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I'm a T-Mobile Prepaid customer using a simple $19 phone but am planning to purchase a no-contract smart phone, say Samsung Galaxy S 2 or HTC Amaze 4G.
If I buy one of these for T-Mobile Prepaid, am I locked in there, or the phone is useful even if I might move onto another carrier such as Verizon or ATT, or to another Plan within T-Mobile later?
xdabyk said:
I'm a T-Mobile Prepaid customer using a simple $19 phone but am planning to purchase a no-contract smart phone, say Samsung Galaxy S 2 or HTC Amaze 4G.
If I buy one of these for T-Mobile Prepaid, am I locked in there, or the phone is useful even if I might move onto another carrier such as Verizon or ATT, or to another Plan within T-Mobile later?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you are not locked in if you buy a phone off contract. You will not be able to move to verizon or sprint with the phone though, because they use CDMA and not GSM like the rest of the world.
you can outright buy the phone, but check to see if they have a pre-paid plan/data plan for that phone, it will not be unlocked so you cannot move. You can request t-mobile to unlock it though, but you will not get the same 4g speeds
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A
lowandbehold said:
No you are not locked in if you buy a phone off contract. You will not be able to move to verizon or sprint with the phone though, because they use CDMA and not GSM like the rest of the world.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. Does that mean I can use the Samsung Galaxy S2 No-Contract Model I buy from/for T-Mobil Prepaid now for other carriers of GSM? May I understand from your reply message(s) that T-Mobile is a GSM format carrier(and so is AT&T?) as opposed to Verizon and Sprint being a CDMA guys? If so, I can use the phone as long as my next carrier is a GSM guy? Does this make sense?
djjuice said:
you can outright buy the phone, but check to see if they have a pre-paid plan/data plan for that phone, it will not be unlocked so you cannot move. You can request t-mobile to unlock it though, but you will not get the same 4g speeds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To: djjuice -
Thank you. I will do some homework in order to understand what "locked", "unlock" and " . . . will not get the same 4g speeds" mean.
Even unlocked the phone may not support the 3G or "4"G data speed between TMobile and AT&T. The AT&T Galaxy S II will not run on TMobile 3G data, only Edge (2G) data, because they run on different frequencies, same thing with the TMobile Galaxy S II does not support AT&T frequencies. If you buy the phone off contract from TMobile, they should unlock it for you, but there is no guarantee it will work (fully) anywhere else.
If you buy a phone off of craigslist even though you are buying it off contract you cannot guarantee it can be unlocked freely. For example if you buy an AT&T phone used from someone, AT&T will not unlock it for you for free until it's a certain number of months old (based on when the first person bought it from AT&T). You would have to pay a third party for an unlock code (if there is no help here on xda to unlock it).
It's best to just buy a phone for the carrier you plan on using. That ensures its going to work, and that it will work at full speed. If you really think you are going to switch to AT&T buy one of their branded phones, or Verizon etc. Verizon and Sprint both use CDMA, but they are very resistant to allowing another carriers phone on their network. Plus their 4G networks are different types (Verizon uses LTE, Sprint WiMax) so they wouldn't work fully regardless.
Thank you, quarlow.
My budget is around $600 max. So I'm inclined to purchase an HTC Amaze 4Z or Samsung Galaxy S2 for use for T-Mobile Prepaid at Target or at T-Mobile. T-Mobile Net Shop is selling Galaxy S2 Re-Furbished at a discount price. Hear Galaxy S2 have high rate of initial failures and therefore maybe better to buy a re-furbished one that has failed once and was repaired by qualified repairman. Below is how I come to think of buying a smart phone now. I've been happy with a simple prepaid phone buying 100 minutes at a time, which lasts more than a year for me. I also use a Sony Clie, a PDA running Palm Desk Top, which has gone obsolete long time ago. With a smart phone such as Galaxy or Amaze 4Z, I can leave not only the PDA but also a digital camera home. I do not need to access my PDA data over internet. I will import necessary data from my PC to my new smart phone either via cable or via WIFI before going out. That's why I want to remain "Prepaid Customer" not a customer with monthly fees. (Besides, I am not so much interested in leaving my data at ISP's servers.)
