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[Q] Help with AT&T bands, or why the rest of the world is more advanced than the U.S.

[Q] Help with AT&T bands, or why the rest of the world is more advanced than the U.S.
I need to buy a smartphone before the end of June for use in my new life in mainland China, but have ended up with many questions regarding how useful my phone would be if I returned to the U.S.
So China, being civilized like the rest of the world, uses only the 2100 band GSM for its 3G, at least at China Unicom. So as far as I understand, any phone that gets GSM 2100 gets 3G.
The trouble is what happens if I move back to the U.S.? I want a phone that will last for years. Seems like the only game in town is AT&T unless the feds stop the T-Mobile deal. So my phone has to be 850/1900/2100 to get 3G in the U.S., as I understand it. (At&T isn't exactly forthcoming on this on its site, so this is from this forum and other sources.)
My two candidates are the LG Optimus 2X and the Samsung Nexus S. The 2X has 900/1900/2100 3G bands and decent enough hardware that I'm relatively futureproof gear-wise. The Nexus S has -- at least where I live currently -- 900, 1700 and 2100 3G bands, and Google's stamp of approval means I'm futureproof on the software side.
My confusion comes from what all these numbers mean. Does my phone has to be just one of these bands to get 3G? Two of them? Or is all this a misnomer, and 1900/2100 is in fact its own unique band? Why do I need all these extra bands when most countries have just 2100? What am I missing if I go LG 2X and miss the 850 band?
Does having only two and not all three on my phone mean I would get 3G data only some of the time? Or must I meet all these criteria? Is one upload and one download?
And why is U.S. telecom so screwed up while the rest of the world seems to do just fine? (OK that one may be more of a rant than a question)
There are phones that hit on all the bands, but Motorola is closed software-wise and I don't want that, while Samsung Galaxy S II and iPhone 4 are both too expensive for me.
I'm clearly slow, and not an expert, but if anyone has time to educate me I would much appreciate it.

Hmm, this site suggests AT&T works on either 850 OR 1900. In other words, you need just one or the other on your phone, but not both:
wwwSPACE.cellularmaps.com/att_850_1900.shtml ((sorry I still can't link))
So the LG Optimus 2X would work in U.S.? Pity about Nexus S, because I prefer it for the likely long-term developer support, but life wouldn't be so bad with the Optimus 2X, now would it?

So I have no idea whether this is true, but Google and message boards tell me AT&T has two 3G bands, one 850 and one 1900. They don't need each other to work. Instead, they just duplicate.
Why? I don't know. There may be no logical reason, this being AT&T.
So that suggests in places where AT&T has kept 1900, a phone like the LG Optimus 2X (900/1900/2100) will work fine, and in places where it doesn't it won't. This map suggests wide overlap.
(Still can't post links. Great. Google "cellular maps" "AT&T" "850" and "1900." Thank God the board is safe from links!)
Bear in mind that none of what I've written here fits the definition of "fact." I have no education in this. But somebody's gotta continue the conversation and I'm unafraid to look stupid.

Norlos said:
So I have no idea whether this is true, but Google and message boards tell me AT&T has two 3G bands, one 850 and one 1900. They don't need each other to work. Instead, they just duplicate.
Why? I don't know. There may be no logical reason, this being AT&T.
So that suggests in places where AT&T has kept 1900, a phone like the LG Optimus 2X (900/1900/2100) will work fine, and in places where it doesn't it won't. This map suggests wide overlap.
(Still can't post links. Great. Google "cellular maps" "AT&T" "850" and "1900." Thank God the board is safe from links!)
Bear in mind that none of what I've written here fits the definition of "fact." I have no education in this. But somebody's gotta continue the conversation and I'm unafraid to look stupid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bands are frequency ranges, so it means that the phone will broadcast/receive on the 850 MHZ range, or 1900 MHZ range. Don't know if this helps, but that is what they are talking about.

