So, the main issue is that I need to get it away from Tracfone T-Mobile because their service is terrible in my area. I can't seem to get either a Tracfone AT&T or Tracfone Verizon SIM to work yet the phone is compatible (according to the websites respectively) with Cricket wireless (AT&T) and US Cellular (cdma). I don't understand... That is why I brought this question to all of you. I live and work in a rural area and it may sound crazy but all I want to do is make stinking phone calls. Oh and I checked the IMEI and it is not locked by any carrier.
You guys suck...
I know most of you on here probably don't care about my problem cause I'm not looking to root or flash or whatever cause I'm not into that. I JUST WANT A PHONE THAT HAS SERVICE. From what I've read it was probably one of you on these forums that "sim unlocked" this phone in the first place back before you really knew the right way and then when you moved on you sold it as "new in box" to a sucker like me. And now for some reason it will only work with a Tracfone Tmobile sim in it which according to them isn't going to work at all come 01/2021 because they are upgrading the network. Well I also know from wasting endless hours trying to figure out how to [email protected]$ck this phone that it is capable of everything I need it to do, like simply switch it to a different "brand" of sim so I can get better service or operate on VoLTE because apparently that's what most carriers are going to switch to and convince most of the general public to buy a new phone based on the misguided notion that their phone has somehow become obsolete when in fact it isn't.
So if you all would stop passing over my post because my technology knowledge level is down there with an 75-year-old and help me I would appreciate it.
I will pay to send this to someone to "fix" or whatever but I refuse to replace a perfectly good phone because some yutz who didn't know what they were doing when they sim unlocked this phone messed it up and somehow turned a US Cellular version (VMX) into a who knows what that only works on Tmobile, and maybe Cricket (we'll see, the sim is in the mail).
No nead to start two threds about the same thing.
NO your phone will mot stop working... Just chill
Turnhoo said:
I know most of you on here probably don't care about my problem cause I'm not looking to root or flash or whatever cause I'm not into that. I JUST WANT A PHONE THAT HAS SERVICE. From what I've read it was probably one of you on these forums that "sim unlocked" this phone in the first place back before you really knew the right way and then when you moved on you sold it as "new in box" to a sucker like me. And now for some reason it will only work with a Tracfone Tmobile sim in it which according to them isn't going to work at all come 01/2021 because they are upgrading the network. Well I also know from wasting endless hours trying to figure out how to [email protected]$ck this phone that it is capable of everything I need it to do, like simply switch it to a different "brand" of sim so I can get better service or operate on VoLTE because apparently that's what most carriers are going to switch to and convince most of the general public to buy a new phone based on the misguided notion that their phone has somehow become obsolete when in fact it isn't.
So if you all would stop passing over my post because my technology knowledge level is down there with an 75-year-old and help me I would appreciate it.
I will pay to send this to someone to "fix" or whatever but I refuse to replace a perfectly good phone because some yutz who didn't know what they were doing when they sim unlocked this phone messed it up and somehow turned a US Cellular version (VMX) into a who knows what that only works on Tmobile, and maybe Cricket (we'll see, the sim is in the mail).
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maydayind said:
No nead to start two threds about the same thing.
NO your phone will mot stop working... Just chill
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This is correct. Read my post I wrote in the other thread about the VOLTE issue.
If the phone supports VOLTE, you need a SIM that is compatible with it!
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I have some information that might make all of you guys happy.
I was told by Safelink Wireless that VOTLE is a function of BOTH the phone *AND* the sim card.
Basically, if the phone itself is VOLTE compatible but the sim card is not, then the phone will be reported on their system as not compatible, and will ask you to upgrade your phone.
However if a VOLTE compatible SIM is inserted, if the phone does in fact support VOLTE, it will then work. That's because it's provisioned on the carrier via the sim card itself.
If you purchased a sim via the "Buy your own sim" package, e.g. online or from Best Buy, etc, awhile ago, then that sim is not compatible. You simply need to call Tracphone/Safelink and ask to buy a VOLTE compatible SIM (which costs 99 cents). Then when you get it, call their tech department to have them transfer the phone service and phone number to the new SIM.
You can dial the phone's service menu and go to the VOLTE/GPRI menu and if the options are there, then the phone supports it.
Turnhoo said:
I know most of you on here probably don't care about my problem cause I'm not looking to root or flash or whatever cause I'm not into that. I JUST WANT A PHONE THAT HAS SERVICE. From what I've read it was probably one of you on these forums that "sim unlocked" this phone in the first place back before you really knew the right way and then when you moved on you sold it as "new in box" to a sucker like me. And now for some reason it will only work with a Tracfone Tmobile sim in it which according to them isn't going to work at all come 01/2021 because they are upgrading the network. Well I also know from wasting endless hours trying to figure out how to [email protected]$ck this phone that it is capable of everything I need it to do, like simply switch it to a different "brand" of sim so I can get better service or operate on VoLTE because apparently that's what most carriers are going to switch to and convince most of the general public to buy a new phone based on the misguided notion that their phone has somehow become obsolete when in fact it isn't.
So if you all would stop passing over my post because my technology knowledge level is down there with an 75-year-old and help me I would appreciate it.
I will pay to send this to someone to "fix" or whatever but I refuse to replace a perfectly good phone because some yutz who didn't know what they were doing when they sim unlocked this phone messed it up and somehow turned a US Cellular version (VMX) into a who knows what that only works on Tmobile, and maybe Cricket (we'll see, the sim is in the mail).
