[LG V30 Questions & Answers] ChazzMatt:
First part of your question is answerd further down in this post.

As for software..

No, the US998 is on 10b, both the V30 and V30+. No updates yet, they shipped with that. I own two US998 V30 and one US998 V30+.

---------- Post added at 04:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:42 PM ----------

What they are probably talking about is this...

My idea posted here in this forum back in November, based on custom LGUP file. It was used to flash LG V20 to other V20 variant firmware not meant to be flashed, and was also used on LG G5 for similar reasons. But you need a custom LGUP file MADE for the LG V30 to force it to ignore normal restrictions. (There's links below answering all your questions about that.) You can't re-use one from another model series. It's something a dev can do.

At the time I suggested it, someone asked why that method hadn't been used to root the T-Mobile LG G6, and I pointed out this custom LGUP method had not been publicized until August (and even then it was in the V20 forum) after which many people had given up on the T-Mobile LG G6. So, guess word has drifted back over to that forum? It needs a custom LGUP file, which a dev knows how to make.

For the V30, it's also going to need bootloader unlocked US998 KDZ, which doesn't exist yet...

HERE'S THE POST:

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https://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=74689131&postcount=123

I'm not a dev, but I have a theory based on what worked with the LG V20 AFTER Dirty Santa was patched. A dev used a custom made LGUP.exe file that tricked the LG V20 into installing KDZ for another LG V20 variant. He then rooted, installed TWRP, and then re-flashed the original firmware but still had TWRP recovery. The person who did this saw a similar method being used for the LG G5 to do something, and he coded an LGUP.exe file for the V20.

And yes, he then used Dirty Santa to unlock the bootloader, but ignore that. The T-mobile LG V30 doesn't need bootloader unlocked -- it needs firmware which can let TWRP be installed.

For something like this to work on the T-mobile, you need to wait for the open market US998 to be released, and placed on the bootloader unlock list. Then you need KDZ from that and a specially coded LGUP.exe file. The file for the V20 will NOT work, you will need one coded for the LG V30.

You would basically convert the T-mobile H932 temporarily to a US998, install TWRP, then flash back to H932 and still have TWRP installed.

I include links to all this dev work in these two posts, and explain more:

https://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=74557506&postcount=76

https://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=74561087&postcount=78

In those two posts I also state why this may not work... but like I said I'm not a dev.

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Deny WHAT? You can unlock your T-mobile H932 right now. The T-mobile H932 V30 and the T-mobile LG G6 have bootloader unlock already. What they don't have are fastboot flash commands.

Flashing bootloader unlocked US998 KDZ firmware over the bootloader unlocked H932 would hopefully give it those commands.

Then install TWRP on the H932 temporarily converted to US998.

Finally, flash back everything to H932 firmware EXCEPT the recovery, and BOOM -- you have bootloader unlocked H932 with TWRP installed.

From there you are golden. You can root, flash ROMs, etc using TWRP recovery.