Subject: LG V10 compatibility with Sprint's network.

[Devmanner]

I'd like to buy an LG V10 and use it with RingPlus.net's service - which uses Sprint's CDMA network. (Most phones compatible with Sprint's network are supposed to work.) Assuming that's true and assuming Verizon will unlock a Verizon LG V10 phone (and their website claims they will be happy to unlock phones), my question is: Will the phone be compatible with the Sprint network?

The LG V10 specs read:
"Wireless Band : LTE 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 7 / 13 WCDMA 1 / 2 / 5 / 8 CDMA 850 / 1900 GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900"

and the Sprint specs read:
"Sprint's 4G LTE network runs on bands 24, 25 and 41 with band 25 in the 1900 MHz range being the carrier's primary frequency. Bands 24 and 41 are used to boost the capacity of the network and its speed."

I don't know enough about how to interpret that info, to feel confident that the phone will 1) work on the Sprint network and, if so, if it will work on 4G LTE.

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Sprint is known to be a little difficult when it comes to BYOD--see here: Sprint Bring Your Own Phone & Device

If you are able to get the phone activated, it wouldn't get 4G LTE, because the bands don't match. The 1900 MHz mentioned for the V10 is for 3G HSDPA, not 4G.

 

[Devmanner]

Thanks for your message. Yes, Sprint makes is sound relatively easy but the posts in their forum indicate that it can be a real pain. The lack of 4G LTE, though, makes it not worthwhile to spend that much on the phone to even try. The variety of unlocked CDMA-compliant non-contract smartphones with removable batteries and SD slots is extremely limited. This morning, I discovered an alternative that's workable (but not ideal). I've now transformed my Windows tablet into a phone and can just use WIFI connections to make calls. It's funky without better speaker and mic than I currently have, but it works! Thanks again for the very helpful info.

 

[kramer5150]

I was researching RingPlus the other day and it seems like a nice affordable option, but I imagine it would all depend on Sprints network availability.

Curious... why would you spend the $$$ for a flagship device and activate it on an entry level network? I've always believed its better to activate an entry level or mid-tier handset on a good carrier, than a flagship handset on an entry level carrier. Is my line of thinking wrong?

 

[Devmanner]

No, you're not wrong. My situation is not a conventional one. I only very occasionally need telephone services that are not landline services. I live in the boonies and to use any cell phone, I'd need to be outside to get a signal. Not convenient. I wanted a phone that had nice features, though, for a couple of reasons... The main one is that I couldn't find a phone that got any decent reviews anywhere that would work with RingPlus. (Apparently RingPlus changed their policy and no longer will activate Sprint-network-compliant non-contract phones - which would have been reasonably priced.) If I have to spend $350, I might as well, go for it, spend a a bit more and get a removable battery, sd card slot, a nice camera and other enticing features. Anyway, that was my reasoning.