Thank you.
I haven't heard of high failure on the Galaxy S II's for TMo. But I have seen several studies showing refurbished devices have lower failure rates because they can have problem components replaced, and have to pass full qa testing twice.
If you are going to put all your data on your phone via USB on the computer, or wifi, then data compatibility won't matter. That changes the whole issue of taking it to another carrier. Any att or TMo phone that is unlocked will make and receive phone calls, text messages and mms messages just fine on the other network. You will only notice the difference when web browsing, or downloading files. If you aren't going to do that, then it wont make a difference.
Knowing that and your budget I would say get a international version of the phone. Get the Galaxy S II (i9100), or the Galaxy Note, or the Galaxy Nexus. All of those phones are top tier, and international versions will receive updates quicker. The Nexus being the Google device will be the first ICS device to get the next version of android, so its the most future proof. The GSM version of any of those phones will likely come unlocked.
The i9100 has a 4.3" screen, and 1.2Ghz dual core Exynos chip. The TMo version has a 4.5" screen (same resolution) with 1.5Ghz dual core qualcomm chip. The bigger screens did have issues with splotches and vertical lines far more than the 4.3" screen. With them being the same resolution the smaller screen is crisper. The Exynos chip is made by Samsung and widely regarded as the better chip, even at a slower speed. It also comes with a more powerful gpu than the qualcomm chip. So, the graphics are better, and games run better. The att version (i777) is almost exactly the same as the i9100, except it has the U.S. norm of 4 buttons, vs the international 3 buttons. The dev support on xda for the i9100 is unmatched by any other phone, its an amazing device with a huge support and user base.
The Galaxy Note is a 5.3" half phone half tablet with a stylus, and 1.4Ghz dual core Exynos chip. Its screen is a whopping 1280x800 resolution. But, for some that's too big.
The Galaxy Nexus has a 4.65" screen with 720p resolution (this screen is pentile which means it doesn't have as many sub pixels as it could. Its hard to explain, Google pentile vs rgb and there should be plenty of explinations. But, most reviews say at that resolution you need a microscope to tell). But the real strength with that device is that its the pure Google device. Its running Android the way its meant to be ran, unbloated and unrestricted. That is the Rolls Royce of Android phones for the next year. The Nexus S is last years Google device, and will be the first gingerbread device with an official ICS upgrade, if it isn't already upgraded. Its like a Mercedes at this point, its got the pure android experience, but its running last years tech: 4" screen, 1Ghz single core hummingbird chip.
I'm sure that is way more information than you ever wanted to know, but I hope it helps.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
quarlow said:
Even unlocked the phone may not support the 3G or "4"G data speed between TMobile and AT&T. The AT&T Galaxy S II will not run on TMobile 3G data, only Edge (2G) data, because they run on different frequencies, same thing with the TMobile Galaxy S II does not support AT&T frequencies. If you buy the phone off contract from TMobile, they should unlock it for you, but there is no guarantee it will work (fully) anywhere else.
If you buy a phone off of craigslist even though you are buying it off contract you cannot guarantee it can be unlocked freely. For example if you buy an AT&T phone used from someone, AT&T will not unlock it for you for free until it's a certain number of months old (based on when the first person bought it from AT&T). You would have to pay a third party for an unlock code (if there is no help here on xda to unlock it).
It's best to just buy a phone for the carrier you plan on using. That ensures its going to work, and that it will work at full speed. If you really think you are going to switch to AT&T buy one of their branded phones, or Verizon etc. Verizon and Sprint both use CDMA, but they are very resistant to allowing another carriers phone on their network. Plus their 4G networks are different types (Verizon uses LTE, Sprint WiMax) so they wouldn't work fully regardless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually the T-mobile SGSII supports AT&T 3g.
lowandbehold said:
Actually the T-mobile SGSII supports AT&T 3g.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Att 3G runs on 850 and 1900, with preference on 1900 generally. The TMo looks to have 850, but not 1900. So like the vibrant the support will be spotty at best. It may work in some places, but not everywhere.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
To quarlow and lowandbehold -
Very informative! Thank you very much.
