Wondering if the unlocked Tmobile Moto X will work on either CDMA carrier in the US (VZW, Sprint, or any of their off-contract small spin off carriers)?
I've read that people have gotten the VZW Moto X to work on T Mobile GSM, but haven't heard definitively whether the Tmobile version will work with Sprint or Straight Talk?
I'd like to buy an off contract version of the X and be able to use it on T Mobile, ATT, Straight Talk or Sprint towers in the USA. I'm currently with Sprint but am tired of them locking devices to their network not allowing you to use your device elsewhere. Was going to switch to Tmobile and have them pay my ETF so I'm contract free. Coverage is spotty sometimes in rural areas between carriers, so if after doing this Tmobile coverage sucks if I can use it with Straight Talk (which uses ATT towers I believe) then I would have better coverage from the same device. An added plus would be if it works on Sprint too, cuz then I could buy the Tmobile unlocked version now and use it on Sprint, then switch to Tmobile later on instead of having to do both at once.
bobby2478 said:
Wondering if the unlocked Tmobile Moto X will work on either CDMA carrier in the US (VZW, Sprint, or any of their off-contract small spin off carriers)?
I've read that people have gotten the VZW Moto X to work on T Mobile GSM, but haven't heard definitively whether the Tmobile version will work with Sprint or Straight Talk?
I'd like to buy an off contract version of the X and be able to use it on T Mobile, ATT, Straight Talk or Sprint towers in the USA. I'm currently with Sprint but am tired of them locking devices to their network not allowing you to use your device elsewhere. Was going to switch to Tmobile and have them pay my ETF so I'm contract free. Coverage is spotty sometimes in rural areas between carriers, so if after doing this Tmobile coverage sucks if I can use it with Straight Talk (which uses ATT towers I believe) then I would have better coverage from the same device. An added plus would be if it works on Sprint too, cuz then I could buy the Tmobile unlocked version now and use it on Sprint, then switch to Tmobile later on instead of having to do both at once.
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Click to collapse
Are you on a sprint family plan? If so, do they have a lower rate plan for tablets, or something of the sort?
justinisloco said:
Are you on a sprint family plan? If so, do they have a lower rate plan for tablets, or something of the sort?
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Click to collapse
Yes and yes, they just switched me to their "Framily" plan. My frustration with Sprint honestly is around their current network rollout as I started getting dropped calls and network issues all the time now when I never did before. Their LTE rollout is such a mess, and it will take years to resolve. And ever since the 4.2 update for my GS4 it's been behaving like crap (poor battery life, dropped Wifi, weather apps not working, etc). So was looking at selling it outright and I like the Moto X.
Also my brother who is on my plan lives in a small town and wants to eventually switch to Straight Talk from Sprint. So ideal is a device that will work on Tmobile, Straight Talk and Sprint. That way he could switch to the device now while on Sprint, and if he wants to leave for Straight Talk he can first go to Tmobile to pay off the ETF then after a few months he could switch to Straight Talk. I think in his area Tmobile coverage is very spotty, so if it doesn't work out he can at least switch to Straight Talk, which I believe uses ATT towers so likely much better GSM coverage than Tmobile).
bobby2478 said:
Wondering if the unlocked Tmobile Moto X will work on either CDMA carrier in the US (VZW, Sprint, or any of their off-contract small spin off carriers)?
I've read that people have gotten the VZW Moto X to work on T Mobile GSM, but haven't heard definitively whether the Tmobile version will work with Sprint or Straight Talk?.
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Click to collapse
That is because you can't.
The Verizon uses CDMA/1xRtt/EVDO for Voice and 2G/3G data, and includes GSM/HSPA radio for "global' use. Due to FCC rules around the 700mhz spectrum Verizon won and is using, their LTE devices have been SIM unlocked. So, you can take a GSM SIM, pop-it into the VZW X, set the X for Global mode, or GSM/UMTS mode, and work on a GSM Carrier (like ATT or T-Mobile) network.
While the Sprint version might include GSM radios for global roaming, its not SIM Unlocked, so you are stuck with a Sprint SIM being the only ones that work in the phone.
