a device that is intended for another region can be difficult, or even impossible. You would need s-off to "convert" it to EU. S-off (if it isn't already) can only be achieved with sunshine, which costs $25. And it may be money wasted, since a lot of times, we've seen when the M8 is converted to another version, LTE will still not connect to the local carrier's network.

redpoint73 said:
What OS number in bootloader? Does it say s-of or s-off in bootloader?
Assuming it is T-Mob US (which would be more common than T-Mob Europe): As I already said, making LTE work on a device that is intended for another region can be difficult, or even impossible. You would need s-off to "convert" it to EU. S-off (if it isn't already) can only be achieved with sunshine, which costs $25. And it may be money wasted, since a lot of times, we've seen when the M8 is converted to another version, LTE will still not connect to the local carrier's network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm S-Off(written the same way in bootloader).So at least it's worth a shot.

Is there a legitimate GSM version of this phone in Red for the USA?

So I was looking to buy various HTC phones in different colors. I saw some places online selling the HTC M8 in about 6 different colors: Blue, Gold , Gray, Pink, Red, and Silver. The problem is that as far as I have seen, this phone only comes officially in Gold, Gray, and Silver (at least in the USA). And I've see reviews of others buying in the other three colors stating that the phones were knockoffs or fake. Does anyone know if there is a legitimate GSM version of this phone in Red for the USA? If so, where can I purchase it?
Thanks.

If you mean, a GSM version intended for US (AT&T or T-Mobile) than no, there were no red version ever released (only red Verizon M8 variant). There was a red version released in UK, which would be GSM. But you would probably need to s-off the device, change CID and firmware in order to have correct band support on either of the two US networks. And doing this can be problematic (you may not have LTE support). May not be worthwhile effort, just to get a red casing.

redpoint73 said:
If you mean, a GSM version intended for US (AT&T or T-Mobile) than no, there were no red version ever released (only red Verizon M8 variant). There was a red version released in UK, which would be GSM. But you would probably need to s-off the device, change CID and firmware in order to have correct band support on either of the two US networks. And doing this can be problematic (you may not have LTE support). May not be worthwhile effort, just to get a red casing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I figured but wasn't completely sure since sometimes different variants get released and are not so well known. So there is a UK version in red that is legitamate? And yeah, that's a lot of work, but if it does work I'm willing to do it.

The5thSurvivor said:
So there is a UK version in red that is legitamate? And yeah, that's a lot of work, but if it does work I'm willing to do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it's legitimate: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_m8_now_available_in_red_and_pink_color_options-news-9132.php
But it seems like a weird tradeoff to (most likely) lose LTE just for a red phone. I usually get a case for my phone anyway (although I know lots of folks don't), so a red case is a much easier solution!

redpoint73 said:
Yes, it's legitimate: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_m8_now_available_in_red_and_pink_color_options-news-9132.php
But it seems like a weird tradeoff to (most likely) lose LTE just for a red phone. I usually get a case for my phone anyway (although I know lots of folks don't), so a red case is a much easier solution!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the confirmation.
Hmmm, what about an actual shell replacement in different colors? Do those exist? Haven't seen them for sale anywhere.

The5thSurvivor said:
Hmmm, what about an actual shell replacement in different colors? Do those exist? Haven't seen them for sale anywhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard of folks swapping the back covers (and the front pieces are just inserts, so they seem easy to remove/replace). So I think replacement certainly exist, but I don't know about red ones. Especially since the red version is a pretty obscure variant, to begin with.
Following website has a full teardown of the M8. Obviously, you aren't doing all that, but it does show how to remove the back cover and front pieces: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/HTC+One+(M8)+Teardown/23615
Personally, I try to stay away from taking apart these devices. I've had a bad history of taking apart electronic devices, going back to iPod days. You'll see some folks around these forums swear it's easy (taking these phones apart). But even though I'm an engineer, and a generally careful person; something always seems to go wrong and I end up making the device worse than it started! Scratched up casing on the devices, is one problem I always seem to get. Although if you are replacing the casing anyway, maybe this is a moot point. I also see a lot of reports of folks taking apart these phones, and then one thing or another not working properly when they re-assemble (breaking the ribbon cables is common). You may have better luck, but just wanted to throw that out there.

redpoint73 said:
But you would probably need to s-off the device, change CID and firmware in order to have correct band support on either of the two US networks. And doing this can be problematic (you may not have LTE support).
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So doing this can definitely allow per se, the European version of a phone to work in the USA at least with H or H+ and possibly LTE?
I ask because I had purchased a blue M7 and it was the European international version. Out of the box it was already with S-Off, Super CID, but couldn't get 3G or 4G, just 2G with T-Mobile and no signal with AT&T. I didn't change the firmware though.

