Hello there, I'm from Indonesia. This summer holiday (Jun-Jul mid) I'll have a trip to the US for the first time and beside that I want to buy a new smart phone.
1. I'm 15 yo and I won't occupied by my parents when in the trip, but I'm given a additional visa credit card by my parent which is issued in my country. Question is, can I use that CC to buy the phone without any additional info needed or what do i need to have/give any additional info/sth like that?
2. What retail stores are recommended there? The price, the service, the easiness for me? As I know there are so many retail stores in US. I'll be in major cities though, like LA, LV, Boston, NYC
3. Any recommended Android phone to buy? Actually I'm aiming for the SGS2 but looks like it won't have come to US when I'm there.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Flyer888 said:
Hello there, I'm from Indonesia. This summer holiday (Jun-Jul mid) I'll have a trip to the US for the first time and beside that I want to buy a new smart phone.
1. I'm 15 yo and I won't occupied by my parents when in the trip, but I'm given a additional visa credit card by my parent which is issued in my country. Question is, can I use that CC to buy the phone without any additional info needed or what do i need to have/give any additional info/sth like that?
2. What retail stores are recommended there? The price, the service, the easiness for me? As I know there are so many retail stores in US. I'll be in major cities though, like LA, LV, Boston, NYC
3. Any recommended Android phone to buy? Actually I'm aiming for the SGS2 but looks like it won't have come to US when I'm there.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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Here are some quick thoughts. In the USA, it is often cheaper to buy over the web. They will want to ship to the billing address of the cc to prevent fraud. This will prevent you from using your credit card with most mail order vendors. Is the CC in your parents name or yours? If it is in your name, you should have no problem buying at a retail store as long as you have your passport for identification. Will you be staying with relatives? Could they run the purchase through their CC (reimburse in cash via ATM)?
Most of the carriers in the USA use a different technology than the rest of the world. You need a GSM phone. AT&T and T-Mobile both use GSM but use different frequencies for voice and data than most/all of Asia. So you are looking for a quad band phone that supports the frequency used in Indonesia. 2100? If you bought a prepaid T-mobile phone they would unlock it after 60 days and $10 in your account. (Or pay someone on ebay for the unlock code $10) T-mobile has some good prices but they only have a few prepaid android phones. LG Optimus T/Optimus One ($120) and the Samsung Galaxy S ($350) https://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/prepaid.aspx
You can also buy an unlocked phone that has been imported into the USA. If you buy a quad band phone, you could use it in the usa and in Indonesia. One of the major problems is that the vendors are almost all mail-order firms. If you are dealing with family, you could have them order it before you arrived so that you could have it right away. The Samsung Galaxy S2 looks like it is available via mail order for around $700-$800 USD with NO Warranty.
Explore3 said:
Here are some quick thoughts. In the USA, it is often cheaper to buy over the web. They will want to ship to the billing address of the cc to prevent fraud. This will prevent you from using your credit card with most mail order vendors. Is the CC in your parents name or yours? If it is in your name, you should have no problem buying at a retail store as long as you have your passport for identification. Will you be staying with relatives? Could they run the purchase through their CC (reimburse in cash via ATM)?
Most of the carriers in the USA use a different technology than the rest of the world. You need a GSM phone. AT&T and T-Mobile both use GSM but use different frequencies for voice and data than most/all of Asia. So you are looking for a quad band phone that supports the frequency used in Indonesia. 2100? If you bought a prepaid T-mobile phone they would unlock it after 60 days and $10 in your account. (Or pay someone on ebay for the unlock code $10) T-mobile has some good prices but they only have a few prepaid android phones. LG Optimus T/Optimus One ($120) and the Samsung Galaxy S ($350)
You can also buy an unlocked phone that has been imported into the USA. If you buy a quad band phone, you could use it in the usa and in Indonesia. One of the major problems is that the vendors are almost all mail-order firms. If you are dealing with family, you could have them order it before you arrived so that you could have it right away. The Samsung Galaxy S2 looks like it is available via mail order for around $700-$800 USD with NO Warranty.
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Unfortunately I don't have any relative there. The cc is in my name, so no problem right?
Because of that I'm looking for concrete stores maybe such as BestBuy, Walmart or anything else but I don't know which one of them gives me the best one?
Oh, so altough I buy in stores like I said before, instead of in the carrier's itself store am I still forced to buy the "post-paid system?"
As I know they're able to give it away off-contract but with higher price and locked, right?
