yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
FYI:

This is AFTER I removed my first directly connected sim.

I took a couple of readers off of some donor phones and tried the remote sim reader method, but something was up with the pcb, and no sims would register. I didn't have the dc supply to the simcard.

As I had chopped & soldered the first sim, I couldn't just insert it into another phone to see if it was the sim card or the phone that was faulty, so reworking the wires/solder joints etc is probably what led to more issues. The sim had actually failed.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] agazza:
Witch simholder is everybody using and where can i order it?

A nice tutorial would be nice if we could put it together. I Can also take pictures when i get my phone.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
I'm using a sim reader that I pulled from another phone. Last pic above is of the donors.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] CornholioGSM:
best is use i9300 reader or one s reader
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] williamblandy:
Hi,

My photon worked okay for months on GSM network. Now I unlocked the bootloader by the moto provided code, and after reboot the phone was reset to factory defaults and GSM no longer works :(

Any ida?

At *#*#4636#*#* I cannot select gsm (prl auto) which worked before, it jumps back to whichever previous setting what contained CDMA.

There are no gsm networks in manual list.

SIM card works okay, PIN unlocks etc..

any idea?

Flashed to cm10.1, same results.

Thanks,
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
Does your phone say there is a sim present, or does it say no sim detected???
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] williamblandy:
SIM present, it unlocks with pin code, I can read contacts from it, and can get infos by a sim card reader app.

Not even emergency calls are possible!
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] Loader009:
Did you do anything with the Baseband within *#*#4636#*#* in Stock ROM?

This made me similiar problems, my Photon Q was not able anymore to connect to any GSM/WCDMA service.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
You may have already done it, but just check that the GSM roaming restrictions are turned off.

This is what got mine working when I first did the mod.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] williamblandy:
Thanks, it seems the bootloader unlock changed the baseband to something else.

It works now, thank you guys!
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] agazza:
Ok, so now i got my phone and i have some short questions i would appricieate some help with :)

should i root and update the phone pbefore mod or doesnt it matter?

you people living outside the US, how did you unlock via the motorola homepage? I can´t register anywhere and i do not have logg in info for my phone i bought through ebay.

Or is it any other way to unlock and root the photon q?

i really really want to get started :):laugh:
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] krisje8:
You can just use the Motorola site, that's what I did. I think once you try to login it will show a register link, I don't remember exactly.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] agazza:
Nothing comes upp for me, tried three browsers.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
From memory - the moto web site prompted me to run some adb command prompt function which gave me a series of numbers, this I cut & pasted into the Moto bootloader unlock web page, which gave me another series of numbers that I pasted back into the command prompt, which unlocked the boot loader.

At first it kept telling me the phone couldn't be unlocked, but this was due to spaces appearing in the cut/pasting. Need check carefully to make sure these are removed before continuing on their web page.

Worked for me in Aus. Can check & msg the web link I used tomorrow if you still have no luck finding it.

I think there is at least one way to easily root the phone without officially unlocking the bootloader as long as you haven't updated it. This will prevent the "unlocked bootloader" warning from appearing every time you turn it on.

I will be trying this method on the next 1 or 2 Q's.

---------- Post added at 02:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:18 AM ----------

Agazza - I modded mine first, didn't stop me unlocking or OTA updating it.

Keep in mind that unlocking the bootloader will wipe anything you do to the phone & factory reset it. As mentioned above, you will have to re-enter the network/band info, & remove GSM roaming restrictions again. All APN's are reset etc.

The last thing I was working on was changing the extra "hidden menu" settings for voicemail & MMS. These additional settings are locked to sprint inside this menu structure, and normally require the phone's 6 digit account pincode.

It looks like one of the guys found a way to circumvent this by using custom settings shortcuts (check previous posts) if you have already applied the OTA update.

There is a couple of methods for retrieving the account pincode that are supposed to work if you haven't OTA updated the phone (catlog, adb etc), so I HIGHLY recommend using these methods first & get the 6 digit pincode before updating, this way you can use the pin to access/modify the hidden menu features after unlocking the bootloader & OTA/manual updating.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] ImaginationStation:
Anyone know if these SIM modded phones have any problems with the update to 98.10.5.en.US?

