So there is millions of AT&T crap network without 3G service across the US. Does anyone feel like I do in the sense that AT&T is doing this as a stunt to the government to show how crappy their network is and why they need to dismantle the beautiful creation TMO created with HSPA+. Its sad the AT&T has to stoop so low to get what they want.
No because each run off of different 3g technologies ...plus at&t is going lte for their 4g
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
laker666 said:
No because each run off of different 3g technologies ...plus at&t is going lte for their 4g
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
i disagree both AT&T are both GSM the only difference is the frequency they operate on. AT&T will dismantle TMO HSPA+ for their "LTE" rollout. of course raise prices.
AT&T didn't storm Deutsche Telekom's offices with guns to get them to agree to sell T-Mobile U.S. Deutsche Telekom is in a world of financial hurt and needs the $39B to reinvest in what's left once T-Mobile's gone. In fact, they're giving back 1/3 of the $39B to shareholders after closing to compensate for their ****ty financial performance.
T-Mobile U.S. has the lowest yield per pre-paid customer of all four carriers, the highest attrition rate, the highest bad debt write-off, and the lowest margins. That all adds up to less money to invest in new products and services in a highly competitive environment. None of this is sustainable for a public company that answers to shareholders. So if it wasn't AT&T, it would be Sprint or private equity (which means slash and burn). Fat, dumb, and happy wasn't ever really an option.
Let your voice be heard. Go to the FCC website, and post your comment about the merger. fjallfoss dot fcc dot gov/ecfs/hotdocket/list proceeding number 11-65.
@flack0, they have different radios, hence the reason a T-Mobile phone will not run at&TS 3g and an at&t phone won't run tmobiles 3g
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
I don't know where you get your facts, but DT is NOT in a world of financial hurt.
They are, however, looking to offload debt that they can't justify.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Unless you have a G2x with unlocked AT&T frequencies or the other high end phones that Tmobile is coming out with that supports both Tmobile and AT&T 3G frequencies.
Tmobile is pretty confident that the merger is going to go through and is releasing some of their high end phones with dual support
Those rumors about the g2x having both at&t and T-Mobile 3g/4g bands have been long proven to be false...same with the sensation ....to my knowledge there isn't a phone out as of yet that supports both. Please correct me if I'm wrong ...and if you unlock this phone to at&t it will work, but only on edge and wifi
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
laker666 said:
Those rumors about the g2x having both at&t and T-Mobile 3g/4g bands have been long proven to be false...same with the sensation ....to my knowledge there isn't a phone out as of yet that supports both. Please correct me if I'm wrong ...and if you unlock this phone to at&t it will work, but only on edge and wifi
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
It has the hardware but not the software, YET.
FYI, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1139849
flak0 said:
So there is millions of AT&T crap network without 3G service across the US. Does anyone feel like I do in the sense that AT&T is doing this as a stunt to the government to show how crappy their network is and why they need to dismantle the beautiful creation TMO created with HSPA+. Its sad the AT&T has to stoop so low to get what they want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ATT gave half a billion dollars to democrat lawmakers to ensure the deal will go through. It's a done deal. Tmobile is history. All hail new higher prices and crappy service.
I plan on re-signing a new two year agreement at my grandfathered pricing as late as possible to push back the inevitable price hikes.
Edit. The dems recived $500,000 in contributions from ATT. Sorry for the typo.
sstang2006 said:
It has the hardware but not the software, YET.
FYI, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1139849
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Click to collapse
??? Not that I doubt you, but do you have any solid proof that it will work on ATT 3g? Conformation from ATT, Tmo or LG? Have any of the companies involved guaranteed it will work? All that thread says it should support it. I find the claims that it is locked down and hidden but will magically work later dubious at best.
jcbofkc said:
ATT gave half a billion dollars to democrat lawmakers to ensure the deal will go through. It's a done deal. Tmobile is history. All hail new higher prices and crappy service.
I plan on re-signing a new two year agreement at my grandfathered pricing as late as possible to push back the inevitable price hikes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would not say the price hacks are innevitable. When verizon bought out alltell they didnt jack up the price on their current plans. In fact they pretty much stayed the same, just owned by verizon.
@sstang2006, yeah that's not proof that's just the same guy posting the same thing in a different thread...it isn't possible for this phone to run on at&t's 3g/4g networks
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
laker666 said:
Those rumors about the g2x having both at&t and T-Mobile 3g/4g bands have been long proven to be false...same with the sensation ....to my knowledge there isn't a phone out as of yet that supports both. Please correct me if I'm wrong ...and if you unlock this phone to at&t it will work, but only on edge and wifi
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are several phones out right now that support 3g on att and tmobile nokia makes atleast 6 phones that are pentaband wcdma 5 bands and the tmobile vibrant will do 3g on att Band I (UMTS 2100, Europe's main 3G band)
Band II (UMTS 1900, US band)
Band IV (UMTS 1700/2100, US band)
Band V (UMTS 850, US band)
Band VIII (UMTS 900, Europe and used e.g. in France and Finland in rural areas)
Well you saying it ISN'T possible isn't warranted either.
