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Sprint Touch Pro vs ATT Fuze

I'm still chugging along with my T-Mobile MDA but with my bandwidth addiction I need to go 3G. Naturally the Touch Pro is what I'm looking at but I have a few questions I haven't been able to answer with searches...
Is the Sprint version thicker? If so, any idea how much thicker?
I've seen at least one smartphone offer GSM as well as CDMA (someone had a Sprint phone with a SIM card slot, can't remember the model now.) Any chance The Touch Pro will do this? I doubt it will but I can dream right?
Since ATT decided to change the keyboard is there a way to remap it to have a CTRL key instead of what looks like an OK key on the bottom left?
I would love to get a much slimmer phone, but the keyboard is so handy. And of course I want a nice screen for internet browsing so I either go with the Diamond and make do with the on-screen (and possibly buy a tiny bluetooth keyboard) or deal with the extra thickness of the Pro. But one of the things I will be doing with it is SSH (not with the Diamond obviously) so the CTRL key would be nice to have. Then of course there are things like RAM, applications, etc to think about and not to mention the differences in the networks. Who would you guys rather go with for network speed/reliability?
I've never had such a hard time picking out a new phone before...

I doubt the CDMA version of the Touch Pro would be any thicker than the GSM model.
Sprint's network does not support SIM cards, but they own Nextel which does use SIM cards. What you saw was a dual network (Sprint/Nextel) phone that uses CDMA for voice and data, and GSM for Push-to-Talk.

The CDMA Touch Pro is no thicker. It has rounded edges which may or may not make it look thicker but it is still 0.7". Honestly the rounded edges actually give it a nicer feel in the hand as well.
As far as the CDMA with a SIM card, you are thinking of the Blackberry 8830 World Edition. This has a SIM slot but only for international use...not US use. The Touch Pro will NOT have this.
As far as the remapping. There are articles in here that you can search for that will explain how to do this. I personally would much rather have OK and the Windows key than have CTRL and a second Shift key.
Lastly, it is all personal preference. 3G is much faster in my experiences than EVDO Rev. A but when looking at webpages it really doesn't make too much of a difference to me...it's more about the hardware and software you have that determines speed. The biggest selling point that made me go to Sprint was the fact that unlimited plans are extremely cheap. $52/month after my employee discounts for unlimited text, data (GPS and all those other fun Sprint features) and 450 minutes.

same here
I had a sprint phone with a sim card slot it was the samsung IP 830 it was bad and big but it had the best universal remote control I have seen also for international use. so my contract is up with at&t on december and Im trying to decide if I want to go back to sprint or stay with att sprint data service is way faster and cheaper than AT&T here in iowa cuz we don't have 3G and I doubt we will ever get it so I don't know I like the omnia better than the touch pro so maybe if that device comes to AT&T I will stay.

Well, even thou the 3g IS faster, with the iPhone hoggin up the GSM band and sometimes slowing the 3g to a crawl, I would say the EVDO REV-A is gonna be faster as CDMA does NOT have any slow downs like GSM when its crowded. The only thing that GSM has over CDMA in the states is coverage. I would give this thanks to the iPhone 3g!

NotATreoFan said:
I doubt the CDMA version of the Touch Pro would be any thicker than the GSM model.
Sprint's network does not support SIM cards, but they own Nextel which does use SIM cards. What you saw was a dual network (Sprint/Nextel) phone that uses CDMA for voice and data, and GSM for Push-to-Talk.
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I thought Nextel was IDEN, not GSM

