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Choosing i9000 or I897 variant - Features

Hello,
I'm a probably future owner of an i897 but I have some questions about the hardware and models variations
I like in Brazil and my 3G carrier use 2100 MHZ (Where I live) and 850 MHz on other states (3g on Roaming). I have an unlimited data plan, but with a max speed of 300 kbps (so far).
I'm looking for the best GSM android phone: Fast processor, huge screen (4" or bigger), big resolution (at least 800 x 480), TV output, Wi-Fi, Internet tethering, GPS. All roads lead to I9000 or i897.
At first I thought choose the i897, because it uses both 850 MHz and 2100 MHz, so I'll have 3g anywhere in Brazil. BUT and you can see my data plan have a speed limit of 300kbps, so I don't know if I'll use the full potential of 3G, at least for now. Eventually I'll upgrade my data plan to a 1 MBPS plan.
I can also get i9000 but it will work only in few states. Probably it work for one year (As I don't intend to travel too much in the next year), but after one year I can change my carrier and some carriers here only use 850 MHZ 3G. So choosing the i9000 I will narrow my future options.
What I trying to ask (or answer) is whether is better to have an i897 with full country 3G BUT with an extremely "locked" firmware of if I should get the i9000 with a better firmware option but with restricted 3G (3G with 70% coverage).
In order to answer that I have other 'sub-questions':
1) Does i897 have the FM radio hardware? Would a future firmware/ROM update enable it?
2) Does i897 GPS works (I recall AT&T Blocking GPS on blackberry phones)
3) I saw some comments (other phones) that some ROMs messed up with 3G band. The 3G frequency is a hardware or software configuration?
4) Some sellers are already selling, here in Brazil, unlocked i897 phones. Is possible to unlock the phone but a ROM update or I'll have to pay for unlock codes?
5) Which other features AT&T decided to lock (Removed from their ROM) on this phone?
6) Is there an I9000 variant with front facing camera?
5) One very important question: Aside from Droid x (which is not GSM) and HTC evo (which also if not a GSM phone) is the Samsung i897/i9000 the best android phone available?
I also thought about getting a Motorola XT720 but it is only US$ 50 cheaper and have a slower processor and no 850 MHZ 3G. Also thought about the HTC Desire (A8183 Australian model that have both 850 and 2100
MHZ 3G) but so far I find the i897 the best option (although I would love having front facing camera that the Desire have).
Any other options?
Thanks
Jose Morais

In answer to your question(s), the phone you want is the best one for you ...
1. No, the i897 is not supporting an FM radio at this time, and I'm not sure if the hardware is present as I refuse to open my phone to look. AT&T's specifications page does not list FM radio as a feature either, but that doesn't mean its not there and disabled.
2. Yes the GPS works, it is spotty for some and Samsung has admitted to there being an issue that will be resolved by an upcomming OTA update.
3. (For WM Phones): It's not so much the ROM as it is the Radio software, which may, or may not, be changed in the ROM. Different versions of the radio software can improve performance for some and worsen it for others. I'm am not sure how the radio software is handled by an Android device, as this is the first one I've owned, but I imagine is is very similar. Just be aware of what you are doing, and how to undo it if something is amiss.
4. There is a thread on this board about unlocking the i897, and as of my last reading yesterday, there is no known way to unlock this phone...yet. There was even a report of someone selling "unlocked" i897 phones on e-bay, which were
later found to be firmly SIM locked. I would advise you read that thread, and be very aware of what you are buying if someone is advertising an unlocked i897.
5. AT&T has blocked (or tried to anyway) non-market apps from installing, and WiFi tethering apps from displaying in the android marketplace. There are work arounds for all of this already.
6. Yes, the are Galaxy S phones with FFC. Not sure if any of them are GSM. Keep in mind that transmitting live video is bandwidth intensive and your plan, and upload speed, may not be robust enough to handle it. On that note, I can find no data that either supports or denies this phone having HSUPA capability which would go a long way towards being able to use a FFC as intended.
7. Your last question is entirely subjective to perspective and intended use.
Were I you I would get the phone that most suits my needs and my HOME network. You may want to wait a bit and see what pans out with this phone.