I keep getting a prompt to update to 98.10.5.en.US (JB) but I keep hitting "Install Later" because I'm concerned it might be the same problem that Maxpowerxp had back when he updated his ICS version.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] Rennert:
No problems:)

...Tapatalk
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] ImaginationStation:
Thanks :)

Did you just do it by hitting "Install Now" when you get the update prompt?

There's lot of instructions on here to do it different ways (Removing the modem file, etc) but I'm not a phone whiz. I paid the local phone shop to do a SIM card swap for me and I don't know how to do all the software fancies like everyone here.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] MiklerGM:
can't find a network

Hello,

I solder my sim directly in Photon Q, i can read some information from sim with "simcard" app. But i can't find a network. But once i have recieved a full signal, i was so happy... And after some manipulations signal has gone away. A resolder my simcard again. But i can find only one network, and it's not my carrier.

Thanks

Wow, now i can see, how ugly my soldering is

I loose one of capacitors, but as i see from this

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=35156074&postcount=195&nocache=1&z=3841398474145125

they are not necessary

UPD: My device can't register in my carriers network. When i tried to search networks manualy, every single time i recieve a different output

Most recent

==

MTS RUS

==

MTS RUS

Beeline

==

MTS RUS

Beeline

Tele2

Megafon

When i trying to select megafon network, phone said that he can't connect to this network at this time, please try again later

UDP2: I think my problem is solved. I switch back in *#*#4636#*#* on LTE/Cdma/evdo/gsm and trying to call. and my phone is calling and it works

thank you

UPD3: unsolved, i rebooted my phone and it can't connect to the network again :( When i trying to call "Out of service area"

Only emergency :(

UPD4: Something wrong with my gsm antenna. On the street phone works fine, but when i'm in the office it wouldnt work.

How-to fix?

UPD5: Solved - i change wires.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] Rennert:
If you have a fully stock ICS without changes, you can "install now"

...Tapatalk
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] agazza:
I cant for the love of god get the chip loose. Bought a 10dollar gas heat gun that i dont think can go to so low temperatures as promised. How did you guys manage to get the chip of with this types of guns? i have like 4 layers of aluminumfoil to cover the rest but im afraid of torching the phone

Skickat från min HTC Vision via Tapatalk 2¨

EDIT:

Can i dremel it of if im carefull? I´m like a child before christmas, this needs too be done now.

another tip, don´t forget the sdcard in the reader when varming things upp, it will ruin the reader pop out function....
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
Hi Agazza,

I only used 1x layer of foil for the shield & then 1x fresh layer of foil for the chip. Trim neatly around the device, e.g. so only the top is exposed.

The gas torch I used had a fine flame, and I set this on low - about as low as I could get it. Point the torch down at the chip in a way that any heat wash flows off away from nearby sensitive components, such as your msd reader. Touch the blue tip of the flame onto the chip, heat until you can lift it off with tweezers. Don't try to force it, as you may lift off the pads underneath! It will come loose, & you will be able to move it when it is free.

Regardless of how you heat it, you need to get it hot enough to melt the solder, so whether you had the hot air gun or torch, it takes the same amount of heat to do the job.

Using a Dremel sounds like a nasty way to do it, but I only saw one guy post that he'd done it this way, and no-one else has reported using this method.

I'd say you haven't got it hot enough yet. Good on you for having a go. Yes, it felt like a kid at Christmas for me too!

Did the shield come off easily?
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] agazza:
I think its my crappy torch, it got the shield redhot in a sec, and that one popped of easy, but the chip with open flame for like i minute did nothing, just started to burn upp my 4 layers of tinfoil around the chip, so i think i need a cooler torch. Im going to have a working photon Q no matter what :)

Im going north for the weekend, meaby the folks have some fun equippment

Skickat från min HTC Vision via Tapatalk 2
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
Man! Agazza, when I said pencil sized butane torch, I meant "tiny". The type you would use for fine work, like jewellery or something.

