Hey all,
This is my first post here; just found the website. I've been looking for something like this!
Anyway, the reason for my post is that my current freebie cellphone dropped from a high perch last night and shattered into a hundred pieces, finally giving me an excuse to pull the trigger on something nicer. I really like Docomo's Touch Pro, but I'm hoping somebody here might answer two questions about it before I drop 50,000 yen.
1.) The menus are all in Japanese and I've been told they cannot be changed to English. My Japanese is decent but I'm sure for such a sophisticated piece of tech, I'd like everything to be in English to take advantage of fine tuning, etc. Would there be a way to reformat the phone to put an English version of Windows Mobile on there, and if I did, could I still input Japanese characters?
2.) I'm going to be in Japan for at least another year and a half or so, but past that there's a chance I might have to go back to the US for work. If I did, what are the odds that the Touch Pro would work on a carrier like AT&T or Verizon? Are the 3G frequencies too different?
Thanks to anyone who replies
-Jonathan
Jonathan24 said:
Hey all,
This is my first post here; just found the website. I've been looking for something like this!
Anyway, the reason for my post is that my current freebie cellphone dropped from a high perch last night and shattered into a hundred pieces, finally giving me an excuse to pull the trigger on something nicer. I really like Docomo's Touch Pro, but I'm hoping somebody here might answer two questions about it before I drop 50,000 yen.
1.) The menus are all in Japanese and I've been told they cannot be changed to English. My Japanese is decent but I'm sure for such a sophisticated piece of tech, I'd like everything to be in English to take advantage of fine tuning, etc. Would there be a way to reformat the phone to put an English version of Windows Mobile on there, and if I did, could I still input Japanese characters?
2.) I'm going to be in Japan for at least another year and a half or so, but past that there's a chance I might have to go back to the US for work. If I did, what are the odds that the Touch Pro would work on a carrier like AT&T or Verizon? Are the 3G frequencies too different?
Thanks to anyone who replies
-Jonathan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't see why you could't change the language by flashing a new rom on, and if you need to enter japanese characters there are software keyboards that let you input them from memory.
1) You can install a WWE rom just fine, there are XDA members who have done this already. Then use the Japanese display/input cab found here to re-add Japanese support. You may need to do additional tweaking for specific apps or to get the keyboard right, but it shouldn't be very difficult.
2) The HT-01A will be locked to DoCoMo, but you can get it unlocked (a quick search on XDA will point you in the right direction) which will allow you to use it with an AT&T SIM card. Important note: DoCoMo uses UMTS 2100 for 3G while AT&T uses UMTS 850/1900, so you will need to make sure the HT-01A supports the latter if you want to use 3G with AT&T. The same goes for SoftBank X05HT. Otherwise you will still be able to use regular GSM/EDGE.
Verizon uses a CDMA network so it will not support either HT-01A or X05HT. au/KDDI (which also runs on CDMA) also has a Touch Pro, the E30HT, however it is next to impossible to switch networks with CDMA devices.
Your other option is to buy an unlocked AT&T Fuze/Touch Pro from the US (eBay?), which supports UMTS 850/1900/2100, and bring it to Japan to use with DoCoMo or SoftBank.
Of course, depending on your situation, you may have an easier time getting a Touch Pro from SoftBank than from DoCoMo due to their contract requirements.
anyone figured out how to get sms working in japan? my friend with his 8525 in tokyo can't sms my fuze in seattle.
Wow, I hadn't even considered importing a Touch Pro from the States. If the AT&T version supports both US and (Docomo) Japanese 3G frequencies, that sounds like a train I need to get on. Any idea if the folks at Docomo will have a fit if I bring in a foreign phone, or will they set me up no questions asked?
I did a quick search and found this (hopefully it's ok to link to ebay here): http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Unlocked-AT-T-HTC-Fuze-Diamond-Touch-Pro-P4600_W0QQitemZ160302176188QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCell_Phones?hash=item160302176188&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1308|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50
Thanks so much for the information, it's incredibly helpful!