The hardware specs specifically say it supports those bands. Tmobile also said it supported those bands. LG said it supported those bands. It passed the FCC with those bands.
Tmobile stated that several of their high end phones will support the AT&T 3G bands and will be unlocked to do so once the merger goes through.
The G2x was the first to support them. The Sensation doesn't. I think the Hercules will as well (although be still be locked until the merger).
Now really, no one REALLY knows one way or another... but looking at the evidence (which are referenced all over the place) it would be best to say that one day we COULD have support for AT&T 3G (unlike the Sensation which doesn't have the hardware).
We do have the hardware but it is locked down. Being it is such a new phone and we don't have any other baselands available, we can't simply flash and be successful. Perhaps the Canadian version will have them all unlocked and we can use theirs.
But to say it isn't possible is not proven just as much as saying it is possible. I would say it IS possible but not right now (AKA it doesn't work out of the box).
i hope you're right sir....that is if the merger happens
player911 said:
Well you saying it ISN'T possible isn't warranted either.
The hardware specs specifically say it supports those bands. Tmobile also said it supported those bands. LG said it supported those bands. It passed the FCC with those bands.
Tmobile stated that several of their high end phones will support the AT&T 3G bands and will be unlocked to do so once the merger goes through.
The G2x was the first to support them. The Sensation doesn't. I think the Hercules will as well (although be still be locked until the merger).
Now really, no one REALLY knows one way or another... but looking at the evidence (which are referenced all over the place) it would be best to say that one day we COULD have support for AT&T 3G (unlike the Sensation which doesn't have the hardware).
We do have the hardware but it is locked down. Being it is such a new phone and we don't have any other baselands available, we can't simply flash and be successful. Perhaps the Canadian version will have them all unlocked and we can use theirs.
But to say it isn't possible is not proven just as much as saying it is possible. I would say it IS possible but not right now (AKA it doesn't work out of the box).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would love for this to be a possibility but where do you find that the phone has the hardware? Everything I can find via Google searches says it does not.
phburks said:
I would love for this to be a possibility but where do you find that the phone has the hardware? Everything I can find via Google searches says it does not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The hardware specs are all over the place. It was only AFTER the phone was released that Tmobile said the phone didn't support it and it was restricted by "hardware".
pfft.
The G2x is based off the O2x. Sure slightly different but I would almost bet they used the same "quadband EDGE, and quadband HSPA+ (with future-proof support for 2100, 1900, 1700 / AWS, and 850MHz)" chip.
I bet the G2x and the O2x use the same chip. Tmobile probably just ordered it to be locked down (lack of drivers or something).
It would require a tear down of both the G2x and O2x to be certain.
player911 said:
The hardware specs are all over the place. It was only AFTER the phone was released that Tmobile said the phone didn't support it and it was restricted by "hardware".
pfft.
The G2x is based off the O2x. Sure slightly different but I would almost bet they used the same "quadband EDGE, and quadband HSPA+ (with future-proof support for 2100, 1900, 1700 / AWS, and 850MHz)" chip.
I bet the G2x and the O2x use the same chip. Tmobile probably just ordered it to be locked down (lack of drivers or something).
It would require a tear down of both the G2x and O2x to be certain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"all over the place" ... "I bet" ... and "probably" don't really prove anything. You're just speculating, and so far it's based only on your opinion because you haven't provided any sort of links or references to prove your point. The only things I can find regarding the G2X having quad band HSPA+ are when T-Mobile admitted that they were wrong in saying it supported those bands in the first place. On LG's own website they list the G2X as supporting only 2 HSPA+ frequencies (1700/2100). Also on LG's website, they list the O2x as supporting 3 HSPA+ frequencies (900/1900/2100).
It would be awesome if T-Mobile had been correct, but there is nothing I can find that suggests they were. I'm just asking that you pull one or two links from your "all over the place" evidence so that I can have the same faith that you do. I'm not finding it, so I'm asking you to show me. That's all.
Here are the links to LG's product listings for the O2x and the G2X, and the specifications can be viewed by clicking on the specifications tab for each product:
G2X here: http://www.lg.com/us/mobile-phones/LG-P999.jsp
O2x here: http://www.lg.com/uk/mobile-phones/all-lg-phones/LG-android-mobile-phone-P990.jsp
**EDIT** -- Let me just add that I sincerely hope you prove me wrong, because that would be some awesome news about this phone.