I will stay with the plan to go for a Galaxy S2(i1900) or an HTC Amaze 4Z for TMO Prepaid. If there be good prepaid phone service(s) available from other carrier(s), I'd definitely want to learn about.
Hello
I'm looking at replacing my S4 with an S7. My carrier in the US is AT&T and that won't be changing. I've been looking at different unlocked versions and can't find a solid representation of what the real world differences are. I know they have different processors. Some say a band is missing, but does that matter. I don't use android or samsung pay, but i know there is a difference here too. I found one comment about some kind of samsung 'coverage' plan, but what is that?
Best Buy has US unlocked phones for about $700. B&H Photo has an International phone for about $640. Its a lot of money either way. Is one phone really better or different than that other?
I am planning a trip through Canada and maybe to Europe. I assume either would take a SIM from those areas and I could avoid getting raped by international fees.
Here is a summary of question I can think of:
Does the US unlocked phone from BestBuy have a warranty or insurance or anything like that?
Can the US phone be rooted. I only do this to remove apps I don't use.
Is the hardware one vs the other really better or just different?
Does a dual SIM do anything useful?
Does a band being missing make a real world difference?
Is there a good comparison somewhere to that can decide on a phone to purchase?
It comes with a limited warranty as stated on their site:
"This device is not warrantied through the manufacturer. This device has a limited 1 year warranty provided by CCR Warranty. To obtain technical or warranty assistance, please contact CCR Warranty at 866-579-8436."
What I don't know is how useful/limited that warranty is. I'd like the HTC 10 but the unlocked S7 is my runner up, and the warranty issue is one of the major factors in my hesitation.
I do believe it can be rooted.
As far as I know, through research, the only major difference between the two is battery life.
Hello, I'll just go straight to the answers.
1. I'm going to assume that if you go through a carrier (att, t-mobile etc etc.) they will offer an insurance plan. You will have to go to third party insurance for the international version
2. As far I know, the US version does not have a root option yet. Because of the locked bootloader.
3. Hardware will depend on which version you choose. Both are very good.
4. Dual sim is as the name implies, you'll be able to use 2 separate sim cards with their respective #s. that's the only benefit really.
5. Missing radio bands is something you may have to do some research on depending your location.
6. I'm sure YouTube or some online site will have some reviews/comparison of both.
I just looked at the best buy website again and something is different. The S7 listed for $690 is definitely the international version and not the US version. When I looked last month I was positive that the phone was listed as a US phone ... huh
A little late
a little late to the thread but just wanted to share what I learned while researching the matter.
There is an US unlocked version of the S7 (g930u) and available through a few places (Best Buy, B&H, Ebay). It goes for $679.99 retail and I have not been able to find one that goes for less. Probably because it just came out end of June. The biggest benefit of it is that it has a bunch of bands and CDMA-compatible. Thus, you can get full connection with AT&T and TMobile. Downside is no wifi calling or VOLTE (as those seem to be locked by the carriers to their own phones).
The international versions (930f/930fd) are both available on Ebay/Swappa for about $500. Upside are that they have the Exnyos chip and no bloatware. You can also root and flash them with new ROM. Another thing is that you get updates earlier. I got Marshmallow on my s6 a month or so before AT&T released its update. Downsides are no Samsung Pay or WiFi Calling/VOLTE and the biggie...missing bands. I had a g920i and it was missing support for bands 29 and 30 on AT&T...this led to poor LTE and indoor reception at times. I would have to turn on/off the mobile data switch sometimes to get good connection.
Finally, we have carrier based versions, which loads you down with bloatware and has the Snapdragon chip. But, it does support all features of your carrier. Slower updates also an issue and lack of support of all bands internationally are additional drawbacks. Cost is also about $500.
Personally, I am going with an unlocked 930a. Bloatware sucks but I can delete or disable almost all of them. Snapdragon seems pretty powerful to me. Samsung Pay, Wifi Calling, and Band support are just too important for me. Note, make sure you ask the seller on Ebay/Swappa about whether the phone is unlocked.