Hope it all works out for you, sounds like the torch you have is not suitable.

Good luck.:)
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] ruslan1718:
Thanks to CornholioGSM excellent job , you are great!
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] agazza:
This isnt necassery if i Will use cm10.1 right? I already uppdated :(
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
Not sure about CM, as I haven't used it on the PQ, but I guess flashing the CM rom will remove the Sprint settings.

I have read about some people having call troubles with CM in the PQ forum though.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] harryspar:
If I break resistors/capacitors like some people posted,

will it break only the GSM function? Or also CDMA?

Can I still use it on Sprint if I mess up this mod?
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] Maxpowersxp:
you dont need to do step 1-4 at all the mod will work with ics and jb right out of the box with all official updates.

6) it helps if you put just a little flux paste around the sides of the chip before you desolder it.

7) you need a solder iron not a gun. 15-30w will do the trick.

also for

#8 APN Type - internet
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
I've compiled a series of pics (as I said I would) for using the torch for removing the shield & chip, so here goes.

1. Materials req'd - stiff drink of choice, tinfoil, main PCB, fine gas torch, tweezers etc.

2. Wrap foil around pcb & trim around shield

3. Heat with small to medium flame - don't have it so hot that it burns the foil! The trick is to heat it enough to release the shield quickly, doing it too slowly will just heat the whole pcb through heat transfer.

4. Pops loose like this.

5. Leaves the pcb nice & clean

6. Rinse & repeat for the chip - trimming tightly around the top
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
edited & merged (learning)

This is cr@p! - Can anyone enlighten me as to why I can't post my pics & comments together? I keep getting knocked back. Been trying to edit & add the comments to the pics, but can only get as far as I have above - can't add the 2nd half... Have tried waiting the mandatory 2 minutes etc.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
(Cont'd)

7. Apply flame in a direction that allows heat wash to flow away from close by components, like this

8. Chip comes away nicely

9. Notice the pale colour of the chip? This is what it gets to before it pops loose

10. Clean board, no spatter of solder, no heat damage etc

11. Might help some people to use one of these

12. Soldering the wires for test

13. Sim Card app showing GSM signal & sim working

14. Found some braided wires out of my old moto headphones, decided to use these, as per Cornholio's suggestion - very tiny wires, so they fit between shields etc!

Hope this helps, & shows you guys how to do this without the hot air workstation.

After all - what's the worst that could happen? Haha!
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
Done uSim slot using donor reader + cut down adapter, & fitted back cover - it's not a spring loaded reader, but I don't want to swap sims all the time, just want to be able to remove the sim (not have it soldered in) if necessary.

This PQ was in bad shape when I got it, smashed screen, a bit mangled etc.

Had to repair the antenna above the speaker using a bit of braided wire - not sure what it's for though - BT???

GSM data is working fine.

Might try CM10.x on this one.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] Sesamechicken:
OMG IM SO JELLY!!!! I don't have the tools necessary to do that :/ can you sell it on ebay pls?
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
Hey there, I don't think in step 5 that removing the keyboard foil is necessary - at least the way I did the shield removal, but that is just my opinion.

---------- Post added at 03:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:04 AM ----------

Hi sesamechicken,

Haven't thought about selling on eBay, I'm still playing around with these PQ's. I want to explore the rom/software side of them, so having a stock & custom rom phones side by side makes it easy to compare.

I will have a few modded ones soon though (x3).
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] Speedraca:
Thanks

Thanks for the corrections/clarifications Maxpowersxp, and schmandroid!
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] CornholioGSM:
.....GOOOOOD WORK SPEEDRACA.....little dangerous, but good work :) :) :)

I have made today my 50th photon mod :)
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
Hey Tomas, you are the legend. I'm just following your lead & doing this coz none of these lame manufacturers will support the hardware keyboard community properly. Fancy releasing a global phone with no removable simcard!