-Jonathan
Jonathan24 said:
Wow, I hadn't even considered importing a Touch Pro from the States. If the AT&T version supports both US and (Docomo) Japanese 3G frequencies, that sounds like a train I need to get on. Any idea if the folks at Docomo will have a fit if I bring in a foreign phone, or will they set me up no questions asked?
I did a quick search and found this (hopefully it's ok to link to ebay here): http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Unlocked-AT-T-HTC-Fuze-Diamond-Touch-Pro-P4600_W0QQitemZ160302176188QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCell_Phones?hash=item160302176188&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1308|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50
Thanks so much for the information, it's incredibly helpful!
-Jonathan
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Click to collapse
get setup on the cheapest POS phone you can get from docomo, then transfer your sim to a sim unlocked touch pro. my friend uses his unlocked tytn II in japan without problems.
bani1 said:
anyone figured out how to get sms working in japan? my friend with his 8525 in tokyo can't sms my fuze in seattle.
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Click to collapse
It will depend on his carrier (DoCoMo or SoftBank) and what plan he's using, whether it will support forwarding SMS internationally. Most people in Japan use the hybrid MMS/email services (which are pay per-byte rather than per-message). With it, messages are sent as regular emails (but "pushed" to the phone using MMS delivery); which means you don't have to worry about international routing, just send emails to each other as you normally would.
For SoftBank subscribers, you will need MMSLite (3rd party) or S!Mail (SoftBank). MMSLite is rather limited in functionality, and S!Mail is a little slow (although I hear newer versions are much faster). I don't know specifics for DoCoMo subscribers, but I imagine it's a similar situation.
Of course your friend will probably be able to get more help by going into a store and talking with a representative.
Jonathan24 said:
Wow, I hadn't even considered importing a Touch Pro from the States. If the AT&T version supports both US and (Docomo) Japanese 3G frequencies, that sounds like a train I need to get on. Any idea if the folks at Docomo will have a fit if I bring in a foreign phone, or will they set me up no questions asked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, as bani1 suggested, you should be able to just buy a cheap phone from DoCoMo (UMTS 2100 network) and transfer the SIM over to a Touch Pro/Fuze (UMTS 850/1900/2100 support). The Touch Pro also includes automatic network configuration profiles for both DoCoMo and SoftBank. For DoCoMo, you will need to subscribe to their "FOMA" service. For SoftBank, you will need their "3G" service. You will not be able to subscribe to eMobile (UMTS 1700 network), au/KDDI (CDMA network), or Willcom (PHS network).
Again, depending on your living situation (non-permanent residency documentation), you may have difficulty getting a phone from DoCoMo, so keep in mind that SoftBank is the other option in case you're unable to subscribe with DoCoMo.
bani1 said:
get setup on the cheapest POS phone you can get from docomo, then transfer your sim to a sim unlocked touch pro. my friend uses his unlocked tytn II in japan without problems.
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Click to collapse
The last time I was in the Docomo shop, they told me I had to get some business-class data plan to go with the Touch Pro. Should I request that with the freebie phone or can they even differentiate if I get a regular data plan and use it with a different phone? Kind of curious what steps your friend took when he signed up.
Thanks guys, I really appreciate your help. Importing an AT&T version from ebay would seem to bypass a lot of the headaches of reflashing the rom, and I have a foreigner registration card so making a contract with Docomo shouldn't pose any problems. This is exciting! I left the store so disappointed last week when they told me it the menus couldn't be switched to English.
Yo!
1. NTT docomo's touch pro is like all of ours and can change the language within your phones settings.
2. NTT docomo can roam on US's GSM network and whether it will take a US sim card you'd have to ask the sales rep(hopefully he knows what a sim card is, doubtful).
Japan and Korea are the 2 only countries in the world that can't be roamed to. They use a different system called W-CDMA, but do have GSM bandwidths in the phone itself and can and DO roam in the states. I have seen some NTT phones with SIM card slots that are being used here.(US) You might want to also check out Softbanks model and see who's Data charges are lower. Japan is notorious for Data charges. Both NTT and Softbank are the same network and phones are identicall (touch pro that is).
