T-Mobile screws us - Huawei MediaPad X2

So it's now official, after five phone calls and finally speaking with third tier T-Mobile tech support, I was told that my area was recently refarmed and I can no longer get 3G service with the 1900 band effectively making my X2 a brick capable of nothing more than Edge. Furthermore, he indicated to me that this is the way things will go into the future and eventually, T-Mobile will support nothing but 4G LTE service (bring your own device.... But not really.)
So where to go from here? I had heard on another forum that AT&T is still supporting 3G over band 1900; but I don't know if they allow you to bring your own phone to the party and I also don't know how long it will be until they themselves eliminate 3G service. Apart from that, I guess my quest is to still find the largest phone I can that will support 4G LTE data in the United States while continuing to hope and pray that Huawei gives us the present of a 7 inch premium phablet with US bands.
As always, I remain open to any other solutions anyone might have or any information that I'm unaware of. Today is a truly sad day for a guy who truly loved his mediapad X2 : (

steveyal said:
So it's now official, after five phone calls and finally speaking with third tier T-Mobile tech support, I was told that my area was recently refarmed and I can no longer get 3G service with the 1900 band effectively making my X2 a brick capable of nothing more than Edge. Furthermore, he indicated to me that this is the way things will go into the future and eventually, T-Mobile will support nothing but 4G LTE service (bring your own device.... But not really.)
So where to go from here? I had heard on another forum that AT&T is still supporting 3G over band 1900; but I don't know if they allow you to bring your own phone to the party and I also don't know how long it will be until they themselves eliminate 3G service. Apart from that, I guess my quest is to still find the largest phone I can that will support 4G LTE data in the United States while continuing to hope and pray that Huawei gives us the present of a 7 inch premium phablet with US bands.
As always, I remain open to any other solutions anyone might have or any information that I'm unaware of. Today is a truly sad day for a guy who truly loved his mediapad X2 : (
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to hear that about TMO. I have been pushing to move away from ATT because the prices don't compare. We moved to the "new" ATT unlimited plan and 5 phones run us $330/mo vs the previous $410/mo on their "discount" family plan. I too am sold on the X2 and I can't let it go. I don't see anything else like it out there. I considered Huawei's new 8-inch tablet but without a handset it would be tough to use on a daily basis. ATT still supports the 3G speeds, at least in the Kansas City area, but who knows if that will change. Several times they have changed something on their network and I have had to search and find new APN settings. There are a few alternatives that I've seen but none that can compete with the X2. If you see anything else, let me know.
Thanks!
Jim

Yep, they did the same in my area about 4 months ago.

The whole thing is terribly frustrating. Clearly there is a market (albeit small) for a seven inch phone, so why are we ignored? Blu made one with US 4G LTE bands but i hear it sucks and only has 1 gig of ram causing it to freeze every time you open an app. Posh made a nice 6.4 that I had for a while; but it was a refurb and call quality was terrible. Plus, they are very hard to find. Checked out the Lenovo Phab 2 line (6.4"), but I'm not impressed at all and the new Samsung Note looks like a dildo.
I just ordered an old (new stock) Galaxy Mega which I owned a few years ago and loved. ...but compared to the X2, it's a dwarf (guess I've been spoiled.) So at this point, I really have no other option but to try ATT (who I detest) for a month pre-paid to see if i can go back to getting consistent HSPA on my beloved X2.
I sure hope someone at some point wakes up and gives us what we need...but I ain't holding my breath.

I'm eagerly anticipating the Huawei Honor Note 9 because I feel it's the only device that will be comparable to our beloved X2. I check for new info everyday but so far nothing but some uncertain leaks from Chinese websites. Does anyone have any *new* info? Better yet a way for us loyalists to get much deserved discount would be nice.
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!

E--Man said:
I'm eagerly anticipating the Huawei Honor Note 9 because I feel it's the only device that will be comparable to our beloved X2. I check for new info everyday but so far nothing but some uncertain leaks from Chinese websites. Does anyone have any *new* info? Better yet a way for us loyalists to get much deserved discount would be nice.
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like the same deal as the X2 unless they release a US version:
https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_honor_note_9-8799.php

According to this page (careful !!):
https://www.gsmarc.com/huawei/honor-note-9/
the LTE bands are LTE 2100, LTE 800, LTE 1800, LTE 2600, LTE 900, LTE 2300, LTE 2500, (VoLTE)
not so bad (for my country, only 700Mhz is missed)
But I'm a bit worried about the price of the phone