According to the pictures on this Engadget Mobile post, the Sprint version will in fact have a ctrl key as well as numbers on the top row of keys instead of symbols. That's a big plus as far as I'm concerned.
I'm actually trying to make the same choice between the Sprint and ATT versions of this phone. I'm on ATT now (with a Tilt) and have been for several years with few issues. I've always been a big GSM supporter, but I'm not a world traveller and haven't really used any of the benefits of SIM cards either, so I'm starting to wonder why I'm sticking with GSM. It seems that in the US, it's just an inferior technology. All I've read says that Sprint's Rev A is faster than ATT's HSPA - at least in real world scenarios - and Sprint's coverage (both Rev A and not) is supposedly stronger (reaches inside buildings better) and more widespread (reaches more rural areas).
On top of that, Sprint's prices are far better! I'm paying nearly as much on ATT for 600 minutes + unlimited SMS, MMS, and data as I would on Sprint for unlimited everything (and this is throwing in stuff like Sprint TV and their GPS service as well). If I went for a plan more in line with my usage, I could get their 450 minute plan for $60 if I'm remembering correctly - which saves me about $40 a month.
I've also heard that their customer service is very lenient with discounts and credits, which is something I've never really had with ATT (except when they make a mistake on my bill).
So that's where I stand. Aside from leaving GSM and the price of breaking my contract with ATT, I'm seeing very little reason not to switch over to Sprint. Is there something I'm missing here? Any advice?

I jumped ship from Verizon to get the Mogul from Sprint. Never been happier. As a matter of fact, I'm as happy as a retard

TheBundo said:
I thought Nextel was IDEN, not GSM
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Quite possible. I gave up following Nextel 8 years ago after my i95 pissed me off 300-too-many-times. I knew next to nothing about phones back then.

I agree with most of what you said. Except for:
salimai said:
I've also heard that their customer service is very lenient with discounts and credits...
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I have been with AT&T since it 2001, but I signed up for a Sprint data card last summer because I was traveling to Florida, and one of the areas I was going to did not offer 3G coverage on AT&T.
I ended up canceling the service 2 days before coming home because even though I was in the heart of EVDO Rev-A, according to coverage maps and customer service reps, that damn card would refuse to connect about dialup speeds unless I left it sit connected and idle for the first 20 minutes after turning it on... and it was still barely faster then AT&T's Edge network (verified by tethering my Wizard to my laptop and using ICS).
When I canceled the account, I was told that I would receive a full refund of my activation fee and all usage charges because it had only been 10 days, and the service did not work as expected. Fast forward to 45 days later, and I get a letter from Sprint that they're sending my account to collections over $18.58 in unpaid usage fees. I fought that for another 4 weeks, and got absolutely nowhere (apparently Sprint reps can be fired for transferring your call to a supervisor ).
Long enough story shortened... I paid the money because it just wasn't worth the frustration... but I will never be a Sprint customer again.

I was with Sprint for many years before I switched to T-Mobile. The only reason I switched a few years ago is because Sprint's phones sucked. They just didn't have a very good selection (it was mostely flip phones that were all pretty much the same.) I also got my MDA for free on Amazon ($150 before $150 in rebates) so it was a pretty good deal. When I was with Sprint I never really had any problems with customer service but I only called them when I wanted to change my plan or something wasn't working right. I did get a little upset when I was calling them about the federal government employee discount though. I swear I called like 4 times and I would either get put on hold indefinately or the rep would act like she couldn't hear me and hang up after I mentioned the discount. I later found a different number to call about it and it was a much better experience.
I like the idea of being able to switch networks with a phone and take it overseas if I need to. But I have realized that by the time I want to switch networks the phone would be very outdated and I can get a new one with the discounts. As far as going overseas...I could get orders overseas (Air Force) but there's no guarantee that I would even be in a GSM area (is Japan GSM? Korea isn't right?) and if I was they'd probably have better phones anyway.
I think I might just go with Sprint. The pricing is just below what I pay T-Mobile (I only need 450 minutes) and it has the keyboard I want. Now I just have to talk myself into waiting for the TP and not going for the Diamond...of course I could get the Diamond first then give it to my wife if I still want the TP (I'm sure she'd love to watch Youtube whenever she wants.)

