[Atrix 4G Android Development] jjwatmyself:
Enable mobile networks settings: 'Select network' and 'Operator selection settings

This is the Atrix, proof of concept for Enable mobile networks settings: 'Select network' and 'Operator selection' that are greyed out in 4.1.83.

FALSE

INCOMPLETE METHOD

Here is the complete method. I decided to post as I had some issues getting the described methods to work also.

Thanks to to mistadman and crnkoj and liranm2. My post is simply to join all of the items into a single method and provide information on what the resulting un-greyed settings do.

End result is that this method works flawlessly providing that all of the following steps are completed.

1) Edit the following files:

/system/etc/motorola/com.android.phone/defaults.xml

/data/data/com.android.phone/shared_prefs/settings.xml

/data/data/com.android.phone/shared_prefs/com.android.phone_preferences.xml

/data/data/com.android.phone/shared_prefs/_has_set_default_values.xml

Setting:

change the line

"network_select_menu" > "false" > "true"

2) When I initially tested, I found that the files would revert to their original state after rebooting, but on http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1108181 member liranm2 states that YOU MUST DELETE THE BACKUP XML FILES THAT ROOT EXPLORER CREATES.

3) Reboot phone.

In summary, the above changes provide un-greyed options under Settings, Wireless & networks, Mobile networks as follows:

1) Select network

2) Operator selection

'Select network' provides the following options:

2G only = GSM only = lowest battery consumption, with slowest data speeds

3G only = WCDMA only = highest battery consumption, with fastest data speeds

Automatic = GMS auto (PRL) = medium battery consumption, with fastest data speeds when 3G towers are 'preferred' over 2G towers. This is based on what the towers advertise as being available. i.e. if a 2G tower has a stronger signal than another 2G/3G capable tower, then use 2G.

Automatic uses less juice becasue:

2G uses less juice :)

a stronger signal will yield lower transmit power consumption by the phone, i.e. don't force 3G if there is a stronger signal available at 2G.

'Operator selection':

Search networks = see all of the providers that your radio is compatible with, i.e. providers transmiting on frequencies your device supports.

Select automatically = will prompt every time your phone moves between different services that your provider offers that are not considered roaming.

On AT&T's network, using Any Cut to run Activity, GSM/UMTS Options provides a slight variation of the above menu. This can be used without modifying files. Instead we get a 'Use only 2G networks' check box which causes the phone to switch between GSM Only and GSM auto (PRL).

All of the methods described have the same result as dialing *#*#4636#*#*, then Phone Information, Set preferred network type. The acronyms shown on this menu most likely do not mean what you think they mean, hence the descriptions included in this post. Alternate method is to use Any Cut to run Activity and select Phone Information (thanks Vangelis13).

I'll post a link to this on the GingBlur thread to see if Ken will include these changes in his next version. My opinion is that having these settings would take the phone closer to a native build.

BTW Nice comments from crnkoj. Although I did not need to modify any settings.db files in any way, those files have some pretty interesting fields in them, just nothing that appears to be network_select_menu related.

Files listed below are for references purposes only. DO NOT MODIFY!!!

/data/data/com.andoird.providers.settings/databases/settings.db

/data/data/com.motorola.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db