Google Fi is mostly a T-mobile MVNO, and mostly works with Lineage in my experience (it can sometimes be difficult to determine whether problems are problems with the phone or quirks with Google Fi itself).
I’m not sure that Clove would deal with potential customs duties for the US. If I recall correctly, US customs for shipments for personal use like this are somewhat complex because there is an exclusion that is not per shipment, but per year and for practical purposes per address. I think that the FP4 should be under the exclusion amount, but if you’ve purchased a number of other things previously, there might be customs duties charged. These often arrive as bills significantly after the package arrive, and depending on the shipping company can have a handling surcharge that is annoyingly high (eg ~$20-$50). This is in contrast to the EU where there is now essentially no exclusion at all, and duties are charged on everything, but handling fees are usually lower.
(Not to self-advertise, but I could also note that you could buy a used FP4 that’s already in the US.)
To be clear, I bought an FP4 from Clove. I paid only Clove for the phone and paid nothing additional to any other entity to have it delivered to my address in the state of Iowa.
Lately, i noticed that some times make long calls and receive calls. I need activate the load speaker mode on and then off. To able to talk as non-load speaker use me.
How much are you selling your phone for? I’m considering buying it. I’d need to know if there are glitches that could interfere with it working in areas where I’ll use it. Have you had any issues or malfunctions?
Chiming in a little late, but overall, I agree with everything written by 2allsew and will add:
I am using Mint Mobile, which is a T-Mobile MVNO, and my FP4 has been working great.
I am also using LineageOS. There are good, helpful instructions on the Fairphone website and on the LineageOS website describing all the steps necessary to be able to install LineageOS. I had never tried to install a different operating system on a phone before putting Lineage OS on my FP4. I believe most people should be able to follow the instructions.
A family member in the Netherlands purchased the FP4 for me and sent it to me in the US. It took about a week and a half, and a good chunk of that time was waiting to clear customs, but I don’t thing customs added any complication or cost to shipping the phone, I think it was just like any other package. I have not tried Clove, but if nothing else it may be faster.
I have not tried the LATEST stock rom ( FP4.SP29.B.069) but I have tried one of the previous android 12 releases, can’t remember which version exactly but at that time, I still could NOT get volte to activate. Data would always work fine though. IMO official Lineage without the microg garbage is the way to go if you reside in the USA (or anywhere for that matter ).
@lkraav I will add to what @duhg wrote by noting that the FP4.SP1Y.B.041 stock ROM which was Android 12 definitely still did not have volte working. I have not tried any of the 4 stock ROM updates that have been released since then. As I just described in a post on the “Office LineageOS 20 FP4” thread, having used my FP4 in the US for a little over 5 months now and find that it is working well. I would not hesitate to recommend the FP4 running LOs 20 to anyone in the US who is considering getting an FP4.
Thank you for posting about this and testing it. I’ve been having similar issues. I’ve been using FP3(+), T-Mobile, in CT and have had increasing troubles with voice calls and texting. Was wondering if it was due to T-Mobile retiring 3G…
I wanted to thank all those who posted about switching airplane mode on and off to reset texting. I tried it and am back with the text, as it were.
Wi-fi calling seems to be more consistently switched on, too, but that’s only an impression. It had been cycling between ‘wi-fi calling’ and ‘no signal’, even though the wi-fi signal in my house is quite decent.
Just for the record, data is Edge when I’m at home and 4LTE a few miles away. I live in rural, northeastern CT.
Thanks also to everyone who posted about VoLTE. It’s good to know that with the Fairphone 4, it works if you are using Lineage OS or its relatives, including e/OS, especially now that Murana is making a FP available here in the US (Woo ).
I wonder what OS and version you are using as I’m on A13 and can run through the settings GUI on A11 but there is an option not to have it switch between, like it’s trying to get the best signal.
Apart form the ‘setting’ I use aeroplane mode at home and then enable Wi-Fi so as not to use the network anyway
I didn’t realize there had been an update (to A13) until I saw it here in the forums. In the settings, it says that I’m still on A11. There is an option to set your wi-fi calling preference. I have it set to “call over wi-fi” rather than “wi-fi only”… so that might be why it’s been switching. I could change it to ‘wi-fi’ only at home and then change it when I travel to the land of 4LTE.
Thanks for letting me know how you use airplane mode plus enabling Wi-Fi. I didn’t know that you could do that!
I just downloaded the latest FP4 stock ROM update and appear to have functional Wi-Fi calling using T-Mobile. I can send a more through update after testing further.
).