In Brazil the i897 should not currently be an option you should consider until AT&T has made a definitive decision about unlocking the phones, or a third party solution is possible. The Samsung Galaxy S platform is going to be releases in 110 countries. Brazil being probably one of the bigger cell phone markets, is going to get a variant of the Galaxy S lineup in the near future, you best option will be to wait on a phone like this to be released and then pick it up.

Battlehymn,
Thanks for the answers. I have an expectation when using my phone and now I'm trying to find which phones can fullfill this expectation. That's why sometimes the phone that I (think) want may not be the best for me. I hope i897 will the "the one".
I also think it's the best to think about a phone that will work with 3G on my home state. I897 will work, but as well as i9000. Maybe the best option, as you sugested, is to wait a little to see how i897 works in terms or ROM and unlock.
@rajendra82
Sure. My carrier will start selling the i897 here in few months, but I don't really want to buy it here: An iphone 3GS 16GB brought in a store cost around 3.000 Brazilian reais (around US$ 1,650) while it can be purchased for US$ 400 in the US. I asked a friend of mine to bring me a US phone but I have up to next week to decide which one he should buy.
Thanks

don't buy the captivate if you don't have att you'll be dissapointed because it won't work!
get something that does, if you must get an android device, the nexus 1 with the ATT bands (I think thats what you're looking for?) is you're best bet. they're still available online at places but you are most definitely running out of time

Telstra in Australia run on 850/2100 3G, and I'm pretty sure some networks in Canada do aswell. Keep an eye on on those carriers for a compatible Galaxy S to be released soon.

Major Clod said:
Telstra in Australia run on 850/2100 3G, and I'm pretty sure some networks in Canada do aswell. Keep an eye on on those carriers for a compatible Galaxy S to be released soon.
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I have a friend of mine that will travel to US next on august 13th, so I decide which phone I'll bet before he leaves. I don't think there will be Telstra ou Canada versions of the i9000 by than. Will have to decide about buying I9000, i897 or HTC Desire in the next two weeks...

[Q] Looking for a good, cheap, no-contract AT&T smartphone

I don't have my Motorola Atrix 4G anymore, so I'm looking for a good, cheap, no contract smartphone with a physical QWERTY keyboard to buy myself. Right now I'm borrowing a friend's Pantech Link until I get a new phone. I don't want to spend more than around $100, though I'm willing to go a little higher if it's worth it. I mostly use my phone for texting, calling, browsing, Facebook, email, looking up directions/movies/restaurants, and playing Pokemon with an emulator so nothing too intensive, I really didn't need such a high-end smartphone like I used to have.
I'm on AT&T so I need an AT&T phone smartphone or unlocked GSM smartphone that'll work with AT&T. I plan to use the phone for about a year and a half until my contract ends though I might buy another phone before then.
I've been looking at the Motorola Charm that Newegg has on sale for $100. It's unlocked and will work on AT&T, and looks pretty good other than it's 3 MP fixed focus screen and QVGA screen though for $100 it's much better than most of the dumbphones I'll find for under $100.
What do you guys think about this phone and do you know of any other good phones for under $100? Thanks!

Bump.
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The LG quantum generally runs ~$100 used on online classifieds. Its a att phone with a slider keyboard, running windows phone 7. WP7 is very different compared to android, but its elegant looking, smooth, and super stable. The Facebook app, angrybirds, email are all really good. I doubt there are any free emulators for it, but there are a lot of good quality apps if you don't mind paying a few bucks.
Other than that on att with a keyboard you may be looking at older Windows Mobile phones, like the Tilt 2, or Fuze. They are great phones, with nice keyboards, but very low screen resulotion, and there are no apps in the way they exist on Android or WP7. You can install programs, but there is no store, and will all be old.
You also have the palm offering that might be cheap now. The veer and pre plus have sliders, and wesOS has an app store, even if it is dwindling. I do love my TouchPad, but didn't like a pre plus.
The next option is ... wait for it ... blackberry. I won't get into that, as that is the only platform I never tried.
I don't know about the TMo offerings, but any TMo phone unlocked will work, but you will only get edge, not 3G. The G1 would probably run in your price range.
If you can convince att to give you an early upgrade you could try for the Captivate Slide. Its almost the best android phone on att, and it has a keyboard. But, off contract will be way above your price range.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)