Does anyone know the spec differences between the sprint touch pro and the fuze or a link to a comparison? I did a search on here but didn't notice it. Thanks

NotATreoFan said:
I agree with most of what you said. Except for:
I have been with AT&T since it 2001, but I signed up for a Sprint data card last summer because I was traveling to Florida, and one of the areas I was going to did not offer 3G coverage on AT&T.
I ended up canceling the service 2 days before coming home because even though I was in the heart of EVDO Rev-A, according to coverage maps and customer service reps, that damn card would refuse to connect about dialup speeds unless I left it sit connected and idle for the first 20 minutes after turning it on... and it was still barely faster then AT&T's Edge network (verified by tethering my Wizard to my laptop and using ICS).
When I canceled the account, I was told that I would receive a full refund of my activation fee and all usage charges because it had only been 10 days, and the service did not work as expected. Fast forward to 45 days later, and I get a letter from Sprint that they're sending my account to collections over $18.58 in unpaid usage fees. I fought that for another 4 weeks, and got absolutely nowhere (apparently Sprint reps can be fired for transferring your call to a supervisor ).
Long enough story shortened... I paid the money because it just wasn't worth the frustration... but I will never be a Sprint customer again.
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That sounds like a nightmare. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for sharing your experience.
kextyn said:
I like the idea of being able to switch networks with a phone and take it overseas if I need to. But I have realized that by the time I want to switch networks the phone would be very outdated and I can get a new one with the discounts. As far as going overseas...I could get orders overseas (Air Force) but there's no guarantee that I would even be in a GSM area (is Japan GSM? Korea isn't right?) and if I was they'd probably have better phones anyway.
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Well, the possibility of world travel is one of the things that's kept me with GSM. I'm a musician and my last band toured nationally and almost internationally (the tour fell through unfortunately), and I wanted the flexibility. But considering the plethora of different technologies and frequencies, whatever USA phone I get is most likely going to be at least crippled no matter where I go anyway.
Japan uses mostly W-CDMA from what I understand. Unfortunately, it's compatible with neither Sprint or Verizon's CDMA nor ATT or T-Mobile USA's W-CDMA.
jkmiec3rd said:
Does anyone know the spec differences between the sprint touch pro and the fuze or a link to a comparison? I did a search on here but didn't notice it. Thanks
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From everything I've read, it seems that they are identical spec-wise. The two phones have different cases (the Sprint version is a bit more rounded) and the top row of keys is different (Sprint has numbers, ATT has symbols), but other than that I believe they are the same.

salimai said:
From everything I've read, it seems that they are identical spec-wise. The two phones have different cases (the Sprint version is a bit more rounded) and the top row of keys is different (Sprint has numbers, ATT has symbols), but other than that I believe they are the same.
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Has anyone actually posted a pic of the BACKSIDE of the ATT touch pro? I don't think I've seen any yet.
Note the sprint version is going to have a silver/grey back with a chrome bezel type thing going around the side:
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/photos/hands-on-with-sprints-touch-pro/

Keep in mind best buy has the us 3g unlocked version of the touch diamond gsm version so pretty soon they will get the us 3g version of the touch pro so you can get the 5 row keyboard the way HTC initially set it up without ATT butcher job...Just a little FYI. Best buy should have the unlocked 3g version of the touch pro sometime in November after ATT and sprint lauches their versions.

gramsey1911 said:
Keep in mind best buy has the us 3g unlocked version of the touch diamond gsm version so pretty soon they will get the us 3g version of the touch pro so you can get the 5 row keyboard the way HTC initially set it up without ATT butcher job...Just a little FYI. Best buy should have the unlocked 3g version of the touch pro sometime in November after ATT and sprint lauches their versions.
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has it been confirmed that bb will get TP? cuz for all we know the last leak from bb was that they'd be selling SPRINT TP, there was no indication whether they'd be selling unlocked 3G version. Also, can we say for sure they'll carry TP just cuz they carry diamond? I mean, they started selling diamond way before any of the carriers...what stopped them from selling TP ahead of time? also, since 3 carriers will have TP in their fleet, does it make sense for bb to sell a handset that more than half of the US carriers have? where's the profit in that? just some random questions I kept asking myself. If anyone would enlighten me it'd be much appreciated.