As the title suggests, if a phone is listed as FDD-LTE 700MHz compatible, would that imply it'll work on T-Mobile's 700MHz Band 12? I am often confused with this band as it seems there's various other bands within the 700MHz frequency. So there's no positive way of knowing if it supports the band 12. For instance, I've been looking to find a cheap alternative phone (from China mainly) that might have support of LTE 700MHz so I can take advantage of T-Mobile's latest band, but I'm not sure on if it'd work. Couple examples of some phones are here:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Foxconn-Infocus-M2-Phone-4G-LTE-FDD-Qualcomn-MSM8926-Quad-Core-Android-4-4-4/32323996202.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Iocean-M6752-4G-FDD-LTE-Mobile-Phone-MTK6752-Octa-Core-5-5-Inch-1920X1080FHD-3GB/32297288429.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Huawei-Ascend-Mate-2-Unlocked-4G-FDD-LTE-Android-Mobile-phone-Quad-Core-IPS-HD/2043526871.html
That's just 3 out of a list of them found on Aliexpress. They all say FDD-LTE 700MHz. My gut is telling me the 700MHz it lists is for some frequency that China uses and wouldn't make a difference if used in the US. Just needed some helpful clarification. Thanks.
brian117 said:
As the title suggests, if a phone is listed as FDD-LTE 700MHz compatible, would that imply it'll work on T-Mobile's 700MHz Band 12? I am often confused with this band as it seems there's various other bands within the 700MHz frequency.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It won't. Most probably not, anyway.
When a frequency is listed as "700MHz", it's actually an approximation. For example, T-Mobile's band 12 is 700MHz Block A, which is 728–734MHz, whereas Verizon's band 13 is 700MHz Block C, which is 740–746MHz. This might vary from region to region too.
Most likely the phones you're looking at are compatible with 700MHz band 28, since this is commonly used in SE Asia and Oceana, along with the other bands they're listed to support. The Ascend Mate 2 you linked to however appears to support band 17 700MHz, which is an AT&T band, which would make sense as it also supports band 4, common in North America.
If you want a cheaper phone that has band 12 support, the newer ones from T-Mobile support it (or will, with a software update). Galaxy Avant, ZTE ZMax, the upcoming LG Leon LTE, for example.
Planterz said:
It won't. Most probably not, anyway.
When a frequency is listed as "700MHz", it's actually an approximation. For example, T-Mobile's band 12 is 700MHz Block A, which is 728–734MHz, whereas Verizon's band 13 is 700MHz Block C, which is 740–746MHz. This might vary from region to region too.
Most likely the phones you're looking at are compatible with 700MHz band 28, since this is commonly used in SE Asia and Oceana, along with the other bands they're listed to support. The Ascend Mate 2 you linked to however appears to support band 17 700MHz, which is an AT&T band, which would make sense as it also supports band 4, common in North America.
If you want a cheaper phone that has band 12 support, the newer ones from T-Mobile support it (or will, with a software update). Galaxy Avant, ZTE ZMax, the upcoming LG Leon LTE, for example.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, that is exactly what I thought. I understand the phones from T-Mobile will support the new band but I was looking for maybe possible cheaper alternatives than brand name phones to take advantage of it. I haven't heard of the LG Leon though, I will check that out. Thanks for the kind reply. I was expecting some "lol no dumbass it won't work" reply as this in General discussion.
brian117 said:
Thanks, that is exactly what I thought. I understand the phones from T-Mobile will support the new band but I was looking for maybe possible cheaper alternatives than brand name phones to take advantage of it. I haven't heard of the LG Leon though, I will check that out. Thanks for the kind reply. I was expecting some "lol no dumbass it won't work" reply as this in General discussion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Leon isn't out yet, and only vague specs are available. No specifics on what the processor is, but I'd guess SD400 or 410. I'd expect it to be around $200-250, but that's just a guess. If it's more than $250, I'd say it's not worth it considering the low-res FWVGA screen.
It also occurs to me that the new 2015 Moto E LTE has band 12 support. 64bit Snapdragon 410, 1gb RAM, 8gb storage, microSD slot, qHD screen, and a relatively large battery. Honestly, I'd rather have this than either of those cheapo Chinese ones (yes, I know Motorola is Chinese now...). For $150 from Amazon, it's a pretty damn good deal.
Hello fellow xda users,
I am currently trying to buy myself a 4G LTE modem, and I'm looking into buying one from China, since the devices I need here cost 200 euros and up, whereas from Chinese retailers they go as low as 67 euros.
The only problem I'm having is choosing a device which supports the correct LTE Bands of my country.
Here in Lithuania I am using services of the carrier name BITE. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks_in_Europe (Country: Lithuania) BITE provides users with LTE bands 3, 7 and 20. (1800, 2600, and 800 Mhz respectively). And they sell their expensive SIM Modem devices (such as Huawei E5186s-22a) which support bands LTE FDD DD800/900/1800/2100/2600MHz, TDD 2600MHz (bands 3, 7 and 20 are included).
Whereas the products offered in China have support of only 2 of the 3 bands listed.
Not sure if I'm allowed to share product links here, but here we go:
1. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/5200...-Hotspot-Portable-Power-Bank/32315152662.html
2. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/3G-M...ower-bank-3g-wifi-router-with/1881314121.html
As you can see, both these devices support Band 3 (1800Mhz) and Band 7 (2600Mhz), however the support for Band 20 (800Mhz) is not listed.