quarlow said:
The LG quantum generally runs ~$100 used on online classifieds. Its a att phone with a slider keyboard, running windows phone 7. WP7 is very different compared to android, but its elegant looking, smooth, and super stable. The Facebook app, angrybirds, email are all really good. I doubt there are any free emulators for it, but there are a lot of good quality apps if you don't mind paying a few bucks.
Other than that on att with a keyboard you may be looking at older Windows Mobile phones, like the Tilt 2, or Fuze. They are great phones, with nice keyboards, but very low screen resulotion, and there are no apps in the way they exist on Android or WP7. You can install programs, but there is no store, and will all be old.
You also have the palm offering that might be cheap now. The veer and pre plus have sliders, and wesOS has an app store, even if it is dwindling. I do love my TouchPad, but didn't like a pre plus.
The next option is ... wait for it ... blackberry. I won't get into that, as that is the only platform I never tried.
I don't know about the TMo offerings, but any TMo phone unlocked will work, but you will only get edge, not 3G. The G1 would probably run in your price range.
If you can convince att to give you an early upgrade you could try for the Captivate Slide. Its almost the best android phone on att, and it has a keyboard. But, off contract will be way above your price range.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
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Thanks for the advice!
The LG Quantum looks nice, and I've heard a lot of good things about the WP7 OS. I prefer Samsung phones over LG phones so I'll start looking at WP7 phones. I don't want anything outdated though so I'm going to stay away from phones like the HTC Tilt2 and HTC Fuze even though the Tilt 2 looks pretty nice.
I'm not a fan of Blackberries so I'm going to stay away from them.
Also, why would I only get Edge and not 3G if I used an unlocked T-Mobile phone? The Motorola Charm for example supports 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM bands; AT&T uses 850/1900 MHz and T-Mobile uses 900/1800 MHz so I'm not sure why I'd only get Edge.
Thanks again!

That charm might work on att 3G. The TMo branded devices generally lack at least one if not several of the att bands (TMo also uses 1700 and 2100). The vibrant is the only one I have heard of working on att, and it didn't support all the bands (I want to say it included 850, but not 1900), so it only worked in some regions.
I like Samsung over LG too, but the quantum is the only QWERTY WP7 device branded for att. The Samsung devices don't have keyboards. WP7 doesn't have the fragmentation that Android does. Microsoft put stricter hardware requirements on the OEMs, so I am fairly certain all of the devices are upgradeable to Mango. I know the original Focus (Samsung not Ford) was upgraded, and ran Mango perfectly. I had a Focus for a month, and was impressed with it, but ultimately went with SGS II, as I am an Android power user.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)

quarlow said:
That charm might work on att 3G. The TMo branded devices generally lack at least one if not several of the att bands (TMo also uses 1700 and 2100). The vibrant is the only one I have heard of working on att, and it didn't support all the bands (I want to say it included 850, but not 1900), so it only worked in some regions.
I like Samsung over LG too, but the quantum is the only QWERTY WP7 device branded for att. The Samsung devices don't have keyboards. WP7 doesn't have the fragmentation that Android does. Microsoft put stricter hardware requirements on the OEMs, so I am fairly certain all of the devices are upgradeable to Mango. I know the original Focus (Samsung not Ford) was upgraded, and ran Mango perfectly. I had a Focus for a month, and was impressed with it, but ultimately went with SGS II, as I am an Android power user.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
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I defiantly want either an Android 2.1/2.2/2.3 or a WP7/WP7.5 phone with a physical QWERTY keyboard that's cheap so there's not a lot to choose from. I looked online and the Motorola Charm doesn't support 3G on AT&T so that phone's off my list now. :/
I've been reading reviews on the LG Quantum and it looks like a really nice phone. Two main problems though. For one it doesn't have some of the Applications that I rely on that Android has. Notably, a SMS/MMS Backup Application. Second it's too much for my budget, it's about $160 new at the cheapest, plus CA sales tax. I'm kind of iffy about buying a phone used, do you know if it's cheaper anywhere else?
Thanks again for all your help!