Just ordered this through Amazon. Looks promising and US bands too!!!!!
https://www.amazon.com/iRULU-Smartp...desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=ya_aw_od_pi

steveyal said:
Just ordered this through Amazon. Looks promising and US bands too!!!!!
https://www.amazon.com/iRULU-Smartp...desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=ya_aw_od_pi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me know how you like it. It doesn't have band 12 on T-Mobile which sucks. I may have picked one of those up if it did. If you buy it directly through iRulu and use coupon code G3DEAL50 you'll get it for $149.99.
Steamer2499 said:
Not a bad phone... The Bad: But No led notification, GPS seems to jump around, No compass built in ... The Good: Fingerprint works great!, It has ATT 4G in the USA support, Battery life is good, ... If you get it rooted, please let me know how you did it....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It could be my next toy to play around with as well. I loved the Mi Max. (which looks identical to the iRulu) I would give KingRoot a try to see if you can root it.

steveyal said:
Just ordered this through Amazon. Looks promising and US bands too!!!!!
https://www.amazon.com/iRULU-Smartp...desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=ya_aw_od_pi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a bad phone... The Bad: But No led notification, GPS seems to jump around, No compass built in, inserting sim card/sdcard takes patience ... The Good: Nougat 7.0, Fingerprint scanner works great!, It has ATT 4G in the USA support, Battery life is good, Push notification works great ... If you get it rooted, please let me know how you did it....
---------- Post added at 10:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 PM ----------
ajsmsg78 said:
Let me know how you like it. It doesn't have band 12 on T-Mobile which sucks. I may have picked one of those up if it did. If you buy it directly through iRulu and use coupon code G3DEAL50 you'll get it for $149.99.
It could be my next toy to play around with as well. I loved the Mi Max. (which looks identical to the iRulu) I would give KingRoot a try to see if you can root it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried KingRoot, Kingoroot, One Click Root and others. Nothing has worked so far. I saw that 149.99 deal but like the fact I got it in 2 days with free shipping and no tax from Amazon Prime and can return it for a full refund with free shipping back to them no question asked...

Steamer2499 said:
Not a bad phone... The Bad: But No led notification, GPS seems to jump around, No compass built in, inserting sim card/sdcard takes patience ... The Good: Nougat 7.0, Fingerprint scanner works great!, It has ATT 4G in the USA support, Battery life is good, Push notification works great ... If you get it rooted, please let me know how you did it....
---------- Post added at 10:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 PM ----------
I tried KingRoot, Kingoroot, One Click Root and others. Nothing has worked so far. I saw that 149.99 deal but like the fact I got it in 2 days with free shipping and no tax from Amazon Prime and can return it for a full refund with free shipping back to them no question asked...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If those root options don't work then the phone most likely will never be rooted. I bought a ZTE Zmax Pro about 8 months back to use as a spare phone and that was never rooted so i'm sure the iRulu probably won't be.

steveyal said:
Just ordered this through Amazon. Looks promising and US bands too!!!!!
https://www.amazon.com/iRULU-Smartp...desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=ya_aw_od_pi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ajsmsg78 said:
Let me know how you like it. It doesn't have band 12 on T-Mobile which sucks. I may have picked one of those up if it did. If you buy it directly through iRulu and use coupon code G3DEAL50 you'll get it for $149.99.
It could be my next toy to play around with as well. I loved the Mi Max. (which looks identical to the iRulu) I would give KingRoot a try to see if you can root it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for posting this! It actually looks really good especially for the price, except for the fact that the battery is 4300mAh and I suspect Li-on not Li-Po. The price point is 10/10 and is simply amazing.
I wonder if a discount will be available on the upcoming Huawei Honor Note 9 as well... It is supposed to be released Dec 6 or 20
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!

E--Man said:
Thanks for posting this! It actually looks really good especially for the price, except for the fact that the battery is 4300mAh and I suspect Li-on not Li-Po. The price point is 10/10 and is simply amazing.
I wonder if a discount will be available on the upcoming Huawei Honor Note 9 as well... It is supposed to be released Dec 6 or 20
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Huawei Honor Note 9 looks like the phone for me. Hope it's priced a lot lower than the Samsungs and Apple phones...

Steamer2499 said:
The Huawei Honor Note 9 looks like the phone for me. Hope it's priced a lot lower than the Samsungs and Apple phones...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like a great phone...but I simply can't soak that kinda money into a phone that can't do LTE.

