SturgeonGeneral

Is this zip flashable to a regular device?

Don't get too antsy to install it.  I've heard more complaints than praise from the plain S4 owners that have it so far.

When i preorded the gs4 i was told by sprint it was triband.  Im pissed about that.  I know its not now but pissses me off when they released it

Buyer beware.  The more informed a buyer is, the happier they will be.

That's why I love this site:

This is a spec sheet for the tri-band GS4T  SPH-L720T  

http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=5202&view=1&c=samsung_sph-l720t_galaxy_s4_td-lte_samsung_altius

*T* being the tri-band component of the model number.

Scroll down to secondary cellular phone and you'll see:

LTE1900 (B25), LTE800 (B26), TD-LTE2500 (B41)

You can also compare to the plain GS4 SPH-L720 to see the differences.

PDADB.NET has the specs as reported from the manufacturer as gathered by us tech geeks that monitor these things as opposed to too many SALESPEOPLE that seem to only want a short term commission no matter what and don't plan on having the job by the time you figure out you've been screwed.

4.4 hasn't come to the S4T yet to my knowledge but I haven't been following the rollout at all.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

I'm hoping someone can help me-zip 18503-lte out in patches,3g at home-have the s4 and I can get the s4T now since the store lied about not having a s4T-bitched to customer care-will the s4t work in this area or am I better off keeping the s4? Thank you in advance

 

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

Go to sensorly.com and plug in your zip code there, select the map for Sprint 4g and look at all the places you visit regularly. That map will show you places that are covered now and that people have mapped so far. As the other two frequencies are added, that will improve performance over and above the capabilities of the plain s4. Trade-off is that you lose svlte.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

I think its just a bad one or the area, as others have mentioned. I have a 720T and my wife has a 720. I specifically waited an extra few weeks so I could get the triband version even though we probably wont get spark here. Neither of us have any problems changing from 4g to 3g and I actually think I have better battery life. When on 4g Im just connected to 4g towers but with my wife's shes connected to 4g and cdma. The only downside on my T is the total lack of modder community support.Sent from my SM-T210R using Tapatalk

Community support will probably change with time as more phones get into the market.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

For a while, I thought forcing "LTE only" was changing something else.  When I returned it to "eHRPD mode", -which is where I thought I had started from, the phone didn't seem to search for LTE in the background as it was before.

Fact is that it probably wasn't looking for LTE at all.  The selection doesn't say it as explicitly as the others but that has to be eHRPD only.

I must have remembered wrong or the screen misled me and didn't indicate my true current mode the first time I visited it.  I should have done a screen cap.  Ah well.

It looks like the way to restore is to select LTE+CDMA+EVDO mode.

That runs the 1x800, eHRPD, and searches for / connects to LTE as before.

I realize that the middle of the thread is a horrible place for this to be hidden, but it can be hot linked to on the web version and probably via tapatalk someplace.  I'll update it as I find more information.  I found that I cannot edit it after a certain amount of time so I have to post updates later in the thread.

**caution** access and use of these screens is at your own risk study hard before throwing random setting switches.

They are hidden for a reason.

You should NOT have to hit "dial".  Tapping the final "#" of the trigger should take you to the screen.  If it doesn't, re-check what you entered for errors.


*****************
http://tools.flashingtools.com/
(MSL reader that worked)
*****************

##DEBUG#  (##33284#)
password:  SPRINT  (777468)
(LTE engineering screen - LTE connection data)

##DATA#  (##3282#)
"view" section - no password

"edit" section requires your unique msl code (see above for discovery tool app)
    The radio filters can be found here.

To set LTE only mode:
-Scroll down the list
<more>
<HDR/1X Selection>
(Note your personal default setting so you can return to it later!

-should be "EHRPD 1x Mode" ?)

<LTE Only Mode>  - doesn't normally require a reboot
Restoring to eHRPD mode usually requires a reboot of the phone.


##DIAG#
-no password or msl code?
Use for?


##INFO#   (4636) <--  MISSING!  need to find equivalent screen for S4T
(on some other phone models this has the "LTE only mode" toggle - see DATA above)


https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blueline.signalcheck

If you have any additions or updates, let me know and I'll update this post.

-Thanks to all who helped me get this far.
 

Anyone else get their rebate declined?

https://www.sprintrebates.com/

Well, I have had ny GS4T, SPHL720TBK, for just under a week at this point. 

 

I like it and it's overall performance has been good.