So I'm not sure where to go from this point.
I am using my Xperia Z1 (C6903) phone from the place where I want to use the 4G SIM Modem, and my phone is showing me that it is using 4G network (3/5 bars) on BITE network.
However I'm not sure, which bands are being used in that area? It's AROUND the capital city of Lithuania. The network map of the carrier BITE shows that the city is fully covered in 4G+ network, whereas the outskirts of the city are 4G only -- and my phone proves this (4G works both in and outside the city, can't test the LTE).
In the end what I fully want to know:
Will I have 4G internet access ordering one of these devices that support bands 3 and 7, but not 20?
Will I be able to connect to the Internet at all?
Is band 20 (800 Mhz) that critical for 4G to work with this device? Or should I just spare the extra hundred more euros and buy the carrier certified device?
afenix said:
Hello fellow xda users,
I am currently trying to buy myself a 4G LTE modem, and I'm looking into buying one from China, since the devices I need here cost 200 euros and up, whereas from Chinese retailers they go as low as 67 euros.
The only problem I'm having is choosing a device which supports the correct LTE Bands of my country.
Here in Lithuania I am using services of the carrier name BITE. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks_in_Europe (Country: Lithuania) BITE provides users with LTE bands 3, 7 and 20. (1800, 2600, and 800 Mhz respectively). And they sell their expensive SIM Modem devices (such as Huawei E5186s-22a) which support bands LTE FDD DD800/900/1800/2100/2600MHz, TDD 2600MHz (bands 3, 7 and 20 are included).
Whereas the products offered in China have support of only 2 of the 3 bands listed.
Not sure if I'm allowed to share product links here, but here we go:
1. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/5200...-Hotspot-Portable-Power-Bank/32315152662.html
2. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/3G-M...ower-bank-3g-wifi-router-with/1881314121.html
As you can see, both these devices support Band 3 (1800Mhz) and Band 7 (2600Mhz), however the support for Band 20 (800Mhz) is not listed.
So I'm not sure where to go from this point.
I am using my Xperia Z1 (C6903) phone from the place where I want to use the 4G SIM Modem, and my phone is showing me that it is using 4G network (3/5 bars) on BITE network.
However I'm not sure, which bands are being used in that area? It's AROUND the capital city of Lithuania. The network map of the carrier BITE shows that the city is fully covered in 4G+ network, whereas the outskirts of the city are 4G only -- and my phone proves this (4G works both in and outside the city, can't test the LTE).
In the end what I fully want to know:
Will I have 4G internet access ordering one of these devices that support bands 3 and 7, but not 20?
Will I be able to connect to the Internet at all?
Is band 20 (800 Mhz) that critical for 4G to work with this device? Or should I just spare the extra hundred more euros and buy the carrier certified device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi and thank you for using XDA Assist
Sorry man but we handle only mobile devices here on this forum, so i cannot give an answer for your thought.
Thread closed.
As usual, a major phone maker from Asia is screwing over USA, by disabling US carrier compatible LTE bands in their flagship phone series. If anyone from US, or other parts of the world, left in the cold by Asus purchased this phone and would like to try this LTE unlock and report the results - that would be very much appreciated.
If anyone knows of an online store, which took the liberty of unlocking US compatible LTE bands (T-Mobile: 2,4,12, AT&T: 2,4,5,17) in Zenfone 3 Ultra - please post the link to the store.
Will Asus make a separate US version and sell it here, or will this phone be international only? I'm in the US on AT&T and would certainly like LTE capability, but I've been buying overseas phones for a while now and HSPA+ is certainly fast enough for my needs.
If Asus isn't planning on a US version i'll just get the international one...
omniphil said:
Will Asus make a separate US version and sell it here, or will this phone be international only? I'm in the US on AT&T and would certainly like LTE capability, but I've been buying overseas phones for a while now and HSPA+ is certainly fast enough for my needs.
If Asus isn't planning on a US version i'll just get the international one...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just get a Mi Max, it's cheaper. My friend picked me up a 4gb/128gb version when he was in China for $313. I don't see a reason to spend top dollar on the Zenfone 3 if it won't support LTE here. I'd love to see Asus support LTE here but it's a shame they always disable the US LTE bands.
ajsmsg78 said:
Just get a Mi Max, it's cheaper. My friend picked me up a 4gb/128gb version when he was in China for $313. I don't see a reason to spend top dollar on the Zenfone 3 if it won't support LTE here. I'd love to see Asus support LTE here but it's a shame they always disable the US LTE bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want the larger screen of the Zenfone. Thats really the only reason im not picking up a Mi Max...
ajsmsg78 said:
Just get a Mi Max, it's cheaper. My friend picked me up a 4gb/128gb version when he was in China for $313. I don't see a reason to spend top dollar on the Zenfone 3 if it won't support LTE here. I'd love to see Asus support LTE here but it's a shame they always disable the US LTE bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I heard that the Mi Max only supports some of the T-Mobile bands so you won't get full LTE (only HSPA). Do you know what network your friend uses his on and if he gets full LTE?