It's funny- I see quite a few sigs with HTC G2/DZ's on here, coz we all want good specs & HW/KB, and the ole G2 is getting a bit slooow.

This is just a hobby for me.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] CornholioGSM:
legend :D :D :D
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] Skrilax_CZ:
He has Photons Q everywhere in his office :p
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] harryspar:
If anyone in the US has experience with this mod and wants to do it for my PQ, post here or PM me and name your price.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] ChristianHJW:
Online Petition

Good morning everyone,

i'd like to inform you that i have started an Online Petition yesterday, on change.org, to convince the manufacturers to launch a modern ANDROID smartphone with keyboard in Europe :

http://www.change.org/de/Petitionen...ysical-keyboard-slider-for-european-customers

It is time that the big smartphone manufacturers start respecting their European customers again, instead of treating them as 2nd class customers ! Please support this petition with your signature !

Best Regards

ChristianHJW
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] CornholioGSM:
On internet are approx two similar petitions....nothing helps.

It is unnecessary:(
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] ChristianHJW:
Well, to be honest, if these petitions did get the same level of support as mine, then i do know why ;) .....

I did a lot of advertising for this petition, and i know that there is a big fan group of physical keyboards out there.

The result so far : 14 supporters only !?!

It is most likely a typical thing to happen these days : People always trust that others will do the jobs for them, especially when surfing the internet. They consider themselves with the right to consume from the internet, not to create anything in it. And they are reluctant to support uncool events, like an Online petition with only few voters, afraid not to look uncool by themselves.

Needless to say, this way we will never be successful :( .....

Anyhow, should you have links to any of the previous petitions, please send me those. I will make usre to sign them, unless the chance is not given any longer .....
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] CornholioGSM:
...here is one:

http://www.we-want-qwerty.com/index.php?lg=en&od=1
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] arrrghhh:
It's not just physical qwerty's in Europe mate. It's physical qwerty's everywhere - look at the other US providers, there's only a couple that carry the Photon Q. If you're on Tmobile, AT&T, Verizon... you're out of luck.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] CornholioGSM:
...i know i know :(

Today is popular maxi large screen and thin design .
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] Skrilax_CZ:
Verizon still has Droid 4 btw.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] wintrxtrem:
Has anyone done this mod in the US and tried using a domestic SIM card yet?
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
I've done this in Australia & it works on our networks.

Guess I could do it for anyone interested here in Oz, otherwse send your PQ to Cornholio.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] pdrift:
I'm wondering the same thing.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] harryspar:
Me three.
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] CornholioGSM:
...really???? and with which operator ???
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] senia:
GSM dissapeared

The Good:

I received my Photon Q today. Really good job! CornholioGSM made magic in the phone.

I put in my microSIM and get the network: I could make and receive calls.

The bad:

No Data in mobile. I tried to do changes in preferred network, I setup APN and nothing.

The worst:

Trying to get GSM data, I click on *#*#4636#*#* and change preferred network to GSM... and nothing... and I tried to play with Menu->Select radio band and I choose all, and when I selected USA Band (I also try with Cellular and PCS), my GSM network connection dissapeared...

So, right now, no data no calls... any idea?
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] wintrxtrem:
Try this: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2166542
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] Skrilax_CZ:
Which carrier are you on (Cellular & PCS are CDMA carriers btw.)?

Also from here: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2328255

It's possible that the stock rom may have to be patched for connection in U.S., try CM10.1
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] senia:
My Carrier is Pepephone, GSM Spanish Carrier
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] Skrilax_CZ:
Aha, then don't select USA band. It won't work at all ;)
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] senia:
That's the problem, trying to get GSM Mobile Data I selected USA band.

Now, no network is available... probably radioband was locked, I don't know

This could be corrected flashing CM10? I'm trying to found stock firmware or thinking to do a downgrade, maybe change the radio?
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] Skrilax_CZ:
USA band is not available in Europe, you have to select European Bands again (GSM 900/1800, WCDMA (900 - N/A on Photon Q), 2100). USA bands are GSM 850/1900 and WCDMA depending on the Operator (Photon Q supports 850/1900).
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] senia:
I flash it with using the Photon Q FXZ tutorial (http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2095536) and now GSM come back and I can use the phone to make/receive calls.

