[G2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] cellrama:
CAREFUL WHEN FLASHING LG - model: LG-D801 (my story)

Thanks to all who provided feedback! I've always been an iPhone guy until I made the switch to the Samsung Galaxy S3 upon it's release. I made the switch because I was not a die-hard Apple fan who needed connectivity amongst an array of Apple products but just liked the ease of use when it came to the device. Every since switching to Samsung, I loved the device, it's ease of use and the support provided both by Samsung and the open market of users.

Due to the amount of Samsung users, questions are answered very quickly and the process for modification is relatively straight forward! Some changes have been made to thwart attempts to ROOT, install RECOVERY and FLASH but within short periods of time, workarounds are found. I did make a mistake whereby I bricked my first Note 3 and sold it to a friend only to find out it was not bricked but did not have recovery software to boot into in order to fix. Hey... It's a learning experience and I bought another one which with what's offered, there's no shortage of praise.

I hear a lot of hype on the LG-G2 and thought I would give it a shot. I have to admit, the phone is very intuitive, somewhat similar in style to the S4 but unless you buy for the exact carrier you wish to use the device on, good luck with trying to ROOT, install RECOVERY and do any type of FLASHING! LG makes this extremely difficult especially with their new button placement and combination one must press to enter a "download" mode.

Phoning LG directly, I received confirmation the device models LG-D801 and LG-D803 have identical specs and the only difference is the carrier code for the LG-D801 (Canadian variant) has it's regional codes set to WIND which disables the LTE capable modem. If unlocking the device, it will do a boot-loader unlock which means the GSM/LTE/WCDMA (auto connect) modem will display within your "Network Options" but the speed is still crippled at 4G rate. I was told the only way to unlock the modem for true LTE capability on this device is to FLASH the correct ROM for a supported carrier and change the regional settings to match the carrier ROM you just installed.

I asked if I could be provided with the dial-pad entry to enter the regional code menu and it was suggested I call a company in my local area who supports LG services. Upon doing this, I was told this company only flashes the original carrier firmware onto the device as carriers have agreements in place with LG to cripple devices so they cannot be cross-utilized with other carriers. In my opinion, this is a JOKE! If I pay full price for a device, I do not wish for it to be limited to a specific network. The individual at the LG Service Centre did advise when you use the software to FLASH, on boot-up, the device will prompt with the regional menu for me to pick the appropriate carrier details at which point, it will reboot and all is good!

THIS WAS A LIE! I got the proper flashing software, rooted the device and installed the LG-D803 Telus ROM (.kdz file) and upon booting, the device said "reading parameters" and came back with a message advising incorrect carrier firmware detected and the device powered up. When powering back on, I saw the LG Logo and the phone would automatically shut off.

I phoned back and advised of my problem only to be told it's not recommended anyone do this and they are not responsible for the mess up. I did not ask them to take responsibility as I'm fully aware of the consequences of my actions but asked how I can get things back to normal if I cannot boot into a recovery program or have my stock firmwares (.kdz file). I was told to bring the device in and it would be a $30 FLASH charge. Upon going to their location, I was advised since trying to enable my device for a carrier in which the phone was not authorized for (model: 801 being flashed to 803), this is a violation of the LG Terms of Service based on the agreement they have with carrier crippling. I was told under these circumstances, the device would be flashed back to the WIND ROM and oh yeah... That will be $120. :(

When talking with a technician at LG, I asked out of curiosity whether or not the device supports true LTE speeds and can be configured to work on Telus. In a nonchalant manner, he responded "It can but we would not do it based on agreements in place between the manufacturers, carriers and their service centres.". He later mentioned all they would need to do is set the carrier (region) code prior to flashing the .kdz file for Telus and upon reboot, it would work. So in essence, set region code before flashing but you cannot set this as LG regional codes are far more difficult to obtain vs. Samsung

Needless to say, I am extremely impressed with the device but not so much LG as a company considering I am a consumer paying full price for a device and therefore, it should be completely open to whichever carrier I wish to use without crippling. I ended up making a deal with my friend who in turn paid the flashing fee of $120 and earned himself a new LG G2 (model: LG-D801) device.

I will stick with my Note 3 and future Samsung products and this was a learning experience!