Techngro said:
I heard that the Mi Max only supports some of the T-Mobile bands so you won't get full LTE (only HSPA). Do you know what network your friend uses his on and if he gets full LTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
None of these phones support any LTE bands in the US. You'll only get HSPA+ or 3G. My thought is why pay 400+ for a phone with no LTE capabilities here. My friend picked up the Mi Max for me, I own it.
Techngro said:
I heard that the Mi Max only supports some of the T-Mobile bands so you won't get full LTE (only HSPA). Do you know what network your friend uses his on and if he gets full LTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can consider huawei mate 8 for USA LTE support (ATT & T-Mo), it is however a 6 incher 'only' .. my only gripe is the kirin 950 SoC, while on par with other top-tier silicon in terms of performance, it is none the less huawei in house and they are not known for releasing source code, meaning no 3rd party roms and probably no upgrade beyond nougat ..
http://www.anandtech.com/show/9878/the-huawei-mate-8-review
omniphil said:
Will Asus make a separate US version and sell it here, or will this phone be international only? I'm in the US on AT&T and would certainly like LTE capability, but I've been buying overseas phones for a while now and HSPA+ is certainly fast enough for my needs.
If Asus isn't planning on a US version i'll just get the international one...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I purchased my Asus Zenfone 3 ultra (ZU680KL) from EBay (593.00 factory unlocked), thru Never -Msrp, out of Houston Texas, but I believe it's still the global version.
I purchased a Bring Your Own Phone Plan thru Cricket, which is owned by AT&T. So they use their towers. I have not notice any problems with getting 4g/Lte.
Getting very good call reception and internet download speeds thru Cricket. I have a HTC 10 that I gave to my wife. The download speeds are similiar on 4g with the HTC 10 and the Asus. Both phones have many of the same 4g/lte bands. Just a little faster with the HTC 10, which might be due to the HTC having a faster processor. Depending where I am at in my area, I can see the H+ changing to 4g up in the status bar of the Asus phone when driving. Consistent 4g speeds where I live here in WV. I am also not to far from an AT&T tower.
XDA has always helped me with valuable information over the years of many of my phone ownerships, so I hope this information helps.
Slbtrb79 said:
I purchased my Asus Zenfone 3 ultra (ZU680KL) from EBay (593.00 factory unlocked), thru Never -Msrp, out of Houston Texas, but I believe it's still the global version.
I purchased a Bring Your Own Phone Plan thru Cricket, which is owned by AT&T. So they use their towers. I have not notice any problems with getting 4g/Lte.
Getting very good call reception and internet download speeds thru Cricket. I have a HTC 10 that I gave to my wife. The download speeds are similiar on 4g with the HTC 10 and the Asus. Both phones have many of the same 4g/lte bands. Just a little faster with the HTC 10, which might be due to the HTC having a faster processor. Depending where I am at in my area, I can see the H+ changing to 4g up in the status bar of the Asus phone when driving. Consistent 4g speeds where I live here in WV. I am also not to far from an AT&T tower.
XDA has always helped me with valuable information over the years of many of my phone ownerships, so I hope this information helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just so people aren't confused... 4G and LTE are 2 different things.
4G = HSPA+ and is around 5-10Mbps.
LTE can be 20-30Mbps and also has much less latency.
Most people are looking for LTE in the USA and these international phones only support 4G (Which is slower than LTE but works good enough for me)
omniphil said:
Just so people aren't confused... 4G and LTE are 2 different things.
4G = HSPA+ and is around 5-10Mbps.
LTE can be 20-30Mbps and also has much less latency.
Most people are looking for LTE in the USA and these international phones only support 4G (Which is slower than LTE but works good enough for me)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your comments. I accept mostly what you wrote for most companies definition of 4G and LTE. I was going by my carriers definition or interpretation of what they call 4G LTE and just 4G. The confusion is more from the caps on the data speeds various companies have. Because to me there is little difference between saying LTE and 4G LTE.
Cricket is the carrier owned by AT&T. They call their data speeds 4G and 4G LTE. AT&T caps Cricket download speeds at what they say is 4G LTE at 8Mbps and 4Mbps download speed cap for just 4G (Referenced from Crickets's website and from www.gottabemobile.com 6/21/2015 article on this topic).
However, my earlier remarks about my Asus phone was incorrect, due to Asus limitations on their 4G/LTE phones sold to individuals in the US, even though the carrier here might support some of the same 4G/LTE bands. It's an Asus thing and probably some others too. I'm probably only getting just 4G or less. My speed tests are only showing 3Mbps and a little better on download speeds on Cricket Wireless with the Asus Zenfone 3 ultra. But I was only getting on speed tests 4Mbps and a little better download speeds with my previous HTC 10 on Cricket Wireless. I have never even gotten close to Cricket's 8Mbps on my HTC 10.
