Greetings, have a question that is perplexing me: I lived abroad (China/HK/Japan) for years and we always bought our phones unlocked and international version. When we moved back to the US a few years ago we brought our phones with us (HTC One M8 and a Sony Xperia Z3) and they worked great on the Walmart Family Mobile service plan (not the prepaid service).
Last week I dropped my One M8 and bought an unlocked international version LG G6 but it would not connect to the LTE/4G network - I believe it was an H870DS. I found out that this and other int'l phones do not support Band 2. Since US carriers like Walmart (was T-Mobile, is now Tracfone) use band 2 and band 4, and since I was in a band 2 only area, there is no way to use practically ANY international GSM phone, as I cannot find one that supports band 2 and band 4 (and band 12?)
So I guess I am asking which new[er] phone can we use (preferably a premium level phone) that is fully unlocked and that supports both band 2 and 4?
I am getting my info from here; I may not be reading this correctly:
https://apn.gishan.net/settings/1749_53_walmart_family_mobile_apn_settings_for_lg_g6.php
Thanks all, appreciate any info.
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Will the i9020A version of the Nexus S (which is I think the model sold by Koodo Mobile in Canada) get 3G connection on the AWS spectrum used by Mobilicity? (I believe this should be the same as TMobile)?
Also, is there such a thing as a carrier locked Nexus S? I want to buy the Koodo Mobile Nexus S for $425 off contract (cheapest I can find), but I want to use it on the Mobilicity network. Will I need to carrier unlock the device somehow? I can't seem to find any "unlock Nexus S" sources, so I assume this is unnecessary?
The more I look into this issue, the more confused I get. A lot of places say the Nexus S is quad-band GSM + AWS, so doesn't that mean I should be able to get 3G from anywhere? The FAQ on this forum states that the original Nexus S can only get 3G speeds on TMobile's AWS band--conversely, does that then mean that the new "AT&T" Nexus S phones can't get 3G speeds on AWS? i.e. Do I need to buy a phone from an AWS carrier to get 3G?
Blindsight51 said:
Will the i9020A version of the Nexus S (which is I think the model sold by Koodo Mobile in Canada) get 3G connection on the AWS spectrum used by Mobilicity? (I believe this should be the same as TMobile)?
Also, is there such a thing as a carrier locked Nexus S? I want to buy the Koodo Mobile Nexus S for $425 off contract (cheapest I can find), but I want to use it on the Mobilicity network. Will I need to carrier unlock the device somehow? I can't seem to find any "unlock Nexus S" sources, so I assume this is unnecessary?
The more I look into this issue, the more confused I get. A lot of places say the Nexus S is quad-band GSM + AWS, so doesn't that mean I should be able to get 3G from anywhere? The FAQ on this forum states that the original Nexus S can only get 3G speeds on TMobile's AWS band--conversely, does that then mean that the new "AT&T" Nexus S phones can't get 3G speeds on AWS? i.e. Do I need to buy a phone from an AWS carrier to get 3G?
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I am in canada, just bought NS finally, that too from Koodo, and it is an Unlocked Rogers/AT&T/Bell/Telus/Fido compatible version. Not to mention it will work with any other bands in the world except the situation Wind/Mobilicity have.
Their phone system is not backwards compatible, they came out in the market just about 2 years ago, they started off with 3G/3.5G straight where Rogers initially started with Standard, moved on to Edge/2G/2.5G and upgraded themselves to 3G and eventually 3.5G, same goes for Telus/Bell/Fido.
If you purchase any of Wind/Mobilicity phone, they will be compatible with any other careers in the world, but you will not get 3G if tried on UMTS. Their phones will only work on the AWS 3G frequency. Which in case means if you bought wind/mobilicity compatible phone, you will get 2G/Edge on Rogers.
Other way around - Koodo phone with Wind/Mobilicity SIM - will give you Wind/Mobilicity Away network only, means it is useless for you. The only phone in canadian market works with Rogers and Wind 3G frequency is Nokia N8 which is a Pentaband phone. Nexus S on the other hand is a Quadband phone, and is made specifically for the career, thats why we have 3/4 different versions, AWS, UMTS, 4G to work with Sprint in US and i guess there is one other model for India and China as well.
All the Nexus S variants come unlocked, outright or on contract, as its a Google's own baby and they don't lock it except the bootloader.
