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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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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...
I have this Optimus S (2 actually) sitting around from when I had enough money to pay Sprint...
So when I found out about Republic Wireless I got excited about being able to eat AND have a phone.
Since Republic uses Sprints networks and uses an Optimus for it's only phone I assumed I could just use my phone...
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I really like the idea of Republic Wireless, it's a much better solution
for me than paying for full cell service. I already have an LG Optimus S
through Sprint and I was wondering if I can use that phone through your
service since it will be using Sprints network anyway.
Thanks,
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republic wireless must work with the devices that we offer. The service will not work with devices purchased outside of republic wireless. This includes devices offered by Sprint.
Thank you!
republic wireless
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(I love how they take the time to capitalize Sprint but not the name of the company they work for...)
I think they're lying. I highly doubt that they have any special hardware. So with the help of a techninja I think it should be possible to port the ROM to my phone.
Thanks
it will be interesting to see how much they have customized gingerbread to work through their service. I downloaded their startup guide and it looks like they have some custom wifi app that is always running. mine is supposed to arrive on Friday so I'll try to share more then.
that would be great - i wanna close my op t from theirs to mine I'll get mine on the 23 of Dec - keep us posted - I woulda figured this was all over this site - finally wifi competition !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A
update
tnlobo420 said:
that would be great - i wanna close my op t from theirs to mine I'll get mine on the 23 of Dec - keep us posted - I woulda figured this was all over this site - finally wifi competition !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phone will be here Wednesday!!! T-mob Optimus T doesn't work because of weak T-mob signal (been thru 3). Hopefully, since this is a CDMA phone and it uses Sprints towers to maintain a signal, it will work better for me - Shame on T-mob for willing selling me a phone that doesn't work - (and then claiming it's not their fault) lol
Any news about the phone?
All the U.S. Cdma carriers were late with the first wave of wp7 devices. I'm with Verizon and we didn't get the HTC Trophy until June. Sprint got HTC arrive a couple month earlier but by the time those devices were released in the U.S. they were already year old devices.
So 6 months later GSM is getting the roll out of the mango phones with front facing cameras and those of us with cdma arrives and trophies are looking with no signs of a cdma wp7 with a ff cam in sight. What gives?
How come HTC and Samsung aren't making cdma variants of their phones they give carriers and bringing them to cdma carriers? Like how they brought variants of the HTC touch pro 2 and the HTC evo to all the carriers?
Anyone else getting angry with the lackluster cdma support? Why aren't they launching more phones than just the ones that seemingly come out annually?
Sent from my mwp6985 using Board Express
My bet is that Sprint and Verizon are effectively done with bringing CDMA phones to market and they don't want a new phone unless it is an iPhone or 4G (LTE and/or WiMax).
I expect Verizon phones once LTE support hits with Tango.
It'll be spring.
I, for one, am really happy VZW got a 3G WP7 phone. I am in an area that prob will get LTE in the LAST phase of any roll out (we got 3G in Oct 2010). I was also able to get it before the end of unlimited data.
What is killing me isn't carrier support, but hack support. I would love to developed a ROM for the HTC Trophy, but I have the CDMA Verizon version, and it has yet to be unlocked.
I know part of this is that the unlock devs are in China and do not have access to the CDMA Trophy.. but it seems no one wants to get together and buy/send them a Trophy CDMA to work on. :/
I know I can't afford it myself.. and for some reason the price has increased on Amazon Wireless (the phone alone was going for $388, now its $479)... but perhaps if a bunch of us chipped in we could send them one.
I have talked to mwang and cotulla and offered to buy them both Verizon trophies . They have both told me that they have cdma devices in hand and are currently testing .. I know it's taking a while , but the good news is that it IS being worked on . I want a DFT rom as bad as anyone ...hell id settle for interop unlock .. I suppose we just have to be patient .
Sent from my mwp6985 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Well, it's good to know that its a work in progress. I just pray that the unlock will be based on the 7.5 rom.. many people got burnt by installing the demo rom... (well, maybe you could base it on the demo rom??). The only way to get rid of the demo rom was to install the leaked 7.5 rom (I was refused RMA because of the demo).
Oh well, if I have to go back to the demo just to unlock, I'll pray that is a workable option (many can't unlock after getting 7.5 roms).
Well, there simply are much less CDMA carriers in the world than there are GSM/UMTS ones. Given that Verizon and Sprint seem not to be too much into WP7 that explains why developing those devices is a low priority to the manufacturers.
