Big thanks to
@henser for figuring out the new bypass method!
Link to Reddit post by me, explaining the new bypass method
The confirmed bypass method is Method 3 in the post above.
Method 3 (CONFIRMED WORKING on XT1028):
As performed in this
video (Russian, but language doesn't matter guys)
You can get past the activation call by following these steps:
On the first screen "Setup Wizard" appears on top, press START.
On the second screen is the Verizon Wireless Activation screen.
Press "Activate" in the lower right hand corner, then press "Cancel" in the lower left hand corner, and repeat this process quickly over and over until the screen freezes.
When the screen freezes, you will see the navigation bar back button in the lower left of the screen.
Press it, and WiFi Settings should pop up.
NOTE:
Before I took the OTA upgrade to 5.1, I was on 4.4.4 and had previously bypassed the activation screen, had entered by Google account info, and the phone was on airplane mode.
After the OTA upgrade, I did not need to bypass the activation again in 5.1. Apparently, you only need to use the above method after resetting the phone to factory settings, or if you didn't bypass before the OTA. I am using this phone as a wifi-only device.