Hope that helps.
I did a lot of research into this before buying my S7 but was kind of screwed since I'm on Verizon (CDMA)...
Since you're on AT&T you have more options.
There are two different processors in the two different models, Snapdragon 820 in the US CDMA capable and an Eyxnos in the International GSM ONLY phone.
After doing my research, I personally recommend the Eyxnos, which I couldn't get :/
If for nothing else, better battery life, by far. Do some research into the comparison between the two.
However! When buying from Best Buy be careful!
Last I checked, on their website, the black/onyx S7 was an unlocked US Snapdragon 820 phone.... while strangely enough the other two, gold and silver? were both unlocked US (actually international) Eyxnos phones.
Also, last I checked Samsung themselves only sell the CDMA snapdragon processor model to the US.
Unless Best Buy made a mistake listing the Eyxnos processor, it is the only way to get that model without buying an "internationally sourced" phone on ebay.
Just a few notes:
1) The G930u is fully compatible with all the US Carriers
2) VoLTE works on both T-Mobile and Verizon
3) Wi-Fi Calling works on T-Mobile and potentially Verizon (but I am not positive about Verizon).
The big downside to the G930u is that for whatever reason it is not receiving updates from Samsung when its branded siblings are.
It seems that S8/S8+ from AT&T as well as the unlocked SM-G955U have band 30
However the G955F and G955FD seem to not have it...
Question to International version buyers and that have AT&T, how much do you care about band 30?
Do you believe their will be a Dual sim phone with band 30 launched at future date?
Does the International model have band 12? I checked Samsung UAE and it lists band 12 but on Amazon it doesn't have it.
FrenchJo67 said:
It seems that S8/S8+ from AT&T as well as the unlocked SM-G955U have band 30
However the G955F and G955FD seem to not have it...
Question to International version buyers and that have AT&T, how much do you care about band 30?
Do you believe their will be a Dual sim phone with band 30 launched at future date?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would be nice but probably never going to happen
solojazz said:
Does the International model have band 12? I checked Samsung UAE and it lists band 12 but on Amazon it doesn't have it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes it has band 12.
https://apps.fcc.gov/eas/GetApplicationAttachment.html?id=3292117
From experience using the international version on any USA carrier can be risky. If you live in a big city you should get normal service most of the time. You won't be able to get the carrier aggregation that AT&T uses band 30 for though so when the network is congested your service will be noticeably effected.
Also if it is still missing any of the low bands you will have a hard time getting a good signal in rural areas as well. For the most part you will want to make sure you have access to Bands: 2, 4, 12, 17. that will cover the majority of your needs. Bands 29, and 30 really only come in with the carrier aggregation. but without them you will notice slower speeds or no signal at all at big events.
I tried out an international S7e after I had to relinquish my Note 7, for me it was not worth it. Root is becoming less needed now, custom ROMs break TOO much functionality (Samsung Pay, Android Pay, Work Email, Banking Apps, etc) and the things I loved root for, display scaling, ad blocking, Viper4Android, Themes, are becoming less needed, due to compatible things being offered on stock. Just not worth it anymore for slight tweaks and marginal performance increases.
ShrekOpher said:
From experience using the international version on any USA carrier can be risky. If you live in a big city you should get normal service most of the time. You won't be able to get the carrier aggregation that AT&T uses band 30 for though so when the network is congested your service will be noticeably effected.
Also if it is still missing any of the low bands you will have a hard time getting a good signal in rural areas as well. For the most part you will want to make sure you have access to Bands: 2, 4, 12, 17. that will cover the majority of your needs. Bands 29, and 30 really only come in with the carrier aggregation. but without them you will notice slower speeds or no signal at all at big events.