And finally, the GSM Moto X lack CDMA radio, so you can't get them working on a CDMA carrier.
KidJoe said:
That is because you can't.
The Verizon uses CDMA/1xRtt/EVDO for Voice and 2G/3G data, and includes GSM/HSPA radio for "global' use. Due to FCC rules around the 700mhz spectrum Verizon won and is using, their LTE devices have been SIM unlocked. So, you can take a GSM SIM, pop-it into the VZW X, set the X for Global mode, or GSM/UMTS mode, and work on a GSM Carrier (like ATT or T-Mobile) network.
While the Sprint version might include GSM radios for global roaming, its not SIM Unlocked, so you are stuck with a Sprint SIM being the only ones that work in the phone.
And finally, the GSM Moto X lack CDMA radio, so you can't get them working on a CDMA carrier.
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Click to collapse
Thanks, that helps. So the GSM Moto X (whether ATT or Tmobile) don't have CDMA radio, and thus impossible to work with Sprint or Verizon. Where Verizon has both CDMA and GSM, and should work on VZW, ATT, Tmobile and Straight Talk. Meaning any Sprint Moto X is 100% locked to their network in the USA, and it isn't possible to unlock the SIM to use it on a GSM carrer?
If so, that further makes my decision to leave Sprint at some point easier given there are options for sufficient GSM coverage between Tmobile and Straight Talk. What radios does the Tmobile Moto X have that the VZW X does not?
bobby2478 said:
Thanks, that helps. So the GSM Moto X (whether ATT or Tmobile) don't have CDMA radio, and thus impossible to work with Sprint or Verizon. Where Verizon has both CDMA and GSM, and should work on VZW, ATT, Tmobile and Straight Talk. Meaning any Sprint Moto X is 100% locked to their network in the USA, and it isn't possible to unlock the SIM to use it on a GSM carrer?
If so, that further makes my decision to leave Sprint at some point easier given there are options for sufficient GSM coverage between Tmobile and Straight Talk. What radios does the Tmobile Moto X have that the VZW X does not?
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Click to collapse
The reason why I asked about the family plan thing is because I did this to get out of etf with Verizon and keep my number.
-Port out of VZW to Google Voice
-Within 24 hours, changed phone number on VZW
-Ported out from Google Voice to ATT
-Swapped my line with a tablet on VZW, thus paying 10 a month for 20 remaining months rather than $310+tax cancelation fee.
-Simply try now to give someone else a AOL on my VZW now if they choose
This may work for Sprint as well, but I'm unfamiliar with them
Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk
The other thing I may need to consider is the Nexus 5, as the unlocked version from Google Play can be activated and used on Sprint, ATT and Tmobile networks as it has all radios in it. You can also take it with you to any of those 3 carriers, the only one it won't work on is Verizon.
Main thing I liked about the Moto X was the customization of colors, as well as the Touchless control and Active Notifications. Although I'm reading now that there are apps in Play that bring both of those to the Nexus 5 also. So I need to do some more research. If the Nexus 5 can have all the features of the Moto X, minus the customization, then I'll likely be willing to sacrifice customization for the sake of interoperability between carriers. Plus, the X doesn't have wireless charging while the Nexus 5 does.
Is it possible to have the Sprint Moto X unlocked for use on T-mobile? I can't seem to find any sites offering such a service.
bobby2478 said:
Thanks, that helps. So the GSM Moto X (whether ATT or Tmobile) don't have CDMA radio, and thus impossible to work with Sprint or Verizon. Where Verizon has both CDMA and GSM, and should work on VZW, ATT, Tmobile and Straight Talk. Meaning any Sprint Moto X is 100% locked to their network in the USA, and it isn't possible to unlock the SIM to use it on a GSM carrer?
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Click to collapse
Pretty much, so long as Straight Talk uses ATT or T-Mobile towers.