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Click to collapse
Hey buddy, xda forum does not allow unlocking sims related stuff. You are complaining in the wrong forum.... There are other forums that do that.
Related
Some awesome folks have posted tutorials for replacing the ROM on the tab to enable voice calling. Carrier info on actually using this "new" feature is a little sketchy, though. Will it work on CDMA? Can you still get the discounted price? All sorts of non-technical questions related to carrier are posted but generally buried so deep in threads that the info is hard to find and often there's conflicting info on carriers in different threads. So I am starting this thread in an attempt to collect data on carrier-specific info related to voice calling on the Tab enabled by custom ROMs found here on XDA. Here are two threads to choose from for updating the ROM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=929479
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=847273
So please don't talk about ROMs here - this is about carriers, calling plans, etc. At first this post will have lots of questions, but as they are answered in the thread I will update the original post with the info. Don't follow the data here until the thread has had some responses! So here goes...
Disclaimer: I haven't done this yet and haven't verified any of this info.
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Currently the "upgrade" does not work with CDMA because it requires tricking the carrier into not knowing you have a voice-enabled Tab by using a SIM card from another phone. No carrier will sell you a voice plan for the Tab. So the process goes like this:
1. Purchase a Tab, but do NOT activate it! The activation would be data-only and that's no good. The SIM card it comes with will be useless.
2. Activate an old phone or used phone you bought on ebay on a GSM carrier. Currently AT&T seems to produce the best results, but please post carrier details in the thread and I'll compile them here. Activate the phone with the voice and data plans of your choice.
3. Follow instructions from one of the links above to upgrade your ROM.
4. Install different modem software (also instructions in above links).
5. Take the SIM card out of the activated phone and put it in the Tab.
6. That's it! Now you can make calls on your Tab! (is that really it or is there more to it?)
PROS:
Voice on the Tab!
By activating an old/used phone you aren't stuck in a contract.
Cons:
You don't get the discount that comes with activation since activating the data plan without voice does you no good.
At some point the carrier could get wise and cut us off, but this hasn't happened yet.
QUESTIONS:
1. What have I missed (likely a lot)?
2. What is WRONG and needs to be corrected?
3. What carrier-specific details are different (like AT&T vs T-Mobile)?
4. Will CDMA always be out in the cold due to no SIM card or is that being worked on?
5. Which GSM carrier has the best plan for the voice Tab (that it thinks is a smartphone)?
CDMA phones do not use SIM cards, so it's not possible to do the same kind of swapping you can do with them. CDMA phones are provisioned by the ESN/MEID linked to an entry in the carrier's database. So unless you hack their corporate data or have a employee contact who will change something in the database, the entry is already linked to the device type. For example, if you have a feature phone and buy an Android phone on eBay, when you go to activate it, it knows it's an Android phone and will prompt you to call a service representative to change your plan, because that phone requires a data plan. It's also why you can't just take a VZW phone over to Sprint. I've actually heard of people getting clear ESN phones added to the other carrier, but it was always by having a friend who could do it from the inside. I'm not saying there aren't alternatives programs or ways to make voice calls on the CDMA Tabs, but it'll never be possible to do anything remotely like the SIM switching solution.
This is only for the GSM Tabs (at&t Tmobile) usa and yes u need a modem switch to hav 3G and voice but they will not work together u hav to switch from 3g to voice please becareful and read everything, the only person who will be responsable for ur tablet being bricked is you
So far I havent seen anyone that has voice and data with a normal phone sim card on T-Mobile Tab due to the fact that they have the IMEI block set up but if your going to do it you have to but one from AT&T will work with a T-Mobile sim and vice versa due to the system not really caring what the device is for the most part (at least on T-Mobile). Removing the IMEI block is illegal so your best bet is if you go with the opposite carrier from what your already using to avoid contract extentions or if you have a friend with other carrier get them to buy it at a discount while you do the same at your carrier. Then switch the two and use the modem switcher andyou should be able to do all you want.
countkakula said:
So far I havent seen anyone that has voice and data with a normal phone sim card on T-Mobile Tab due to the fact that they have the IMEI block set up but if your going to do it you have to but one from AT&T will work with a T-Mobile sim and vice versa due to the system not really caring what the device is for the most part (at least on T-Mobile). Removing the IMEI block is illegal so your best bet is if you go with the opposite carrier from what your already using to avoid contract extentions or if you have a friend with other carrier get them to buy it at a discount while you do the same at your carrier. Then switch the two and use the modem switcher andyou should be able to do all you want.
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idk , i have tmobile and i had to use my tab as a phone , waiting for a replacement vibrant, all i did was stick my vibrant sim, modem switcher. and poof i have tabphone
Are you saying you changed out the modem software without having to flash the ROM and it worked?
b0ricuaguerrero said:
idk , i have tmobile and i had to use my tab as a phone , waiting for a replacement vibrant, all i did was stick my vibrant sim, modem switcher. and poof i have tabphone
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So you have internet and phone without using wifi cause i get wifi easy but get redirected when i use 2G or modem switch to 3G
I have a Samsung Galaxy Edge 6 with T-Mobile from T-mobile, love the phone, but I lost my job and the bill got out of control so I have not paid in like 3 months I think now.
