eSIM: Supported hardware and software regions


Borg666

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Nov 19, 2018
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Which ROM's/region's "modemfirmware.img": should be capable of supporting eSIM on global (hardware) houji?

Seems to be Global, EEA, Russia, and...?
...or all other regions except China and India?


Deeper dive:
My assumption for hardware regions & software regions supporting eSIM for houji is:

Hardware Region: Any global device
(which should be all regions except China?)

Software Region: Any global region
(which should be all regions except China AND India?)

Bonus:
Due to the fact that EU ROM is based on Stock ROM China, the "modemfirmware.img" included in EU is not supporting eSIM, as it contains the china version of this file.

To restore eSIM support on global hardware with EU ROM you have to restore the regarding global "modemfirmware.img" to your houji, by applying this houji global modem patch, credits @Kacper Skrzypek.
 
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You have been the salvation. Yesterday I flashed on my brand new Xiaomi 14 and the eSIM, which is also the only SIM I have, was not working. You saved me a lot of fuss. It should be part of an official guide for houji.
 
You have been the salvation. Yesterday I flashed on my brand new Xiaomi 14 and the eSIM, which is also the only SIM I have, was not working. You saved me a lot of fuss. It should be part of an official guide for houji.
 
Does the modem firmware differs between 14 and 14 Ultra variants? Can we unlock eSim on 14 Ultra by using modem firmware from 14 (Houji)?
 
Does the modem firmware differs between 14 and 14 Ultra variants? Can we unlock eSim on 14 Ultra by using modem firmware from 14 (Houji)?
Seriously? eSIM functionality is a hardware feature. There's no point in updating the software, even less if it is from a completely different phone model?
In my opinion: NO!
 
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Seriously? eSIM functionality is a hardware feature. There's no point in updating the software, even less if it is from a completely different phone model?
In my opinion: NO!
It's more firmware, than hardware. Google allowed converting sim slots to eSim in Google Pixel 8.


And remember that whole Xiaomi 14 (standard, Pro and Ultra) line is using the same SoC, including modem (Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3)

I don't understand why do you call it "completely different phone model"?
Same hardware and software platform. (Different shells, PCB layout, batteries, displays and camera sensors. But beside that, there's not much differences.)


If someone has Global Xiaomi 14 Ultra with unlocked BootLoader, then he could easily test if replacing modem firmware would be enough(by making savecopy before), but it may require also changes in userspace for eSIM support (like settings), but it can also be probably copied from standard Xiaomi 14 with custom firmware/root.

- - -
And I found this thread:
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I don't know if it's real eSim, because it needs some physical sim, so I guess that's not the the case.
 
It's more firmware, than hardware. Google allowed converting sim slots to eSim in Google Pixel 8.


And remember that whole Xiaomi 14 (standard, Pro and Ultra) line is using the same SoC, including modem (Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3)

I don't understand why do you call it "completely different phone model"?
Same hardware and software platform. (Different shells, PCB layout, batteries, displays and camera sensors. But beside that, there's not much differences.)


If someone has Global Xiaomi 14 Ultra with unlocked BootLoader, then he could easily test if replacing modem firmware would be enough(by making savecopy before), but it may require also changes in userspace for eSIM support (like settings), but it can also be probably copied from standard Xiaomi 14 with custom firmware/root.

- - -
And I found this thread:
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I don't know if it's real eSim, because it needs some physical sim, so I guess that's not the the case.
You are in vain writing nonsense. Tell that to the Xiaomi manufacturers.
 
It's more firmware, than hardware. Google allowed converting sim slots to eSim in Google Pixel 8.
I'm not aware that Google Pixel allows some software based kind of hardware features "unlock"?! :emoji_thinking:

However, I'm not familiar with the hardware specs of 14's Pro & Ultra versions, tbh.
But in fact even houji has two different hardware setups, as the basebands differs between China (no eSIM) and global versions (with eSIM), which is the reason for this thread btw, finding out, which region's "modemfirmware.img" is supporting eSIM for houji, beside known Global, EEA & Russian versions... :emoji_shrug:
 
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Just like the missing bands on the Cn versions, it's at the HW level, you can flash a Global fastboot rom on a Cn device, you will always have the same bands, neither more nor less, the same for the reverse.
It's a Xiaomi and not Google or OnePlus.
 
But in fact even houji has two different hardware setups, as the basebands differs between China (no eSIM) and global versions (with eSIM), which is the reason for this thread btw, finding out, which region's "modemfirmware.img" is supporting eSIM for houji, beside known Global, EEA & Russian versions... :emoji_shrug:
I'm not sure about different 'hardware setups', especially when talking about modems. Probably same hardware and sifferent firmware and maybe some magic bits/fuses.

Some people stated in other threads that Xiaomi.eu ROM is based on Chinese one, so unlike stock global, doesn't support eSIM on global Xiaomi 14 by default (as I understood you must re-flash modem's firmware, by using one from global ROM, but unsure about userspace and eSIM from China ROM)
 
I'm not sure about different 'hardware setups', especially when talking about modems. Probably same hardware and sifferent firmware and maybe some magic bits/fuses.

Some people stated in other threads that Xiaomi.eu ROM is based on Chinese one, so unlike stock global, doesn't support eSIM on global Xiaomi 14 by default (as I understood you must re-flash modem's firmware, by using one from global ROM, but unsure about userspace and eSIM from China ROM)

No, there's no eSIM support of the hardware of chinese houji, which is why the chinese firmware doesn't support this either. see:
 
Which ROM's/region's "modemfirmware.img": should be capable of supporting eSIM on global (hardware) houji?

Seems to be Global, EEA, Russia, and...?
...or all other regions except China and India?


Deeper dive:
My assumption for hardware regions & software regions supporting eSIM for houji is:

Hardware Region: Any global device
(which should be all regions except China?)

Software Region: Any global region
(which should be all regions except China AND India?)

Bonus:
Due to the fact that EU ROM is based on Stock ROM China, the "modemfirmware.img" included in EU is not supporting eSIM, as it contains the china version of this file.

To restore eSIM support on global hardware with EU ROM you have to restore the regarding global "modemfirmware.img" to your houji, by applying this houji global modem patch, credits @Kacper Skrzypek.
@Borg666 I can't open the houji modem patch link you shared. The site blocks me.Is there another page where I can find it and instructions on how to use it? Thanks in advance for you help!
 
Only intended for Xiaomi Global Version 14 (houji) with xiaomi.eu ROM.
CN device does not support eSIM, it is a HW limitation.
 
@Borg666 I can't open the houji modem patch link you shared. The site blocks me.Is there another page where I can find it and instructions on how to use it? Thanks in advance for you help!
Hi,
as gogocar62 said, a global houji is mandatory for applying his linked patch (recommended).
Decompress the zip file and, in case of Windows OS, run the "windows_modem.bat"-file by double clicking, that's it.

Btw, this link still works?
"https://miuipolska.pl/d/xiaomi.eu/modem/houji_global.zip

However, here you can find another backup link, which includes the latest modemfirmware.img (dtd. 2024-09-11) which was taken from here.
 
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