gramsey1911 said:
Keep in mind best buy has the us 3g unlocked version of the touch diamond gsm version so pretty soon they will get the us 3g version of the touch pro so you can get the 5 row keyboard the way HTC initially set it up without ATT butcher job...Just a little FYI. Best buy should have the unlocked 3g version of the touch pro sometime in November after ATT and sprint lauches their versions.
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I also would like to know if this has been confirmed. It's definitely an interesting option if it is indeed true. Unfortunately, with the Diamond having a $700 price tag, I'm not sure that this will be a reasonable option no matter how tempting. I know some people are willing to drop close to $1000 on a phone (it might not be that high, but I would expect it to be close since the Diamond is so spendy), but not me.
As far as the carrier choice goes, the posts negative toward Sprint have only been related to customer service issues (which may or may not be widespread) rather than coverage, signal quality, data speed, CDMA vs GSM, etc. I have to say I'm a bit surprised. At this point I'm taking that to mean that switching to Sprint might be the right choice. Would anyone else like to chime in?

Well for me i will have to stay with ATT. I live about 20 miles outside of Austin, TX and ATT gets much better signal than Sprint which my old roommate had. I have pretty much noticed that in Texas at least if you are gonna do much outside the main cities then ATT is pretty much the best option.
Question for other ATT customers, I get a company have my company discount of 20% discount on new hardware associated with my account but I have been told by the reps on the phone that the discount cannot be applied with the contract renewal price. This makes an odd choice since i will not use the rebate form since i don't want to switch from my Media Max 200 plan to the Pda Plan.
Options:
1. No contract renewal and suggesting a retail of $549 - 20% brings a cost of $439
2. Get with contract renewal making price probably about $399 without rebate.
3. The rep was full of it and I can use the contract renewal and the 20%.

TaurenSnake said:
Well for me i will have to stay with ATT. I live about 20 miles outside of Austin, TX and ATT gets much better signal than Sprint which my old roommate had. I have pretty much noticed that in Texas at least if you are gonna do much outside the main cities then ATT is pretty much the best option.
Question for other ATT customers, I get a company have my company discount of 20% discount on new hardware associated with my account but I have been told by the reps on the phone that the discount cannot be applied with the contract renewal price. This makes an odd choice since i will not use the rebate form since i don't want to switch from my Media Max 200 plan to the Pda Plan.
Options:
1. No contract renewal and suggesting a retail of $549 - 20% brings a cost of $439
2. Get with contract renewal making price probably about $399 without rebate.
3. The rep was full of it and I can use the contract renewal and the 20%.
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I had no problem buying the Tilt using AT&T Premier and renewing my existing contract.

http://wmpoweruser.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/attfuze.jpg
Wow, ATT's keyboard of the htc IS really ugly!
Also I'm almost positive that ATT will get the "watered down" camera. 3.1 MP.

Going to School internationally; what to do about Cellphone plan?

I started a 2 year plan with T-mobile in September, not ever considering going to school in Canada, but now that is the prospect that I'm facing.
The biggest problem is that I'm still going to need a phone here in the states for breaks, so I can't just get a new Canadian plan. The reason I have posted this in the XDA forums is cause I have a rooted G2 + google voice. I know the chances are slim, but is there anything I can do with these two things that could help me not lose either a ton of money on cancelling a plan early, or lose the phone that I have paid $250 for?
Thanks for any help.

Maybe you can sell the phone with the contract to somebody else and just get a new one?

by law plans are pro-rated so if you have a 2 year plan and you are 1 year into it the penalty is 50% of the early termination fee. So look at the fine print the cost may not be as bad as you think.

What about the phone, since it is unlocked, would it work if i got like a prepaid plan in canada?

It should have the GSM bands that Canada operates on, so yes, but that's edge speeds only. I don't know which 3g bands the G2 has or what canada's 3g operates on, so look into that to see if you can get speeds above edge.