At this point I'm ok with HSPA+ (It's what i've used for years now in the US with International phones)
I'm waiting for root to surface for this phone and then i'm jumping right in
omniphil said:
Just so people aren't confused... 4G and LTE are 2 different things.
4G = HSPA+ and is around 5-10Mbps.
LTE can be 20-30Mbps and also has much less latency.
Most people are looking for LTE in the USA and these international phones only support 4G (Which is slower than LTE but works good enough for me)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please do not confuse people with false information. HSPA+ is officially considered 3.5G connection type. Long Term Evolution (LTE) is defined as a 4th generation (4G) wireless connection standard. Those are official nominations, you can find through IEEE site, Wikipedia and many other reliable sources. LTE theoretical max speed are nowhere near 20-30Mbps figure you provided - they are *much* higher. There is also LTE-A (advanced), which is also 4G but doubles the LTE speeds, and the actual LTE speeds depend on the hardware and LTE category of the modem.
Apo11on said:
Please do not confuse people with false information. HSPA+ is officially considered 3.5G connection type. Long Term Evolution (LTE) is defined as a 4th generation (4G) wireless connection standard. Those are official nominations, you can find through IEEE site, Wikipedia and many other reliable sources. LTE theoretical max speed are nowhere near 20-30Mbps figure you provided - they are *much* higher. There is also LTE-A (advanced), which is also 4G but doubles the LTE speeds, and the actual LTE speeds depend on the hardware and LTE category of the modem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apple calls HSPA+ 4G, Yes i know its not technically correct, but that's what most people associate it with.
LTE can go much faster then 30Mbps for sure, I used to get 60. But nowadays with all the people using it 20-30 is a reasonable average for what most people actually see. (The point is its much faster than HSPA+)
I only bring this up because folks ask if they can get 4G on these international phones (As not everyone is a phone nerd like us) What they are really asking is if they can get LTE on these phones and most of the time that answer is no.
Basically I want people to understand that we are talking about HSPA+ vs 4G LTE and how that relates to international phones.
Is that good?
omniphil said:
Apple calls HSPA+ 4G, Yes i know its not technically correct, but that's what most people associate it with.
LTE can go much faster then 30Mbps for sure, I used to get 60. But nowadays with all the people using it 20-30 is a reasonable average for what most people actually see. (The point is its much faster than HSPA+)
I only bring this up because folks ask if they can get 4G on these international phones (As not everyone is a phone nerd like us) What they are really asking is if they can get LTE on these phones and most of the time that answer is no.
Basically I want people to understand that we are talking about HSPA+ vs 4G LTE and how that relates to international phones.
Is that good?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apple or any other hardware manufacturers, as well as phone carriers can deploy any marketing schemes they like and call the lousy HSPA+ "4G" all they want, but it won't make it true. Neither of them gets to decide, and "most people" don't get to decide either. For the record, I disagree that most people think HSPA+ is 4G - most know better, in my opinion. The international governing body for wireless standards gets to name wireless technologies, protocols and classify by generation.
If you want people to understand that HSPA+ is different from LTE then saying "LTE can be 20-30Mbps" is not the way to go, because that would achieve the exact opposite. Theoretical max HSPA+ speeds achievable by this technology are 168 Mbps down and 22Mbps up, so defining LTE as 20-30Mbps connection makes your LTE no better than mediocre HSPA+ link. Some FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE links, based on the utilized spectrum, currently go up to 450Mbps down and 150Mbps up. Theoretical limits are much higher and LTE-A is twice faster.
While your intentions seem to be good, that still doesn't excuse providing inaccurate information, while also saying you dont want people to be confused. Confused is exactly what people would be, if they believe the info in your post. If you want to answer a question "will I get LTE in US with this phone?" - a simple "No" would be much better answer than inaccurate information you provided to "eliminate confusion". Or you could say something along those lines:
"ZenFone 3 Ultra is a GSM phone, so only AT&T or T-Mobile in US could be compatible, because Verizon and Sprint use CDMA technology. AT&T's LTE network operates on bands 2,4,5,17 (recently forced to support band 12 as part of FCC roaming support requirement) and T-Mobile's LTE network operates on bands 2,4,12 (recently forced to support band 17 as part of FCC roaming support requirement). Asus ZenFone 3 international version on the other hand, support LTE bands 1,3,5,7,8,18,19,20,26,28,38,40,41 - do you see any overlapping bands besides B5? B5 is utilized by AT&T in limited number of US regions and even there you will get extremely spotty LTE coverage, because LTE bands operate in conjunction with each other and there are constant layovers and fallbacks between frequencies, based on towers proximity".
Slbtrb79 said:
I purchased my Asus Zenfone 3 ultra (ZU680KL) from EBay (593.00 factory unlocked), thru Never -Msrp, out of Houston Texas, but I believe it's still the global version.