Anyways, thats my 2 cents.
MauiKeitai said:
Yo!
1. NTT docomo's touch pro is like all of ours and can change the language within your phones settings.
2. NTT docomo can roam on US's GSM network and whether it will take a US sim card you'd have to ask the sales rep(hopefully he knows what a sim card is, doubtful).
Japan and Korea are the 2 only countries in the world that can't be roamed to. They use a different system called W-CDMA, but do have GSM bandwidths in the phone itself and can and DO roam in the states. I have seen some NTT phones with SIM card slots that are being used here.(US) You might want to also check out Softbanks model and see who's Data charges are lower. Japan is notorious for Data charges. Both NTT and Softbank are the same network and phones are identicall (touch pro that is).
Anyways, thats my 2 cents.
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Click to collapse
Actually, I looked through the X04HT rom and it's missing most (if not all) of the 0409 (English) MUI files. Almost all of the apps include only 0411 (Japanese) MUI files. I'm sure it's the same with X05HT, as well as DoCoMo versions. You may be able to change localization to US (which will change the names of days/months and various units to English), but most of the text menus will remain in Japanese.
W-CDMA is the baseband, UMTS is the network system. In the US, AT&T also runs a W-CDMA/UMTS network. But DoCoMo and SoftBank run W-CDMA/UMTS 2100mhz, whereas AT&T runs W-CDMA/UMTS 850/1900 (in addition to GSM 850/1900).
These days you can bring any unlocked UMTS 2100-capable phone to roam in Japan. SoftBank even lets you rent SIM cards at ￥500/day if you're just making a short visit. But you are still right that you need to pay careful attention to your data usage, at least for the first month or any month thereafter if you make changes to your service, so that you don't unwittingly end up with a ￥50,000+ bill.
hey there! Wow, do you live in Japan? One thing ,how would I roam with a sim card from softbank? When I say roam I mean roam with my phone and my phone number. Also w-cdma is the regular radio network. UTMS is the 3G bandwidth. And I thought AT&T was GSM?
MauiKeitai said:
hey there! Wow, do you live in Japan? One thing ,how would I roam with a sim card from softbank? When I say roam I mean roam with my phone and my phone number. Also w-cdma is the regular radio network. UTMS is the 3G bandwidth. And I thought AT&T was GSM?
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Click to collapse
AT&T runs both W-CDMA (UMTS 850/1900) and GSM (850/1900) networks. Of course their GSM network has wider coverage. Any phone that does not have UMTS 850/1900 will fall back to regular GSM.
SoftBank SIM rentals are not intended for roaming. If you rent a SoftBank SIM, you will receive a Japanese phone number, and all calls and data connections will be made locally through SoftBank (as per their rental SIM rate plan). You can still make international calls but they will be charged at SoftBank's rates.
If you want to keep your original phone number, you do not need to rent a SIM card. Just keep your original SIM card in your phone. For example, if you have an AT&T SIM (and therefore a US phone number), your AT&T SIM will roam while in Japan. AT&T has roaming agreements with both SoftBank and DoCoMo, so your phone will simply connect to whichever network has greater coverage in the area you travel. You will be subject to AT&T's roaming charges, as detailed here:
http://www.wireless.att.com/travelguide/coverage/coverage_details.jsp?CIDL=392&MNC=CING
Of course, the only way to be able to roam in Japan is with a phone that supports UMTS 2100. As mentioned earlier, it is not possible to connect to eMobile (UMTS 1700), au/KDDI (CDMA), or Willcom (PHS) networks.
SoftBank X05HT
hi there! another newbie here. i'm living in japan and yesterday i purchased my SoftBank X05HT but wasn't told english was not available on it! being such a hi-tech piece of kit i really need to get english on it. i've been follow the advice given to Jonathan24 but being a novice i'm a bit concern that i will muck it up in some way. i understand that the japanese phone network is slightly different to european/american networks and am worried about installing a WWE rom. will my phone's services still fully function on the softbank network, S! Mail, 3g internet, etc?