I tried out an international S7e after I had to relinquish my Note 7, for me it was not worth it. Root is becoming less needed now, custom ROMs break TOO much functionality (Samsung Pay, Android Pay, Work Email, Banking Apps, etc) and the things I loved root for, display scaling, ad blocking, Viper4Android, Themes, are becoming less needed, due to compatible things being offered on stock. Just not worth it anymore for slight tweaks and marginal performance increases.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you've said here gets me thinking, I don't want to root I just want better battery life which if it's like the s7 launch the exynos had much better battery life but if they're the same what else are the differences should I just buy it from T-Mobile in the states?
solojazz said:
What you've said here gets me thinking, I don't want to root I just want better battery life which if it's like the s7 launch the exynos had much better battery life but if they're the same what else are the differences should I just buy it from T-Mobile in the states?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I made a drastic decision last night and got the AT&T version at Best Buy, they have a $35 14 day return policy. So I thought I can always return it and get an International version.
12 hours into s8+ 955U, I am impressed. It runs much smoother as my s7e 128gb G9350 black pearl .... was worried that like with the s7e I was going to feel more of these little delays that I had on s7e snapdragon but not on Exynos... this is not the case.
Other comments:
- smartlinked transfered, contacts, pictures, sms, etc but only 70% of the apps...
- Like everything except that the finger printer scanner location will take me another few days to unlock efficiently...
Oh and my 9 year told me, "Dad, why did you tell mom that you bought a new phone, it looks exactly the same as before just a little longer, she would never have noticed!"
FrenchJo67 said:
Well I made a drastic decision last night and got the AT&T version at Best Buy, they have a $35 14 day return policy. So I thought I can always return it and get an International version.
12 hours into s8+ 955U, I am impressed. It runs much smoother as my s7e 128gb G9350 black pearl .... was worried that like with the s7e I was going to feel more of these little delays that I had on s7e snapdragon but not on Exynos... this is not the case.
Other comments:
- smartlinked transfered, contacts, pictures, sms, etc but only 70% of the apps...
- Like everything except that the finger printer scanner location will take me another few days to unlock efficiently...
Oh and my 9 year told me, "Dad, why did you tell mom that you bought a new phone, it looks exactly the same as before just a little longer, she would never have noticed!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have an account with AT&T or you paid full price?
954wrecker said:
You have an account with AT&T or you paid full price?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I paid full price, but have an account with AT&T. I switch phones a lot and resell them on ebay.
By the way an ATT store NY wanted an extra $25 for a sim card that I did not need and then they said "sorry Sir you can not buy it for $850 we only sell no contract phones after one month"
THat is why I went to Best Buy... Ordered on the app, got an email 35 minutes, and picked up the phone....effortless..... went home switch the sim card for s7e to s8+, few setup clicks, smartlink and just had to reinstall two dozen apps that did not make it over
FrenchJo67 said:
I paid full price, but have an account with AT&T. I switch phones a lot and resell them on ebay.
By the way an ATT store NY wanted an extra $25 for a sim card that I did not need and then they said "sorry Sir you can not buy it for $850 we only sell no contract phones after one month"
THat is why I went to Best Buy... Ordered on the app, got an email 35 minutes, and picked up the phone....effortless..... went home switch the sim card for s7e to s8+, few setup clicks, smartlink and just had to reinstall two dozen apps that did not make it over
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I figured thats why I asked. Appreciate the info and honesty. I hate the cell phone companies they are so full of s$%t. So now may I ask how easy is it to have AT&T sim unlock it for you? I know they have the web portal for non and current customers, but ive never used it before.
954wrecker said:
Yea I figured thats why I asked. Appreciate the info and honesty. I hate the cell phone companies they are so full of s$%t. So now may I ask how easy is it to have AT&T sim unlock it for you? I know they have the web portal for non and current customers, but ive never used it before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unlocked many iphones on the At&T protal it usually takes 1-3 business days and was smooth.
Switched to Android for the Note 7 (!) and Knox and only bought international versions until last night.
Will unlock this in 60 days, as their is a 60 day delay... it better works as I will travel internationally in 66 days !!
FrenchJo67 said:
I unlocked many iphones on the At&T protal it usually takes 1-3 business days and was smooth.
Switched to Android for the Note 7 (!) and Knox and only bought international versions until last night.
