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htc hd2 / leo - launch in the UK

hi,
i've been checked with the various providers that are supposed to launch this phone - o2/vodafone/t-mobile in the UK - but no one seems to have it in stock or have a clue on when it is expected. any insights into this or know where i can get one on contract in london.
thanks

O2 and T-mobile sell it atm. However there are very few in stock in the shops and the best way to get one would be to online order :/

Try Clove online., they are very reputable & fair prices.

thanks but o2 doesn't have it online yet and t-mobile doesnt have it in stock either and noone seems to have an idea when more will be available. while could buy it upfront would prefer to get it on contract. thanks.

If you didn't want it on contract then I would suggest these guys (just off Tottenham Court Road): www.inkino.co.uk
On contract is harder. Have you tried www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk or www.mobiles.co.uk ?

[Q] Questions about buying phone in the US

Hello there, I'm from Indonesia. This summer holiday (Jun-Jul mid) I'll have a trip to the US for the first time and beside that I want to buy a new smart phone.
1. I'm 15 yo and I won't occupied by my parents when in the trip, but I'm given a additional visa credit card by my parent which is issued in my country. Question is, can I use that CC to buy the phone without any additional info needed or what do i need to have/give any additional info/sth like that?
2. What retail stores are recommended there? The price, the service, the easiness for me? As I know there are so many retail stores in US. I'll be in major cities though, like LA, LV, Boston, NYC
3. Any recommended Android phone to buy? Actually I'm aiming for the SGS2 but looks like it won't have come to US when I'm there.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Flyer888 said:
Hello there, I'm from Indonesia. This summer holiday (Jun-Jul mid) I'll have a trip to the US for the first time and beside that I want to buy a new smart phone.
1. I'm 15 yo and I won't occupied by my parents when in the trip, but I'm given a additional visa credit card by my parent which is issued in my country. Question is, can I use that CC to buy the phone without any additional info needed or what do i need to have/give any additional info/sth like that?
2. What retail stores are recommended there? The price, the service, the easiness for me? As I know there are so many retail stores in US. I'll be in major cities though, like LA, LV, Boston, NYC
3. Any recommended Android phone to buy? Actually I'm aiming for the SGS2 but looks like it won't have come to US when I'm there.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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Here are some quick thoughts. In the USA, it is often cheaper to buy over the web. They will want to ship to the billing address of the cc to prevent fraud. This will prevent you from using your credit card with most mail order vendors. Is the CC in your parents name or yours? If it is in your name, you should have no problem buying at a retail store as long as you have your passport for identification. Will you be staying with relatives? Could they run the purchase through their CC (reimburse in cash via ATM)?
Most of the carriers in the USA use a different technology than the rest of the world. You need a GSM phone. AT&T and T-Mobile both use GSM but use different frequencies for voice and data than most/all of Asia. So you are looking for a quad band phone that supports the frequency used in Indonesia. 2100? If you bought a prepaid T-mobile phone they would unlock it after 60 days and $10 in your account. (Or pay someone on ebay for the unlock code $10) T-mobile has some good prices but they only have a few prepaid android phones. LG Optimus T/Optimus One ($120) and the Samsung Galaxy S ($350) https://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/prepaid.aspx
You can also buy an unlocked phone that has been imported into the USA. If you buy a quad band phone, you could use it in the usa and in Indonesia. One of the major problems is that the vendors are almost all mail-order firms. If you are dealing with family, you could have them order it before you arrived so that you could have it right away. The Samsung Galaxy S2 looks like it is available via mail order for around $700-$800 USD with NO Warranty.