I purchased a Bring Your Own Phone Plan thru Cricket, which is owned by AT&T. So they use their towers. I have not notice any problems with getting 4g/Lte.
Getting very good call reception and internet download speeds thru Cricket. I have a HTC 10 that I gave to my wife. The download speeds are similiar on 4g with the HTC 10 and the Asus. Both phones have many of the same 4g/lte bands. Just a little faster with the HTC 10, which might be due to the HTC having a faster processor. Depending where I am at in my area, I can see the H+ changing to 4g up in the status bar of the Asus phone when driving. Consistent 4g speeds where I live here in WV. I am also not to far from an AT&T tower.
XDA has always helped me with valuable information over the years of many of my phone ownerships, so I hope this information helps.
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Click to collapse
Hi!
I bought a Huawei Mediapad X2 7" display phablet last November. I used it for a month on Cricket and couldn't get good MMS service... I wouldn't get group texts or pictures... How is your Ultra doing in that regard (on Cricket)? No good MMS is a deal breaker for me... Also, the X2 came with Google and Google Play Store already installed. I am not a techie but asked a LOT of questions on xda and was walked through a successful setup (I learned a lot from other people's questions, too)... I don't root my phones... So I need good out of the box service. I have been looking for a 128GB Ultra just to compare prices to a 64GB Ultra. Have you seen any? I am waiting for the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro to be re-released but I really would love this Ultra, instead (if it works on Cricket the way I need it to)... Thanks for your time!
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
VillaRegina said:
Hi!
I bought a Huawei Mediapad X2 7" display phablet last November. I used it for a month on Cricket and couldn't get good MMS service... I wouldn't get group texts or pictures... How is your Ultra doing in that regard (on Cricket)? No good MMS is a deal breaker for me... Also, the X2 came with Google and Google Play Store already installed. I am not a techie but asked a LOT of questions on xda and was walked through a successful setup (I learned a lot from other people's questions, too)... I don't root my phones... So I need good out of the box service. I have been looking for a 128GB Ultra just to compare prices to a 64GB Ultra. Have you seen any? I am waiting for the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro to be re-released but I really would love this Ultra, instead (if it works on Cricket the way I need it to)... Thanks for your time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had no problems with Cricket on my Zenfone Ultra. MMS, SMS, work just fine. No problem with sending group texts and pictures. However, you will not get LTE on the Ultra, in the US. For me, the 64gb on the internal side with a 64 GB SD card, gives me plenty of space. Google and Google play came pre-installed on my Ultra. So far, I have received great service from Cricket on my Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra and my HTC 10. I love the music app, the audio wizard, and the stereo speakers. Takes great pictures. It's like having a 7 inch tablet with 4gb of ram and it's a phone. Due to the size, the music features, the picture features, the huge battery, I use this phone more than my HTC 10. The only down side that I have with this phone, is you can't get LTE here in the US and you can't unlock the bootloader yet. But personally, I was initially looking for a 7 inch tablet with 4gb of ram, stereo speakers, that also took good pictures and has a big battery. I ended up with the Ultra.
If screen size is important to you might look at the Xiaomi Mi-Max, it has 6.4 screen and nice specs. Also Huawei Mate 9 with a 5.9 inch screen with nice specs also.
Hope this helped some...
Slbtrb79 said:
I have had no problems with Cricket on my Zenfone Ultra. MMS, SMS, work just fine. No problem with sending group texts and pictures. However, you will not get LTE on the Ultra, in the US. For me, the 64gb on the internal side with a 64 GB SD card, gives me plenty of space. Google and Google play came pre-installed on my Ultra. So far, I have received great service from Cricket on my Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra and my HTC 10. I love the music app, the audio wizard, and the stereo speakers. Takes great pictures. It's like having a 7 inch tablet with 4gb of ram and it's a phone. Due to the size, the music features, the picture features, the huge battery, I use this phone more than my HTC 10. The only down side that I have with this phone, is you can't get LTE here in the US and you can't unlock the bootloader yet. But personally, I was initially looking for a 7 inch tablet with 4gb of ram, stereo speakers, that also took good pictures and has a big battery. I ended up with the Ultra.
If screen size is important to you might look at the Xiaomi Mi-Max, it has 6.4 screen and nice specs. Also Huawei Mate 9 with a 5.9 inch screen with nice specs also.
Hope this helped some...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much for your time on the detailed answer!!!
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Apo11on said:
Apple or any other hardware manufacturers, as well as phone carriers can deploy any marketing schemes they like and call the lousy HSPA+ "4G" all they want, but it won't make it true. Neither of them gets to decide, and "most people" don't get to decide either. For the record, I disagree that most people think HSPA+ is 4G - most know better, in my opinion. The international governing body for wireless standards gets to name wireless technologies, protocols and classify by generation.