I think most of the new smartphones are using quad band so that's not a problem... Because I have a friend here using a Captivate and it is fully functional after he unlocked it to be able to use the SIM cards issued here.
Thanks.
Flyer888 said:
I think most of the new smartphones are using quad band so that's not a problem... Because I have a friend here using a Captivate and it is fully functional after he unlocked it to be able to use the SIM cards issued here.
Thanks.
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I will agree that most of the new smartphones sold outside the USA are quadband. Probably most smartphones sold by T-mobile and AT&T or are unlocked will be quadband and most likely support 3g frequency in your country. If the phone is associated with ANY other carrier, 90% of the time it will not support GSM.
PS I never bought from them but if you are in Chicago you could check out http://welectronics.com/gsm/Samsung/SAMSUNG_I9100-GALAXY-S-II-16GB.HTML In NYC - http://www.jr.com/category/office/cellular-phones/n/4294528936-4294605649/sort-by-salePrice-1/ One of the few places that you might be able to haggle on the price (Source: web posting).
Related
hy. I just bought the new model sprint evo g4
but i'm in Italy.. so only now I comprehend that this model run in w-cdma
so.. what can I do? I've choosed with the stomach and not with the brain.. sigh
I read here post 8465960
that I can change the band that operates.. in order to use it in Europe.
so i'm really scared.. I lost my money in a wasted choice?
thanks in advance
ugo
Resell it unless there is a wcdma provider.... which I don.t think there is.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
ugokind said:
hy. I just bought the new model sprint evo g4
but i'm in Italy.. so only now I comprehend that this model run in w-cdma
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Click to collapse
I'm not sure if you are talking about the Epic (post title) or Evo (actual post) but both are sprint phones that run on Sprint's cdma network, which is a lot different from wcdma and I don't think either phone can do wcdma which requires different hardware. I think Italy uses GSM (which is often combined with wcdma, but not cdma) and neither phone will work on that kind of network.
The only thing useful you can do with it is sell it to somebody in the US (or maybe Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Canada, or another country that uses CDMA). Italy is 100% GSM. Europe is 99.9% GSM (100%, if you don't count any country that used to be part of what was formerly known as "Eastern Europe").
If you have any friends or family members in the US, send the phone to THEM, and have THEM sell it on eBay. As a practical matter, most Americans will be nervous about buying an Epic/Evo from someone in Europe, just because an Epic/Evo *is* so completely useless in Europe, they'll assume it was stolen, or was bought from someone in the US who owed Sprint a lot of money and got the phone's ESN blacklisted (if you owe Sprint money, they'll refuse to activate your old phone for anyone who buys it; because Sprint phones mostly work only on Sprint, and only Sprint phones work on Sprint, it makes their bill-collection effort more efficient).
ugokind said:
hy. I just bought the new model sprint evo g4
but i'm in Italy.. so only now I comprehend that this model run in w-cdma
so.. what can I do? I've choosed with the stomach and not with the brain.. sigh
I read here post 8465960
that I can change the band that operates.. in order to use it in Europe.
so i'm really scared.. I lost my money in a wasted choice?
thanks in advance
ugo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sell it. You would be better off with a G2 from T-Mobile for GSM compatibility.
ok
I see..
thanks to everybody for the informations..
i'll sell it asap..
sigh.. I'm sad.. auuuuu
bye
bitbang3r said:
The only thing useful you can do with it is sell it to somebody in the US (or maybe Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Canada, or another country that uses CDMA). Italy is 100% GSM. Europe is 99.9% GSM (100%, if you don't count any country that used to be part of what was formerly known as "Eastern Europe").
If you have any friends or family members in the US, send the phone to THEM, and have THEM sell it on eBay. As a practical matter, most Americans will be nervous about buying an Epic/Evo from someone in Europe, just because an Epic/Evo *is* so completely useless in Europe, they'll assume it was stolen, or was bought from someone in the US who owed Sprint a lot of money and got the phone's ESN blacklisted (if you owe Sprint money, they'll refuse to activate your old phone for anyone who buys it; because Sprint phones mostly work only on Sprint, and only Sprint phones work on Sprint, it makes their bill-collection effort more efficient).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
stolen? I hope not!!
so in that case I lost my money 2 times!
If you can find Sprint's non-800 number, you can ask them to do an "ESN Check" and they'll tell you whether or not the phone is clean & can be activated.
Worst-case, if Sprint can't/won't activate the phone, you're now the owner of a very expensive wi-fi Android tablet with a small screen. The good news is that, unlike windows mobile devices, it's still useful even if you never activate it as a phone.