You should cancel your plan & for the states use prepaid t-mobile (or whatever) phone should still work. Just make sure you get tmobile to unlock it for you

I need help deciding which carrier/phone/plan

Ok, I've looked at all the carriers and the resellers to include post and pre. I've been on a family plan for ever and I'm about to drop off and start my own family plan with my daughter.
I've just gotten a settlement and want to pay up front for at least the first year or more but want to stick to under 2K. What I'm having trouble with is deciding which is best. Everything I read is this is better but another says different.
When I drop off the Verizon and start my own I'll lose the unlimited data so I need to consider data, 4g, unlimited and whatever on 2 androids and what is the best latest and greatest.
Sprint looks like cheapest but no 4g unless I'm seeing it from for Arkansas and Indiana. Verizon has best coverage but data is limited and raises price when you go over which I would. ATT is expensive and has 2Gb cap which is about same for T-Mobile.
I'd love to buy two unlocked kick ass quad cores and do Simple which would be 4G but hear it's unreliable.
Anyone have any recent experience like mine that can share some input? I'm needing 2 Androids (best phones) with unlimited data (or a ton of it) and unlimited text and pic, plus around 1000 or more minutes.
My brain is fried, only reason I'm asking... Prolly over thinking but it's a lot of money.

go with sprint or tmo?
since data is obviously a big must for you, i would suggest considering sprint above all. it will give u the unlimited data and relatively affordable prices. theyre launching the samsung galaxy nexus with 4g lte support very soon, and that of course, is a great developer phone.
if not the galaxy nexus, you will want to consider the samsung galaxy s ii epic 4g touch. it is sprint's version of the galaxy s 2 and definitely a phone that can hold its own. both phones are about 199 up front, and are quality samsung smartphones that should last you two years.
tmobile is a good carrier to consider because even though data is capped at 2gb, its 4g hspa+ network is pretty fast, and if oyu go over, they will only throttle your speeds, not charge you an overage fee. the throttling will be annoyingly slow (i speak from experience), but at least you wont pay overages. for tmobile phones, i would consider the htc one s or the samsung galaxy s ii. both phones are solid, dual-core phones and the one s launches with android 4.0 on board.

ynksrule93 said:
since data is obviously a big must for you, i would suggest considering sprint above all. it will give u the unlimited data and relatively affordable prices. theyre launching the samsung galaxy nexus with 4g lte support very soon, and that of course, is a great developer phone.
if not the galaxy nexus, you will want to consider the samsung galaxy s ii epic 4g touch. it is sprint's version of the galaxy s 2 and definitely a phone that can hold its own. both phones are about 199 up front, and are quality samsung smartphones that should last you two years.
tmobile is a good carrier to consider because even though data is capped at 2gb, its 4g hspa+ network is pretty fast, and if oyu go over, they will only throttle your speeds, not charge you an overage fee. the throttling will be annoyingly slow (i speak from experience), but at least you wont pay overages. for tmobile phones, i would consider the htc one s or the samsung galaxy s ii. both phones are solid, dual-core phones and the one s launches with android 4.0 on board.
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I've been thinking it's going to be sprint but not having the 4G is bugging me big time. It's almost as if they painted the whole map with 3G though so it will help. Daughter will be staying put in college but I'll be bouncing all over the place helping family take care of different things until I start getting low on funds again.
I cant do the throttled data as it will most likely be my only internet in the Toy Hauler that I'll be sleeping in and I like my Netflix to much. Maybe someone will know some magic combo that is better than anything I've seen so far. Have two weeks till she can port her number.

which sprint phone?
that makes sense, if cellular data is going to be your primary source of internet, then sprint's unlimited plan is probably the way to go. (but i would like to hear if anyone has any better ideas).
what smartphone are you leaning towards for you and your daughter?