Steamer2499 said:
Not a bad phone... The Bad: But No led notification, GPS seems to jump around, No compass built in, inserting sim card/sdcard takes patience ... The Good: Nougat 7.0, Fingerprint scanner works great!, It has ATT 4G in the USA support, Battery life is good, Push notification works great ... If you get it rooted, please let me know how you did it....
---------- Post added at 10:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 PM ----------
I tried KingRoot, Kingoroot, One Click Root and others. Nothing has worked so far. I saw that 149.99 deal but like the fact I got it in 2 days with free shipping and no tax from Amazon Prime and can return it for a full refund with free shipping back to them no question asked...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never rooted a phone before...and not really sure why you would want to (probably best I don't know : )
The comment about the GPS scares me...and could potentially be deal breaker for me. But the rest of it seems livable. Not sure what led notification is either, but I figure if I don't know what it is, it probably won't matter to me that I don't have it. Otherwise, I went with Amazon because of their no hassle return. For me, that's worth every bit of 50 bucks on something I'm unsure of.

So after one day with the iRulu, my impressions are thus,
For me, this is in no way a replacement for my Media Pad X2. The build quality is just not there.
First, the good: this is the largest screen phone that I could find with the bands to receive 4G LTE in the United States. There are other larger ones such as the Posh L 700 and the 7 inch model made by Blu, but I don't think either of these phones can be taken seriously with their pitiful 1 GB of RAM.
Second, the phone works reasonably well. I was able to watch YouTube videos without difficulty and surf the web just fine. It was easy to load on applications and most things work as they should. Bluetooth was fine, easily connecting with both my car stereo and my laptop computer. In short, this is a decent low to middle tier phone; but it is NOT a Huawei.
The bad: As I was loading on applications, the phone did randomly restart; but this was only on one occasion, so I don't really consider it to be a big deal at this point.
Second: The GPS is as horrible as reported. I put it on for goofs navigating to work; and several times while driving down 95, the GPS had me somewhere in the middle of the woods. I don't think it would have caused me to miss turns; especially if I was using Google maps audio turn by turn directions; but generally speaking, it does not work as it is supposed to.
Third: at least for me, the phone seemed small. That half an inch screen size between this and the media pad really made a large difference to me. I guess I'm just used to my Huawei, and I like what I like. I also didn't find the phone aesthetically pleasing, which is not really a big deal to me; but it lacks the perfection in design of the MPX2.
Fourth and the biggie: is that I purchased this phone because it had 4G LTE bands in the United States. I used the thing all day long driving around the state of New Jersey; and not once did the phone indicate that I was receiving 4G LTE signal. As a matter of fact, I believe that I get a better signal on the AT&T network with the HSPA bands in the Huawei.
Unfortunately, for me, it's a bust. I will be returning this on Amazon and continue my quest for a mega screen phone that has LTE bands in the United States. One might ask why I am so hung up about LTE bands if I seem to be getting good Signal with the Huawei. It is because I have been told by people at AT&T that my days of enjoying my media pad are numbered; because they will soon be moving to a system similar to T-Mobile that will render the media pad useless. This so-called 5G technology will essentially render most manufacturer unlocked phones useless for some time until the technology catches up. Hopefully, it will take longer to accomplish this so-called feat of progress than it will take for some manufacturer to realize that there is a market for a high-end super screen phone in the United States.
Oh well.....

> I don't know if they allow you to bring your own phone
Yes, I use AT&T prepaid and brought my own phone. Also I'm paying $55/month with 10GB data. The service is of course throttled to what I believe is 15MBPs or something, but it's better service from the other resellers like Straight Talk that use the same towers.
The resellers appear to get low-tier service (I used to be on ST and have tried some others, with some terrible issues).

Related

Work in the UK?