It is a bit strange considering the Sprint Touch Pro/TP2 were the more popular devices back in the WM days then any of the other carrier devices. Now with the Arrive being almost a direct successor of the Touch Pro 2, you would think it would have gotten the same dedicated treatment, sadly, this is not the case. I do hope Sprint continues with the Arrive and whatever comes next has the same keyboard and a more refined design with the Titan like upgrades.
A 4" screen with the same keyboard, 1.5Ghz processor, and all the other Mango bells and whistles would be grand.
The most frank response is very simple:
The entire world uses GSM.
I know of all of two, maybe three countries where there are even CDMA networks. If I was making a phone, I wouldn't even be thinking about CDMA unless I was selling millions of units and expansion was easiest by using the inferior (whether true or not technologically, CMDA is inferior in a pure business sense) technology.
I know this is true too.
I can't wait for LTE to roll out and put Verizon on the same playing field as most of the world, but I also know that my area will likely be the last, even if it is being used as the primary example of how broadband internet needs to be pushed out to rural areas.
I mean, the other carriers in this area just plain don't care. Dial 16407 as the zipcode into the AT&T and Sprint coverage areas, and you'll see that neither has even got 3G up and running in this area.. let alone 4G! T-Mobile = non-existent.
I can't even get DSL on my outer rims road because Verizon (which just happens to be my land line provider) won't run DSL down it because of a massive farm that takes up the first 1/3 of this section of road!?!
Anyone who says "just move" is ignorant and should be shot.
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?
Click to expand...
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually the T-mobile SGSII supports AT&T 3g.
lowandbehold said:
Actually the T-mobile SGSII supports AT&T 3g.
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Click to collapse
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.
Hello everyone,
As you can see I am a newbie and this is my first post. Excuse me if a thread like this was made before, but after searching on the web I recently found out that I can use my E71 sim card on AT&T phones. I would like people's opinion on which phone I should buy? I also hear from fellow students that CES 2012 just happend. Should I wait for the new phones or just purchase a phone that is out now?
Thanks and much appreciated
Depends what you want, how much you can afford a month and how much your willing to spend on a phone. If your looking for prepaid virgin mobile is good, they have the motorola triumph, htc wildfire s, lg optimus v, lg optimus slider and samsung intercept (all are android) look up some planes on the internet, at&t prepaid is good but metro pcs has nice 4g phones and android phones, I see you want to no whats the best phone from straigt talk, i dont no much about the phones but check out metro,virgin, and at&t
HTC Wildfire S (VM) "s-off" "rooted" Stock Rom
Well I just read up on how ST has a loop hole and you can use mainly AT&T phone and some T-Mobile phones with the right 3G frequencies. I was willing to spend no more than $250 for a phone, but I don't know how long the loop hole is going to be open so I don't want to spend a lot on a phone and it not work. I was looking at the Atrix but various sites aren't every accurate when it came to comparing it to the Infuse or Inspire and other phones.
Do u want prepaid? For 250 you can by a nice prepaid phone
HTC Wildfire S (VM) "s-off" "rooted" Stock Rom
Straight Talk offers 2 android phones. The LG Optimus Q and the Samsung Galaxy Precedent.
If u want more android for prepaid id say metro pcs or virgin mobile
HTC Wildfire S (VM) "s-off" "rooted" Stock Rom
From what I read can't I just use any phone from AT&T and use my sim card on it? The phones from ST are entry level android and I want a full fledge android phone if there is such a thing.
Yes, you can use any AT&T smartphone on Straight Talk, I did it for about a year. For under $250, I'd try and get an AT&T band Nexus S, an Infuse, or maybe a Galaxy S2 if you can go an extra $100 higher. It's definitely worth the extra cash.
My local Walmart thinks there will be a new Android phone available in February 2012 for Straight Talk, any idea on make/model? or if worth the wait?
Look at virgin mobile, 4g is coming this year but all there other Android is 3g
Sent from my HTC_A510c using XDA App
I have been doing some reading and is it worth buying a 4G phone, since ST doesn't use 4G yet. Until they upgrade their bands?
Android311 said:
Look at virgin mobile, 4g is coming this year but all there other Android is 3g
Sent from my HTC_A510c using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're missing the point of the OP. He's not asking for recommendations for carriers, or phones on other carriers. He's only interested in StraightTalk, and since ST's GSM phones (at least, the E71) runs on AT&T, you can just stick the E71's SIM card in an AT&T phone and use it. He's asking for good/cheap AT&T phones to run on StraightTalk.
So, to answer the OP's question, I would probably try to go with a Nexus S (look for the AT&T band one, like entropism said), or maybe a used iPhone 4.