To make things clearer, let me quote something I posted in another thread..see -> THIS POST
KidJoe said:
....Because Verizon's 4G LTE phones are "global" they support the same GSM/GPRS/Edge bands (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) as ATT and T-Mobile for voice and data so they can be used globally on GSM carrier networks. Another little plus is that due to the FCC rules around their 700Mhz spectrum, they are SIM unlocked, so they happen to work with ATT and T-Mobile sim inserted. Since ATT uses the same bands for HSPA and HSPA+ as they do for EDGE, you can get HSPA speeds. In areas where T-Mobile's "network modernization" has refarmed their 1900Mhz edge to HSPA, you'll get HSPA speeds. In Tmobile areas that HSPA is still over AWS, you'll fall back to Edge when trying Verizon branded devices....
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Click to collapse
Sorry, I didn't mention that ATT's HSPA also uses 2100 Mhz, but the VZW X also supports that, so you can get ATT HSPA on the VZW X.
Two other important things to keep in mind... LTE, and APNs.
The LTE bands used/supported by the wireless carriers differ. So while the VZW X supports LTE, it only supports Band 4 and 13, if the carrier you intend to use doesn't use one of those bands where you go, you wont get LTE.
When it comes to APNs, or Access Point Names, these are critical for proper data settings, MMS usage, texting, etc. Set incorrectly and your phone wont work right. In another thread, I explained how when I first got my VZW Moto X Developer Edition, and it had 4.2.2, putting my T-Mobile USA SIM in, resulted in the T-Mo APN being received automatically, and everything working. However, with 4.4 on my X, the APN isn't properly received and I have to manually enter, and MMS doesn't work. See my posts in -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2594302
bobby2478 said:
If so, that further makes my decision to leave Sprint at some point easier given there are options for sufficient GSM coverage between Tmobile and Straight Talk. What radios does the Tmobile Moto X have that the VZW X does not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In addition to the GSM bands the VZW X supports, the T-Mobile X, (as well as the GSM Developer Edition as they are the same phone), supports HSPA on AWS (1700/2100) which the VZW X doesn't have. Why is this important? When T-Mo started their HSPA/HSPA+ 3G/4G built out, they used AWS 1700/2100 spectrum for it. In 2013, T-Mobile started their "Network Modernization" plan underwich they are coverting (or refarming) their 1900 Mhz from usage for EDGE to HSPA/HSPA+. So as mentioned above, where T-Mobile still has their HSPA/HSPA+ on the AWS (1700/2100) bands the T-Mo X will get and fully utilize HSPA/HSPA+, and the Verizon X will fall back to Edge. However, in areas they have refarmed their 1900mhz spectrum from EDGE to HSPA (aka "network modernization"), you'll get HSPA/HSPA+ with the Verizon X.
The T-Mo X also supports LTE bands 2 and 17, in addition to Band 4 that the verizon X also supports. So as you can imagine, if T-Mobile is using Band 2 or 17 for LTE where you are, the VZW X wont be able to use it. If TMobile is using band 4 for LTE in your area, the VZW X will be fine.
When it comes to the ATT GSM vs T-Mobile GSM band differences... It comes down to... Like the VZW X, the ATT X lacks HSPA/HSPA+ on AWS. And the LTE bands supported are slightly different. It was posted in another thread that the T-mobile (and thus GSM Developer Edition) X is missing two LTE bands when compared to the ATT X, however it was said that the two missing bands are not used in the USA.
---------- Post added at 08:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:59 AM ----------
Rayz321 said:
Is it possible to have the Sprint Moto X unlocked for use on T-mobile? I can't seem to find any sites offering such a service.
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Click to collapse
From the posts I've seen around the net. No one except Sprint can SIM Unlock the Sprint Moto X. To do so, your X must be currently active on Sprint.
--------
!UPDATE! 1/31/2014...
I do need to add something based experiences yesterday when I put my T-Mobile SIM in my Verizon Moto X developer edition (Kit Kat rom) again.
With the T-Mobile SIM inserted, and the phone reporting LTE, trying to make a phone call fails, service is briefly lost (4GLTE/3G indicator next to the bars goes out), Forcing the phone to LTE/GSM/UMTS doesn't help. Using an app like LTE OnOFF to go into the service menu and force the phone to either LTE/GSM auto (PRL) or LTE Only does not help, and the phone reverts back to LTE/GSM/CDMA auto (PRL)
There is a bug posted in another thread about not being able to use simultaneous voice/data while LTE on T-Mobile. I do not know the details on it, but its possible this is exactly what I'm seeing. Its posted in another thread that I don't have the link to right this second. Thread link -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2578665 just start reading around post 13 and 14... The work around was to force the phone to HSPA.