Explore3 said:
Here are some quick thoughts. In the USA, it is often cheaper to buy over the web. They will want to ship to the billing address of the cc to prevent fraud. This will prevent you from using your credit card with most mail order vendors. Is the CC in your parents name or yours? If it is in your name, you should have no problem buying at a retail store as long as you have your passport for identification. Will you be staying with relatives? Could they run the purchase through their CC (reimburse in cash via ATM)?
Most of the carriers in the USA use a different technology than the rest of the world. You need a GSM phone. AT&T and T-Mobile both use GSM but use different frequencies for voice and data than most/all of Asia. So you are looking for a quad band phone that supports the frequency used in Indonesia. 2100? If you bought a prepaid T-mobile phone they would unlock it after 60 days and $10 in your account. (Or pay someone on ebay for the unlock code $10) T-mobile has some good prices but they only have a few prepaid android phones. LG Optimus T/Optimus One ($120) and the Samsung Galaxy S ($350)
You can also buy an unlocked phone that has been imported into the USA. If you buy a quad band phone, you could use it in the usa and in Indonesia. One of the major problems is that the vendors are almost all mail-order firms. If you are dealing with family, you could have them order it before you arrived so that you could have it right away. The Samsung Galaxy S2 looks like it is available via mail order for around $700-$800 USD with NO Warranty.
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Click to collapse
Unfortunately I don't have any relative there. The cc is in my name, so no problem right?
Because of that I'm looking for concrete stores maybe such as BestBuy, Walmart or anything else but I don't know which one of them gives me the best one?
Oh, so altough I buy in stores like I said before, instead of in the carrier's itself store am I still forced to buy the "post-paid system?"
As I know they're able to give it away off-contract but with higher price and locked, right?
I think most of the new smartphones are using quad band so that's not a problem... Because I have a friend here using a Captivate and it is fully functional after he unlocked it to be able to use the SIM cards issued here.
Thanks.

Flyer888 said:
I think most of the new smartphones are using quad band so that's not a problem... Because I have a friend here using a Captivate and it is fully functional after he unlocked it to be able to use the SIM cards issued here.
Thanks.
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Click to collapse
I will agree that most of the new smartphones sold outside the USA are quadband. Probably most smartphones sold by T-mobile and AT&T or are unlocked will be quadband and most likely support 3g frequency in your country. If the phone is associated with ANY other carrier, 90% of the time it will not support GSM.
PS I never bought from them but if you are in Chicago you could check out http://welectronics.com/gsm/Samsung/SAMSUNG_I9100-GALAXY-S-II-16GB.HTML In NYC - http://www.jr.com/category/office/cellular-phones/n/4294528936-4294605649/sort-by-salePrice-1/ One of the few places that you might be able to haggle on the price (Source: web posting).

[Q] Sensation O2 UK

Hi,
I am new here and this is my first question.
I live in Eastern Europe but a friend of mine offered to get me a HTC Sensation in UK, that she can get through her subscription to O2 UK.
I would like to know if I get this phone do I have to unlock it to use in other country?
Do the O2 Sensations have custom menus and applications? If so, is it possible to get rid of them?
I'm sorry if these questions have been answered here but I couldn't find them.
If this is not the right place to find these answers, could someone point me to where I can find them?
Thank you.
Caty.

If it's direct through O2 it will have their own ROM, which has O2 splash screens and pre-installed apps. I don't know if it's SIM locked though, although I don't it is
I'd get your friend to get it from Carphone Warehouse as they only supply unbranded handsets so you'd have no issues

So you think these apps and splash screens are not deletable?
She is getting me from O2 because she can get it for 100 pounds with her subscription.
If she has to get from Carphone then I would buy it here because the price will probably be the same, around 450 pounds.

You can get it on upgrade on any network from Carphone Warehouse - I got mine on Vodafone for free (albeit a new contract)

I think you didn't understand.
Because my friend already has a subscription on O2 she can get the phone for 100 pounds.
If she were to buy from Carphone that phone would cost 450 pounds and that is a huge difference for me.
It's the difference between buying it and not even thinking about it.
If she couldn't get it for 100 Pounds I wouldn't even consider an HTC Sensation.

If she is looking at an upgrade (as in at the end of the existing contract) she can get it from any shop, and going to Carphone Warehouse would mean she gets the unbranded handset. She doesn't have to get it from O2 directly.
If she is getting an early upgrade then yes it'd probably have to be direct from O2

I guess it's an early upgrade because she haven't been in UK for long.
She got some special offer in an e-mail from O2.

