I'm a galaxy nexus user currently and unfortunately with Verizon. I'd love to switch carriers but I left ATT years ago because the only two places in the state I don't get good coverage is my home and place of work. I'd love to get the N5 but it looks like Verizon won't carry it. Any techies out there know if it will be possible to root the phone to allow it to work on the VZW network? Any work around? Thoughts?
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Hack Nexus 5 to work on the VZW network?
- Thread starter hrhaven
- Start date
I think the problem might be hardware more than software - it has to support certain bands / frequencies to work on Verizon, which it currently doesn't (supposedly). Now, if it supports those bands, but the radio software simply has it disabled (which wouldn't make much sense, but who knows), then I guess it's possible, kinda like the Nexus 4 having a LTE antenna that had to be hacked to get working. But I wouldn't hold my breath - which you probably already aren't! 
I wonder to what advantage VZW would have if they did this?
We activate and reactivate older Android devices like the weather, and have yet to be prohibited, but then again, we are comparing apples to crab cakes here.
With VZW being CDMA and if I remember correctly, an 850/1900 band plan, a quad band phone that is already on an active CDMA system should be allowed to port over.
I mean, I ported over Straight Talk handsets to VZW, and this is no different.
One could check the baseband version, then check out the test mode to see the actual HDR channel is, the UATI color code is and active 1st and 2nd channel A/B numbers are active, such as 283/384, 691/777 and the reverse channels of these.
This is a shot of an active CDMA channel (2270).
We activate and reactivate older Android devices like the weather, and have yet to be prohibited, but then again, we are comparing apples to crab cakes here.
With VZW being CDMA and if I remember correctly, an 850/1900 band plan, a quad band phone that is already on an active CDMA system should be allowed to port over.
I mean, I ported over Straight Talk handsets to VZW, and this is no different.
One could check the baseband version, then check out the test mode to see the actual HDR channel is, the UATI color code is and active 1st and 2nd channel A/B numbers are active, such as 283/384, 691/777 and the reverse channels of these.
This is a shot of an active CDMA channel (2270).
since the Nexus 5 is available for Sprint users, which is also a cdma network, I would assume the hack to use on Verizon will eventually be figured out. There's a huge native android following with many xda programmers and hackers damn good at this stuff by now!
Im rooting for them!!
Im rooting for them!!
voodoodaddy
Member
I was really hoping the Nexus 5 would be available for VZW, although everyone said it wouldnt be, and as it turned out they were right. The reason everyone says it wouldnt be on VZW is VZW wont allow it without adding their apps. My question is, WHO ARE THESE PPL THAT ARE USING THE VZW APPS?? I cant recall ever using a VZW app that was preloaded on any phone Ive had.
Also, the price of the Nexus 5 proves the point Ive been saying forever. Why are unsubsided phones $600-700??? There is no reason a cell phone should cost that much. I realize there is r&d cost and so forth, but build cost typically is around $200.
Also, the price of the Nexus 5 proves the point Ive been saying forever. Why are unsubsided phones $600-700??? There is no reason a cell phone should cost that much. I realize there is r&d cost and so forth, but build cost typically is around $200.
I think our best hope is with FCC complaints like this: Verizon Answering to FCC Over Nexus 7 "Block"
Lucky for us, VZW uses part of the 700MHz band, that the FCC auctioned off in 2008, with this stipulation:
Basically, the phone can run on the VZW network, and possibly swapping SIM cards you can trick it into working ( that article is about the 7 tablet, not the new 5 phone).
I wonder if you could take the SIM card out of the Nexus 5, move it into an older phone, activate it, then move it back into the new Nexus 5.
Edit:
I just reread the spec, apparently the Nexus 5 doesn't list LTE band 13 as supported. This is the 700mhz block C band that VZW has 100% coverage with. It's odd that the chips support every other band in the world except this one. My guess is it's supported but disabled. If it's disabled in the radio firmware that could take awhile for someone with the requisite skills to unblock.
Also, it supports band 4 ( 1700/2100 AWS) which is the new VZW LTE 'boosted' coverage. The one that can do 80Mbs.
Lucky for us, VZW uses part of the 700MHz band, that the FCC auctioned off in 2008, with this stipulation:
Owners of this slice "shall not deny, limit, or restrict the ability of their customers to use the devices and applications of their choice." Verizon is clearly violating FCC regulations – regulations that even Verizon VP Jim Gerace had to acknowledge in a public policy blog during the spectrum acquisition.
Basically, the phone can run on the VZW network, and possibly swapping SIM cards you can trick it into working ( that article is about the 7 tablet, not the new 5 phone).
I wonder if you could take the SIM card out of the Nexus 5, move it into an older phone, activate it, then move it back into the new Nexus 5.
Edit:
I just reread the spec, apparently the Nexus 5 doesn't list LTE band 13 as supported. This is the 700mhz block C band that VZW has 100% coverage with. It's odd that the chips support every other band in the world except this one. My guess is it's supported but disabled. If it's disabled in the radio firmware that could take awhile for someone with the requisite skills to unblock.
Also, it supports band 4 ( 1700/2100 AWS) which is the new VZW LTE 'boosted' coverage. The one that can do 80Mbs.
The XDA thread on this:
Anyone on Verizon going to try the N5 with their sim card? - xda-developers
Keep your fingers crossed.
Anyone on Verizon going to try the N5 with their sim card? - xda-developers
Keep your fingers crossed.
The reason the Nexus 5 isn't available on Verizon is because Google declined to offer it to Verizon, just like the Nexus 4. The reason Is historical, refer to the launch of the CDMA Galaxy Nexus.
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