I bought mine with Koodo from Future Shop as it is listed as not an outright sale on Koodo's website, but FS and BBY do sell them outright. It is unlocked out of the box, just pop your SIM in and you are good to go assuming you are going to go with Rogers/Bell/Telus/Koodo/Fido.
My two cents, go with Wind, they offer you wind tab, pay 350 + tax and use the phone to pay the rest of the money with wind tab and you are set if you really want Wind compatible phone.
I had the same problem and dilemma like you as I had a Desire Z with Bell and wanted to use it on Wind, ended up trading it with G2 from T-Mobile and used Wind mobile 3G network and Rogers 2G/Edge network up until now(I am with Rogers and have got a better deal with them for data, so no need to carry two phones on me anymore )
Hope this helps.
CreativeDevil
Blindsight51 said:
Will the i9020A version of the Nexus S (which is I think the model sold by Koodo Mobile in Canada) get 3G connection on the AWS spectrum used by Mobilicity? (I believe this should be the same as TMobile)?
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Click to collapse
it will not work
you need i9020T not A
AWS only comes on the i9020T
creativedevil said:
I am in canada, just bought NS finally, that too from Koodo, and it is ...
...
Hope this helps.
CreativeDevil
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Thanks so much. That explains it very clearly. I guess I'll need to shell out a bit extra and get a phone from Wind or Mobilicity.
+Thanks
Go for it bud... u wont regret...
Creativedevil
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Not too long ago, I had heard that the Verizon Galaxy S3 would support global roaming in a future update. With the Verizon Galaxy S3 release imminent, I was wondering if this was still the case.
I recently ordered a Galaxy S3 for my Dad, considering his contract with Verizon was up and the data plans were changing. Now, my dad often travels back and forth between the US and South Korea; so often in that he carries two different Android phones for each country (DROID Incredible on Verizon and Nexus S on KT).
Would it be possible for him to dump both the Incredible and Nexus S phones and use only Verizon Galaxy S3 on both of the carriers (if unlocked), by just swapping out the SIM card when traveling between Korea and the US? He will be keeping KT as his cell provider in Korea and from what I've heard, KT does allow foreign phones to be registered on their network, as long as they're unlocked. Both Verizon and KT support CDMA & LTE, but I'm not sure if their frequency bands overlap and if the Verizon S3 would be able to hook onto both without having to flash the radio.
I see that there's already a Voodoo S3 SIM Unlock app on Google Play (probably not compatible with Verizon S3 yet, but maybe eventually possible?).
Either way, it'd be awesome to be able to use the S3 as his main phone on both carriers with a simple SIM card swap! Does anyone have any insight on this, whether it would be possible or not?
CKTurbo128 said:
Not too long ago, I had heard that the Verizon Galaxy S3 would support global roaming in a future update. With the Verizon Galaxy S3 release imminent, I was wondering if this was still the case.
I recently ordered a Galaxy S3 for my Dad, considering his contract with Verizon was up and the data plans were changing. Now, my dad often travels back and forth between the US and South Korea; so often in that he carries two different Android phones for each country (DROID Incredible on Verizon and Nexus S on KT).
Would it be possible for him to dump both the Incredible and Nexus S phones and use only Verizon Galaxy S3 on both of the carriers (if unlocked), by just swapping out the SIM card when traveling between Korea and the US? He will be keeping KT as his cell provider in Korea and from what I've heard, KT does allow foreign phones to be registered on their network, as long as they're unlocked. Both Verizon and KT support CDMA & LTE, but I'm not sure if their frequency bands overlap and if the Verizon S3 would be able to hook onto both without having to flash the radio.
I see that there's already a Voodoo S3 SIM Unlock app on Google Play (probably not compatible with Verizon S3 yet, but maybe eventually possible?).
Either way, it'd be awesome to be able to use the S3 as his main phone on both carriers with a simple SIM card swap! Does anyone have any insight on this, whether it would be possible or not?
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As far as I understand it, the Verizon S3 needs a software update to unlock the GSM bands within the radio, which currently is not available...Also the LTE Bands are Not Compatible, according to my research Verizon uses 700/750 KT uses 1800. The Verizon S3 has 700/750 LTE Support...Also note while the Verizon S3 likely will have GSM support via a software update it will be Edge bands not WCDMA/HSPA+...as for the CDMA side out of luck there too according to KT they use the 1800 band and the Verizon S3 only has 850/1900 band for CDMA...in short getting the Verizon S3 will in no way help your father ditch his second phone...If your father is an international traveler he would be better suited to using a GSM carrier then buying a phone like the Galaxy Nexus which is pentaband WCDMA, this will work in any country that has WCDMA, I can vouch personally that my GNex (GSM Unlocked) works in S. Korea with HSPA+ Data Speeds as I was just there this past February.