Will unlock this in 60 days, as their is a 60 day delay... it better works as I will travel internationally in 66 days !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I just checked the portal and I believe as my account is way older as 60 days, i can unlock the new phone after 14 days (buyers remorse period)
FrenchJo67 said:
Actually I just checked the portal and I believe as my account is way older as 60 days, i can unlock the new phone after 14 days (buyers remorse period)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats good to know I wonder how long they make non customers wait if they make AT&T customers wait that long. Please if you have time update us as to the SIM lock situatuon. Thanks in advance
FrenchJo67 said:
Well I made a drastic decision last night and got the AT&T version at Best Buy, they have a $35 14 day return policy. So I thought I can always return it and get an International version.
12 hours into s8+ 955U, I am impressed. It runs much smoother as my s7e 128gb G9350 black pearl .... was worried that like with the s7e I was going to feel more of these little delays that I had on s7e snapdragon but not on Exynos... this is not the case.
Other comments:
- smartlinked transfered, contacts, pictures, sms, etc but only 70% of the apps...
- Like everything except that the finger printer scanner location will take me another few days to unlock efficiently...
Oh and my 9 year told me, "Dad, why did you tell mom that you bought a new phone, it looks exactly the same as before just a little longer, she would never have noticed!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kids keep getting smarter and smarter as time goes on lol
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
ShrekOpher said:
From experience using the international version on any USA carrier can be risky. If you live in a big city you should get normal service most of the time. You won't be able to get the carrier aggregation that AT&T uses band 30 for though so when the network is congested your service will be noticeably effected.
Also if it is still missing any of the low bands you will have a hard time getting a good signal in rural areas as well. For the most part you will want to make sure you have access to Bands: 2, 4, 12, 17. that will cover the majority of your needs. Bands 29, and 30 really only come in with the carrier aggregation. but without them you will notice slower speeds or no signal at all at big events.
I tried out an international S7e after I had to relinquish my Note 7, for me it was not worth it. Root is becoming less needed now, custom ROMs break TOO much functionality (Samsung Pay, Android Pay, Work Email, Banking Apps, etc) and the things I loved root for, display scaling, ad blocking, Viper4Android, Themes, are becoming less needed, due to compatible things being offered on stock. Just not worth it anymore for slight tweaks and marginal performance increases.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not accurate for the S8 international unlocked variant this year.
According to the FCC listing it supports the following US bands 12, 17, 13, 26, 5, 66, 4, 25, 2, 41 so aside from band 30 it has all the bands needed to work great on AT&T and T-Mobile.
It also has carrier aggregation with US bands with the following combinations:
2+12
4+12
4+17
12+12
66+17
41+41
66+66
and 3 band carrier aggregation at the following bands:
4+12+12
66+12+66
41+41+41
It's interesting that this year the international version includes Verizon and Sprint LTE bands but not CDMA bands (so not sure how will that work on those two networks).
clubtech said:
That's not accurate for the S8 international unlocked variant this year.
According to the FCC listing it supports the following US bands 12, 17, 13, 26, 5, 66, 4, 25, 2, 41 so aside from band 30 it has all the bands needed to work great on AT&T and T-Mobile.
It also has carrier aggregation with US bands with the following combinations:
2+12
4+12
4+17
12+12
66+17
41+41
66+66
and 3 band carrier aggregation at the following bands:
4+12+12
66+12+66
41+41+41
It's interesting that this year the international version includes Verizon and Sprint LTE bands but not CDMA bands (so not sure how will that work on those two networks).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You keep mentioning this FCC stuff but im not sure why a phone meant for sale and use in countries outside the USA would be contacting our FCC?