Hi,
I moved from Germany to Japan 2 month ago, and brough my European Touch Pro (sim free version from HTC, not one of the T-Mobile sim locked ones).
I have a WWE rom flashed and run it on Softbanks network without problems.
My rom does not have S!Mail, but so far, I do not miss it.
One thing I have learned in Japan is, that people in tech stores like Bic Camera, or in mobile stores like Softbank or DoCoMo normally have no clue what they are talking about.
Whatever you ask, that is a little more than their standard, the answer you will get is: "That is not possible." 10min on google or here in the forum, and you will find a solution.
One thing that I am interested in is the radio rom which comes with Softbanks Touch Pro.
If anybody has it, please share.
Thanks.
fhsieh said:
Actually, I looked through the X04HT rom and it's missing most (if not all) of the 0409 (English) MUI files. Almost all of the apps include only 0411 (Japanese) MUI files. I'm sure it's the same with X05HT, as well as DoCoMo versions. You may be able to change localization to US (which will change the names of days/months and various units to English), but most of the text menus will remain in Japanese.
.
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Click to collapse
This is correct.
You can change Tocuh-Flo to English relatively easily - there is a patch on this site, cant remember where, but search will find.
I have a DoCoMo HT-01A (X05HT, Touch Pro). I dumped the orginial JP ROM to raw files, (haven't cooked it yet) and flashed using ROMeOS2_140_1_ENG_19974_15112008 with Raphael HardSPL first and then booting the ROM from the SD card. Flashing was a piece of cake.
I haven't extracted NaviTime, the GPS app, cause I downloaded Garmin and Japanese maps from a certain swash buckling place
dazzerjp said:
I haven't extracted NaviTime, the GPS app, cause I downloaded Garmin and Japanese maps from a certain swash buckling place
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Click to collapse
In the X04HT ROM, NaviTime is included simply as a CAB installer (rather than OEM package). But I tested it and was not particularly impressed. Garmin has better routing, and PocketMapple has more detailed maps.
Oh, and Diamond TF3d Config will take care of the TouchFlo language setting (among all sorts of other tweaks) -- no need to search for the MUI patch.
brendino888 said:
hi there! another newbie here. i'm living in japan and yesterday i purchased my SoftBank X05HT but wasn't told english was not available on it! being such a hi-tech piece of kit i really need to get english on it. i've been follow the advice given to Jonathan24 but being a novice i'm a bit concern that i will muck it up in some way. i understand that the japanese phone network is slightly different to european/american networks and am worried about installing a WWE rom. will my phone's services still fully function on the softbank network, S! Mail, 3g internet, etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing a ROM does not change your phone's radio, so it will still be able to connect to SoftBank (calling, 3G internet, etc) just fine. You will be able to find more information on flashing a WWE ROM in the Touch Pro ROM section, but just to confirm, you will need to install HardSPL through ActiveSync, then choose a ROM and place the .nbh file on your microSD card, and follow the steps for hardresetting/loading new ROM.
Of course you will probably lose any 3rd party apps that come pre-installed with your phone, so you may need to use the Application CD that came with your X05HT to reinstall them. As for S!Mail, you should be able to download the CAB and reinstall it by accessing your My SoftBank page from your phone using Internet Explorer. Here are the instructions for the X01HT, but it should be similar for the X05HT. I recommend getting the S!Mail CAB and any other necessary files first before flashing a new ROM (or at least performing a full backup).
You should also make a note of the connection settings so that you can make sure they are correct once you flash a new ROM. In the past, SoftBank has used different connection settings for different rate plans (I don't know if it's still the case), and some people have used the wrong settings after flashing their ROMs only to be faced with a huge bill at the end of the month. So this is another fair warning to be mindful of your data usage for the first month (or any subsequent month after you make major changes to your phone) -- unless of course you are confident you're using the correct settings.
So I went ahead and ordered an unlocked AT&T Fuze off of Ebay last night and it's on its way to my family's house where they'll repackage and send it off to me. I thought I should confirm something while I still have the chance, however.