 

The BAD:

 

When leaving a 4G LTE served area - it takes a while to acquire a 3G data signal.  Once you leave a 4G LTE served area it generally takes its about 2 minutes and even up to several minutes sometimes for it to acquire a 3G signal for data transfer (during which time you're without data service and the dreaded "This page canNOT be loaded" message pops up).  We have many areas where 4G LTE is not yet up in Reno, NV - and, I'm often a passenger in a vehicle and when it drives out of a 4G served area - no data for at least 2 minutes - so this has been a bit annoying.

 

The GOOD:

 

But, on the other side of the coin, its ability to acquire a 4G LTE signal is dramtic.  It seems to aggressively hunt for and change to 4G LTE when entering a 4G LTE served area (even on the fringe of such an area). 

 

My previous phone, an S3, seemed to be just the opposite pouncing on a 3G signal, even when 4G LTE was available.

 

Calls have rung through easily even when I've been browsing - though of course there's no SVLTE.

 

Then of course there's the cute - sometimes spinning - SPARK symbol added to the top of the homescreen.

In Omaha, my S4T has never exhibited any such noticeable access lag (changing either direction) for data.  If the LTE signal drops out, and there is a 3G signal available, it jumps to it without any inconvenience.  Streaming *may* hiccup for a few seconds, but nothing unreasonable.  A page being loaded will instantly start downloading again if a manual reload is triggered.

If the phone is using data in 3G, it will not hunt for 4G until it is done with an active data connection on that 3G.

If you are streaming or otherwise stressing the 3G connect so it doesn't go idle at any time, S4T will not start to hunt for 4G until the 3G data stream goes idle for a few moments.

Once it does connect to 4G, the data can be used practically immediately.

Anyone post this anywhere on here yet? Maybe the S5 on the 24th? Eposidde one????

 

https://plus.google.com/u/0/explore/UNPACKED

 

 

Impressive if they get it out that soon.  Especially if it includes the Sprint spark version so close on the heels of the slow S4T rollout.

PDADB doesn't know about it yet, and there hasn't been an article here about a Band 26 S5 clearing the FCC.

http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=pdamaster

Search on B26 "secondary cellular" and android OS to get all the Spark Android units in the PDADB database.

I think you're going to be waiting 60-120 days yet and they'll milk the time marketing and teasing it.

My first thought was eCSFB but that isn't a tri-band phone to my knowledge.

I said 1 or 2 bands because I know we don't have Spark and didn't know if Sprint was using just 1 band in non Spark markets or 2. So it's 1,3,or none. Tri band is what pulled me to the G2 initially. That and it's a all around monster. Thanks for the info guys.

Don't have spark (yet)

It's 1 frequency band now, 2 soon, 3 eventually.

DSM will be a launched spark market eventually. Before that, it will probably have some of the benefits.

Anything over the base frequency is spark in my mind since a spark enabled phone is at an advantage anytime it has more frequency spectrum to use. Launched officially yet or not.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

Can anyone tell me if the Spark update for the G2 is of any benefit to users here in the Des Moines area. It enables bands 26 and 41. I know we are not a Spark city but I don't know if we have a single band or 2. Thanks

It will eventually help when they set up and turn on the other two bands.  1 or THREE.  Spark is tri-band.

The low band is supposed to have a little better structure penetration and help with indoor performance.

Android 4.2 suggests S4, the S4T shipped with 4.3

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

Will the call quality get better in central Iowa? I don't talk much on my phone, so I don't drop much. My wife talks A LOT! She drops a lot of calls too. She lets me hear it! :-)

She wants to switch carriers now. It's that bad. Few months ago, no drops. I live just north of the water tower in Ankeny about a mile. She drops calls walking from room to room. No joke. I'm not complaining. I'm looking for sound advice from you guys - the experts. :-)

I'm all about the speed outside my home. She's all about the call quality.

 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk.

I don't know where the water tower is, but have you looked at the maps here in the sponsors area yet?

(Don't discuss specifics in the non-sponsor areas)

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/4711-nebraska-iowa-market-spreadsheets-and-maps/

There isn't much coverage up that way but the map shows the towers' locations and their status.

Sensorly indicates about the same but there hasn't been much mapping done by users.

I'll do some as I get out that way this summer to visit relatives.

http://sensorly.com/map/4G/US/USA/Sprint/lte_310sprint#q=Ankeny%2C+IA%2C+USA

Short term, there is no Sprint solution for home connections.  AirRave is a disaster more often than not.  Use a wireless phone on your landline.