It was suggested to me by CellZealot to change the build.prop line of LteOnCdmaDevice to LteOnGsmDevice I have NOT tried this yet. I haven't had time, and VZW is my primary carrier, so I'd need to make the edit to test, then undo it to switch back to "normal" use. There may be other settings in there which need edited to be used in "pure GSM mode"
Also, I found that ATT also might be using LTE Band 4 in some areas, but I do not have a map showing which band LTE is used where, so while the VZW X may get ATT LTE in some areas, it wont pick it up everywhere. Also, I'm not sure how much Band 4 LTE ATT might have left due to the spectrum swap ATT did with T-Mobile as a result of the failed take over attempt. I have not had a chance to try an ATT Sim in my VZW X.
KidJoe said:
Pretty much, so long as Straight Talk uses ATT or T-Mobile towers.
To make things clearer, let me quote something I posted in another thread..see -> THIS POST
Sorry, I didn't mention that ATT's HSPA also uses 2100 Mhz, but the VZW X also supports that, so you can get ATT HSPA on the VZW X.
Two other important things to keep in mind... LTE, and APNs.
The LTE bands used/supported by the wireless carriers differ. So while the VZW X supports LTE, it only supports Band 4 and 13, if the carrier you intend to use doesn't use one of those bands where you go, you wont get LTE.
When it comes to APNs, or Access Point Names, these are critical for proper data settings, MMS usage, texting, etc. Set incorrectly and your phone wont work right. In another thread, I explained how when I first got my VZW Moto X Developer Edition, and it had 4.2.2, putting my T-Mobile USA SIM in, resulted in the T-Mo APN being received automatically, and everything working. However, with 4.4 on my X, the APN isn't properly received and I have to manually enter, and MMS doesn't work. See my posts in -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2594302
In addition to the GSM bands the VZW X supports, the T-Mobile X, (as well as the GSM Developer Edition as they are the same phone), supports HSPA on AWS (1700/2100) which the VZW X doesn't have. Why is this important? When T-Mo started their HSPA/HSPA+ 3G/4G built out, they used AWS 1700/2100 spectrum for it. In 2013, T-Mobile started their "Network Modernization" plan underwich they are coverting (or refarming) their 1900 Mhz from usage for EDGE to HSPA/HSPA+. So as mentioned above, where T-Mobile still has their HSPA/HSPA+ on the AWS (1700/2100) bands the T-Mo X will get and fully utilize HSPA/HSPA+, and the Verizon X will fall back to Edge. However, in areas they have refarmed their 1900mhz spectrum from EDGE to HSPA (aka "network modernization"), you'll get HSPA/HSPA+ with the Verizon X.
The T-Mo X also supports LTE bands 2 and 17, in addition to Band 4 that the verizon X also supports. So as you can imagine, if T-Mobile is using Band 2 or 17 for LTE where you are, the VZW X wont be able to use it. If TMobile is using band 4 for LTE in your area, the VZW X will be fine.
When it comes to the ATT GSM vs T-Mobile GSM band differences... It comes down to... Like the VZW X, the ATT X lacks HSPA/HSPA+ on AWS. And the LTE bands supported are slightly different. It was posted in another thread that the T-mobile (and thus GSM Developer Edition) X is missing two LTE bands when compared to the ATT X, however it was said that the two missing bands are not used in the USA.
---------- Post added at 08:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:59 AM ----------
From the posts I've seen around the net. No one except Sprint can SIM Unlock the Sprint Moto X. To do so, your X must be currently active on Sprint.
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Click to collapse
Best post I've seen so far on my latest obsession, getting the VZW Moto X Dev Ed to work on ATT LTE. By unlocking the VZW phone's bootloader, flashing the phone's modem ( and I know there will be more to it than that ) with ATT modem, is there _any_ chance other LTE bands could be made available?