I thought of a few more QWERTY att phones. The Dell Venue pro is a portrait slider running WP7. The Motorola Backflip (att's first android phone that everyone forgets about) has an interesting keyboard, it folds out, so when closed the keys face out, instead of sliding. But, I think its stuck on android 1.6. Motorola also released the flipside and flipout on att, both on 2.1. The flipout is smaller, and the keyboard rotates on a pivot, sliding out at 90 degrees. The flipside is more like a normal slider.
The SMS backup was a problem for me on the Focus too. Albeit not a huge problem, but one I never found a solution to. As far as apps, I found it annoying that some apps weren't there, and didn't want to stick it out until they were.
For QWERTY android phones its going to be tricky. HTC made great QWERTY WinMo phones, but no android ones for att (several for TMo). Samsung made the sprint version of the galaxy s QWERTY, but that won't work on att. The G2 on TMo is QWERTY, but won't get 3G data. The Motorola QWERTY android att phones are odd form factors (backflip and flipout), and weren't popular.
The flipside may be your best bet, and on eBay they are close to your range. I believe they run motoblur, which is known to cause poor performance, and generally one of the worst android skins. (What was on the Atrix is not the same, scaled back compared to those earlier versions from what I understand)
As far as used phones, I have never had issues buying used phones. Check the water indicators, and place a test call if buying local. If buying online many eBay sellers offer 30 day warranties.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)

[Q] Buying a no-contract smart phone

I'm a T-Mobile Prepaid customer using a simple $19 phone but am planning to purchase a no-contract smart phone, say Samsung Galaxy S 2 or HTC Amaze 4G.
If I buy one of these for T-Mobile Prepaid, am I locked in there, or the phone is useful even if I might move onto another carrier such as Verizon or ATT, or to another Plan within T-Mobile later?

xdabyk said:
I'm a T-Mobile Prepaid customer using a simple $19 phone but am planning to purchase a no-contract smart phone, say Samsung Galaxy S 2 or HTC Amaze 4G.
If I buy one of these for T-Mobile Prepaid, am I locked in there, or the phone is useful even if I might move onto another carrier such as Verizon or ATT, or to another Plan within T-Mobile later?
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Click to collapse
No you are not locked in if you buy a phone off contract. You will not be able to move to verizon or sprint with the phone though, because they use CDMA and not GSM like the rest of the world.

you can outright buy the phone, but check to see if they have a pre-paid plan/data plan for that phone, it will not be unlocked so you cannot move. You can request t-mobile to unlock it though, but you will not get the same 4g speeds

Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A

lowandbehold said:
No you are not locked in if you buy a phone off contract. You will not be able to move to verizon or sprint with the phone though, because they use CDMA and not GSM like the rest of the world.
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Thank you. Does that mean I can use the Samsung Galaxy S2 No-Contract Model I buy from/for T-Mobil Prepaid now for other carriers of GSM? May I understand from your reply message(s) that T-Mobile is a GSM format carrier(and so is AT&T?) as opposed to Verizon and Sprint being a CDMA guys? If so, I can use the phone as long as my next carrier is a GSM guy? Does this make sense?

djjuice said:
you can outright buy the phone, but check to see if they have a pre-paid plan/data plan for that phone, it will not be unlocked so you cannot move. You can request t-mobile to unlock it though, but you will not get the same 4g speeds
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To: djjuice -
Thank you. I will do some homework in order to understand what "locked", "unlock" and " . . . will not get the same 4g speeds" mean.

Even unlocked the phone may not support the 3G or "4"G data speed between TMobile and AT&T. The AT&T Galaxy S II will not run on TMobile 3G data, only Edge (2G) data, because they run on different frequencies, same thing with the TMobile Galaxy S II does not support AT&T frequencies. If you buy the phone off contract from TMobile, they should unlock it for you, but there is no guarantee it will work (fully) anywhere else.
If you buy a phone off of craigslist even though you are buying it off contract you cannot guarantee it can be unlocked freely. For example if you buy an AT&T phone used from someone, AT&T will not unlock it for you for free until it's a certain number of months old (based on when the first person bought it from AT&T). You would have to pay a third party for an unlock code (if there is no help here on xda to unlock it).
It's best to just buy a phone for the carrier you plan on using. That ensures its going to work, and that it will work at full speed. If you really think you are going to switch to AT&T buy one of their branded phones, or Verizon etc. Verizon and Sprint both use CDMA, but they are very resistant to allowing another carriers phone on their network. Plus their 4G networks are different types (Verizon uses LTE, Sprint WiMax) so they wouldn't work fully regardless.