Have you had her try your phone to see if it has a more stable voice connection when out and about?  It may be a matter of upgrading to a better phone with the lowband frequencies with better structure penetration.  I don't know what the HTC units have.

The S4T might be an option for you to upgrade to for the triband LTE and give her your old S4 if it  works better for voice.

Travelling coverage also depends on where she goes.  Again, look at the maps and see if there are 800/4G towers active near the areas of concern.

...and don't get me started about people driving and talking on the phone at the same time.  I hope she's a passenger when she's talking.

Ran to n30 th over lunch today and saw the 2 north Omaha towers. By the time I headed home after work I wasn't picking up 4g. Cold booted my phone at home and it picked up the local lte spark tower again.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

I realize page 6 of the thread is a horrible place for this to be hidden, but it can be hot linked to on the web version and probably via tapatalk someplace.  I'll update it as I find more information.

**caution** access and use of these screens is at your own risk

study hard before throwing random setting switches.  They are hidden for a reason.

You should NOT have to hit "dial".  Tapping the final "#" of the trigger should take you to the screen.  If it doesn't, re-check what you "dialled" for errors.

*****************
http://tools.flashingtools.com/
(MSL reader that worked)
*****************

##DEBUG#  (##33284#)
password:  SPRINT  (777468)
(LTE engineering screen - LTE connection data)

##DATA#  (##3282#)
no password to view
-edit requires your unique msl code (see above for discovery tool app)
Use for?

##DIAG#
-no password or msl code?
Use for?

##INFO#   (4636) <--  MISSING!  need to find equivalent screen for S4T
(on other models has the "LTE only mode" toggle)
 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blueline.signalcheck

If you have any additions or updates, let me know and I'll update this post.

-Thanks to all who helped me get this far.

Just got some information to pass along.  If you see intermittent LTE connect, they are possibly caused by towers in the process of being set up for LTE.  You will see intermittent connections on them from the GS4T for a few days until the setup is complete.

As it was explained to me:

===

eCSFB is your issue. so far anytime they turn on a new 4G tower it doesn't have this enabled until 12-48 hours after its accepted. so if you want to connect to the newly accepted towers you will need to put your phone into LTE only mode, if you don't want to do that then you will just have to wait until eCSFB gets enabled on the new towers to connect to them.

===

Since we need eCSFB for the Tri-band version of the phone, we have to wait until that has been activated in order for us to reliably connect to the LTE signal.

Here's some extra reading on the subject:

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-357-nexus-5-and-lg-g2-experience-temporary-sprint-lte-connectivity-issues-due-to-circuit-switched-fallback-technology/

If you guys remember Ascertion said it's in the Best Buy database but who knows when it'll be available for sale.

I had a report third week of December from a Sprint store that it showed up in their database for a very brief time and was removed again by the time of that visit.

I haven't been back since I bought online so I have no idea of current status in their database.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

I think if you order it online you don't have to deal with the rebate crap and it would be $199.

Nope, I had to apply for the rebate.

I ordered online from Sprint.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

I was eligible and completely fed up with my Photon Wimax so the moment I was told 720T showed up on the Sprint site, I had mine ordered.

I paid the full upgrade price, but that means it has been in my hands almost two weeks now.  The "T" isn't likely to be sold on any sort of sale-price kind of deal anytime soon as the updated tech within it still commands list price.

Even right up to the release, Sprint wouldn't put the 720 on sale to help reduce stock levels.  If they wanted to keep profits up on the old phone, you can bet they won't give away the new 720T either unless they start to spontaneously combust.

I'd expect that Sprint is trying to get rid of the legacy unit via the other channels.  Those consumers are more often into instant gratification / impulse buying, and are generally less informed and connected than the people that monitor places like here and know where to go in order to find the newest thing.

Another thing I am seeing about this phone is that I find myself missing direct access to the card.  The photon acted as a sd card reader and you could treat it as a hard drive.

The 720T acts like a phone/camera and you can't do all of the same file manipulations that you can with a hard drive.

I haven't installed all of the Samsung software / drivers yet, do any of those solve that or are they just more of the same bloatware that gives more control of my device to everyone BUT me?

