Originally posted by PGrey
None of the aforementioned BYOD Android models require TMobile firmware, the feature just "works", once they enabled it.
I'm similarly irritated by AT&T, and my lack of VoLTE (the 950 has their cheesy HDVoice implementation), and what I suspect will be my lack of WiFi calling, once they enable it for the 950 as well.
Strangely enough, if you bring that same Android phone to AT&T, they'll make a claim about "firmware" or similar, even though they sell the same phone.
Carriers are hiding behind the firmware obscurity, hoping users will buy it, while they try to sell branded phones, at significant profit, for as long as will be tolerated by the marketplace.
I've looked at my share of firmware code, and while I can see where this might block these features, if not supported/enabled, it's really difficult to surmise how it would block it on implemented phones. The 950XL had WiFi calling on EE, in Europe, but I think they've since disabled it (I believe they're selling the phone now), for unbranded models. Interesting how the firmware "conveniently" prevents the feature, where it was working, just fine, last week, hmm...
If anyone wants to point to concrete, traceable/debug-able scenarios, that support the firmware issue, I'm all ears. Reading it off a random other forum doesn't count, unless the actual code or similar is documented ;-]