It was not too big of a deal since my main number is a Google Voice number and I use Google Hangouts to make phone calls and text messages by default.
Its perfect when I am at home on wi-fi but as soon as I leave and not within wi-fi of course I get no internet functionality.
For a while I saw the carrier logo at the top of my phone "T-Mobile" but now it just says "searching" where it used to say that in the upper part of the screen on every screen. (I may have switched a setting causing this or they may have blacklisted my phone I am not sure how to tell).
The phone is not carrier unlocked however if I was to go to Walmart or even a T-Mobile store, tell them I don't have the phone on me but I just want to purchase a pre-paid SIM, could I do that and would it work on my phone to get back on the T-mobile or other carriers network?
Since I use Google Hangouts for my texts and calls it is very important for me to have data. I am sure 5GB would be fine but I want to purchase the cheapest SIM which has any kind of data to see if it even works first. I do not care what number it gives me since I will not be using it for outgoing or incoming calls.
My concern is that if I go with T-Mobile pre-pay, when I put SIM in, it may reject it automatically because they may have sent some kind of SIM lock command since it is not showing carrier anymore OR they may look up my IMEI and see that I have an outstanding bill with them and not allow the SIM.
Any suggestions besides the obvious "pay your bill" would be greatly appreciated! When I can afford to pay the bill I will :cyclops:
Short answer, yes it will work.
Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk
Ok great thank you! Will go in and get a T-mob SIM tomorrow. Or actually, does anyone have advice of where to get the cheapest SIM so I can try this to make sure it works first? I think for $30 you can get 5GB data and a little talk from T-Mob is there anything cheaper? I am super-broke right now lol. I just need the data no talk.
Actually it depends on if the phone was part of the bill. If it wasnt payed off and you didnt pay them it will get blacklisted and it wont work with any carrier in the us. But if the phone was paid outright then you should be fine.
See that is what I am talking about. The phone AND Galaxy Gear S with activated SIM both were not paid off and bill is at $600 and it used to say "T-mobile" for carrier on top of phone screen now it just says "Searching" thus I am pretty sure that is a sign of being blacklisted. Even if phone is blacklisted cant I do something to make it use a prepaid SIM? Can I spoof the IMEI? Is that how they blacklist it?
Alex9090 said:
Short answer, yes it will work.
Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk
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I got around to trying this and no, it did not work. In fact I went to one of those third party T-mobile places which is an authorized dealer but he was still cool to talk about it with and had access to the T-mobile database.
He asked for my phone, went to the dialer app on the phone, put in a code with the numeric keypad, and it pulled up two bar codes and numbers (I think the IMEI).
He then went on his computer and put in my IMEI or whatever number was there and sure enough it said it was blacklisted.
I had a feeling this was the case when my phone went from showing the carrier logo on the top of the screen they it said "searching" after about 3 months on non payment.
So when I tried to purchase a new prepaid SIM and put it in the phone and phone restarted, instead of saying "searching" it now says "no service".
There has to be a work around for this. Maybe changing the phones IMEI is the only way but if there are other alternatives I would like to know. I can program and have been writing code since I was 12 years old but not sure if I need special hardware to flash and internal EEPROM or something like that. Any hep is greatly appreciated!
I hear there are people that I can pay to do it but I enjoying learning things like this on my own so I would really like to do it myself if possible?
Changing the imei might be possible but for legal and policy reasons that can not be discussed here
I see tons of ways to do it with a Google search super easy. But it seems TWRP might do it or at least let me backup everything including the system partition so I dont lose anything and can always go back?
Where can I get and learn more about TWRP and must I be rooted?
Can we currently root Samsung GS6 with Android OS 5.1.1 ?
Just want to verify this phone works appropriately with Verizon. I see nothing on this from Verizon's website and nothing more than a few mentions in press releases. Does the lte-a work correctly? Can we access Verizon features like video calling? Does Verizon staff give you problems trying to register the phone?
Can't wait to hear some first hand experience.
wondering the same thing actually
https://opendevelopment.verizonwireless.com/device-showcase/device/7466
Looks good enough for me. I'm about to order one from clove, will update when it gets here if this thread still needs some answers. I hope volte works. Wifi calling would be a cherry on top.
Yup! Having it working on my XZ2 Compact. Didn't originally want to connect, so I flashed the OEM+OEM_Other.sin files from the US version and now I have Verizon working without a hitch. VoLTE is enabled for Verizon by default since it can only connect over LTE to begin with, but no WiFi calling. That being said and it being a dual SIM device, my secondary T-Mobile SIM has access to neither VoLTE or WiFi Calling. So I have calling set up for Verizon and Data over T-Mobile. You're able to do dual LTE standby on this device.
So now that this works with Verizon I should be able to buy the duel sim version and run both my personal At&t sim and my Verizon work sim card in this phone with duel standby? No flashing any software?
themoveforward said:
[...] ... I flashed the OEM+OEM_Extra.sin files from the US version and now I have Verizon working without a hitch. [...]
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Does flashing these have any affect on DRM keys and such? I'm going to be getting a H813, but with UK software from clove so I'll need to do the same thing I'm guessing.
Ziltoid_ said:
Does flashing these have any affect on DRM keys and such? I'm going to be getting a H813, but with UK software from clove so I'll need to do the same thing I'm guessing.
