4G Coming To The UK - General Topics

Four operators will be potentially bidding for the 800Mhz and 2.6Ghz frequencies for a 4G spectrum that will finally allow faster mobile broadband speeds, such as those in the United States, to be experienced here in the UK. The arrival of these new speeds should be in 2013 once Ofcom has completed an auction.
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/uk-4g-coming-in-2013-after-ofcom-auction-later-this-year-50008694/
But, whilst faster mobile speeds is always nice, does this mean that the UK will also follow the awkward American system of having 4G versions of phones - often with a lower specification?

wow
Epic!

Brad387 said:
Four operators will be potentially bidding for the 800Mhz and 2.6Ghz frequencies for a 4G spectrum that will finally allow faster mobile broadband speeds, such as those in the United States, to be experienced here in the UK. The arrival of these new speeds should be in 2013 once Ofcom has completed an auction.
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/uk-4g-coming-in-2013-after-ofcom-auction-later-this-year-50008694/
But, whilst faster mobile speeds is always nice, does this mean that the UK will also follow the awkward American system of having 4G versions of phones - often with a lower specification?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here in Portugal we have LTE 4G since end of last year (think October or November) and we get the European/International versions of the phones, not Specific to Portugal... which have the frequencies that are used in Europe... so I believe UK will also be safe :good:

the auction was supposed to be held later this year but got put off till next year cos of some problems

Unfortunately as the article points out there won't be full coverage guaranteed until 2017.
Also if orange and t-mobile convert their towers to use 1800 mhz for 4G while everyone else uses the new frequencies instead couldn't that difference potentially cause problems if you want to change your 4G carrier?
Dave
( http://www.google.com/producer/editions/CAownKXmAQ/bigfatuniverse )
Sent from my LG P920 using Tapatalk 2

mistermentality said:
Unfortunately as the article points out there won't be full coverage guaranteed until 2017.
Also if orange and t-mobile convert their towers to use 1800 mhz for 4G while everyone else uses the new frequencies instead couldn't that difference potentially cause problems if you want to change your 4G carrier?
Dave
( http://www.google.com/producer/editions/CAownKXmAQ/bigfatuniverse )
Sent from my LG P920 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shouldn't do as EU handsets would be built to receive at 1800MHz anyway.
The problem with the US (as I understand it) is there was no regulation on which frequencies/technology to use, so there are two markets in the same area depending on which carrier you want to be with.
Over this side of the pond where regulation and consumer rights aren't dirty words D) the individual nations' regulatory bodies (such as OFCom) got together and planned the spectrum dissection.

4G in UK
Yes i think UK will follow the 4G version of American system. but you mentioned that it has lower specifications, i really did not get any such problem.
In my Knowledge 3G networks operators required to set the phone up to recieve their network, but this ususally occurs automatically when someone insert the sim. I did not heard about the troubles with the american system but again my feelings are that it will be exactly the same with 4G

Related

Travel to Korea

Hi,
My daughter will be in South Korea for a year.
I would like to set her up with an HTC phone either the Touch Pro or Touch Diamond. I understand that either will support WCDMA or GSM.
Will there be any issues? Any suggestions on another phone or perhaps a good plan in S. Korea?
We expect to use skype on the phone. How is the open wifi availability?
I did SEARCH the forums and most hits were outdated. But, if you must, flame away!
Thanks and Regards,
Jim
jjttnn said:
Hi,
My daughter will be in South Korea for a year.
I would like to set her up with an HTC phone either the Touch Pro or Touch Diamond. I understand that either will support WCDMA or GSM.
Will there be any issues? Any suggestions on another phone or perhaps a good plan in S. Korea?
We expect to use skype on the phone. How is the open wifi availability?
I did SEARCH the forums and most hits were outdated. But, if you must, flame away!
Thanks and Regards,
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome
As far as I know the limitations won´t be on the phone so look into the provider to choose a plan that cover overseas with a good deal!
Good luck,
as far as i know if phones work outside usa and some other american countries
it works in korea too
as in things which are likely to be incomaptible would be cdma (not wcdma because that seem to be what some people call umts/3g)
and 850Mhz gsm and 2100 umts
Last I heard (and I could be wrong or it could have changed since) was that Korea used CDMA networks with SIM Cards, yeah it sounded strange to me at the time also.
You need to confirm what Bands/network types are being used in Korea then you can find your answers...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone
it's not 100% clear but seem to state that korea have several systems
"There are three major technical standards for the current generation of mobile phones and networks, and two major standards for the next generation 3G phones and networks. All European and African countries and many Asian countries have adopted a single system, GSM, which is the only technology available on all continents and in most countries and covers over 74% of all subscribers on mobile networks. In many countries, such as the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, India,, South Korea, and Vietnam, GSM co-exists with other internationally adopted standards such as CDMA and TDMA, as well as national standards such as iDEN in the USA and PDC in Japan. Over the past five years several dozen mobile operators (carriers) have abandoned networks on TDMA and CDMA technologies, switching over to GSM."
Everyone, thanks for your input. We got a Kaiser and will be setting it up over the next few days. Should have some good information from her in a couple of weeks.
Searching/Looking for a good radio now.
Regards
jjttnn said:
Will there be any issues? Any suggestions on another phone or perhaps a good plan in S. Korea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I was in Seoul and Busan last year, my GSM quad-band phone did not get any signal. The hotels I stayed at provided their customers a cell phone to use for the stay, and mentioned that US phones -- GSM or CDMA -- would not work in Korea. I would call a provider and ask, just to be sure.
Thanks pavankp, you scared me to action. You are correct, turns out a 3g phone is needed, a quad-band is not enough. Found this at att: http://www.att.com/Common/merger/files/pdf/international_calling/International_Travel_Tips-FS.pdf
Excerpt: A GSM quad-band phone (that works on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz frequencies) provides the widest coverage internationally. Most AT&T phones in stores today are quad-band. For travel to Japan or South Korea, your phone must operate on 3G technology at 2100 MHz. Phones that will operate in Japan and South Korea include the BlackBerry Bold, iPhone 3G, BlackJack II, Sony Ericsson z750, HTC Fuze, LG Incite, Samsung Epix and AT&T Quickfire. ...
Regards.
I spent time in S Korea in the Army. Camp Casey. Sucked. LOL. But that was back in 2000 so I'm sure a lot has changed. But you couldn't get regular AT&T service there. The phones you buy there are a little different. I think the technology is better in my opinion. Back in 2000 the phones there already had colored screens! Granted that most of them was not in English so I really had no interest in playing around with one to see what was so special about it. Wish her luck for me though.