So though the GS3 would most likely not be able to use 4G (through HSPA+, I may also be misunderstanding...) would it be able to have 3G overseas? I ask since I will be traveling to China later this year and being able to use 3G over there would be more convenient than getting another phone...
I have an aunt who is visiting me in America for a month. She will be going back in few weeks and she is interested in purchasing a note 3 in America since it's cheaper. Question is.. is it possible to use US based phones work in korea? Which carrier Note 3 would work the best?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
MUFC17JW said:
I have an aunt who is visiting me in America for a month. She will be going back in few weeks and she is interested in purchasing a note 3 in America since it's cheaper. Question is.. is it possible to use US based phones work in korea? Which carrier Note 3 would work the best?
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In theory, the phone should "work", as long as you can get it unlocked from the carrier. They should all have quad-band GSM, so you should be able to get data too. LTE is a different matter though. South Korea providers use bands 1, 3, 5, and 8. Both the AT&T and T-Mobile Note 3s support band 5, but that's the only one, and the Sprint and Verizon ones don't support any of those bands. SK Telecom and LG U+ use band 5, but SK Telecom also uses band 3 and LG U+ uses band 1, so your aunt might not get full LTE coverage if they use those other bands to fill gaps or something - but I really can't guess.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...nter-operable-other-networks.html#post3079209
How much does a Note 3 cost in South Korea (USD equivalent)? Because you can get a "international" Note 3 32GB (N9005) from eBay or Amazon for $550-560. It supports LTE on bands 1, 3, 5, 8, and 20. So while she's in the US, she could pick up a pre-paid SIM from T-Mobile or AT&T (not Sprint or Verizon) or one of their MVNOs and use it in her new phone. She won't get LTE, but she will get 3G. If you're in a city, I'd recommend going with a T-Mobile MVNO (MetroPCS, for example), since they have a very strong 3G/HSPA+ network. But more importantly, it'll work on all the bands in South Korea, regardless of carrier.
I currently have the Z3Compact and am considering getting the Z3 T-Mobile variant, as I'm a T-Mo prepaid customer. Just a few questions:
1) Can the Tmo variant Z3 be used on another carrier? Without unlocking the bootloader? I would like to root without unlocking the bootloader to still use all the Sony features (like with the Z3C). If I switch to another GSM carrier in a year, I'd like to still be able to use this device.
2) Is VoLTE up & working? Can it be used while rooted, locked bootloader? The same question with wifi calling.
3) Can the Tmobile ROM / Firmware be flashed on the International hardware and function exactly the same?
4) Will / can VoLTE / wifi calling come to the Z3C unlocked international variant?
1. Yes you can use it, BUT it only has 3 LTE bands and the 700Mhz (Band 12) LTE is not compatible with AT&T 700Mhz (Band 13). 700Mhz is important for indoor reception. Better to buy the regular Z3 as its a more global phone. Also if you still want the TMO variant you must use it on TMO for at least 40 days for them to unlock.
2. VoLTE works and rooting does not have anything to do with it so go ahead. WiFi calling is the same.
3. Don't do that as you may get no signal/baseband issues.
4. Don't know.
Extra: The T-Mobile variant has quality control issues and has been pulled from sale.... I am on my 8th Z3 after 7 exchanges. In addition TMO had to open a further 3-4 boxes on my third exchange to get a good one.
Just buy the international version..... They don't seem to be problematic like the TMO version and are LTE compatible with more networks.
abhinav.tella said:
1. Yes you can use it, BUT it only has 3 LTE bands and the 700Mhz (Band 12) LTE is not compatible with AT&T 700Mhz (Band 13). 700Mhz is important for indoor reception. Better to buy the regular Z3 as its a more global phone. Also if you still want the TMO variant you must use it on TMO for at least 40 days for them to unlock.
2. VoLTE works and rooting does not have anything to do with it so go ahead. WiFi calling is the same.
3. Don't do that as you may get no signal/baseband issues.
4. Don't know.
Extra: The T-Mobile variant has quality control issues and has been pulled from sale.... I am on my 8th Z3 after 7 exchanges. In addition TMO had to open a further 3-4 boxes on my third exchange to get a good one.