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Are the frequency's for both of these phones the same? Only difference would be that one is duel sim and the other isnt correct?
mattnathaniel12 said:
Are the frequency's for both of these phones the same? Only difference would be that one is duel sim and the other isnt correct?
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I believe so. H8324 is the Asian dual SIM and H8314 is the Western single sim. I wasn't checking all the bands but both phones have all three of Verizon's LTE bands supported
Ziltoid_ said:
I believe so. H8324 is the Asian dual SIM and H8314 is the Western single sim. I wasn't checking all the bands but both phones have all three of Verizon's LTE bands supported
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Just ordered the duel sim version and should have it by Wednesday. I currently have both an At&t personal phone and a Verizon work phone. Plan is to combine them both in this duel sim phone and only have to carry one haha. If it doesnt work out for whatever reason il just try google voice for my work number i suppose.
themoveforward said:
Yup! Having it working on my XZ2 Compact. Didn't originally want to connect, so I flashed the OEM+OEM_Extra.sin files from the US version and now I have Verizon working without a hitch. VoLTE is enabled for Verizon by default since it can only connect over LTE to begin with, but no WiFi calling. That being said and it being a dual SIM device, my secondary T-Mobile SIM has access to neither VoLTE or WiFi Calling. So I have calling set up for Verizon and Data over T-Mobile. You're able to do dual LTE standby on this device.
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Having some issues with my XZ2 Compact Duel sim. With At&t I am only getting H and H+ connection and Verizon I cant seem to get anything to work. What APN did you pick for your Verizon sim, i have choices of CBS, FOTA, IMS and Internet.
So I have some more information that may help someone or may not. After talking with Verizon in depth about my issue with connecting to their service they have determined that the XZ2 Compact will not work on their service. Even with it being labeled as an Certified Open Market device on their own site and even being listed as Verizon Compatible on Bestbuys site and many others. They said noone there has any knowledge of the device coming to Verizon at all and were confused about it being posted on all the sites as being Certified. So i suppose it just wont be compatible lol. I guess im porting my 2nd # over to at&t and just not dealing with it because im sure as heck not going through the hassle of sending this phone and the chargers and cases back lol. If anyone has any success on getting this connected with Verizon please post, but im not hopeful lol.
mattnathaniel12 said:
So I have some more information that may help someone or may not. After talking with Verizon in depth about my issue with connecting to their service they have determined that the XZ2 Compact will not work on their service. Even with it being labeled as an Certified Open Market device on their own site and even being listed as Verizon Compatible on Bestbuys site and many others. They said noone there has any knowledge of the device coming to Verizon at all and were confused about it being posted on all the sites as being Certified. So i suppose it just wont be compatible lol. I guess im porting my 2nd # over to at&t and just not dealing with it because im sure as heck not going through the hassle of sending this phone and the chargers and cases back lol. If anyone has any success on getting this connected with Verizon please post, but im not hopeful lol.
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I love Verizon but I was actually thinking of going to AT&T myself tired of Verizon having such a limited phone selection. However there is a post in this thread by the name of themoveforward or something who claims he got this working on verizon you may want to try his methods before making the switch
R_Fated_Circle said:
I love Verizon but I was actually thinking of going to AT&T myself tired of Verizon having such a limited phone selection. However there is a post in this thread by the name of themoveforward or something who claims he got this working on verizon you may want to try his methods before making the switch
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I tried sending him a message but haven't heard back. I'm assuming perhaps he was mistaken about what phone this post was referring to.
I believe carol_vzw is a Verizon employee who maintains this list: https://community.verizonwireless.com/docs/DOC-2843
The H8314 is listed on here as officially supported, but H8324(dual SIM) is not. You could try messaging her on there to see if they can add the H8324, or find out why it's not compatible.
Edit: looks like you've already seen this based on the comments
Ziltoid_ said:
I believe carol_vzw is a Verizon employee who maintains this list: https://community.verizonwireless.com/docs/DOC-2843
The H8314 is listed on here as officially supported, but H8324(dual SIM) is not. You could try messaging her on there to see if they can add the H8324, or find out why it's not compatible.
Edit: looks like you've already seen this based on the comments
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Yea the crazy thing is while talking to Verizon support yesterday i referenced that post and also Bestbuy having it labeled as for Verizon as well as the phone being posted on their Showcase directly on the Verizon site lol. The support guy kept putting me on hold and said he was taking the info as I was giving it to him to another support team directly and that they were all baffled at this information as none of them had any knowledge of this phone let alone it supposedly being compatible with Verizon at all. After about an hour into the call a woman picked up the phone and directed me to attempt to put my new sim card (when i swapped to this phone i had a micro-sim from my old phone not a nano-sim which this phone needs) directly into someone elses phone that has Verizon and attempt to activate the sim card on their phone, then attempt to reinsert it back into my phone to see if the network picked up. I will be attempting this in about an hour when I see a friend who has Verizon. I will update on whether this works or not.
mattnathaniel12 said:
Yea the crazy thing is while talking to Verizon support yesterday i referenced that post and also Bestbuy having it labeled as for Verizon as well as the phone being posted on their Showcase directly on the Verizon site lol. The support guy kept putting me on hold and said he was taking the info as I was giving it to him to another support team directly and that they were all baffled at this information as none of them had any knowledge of this phone let alone it supposedly being compatible with Verizon at all. After about an hour into the call a woman picked up the phone and directed me to attempt to put my new sim card (when i swapped to this phone i had a micro-sim from my old phone not a nano-sim which this phone needs) directly into someone elses phone that has Verizon and attempt to activate the sim card on their phone, then attempt to reinsert it back into my phone to see if the network picked up. I will be attempting this in about an hour when I see a friend who has Verizon. I will update on whether this works or not.