Thank you, quarlow.
My budget is around $600 max. So I'm inclined to purchase an HTC Amaze 4Z or Samsung Galaxy S2 for use for T-Mobile Prepaid at Target or at T-Mobile. T-Mobile Net Shop is selling Galaxy S2 Re-Furbished at a discount price. Hear Galaxy S2 have high rate of initial failures and therefore maybe better to buy a re-furbished one that has failed once and was repaired by qualified repairman. Below is how I come to think of buying a smart phone now. I've been happy with a simple prepaid phone buying 100 minutes at a time, which lasts more than a year for me. I also use a Sony Clie, a PDA running Palm Desk Top, which has gone obsolete long time ago. With a smart phone such as Galaxy or Amaze 4Z, I can leave not only the PDA but also a digital camera home. I do not need to access my PDA data over internet. I will import necessary data from my PC to my new smart phone either via cable or via WIFI before going out. That's why I want to remain "Prepaid Customer" not a customer with monthly fees. (Besides, I am not so much interested in leaving my data at ISP's servers.)
Thank you.

I haven't heard of high failure on the Galaxy S II's for TMo. But I have seen several studies showing refurbished devices have lower failure rates because they can have problem components replaced, and have to pass full qa testing twice.
If you are going to put all your data on your phone via USB on the computer, or wifi, then data compatibility won't matter. That changes the whole issue of taking it to another carrier. Any att or TMo phone that is unlocked will make and receive phone calls, text messages and mms messages just fine on the other network. You will only notice the difference when web browsing, or downloading files. If you aren't going to do that, then it wont make a difference.
Knowing that and your budget I would say get a international version of the phone. Get the Galaxy S II (i9100), or the Galaxy Note, or the Galaxy Nexus. All of those phones are top tier, and international versions will receive updates quicker. The Nexus being the Google device will be the first ICS device to get the next version of android, so its the most future proof. The GSM version of any of those phones will likely come unlocked.
The i9100 has a 4.3" screen, and 1.2Ghz dual core Exynos chip. The TMo version has a 4.5" screen (same resolution) with 1.5Ghz dual core qualcomm chip. The bigger screens did have issues with splotches and vertical lines far more than the 4.3" screen. With them being the same resolution the smaller screen is crisper. The Exynos chip is made by Samsung and widely regarded as the better chip, even at a slower speed. It also comes with a more powerful gpu than the qualcomm chip. So, the graphics are better, and games run better. The att version (i777) is almost exactly the same as the i9100, except it has the U.S. norm of 4 buttons, vs the international 3 buttons. The dev support on xda for the i9100 is unmatched by any other phone, its an amazing device with a huge support and user base.
The Galaxy Note is a 5.3" half phone half tablet with a stylus, and 1.4Ghz dual core Exynos chip. Its screen is a whopping 1280x800 resolution. But, for some that's too big.
The Galaxy Nexus has a 4.65" screen with 720p resolution (this screen is pentile which means it doesn't have as many sub pixels as it could. Its hard to explain, Google pentile vs rgb and there should be plenty of explinations. But, most reviews say at that resolution you need a microscope to tell). But the real strength with that device is that its the pure Google device. Its running Android the way its meant to be ran, unbloated and unrestricted. That is the Rolls Royce of Android phones for the next year. The Nexus S is last years Google device, and will be the first gingerbread device with an official ICS upgrade, if it isn't already upgraded. Its like a Mercedes at this point, its got the pure android experience, but its running last years tech: 4" screen, 1Ghz single core hummingbird chip.
I'm sure that is way more information than you ever wanted to know, but I hope it helps.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)