Axilarry said:
Best post I've seen so far on my latest obsession, getting the VZW Moto X Dev Ed to work on ATT LTE. By unlocking the VZW phone's bootloader, flashing the phone's modem ( and I know there will be more to it than that ) with ATT modem, is there _any_ chance other LTE bands could be made available?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might be brave enough to try it since I'm too lazy to sell my old backup of a GNex. HOWEVER the only SIM I have access to that isn't VZ is TMo. Since TMo only has band 4 here, I already know I can get their LTE. If I flash a full TMo image and the 1700/2100 H+ service starts popping up when it reverted to EDGE on Verizon radios, we may be onto something.
I HIGHLY doubt these devices are physically identical and firmware is all that separates the SKUs, but the Nexus 4 showed us that it doesn't always have to be FCC certified to be physically capable of picking up the band in question.
Thankfully I have time to decide since I have already flashed a 4.4.2 bootloader and I can't do anything until a TMo 4.4.2 factory image surfaces.
Axilarry said:
Best post I've seen so far on my latest obsession, getting the VZW Moto X Dev Ed to work on ATT LTE. By unlocking the VZW phone's bootloader, flashing the phone's modem ( and I know there will be more to it than that ) with ATT modem, is there _any_ chance other LTE bands could be made available?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would NOT cross flash modems between models.
i.e. the Verizon X is an XT1060, the T-Mobile is XT0153. I would not flash a XT1053 rom onto a XT1060 or vice versa. It could result in brick.
Oh, and see the update I just added to my post that you quoted...
Vandyyy said:
I might be brave enough to try it since I'm too lazy to sell my old backup of a GNex. HOWEVER the only SIM I have access to that isn't VZ is TMo. Since TMo only has band 4 here, I already know I can get their LTE. If I flash a full TMo image and the 1700/2100 H+ service starts popping up when it reverted to EDGE on Verizon radios, we may be onto something.
I HIGHLY doubt these devices are physically identical and firmware is all that separates the SKUs, but the Nexus 4 showed us that it doesn't always have to be FCC certified to be physically capable of picking up the band in question.
Thankfully I have time to decide since I have already flashed a 4.4.2 bootloader and I can't do anything until a TMo 4.4.2 factory image surfaces.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shouldn't be long, soak test invites are going out
tapped out via XT1053 DE
I just got the Moto X last week and I never see 4G LTE. I only see 4G.
I live in NYC, we should have LTE here??
Is your sim 4g enable , is your phone tarif a 4g one
Sent from my XT1052 using Tapatalk
Were you on AT&T before? I know NYC is notorious for poor reception on AT&T
That's not true. I get LTE all over NYC and the five boroughs when I'm there
MOTO X
virtuewill said:
I just got the Moto X last week and I never see 4G LTE. I only see 4G.
I live in NYC, we should have LTE here??
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Click to collapse
What is the difference? 4g is 4g lte. Same thing. LTE is just an acronym for long term evolution.
aviwdoowks said:
What is the difference? 4g is 4g lte. Same thing. LTE is just an acronym for long term evolution.
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Click to collapse
While technically 3G according to some, ATT and T-Mobile in the USA refer to their HSPA+ networks as 4G due to their theoretic max speed (T-Mobile's is 42mbps in many areas) being faster than their UMTS/HSPA and other 3G network technologies.
Where 4G LTE means 4G using LTE.
So for ATT/T-Mobile... saying 4G isn't the same as saying 4G LTE.
I'm not sure if carriers outside of the USA do the same.
Since Verizon has EVDO Rev A and B (3G), and LTE (4G), when it comes to Verizon saying 4G is the same as saying 4G LTE.
But if you want to get technical, even the LTE in use today, didn't meet the original ITU definition of 4G anyway, but that is another story.
---------- Post added at 09:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:39 AM ----------
virtuewill said:
I just got the Moto X last week and I never see 4G LTE. I only see 4G.
I live in NYC, we should have LTE here??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends.