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If its any hope, I had a similar situation when I was trying to activate my Nexus 5x on Verizon. The people in the store didn't know that it existed and had no instructions on what to do. Also my first nano SIM phone, and they couldn't get it to activate. That's when I learned to never go to their stores for technical help. But it was worth it that time because they let me keep the sim card and later I was able to get someone on their tech support number who was able to activate it remotely. It could just be that the phone is new and information hasn't gotten around internally. Verizon seems pretty bad about that.
My xz2c single sim package got lost on Wednesday by DHL ? but I'm going to be dealing with this soon
Well no luck trying to activate the Sim with another Verizon phone. It seems that the phone just isn't in the Verizon system yet.
I have a UK single sim that I'm having no service with Verizon. Not sure if it's due to the phone being from the UK or something else with Verizon maybe. Trying to flash the US firmware but having problems with Newflasher.
If I have any luck I'll post back here.
Just posting for others who may be curious; I was able to get the phone working on Verizon today. Using the sim from an already activated pixel 2 initially worked for data and calling, and sending text messages, but I could not receive text messages. I grabbed an updated sim (says 4G LTE on it) and activated it on the pixel 2, then moved it to the xz2c and currently have everything working. It's only been a few hours so we'll see if it stays like this or if it goes the way of the htc U11 and has problems every couple of weeks. I'm using the verizon approved H8314 single sim model, not the dual sim model.
Interesting, thanks for the update! I'm using an activated sim from my Pixel 2 as well. It says 4G LTE on the sim too and my model xz2 compact is the same H8314. So maybe it is the UK firmware in my case, I'm going to keep trying to figure out my drivers issue this weekend to flash US firmware and see if that helps.
This is very long and I was going to reply to the thread "Unlocked V30 & Verizon... all bands?" but I figured some people would get upset so I gave this it's own thread. If you're trying to bring an LS998 to a non-Sprint carrier this story may be of interest to you.
As expected, despite the previous Verizon agent telling me they have no problem offering me service and sending me a SIM card, I called Verizon (800 225 5499) today and they said won't do it, based on the IMEI of the LS998.
Last time I called ATT prepaid support (800 901 9878) they told me I needed to call regular sales support (888 333 6651) to get a SIM card for prepaid service, which I thought was weird. This time I called the regular number and was told they aren't allowed to send out SIM cards anymore. They said that maybe the prepaid support could do it but regular sales cannot.
So I called ATT prepaid support today and now they've suddenly changed their story too. After waiting 18 minutes to speak to someone, I was told once again that the regular sales department support is the only one who can give me help. I explained that they told me this less than a week ago and just now before I called the prepaid support and now he's telling me prepaid support can't send out SIMs. Why does it even matter by the way? Why can't they all just do it? What a ridiculous and inefficient setup. He told me he's giving me the "online support phone number" instead, since they "told me the wrong information".
As instructed by prepaid support, I called the "online support" number (866 267 4510) and the horrible voice detection failed miserably then hung up on me (I'm actually calling from the internet using a high quality mic so it's even better than what would usually come through a phone line..it even failed several times to understand the word "yes" when given the options of "yes" and "no"). I called it again and wasn't able to speak to anyone because it kept asking for all this nonsense and wouldn't actually let me speak to a real person in any way.. so yeah, that outsourced moron who could barely speak English gave me a useless number, as I expected.
So instead of calling Sales for the 2nd time today and 3rd time this week, I decided to call regular ATT wireless support (800 331 0500). I waited on hold for 17.5 minutes until I was finally able to speak to a person, who I explained to that I just want a nano SIM card. I found out she's from the prepaid support.. so despite calling the regular support number I was sent to the prepaid support, which was probably the reason I was on hold for so long once again. Anyways she told me she could send me a card and when I gave her my number and 4 digit ATT code/password she said I have to go pick it up at a store LOL.
She said I have to go to a "big" store and I asked her to explain herself because that's a subjective term and she asked for my ZIP code. I don't understand this because in 2013 when I first became their customer they were fine sending SIM cards for two phones in the mail and about 2 months ago they were fine sending one out in the mail for someone else (though this was never gone through with) and less than a week ago they told me it was fine too. All of the sudden, it's a big deal and they just can't send SIM cards in the mail? what??
I had already planned to call my local Verizon store and ATT store to see if they could handle this simple task but once she told me that I decided to just accept the SIM she wants to give me. She never asked me for the phone's IMEI but due to the course of the conversation I eventually explained the situation with the phone.
She told me to call Sprint and make sure it's unlocked, which I already planned to do actually. After suggesting I try putting my old SIM in my new phone I explained the old one is a micro and new one is a nano so I told her I might cut it if I can't get them to give me one. She actually said she had done that once; pretty funny.
