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Root Unlocking domestic gsm

First order of business on unlocking this beast would be to try and figure out how does it decide that it is in the USA. I mean, if it is in Pakistan then the GSM works fine, right? Someone reported that in another thread.

So, the question becomes, how does the phone decide that it is in USA and shut down GSM and not in Pakistan, where it opens the GSM for communication.

Anyone got ideas?
 
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A couple ideas.

1) I would think it would be related to the mobile network. So that rules out the obvious of anything that doesn't check the network. Maybe look for anything with the different gsm frequencies in the file?

2) I get the feeling it wouldn't, but could it possibly be somewhere in the radio driver? I know that on some devices you can flash a custom radio, but I haven't seen that anywhere for our device.
 
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I got my FreedomPop phone today, and I was anxious to try a Lycamobile SIM after I flashed a different ROM on it. It acts like an international SIM but uses the T-mobile network. After successfully registering with no issues, it did not let me make a call. Now when I put the SIM in my old phone, it no longer registers with the network. I hope that in addition to this hurdle that AT&T and T-mobile have not blocked this phone as well. My issue has been escalated and I will report back my findings.
 
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Please update your result to see if Lymamobile SIM works?
If works this FreedomPop phone has more value to keep.

Maybe helpful through, here is how to force to GSM:
"just use *#*#4636#*#* , and change to "GSM only" "

Well the problem was the SIM just needed time to re-register. I am trying to play with it still to see if I can get it to work. As long as it detects the Sprint CDMA network, it connects to it instead.
 
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No it did not work. It would try to search for a network, and even lock on for a second. But then it would say no signal. It was still trying to direct phone calls through the CDMA even in GSM mode. It even somehow messed up my SIM. Until I contacted Lycamobile, the SIM would no longer register on any other phone! I think I am giving up unless someone else has any bright ideas.
 
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As stated before you will probably need s-off and to flash a custom radio... This is a rarity to find &/or develop. You need serious reverse engineering skills [to take current radio & squash], matlab & algorythmic skills [to build & analyze radio], a general risk-taker attitude [as your radio could be fcc non-compliant], etc. I have seen custom bootloaders but haven't seen custom radios. If this wasn't marketed as a world phone, you might never see working. Sorry to be bearer of bad tidings.

P.S. flashing a gsm radio to a cdma phone is a well-known method to brick your phone as well.

P.S.S. I did find a [worldphone] reference on [original] gb version for Hero S [same phone on USCC] here: http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...***-HTC-Hero-S-Thread?p=14590241#post14590241
 
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In retrospect, imma do some checking on freedompop.. evo design 4g also listed as world phone. I have already discovered a quirk w/ freedompop.. when mobile network not available [bars at 0], I can't get it to use wifi [upstream] connection.. might be something related. Lemme dig a bit.

Followup: browsed some internals on freedompop last night. Worldphone enabled in build.prop [they do have gsm settings set to freedompop in build.prop; might edit those in future experimentation] & the /system/customize .. default.xml's looked good as well. On freedompop's site, they state they only use cdma [no sim], but the user guide for phone is the sprint [original] pdf which does reference worldphone service. So, imma test w/ my unlocked phone tomorrow on tmo. I'll let you know how it goes.

On lymamobile, do you have another android-based phone that uses that sim? If so, copy the /system/build.prop [for that phone] and paste the link up here in this thread. http://paste.teamblueridge.org I can try tinkering same gsm settings into freedompop's build.prop. Thanks in advance.
 
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not sure if we can even flash radios with S-ON

True. One can't flash radio or bootloaders w/ s-on [w/o a HTC official ota/signature at least]

The current radio installed though does have cdma and gsm bands though. A sim unlock and changing of networks [*#*#4636#*#* and select such] will probably get one working. The sim unlock though might not be too easy a task. For good measure, I'm supercid'ing mine as well.

I wrote somewhere that the original owner's manual noted intl calling available, but one would need call Sprint first [undoutedly they talked the few who did through sim unlocking and added an intl calling plan]

I'll reactivate my tmo sim soon and let you guys know how the sim unlock/supercid fares, but in the past, this is all one has needed [on other world phones]. So, anyway, we'll see :) I did this via riff box; so, I mentioned I doubt it'll be easy for most. [I tried many other ways to beat emmc read/write protection before I resorted to usb-jtag reprogramming, none successfully though]

Rob
 
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hey Rob, any luck with this?

True. One can't flash radio or bootloaders w/ s-on [w/o a HTC official ota/signature at least]

The current radio installed though does have cdma and gsm bands though. A sim unlock and changing of networks [*#*#4636#*#* and select such] will probably get one working. The sim unlock though might not be too easy a task. For good measure, I'm supercid'ing mine as well.

I wrote somewhere that the original owner's manual noted intl calling available, but one would need call Sprint first [undoutedly they talked the few who did through sim unlocking and added an intl calling plan]

I'll reactivate my tmo sim soon and let you guys know how the sim unlock/supercid fares, but in the past, this is all one has needed [on other world phones]. So, anyway, we'll see :) I did this via riff box; so, I mentioned I doubt it'll be easy for most. [I tried many other ways to beat emmc read/write protection before I resorted to usb-jtag reprogramming, none successfully though]

Rob
 
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