Geekzone: technology news, blogs, forums
Guest
Welcome Guest.
You haven't logged in yet. If you don't have an account you can register now.


regius

38 posts

Geek


#189155 18-Dec-2015 16:17
Send private message

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.

Create new topic
kobiak
1615 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

  #1453147 18-Dec-2015 17:25
Send private message

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
Send private message

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
19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user


  #1453314 19-Dec-2015 06:06
Send private message

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



HardCorePawn
62 posts

Master Geek


  #1453510 19-Dec-2015 14:32
Send private message

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
Send private message

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
30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod
Trusted
Biddle Corp
Lifetime subscriber

  #1453602 19-Dec-2015 17:46
Send private message

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
Send private message

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

 
 
 

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.
farcus
1554 posts

Uber Geek


  #1453739 20-Dec-2015 02:39
Send private message

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
6470 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

  #1453874 20-Dec-2015 12:46
Send private message

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
996 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified
Trusted

  #1498138 23-Feb-2016 21:34
Send private message

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
19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user


  #1498170 23-Feb-2016 22:44
Send private message

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
Send private message

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.


Create new topic





News and reviews »

Air New Zealand Starts AI adoption with OpenAI
Posted 24-Jul-2025 16:00


eero Pro 7 Review
Posted 23-Jul-2025 12:07


BeeStation Plus Review
Posted 21-Jul-2025 14:21


eero Unveils New Wi-Fi 7 Products in New Zealand
Posted 21-Jul-2025 00:01


WiZ Introduces HDMI Sync Box and other Light Devices
Posted 20-Jul-2025 17:32


RedShield Enhances DDoS and Bot Attack Protection
Posted 20-Jul-2025 17:26


Seagate Ships 30TB Drives
Posted 17-Jul-2025 11:24


Oclean AirPump A10 Water Flosser Review
Posted 13-Jul-2025 11:05


Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: Raising the Bar for Smartphones
Posted 10-Jul-2025 02:01


Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 Brings New Edge-To-Edge FlexWindow
Posted 10-Jul-2025 02:01


Epson Launches New AM-C550Z WorkForce Enterprise printer
Posted 9-Jul-2025 18:22


Samsung Releases Smart Monitor M9
Posted 9-Jul-2025 17:46


Nearly Half of Older Kiwis Still Write their Passwords on Paper
Posted 9-Jul-2025 08:42


D-Link 4G+ Cat6 Wi-Fi 6 DWR-933M Mobile Hotspot Review
Posted 1-Jul-2025 11:34


Oppo A5 Series Launches With New Levels of Durability
Posted 30-Jun-2025 10:15









Geekzone Live »

Try automatic live updates from Geekzone directly in your browser, without refreshing the page, with Geekzone Live now.



Are you subscribed to our RSS feed? You can download the latest headlines and summaries from our stories directly to your computer or smartphone by using a feed reader.