If you're looking for an available quad-core then no questions asked it's the HTC One X.
And you want 4G? Don't make it a priority in your checklist, 4G won't have the same coverage as 3G in the next 2-3 years and by then you'll probably be getting a new phone. IMO get into a carrier with the best 3G coverage if data is a must for you. You won't need anything faster on a mobile device anyway.

ynksrule93 said:
that makes sense, if cellular data is going to be your primary source of internet, then sprint's unlimited plan is probably the way to go. (but i would like to hear if anyone has any better ideas).
what smartphone are you leaning towards for you and your daughter?
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I had been looking to buy a digitizer for a G2X my niece had laying around and hitting Simple Mobile then my daughter told me she's paying 94 per month to ATT and has the smallest minute package and only 2GB of data. I'm used to being unlimited and paying less than that so I think that's insane.
I was looking at 2 that was on sprints site both being 1.2 dual, Nexus and G11 S Epic. Daughter already has an Iphone and I will if I have to (she asks) buy her another but I'd hate giving money for a mac phone. Would rather pay double for an Android than the iphone.
cepcamba said:
If you're looking for an available quad-core then no questions asked it's the HTC One X.
And you want 4G? Don't make it a priority in your checklist, 4G won't have the same coverage as 3G in the next 2-3 years and by then you'll probably be getting a new phone. IMO get into a carrier with the best 3G coverage if data is a must for you. You won't need anything faster on a mobile device anyway.
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That One X comes out in June to sprint. I can stay in my family plan I'm in now if hers being att doesn't try and lock her into another two year.

Please help ? Off-Contract purchase

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 !
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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.
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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 )
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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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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 )
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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 !

How many versions of this watch is there?

I pre ordered this watch from Best Buy and bought the Frontier version thinking it would come with LTE. I was just looking and Best Buy says the Frontier watch I ordered doesn't have LTE. Are there two versions of the Frontier watch? I have searched the web and most articles say if you get the Frontier model, you get LTE. Who is telling the truth?

Sword Fish said:
I pre ordered this watch from Best Buy and bought the Frontier version thinking it would come with LTE. I was just looking and Best Buy says the Frontier watch I ordered doesn't have LTE. Are there two versions of the Frontier watch? I have searched the web and most articles say if you get the Frontier model, you get LTE. Who is telling the truth?
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They probably just copied the description for both watches. Best Buy can't be relied on for anything.

I believe there are going to be Classic and Frontier BT versions for sale from standard retailers. My understanding is that the LTE versions (at least in the US) are going to have the exclusive on the Frontier with LTE, at least for a while before Best Buy, Amazon and others get to sell it.

The rumor I have heard is that the Frontier will utilize e-sims. Since no Canadian retailer has the ability to support this, we won't be able to get an LTE connected S3.
I just wish Samsung would stop being so secret about how the LTE will work on the watch. They are so disconnected with their customer lately!

Sword Fish said:
The rumor I have heard is that the Frontier will utilize e-sims. Since no Canadian retailer has the ability to support this, we won't be able to get an LTE connected S3.
I just wish Samsung would stop being so secret about how the LTE will work on the watch. They are so disconnected with their customer lately!
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I've been trying to find out why Canada isn't getting the LTE version of the frontier. Spoke with Samsung, Best Buy and Rogers and they couldn't tell me jack ****. I'm a little disappointed that people in Canada won't be able to use the LTE version because that's what I've been planning to get since the watches were announced on August 31st. But I'm also wondering...for the people that use smartwatches in the US do they need a separate plan to use 3G/4G? If so and you have to pay extra for that then forget that i'll just use bluetooth. Now I'm wondering since I can't get the LTE version in Canada....Classic or Frontier...

orlans21 said:
I've been trying to find out why Canada isn't getting the LTE version of the frontier. Spoke with Samsung, Best Buy and Rogers and they couldn't tell me jack ****. I'm a little disappointed that people in Canada won't be able to use the LTE version because that's what I've been planning to get since the watches were announced on August 31st. But I'm also wondering...for the people that use smartwatches in the US do they need a separate plan to use 3G/4G? If so and you have to pay extra for that then forget that i'll just use bluetooth. Now I'm wondering since I can't get the LTE version in Canada....Classic or Frontier...
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Verizon's plans allow you to put multiple devices on a single data plan. For example, I have my wife's iPhone, my S7 Edge, and a JetPack (mifi) under my 10GB plan. Since I rarely use the JetPack now, I'll probably swap it for the LTE Frontier on the plan, so I'll net out $10 a month for the Frontier. I only use the JetPack when I travel for business, so I can switch between it and the Frontier without too much hassle through VZW's customer portal.