I'm a resident in Japan so rather than roaming, I'd like to be able to use this with a regular Docomo subscription plan. If I get that crappy starter phone and then switch the SIM out to the Fuze, will it work the same (same phone number/email address, etc) with a regular subscription instead of trying to roam? Are there steps I need take to ensure that it uses the radio/data plan in the same way, or is all of the information contained in the SIM?
Also, what would technically happen if I walked into the Docomo shop the day I made my contract and said "Hey, I already have this nice smart phone, can I just use this?"
Thanks again, especially to fhsieh! You're a lifesaver!
-Jonathan
Jonathan24 said:
I'm a resident in Japan so rather than roaming, I'd like to be able to use this with a regular Docomo subscription plan. If I get that crappy starter phone and then switch the SIM out to the Fuze, will it work the same (same phone number/email address, etc) with a regular subscription instead of trying to roam? Are there steps I need take to ensure that it uses the radio/data plan in the same way, or is all of the information contained in the SIM?
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Click to collapse
The phone number will automatically be transferred to whichever device has the SIM. The basic network settings are contained within the SIM, and the Fuze contains an app (Start > Settings > Connections > Connection Wizard) that will automatically set up any additional connection settings for DoCoMo (the app is also part of most other TouchPro ROMs, in case you want to flash a different ROM). A DoCoMo SIM inside Japan will not roam.
You will have to enter email settings manually, but I have no experience with DoCoMo so I don't know if they use a specific app (like SoftBank does with S!Mail), or if you can simply enter it as a standard POP/IMAP account through WM6.1's default messaging app. Of course, with data access, you can simply tell your contacts to use your own email (and not a docomo email) for messaging -- you should not incur any additional charges for that.
For your reference, here is the full manual for the HT-01A:
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/support/trouble/manual/download/pro/ht01a/index.html
One note: you may want to take a look at section 14: "データ通信／ワイヤレスLAN" (pages 171-186). It contains connection settings for DoCoMo's "mopera U" data plan. You may need to set it up accordingly if you subscribe to that rate plan. And on that note, I would suggest taking a look at which plans are intended for use with the HT-01A, and then choosing the cheapest phone that uses the same plan(s). You wouldn't want to just buy the "most basic plan" and be caught off guard with high data charges if the plan isn't intended for use with a data-heavy device.
If you feel adventurous, you might also buy one of the models that can be hypersim-unlocked (for use overseas) and sell it on eBay.
And a last thought: if you have multiple DoCoMo stores in your area, you may want to "test the waters". Some stores/clerks might give you the cold shoulder while others might be very helpful. Although IMO, saying "I already have this phone, can I just use it?" won't do much because either way they're not required to support non-DoCoMo phones (the worst that would happen is they might refuse to open an account thinking you're trying to circumvent their plans; at which point you could just go to another DoCoMo store). But you shouldn't need any extra help -- your cheap phone should have all the necessary connection settings, and it's just a matter of copying them over to the TouchPro.
DoCoMo Bizhodai Data Plan
The data network plan I was told I have to use with the DoCoMo HT-01A phone is called Bizuhodai. (Mopera U is their email plan.) I bought the phone and flashed an English ROM on it and now I can't get the phone to connect to the data network.
Any DoCoMo users able to flash an English rom and get it to work with the Bizuhodai data plan?
Thanks,
Related
I have just upgraded my O2 XDA Mini S to an O2 XDA Orbit. I'm trying to pass the wizard on to my son who currently is in a monthly contract with the UK 3 network. Both the Wizard and Orbit will not recognise the 3 sim. I've searched widely and find a lot of conflicting opinion but some say that the 3g card will work on a 2g phone (albeit talk and text only without the 3g frills). Does anyone have any advice. The wizard is unlocked and accepts O2 and Voda cards. Is it the O2 software that needs replacing or is it that the card will never work on this particular unit.