Just buy the international version..... They don't seem to be problematic like the TMO version and are LTE compatible with more networks.
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1) If I only plan to use the phone in the US is it important that the international version is more 'global'? I'm kind of confused: Does the Tmobile version omit bands, or includes all the bands the int'l version plus band 12 / 700Mhz?
If you want to use it on AT&T the 700 Mhz band is not compatible. As you can see below the TMO variant is missing the 2 low bands needed by AT&T for better indoor reception. The global Z3 supports all the AT&T bands except T-Mobile's Band 12....
AT&T LTE Bands
17(700Mhz), Band 5(850Mhz), Band 2(1900Mhz), Band 4(1700/2100Mhz)
T-Mobile LTE Bands (TMO Z3 only supports these 3 bands)
Band 2(1900Mhz), Band 4(1700/2100Mhz), Band 12 (700Mhz)
abhinav.tella said:
If you want to use it on AT&T the 700 Mhz band is not compatible. As you can see below the TMO variant is missing the 2 low bands needed by AT&T for better indoor reception. The global Z3 supports all the bands except T-Mobile's Band 12....
AT&T LTE Bands
17(700Mhz), Band 5(850Mhz), Band 2(1900Mhz), Band 4(1700/2100Mhz)
T-Mobile LTE Bands
Band 2(1900Mhz), Band 4(1700/2100Mhz), Band 12 (700Mhz)
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Thanks for clearing that up for me. I remember before buying my z3C hearing the info from GSMArena was inaccurate for one of the models.
I'm going to see if i can find more info on the quality control issues with the Tmo variant. I've owned Tmo branded versions of phones before and never had an issue.
I replace my phone every year to 18 months so if for some desperate reason I go to AT&T at least it will work in the meantime. I use Google Voice / Hangouts for calls so if I travel internationally I'd use wifi if the LTE reception isn't as good as on an international device for calls (won't use VoLTE), but since I'm in a Tmobile band 12 area I would like to use that.
Found this post on using the Tmo with AT&T: http://www.reddit.com/r/SonyXperia/comments/338q7q/help_with_tmobile_z3_on_att/
The issue is not with T-Mobile, its the variant Sony made for T-Mobile.... When a carrier itself stops selling a device due to problems you are taking a big risk. T-Mobile was good about exchanges though immediate replacements unlike Sony which can take up to 3 weeks. Remember if you want exchanges for any issues with TMO you must buy from TMO itself otherwise you deal with Sony. Considering TMO no longer sells this device TMO won't cover you..... As you will be buying from a third party.
So I strongly suggest you get the international Z3, unless you can buy the TMO variant from TMO itself so you can get replacements easily.
Whatever you decide I hope you enjoy, its a good phone, battery life and screen are amazing.
Thanks for your advice. I bought a Z3 off eBay for cheaper than I got my Z3Compact for a few weeks ago. I've never had to return or repair a smartphone so hopefully I stay lucky.
Well, I hope so too. Enjoy the device, its still the most well rounded device out there despite the release of the new gen phones.
abhinav.tella said:
Well, I hope so too. Enjoy the device, its still the most well rounded device out there despite the release of the new gen phones.
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Yea, I noticed that when I bought my Z3C. The Z3 apparently outperforms the Z3+. My only concern is if I can truly get used to the larger form factor, as I'm passing along my Z3C to someone else as a birthday gift. If not, I'll just sell it and get another Z3C for myself .
I asked this in the D6616 rooting thread but haven't gotten a reply yet: Will I need to downgrade, then root, then flash a pre rooted TFT firmware to get stock rooted (similar process to rooting without unlocking bootloader on the Compact) or can I just use the instructions here regardless of the firmware I have on my Z3? I think Kingroot sounds too shady and wouldn't want to use it.
1. Why are Verizon's newest phones CDMA when it will be gone in 6 months? Their newest phones have CDMA, while Verizon is 100% LTE-A, and CDMA and non-HD voice phones will be shut down by the end of the year.
2. Does it make sense or do I need to buy a Verizon model Note 8 or 9 to work on Verizon's network? I will be living in the US and Colombia South America. I have a Verizon Note 3 w/o HD voice so I will I need to replace it before the end of the year. I will be replacing it with another Note series phone. The Verizon ones seem to support both CDMA and GSM and what I need for South America. With CDMA going away, does it make sense to buy a Verizon phone with both CDMA and GSM, or do I need to, to get it activated on their network?
Thanks!