Check out PDADB
I think you will find www.pdadb.net to be your new friend. So bottom line is if you want AT&T 3G you need 850/1900, Australia and Canada are the only other places that utilize these bands for their 3G from my knowledge. If you can find a Nexus S that has the North American bands it will do AT&T 3G (it will be the Canadian version). The normal Nexus S state-side is the AWS packed version (AWS = 1700 or T-Mobile 3/4G).
900/2100 are your standard European international 3G spectrum, and well 2100 is pretty much everywhere, even China as you found!
Say you go the AT&T store and ask them for a "World" phone then it is more than likely banded for 2100 in addition to 850/1900!
I hope that helps you!
EDIT: On PDADB.net you will want to look for UMTS850, UMTS1900, UMTS2100. IF it says GSM850, 1900, etc. that means it will do 2G on those bands but not pick up 3G on them!
EDIT 2: Nexus S with AT&T bands can be found here just click on Source 1 at the bottom of the article!

Thanks all! Yes, big help.
Where I live the i9020a hasn't appeared, and why should it? It's needed only in America. Meanwhile, the LG Optimus 2X is the same price here as the Nexus S, which is very very tempting.
Still, I may hold out until the i9020a or the white version of the Nexus S appears, and decide accordingly.

[Q] i9020A on AWS = no 3G? And is "carrier locked" possible?

Will the i9020A version of the Nexus S (which is I think the model sold by Koodo Mobile in Canada) get 3G connection on the AWS spectrum used by Mobilicity? (I believe this should be the same as TMobile)?
Also, is there such a thing as a carrier locked Nexus S? I want to buy the Koodo Mobile Nexus S for $425 off contract (cheapest I can find), but I want to use it on the Mobilicity network. Will I need to carrier unlock the device somehow? I can't seem to find any "unlock Nexus S" sources, so I assume this is unnecessary?
The more I look into this issue, the more confused I get. A lot of places say the Nexus S is quad-band GSM + AWS, so doesn't that mean I should be able to get 3G from anywhere? The FAQ on this forum states that the original Nexus S can only get 3G speeds on TMobile's AWS band--conversely, does that then mean that the new "AT&T" Nexus S phones can't get 3G speeds on AWS? i.e. Do I need to buy a phone from an AWS carrier to get 3G?

Blindsight51 said:
Will the i9020A version of the Nexus S (which is I think the model sold by Koodo Mobile in Canada) get 3G connection on the AWS spectrum used by Mobilicity? (I believe this should be the same as TMobile)?
Also, is there such a thing as a carrier locked Nexus S? I want to buy the Koodo Mobile Nexus S for $425 off contract (cheapest I can find), but I want to use it on the Mobilicity network. Will I need to carrier unlock the device somehow? I can't seem to find any "unlock Nexus S" sources, so I assume this is unnecessary?
The more I look into this issue, the more confused I get. A lot of places say the Nexus S is quad-band GSM + AWS, so doesn't that mean I should be able to get 3G from anywhere? The FAQ on this forum states that the original Nexus S can only get 3G speeds on TMobile's AWS band--conversely, does that then mean that the new "AT&T" Nexus S phones can't get 3G speeds on AWS? i.e. Do I need to buy a phone from an AWS carrier to get 3G?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in canada, just bought NS finally, that too from Koodo, and it is an Unlocked Rogers/AT&T/Bell/Telus/Fido compatible version. Not to mention it will work with any other bands in the world except the situation Wind/Mobilicity have.
Their phone system is not backwards compatible, they came out in the market just about 2 years ago, they started off with 3G/3.5G straight where Rogers initially started with Standard, moved on to Edge/2G/2.5G and upgraded themselves to 3G and eventually 3.5G, same goes for Telus/Bell/Fido.
If you purchase any of Wind/Mobilicity phone, they will be compatible with any other careers in the world, but you will not get 3G if tried on UMTS. Their phones will only work on the AWS 3G frequency. Which in case means if you bought wind/mobilicity compatible phone, you will get 2G/Edge on Rogers.
Other way around - Koodo phone with Wind/Mobilicity SIM - will give you Wind/Mobilicity Away network only, means it is useless for you. The only phone in canadian market works with Rogers and Wind 3G frequency is Nokia N8 which is a Pentaband phone. Nexus S on the other hand is a Quadband phone, and is made specifically for the career, thats why we have 3/4 different versions, AWS, UMTS, 4G to work with Sprint in US and i guess there is one other model for India and China as well.
All the Nexus S variants come unlocked, outright or on contract, as its a Google's own baby and they don't lock it except the bootloader.
I bought mine with Koodo from Future Shop as it is listed as not an outright sale on Koodo's website, but FS and BBY do sell them outright. It is unlocked out of the box, just pop your SIM in and you are good to go assuming you are going to go with Rogers/Bell/Telus/Koodo/Fido.
My two cents, go with Wind, they offer you wind tab, pay 350 + tax and use the phone to pay the rest of the money with wind tab and you are set if you really want Wind compatible phone.
I had the same problem and dilemma like you as I had a Desire Z with Bell and wanted to use it on Wind, ended up trading it with G2 from T-Mobile and used Wind mobile 3G network and Rogers 2G/Edge network up until now(I am with Rogers and have got a better deal with them for data, so no need to carry two phones on me anymore )
Hope this helps.
CreativeDevil