Thanks
Three Network now has both GSM and 3G coverage for a full UK coverage. As such, it *sometimes* works on non-3G phone. Depending on your area, I think. But, in general non3G phone (i.e. the Wizard) doesnt work well with Three
hanmin said:
Three Network now has both GSM and 3G coverage for a full UK coverage. As such, it *sometimes* works on non-3G phone. Depending on your area, I think. But, in general non3G phone (i.e. the Wizard) doesnt work well with Three
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the rapid reply. Yes, the fact that 3 backs up on to Orange to give full coverage set me wondering. The phone will not even accept the sim - saying no sim or invalid sim. Is there some kind of barring actually operating on the sim to prevent it's recognition by any phone other than a 3 supplied unit? Odd one this.
Well, the common one is SIM-LOCK phone, that the case where the phone is locked to a specific SIM only. i.e. A-SIM in A-Phone, B-SIM doens't work in A-Phone.
However, it is unlikely that you have a Phone-lock SIM, or rather, barred IMEI. That is, the network only works on phone (i.e. with the IMEI) that is registered with the network. Hence, A-SIM will not work on B-Phone because B-Phone's IMEI is not registered with A-Network. Technically, you can do that, but I can't seems to see what's the business benifit of it. Further, you may check this buy going to their website and see if they are selling SIM only package. If so, they are unlikely to be blocking unregistered IMEI, more likely they (the phones) are not compatible with three network.
If you were to go to the Universal forum, there are people using Universal (a 3G phone) with Three Network. I'm not sure if these phones are from them, but my hunch is they are not.
Thanks for the info
Regards
I have this problem on mine too i wan to use a 3 sim in mine, mine is unlocked to all networks but three sims dont work, believe three sims are a different type of sim and thus dont work in phones not designed to take that type of sim, as my bro has a newer pocket pc phone and m sim works ok in that, think iv read somewhere they use different voltages or frequecy or something?!?
Hi all,
I'm in Spain and there's a mobile data tariff Orange do here called 'Internet Everywhere' that has a 5GB data allowance, but it's for laptops with a USB modem dongle. The normal 3G tariffs for phones only go up to 512MB which is a bit low for what I want.
Now a guy in the Orange shop here said you can't use the SIM for the USB dongle in a normal phone, even just for data (I'm aware it won't work for voice), but I suspect this is BS, but obviously before signing up for an 18 month contract I want to be sure.
Orange offer the same tariff (and dongle) in the UK, and from a bit of Googling around it *seems* people have used the SIM in a regular mobile for data and it's worked, but the posts I found were a bit unclear. I've not managed to find any info about the Spanish version.
So! My question is, does anyone know of any way that Orange could be locking these SIMs so they'll only work in a dongle and not with a regular mobile?
I have a lock-free Touch Pro (you can't get these with a contract here so I paid the full price... ouch).
Thanks!
In israel Orange locks the SIM cards using a specific code for each of the modems so that you can't even moהe them between modems.
I think you should search in the Network section of the forum first.. if you don't find anything.. maybe someone could break it.. tho i'm pretty sure it isn't as simple as it seems.
Thanks for the reply
I figured I'd ask here. I'm almost certain that it isn't possible at all to do but you never know what the great devs here at XDA has come up with.
I have a HTC HD7s from ATT. It's a GREAT phone in my opinion. Never had a single problem with it; but I did with AT&T. They were just; lacking in terms of anything in my local area.
Now for my question; It's probably not possible but like I said you never know until you ask. I am currently running on Sprint service with my Epic 4G Touch. Love the service as it does what I need it to do (a lot better then AT&T ever did). Now AT&T is GSM if I'm correct and I know sprint is CDMA.
But what could I change my HD7s over to via flashing/custom roms or whatnot. I doubt sprint would even think of being an option; but if there's a way to get it on even a pre-pay service; I'd love to have it sitting around as a backup phone if I ever needed it. So is it possible to flash over my HD7s to any other carriers? I have read that my current phone can actually be flashed to multiple other carriers, but with sprints (decent) service, there's no need.
Thanks ahead of time!
Your HD7S cannot work on a CDMA network (Sprint, Verizon) because it lacks the necessary radio hardware. No amount of flashing can fix that.