Alternatively, as long as you have the MSL code (you DID get the MSL code, right? That's the code that unlocks the phone), you can sell it to someone who's in a country with CDMA besides the US, Mexico, or Canada (Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore are probably the easiest ones) for $250 and use the money to buy a high-end Android tablet from China. You'll take a loss compared to what you paid for it, but you'll ultimately end up with a better Android tablet to play with.
For any of you who have bought a Nexus S *in Canada* from any of the carriers - Bell, Telus, Rogers, Fido, Koodo, Virgin, Mobilicity, Wind, Videotron...
Can you confirm that your phone came SIM-unlocked out of the box? Or does anyone have signs of a carrier lock?
all Nexus phones are unlocked
AllGamer said:
all Nexus phones are unlocked
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We'd like to hope so. But I am asking owners of these specific models, bought from CDN carriers, to confirm that fact once and for all.
it will be in violation of the google / nexus brand if they locked
google will not let telcos tarnish their image
Actually when Nexus one was sold by videotron and Mobilicity they were locked.
htc fan89 said:
Actually when Nexus one was sold by videotron and Mobilicity they were locked.
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Nope they weren't - it was confirmed that the Mobi N1 came unlocked. Don't know about Videotron's, but I presume the same.
Still, Bell/Telus/Rogers just don't seem like the kind of companies to allow themselves to sell something without a SIM lock. Which is why I'm asking about the NS.
I can personally confirm the Telus NS is unlocked (sim) using both a virgin and Rogers Sim.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
Was told repeatedly by the Telus salesman that the phone was locked. He allowed me to try my sim and it got a signal so I'm pretty sure ALL nexus S phones are unlocked despite what Rogers/Telus/Bell are claiming. They just automatically respond "the phone is locked" because they're trained sheep.
I can confirm that the Nexus I purchased today at Future Shop on Rogers was completely unlocked.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
dinan said:
Was told repeatedly by the Telus salesman that the phone was locked. He allowed me to try my sim and it got a signal so I'm pretty sure ALL nexus S phones are unlocked despite what Rogers/Telus/Bell are claiming. They just automatically respond "the phone is locked" because they're trained sheep.
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And they've probably been told to spew that disinformation so people will buy from their own carrier rather than somewhere else at a cheaper price, and to prevent users from travelling with a prepaid SIM card.
sal14m said:
I can confirm that the Nexus I purchased today at Future Shop on Rogers was completely unlocked.
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Where are you that you could buy one already today?
bfksc said:
Where are you that you could buy one already today?
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Click to collapse
Thinking the same thing. I was thinking of grabbing one today to play with over the weekend.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
I got mine last night from a Telus store. It's unlocked.
Matridom said:
I got mine last night from a Telus store. It's unlocked.
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I stopped by a local Telus store last night hoping to play with a demo, but they claimed they didn't have any and no demo. The manager told me they won't have any available for sale until April 15th. I then stopped by a BestBuy and they didn't have a demo and was told they don't have any stock but would sell me one outright from Telus stock if they had it. Futureshop has some, but they said they don't have the outright/no contract SKU in their system (bogus info as they want a contract sale). Other carriers are not selling until next week, even if they have stock.
This really is a messy launch...I don't mind waiting but the complete lack of dissemination of information, inconsistent sales information, and staggered launch dates is not very flattering for Google. And I can only imagine how customers will react to this sloppiness.
bfksc said:
And they've probably been told to spew that disinformation so people will buy from their own carrier rather than somewhere else at a cheaper price, and to prevent users from travelling with a prepaid SIM card.
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Click to collapse
You can't buy from robelus without either a multi-year contract or severely over-inflated prices, and you can't buy from anyone else without paying full price up front. Nobody loses a dime by buying from the wrong carrier.... except for the carrier who lost the sale.
Note about these phones... as I understand it, there are TWO versions being sold in Canada... the AWS version (sold by Wind, Mobilicity, Videotron), and the PCS version (sold by robelus). It is BETTER TO BUY THE AWS VERSION!!! The PCS version will NOT WORK with Wind, Mobilicity, or Videotron. The AWS version will only not work with BELUS, it will work with everything else.
dhkr234 said:
Note about these phones... as I understand it, there are TWO versions being sold in Canada... the AWS version (sold by Wind, Mobilicity, Videotron), and the PCS version (sold by robelus). It is BETTER TO BUY THE AWS VERSION!!! The PCS version will NOT WORK with Wind, Mobilicity, or Videotron. The AWS version will only not work with BELUS, it will work with everything else.