[Q] AT&T Turns off 3G Stunt

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
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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.

Using MT4GS in France?

Hi!
A friend of mine is in NYC tomorrow, and as there is no way to get the Doubleshot out of the US, he'll grab me a no-contract myTouch 4G Slide.
The question is: will i be able to use it on french networks? I'm not a specialist so i can't give you more info, but i'm sure some of you are All i know is that there are classes problems (UMTS class 1, 2, 3, 4...) sometimes. So is there a risk than 2G or 3G won't work?
A big thank you for any help you could bring.
Knowing who your carrier is would help.
Hastily spouted for your befuddlement
Well, any carrier I'm on "Free mobile" for now, but that could change soon. I have no idea how to:
- check which bands are used by a carrier
- check weither the phone supports these bands.
Ninj said:
Well, any carrier I'm on "Free mobile" for now, but that could change soon. I have no idea how to:
- check which bands are used by a carrier
- check weither the phone supports these bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can easily google what 2G & 3G bands each carrier supports, but this page has the bands for the MT4GS.
Thank you for the link, it will be useful. However, i find it hard to get precise info about the bands used by the networks here: Orange, SFR, Bouygues, Free Mobile.
Simple question: are they any band in the world that this phone does not cover anyway?
Ninj said:
Hi!
A friend of mine is in NYC tomorrow, and as there is no way to get the Doubleshot out of the US, he'll grab me a no-contract myTouch 4G Slide.
The question is: will i be able to use it on french networks? I'm not a specialist so i can't give you more info, but i'm sure some of you are All i know is that there are classes problems (UMTS class 1, 2, 3, 4...) sometimes. So is there a risk than 2G or 3G won't work?
A big thank you for any help you could bring.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just came back from Norway last month and the phone worked just fine. I had Roaming service with Telenor.
The phone has Band I so the normal 3G service will work up to 14.4 Mbps HSPA+ if your carrier supports it. If not it will be normal 7.2Mbps 3G service speed.
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using xda premium
---------- Post added at 12:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:04 PM ----------
jjbz said:
You can easily google what 2G & 3G bands each carrier supports, but this page has the bands for the MT4GS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bands equate to Band I and IV. Band I is the most common World Wide Band used in Europe, Asia (including Japan) and Australia.
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using xda premium
I'm using a MT4GS here in France.
It has a US T-Mobile SIM card.
It connects onto Orange network. Phone calls work great.
I didn't use data (quite expensive, I'm using Wi-Fi). So I have no input about that part.
If you are looking for a good phone with a physical keyboard - like the MT4GS - I'd try the Samsung Captivate Glide (only with AT&T - easy to unlock and root).
Great phone. Data (3G/3G+) works great here in France on Bouygues, Free, Orange.
In addition to that it packs a 4" screen and a Tegra 2 processor.
The best part is it has since a few days ICS !
I'm using the Glide here in France with French sim card. Works great. A lot more powerful than the MT4GS...
My 2 cents
Thank you forw these answers! Great pieces of info.
frav, you say the Samsung Captivate Glide is better, which i believe, but to be honest i'm a fan of Sense UI Also, the MT4GS has ICS too through custom roms. When you say "a lot more powerful" do you mean that much? Could you run Quandrant or something equivalent on both? Thank you
Is the MT4GS compatible with all 4G bands? I heard 4G is gonna be a mess about bands (using old 2G, and new frequencies...)
Thank you!
Back with 4G issue!
Hi again everyone. It's an old subject, but it comes under light today.
My carrier ("Free Mobile") opened today their 4G network. I'm in France (yes, still ).
In France, 2 bands are used: 800Mhz and 2600Mhz. Free Mobile only uses 2600Mhz, but that mau change in a near future.
My question is will i be able to get 4G on my MT4GS in France then?. I think not unfortunately, because it doesn't seem to support 800Mhz or 2600Mhz for 4G... but could you confirm?
Thank you
Ninj said:
Hi again everyone. It's an old subject, but it comes under light today.
My carrier ("Free Mobile") opened today their 4G network. I'm in France (yes, still ).
In France, 2 bands are used: 800Mhz and 2600Mhz. Free Mobile only uses 2600Mhz, but that mau change in a near future.
My question is will i be able to get 4G on my MT4GS in France then?. I think not unfortunately, because it doesn't seem to support 800Mhz or 2600Mhz for 4G... but could you confirm?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HSPA is only supported in the 1700mhz and 2100 mhz bands.
Free Mobile is rolling out LTE as 4G there is no chance that the MT4GS will be able to utilize that upgraded service. The freq is on 2600 mhz.
It appears their LTE network is in the early stages of roll out, you would likely have poor coverage anyway due to low numbers of towers in service. LTE on 2600 mhz would have poor building penetration and relatively short range due to the frequency being so high and that LTE needs a clean signal to noise ratio for decent reception.
To take advantage of the new service you will need a different device.
Hastily spouted for your befuddlement
Hi,
Thank you for your clear answer.
I am working at 50m from a Free 4G antena, and living at 200m of another one, so i would enjoy a great 4G if it was compatible. But as i was afraid, it is not. Too bad
I'll get another device when any manufacturer starts doing really good Android high end phone with keyboard
Have a nice day!