But also, I setup my network APN settings but I get not GSM/3G data connection.

I flashed:

Android 4.1.2 - Sprint US - 9.8.2Q-122_XT897_FFW-5 (No simlock)

asanti_c_sprint-user-4.1.2-9.8.2Q-122_XT897_FFW-5-6-release-keys-cid9.xml.zip
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] CornholioGSM:
Is not needed to flash it with special firmware....

answer is simple - you have wrong apn settings :)

test add this to apn:

auth type - pap

apn type - default

apn prot - ipv4

apn roam - ipv4

don't forget mark "allow gsm data"
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] senia:
Everything is working know. Finally I close the battery cover :good:

Thanks to the czech team
[Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE] schmandroid:
Findings - CM10.x, mSD cards, Wifi, MSL, Root etc

Hi there again everyone.

I'm Posting this so anyone who's sim modded & having issues with flashing recovery or rooting, or their phone/screen freezes & mSD card fails etc can see what I have worked through. I do also read the other threads, so when I say "screw" with the phone, it usually means try out some of those other tricks.

So, I've had 3x PQ's through here now.

I'm waiting for my first one to return from Cornholio, so I can check out his pro mod, but I have (rom &) reader modded the second one, & tested some stuff on the 3rd.

PQ1 - "solder-in" sim mod, stock rom updated to latest OTA, then found out there was a MSL - tried to find it using "photonq-msl.bat", but doesn't work after last OTA. Tried "RecoverX", "logcat" & "RadioComm". Unlocked the bootloader, root wouldn't stick well. Haven't tried the "custom shortcut" method to get to the "DATA" settings yet, as the sim card died after around 2 weeks, & I lost a resistor or 2 fault finding. Tomas to the rescue :good:

PQ2 - mangled, broken screen, scuffed - perfect for trying out a reader mod. Swapped out the screen & battery from PQ1 - powered up no probs. Did the gas torch mod, fitted reader, test - OK. Used the "photonq-msl.bat", worked a charm. Unlocked the bootloader, rooted with "motochopper", tried to flash TWRP with PS GOO, but it wouldn't install. Did the ADB method, wouldn't stick either - kept rebooting when trying to enter Fastboot mode. Screwed with it for a while, & BAM - TWRP! (did stock backup to internal SD).

Wiped & Flashed latest CM, arrrghhh's Kernel for CM & Gapps. All good (love how the APN's are auto assigned) MMS works. All seems to be good, apart from no longer being able to connect to one of my wifi networks, then the screen started to play up (choppy) - reboot 3x, same (looks like static on TV). Boots into Fastboot/TWRP & the screen is ok though???

I manage to get it running again, but the mSD card is playing up - same as has been posted on other threads. Tried all sorts of ways to get it to work (comp/other phone format), but no go. Luckily my stock ROM backup was to the internal SD!!! Flashed stock with TWRP - BAM! mSD card works fine! Thought to myself - will it run my spanking new 64GB Sandisk Ultra mSD? Insert, format - all good! Plus I can connect to my WiFi again!:cool:

Conclusion - Stock = better so far for me.

PQ3 - like brand new. Bought as broken/no-go. Swapped screen & batt - Works! Fit PQ3 screen & batt to PQ2 & charged for 5 mins - Works!

Ran "photonq-msl.bat" & saved MSL. Currently sitting in my draw while I think about what to do with it.

My recommendation - get your MSL before OTA, unlock & root, install TWRP/CWM, have a stock backup on internal SD. Run STOCK.

If your phone starts to play up (dodgy screen, apps havin a cry) when running CM/custom ROM etc, it may very well look like the mSD is at fault, but I have found it is the custom ROM combo in this instance. So Boot into recovery, flash back to STOCK. Test mSD etc then & see if problems persist.

Enjoy! :D