The5thSurvivor said:
So doing this can definitely allow per se, the European version of a phone to work in the USA at least with H or H+ and possibly LTE?
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Changing firmware (and therefore radio baseband) should get you 3G. I hesitate to say "definitely" since that is somewhat of a dangerous word when working with these devices! But I am pretty confident that 3G would not be a problem.
LTE is another story. Lots of folks on this forum have had problems getting LTE service after "converting" to the proper radio (which support the LTE bands used by their local carrier). So I'm pretty skeptical on LTE, and I wouldn't count on getting it. Get the M8 version intended for your carrier, to guarantee LTE connectivity.
The5thSurvivor said:
I ask because I had purchased a blue M7 and it was the European international version. Out of the box it was already with S-Off, Super CID, but couldn't get 3G or 4G, just 2G with T-Mobile and no signal with AT&T. I didn't change the firmware though.
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T-Mobile uses Bands 2 (1900) and 4 (AWS or 1700/2100) for 3G. From what I can tell, the Euro version M7 should support 3G band 2 (although I don't know much about that device, never owned it) and from what I understand, T-Mobile migrated 3G service to Band 2 in most areas. But if your area is still using AWS when you tried the M7, it would explain why 3G didn't work (Euro M7 doesn't support AWS band on 3G).
AT&T uses bands 850, 1900 and 2100 for 3G. All of which should be supported on the Euro M7, from what I can tell. And even if you didn't have 3G, you should at least have gotten 2G and voice service. So I think something else was going wrong there, besides band support.

redpoint73 said:
Changing firmware (and therefore radio baseband) should get you 3G. I hesitate to say "definitely" since that is somewhat of a dangerous word when working with these devices! But I am pretty confident that 3G would not be a problem.
LTE is another story. Lots of folks on this forum have had problems getting LTE service after "converting" to the proper radio (which support the LTE bands used by their local carrier). So I'm pretty skeptical on LTE, and I wouldn't count on getting it. Get the M8 version intended for your carrier, to guarantee LTE connectivity.
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I see. I wish every region would just use the same bands everywhere. It sucks to have the phone you want but can't get LTE even though the device has support for LTE. I've been looking where to get the specific HTC phones that I want new, but the only people selling them new still are all overseas with either the European, Australian, or Asian variants. I'd love to buy an M7, M8, and M9 for the USA brand new.
redpoint73 said:
T-Mobile uses Bands 2 (1900) and 4 (AWS or 1700/2100) for 3G. From what I can tell, the Euro version M7 should support 3G band 2 (although I don't know much about that device, never owned it) and from what I understand, T-Mobile migrated 3G service to Band 2 in most areas. But if your area is still using AWS when you tried the M7, it would explain why 3G didn't work (Euro M7 doesn't support AWS band on 3G
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I'm in NYC. Out of the box, my Euro M7 only gets EDGE with T-Mobile. Just came came across this. It pretty much explains what you said as to why 3G didn't work.
redpoint73 said:
AT&T uses bands 850, 1900 and 2100 for 3G. All of which should be supported on the Euro M7, from what I can tell. And even if you didn't have 3G, you should at least have gotten 2G and voice service. So I think something else was going wrong there, besides band support.
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With AT&T, my Euro M7 gets no signal. 2G doesn't work since AT&T shut down their 2G. I was very surprised that 3G didn't work with AT&T at all. But as you mentioned, perhaps changing firmware will get 3G working hopefully.

The5thSurvivor said:
I see. I wish every region would just use the same bands everywhere. It sucks to have the phone you want but can't get LTE even though the device has support for LTE.
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It's massively complicated, since frequencies are divided up by every type of radio transmitter used by mankind. Many of which existing before cell phones were invented. Add to that, the fact that the US carriers compete with each other for purchase of said bands, instead of just all using the same ones (which happens in many other countries) and yes, you have a huge mess.
The5thSurvivor said:
With AT&T, my Euro M7 gets no signal. 2G doesn't work since AT&T shut down their 2G.
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Wow, AT&T is my carrier, and I didn't even realize that happened! I've taken it for granted for so long, that I can just throw my SIM in any phone (as long as it is unlocked) and at least have voice and 2G work.
I learned something today!

Yeah, that is a huge mess. And I found out earlier this year myself that AT&T had discontinued their 2G January of last year. T-Mobile will follow suit next year and then Verizon the year after.