Gotcha. I interpreted your earlier comments as "my phone seems to be showing one less signal level than Sensorly shows." In any case, most of the factors that are going to affect reception on a modern phone are out of your control. Even if you found the "sweet spot" to hold it just right for optimal signal, the marginal benefit would probably be outweighed by the time wasted and nuisance of having to hold it just right. The only thing you can control is where you are standing.. move towards a window or closer to the site

 

Root that phone, then you can enjoy the easy resets! I believe that SpenceSouth's team had mentioned they were testing a method to get airplane toggle working without root on 4.2+, but I haven't heard much about it.

 

That Wi-Fi issue certainly seems like a bug. Do you have a dual radio (2.4GHz/5GHz) router with matching SSIDs that is possibly confusing your phone?

 

-Mike

Dual radio  - but segregated SSIDs for the different bands.  I also ignore 2.4 with the phone.

I have an extender on just the 5mhz band so that is probably the issue.

I'd like to root but I'm not near educated or brave enough yet.

Signal bars are not universal and are a poor choice to use as a measure of comparison unless you're comparing identical devices and looking at identical software. Don't compare Sensorly color shades with signal bars.

 

Several users on here have developed useful signal monitoring apps.. LTE Discovery (SpenceSouth), Signal Strength Detector (lordsutch), and SignalCheck (me). Each one is slightly different so try them all and see what you like. LTE Discovery might be best for you if you're trying to connect to LTE more often. You can configure it to reset your connection periodically, minimizing how often you get "stuck" on eHRPD when LTE is available.

 

-Mike

I think you misunderstand both my intentions and context.  (I already own your app and keep the 1x1 widget on my main screen)

My intentions are to:

1.  Use the Sensorly map as a guide to know where I can hope to find a signal.

2.  Use Sensorly to tell others where I found a signal so they benefit from my experiences.

3.  To get the best signal that my phone is capable of.

4.  To learn what I have to do in order to get that best signal.

On 4, I'm talking silly things like don't cover the LTE antenna with your hand.

If necessary or useful, maybe have the antenna edge of the phone facing the expected direction of the tower(s) in use, lay the phone flat, or hold it vertically, whatever it takes to match anything like an orientation or polarization, or whatever other silly obscure thing it would take to pull a slightly better signal.

My concerns are not for "measuring" exact numbers that I would need lab calibrated equipment to officially determine.  I'm not looking to establish or set anecdotal records, I'm looking for rule-of-thumb / middle-of nowhere "what can you do to help improve matters?" common sense sort of functionality.

More appropriately, maybe I should replace "signal" with "data rate" as that is the actual prize anyone should seek.  If that means using 3G, in some cases, then so be it.  But if a better data rate is available wherever I find myself standing, then I want to take advantage of it.

Think in terms of consistent means or getting the best performance I am capable of in any given situation.

Signal check doesn't explicitly tell me "move 500 yards due east and you're likely to get a better signal" but the map on Sensorly can do that.  If the data is ideally collected, the color shading helps a user figure out what can be done to improve their situation.

Signal Check may help evaluate if holding the phone a specific way in my hand, or pointing the antenna a specific way in relation to the antenna, or even standing on my head or wearing a tin foil hat will all improve my signal (data rate).

As for resetting connections, keep in mind that the "T" comes with 4.3 - so I'm getting

"Reset failed: Root permissions required on Andriod 4.2+"

##4636#  doesn't work

(##debug# does)  [sPRINT]

No phone information option there

So I haven't gotten any where following that thread so far.

I'm also seeing something else slightly disturbing:

Periodically my wifi loses it's connection and dumps the connection.  If I tell it to reconnect, it asks for the password.

If I power cycle the phone, it restores and works normally and shows that it still knows my wifi password.

Some who mapped signal levels might have used devices with software defects that report the signal levels as stronger than they actually are to Sensorly. I believe the Galaxy Nexus is one device that reports all LTE to sensorly as max-strength, but I could be mistaken. Extensive mapping in an area with a device like that could throw all of the mapping out of whack, showing stronger signals where they really don't exist.

 

In reality, there is not much of anything you can do with your individual device. Unless you find yourself using one device that seems to work great and another in the same location fails to connect or shows significantly lower signal levels, it's just the current state of the network. The LTE airlink is also not as robust as 1X, so it cannot hold onto weaker signals as well.

 

-Mike

What I am seeing isn't indications of a blind "max-strength" issue, it's definitely reporting signal levels.  It's just roughly a "one-bar better" sort of sensitivity.

It's possibly a better hardware/software/config combination, or being recorded from a large semi-tractor that sits far higher off the ground than I do and can see a tower just a bit farther away than I can.  I was just looking for any advantage I could get to close in the gaps that much sooner.