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Click to collapse
Don't be so biased...the AWS version is only useful to those on 1700/AWS band, so obviously it's the one to get if you're with Wind or the others. If you're with Bell or the others then the obvious choice is the NAM version. And the 850/1900/NAM version also works in Europe just like the AWS version as both have 2100 radios.
dhkr234 said:
Note about these phones... as I understand it, there are TWO versions being sold in Canada... the AWS version (sold by Wind, Mobilicity, Videotron), and the PCS version (sold by robelus). It is BETTER TO BUY THE AWS VERSION!!! The PCS version will NOT WORK with Wind, Mobilicity, or Videotron. The AWS version will only not work with BELUS, it will work with everything else.
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Click to collapse
Talk about misinformation...
Weird I went to 2 Future Shops in Oakville, I think there are only 2 here, and both tried to sell me a Nexus unlocked. So no aggro here
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
Having been a Fido customer on my AWS Nexus One for several months before Vancouver's first AWS carrier launched... I would not wish on any phone geek the torture of owning a an awesome new "superphone" that feels so snappy and delightful in so many ways... but can't access the 3G speeds they're already paying for.
Buy the phone that matches your carrier's frequencies. There are plenty of these to go around. If you switch to another carrier, trade it. Or hold out for something like the LG G2X which will be quad-band UMTS 850/AWS/1900/2100 *and* dual-core.
bfksc said:
I stopped by a local Telus store last night hoping to play with a demo, but they claimed they didn't have any and no demo. The manager told me they won't have any available for sale until April 15th. I then stopped by a BestBuy and they didn't have a demo and was told they don't have any stock but would sell me one outright from Telus stock if they had it. Futureshop has some, but they said they don't have the outright/no contract SKU in their system (bogus info as they want a contract sale). Other carriers are not selling until next week, even if they have stock.
This really is a messy launch...I don't mind waiting but the complete lack of dissemination of information, inconsistent sales information, and staggered launch dates is not very flattering for Google. And I can only imagine how customers will react to this sloppiness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When i went in on Thursday night, I was told the same thing. They had stock, but it was not in the system. This is true for consumers. Fortunately, I'm a corporate customer and a quick call to my sales rep got everything sorted out, turns out the business sku's ARE in the system. After about 1/2 hour, i walked out of the store with my phone.
I hope you where not the guy behind me who was told "No, you can't have one" by the sales rep while i was unboxing mine. I felt really bad for that guy.
Also keep in mind that not all telus stores are the same. Look in your phone book for Telus and go to one of those stores, not on of the "Telus by XXXXX". When you get into a store owned and operated by Telus, you can get a lot more done.
Hi,
I don't know where to obtain this information, so maybe you can help me
I just arrive in Canada (ottawa) for at least one year. I would like to take a smartphone but the price here is expensive ! My old HTC magic is not compatible with most provider (i try some providers : some ask for a canadian ID and i just have a visa, and other told me the frequency will not work on my phone...)
Well, maybe i could take a 3-years contract with telus for exemple as they don't ask for canadian ID card. And if i return to france after one year, just close my bank account in canada and don't pay for breaking the contract ... ? Do i risk something ? i want to be able to return to canada in the futur lol
Thank you
frygost said:
Hi,
I don't know where to obtain this information, so maybe you can help me
I just arrive in Canada (ottawa) for at least one year. I would like to take a smartphone but the price here is expensive ! My old HTC magic is not compatible with most provider (i try some providers : some ask for a canadian ID and i just have a visa, and other told me the frequency will not work on my phone...)
Well, maybe i could take a 3-years contract with telus for exemple as they don't ask for canadian ID card. And if i return to france after one year, just close my bank account in canada and don't pay for breaking the contract ... ? Do i risk something ? i want to be able to return to canada in the futur lol
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Without credit history, who on earth is going to give you a phone up-front? I reckon they would want ID, or a large deposit... And if you break the contract, you may find that if you return to Canada, no cellphone provider would serve you, as they might make a credit report against you...
Not worth it, and I reckon you will find nobody will give a 3 year contract without full Canadian ID, or a large deposit to cover phone, and much of the contract payments...
Very dangerous. If they sue you, you burn in hell and can not enter the land again.
Same for US parking tickets, unfortunately
TAMHAN said:
Same for US parking tickets, unfortunately
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Click to collapse
Lol speaking of experience?