I called Sprint (888 211 4727) to ask about the phone and make sure it's unlocked. They asked for my number in the automated thing but I pressed "#" as instructed since I don't have one. After speaking to someone finally, they asked for my full name and I only gave my first name and explained that I'm not a customer. I was then asked for my phone number and once again explained I'm not a customer. They asked why I was calling and I explained and after a brief moment on hold was told it's already unlocked. They didn't bother trying to keep me on their network AT ALL, which I was very surprised about. It was the fastest of any call, totaling under 5 minutes where all the others so far have taken me over an hour (mostly due to waiting on hold).
So I called Verizon again (800 922 0204) [wow they have too many support numbers at these places] to ask WHY they won't give me a sim since Sprint says it's unlocked. The sassy black lady had a terrible attitude when she realized I wasn't going to accept "the system says it won't work" because "it isn't compatible with Verizon network" as an answer...after having already explained that it's unlocked by Sprint and it supports the Verizon network. All I did was say "well there has to be a reason it isn't compatible, do you have any information?" and she got an attitude with me. Eventually she told me she'd get me over to tech support so they can look into it if I'd like and I accepted (anything to get away from her + they're probably more knowledgeable about this than the ordinary, lowest tier customer support representative). I was instead sent to an automated system asking for a phone number and got past it eventually and was put on hold once again while I await a new CSR from tech support.
Line quality was horrible and was asked for my first and last name and I explained I'm not a customer and gave my first name. I asked if it's tech support and was told it's new line support.... so that rude lady didn't even transfer me properly. What a surprise. I was given the number to their tech support (866 271 7585, option 2) and then transferred to it by the lady with the poor line quality.
At this point I've been talking with the carriers and waiting on hold for at least 2 hours and on this call with Verizon for 28 minutes... most of it on hold. I heard random voices come through the hold music a few times and just now it happened again and the call was disconnected. Thanks for hanging up on me again, Verizon.
So now I'm calling the Verizon tech support number I was given (866 271 7585) by the last person I spoke with, since I was hung up on. Option 2, which I was told to press is for SPANISH, not anything related to my call... so I pressed 1 (also it makes no sense for an American company to do that. We speak English here). The automated system asked for a phone number and I didn't have one so I just waited and they said the usual about call being monitored/recorded and I'm once again on hold...
This lady was VERY friendly (she sounded a little older) but this was NOT tech support. I explained the entire ordeal to her after she asked what problem I'm experiencing. After I got to the part about why I was trying to reach tech support (their agent told me to) she told me she would actually get me there. So I'm on hold again...
...She came back and asked which phone it is then told me she'd get me straight over to tech support and put me back on hold. She came back once again and asked me for clarification or something and I explained the situation with the LS998 and that it DOES work on the network and Sprint says it IS unlocked so there's no reason for it not to work. It's a matter of it being cheaper than the unlocked one and me choosing to put software on that allows it to take advantage of the available hardware in the phone. She said she was thinking of transferring me to tele-sales but she will bring me to tech support (what? she already said at least two times she would transfer me to tech support... if I ask for tech support - give me tech support. I didn't ask for her opinion on where to transfer me). She's very nice but not very good at transferring customers to where they try to go, it seems.
So I actually got tech support this time. I explained the situation. He seemed from the start like he did have more of an idea what he's talking about. He seemed like he was capable of following along with what I was saying. His initial suggestion was to have a friend or family member on Verizon let me try their SIM in the phone to make sure it works. I explained that's not an option and we had a bit more of a discussion about the topic.
I asked about a real tech support number because the one I was given didn't get me to tech support and he told me it's a queue system and that's why I got customer service instead of real tech support. He said they can only send me a SIM if I have a live account but at the store they can sell one for $10-15 (like Walmart or Sam's Club). A corporate/official store would give it for free. This must be what the ATT lady was referring to earlier...
He said the store would setup the SIM with a dummy phone number to make sure it works then I can port my ATT number over later.
I asked him to check the IMEI to make sure there are no other issues with it (since he may have some kind of superior access or information compared to a tier 1 CSR) and he was checking on it and kept coming back to let me know he's still there and it's taking a moment. Very professional... very satisfied with his attitude.
He said it didn't come up in the system but it should work since the V30 (non-plus) does and reiterated his statement about going to the store and making sure the employee doesn't test it while WiFi is enabled.
It was so refreshing to speak to someone with a powerful enough mind and who was well-spoken and polite.. didn't waste any time and helped me out. It's always better talking to tier 2 and above support with these phone and internet companies...
To sum up these companies:
I don't like T-Mobile and Sprint is merging with them (Sprint wasn't too great for me in the past either). However, when calling to ask about unlock status of the device it was the call with the best line quality and quickest resolution.
ATT's regular numbers have decent line quality usually, but the prepaid line quality is always bad.
Verizon's support often has bad line quality.
The outsourced people who barely speak English at ATT are either useless wastes of my time or incredibly friendly and somewhat helpful.
Verizon has a mixed bag when it comes to politeness of agents.
All of the above companies seem to be convoluted when it comes to giving out SIM cards as well as the system they've setup for contacting them via phone. There's no reason for this to be so complicated.
As expected, Verizon and ATT assured me there'd be no issue with this and there are issues with it.
So far, this entire thing has taken me at least 3 hours of speaking on the phone with mostly ATT and Verizon and I haven't even gone to a store to pick up a SIM yet... more as the story develops...