Does the UK HTC one S support 4G ??

Everything every where are going 4g Soon.
I know the US version gets very high speeds.
Will i need a new phone?
the US HTC One S says 4G but its just DC HSPA+ which seems to work in India (Vodafone) its not 4g but we can say partial 4g the hspa+ signal is doubled to get double speed 42Mbps if am not wrong ..cheers bro .
And Like here 4G LTE (100mbps) is launched if it is launched in UK too , you will need new phone . NO 4g LTE phone has been launched yet in India . But they are giving Wifi routers
ah pants, wish id known before buying
Realistically I don't think it matters. NOBODY actually gets anywhere close to 100 Mbps on any LTE connection. They'd be lucky to get 30. In that sense if we can hit those speeds on DC-HSPA+ then who cares about LTE?
so can i get the new 4g in the uk or not? Im now confused?
Hopefully yes, use this phone only dnt sell it
Sent from my HTC VLE_U using xda app-developers app
aditya. said:
Hopefully yes, use this phone only dnt sell it
Sent from my HTC VLE_U using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So keep it and see i guess?
Only i would of sold it before there is a mass of htc one s phones on the market that are not capable.
I read that the lte frequency in the UK is 1800mhz and the one s supports 1800mhz band
LTE is 4G. One S does not and cannot ever support LTE, and it's not a matter of frequencies.
One S does support DC-HSPA which gives a theoretical down link @ 42 Mbps.
Many many carriers around the world has DC-HSPA, Three in Sweden has it for example, though I haven't managed a better speedtest.net result than 19 Mbps myself on it... Best TMOUS speedtest.net I recall seeing here was ~25Mbps I think.
None of the 4 swedish carriers with LTE networks promise more than 80 Mbps, though the rules for calling something 4G originally stated it should provide 1Gbit to stationary users and 100 Mbps to mobile users.
T-mobile in USA calls DC-HSPA 4G for marketing reasons but it is still a 3G UMTS technology. Still plenty fast enough for anything on a phone IM:angel:
sorry im still confused...............
In plain terms for a idiot...
Do i need a new phone to take advantage of 4G as the mobile companies would have me believe
To take advantage of what some carriers like TMobile US would have you believe is 4G you don't need a new phone. If Three UK is anything like 3 Sweden then they have a nice 3G network which can pass for 4G in America.
To take advantage of LTE which is even faster you need a new phone.
You could download hrrm stream I mean say 9 HD episodes of say Top Gear and thus fill your entire sdcard on the One S in 120 minutes on a decent 3G connection though so I'd say LTE isn't really needed.
does 4G have a more reliable connection than 3G as sometimes i find 3G drops on the One S
In the UK, 4g is only available from EE (Orange/TMobile) and only in very few places and yes you need a new phone, also deep pockets because it is expensive.
After tweeting EE, they said the phone wasn't compatible with their 4G network.
Sent from my HTC One S+
Yes - anyone wanting true 4G (LTE) will not be able to do so with any HTC One S.
It is worth noting, however, that anywhere you can get LTE you will almost certainly get HSPA+ (which is supported by One S). For most, that will mean speeds over 2Mb/s and up to 7Mb/s and cost significantly less than LTE. With EE currently not being very generous with their download limits (or coverage), why not stick with 3G until the market gets a bit more competitive? That will fit in nicely for when you are probably due a shiny new phone...

US LTE on Zenfone 3 Ultra

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.
Click to expand...
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.

Categories

Resources