First Time Install
-
Hello!
I've ordered a used Pixel 3a with the intention of loading UT on it and trying to use it as my daily driver phone. I work from home most of the time so I'm on wifi 99% of the time anyhow, so even if the cellular data has some hiccups it's probably not a big deal.
I'm wondering about how I should go about getting this working, the order of operations if you will. I presently have a Galaxy S7 with a nano sim, I've been doing reading on whether I'll have to take the Pixel to the US Cellular store to get the Pixel activated and it sounds like I might be able to just take the SIM from the GS7 and put it into the Pixel. Anyone have any experience with that? The phone should be unlocked, so presumably if it's unlocked and the SIM is already activated I should be able to use it, right?
Should I try it with Android that the phone ships with first? Is there any information I should take from the OEM OS?
Separate question, does anyone have experience pairing the phone with bluetooth devices like headphones, or a car, on UT? I'm assuming there's no drop-in replacement for Android auto but if I understand the car (2018 Chrysler 300) computer's system I should still be able to pair a bluetooth device and just play music through it. Long term I am actually hoping to be able to either hack or replace the car computer with some kind of linux, UConnect is garbage.
Really looking forward to getting a phone that's not Android, putting it through the paces, debugging any issues that come up. Cheers!
-
From someone with 3 bad attempts to buy the right Pixel, let me share 2 things to keep an eye on when your phone arrives (assuming you bought the phone listed as new. And if you already know this, then great!): Make sure it's a G020G model. G020E is the Verizon model. And double check that the bootloader can be OEM unlocked. My last attempt was a G020G model but the bootloader was locked. T-Mobile (who it was locked for) couldn't unlock it and told me to get a refund.
For swapping the SIM, it depends on the carrier, but generally you can just take your current SIM card and put it in a new phone and it'll just work. Double check on your carrier's website or searching US Cellular swap sim cards. I can say that swapping SIMs on Sprint does not work because for some stupid reason Sprint has 4 different kinds of SIM cards, and I don't mean sizes. And even still, Sprint ties the SIM to the IMEI and so it wouldn't swap even if it was compatible in both phones. T-Mobile on the other hand does allow swapping SIMs. I'm believe it's the same for AT&T.
(This part is solely my own speculation) I think you should swap your SIM card or activate a new one while the phone has Android just to be safe. You may want to also consider copying down the information in Android's APN settings. That will be helpful for any APN tinkering you may need, as evident from other posts here (APN settings are retrieved automatically from the SIM card, but may still need adjusting or duplicating in some way). I think you should have an active SIM card in the phone when you go to install UT. That's what I would do.
-
@manchee1017 Okay, great, thanks!
It's a used phone I'm getting through an Amazon seller, but if the listing is accurate it should be G020G model. Hopefully the bootloader is unlocked, according to answers to a couple people who asked it is.
Okay so here's the plan:
Get the phone
Swap the SIM
See if data, SMS, MMS, calling work
Copy down APN settings
If everything seems good flash UTLooking forward to reporting success by...the 9th hopefully!
Thanks!
-
@crab_aesthetics I was buying mine through Amazon too, so still double check. I know the listing itself says G020G Unlocked, but what any seller actually has can be up in the air. I bought twice on the same G020G Unlocked listing from different sellers, the first was G020E and the second was absolutely locked. This goes for the Q&A too. Even though they're all together under the same listing, it can be up in the air about what phone those people actually have.
Otherwise your plan seems good. Checking calls and texts may be unnecessary because it's Android and of course it would work. Essentially just as long as the phone accepts the SIM and there isn't any message about needing to unlock the carrier or something, you'll be good.
Hope all goes well
-
@manchee1017 yah that's the trouble with Amazon sellers, total coin flip if what you get is what's listed. I guess I'll find out soon enough.
-
@crab_aesthetics my 2017 Hyndai Ioniq paired easily with my 3a over bluetooth and happily reconnects when I enter the car. I can play music and even make and take calls using the car's touchscreen and buttons on the steering wheel. YMMV, but I felt I should at least let you know what I have working.
-
@rdl85 That system is UConnect, right?
-
@crab_aesthetics I'll check next time I'm in the car and report back.
-
@crab_aesthetics as far as I could tell there was nothing labled Uconnect in the bluetooth menu/options in my Hyundai. A quick Google search Looking for Hyundai and Uconnect also didn't bring up anything. It seems like a vanilla stock Bluetooth implementation. Hope this helps.
-
Phone came and it was a dud, bum antennae! Wouldn't connect to LTE/CDMA network no matter what, even cell store guy thought it was good to go but the antennae just seemed non-functional. Have to get replacement :^(
-
@crab_aesthetics bummer! Hope you can find a replacement. 3a is a nice UT phone.
-
@rdl85 I am able to connect to my BMW i3 bluetooth and make and receive calls with a Pixel 3a running UT Version 400 (dev). Good sound and microphone performance. This is a big improvement from my old Nexus 5, which had extreme distortion in hands free calls.
-
@rdl85 Just got the replacement today, heading to the cell store after work to get a SIM and try to get it activated, then I'll flash UT later tonight when I get back. Pretty stoked.
-
@crab_aesthetics If you need help, i did my first install a few days ago... Had driver issues, reach out if you do to.
-
@trwidick Well, so far, so bad.
Began by trying to flash the phone with PQ3B.190801.002, it seemed like it was going well but then it said "Flash failed. The device has stopped responding." Now it's just in a loop where it won't leave Fastboot Mode (probably because it was in the process of writing the OS image when it failed). I'm thinking maybe it has something to do with the USB cable, but I only have the one USB C cable so I have to run to the gas station to try to get a different one, or idk maybe Walgreens but that's a lot farther to drive. I started flashing it on a Linux computer and when it failed I tried it on a Windows 10 HP laptop, but it doesn't seem to want to recognize on that one. I'm gonna go to the store and get a different cable and see if that doesn't do the trick. If not, oof idk. That would be not good.
EDIT
It turns out it was indeed the USB cable. I had initially tried with the one that it came with (USB C male to USB C male) plugging the end opposite the phone in to the computer's USB C port. This was probably my mistake.
After trying a regular USB A to USB C cable I was able to flash Android 9.0 and am now about to flash UT.
-
@crab_aesthetics good luck!
-
@crab_aesthetics When it gets to fastboot this is where i had my issus. I used windows 10.
-
@trwidick Yes the installer seemed to be going well, then it got to the point where it said to choose to boot into Recovery, then nothing worked. I will try more tomorrow.
-
@crab_aesthetics When it hits this point and does nothing. I had to go to windows device manager and then find my pixel 3a. Manually reinstall the same driver, then reload the webpage in the browswer.
Currently Using: Google Pixel 3a (sargo) OTA-17
-
@crab_aesthetics sorry but I bet my experience won't be much help. My install went like this: the installer finished the install and seemed to suggest a successful intall, but then it wouldn't boot fully into UT, just hung on Google screen. I then tried reflashing and then halfway through the reflash my 3a booted up and it just started to work. I have always wondered if the first flash had an error in one of the early steps and the second partial reflash fixed it... That whole install process was a little touch and go.