Anyway, have you checked out prepaid? Might not be the ideal option, but might be your only one if you can't get a contract. Given that any of the carriers have matching frequencies with your Magic of course.
Sent from my HTC Legend using XDA Premium App
Mr recommendation is to buy a phone you want to use for a long time. Get the contract and when you return home cancel the contract pay the ETF and unlock the phone for use at home
Go to a wind store or mobilicity. You pay more upfront for the phone but there is no contracts involved and you can cancel whenever you want.
Sent from my LG-C900 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
What about just buying a phone outright and not signing a contract. Is that allowed by the Canadian carriers? If so that would be the best route I would imagine.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App
Just think for a minute, you'd rather put yourself in a position where the law is after you over a fricking phone? Am I the only person to see how stupid this is?
In france, you can break a contract freely if you give a proof that you leave the country. I have friends who move to england, and SFR just ask for a working proof and cancel the contract.
Thank everybody for your answer, wind mobile could be nice, but the coverage zone is very small and i would like to use internet during my travel all around the canada. I will check for mobilicity ...
Either go to the provider and explain your situation to them, or just buy a second hand device.
They will either find you in France or they will not allow you to go back to Canada in future, or you'll get a really bad credit history, or something nasty I can't think of at the moment. Not worth it.
They won't give you a phone on a 3 year contract anyway in your situation.
Hey I live in Canada as well, and yes I know the plans/contracts are not the best. You could try Kijiji.ca to find a phone, that you would like. Prices vary.
I currently live in the US, and I'm about to go back to Korea for my mandatory military service. I want to buy a Nexus S in the states and take it to Korea, because it's a little bit more cheaper here. I saw a post here saying that the i9020T from T-mobile is the same as SHW-M200K, SHW-M200S from Korea. So if I buy the i9020T here would It work in Korea?
Frequency checks out for SK Telecom, but the other 2 carriers in SKorea, I am unsure of.
CHorden said:
Frequency checks out for SK Telecom, but the other 2 carriers in SKorea, I am unsure of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for checking it out. I'm going to bestbuy this weekend to get the T-mobile version then. One last question - is the price of nexus s rapidly dropping everywhere except bestbuy? if so then should I look for a different place to buy it? Thanks again.
If you're gonna buy it outright, its cheaper to buy online at different websites than from best buy. BB has it for 529.99 + tax. I found some for 459.99 at other sites. Keep in mind that bc some of these sites aren't physical stores, you won't have to pay for tax. Also a lot of them have free shipping and online coupons if you look for them.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
I live in Lebanon, Middle East. My friend is currently in NY for few days, so can't have to wait for the phone to arrive in few weeks from Google. How can I basically purchase the phone unlocked from a retailer on the go? Can I buy it from Sprint or T-Mobil being unlocked and Sim Free? If not, what are the other ways? Please anyone? Only few days left for his arrival LOL !
its not in any other retailer at this time
Ensifolk said:
I live in Lebanon, Middle East. My friend is currently in NY for few days, so can't have to wait for the phone to arrive in few weeks from Google. How can I basically purchase the phone unlocked from a retailer on the go? Can I buy it from Sprint or T-Mobil being unlocked and Sim Free? If not, what are the other ways? Please anyone? Only few days left for his arrival LOL !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ones sold in the US are North America version, especially the LTE bands and isn't 100% compatible with the ones sold in other regions - like Asia & Europe as those bands (radios) are tuned differently.
My suggestions is that you find and ask ANOTHER friend going somewhere else in the Euro zone to buy one for you, assuming that it is not available or for sale at your location or home country.
As for trying to buy it in retail store, Sprint is supposed to have them in their local USA stores tomorrow (or later) but there could be a waiting list and you will be paying an extra surcharge for it + taxes - there's another thread about the higher prices (around $450 USD is what I recalled vs. $350 in Google Play Store) - that is if they will sell it without contract or activation.
No news yet as to whether T-Mobile USA will be selling them directly, most likely - later on, it will for a premium surcharge, similar to Sprint prices - without contract.
Nexus 5 are shipped from the LG unlocked - carriers do NOT lockup the Sim functions for their network only.
Letitride said:
The ones sold in the US are North America version, especially the LTE bands and isn't 100% compatible with the ones sold in other regions - like Asia & Europe as those bands (radios) are tuned differently.
My suggestions is that you find and ask ANOTHER friend going somewhere else in the Euro zone to buy one for you, assuming that it is not available or for sale at your location or home country.
