Nexus 5 - Add LTE band 3 Advice

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regius

38 posts

Geek

#189155 18-Dec-2015 16:17

I have just received a Nexus 5 build 820 (US model) phone which does not have LTE channel 3. I understand that it is possible to swap up to 2 of the built in LTE channels for 2 others. Does anyone know how? Thanks in advance.

kobiak

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#1453147 18-Dec-2015 17:25

i'd guess this is the best place to start reading http://forum.xda-developers.com/google-nexus-5/general/radio-enable-lte-band-3-nexus-5-d820-t2928561

helping others at evgenyk.nz

regius

38 posts

Geek

#1453310 19-Dec-2015 02:27

Thanks Kubiak.
Yes it's does seem possible to make the change according to the suggested post but unfortunately the steps to do it are way beyond me. Is there someone who could undertake this who has done it before, preferably in the Auckland area for a fee? My aim is to gain access to Sparks LTE network.
Cheers 🍻

johnr

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#1453314 19-Dec-2015 06:06

It's not called channel 3 but band 3 for 1800Mhz for the LTE band plan number

HardCorePawn

62 posts

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#1453510 19-Dec-2015 14:32

If/When you try this, can you please post the results here? I'm interested in upgrading to a Nexus 5 (from my trusty Nexus 4), but am having trouble locating one at what I consider to be a "reasonable" price locally. It seems that here in NZ, they still sell for close to what they were 2 years ago!!?!

So, I'm considering getting a cheaper one from an online seller on Swappa/Ebay etc... but they all seem to be selling D820 models without the Band 3 support.

I have already seen the XDA thread mentioned above and the mostly successful attempts to get this sorted, but was hoping for some feedback from someone located in NZ.

Also, if you need some help attempting to do this mod, I may be able to provide some support. I have no direct experience with the Nexus 5 or this mod, but I do have plenty of experience with Android, rooting, building/flashing custom ROMs/Kernels etc on Galaxy S/S2, Nexus 4 and Nexus 7.

regius

38 posts

Geek

#1453582 19-Dec-2015 17:08

Hi HardCorePorn,
Two minds think alike...I am also currently a happy N4 user and have taken the path to upgrade to a N5. I found a supply through Expansys USA of N5, 32Gb white, factory refurbished at $149.99 US which arrived the other day. It is as new and are in the process of setting it up (minus SIM) at the moment - everything seems hunky dory. Very impressed with it, but still need to get it going on Spark LTE band(s) - hence my enquiry. Maybe you could help me achieve that and it will give you a change to get some hands-on experience with the baby. How can I contact you?

sbiddle

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Biddle Corp

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#1453602 19-Dec-2015 17:46

Nexus 5's are getting pretty hard to find these days due to the massive failure rates of them. Google gave me a full refund for mine mid year because they didn't even have new phones to do RMA swaps under warranty.

Due to the failures I'd be wary about buying one 2nd hand. They are still a great phone if you don't mind carrying around a portable charger due to the unbelievably poor battery life, but there are far better devices out there now for similar money.

HardCorePawn

62 posts

Master Geek

#1453726 20-Dec-2015 01:22

sbiddle: but there are far better devices out there now for similar money.

Can you recommend a device that:

Is the same form factor (ie. <= 5")
Has nexus-like update timeframes
Has a decent-ish camera with OIS (does not need to rival DSLRs, but better/similar quality to N5)
Costs less than NZ$250
Has decent dev community support
Doesn't require Matrix coding abilities to unlock/root

Equinox IT

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farcus

1554 posts

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#1453739 20-Dec-2015 02:39

sbiddle: . . .They are still a great phone if you don't mind carrying around a portable charger due to the unbelievably poor battery life . . .

hmmm . . . I get very good battery life.
I'm still sitting at about 50% - 70% battery after about 14 - 16 hours of average usage - although I am not using mine in NZ - so perhaps poor battery life is something to do with the network your connecting to.
Battery life is certainly much better than previous phones I have owned - and also much improved on Marsmallow

lchiu7

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#1453874 20-Dec-2015 12:46

My battery life isn't fantastic and I have replaced it twice. From fully charged at 7am I can last until about 6pm with a few calls and WiFi. But if I pop mine on a charger during the work day then I can get to the late evening okay. It could be better. My son's Moto G (2) is much better as is my wife's iPhone 6.

I did look at an upgrade, firstly the Nexus 6 on the Amazon Black Friday deal at US$199 but missed that. Then a recently deal for a Moto X Pure Edition for $329 (US) but once again I procrastinated and missed out. My phone is 2 years old now but I think I can drag it out for a further year since there are no performance issues that impact me. Mine is a Oz sourced so D821 so no LTE issues here.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

BigMal

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#1498138 23-Feb-2016 21:34

I just followed the XDA thread and have now enabled Vodafone 4G on my American Nexus 5 D820. It's not hard but it does take an hour or two of reading and executing the instructions.

johnr

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#1498170 23-Feb-2016 22:44

BigMal:
I just followed the XDA thread and have now enabled Vodafone 4G on my American Nexus 5 D820. It's not hard but it does take an hour or two of reading and executing the instructions.

Wow that is very cool

traderstu

332 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1498769 24-Feb-2016 20:19

Fascinating....I'm in Tauranga with a Samsung S4. Has anyone managed to enable band 28 on one of these phones? Also regius, it's HardCorePawn not pron, just thought I'd mention.