One scenario I've seen ATT users complain of not getting LTE in areas where ATT has LTE coverage is when they purchased a Developer Edition X, and while switching to it, gave ATT the IMEI for the X. Since the IMEI doesn't match their DB, ATT often adds it as a 3G or HSPA+ device only, and it wont get LTE speeds. One way around this is to have an LTE device capable of using a nano on your account first, and then just moving the SIM to the X when you receive it. (we did that with my sister in law's HTC to X swap. We went to the ATT store and got her a Nano sim using an adapter for her HTC, then when the X arrived, we just moved the SIM and her X got LTE).
If you are trying to use a Verizon X (which is sim unlocked), it doesn't support the frequencies used by ATT for LTE, so it wont get better than HSPA+.
Of course if your X is an ATT Branded device (XT1058 with the ATT logo on the back, and all the bloat), and have a newer, LTE compatible, SIM, you should get LTE where ever ATT has their LTE service deployed, including NYC.
One thing I don't know is.. if the LTE network is "over capacity" in that area, might the phone fall back to HSPA+ instead?
KidJoe said:
While technically 3G according to some, ATT and T-Mobile in the USA refer to their HSPA+ networks as 4G due to their theoretic max speed (T-Mobile's is 42mbps in many areas) being faster than their UMTS/HSPA and other 3G network technologies.
Where 4G LTE means 4G using LTE.
So for ATT/T-Mobile... saying 4G isn't the same as saying 4G LTE.
I'm not sure if carriers outside of the USA do the same.
Since Verizon has EVDO Rev A and B (3G), and LTE (4G), when it comes to Verizon saying 4G is the same as saying 4G LTE.
But if you want to get technical, even the LTE in use today, didn't meet the original ITU definition of 4G anyway, but that is another story.
---------- Post added at 09:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:39 AM ----------
It depends.
One scenario I've seen ATT users complain of not getting LTE in areas where ATT has LTE coverage is when they purchased a Developer Edition X, and while switching to it, gave ATT the IMEI for the X. Since the IMEI doesn't match their DB, ATT often adds it as a 3G or HSPA+ device only, and it wont get LTE speeds. One way around this is to have an LTE device capable of using a nano on your account first, and then just moving the SIM to the X when you receive it. (we did that with my sister in law's HTC to X swap. We went to the ATT store and got her a Nano sim using an adapter for her HTC, then when the X arrived, we just moved the SIM and her X got LTE).
If you are trying to use a Verizon X (which is sim unlocked), it doesn't support the frequencies used by ATT for LTE, so it wont get better than HSPA+.
Of course if your X is an ATT Branded device (XT1058 with the ATT logo on the back, and all the bloat), and have a newer, LTE compatible, SIM, you should get LTE where ever ATT has their LTE service deployed, including NYC.
One thing I don't know is.. if the LTE network is "over capacity" in that area, might the phone fall back to HSPA+ instead?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man. That is a good point about the IMEI. I'll check that later. It asked me to check during activation but I didn't want to.
I called ATT yesterday and they said something wrong with provisioning. They saw I was only connected to the 3g signal. They fixed the provisioning but nothing changed. Either it's the IMEI or I'll just let the store figure it out
virtuewill said:
Thanks man. That is a good point about the IMEI. I'll check that later. It asked me to check during activation but I didn't want to.
I called ATT yesterday and they said something wrong with provisioning. They saw I was only connected to the 3g signal. They fixed the provisioning but nothing changed. Either it's the IMEI or I'll just let the store figure it out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is your device an ATT branded X? or from other carrier or dev edition? If its ATT branded, they should be able to fix it.
If its from other carrier or its the Dev Edition, they might spin their wheels. If you run into that, try having them switch you to another ATT phone that is LTE, then move the sim to your X (without telling them you are switching or updating the IMEI on your account), OR try working with their phone support, telling them you are switching devices, and giving them the IMEI for an ATT LTE compatible phone instead of the one from your X.
There was discussion in another thread, but I don't remember which, where others with GSM Dev X trying to get them working on ATT ran into this problem, got a run around, couldn't get it fixed, and were stuck on HSPA+. The using the other LTE phone trick was used successfully. In addition, someone, who apparently works for ATT, was in that thread and via PM conversations (to get account info, etc) was able to fix this for Dev X users and get them working LTE on ATT.