954wrecker said:
You keep mentioning this FCC stuff but im not sure why a phone meant for sale and use in countries outside the USA would be contacting our FCC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Every phone model that wants to be allowed to enter the US (either if you are a foreigner and would like to come with it to the US or if you are a retailer who would like to import it to the US) must get FCC certified to makes sure it follows US wireless guidelines, does not cause interference with frequencies used in the US and has acceptable SAR levels.
clubtech said:
Every phone model that wants to be allowed to enter the US (either if you are a foreigner and would like to come with it to the US or if you are a retailer who would like to import it to the US) must get FCC certified to makes sure it follows US wireless guidelines, does not cause interference with frequencies used in the US and has acceptable SAR levels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you send a link that actually works with proof the F and FD international versions ever applied for FCC certification?
954wrecker said:
Can you send a link that actually works with proof the F and FD international versions ever applied for FCC certification?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/repo...id=y9iH3wwF54NP3e+s5fwinQ==&fcc_id=A3LSMG955F
Check "SAR Report 1" for the "proof" on the frequencies I stated earlier in the thread.
clubtech said:
That's not accurate for the S8 international unlocked variant this year.
According to the FCC listing it supports the following US bands 12, 17, 13, 26, 5, 66, 4, 25, 2, 41 so aside from band 30 it has all the bands needed to work great on AT&T and T-Mobile.
It also has carrier aggregation with US bands with the following combinations:
2+12
4+12
4+17
12+12
66+17
41+41
66+66
and 3 band carrier aggregation at the following bands:
4+12+12
66+12+66
41+41+41
It's interesting that this year the international version includes Verizon and Sprint LTE bands but not CDMA bands (so not sure how will that work on those two networks).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T rolled out both band 29 and 30 for LTE Advanced back at the same time the LG G3 came out.
http://www.fiercewireless.com/wirel...support-700-mhz-spectrum-it-got-from-qualcomm
I've owned a few phones, notably my long-time companion Note 4 (TMobile). Recently my office announced they're flipping our TMobile account to Sprint. We get a "new" phone but not quite cutting edge... though a Note 5 seems a nice move forward despite the loss of removable battery and extra sd-card slot. But can someone explain to me the strangely unpopulated page here compared to the Note 4's page (or even the One Plus 2 page, where actual Oreo roms are popping up like weeds)? Is it all about the Exynos chip, or Sprint, or what? There's a dearth of new development going on here compared to my other two phones and I'm baffled. Thanks....
The 920P it is not very compatible. Being just a USA phone, It doesn't get enough attention from developers*. All Note5 and S6 phones are Exynos, but the Sprint models just have poor support. And they are also 3 years old.
*The Sprint model doesn't work very well outside the Americas (continent)
cachanilla86 said:
The 920P it is not very compatible. Being just a USA phone, It doesn't get enough attention from developers*. All Note5 and S6 phones are Exynos, but the Sprint models just have poor support. And they are also 3 years old.
*The Sprint model doesn't work very well outside the Americas (continent)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that's not what I want to hear. Tell me something comforting! HAHAHAHA.
If at some stage I want to unlock the phone (say in 8 months or less when TMobile and Sprint merge) will it have all the hardware inside it to function as a TMobile or other provider's phone? Incl. LTE, wifi calling, and the rest?
shonkin said:
If at some stage I want to unlock the phone (say in 8 months or less when TMobile and Sprint merge) will it have all the hardware inside it to function as a TMobile or other provider's phone? Incl. LTE, wifi calling, and the rest?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think so, this being a carrier specific model it is very limited so you can't use it elsewhere. In Mexico I get LTE with the most popular carrier and some other people in Vietnam and India. You can wait to see if it works for you.
I did find this thread on sprint that discusses unlocking (domestically) the Sprint Note 5 for use as a GSM phone (TMobile, AT&T and the like). At some point it may be of use to me or someone else...
https://community.sprint.com/t5/Sam...ng-Note-5-for-Domestic-use-on-GSM/td-p/960238
I did finally get the Sprint Note 5, by the way.... first thing I noticed is that compared to my old Note 4 its battery life *sucks*. But such a nice phone otherwise, despite no switchable battery or microsd slot. (I solved the latter to a degree by getting a 64gb version of the phone).
I unlocked my Note5 via a paid service...
Hello to Everyone:
This is my first post so please don't hold it against me. Thank you in advance.