Blindsight51 said:
Will the i9020A version of the Nexus S (which is I think the model sold by Koodo Mobile in Canada) get 3G connection on the AWS spectrum used by Mobilicity? (I believe this should be the same as TMobile)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it will not work
you need i9020T not A
AWS only comes on the i9020T

creativedevil said:
I am in canada, just bought NS finally, that too from Koodo, and it is ...
...
Hope this helps.
CreativeDevil
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much. That explains it very clearly. I guess I'll need to shell out a bit extra and get a phone from Wind or Mobilicity.
+Thanks

Go for it bud... u wont regret...
Creativedevil
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

[Q] Factory unlocks, ebay and international carriers.

Hello gents, I'll start with a short story to get you into the thread:
Me and my girlfriend live in Venezuela, our service providers are not up to par with american or european carriers in terms of available devices, so we bought an HTC Magic for each of us last year to try out Android, everything was fine, I learned how to root it, install roms and such, and we had a pretty good run with the phone and the OS.
Last week we got robbed and they took away our phones, I decided to get a Nexus S for her and I found one at a good price on eBay(270$+shipping) however this one is branded for Sprint, will I be able to go to my service provider and just tell them to attach my account to the phone I bought on ebay? or are the Sprint and Verizon Nexus S locked to those carriers exclusively?
If the answer to the second question is yes, then a third question is raised, can I in any way unlock this phone to use it on my non-american service provider?
I have seen other threads and the replies are always "the Nexus S is factory unlocked." but I dont know if this refers exclusively to the ones sold in the UK or retail stores in the US.
I apologize for any noobish behaviour, I'm a big fan of devices and gadgets yet I lack a lot of the technical skills you all seem to demonstrate.
Thanks in advance.
-Gaash

There is no such thing as a Verizon Nexus S. Sprint Nexus S have different radio bands than the regular Nexus S (I9020T/I9020A/I9023) and features a 4G radio with it. You have to make sure that the phone is compatible with your carrier's bands. Another thing to note is that the Sprint Nexus S is CDMA (No SIM card) as well.
All Nexus S models come unlocked regardless if you're on the contract or not. Sorry to hear about your incident

The model I bought is GT-I9020T, according to people on the internet(random links on google) this model works on GSM frequencies of 850, 900, 1800, & 1900. It supports UMTS 900, 1700, and 2100 frequencies.
My current provider works on 850 and 1900 for GSM and 850 for CDMA.
Do you think I will have trouble using the phone I bought for my girl?
I feel terribly dumb when I ask this, I cant explain why, hehe.