If it's unlocked, you can use it on any GSM network, however; no flashing would be required for that. The most obvious example of a non-AT&T GSM network in the USA is T-Mobile. Your phone will work on T-Mobile but won't get 3G due to lack of AWS UMTS support -- in other words, it doesn't have support for T-Mobile's 3G frequency.
If you can find a virtual network operator that uses AT&T's network, then you should be able to use your phone on that network and get 3G. I'm not up on which operators that might include.
The specific thing you need for your phone is a "SIM-unlock" which means removing the restriction that AT&T puts on their phones to prevent using SIM cards from other carriers. Typically, AT&T will remove this lock for you if you ask them, but otherwise there are sites online that can sell you unlock codes or you could try calling HTC.
3. Post only using a clear subject and message.
You're most likely to receive a helpful answer to your question if you use a short subject title that describes your problem and a message that explains in detail what your problem is and what you've tried to solve it.
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Please use search function, most of the questions are already answered. If you still need to post your doubts please do it in an existing thread. Is really no need to open a new thread with same topic. Dispersed information helps to nobody.
I've read that the update will bring new global roaming capability, so has anyone tried to stick a GSM SIM into the phone yet? Does the new JB update bring unlocked 3G GSM?
No, it does not. I updated to 4.1.1 bone stock and got it to register on T-Mobile's network, but there is no way to change APN's, so data and text/mm do not work.
Now, before the update you could root and get a program to add in the APN of whichever network you wanted... folks (including myself) have had it on AT&T and T-Mobile's GSM networks, albeit without WCDMA ("3g"). Check out http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1895684 for progress on getting WCDMA working on the 1900 band. The phone works on the 2100 band out of the box, but no US carrier uses that for WCDMA.
Okay, that said, post-update, I am sure the same APN tricks that worked pre-update, will work now, but sadly one has to be rooted to do that. Attached are two screenshots from while I was farking about with it.
Why not root, then? No disadvantages that I can see
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
I like how they're legally supposed to have it unlocked but still, here we are a half a year later.
ac21365 said:
No, it does not. I updated to 4.1.1 bone stock and got it to register on T-Mobile's network, but there is no way to change APN's, so data and text/mm do not work.
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Click to collapse
To be honest, I'm amazed that VZW is allowing you to use another carrier's GSM SIM at all without some sort of unlock code (since this is the case with most phones sold in this country).
I assumed that their "Global Roaming" capability meant that you can take your SGS3 with the VZW SIM to countries (e.g. everywhere other than the USA) that only have GSM (WCDMA/HSDPA) and pay Verizon's extortion (roaming) fees. Maybe the lack of unlock is due to the fact that the phone's primary radios are LTE and CDMA?
If someone can confirm that rooting the phone will allow you to change the APNs it would be greatly appreciated. My family is vacationing in Costa Rica this winter. I've already acquired a couple of unlocked AT&T phones that we plan to use with local prepaid SIM cards, but it'd be nice to be able to have the option of using my I535 there as well.
Thanks!
gm2racer said:
If someone can confirm that rooting the phone will allow you to change the APNs it would be greatly appreciated. My family is vacationing in Costa Rica this winter. I've already acquired a couple of unlocked AT&T phones that we plan to use with local prepaid SIM cards, but it'd be nice to be able to have the option of using my I535 there as well.
Thanks!
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1809314
Yep, had it on T-Mobile and AT&T (GSM only) here in the states, and worked great on O2 (with HSPA+ YAY) in Germany. Page 6 for my screenshots of Domestic carriers, page 9 for screenshot of me on O2.
Please post questions in Q&A
Thread moved
Thanks
FNM
Imatoasta said:
I like how they're legally supposed to have it unlocked but still, here we are a half a year later.
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Its not as cut and dry as that. If you have to root the phone to move carriers technically you are in the wrong. If that is what you mean by unlocked.
Dagger_Prime said:
Its not as cut and dry as that. If you have to root the phone to move carriers technically you are in the wrong. If that is what you mean by unlocked.
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Actually you are wrong. He is referring to the FCC ruling. And we should not need to root to be unlocked. I think that is the point he was trying to make.
