1. Confirm with the Seller
Ask the seller directly if the device uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) with eMMC flash storage before ordering. Written confirmation in chat makes dispute refunds straightforward if a non-Qualcomm board is delivered.
MSM8916 Modem Buying Guide: Where to Buy & Verified Store Links
Finding genuine Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) 4G USB modems online can be tricky. Because many generic manufacturers reuse the same plastic outer enclosures, sellers on AliExpress, Taobao, and eBay frequently substitute non-Qualcomm chips (ASR1802, ZX297520) or incompatible SPI-NAND flash without updating the listing title.
This community buying guide maintains tested, verified store links where OpenStick community members have successfully purchased genuine Qualcomm MSM8916 hardware with eMMC storage.
Publish Your Store Link
Submit via GitHub Issue (No Git Needed)
Ask in Telegram Chat
Device Identification Guide
⚠️ Key Rules Before Buying
Section titled “⚠️ Key Rules Before Buying”2. Confirm eMMC (Not NAND)
Ensure the board has eMMC 4GB / 8GB storage (smooth square BGA chip). Standard OpenStick Debian and mainline Linux kernel images do not boot on raw SPI-NAND flash.
3. Beware of Suspiciously Cheap Clones
Listings priced unusually low are almost universally cost-reduced ASR1802 or ZX297520 clones that cannot run Linux.
4. Test Before Confirming Receipt
When your package arrives, pop open the shell to inspect the silkscreen and run adb shell getprop ro.board.platform before clicking “Confirm Order Received”.
Community-Verified Store Links
Section titled “Community-Verified Store Links”UZ801 4G LTE USB Modem
Section titled “UZ801 4G LTE USB Modem”The UZ801 (Yiming / Zhihe) is the community’s #1 recommended dongle. It features clearly marked test pads, standard 4GB eMMC storage, a well-supported WCN3620 Wi-Fi chipset, and direct compatibility with the automated OpenStick Installer.
- Silkscreens Confirmed:
UZ801_V3.31,UZ801_V3.0 - Hardware Reference: UZ801 Full Board Guide & Pinouts
| Platform | Listing Link | Confirmed Silkscreen | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AliExpress | 4G LTE USB Modem Dongle (Store 1) | UZ801_V3.31 |
Confirmed |
| AliExpress | 4G LTE USB Wireless Modem (Store 2) | UZ801_V3.31 |
Confirmed |
| AliExpress | 4G Wi-Fi Router USB Dongle (Store 3) | UZ801_V3.31 |
Confirmed |
| Allegro | Modem 4G LTE USB Wi-Fi SIM | UZ801_V3.0 |
Confirmed |
HM-MIFIB Portable MiFi (LCD Screen + 2100mAh Battery)
Section titled “HM-MIFIB Portable MiFi (LCD Screen + 2100mAh Battery)”The HM-MIFIB is a standalone pocket router featuring a 1.44-inch color SPI status display, a removable 2100mAh Li-ion battery, a Micro-USB charging port, and power button, all driven by the MSM8916.
- Silkscreen Confirmed:
HM-MIFIB_V18 - Hardware Reference: HM-MIFIB Full Guide
| Platform | Listing Link | Confirmed Silkscreen | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegro | Przenośny Router Wi-Fi 4G LTE SIM | HM-MIFIB_V18 |
Confirmed |
Other Boards (HMUF02, UFI003, SP970)
Section titled “Other Boards (HMUF02, UFI003, SP970)”👉 Submit a Verified Store Link if you recently bought a genuine working modem.
📢 How to Publish Your Store Link
Section titled “📢 How to Publish Your Store Link”Bought a modem from a store not listed here? Help fellow makers find genuine hardware! We provide two simple ways to publish your link:
Method A: One-Click GitHub Issue (Easiest)
No knowledge of Git, branches, or pull requests required! Simply fill in our guided form with your link and a photo or ADB verification:
👉 Submit a Verified Store Link via GitHub Issue
Our maintainers will review the submission and add it to the tables above!
Method B: Edit This Page Directly (Fastest)
Know how to make a pull request?
- Scroll to the bottom and click “Edit this page” (or use the link below).
- Add a new row to the table in
src/content/docs/buying-guide/index.mdx. - Click “Propose changes” and open a PR!
Community Guidelines for Submitting Links
Section titled “Community Guidelines for Submitting Links”To maintain high data quality and protect community members from scams, all submitted store links must meet these criteria:
- Clean Product URLs: Strip all personal tracking and referral parameters (remove
?spm=...,&scm=...,&_gl=..., etc.). Use clean canonical URLs (e.g.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005012883269576.html). - Motherboard & Silkscreen Verified: You must open the plastic enclosure and inspect the PCB silkscreen (e.g.
UZ801_V3.31,UZ801_V3.0,HM-MIFIB_V18). - SoC & Memory Confirmed: Provide software verification output from stock Android ADB:
Terminal window adb shell getprop ro.board.platform# Output must be: msm8916 - No Affiliate Loops or URL Shorteners: Links through link-shorteners or suspicious redirect services will be resolved to their canonical product URL.
- Report Chip Swaps: If a seller previously listed on this page starts shipping non-Qualcomm chips, please open an issue immediately so we can update the status badge to 🔴 Chip-Swap Warning.