Oh, I think I figured it out, I bought for her the non branded GSM version, so yes, it will probably work on my provider.
But what happens if I buy a Sprint CDMA one for myself? Those are definitely cheaper, and CDMA seems to be better down here, at least more stable.
Thanks for your replies, and simpathy, it's been a rough week without a smartphone for both of us.

Gaash said:
Oh, I think I figured it out, I bought for her the non branded GSM version, so yes, it will probably work on my provider.
But what happens if I buy a Sprint CDMA one for myself? Those are definitely cheaper, and CDMA seems to be better down here, at least more stable.
Thanks for your replies, and simpathy, it's been a rough week without a smartphone for both of us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure and I wouldn't say the CDMA version is more stable. I personally never used the Nexus S 4G but from what I can tell from threads is that there are problems with WiFi or something of that sort.
You might want to ask the carrier yourself via phone to see if it would be compatible or so. Just let them know about the bands the phone supports.
And that's interesting if your carrier supports CDMA and GSM.
CDMA = No SIM card
GSM = SIM card
GSM is more popular around the world. Just including that just incase!

Alright, so I talked to my carrier they said the following:
-If I buy a CDMA phone with no contract on the US I will be able to register it on their network.
-If I buy an unlocked GSM phone I can register it on their network.
I guess I'll have to buy a couple of GSMs just to be sure... even tho they are about 100$ more expensive.
Thanks for all the replies, catch you later!

[Q] GT-P6200 or 6200L ?

I'm getting some conflicting information and I know that I can get an accurate accounting right here...
I'm told that the P-6200 model will operate on ATT network but EDGE only speed and that I need the P-6200L model to get full 3G speeds.
Is this correct?

I'm on the same boat. Cannot decide which one to get.
I was told you can flash modem from p6200l to p6200 to enable 850mhz 3g. But I'm not so sure. Has anyone tried this?
Here is the link.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1634008
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA

I replied to you on the other thread:
FMAranda said:
I think it's the band frequency, I got this from Samsung's website:
P6200:
3G 900 / 1,900 / 2,100 MHz
P6200L:
3G 850 / 1.900 / 2.100 MHz
Here you can find more info:
P6200 http://www.samsung.com/my/consumer/mobile-devices/tablet/tablet/GT-P6200UWAXME-spec
P6200L http://www.samsung.com/latin_en/consumer/mobile-devices/tablets/galaxy-tab/GT-P6200UWLTPA-spec
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

So, the correct answer for the ATT network is the 6200L. Can you confirm?

scottb4u said:
So, the correct answer for the ATT network is the 6200L. Can you confirm?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the P6200L works with AT&T 3G and actually is the model sold on Amazon. I was looking on the AT&T Galaxy Tab 8.9 specs and it works with UMTS Triband,850/1900/2100MHz the same as P6200L.
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab/SGH-I957ZKAATT-specs

Not even one merchant on Amazon has the 6200L. Each model is the straight up 6200! Show me where on Amazon I can get it!
and BTW. THIS is NOT a 6200L because I've already emailed the seller and asked. It is a mistake: amazon.com/Samsung-GT-P6200-P6200L-GALAXY-Tab/dp/B007I5E3IK Put a www in front of amazon for the link

Look at this comment from a guy who bought the tablet:
" I bought this tablet because I thought it was model GT-P6200 as that is what the title says. In reality, it was GT-P6200L which has a few important differences. The first is that it did NOT use 3G on the T-Mobile network. Maybe it does on other networks. Perhaps "Unlocked World Tablet PC" was the code-phrase that should have warned me. "
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-GT-P6200-7-0-dual-core-Honeycomb/dp/B00746GVHY/ref=pd_cp_cps_0

I'll call them. And I don't care about T-Mobile, just ATT. But now I wonder: do they make a quad-band variant? One that does 850 & 900?

Yes, you should call because on that link you can see that the specs of 3G Bands are 850 / 1900 / 2100.

So, did you get the information if it is the P6200L?

