I’m in the US and am finding that /e/ does not support many mainstream devices in this country. I understand why this is the case as we do not have laws that prevent manufacturers from locking down devices. Still, I would like to know if anyone has a suggestion of a particular device that wouldn’t be too expensive ($200-$400 is my range) and well supported. I’m on T-Mobile (GSM) and so compatibility with their system is a must.
Thanks!
Maybe a good choice will be a chinese “global” phone, that you can buy from Internet.
You’ll have to check against /e/ officially supported models (https://doc.e.foundation/devices/), and then network compatibility.
For example, for my Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 which is supported by /e/ :
https://www.frequencycheck.com/compatibility/By4Xs8k/xiaomi-mi-mix-2-black-ceramic-edition-global-dual-sim-td-lte-128gb/united-states
Another database : https://willmyphonework.net/
As I could understand you should avoid US Samsung’s, they have different hardware.
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Here in the U.S. (California), I have two phones with /e/. ZTE Axon 7 (since /e/OS 0.1) and Essential PH-1 mata. T-Mobile network and all is good.
As far as inexpensive but capable phones, the Motorola G7 (river?) might be a good choice. Been falling way behind on my forum reading but I do believe that device is now supported and has /e/OS Q builds ready for testing.
Otherwise, as mentioned you’ll have to do some research with some of the global variants of other devices that may be supported by /e/.
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I have been using /e/ for a while in the USA with Verizon and have no complaints. The OS is stable and simple, and the Moto G7 (XT1962-1 AKA River) from Motorola is a great midrange phone that works with all US carriers. The installation isn’t very difficult. As you can see in the earlier post, there is a detailed How-To on the installation process. I would recommend the phone. I have been able to buy a new phone for less than $200 from Ebay. Amazon is probably a better source but is a lot more expensive.
As I said, the /e/ OS is stable but the current ROM is only available as an unofficial build. If I understand the forums I have been reading, the XT1962-1 is hopefully going to be official soon.
Take a look at the How-To instructions shown above and see if it is something you can handle. I have helped others install the OS, as well as built the /e/ phone for some for a small fee. Send me a message if you have any questions.
J.O.Y.
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Thanks very much- I found a good deal on Amazon for the XT-1962-1 and ordered one. Your guide was great and made the ROM-flashing process a breeze. All things considered, I’m very happy with the phone, despite its beta status. I have encountered a curious issue- 90% of the apps that I’ve downloaded and installed from the F-Droid store immediately crash when I attempt to run them. Thankfully, they’re all available on the /e/ app store and/or the Aurora store- so that doesn’t present an immediate problem. Really, the only glaring issue that I’ve encountered is the inability for me to use WIFI calling on the US T-Mobile network. It was working with the stock ROM but not with the /e/ ROM. I called T-Mobile and they walked me though the APN network settings but it didn’t make a difference. I realize that this is a beta and so I can’t complain. Due to T-Mobile’s poor service in my local area, WIFI calling is pretty important. But like I said, for a beta, it seems to be amazingly stable.
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A lot of good information here. I’m in the southeast and we have better coverage than we had a decade ago, but it’s still spotty.
Has anyone of you installed a OnePlus 6T, or Huawei 5X, S9+, or the wild Sony Xperia Z5 or used them here?
I’m getting ready to look for one of those or get an S9+ preconfigured.
Thanks
Yes, avoid US Samsung. Mine is locked, a brick of sort…
I flashed /e/ to a new TMobile 6T after obtaining the unlock code and flashing it. The phone works better than my previous S9 and S9+ phones (non US phones with Exynos processors) because the modem communicated with ALL TMobile bands.
See THIS post.
On the Galaxy S9 and S9+ phones I did use, they had spotty coverage in rural areas. My guess is due the missing bands, I don’t have this issue with my OP 6T.
Thanks EGX, serious high praise. OnePlus seems to be a favorite.
I’ll make up my mind today and move on a phone after.
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See THIS post.
The Moto, G7+, in this post 
also works great. I picked up 2 of them brand new for only $120 each. Very good affordable phones that also cover all TMob’s bands and function very well here in the US when using /e/.
Good to know. I need a little bit more audio/video oompf though. That’s why the list above. So far it sounds as if the OnePlus is the way to go unless I can find an Xperia Z5.
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I haven’t read through this whole thread but want to share a few phones that work great with /e/ in the USA and a few you should avoid. I have personally used each of these phones with /e/. I hope this saves someone the headache and $$$ it cost me (great learning for me and worth the $$$ expense however).
AVOID, as of July 31, 2021 no VoLTE or VoWiFi support. When supported I WOULD recommend:
- Samsung Galaxy S9 “starlte” Exynos processor (Qualcomm model can’t be used)
- Samsung Galaxy S9+ “star2lte” Exynos processor (Qualcomm model can’t be used)
- Samsung Galaxy Note 9 “crownlte” Exynos processor (Qualcomm model can’t be used)
Work Great/Good:
- OnePlus 6T “Fajita”, VoLTE and VoWiFi functioning
- Motorola G7+ “Lake”, VoLTE and VoWiFi functioning
- Teracube 2e (/e/Store or Self Flash)VoLTE functioning devs should have VoWiFi functioning soon.
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I will just add that for any phone being considered for the U.S., first make sure it is known to have VoLTE-capability with your chosen carrier(s), as it will be useless in the U.S. market otherwise. You might be surprised to find out how many fairly “recent” phones didn’t ship with VoLTE certification.
Also be aware that if you buy an international version of a phone, as opposed to a U.S. version, it might have different firmware. The U.S. firmware might be certified for VoLTE in the U.S., whereas the international (or European, or Asian, or “Global”, etc.) might not be certified for U.S. carriers.
Don’t let that stop you, though, because you should be able to download the correct firmware from the OEM’s website and flash it to the device. I had to do just that with my Xperia XZ1 Compact in order to get VoLTE working. That was way before I installed /e/, so I’m not sure if it’s a required step prior to installing a custom ROM or not. I’m on AT&T right now, so haven’t tested VoLTE post-installation yet. (AT&T calls still work without VoLTE for the time being.)
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TMobile as well but the coverage is very bad. Its almost as though 3G/2G spectrum has been retired in pockets where I live. Safest bet is to ensure you have at minimum VoLTE support.
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Quick update: I recently switched to an MVNO that runs on T-mobile USA; VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling (including wifi texting) are working great on my phone.
I can confirm that the Motorola Moto G7 Plus - “lake” works with VoLTE in the US with ATT/Straight talk/Tracfone