I've got an o2 Sensation. The only branding I noticed is an o2 wallpaper that is easily changed. Seems to be practically unbranded otherwise.
The only advice I would offer is be careful in case you need to return it, I had to send my first two back for having dust under the screen. The third one seems to be developing it again

Dust under the screen?
That sounds bad.
Having to send it all the way back to UK and risk the package getting "lost" would be terrible
I'm glad that the branding is easy to delete, though.
I still have to think about getting it.
Any other problem that we should check in case I decide to get it?

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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Click to collapse
The ones sold in the US are North America version, especially the LTE bands and isn't 100% compatible with the ones sold in other regions - like Asia & Europe as those bands (radios) are tuned differently.
My suggestions is that you find and ask ANOTHER friend going somewhere else in the Euro zone to buy one for you, assuming that it is not available or for sale at your location or home country.
As for trying to buy it in retail store, Sprint is supposed to have them in their local USA stores tomorrow (or later) but there could be a waiting list and you will be paying an extra surcharge for it + taxes - there's another thread about the higher prices (around $450 USD is what I recalled vs. $350 in Google Play Store) - that is if they will sell it without contract or activation.
No news yet as to whether T-Mobile USA will be selling them directly, most likely - later on, it will for a premium surcharge, similar to Sprint prices - without contract.
Nexus 5 are shipped from the LG unlocked - carriers do NOT lockup the Sim functions for their network only.

Letitride said:
The ones sold in the US are North America version, especially the LTE bands and isn't 100% compatible with the ones sold in other regions - like Asia & Europe as those bands (radios) are tuned differently.
My suggestions is that you find and ask ANOTHER friend going somewhere else in the Euro zone to buy one for you, assuming that it is not available or for sale at your location or home country.
As for trying to buy it in retail store, Sprint is supposed to have them in their local USA stores tomorrow (or later) but there could be a waiting list and you will be paying an extra surcharge for it + taxes - there's another thread about the higher prices (around $450 USD is what I recalled vs. $350 in Google Play Store) - that is if they will sell it without contract or activation.
No news yet as to whether T-Mobile USA will be selling them directly, most likely - later on, it will for a premium surcharge, similar to Sprint prices - without contract.
Nexus 5 are shipped from the LG unlocked - carriers do NOT lockup the Sim functions for their network only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your valuable reply, really saves a ton of asking and research. To be honest I am willing to pay the extra charge to get my Nexus 5, since later on, when the phone arrives to my Country, it's going to match this exact price if not even more, which is like 600 USD for the 16 gb.
The only gamble is, if it's gonna work in my Country or not. My friend is going to buy two unlocked iPhones from NY already, is it almost the same gamble case? of it working in Asian/Middle East region or not ? ( Btw he works at one of the two carriers in Lebanon )

Ensifolk said:
Thanks for your valuable reply, really saves a ton of asking and research. To be honest I am willing to pay the extra charge to get my Nexus 5, since later on, when the phone arrives to my Country, it's going to match this exact price if not even more, which is like 600 USD for the 16 gb.
The only gamble is, if it's gonna work in my Country or not. My friend is going to buy two unlocked iPhones from NY already, is it almost the same gamble case? of it working in Asian/Middle East region or not ? ( Btw he works at one of the two carriers in Lebanon )
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Click to collapse
It is possible that they will have it at retailers tomorrow. Sprint, Best Buy and RadioShack would be good places for your friend to check. The phone will work, aside from possibly LTE. It is also available for preorder on the Best Buy website and it ships tomorrow.

lowandbehold said:
It is possible that they will have it at retailers tomorrow. Sprint, Best Buy and RadioShack would be good places for your friend to check. The phone will work, aside from possibly LTE. It is also available for preorder on the Best Buy website and it ships tomorrow.
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Alright, high hopes - Too bad his plane leaves at noon. Maybe he can snatch one for me ! Thank you