So now I need to go to my local "big store" (ATT) to get an ATT sim OR just cut my old sim and take the risk of something going wrong. I really want to switch to Verizon but I just paid for ATT a few days ago so I have a month left of that.
For now, I'm waiting on the phone to arrive so I can convert it to a US998. Also considering staying on ATT and just knowing that I can use Verizon later if something goes wrong.
If it doesn't work out I either have to argue with the carriers until they give me what I want, or use an unlocking service (though I'm not sure those are legit/worth it)... or return the phone, which I really don't want to do.
sneak310 said:
A corporate/official store would give it for free. This must be what the ATT lady was referring to earlier...
He said the store would setup the SIM with a dummy phone number to make sure it works then I can port my ATT number over later.
If it doesn't work out I either have to argue with the carriers until they give me what I want, or use an unlocking service (though I'm not sure those are legit/worth it)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing to unlock. When you convert LS998 to US998 firmware the phone is carrier unlocked, even if Sprint never unlocked it.
You just need a SIM card.
The only problem you would have is if the IMEI is blacklisted for some reason.
____
I warned you about Verizon -- that you would need something like an original US998, original VS996, or an already-activated Verizon SIM card. . They are very finnicky about phones with Sprint IMEI.
By the way, all AT&T SIM cards are the same. The only difference is internal accounting, whether it's Prepaid or Postpaid. Even with a Prepaid logo on it, it's STILL just a regular AT&T SIM card. You can switch from one to the other without actually changing SIM cards.
Had a friend who bought new Samsung Galaxy phone and they made him sign up with AT&T Postpaid to buy the phone. They wouldn't let him pay in full upfront. Once he signed the contract, he pulled out his credit card, made the full payment to pay off the phone -- then IMMEDIATELY switched to AT&T Prepaid (which is what he really wanted). They never touched his SIM card when they switched him over from Postpaid to Prepaid. And this was back when Prepaid division was confusingly called "GoPhone". STILL the same SIM card.
I have AT&T Prepaid, as do several friends, family members.
ChazzMatt said:
Nothing to unlock. When you convert to US998 firmware the phone is carrier unlocked, even if Sprint never unlocked it.
You just need a SIM card.
The only problem you would have is if the IMEI is blacklisted for some reason.
____
I warned you about Verizon.
By the way, all AT&T SIM cards are the same. The difference is internal accounting, whether it's Prepaid or Postpaid. You can switch from one to the other without changing SIM cards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I only asked him to check the IMEI for that reason you stated.. the blacklisting. They won't just send me a SIM... I have to go physically to a store for some reason instead of having them just mail me one like how I got my SIM from ATT in 2013.
Both Verizon and ATT are giving me identical trouble. They both require me to go to a store to get a SIM card and won't just send me a SIM card and give me service.
Due to the "if it ain't broke" thing, I'll probably just stick with ATT for now so I don't have to end up trying Verizon and liking it less than I used to/less than ATT then ultimately switching back to ATT... plus it should be easier to just get a new SIM instead of having to setup a whole new line of service with a new company... and finally I'm already pretty familiar with how ATT does things.
Phone should arrive on Thursday but Type C cable on Friday so I can probably go to an ATT store over the weekend.
PS - $238 is an amazing price ;D
sneak310 said:
Yeah I only asked him to check the IMEI for that reason you stated.. the blacklisting. They won't just send me a SIM... I have to go physically to a store for some reason instead of having them just mail me one like how I got my SIM from ATT in 2013.
Both Verizon and ATT are giving me identical trouble. They both require me to go to a store to get a SIM card and won't just send me a SIM card and give me service.
Due to the "if it ain't broke" thing, I'll probably just stick with ATT for now so I don't have to end up trying Verizon and liking it less than I used to/less than ATT then ultimately switching back to ATT... plus it should be easier to just get a new SIM instead of having to setup a whole new line of service with a new company... and finally I'm already pretty familiar with how ATT does things.
Phone should arrive on Thursday but Type C cable on Friday so I can probably go to an ATT store over the weekend.
PS - $238 is an amazing price ;D
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wal-Mart also has AT&T Prepaid SIMs.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/AT-T-PREPAID-SIM-Starter-Kit/44938608
https://www.walmart.com/ip/AT-T-PREPAID-SIM-Kit/129539926
Sent via open market LG US998 V30/V30+
ChazzMatt said:
Wal-Mart also has AT&T Prepaid SIMs.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-v30/development/us998-lg-v30-us998-us99820a040330-kdz-t3786337
Sent via open market LG US998 V30/V30+
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Click to collapse
Yeah and according to these carriers they charge you for it. I'd also rather deal directly with the carrier than some random person at Walmart AND get it for free.
sneak310 said:
Yeah and according to these carriers they charge you for it. I'd also rather deal directly with the carrier than some random person at Walmart AND get it for free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, I understand. I also edited to put in the correct link.
You need to go to "corporate" owned AT&T store to get free SIM card. "Franchise" stores, which look almost identical, will charge you.
ChazzMatt said:
Sure, I understand. I also edited to put in the correct link.
You need to go to "corporate" owned AT &T store to get free SIM card. "Franchise" stores, which look almost identical, will charge you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hah, yea.. I was wondering why you sent me that original link. And yeah, they told me specifically which store is corporate.
So I'm curious to see if you switch to Verizon and your results. I'm currently on Verizon and I'm trying to get a V30+ so if you go with them I'd like to know how it worked out.