If you want people to understand that HSPA+ is different from LTE then saying "LTE can be 20-30Mbps" is not the way to go, because that would achieve the exact opposite. Theoretical max HSPA+ speeds achievable by this technology are 168 Mbps down and 22Mbps up, so defining LTE as 20-30Mbps connection makes your LTE no better than mediocre HSPA+ link. Some FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE links, based on the utilized spectrum, currently go up to 450Mbps down and 150Mbps up. Theoretical limits are much higher and LTE-A is twice faster.
While your intentions seem to be good, that still doesn't excuse providing inaccurate information, while also saying you dont want people to be confused. Confused is exactly what people would be, if they believe the info in your post. If you want to answer a question "will I get LTE in US with this phone?" - a simple "No" would be much better answer than inaccurate information you provided to "eliminate confusion". Or you could say something along those lines:
"ZenFone 3 Ultra is a GSM phone, so only AT&T or T-Mobile in US could be compatible, because Verizon and Sprint use CDMA technology. AT&T's LTE network operates on bands 2,4,5,17 (recently forced to support band 12 as part of FCC roaming support requirement) and T-Mobile's LTE network operates on bands 2,4,12 (recently forced to support band 17 as part of FCC roaming support requirement). Asus ZenFone 3 international version on the other hand, support LTE bands 1,3,5,7,8,18,19,20,26,28,38,40,41 - do you see any overlapping bands besides B5? B5 is utilized by AT&T in limited number of US regions and even there you will get extremely spotty LTE coverage, because LTE bands operate in conjunction with each other and there are constant layovers and fallbacks between frequencies, based on towers proximity".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm only a junior member with limited experience with these technologies, But I am just a little confused with these previous comments in regards to these discussions on HSPA+, LTE, and even Wimax for that matter. Believe me, when I say that I still have much to learn on this subject. Just because HSPA+ is different from 4G, I was always under the impression from everything I've read, that they are all still labeled as 4G technologies, as defined by the ITU. With all the above, having wide variations in consumer speeds. Also, whether a certain phone manufacturer supports a particular LTE band is just part of the whole part of the 4G technology. (Information taken from, in part, from Android Authority and Tech Radar)
Slbtrb79 said:
I'm only a junior member with limited experience with these technologies, But I am just a little confused with these previous comments in regards to these discussions on HSPA+, LTE, and even Wimax for that matter. Believe me, when I say that I still have much to learn on this subject. Just because HSPA+ is different from 4G, I was always under the impression from everything I've read, that they are all still labeled as 4G technologies, as defined by the ITU. With all the above, having wide variations in consumer speeds. Also, whether a certain phone manufacturer supports a particular LTE band is just part of the whole part of the 4G technology. (Information taken from, in part, from Android Authority and Tech Radar)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phrase "HSPA+ is different from 4G" has no meaning. Those are not comparible things "HSPA+" is an abbreviation for wireless protocol name, and "4G" is a generic reference to 4th generation of wireless technologies, which include several protocols. it's like comparing TV weight to picture brightness.
Judging from the phrase "whether a certain phone manufacturer supports a particular LTE band is just part of the whole part of the 4G technology" I'm not sure you understand how things work. Since approximately 4 years ago, ALL major SoCs (system on chip) support Worldwide Global LTE, all 41 bands. Here is an example of Qualcomm's Snapdragon SoCs, scroll down to "Global Mode": https://www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon/modems/4g-lte . So, all major SoC manufacturers have been "supporting" ALL LTE bands for approximately 4 years now. Mobile device manufacturers, who partner with SoC makers like Qualcomm, or produce their own (i.e. Samsung: Exynos) control what LTE bands are actually enabled using modem's firmware, which is purely a software issue and can be changed at any time with NVRAM hack or firmware update. They decide what bands to enable based on the country the device is targeted for. Operating frequencies in each country are tightly regulated, because otherwise there are security issues, surveillance issues, interference issues (that's why they ask you to shut your phone down on a plane) and LTE frequency bands spectrum is divided to over 100 chunks, and each country/region are only allowed to operate on a specific, limited number of frequency bands. Therefore, any phone manufacturer, who wants to release wireless device with certain LTE bands enabled in a specific country, first must abide by the frequency bands international rules and then before they are allowed to sell and operate their device, their device must be approved by each country's wireless regulations governing body, which will thoroughly test the device, to make sure it meets all the required technical, safety and security standards. For example, that governing body in US is called FCC and in China it's TENAA. To sum up, what LTE bands each phone maker enables for which country, has nothing to do with being "part of the 4G technology".
Slbtrb79 said:
If screen size is important to you might look at the Xiaomi Mi-Max, it has 6.4 screen and nice specs. Also Huawei Mate 9 with a 5.9 inch screen with nice specs also.
Hope this helped some...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xiaomi Mi Max is a bit of an old news. This Xiaomi phone is the future. Same 6.4" screen size as Mi Max, but device size is comparable to 5.7" phone, not to mention numerous other innovations, such as ceramic body and audio transmissions via ultrasonic vibrations, instead of conventional speaker.