Dodge DeBoulet said:
Verizon's plans allow you to put multiple devices on a single data plan. For example, I have my wife's iPhone, my S7 Edge, and a JetPack (mifi) under my 10GB plan. Since I rarely use the JetPack now, I'll probably swap it for the LTE Frontier on the plan, so I'll net out $10 a month for the Frontier. I only use the JetPack when I travel for business, so I can switch between it and the Frontier without too much hassle through VZW's customer portal.
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I contacted Verizon regarding the watch and it's "plan" and they told me that it's just $5 a month extra to the phone bill and that it will be tied to the same exact plan as the phone number associated with it.

orlans21 said:
I've been trying to find out why Canada isn't getting the LTE version of the frontier. Spoke with Samsung, Best Buy and Rogers and they couldn't tell me jack ****. I'm a little disappointed that people in Canada won't be able to use the LTE version because that's what I've been planning to get since the watches were announced on August 31st. But I'm also wondering...for the people that use smartwatches in the US do they need a separate plan to use 3G/4G? If so and you have to pay extra for that then forget that i'll just use bluetooth. Now I'm wondering since I can't get the LTE version in Canada....Classic or Frontier...[/Q]
I suspect that the Frontier and Frontier LTE watches are the same watch but the LTE version has an extra piece of firmware in order to handle the e-sim functions. It will be interesting if we find you can load the LTE firmware version onto the non-LTE version. That would explain why the two watches are the same price, it doesn't cost them anything extra to make one vs the other.
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Sword Fish said:
orlans21 said:
I've been trying to find out why Canada isn't getting the LTE version of the frontier. Spoke with Samsung, Best Buy and Rogers and they couldn't tell me jack ****. I'm a little disappointed that people in Canada won't be able to use the LTE version because that's what I've been planning to get since the watches were announced on August 31st. But I'm also wondering...for the people that use smartwatches in the US do they need a separate plan to use 3G/4G? If so and you have to pay extra for that then forget that i'll just use bluetooth. Now I'm wondering since I can't get the LTE version in Canada....Classic or Frontier...[/Q]
I suspect that the Frontier and Frontier LTE watches are the same watch but the LTE version has an extra piece of firmware in order to handle the e-sim functions. It will be interesting if we find you can load the LTE firmware version onto the non-LTE version. That would explain why the two watches are the same price, it doesn't cost them anything extra to make one vs the other.
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Actuall in the U.S, for AT&T it doesn't not need an extra plan. But it requires a post-paid plan that lets your smart watch share the data with your phone plan and use numbersync for them to have the same numbers. The only extra thing cost is the the device you add into the plan, a phone costs 20 bucks and a smart watch costs 10 bucks monthly.
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Sword Fish said:
I suspect that the Frontier and Frontier LTE watches are the same watch but the LTE version has an extra piece of firmware in order to handle the e-sim functions. It will be interesting if we find you can load the LTE firmware version onto the non-LTE version. That would explain why the two watches are the same price, it doesn't cost them anything extra to make one vs the other.
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So far, it appears as though the LTE version (at least as offered by AT&T) is selling for $50 more than the non-LTE version. Both are now available for pre-order on the Samsung website, but the LTE model is through AT&T.
I'm on Verizon, trying my hardest to be patient ...

Dodge DeBoulet said:
I'm on Verizon, trying my hardest to be patient ...
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I'm in the same boat as you. I thought all variants would be available for preorder today. Samsung proved me wrong...

Does anyone know if the same LTE model can be used across all telecoms? Even though it says ATT can it be used on Verizon LTE?