I called T-Mobile, today. I have the 6200L. T-Mobile started offering unlimited 3G/4G for $20 a month, so I signed up. Turns out that I can only use Edge with this model when using T-Mobile. This is what the T-Mobile tech rep told me, anyway.
I read the info above this post, so I want to confirm. Does GT-P6200L work with 3G/4G using T-Mobile, or not? If so, I need to make some config change. If not, I have to find a new model of tablet to use. I am not going to go back into the dark ages and settle with Edge. Why on Earth would T-Mobile do this, anyway?

No, T-Mobile uses 1.700MHz for 3G right now, but it should work on the new 1.900MHz frequency that T-Mobile is deploying, that's because they want the iPhone to be compatible with their 3G. For now only some regions are covered by the 1.900MHz 3G, here you can read more: http://www.gsmarena.com/tmobile_usa_running_1900mhz_3g_in_some_areas_iphones_invited-news-3537.php
4G will never work since it's the LTE technology and our tablet doesn't support it.

[Q] Is it a Pentaband?

Hey I have looked around and have heard differing reports saying that some are and some aren't. What I want to know is is the Telus version of the phone Pentaband? My aunt got the phone and I might be getting it when she is finished and it would be helpful to know

Dark lord me said:
Hey I have looked around and have heard differing reports saying that some are and some aren't. What I want to know is is the Telus version of the phone Pentaband? My aunt got the phone and I might be getting it when she is finished and it would be helpful to know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not pentaband, but the chip DOES support both 850 Mhz and 1700 Mhz (strange, I know). I believe it's actually quadband WCDMA which means it'll work on Wind/Mobilicity (I have the Telus version too and use it on Wind currently and Rogers prior). It won't work in Europe though, if you travel a lot because I believe they use 900 Mhz out there, which is the band this phone doesn't support.
I've attached proof that it does work on Wind with data, but I don't know how to prove I'm using the Telus model... Just trust me I guess?

AFAIK: Only TMOUS' One S is pentaband.

Check the first table here for frequencies supported on different versions: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5868/htc-one-s-review-international-and-tmobile/7

Thanks for getting back to me =D I had looked around and found differing reports some sites would only have the international one and some would only have the T-mobile one.
Well i guess her's is not Pentaband but I don't mine losing Eurpoean roaming it has the ones i need (AWS) :laugh:

Dark lord me said:
Thanks for getting back to me =D I had looked around and found differing reports some sites would only have the international one and some would only have the T-mobile one.
Well i guess her's is not Pentaband but I don't mine losing Eurpoean roaming it has the ones i need (AWS) :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah contrary to belief, the Canadian One S is NOT the "international" version, but rather the T-Mobile version.
If you want further clarification, check out this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1673378
Does anybody mind looking under the cover for the model / FCC ID / Industry Canada certification numbers and reporting back with the carrier they got the phone from and the FCC ID. They should be printed on the label near the headphones / headset jack.
These are the variants available in Canada.
PJ40100: UMTS Band V (850)
PJ40110: UMTS Band II (1900)/IV (AWS)/V (850)
PJ40200: UMTS Band V (850)
PJ40210: UMTS Band II (1900)/V (850)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PJ40110 should be written inside the SIM cover thing. It was on mine. I did a lot of digging around to find out whether or not my phone supported AWS. I really hated being with Rogers so I switched to Wind, but I wanted to make sure my dream phone would work before I switched.

I live in Ohio. Here we have T-Mobile and local Cincinnati Bell. Cincinnati Bell gets all their phones from T-Mobile. So if you can get your hands on a Cincinnati Bell One S, that is also pentaband. I have one.
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app

rubbamade said:
I live in Ohio. Here we have T-Mobile and local Cincinnati Bell. Cincinnati Bell gets all their phones from T-Mobile. So if you can get your hands on a Cincinnati Bell One S, that is also pentaband. I have one.
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is misleading information as it is more correctly quadband WCDMA. Pentaband WCDMA would include 900 Mhz as well, which the T-Mobile One S does not have.