Ensifolk said:
Thanks for your valuable reply, really saves a ton of asking and research. To be honest I am willing to pay the extra charge to get my Nexus 5, since later on, when the phone arrives to my Country, it's going to match this exact price if not even more, which is like 600 USD for the 16 gb.
The only gamble is, if it's gonna work in my Country or not. My friend is going to buy two unlocked iPhones from NY already, is it almost the same gamble case? of it working in Asian/Middle East region or not ? ( Btw he works at one of the two carriers in Lebanon )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Basically, the Nexus 5 has 2 verisons as far as the radio/band or country compatability are concerned - the Americas and the Euro-Asia models, two different SKU's - the other is whether it is a 16GB or 32 GB model, color in black or white - simple.
Both model are unlocked from the factory for quadbands (GPRS/2G/Edge Speed) including the 2100 Mhz band popularly used in Asia, so the US ones will work in your country at the "slower" data speed - but most likely not the so called 4G/LTE. For the average users, the 3G and HSPA+ compatability is more complex but depending on your cellular provider's network towers, speed can be just as fast.
In "third-world" or undeveloped countries with basic mobile networks, speed isn't your major concern - just basic coverage & a good signal.
As for the iPhone 5c and 5s, we don't use them but some of the nieces & nephews have them and use them - if your friend is buying them from the Apple store, they should be able to help him/her select the best model to bring overseas to use at your home country. There are different models and you want to match it as closely as possible. Here's a link to Apple's ITE coverage on different models sold, and the ITE bands used - you should reference it and perhaps alert your friend via email, look up a compatible carrier that you match yours. http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
I know that the last time I was shopping & looking around for an unlocked GSM phone in Asia, the store sales people were helpful & making sure that I understood what they have & support are aimed at the local market with the proper radio bands, and that they cannot guarantee that it will work in the U.S. once I bring it back - returning it and exchanging it are out of the questions or very expensive to do. It will work but mobile data speed could & would likely be lowered.
Of course, if you are using WiFi or broadband signal at home or at work or in the universities with ultra fast connections most of the time - then you might find it acceptable given the cost savings. We have super fast fiber optics (Fios) connections and are reliable and having 4G LTE and/or HSPA+ enabled and working are just extra bonuses at our local price point - $350 USD for 16GB - with taxes & shipping, came to less than $400 still.
Good luck !

Where can we buy it ??

Seems like the perfect smartphone... Where did you guys bought it ? Interests here in France..

As of right now I think it is only available through carriers like rogers and bell etc. in Canada. Youre right this seems like the perfect smartphone and I will be picking one up. Im not sure if they plan on releasing to more markets

Hardwarecanucks seem to be very interested in it. And they are not happy with Canadian prices. But they found that India's carriers have the phone announced at far lower prices. So when it comes to India, it will trickle down to eBay and voila - you will get your cheap pure Android with Quad DAC! Patience, gentlemen!

bravomail said:
Hardwarecanucks seem to be very interested in it. And they are not happy with Canadian prices. But they found that India's carriers have the phone announced at far lower prices. So when it comes to India, it will trickle down to eBay and voila - you will get your cheap pure Android with Quad DAC! Patience, gentlemen!
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Click to collapse
Hey hey,
The price thing i'm not getting either. I got mine the week of release with Koodo (Telus in Canada) for 435$ (i had a 125$ rebate). So 560$ total for a "new comer" and thats on the barebones 1GB 35$ plan. The other payment options were 875$.... strange... Anyway, I'm really pleased with the DAC. Its a DragonFly built right in and drives my HD558s (50ohm) with ease. A real pleasure to listen to music with,.

Got mine from Vidéotron on Black Friday for $0 on a $75/mo plan with 10 GB of data.
Really good deal, if you ask me.

Anyone can help me buy this phone? Been searching all over the internet, still no lock.
The phones from Canada are not factory unlock and they dont ship in my country.