As for trying to buy it in retail store, Sprint is supposed to have them in their local USA stores tomorrow (or later) but there could be a waiting list and you will be paying an extra surcharge for it + taxes - there's another thread about the higher prices (around $450 USD is what I recalled vs. $350 in Google Play Store) - that is if they will sell it without contract or activation.
No news yet as to whether T-Mobile USA will be selling them directly, most likely - later on, it will for a premium surcharge, similar to Sprint prices - without contract.
Nexus 5 are shipped from the LG unlocked - carriers do NOT lockup the Sim functions for their network only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your valuable reply, really saves a ton of asking and research. To be honest I am willing to pay the extra charge to get my Nexus 5, since later on, when the phone arrives to my Country, it's going to match this exact price if not even more, which is like 600 USD for the 16 gb.
The only gamble is, if it's gonna work in my Country or not. My friend is going to buy two unlocked iPhones from NY already, is it almost the same gamble case? of it working in Asian/Middle East region or not ? ( Btw he works at one of the two carriers in Lebanon )
Ensifolk said:
Thanks for your valuable reply, really saves a ton of asking and research. To be honest I am willing to pay the extra charge to get my Nexus 5, since later on, when the phone arrives to my Country, it's going to match this exact price if not even more, which is like 600 USD for the 16 gb.
The only gamble is, if it's gonna work in my Country or not. My friend is going to buy two unlocked iPhones from NY already, is it almost the same gamble case? of it working in Asian/Middle East region or not ? ( Btw he works at one of the two carriers in Lebanon )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is possible that they will have it at retailers tomorrow. Sprint, Best Buy and RadioShack would be good places for your friend to check. The phone will work, aside from possibly LTE. It is also available for preorder on the Best Buy website and it ships tomorrow.
lowandbehold said:
It is possible that they will have it at retailers tomorrow. Sprint, Best Buy and RadioShack would be good places for your friend to check. The phone will work, aside from possibly LTE. It is also available for preorder on the Best Buy website and it ships tomorrow.
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Click to collapse
Alright, high hopes - Too bad his plane leaves at noon. Maybe he can snatch one for me ! Thank you
Ensifolk said:
Thanks for your valuable reply, really saves a ton of asking and research. To be honest I am willing to pay the extra charge to get my Nexus 5, since later on, when the phone arrives to my Country, it's going to match this exact price if not even more, which is like 600 USD for the 16 gb.
The only gamble is, if it's gonna work in my Country or not. My friend is going to buy two unlocked iPhones from NY already, is it almost the same gamble case? of it working in Asian/Middle East region or not ? ( Btw he works at one of the two carriers in Lebanon )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Basically, the Nexus 5 has 2 verisons as far as the radio/band or country compatability are concerned - the Americas and the Euro-Asia models, two different SKU's - the other is whether it is a 16GB or 32 GB model, color in black or white - simple.
Both model are unlocked from the factory for quadbands (GPRS/2G/Edge Speed) including the 2100 Mhz band popularly used in Asia, so the US ones will work in your country at the "slower" data speed - but most likely not the so called 4G/LTE. For the average users, the 3G and HSPA+ compatability is more complex but depending on your cellular provider's network towers, speed can be just as fast.
In "third-world" or undeveloped countries with basic mobile networks, speed isn't your major concern - just basic coverage & a good signal.
As for the iPhone 5c and 5s, we don't use them but some of the nieces & nephews have them and use them - if your friend is buying them from the Apple store, they should be able to help him/her select the best model to bring overseas to use at your home country. There are different models and you want to match it as closely as possible. Here's a link to Apple's ITE coverage on different models sold, and the ITE bands used - you should reference it and perhaps alert your friend via email, look up a compatible carrier that you match yours. http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
I know that the last time I was shopping & looking around for an unlocked GSM phone in Asia, the store sales people were helpful & making sure that I understood what they have & support are aimed at the local market with the proper radio bands, and that they cannot guarantee that it will work in the U.S. once I bring it back - returning it and exchanging it are out of the questions or very expensive to do. It will work but mobile data speed could & would likely be lowered.
Of course, if you are using WiFi or broadband signal at home or at work or in the universities with ultra fast connections most of the time - then you might find it acceptable given the cost savings. We have super fast fiber optics (Fios) connections and are reliable and having 4G LTE and/or HSPA+ enabled and working are just extra bonuses at our local price point - $350 USD for 16GB - with taxes & shipping, came to less than $400 still.
Good luck !