Yeah, the Telus One S is pentaband, the T-Mobile One S us quadband(it's missing 900mhz).
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

Mr.Mischief said:
Yeah, the Telus One S is pentaband, the T-Mobile One S us quadband(it's missing 900mhz).
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe this is the case either. My research has yielded that the only FCC clearance this phone has is 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz.

ShensMobile said:
I don't believe this is the case either. My research has yielded that the only FCC clearance this phone has is 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which version are you referring to? That would be correct for the T-Mobile version.
According to manbearpig(who is selling his Telus One S), his Telus version is pentaband.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

ShensMobile said:
If you want further clarification, check out this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1673378
Does anybody mind looking under the cover for the model / FCC ID / Industry Canada certification numbers and reporting back with the carrier they got the phone from and the FCC ID. They should be printed on the label near the headphones / headset jack.
These are the variants available in Canada.
PJ40100: UMTS Band V (850)
PJ40110: UMTS Band II (1900)/IV (AWS)/V (850)
PJ40200: UMTS Band V (850)
PJ40210: UMTS Band II (1900)/V (850)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mr.Mischief said:
Which version are you referring to? That would be correct for the T-Mobile version.
According to manbearpig(who is selling his Telus One S), his Telus version is pentaband.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know who manbearpig is, but he is wrong. The Telus One S (and all Canadian One S') only support 850/1700/1900/2100. That's 4, not 5 bands. You can look inside your One S SIM cover right now, it says PJ40110 underneath the FCC label.
The Telus One S will NOT work on European WCDMA networks. It is pentaband GSM but not for the WCDMA radio.
If you can show me how the Canadian One S is pentaband, then I will yield. I'm not trying to be a ****, but I've done my research and these are the results and I'm trying to make it clear for anyone who reads this. I hate it when I find misleading info on the internet.

ShensMobile said:
I don't know who manbearpig is, but he is wrong. The Telus One S (and all Canadian One S') only support 850/1700/1900/2100. That's 4, not 5 bands. You can look inside your One S SIM cover right now, it says PJ40110 underneath the FCC label.
The Telus One S will NOT work on European WCDMA networks. It is pentaband GSM but not for the WCDMA radio.
If you can show me how the Canadian One S is pentaband, then I will yield. I'm not trying to be a ****, but I've done my research and these are the results and I'm trying to make it clear for anyone who reads this. I hate it when I find misleading info on the internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could be right. Here's the thread where manbearpig was selling his Telus One S and people asked him questions about whether it is truly pentaband.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1771097
This is the phone he claims to have: http://www.canadagsm.ca/HTC/HTC-One-S-Unlocked-OEM-AWS-Penta-Band/
You could ask the new owner of the phone to check the box, the T-Mobile One S has the bands listed on the box.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

Mr.Mischief said:
You could be right. Here's the thread where manbearpig was selling his Telus One S and people asked him questions about whether it is truly pentaband.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1771097
This is the phone he claims to have: http://www.canadagsm.ca/HTC/HTC-One-S-Unlocked-OEM-AWS-Penta-Band/
You could ask the new owner of the phone to check the box, the T-Mobile One S has the bands listed on the box.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure that is exactly the phone he has/had as I was going to buy it from him until he told me it is the silver/blue version. The canadagsm site only lists black as available as far as I can tell. MBP did not say that's where he got it, somebody else posted that link inferring it is the same one. Personally, I am betting it is only a physically unbranded T-mobile US version running an unbranded ROM

I'll PM the new owner later and ask him to check the box.
Edit: PM sent.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

Whatever it is...it works on WIND
Hi Peops,
Greetings from Can-eh-da!
Thanks to a few postings I saw up in here, and a sweet pre-Christmas deal going on at Wind Mobile, I decided to take a $25 non-refundable SIM card bet on the information posted on these forums, specifically that unlocked HTC One-S phones with the PJ40110 model number *may* work on WIND because it supports AWS.
Using thread #13 from here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1673378&page=2, I found out I might have a ONe-S that works on Wind...I was right!
Hope this helps someone the way I was helped!
Tske care, eh!
djfx4468