I used the unlock service of idoneapps.com. it ran $35. Opted for the debranding option as well but skipped the MetroPCS option.
My phone is no longer Sprint branded and got rid of their bloatware. TWRP with SuperSu installed and I can pull out my T-Mobile SIM out and put in an AT&T SIM in and it works seamlessly.
Get access to the hidden menu and hotspot is unlocked while I get to manually select, (if desired), WDCMA, GSM, etc... Connects at LTE and the wireless switching works great. WiFi hotspot also works great.
Couldn't be more pleased as I also can turn off anything as the package comes with an app manager. It is great not to have Facebook, Snapchat, or the Sprint crud running. No more stupid Sprint boot animation.
I am currently running a Samsung branded Nougat 920P that I had my own IMEI number generated TWRP let's me access the recovery mode and let's me flash perfectly.
XPosed is installed with, AdAway 3.3, ViperFX 6.5.0.5, YouTube ad blocker, rootcloak. Upgraded to SuperSu pro however I still haven't managed to go systemless.
I play Crash Fever so I am stupid and actually spend money that game so my Google Play code redeeming works fine. Samsung Pay won't ever work because of rooting but oh well... ACMarket, MS office mobile, the Samsung Suite of apps, and all the S-Pen features work seemlessly.
Anyways, I hope I didn't violate any rules by my posting as I love XDA as this community is phenomenal.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me as I would be glad to field any questions or facilitate details as may be needed.
Eagerly awaiting an Oreo update.
Gellybean777
Anyone know what the difference between the two? Or if there is a differenc e at all. I am on ATT network in US.
Carrier unlocked U and factory unlocked U1
U is for the carrier variants in the US. U1 is for the factory unlocked version which you buy directly through Samsung. Even though unlocked, the U model will have a carrier logo when booting up. If you want true unlock, go for U1.
Can I flash N986u1 firmware to my galaxy n986u ? Will i loose esim feature? I want to do because I am not getting 5G and also ota updates
If you flash a note 20 (or other Samsung phones with Knox for that matter), you'll permanently blow an efuse which removes some phone features like Android Pay. I didn't think that the esim feature was one of those features but I'm not totally sure on that.
Guys, i need a fully support arabic language
For
SM-N986U
should i change to U1?
its already unlocked phone with Verizon
so any sim is working
but the 5G is not working
AND a full arabic is not there.
if i changed to U1 will i get a full arabic lanaguage? ?
quantumtrap said:
If you flash a note 20 (or other Samsung phones with Knox for that matter), you'll permanently blow an efuse which removes some phone features like Android Pay. I didn't think that the esim feature was one of those features but I'm not totally sure on that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For
SM-N986U
should i change to U1?
its already unlocked phone with Verizon
so any sim is working
but the 5G is not working
AND a full arabic is not there.
if i changed to U1 will i get a full arabic lanaguage? ?
i don't need e-sim but i need 5G and full arabic
SoJustMe said:
For
SM-N986U
should i change to U1?
its already unlocked phone with Verizon
so any sim is working
but the 5G is not working
AND a full arabic is not there.
if i changed to U1 will i get a full arabic lanaguage? ?
i don't need e-sim but i need 5G and full arabic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As for 5G with Verizon, check the coverage map in great detail! Unfortunately, you may find that it just doesn't currently exist where you're testing. I've had Verizon Reps (at multiple stores) argue with me that 5G coverage did exist in areas and eventually find/admit they were wrong.
After doing my own research on Verizon coverage, I've found that their 4G LTE coverage is very good, but their 5G coverage is pretty much only in (5G mmWave) and around (5G UW) big cities and even spotty in those locations. When Verizon claims they have "Nation Wide 5G", think of coverage which looks kinda like a chain link fence. Verizon is spending much money to fix this lately, so hopefully it will improve quickly.
For the time being, I've abandoned Verizon for T-Mobile because of its indisputably superior 5G coverage in the US.
N986U vs N986U1: As for switching to a U1, I'd say don't. I have an N986U and my wife has an N986U1 and I get Android updates much more quickly on my U and she does with her U1. It's weird but true.