Hyperbomb64 said:
So I'm curious to see if you switch to Verizon and your results. I'm currently on Verizon and I'm trying to get a V30+ so if you go with them I'd like to know how it worked out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will have no issues since you have an already-activated Verizon SIM card. Just take your SIM card out, put it in new phone.
ChazzMatt said:
You will have no issues since you have an already-activated Verizon SIM card. Just take your SIM card out, put it in new phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. Now I just have to actually get the phone and I should be good to go.
ChazzMatt said:
You will have no issues since you have an already-activated Verizon SIM card. Just take your SIM card out, put it in new phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im also on verizon and just got this model online brand new it says its unlocked. do i need to avoid updating it when i get it?
Bamaboi89 said:
im also on verizon and just got this model online brand new it says its unlocked. do i need to avoid updating it when i get it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, don't update when you first get it, as you will possibly making your life harder, by having to downgrade to what you need for bootloader unlock and rooting. You can update after that.
Hyperbomb64 said:
So I'm curious to see if you switch to Verizon and your results. I'm currently on Verizon and I'm trying to get a V30+ so if you go with them I'd like to know how it worked out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ended up just sticking with ATT for now. Mostly one of those "if it ain't broke" things. I also realized (once I got to the ATT store) that I actually already HAD a nano SIM in my Nexus 5 with a converter. It was 2013 when I put that SIM in and I haven't messed with it so I completely forgot.
Hi, I'm trying to use an eSim only (without inserting a physical sim) on my pixel 6 pro on AT&T, however I cannot get it to work. When I say not get it to work, I mean with eSim only there is no cell signal and no data signal. Physical sim works fine on both signal and cellular service. If there's another Us AT&T pixel 6 pro user who's using only the eSIM for service please respond and let me know whether or not eSim only works for you. Thanks.
Not an AT&T user here, am using a European carrier, just from anecdotal perspective: I also use eSim only and never had an issue on my P6 Pro. So it appears to be something carrier related.
I remember that I had to activate my eSim, maybe you also have to do this? Did you try out the eSim/your contract before using this phone?
Morgrain said:
Not an AT&T user here, am using a European carrier, just from anecdotal perspective: I also use eSim only and never had an issue on my P6 Pro. So it appears to be something carrier related.
I remember that I had to activate my eSim, maybe you also have to do this? Did you try out the eSim/your contract before using this phone?
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Click to collapse
Yes, I tried 3 times with the help of AT&T and we couldn't get it to work. I'm going to return the device for a new replacement to see if that fixes this issue. Thanks for replying.
d.cortez said:
Yes, I tried 3 times with the help of AT&T and we couldn't get it to work. I'm going to return the device for a new replacement to see if that fixes this issue. Thanks for replying.
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Click to collapse
Before going through the hassle of returning the device for a potential fault - do you have a family member or friend, whose simcard/esim you could try out? That way you can find out if your phone truly has a defect or if its your contract/the specific esim. Of course you can always let them replace your device, but that will take a couple days, maybe there are faster ways to narrow the problem down.
Morgrain said:
Before going through the hassle of returning the device for a potential fault - do you have a family member or friend, whose simcard/esim you could try out? That way you can find out if your phone truly has a defect or if its your contract/the specific esim. Of course you can always let them replace your device, but that will take a couple days, maybe there are faster ways to narrow the problem down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i tried again today at another AT&T corp store and walked out of the store with it working as expected (wait till the end). the person helping did additional research on my issue and discovered the P6P shipped to me "was not activated" with the inserted physical sim (which i removed when i received the device). apparently, AT&T will park (or associate) a new device with a specific number when shipping to you vs. walking in to buy a device on an existing line. nonetheless, i'm going to return the phone because the data connection isn't working consistently; data is on and then after i go to website, data turns off. i'm probably going to send it back to AT&T next week.
Finally got the phone working, but will get an unlocked version later; this one is still going back to ATT.
I'm using an ESIM on AT&t and even originally got the phone My plan was to have a physical TracFone SIM card and my AT&t esim which is exactly what I had on my Pixel 5 and it worked great. Both SIM cards work great... when the other ones not active or inserted. It is impossible to use with both SIM cards like I did on my Pixel 5. Constant signal loss and the majority of the time. No signal at all. But as soon as I deactivate or remove a SIM card it starts working perfect.
I had a problem with provisioning eSim on my TMobile, well technically its sprint still, says tmobile esim but I am on sprint billing. Anyways, you need to maybe try to do it on another WiFi access point or something. I had issues with mine activating over Viasat2 satellite internet. I live in that area, its either LTE or satellite for internet. Had to tether to my work verizon phone to activate it on sprint/tmobile lol. If the connectivity to the esim server is not great, you'll split hairs until it is.
spawn985 said:
I'm using an ESIM on AT&t and even originally got the phone My plan was to have a physical TracFone SIM card and my AT&t esim which is exactly what I had on my Pixel 5 and it worked great. Both SIM cards work great... when the other ones not active or inserted. It is impossible to use with both SIM cards like I did on my Pixel 5. Constant signal loss and the majority of the time. No signal at all. But as soon as I deactivate or remove a SIM card it starts working perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly the same issue/behavior I had with my AT&T P6P on the AT&T network so I returned mine today. I'm contemplating a Fi version to see if it works for my use case.