quarlow said:
Even unlocked the phone may not support the 3G or "4"G data speed between TMobile and AT&T. The AT&T Galaxy S II will not run on TMobile 3G data, only Edge (2G) data, because they run on different frequencies, same thing with the TMobile Galaxy S II does not support AT&T frequencies. If you buy the phone off contract from TMobile, they should unlock it for you, but there is no guarantee it will work (fully) anywhere else.
If you buy a phone off of craigslist even though you are buying it off contract you cannot guarantee it can be unlocked freely. For example if you buy an AT&T phone used from someone, AT&T will not unlock it for you for free until it's a certain number of months old (based on when the first person bought it from AT&T). You would have to pay a third party for an unlock code (if there is no help here on xda to unlock it).
It's best to just buy a phone for the carrier you plan on using. That ensures its going to work, and that it will work at full speed. If you really think you are going to switch to AT&T buy one of their branded phones, or Verizon etc. Verizon and Sprint both use CDMA, but they are very resistant to allowing another carriers phone on their network. Plus their 4G networks are different types (Verizon uses LTE, Sprint WiMax) so they wouldn't work fully regardless.
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Actually the T-mobile SGSII supports AT&T 3g.

lowandbehold said:
Actually the T-mobile SGSII supports AT&T 3g.
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Att 3G runs on 850 and 1900, with preference on 1900 generally. The TMo looks to have 850, but not 1900. So like the vibrant the support will be spotty at best. It may work in some places, but not everywhere.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)

To quarlow and lowandbehold -
Very informative! Thank you very much.
I will stay with the plan to go for a Galaxy S2(i1900) or an HTC Amaze 4Z for TMO Prepaid. If there be good prepaid phone service(s) available from other carrier(s), I'd definitely want to learn about.

[Q] T989 (Hercules) or i9100

Hi all!
I have been looking to get a galaxy s2 and can't decide between the tmobile version or the international version.
I currently have t-mobile so that would leave me on edge speeds with the international version, but with the upcoming roaming agreements and possible 1900 Mhz 3G service that tmobile might be using (BIG IF I know). It's sounding like an okay option, plus its not like I use my phone to surf the web all day, I am mostly in a place that has wireless that I can use.
I am leaning towards the international version due to its form factor and great roms. I'm not exactly a fan of how huge the tmobile version felt in my hands after getting to see a friend of mines.
In any case I have a vibrant and as much as I love the phone I would like an upgrade as this summer it will be 2 years old, which will be the longest kept phone I have had. (most of the ones I did have were replaced in 1 year or less).
Thanks for any input and yes I did search the forums, but if I missed something then thread point away

[Q] Buying new droid (AT&T), can you beat a Galaxy S II LTE?

I currently have an HTC hero I used on AT&T (I think it was a Rogers phone from canada, its the Hero with the funny kink at the bottom).
I've been very happy with it for a few years now, but my folks just got new iphone 4's and I cant stand the "if this "android" thing is so great why is your phone so much slower than mine?" remarks from my father anymore (guess I did a little to good of a job turning him into a techy ) so its time to upgrade
I had not looked at new phones since my Hero was very near top of the line. Base on my extensive reading over the last 2 weeks it looks like the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE (aka Skyrocket) is probably a great choice, particularly since I will be moving to the Baltimore / D.C. area soon and it looks like they have LTE service!
1st Question) Can I still simply take the sim card from my Hero and pop it into the Skyrocket and be up and running? I assume the new phones still use the same old sim cards but all the reviews / videos / pictures I've seen didn't mention it specifically and I wanted to be sure, for all I know they could have changed.
2nd Question) Any reason you wouldn't recommend the Skyrocket? Something better out now, or coming out very soon?
Thank you very much for the help, I always appreciate the advice and wealth of information from all the experts here!
*EDIT* FYI I did look into the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note, but its to large for me I think

1) Yes. To my knowledge (not very much ) only iPhones and Nokia's N9 use microSIM cards. Your regular SIM from your Hero will fit fine in your new phone.
2) The Skyrocket is a lovely phone, if you need LTE. There are two similar, somewhat cheaper alternatives available if you're not in an LTE area (i777, i9100). They are both compatible with AT&T 3G service.
If you wait for 'the next best thing' around the corner, you'll never buy anything Manufacturers are certainly pumping devices these days. That said, if you like big phones the Note is coming to AT&T within the next couple of weeks, also packing LTE.
I personally loved the LG Nitro HD for its stunning 720p screen and sleek build, although LGs software is definitely not as polished as Samsungs.
In the end, it all comes down to personal preference If you can, head into your local AT&T shop and get some hands-on time with both. Pick the one which feels better for you. You can make a more informed choice that way
Good luck!