Does the inability to change APN affect only the domestic US carriers or is it true for any country's Sim card you put in for gsm use. (Verizon global phones have in the past operated where domestic sims don't work but international ones do)
systemf said:
Does the inability to change APN affect only the domestic US carriers or is it true for any country's Sim card you put in for gsm use. (Verizon global phones have in the past operated where domestic sims don't work but international ones do)
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I recently updated to the leaked K3 while traveling on business in the Philippines. While voice and text work, there is no way to add any new APN settings in both GSM/UMTS and Global modes. When clicking on Menu in the APN settings, the only option is to restore to default.
Note that while voice and text do work, there is a notification i the notification menu stating "Non-Verizon SIM: Sorry, this SIM card is not supported. Please..."
I believe that the frequency the carrier runs on is GSM900. Hope that helps clarify things. I spent way too much time trying to get 3G to work over here to no success.
Has anyone just tried using Verizon's Global Data Plan ($25 for 100 MB)? Is the S3 somehow not compatible with that plan?
I'm looking at getting the VZW S3 but I've heard all kinds of things about getting the Verizon S3 to work globally pre/post JB update. I know the local sim rates are much cheaper, but for an occasional traveler this is supposed to be the easy solution.
i have a htc desire Z currently and i recently went to california to spend some time with my gf's family but my phone just did not work over in america....
im in a 18 month contract with Orange (or EE now) and when I got to america i was not registered to any UK carrier so I tried to connect to the two possible carriers available T-mobile and AT&T but both said my sim card was unable to register with these carriers.
i have no idea why or what causes this issue but i want to make sure that next time when i leave to go to the US my phone is going to work...
im getting a new phone soon and want to know what the fix is before i get a phone that wont work in the US again...
PS. im rooted and using a custom rom called mimicry if that has any foot on the problem.
thanks in advance
Are you still using the SIM card from the UK? If so, you need a US SIM card to communicate with the GSM towers here.
syung said:
Are you still using the SIM card from the UK? If so, you need a US SIM card to communicate with the GSM towers here.
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i brought my gf a phone a Tesco mobile carrier in the uk and hers worked over there... so some work, i just need to know which ones do or how i can connect to the gsm towers. i dont actually care about using the phone service too much because i mostly do my networking via skype and whatsapp but i was unable to access the wireless connection too (probably related as well)
no access to any signal was available. my gf had no troubles though, she texted and called and used internet on wifi but internet didnt work outside of wifizone which is the same thing im looking for.
bump - does anyone have any information on this?
I hear sth about it usa doesnt use umts and they have different frequency than Europe probably this is the reason
Wysyłane z mojego GT-I9300 za pomocą Tapatalk 2
penfold1992 said:
i have a htc desire Z currently and i recently went to california to spend some time with my gf's family but my phone just did not work over in america....
im in a 18 month contract with Orange (or EE now) and when I got to america i was not registered to any UK carrier so I tried to connect to the two possible carriers available T-mobile and AT&T but both said my sim card was unable to register with these carriers.
i have no idea why or what causes this issue but i want to make sure that next time when i leave to go to the US my phone is going to work...
im getting a new phone soon and want to know what the fix is before i get a phone that wont work in the US again...
PS. im rooted and using a custom rom called mimicry if that has any foot on the problem.
thanks in advance
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Click to collapse
Before you buy your new phone, check on GSMArena for the full specs and see what frequencies it supports - then make sure those match with the frequency your planned provider in the US uses.
And, please don't 'bump' your own posts - there's no need and it's contrary to the rules of XDA to do so within 24 hours.
SimonTS said:
Before you buy your new phone, check on GSMArena for the full specs and see what frequencies it supports - then make sure those match with the frequency your planned provider in the US uses.
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is there a possibility to change the radio part of a rom in order to use frequency to at least get onto a network?
my phone
gf's phone
it appears as though my phone has the ability to work in the US however it appears to work with either one or the other and not both at the same time... if i got that correct?
(seeing as USA coverage accepts UMTS 850, 1900, 1700 and 2100 and the UK uses UMTS 900 and 2100 i need to look for a phone that runs on 2100)