Hello,
I've been looking for a new 4G Smartphone, something like a Xiaomi, Meizu or a Huawei.
I think I've settled on the Mate 7 as I like the look of the fingerprint sensor and the style.
However, will it work in the UK? I get that it's mixed regarding the USA, but any chance of it working over here?
skezza said:
Hello,
I've been looking for a new 4G Smartphone, something like a Xiaomi, Meizu or a Huawei.
I think I've settled on the Mate 7 as I like the look of the fingerprint sensor and the style.
However, will it work in the UK? I get that it's mixed regarding the USA, but any chance of it working over here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EE, yes and perfect.
getmobilephone said:
EE, yes and perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply.
I'm not on EE. I'm on Three, which has band 3 and 20.
According to the spec of this phone 3 is covered, but 20 isn't.
Will I be okay then?
skezza said:
Thanks for your reply.
I'm not on EE. I'm on Three, which has band 3 and 20.
According to the spec of this phone 3 is covered, but 20 isn't.
Will I be okay then?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, Three uses B3/20. FDD B3 is designed for outdoor coverage and B20 is a PLUS/BONUS for indoor (e.g., in a shop mart; similar as TDD B40/41 for underground coverage) coverage. You can check with THREE for the best answer.
getmobilephone said:
Yes, Three uses B3/20. FDD B3 is designed for outdoor coverage and B20 is a PLUS/BONUS for indoor (e.g., in a shop mart; similar as TDD B40/41 for underground coverage) coverage. You can check with THREE for the best answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fantastic, where did you get yours?
skezza said:
Fantastic, where did you get yours?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We are seller....
getmobilephone said:
We are seller....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you link me to yours please
skezza said:
Can you link me to yours please
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just click the signature of ours. We have a coupon code for xda members.
There are a few English sellers who are selling them for about £530, for the 32GB model. Is this too much? Is this about right? Is it worth it?
Gahh, I can't decide between the 2GB and 3GB model. I tend to keep my phones for a long time (still running a Nexus 4).
skezza said:
There are a few English sellers who are selling them for about £530, for the 32GB model. Is this too much? Is this about right? Is it worth it?
Gahh, I can't decide between the 2GB and 3GB model. I tend to keep my phones for a long time (still running a Nexus 4).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We recommend 3 GB RAM model if you are to keep the phone a a long time (e.g., >2 years).
With respect to the price, we have mentioned in your other thread and many of our posts. Trust us or your own judgement.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/mate-7/general/2gb-vs-3gb-t2937269/page2
Is it worth it? All depends on your needs, no one answers that but yourself.
Best of luck.
Tl10 working in uk no issues
I just got delivery of my GOLD Ascend mate 7 and guys, i am LOVING it. the fact that i can put my work SIM and my personal SIM in it is just brilliant. I am on EE as well. i do not have 4g as i believe its just a reap off by the networks, HSPA+ works well on both. It does come up with 4g when i turn on the phone for the first few seconds but i always just turn it off anyways. The finger print scanner is pure AMAZEBALLS.
Call quality is also very good. I noticed that when i had my Samsung Galaxy note 3, it would drop reception signal once or twice a day in the house, at times, it would loose signal altogether. This hasn't dropped a single signal bar at all. i tried to run down the battery all day yesterday but i gave up in the end. it only had like 45% battery when i took it out of the box. i did not charge it at all.
Also, i got like 7 OTA updates while i was playing with it. Mine is from China so it came with a load of Chinese bloat-ware. i was able to uninstall most of it though. installing Google play was a breeze just by searching for it from the APP centre on the phone. the only problem i had was syncing my contacts, as soon as i got the right googlesynscontact apk, all was good. i am still exploring the phone. it is SLIM for the size it is. i paid £530 for mine. this amount includes the shipping cost as well.
oh, i can change either SIM 1 or SIM 2 to 4g, 3g or 2g.. it all depends on the one i wish to use for data purpose. When you are using 2 SIMs at once, you cant use a Memory card as well. But if you are just using a Micro SIM only, then you can use the other nano slot with a memory card. Mine came unlocked so i did not feel the need to root it . if you guys in UK have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.

Anyone using in the US?

Hows your experience on T-Mobile?
How did Google install on the device??
Thanks
I have been using it on T-Mobile for months now other than 4G everything is the same as on Chinese carriers. Install Play Store and google sync from App Center to sync the contacts and you are good to go
zain0300 said:
I have been using it on T-Mobile for months now other than 4G everything is the same as on Chinese carriers. Install Play Store and google sync from App Center to sync the contacts and you are good to go
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of curiosity, which color do you have?
its silver and white
Same here been using mine on T-Mobile with no problems other than no lte. I have the gold version which is very sexy
Huawei p8 max and Honor X2
MarvelousOne35 said:
Same here been using mine on T-Mobile with no problems other than no lte. I have the gold version which is very sexy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have the Huawei Honor X2 and I contact Huawei customer service and they send me an update which allow me to open 4G LTE. I was shocked because i was expecting just 4G but they unlocked it and I'm getting around 20 Mbps on T-mobile here in USA. Anyway I'm telling my story so you can do the same and enjoy your phone. I had a galaxy note 4 but now this phone is wayyyyy better than stupid Samsung.
Regarding your Honor X2
ahmad77084 said:
i have the Huawei Honor X2 and I contact Huawei customer service and they send me an update which allow me to open 4G LTE. I was shocked because i was expecting just 4G but they unlocked it and I'm getting around 20 Mbps on T-mobile here in USA. Anyway I'm telling my story so you can do the same and enjoy your phone. I had a galaxy note 4 but now this phone is wayyyyy better than stupid Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Which model version of the Honor X2 are you currently using on T-Mobile US. I really want either the P8MAX or Mediapad X2; don't really care about the 4G issue at this point but, if I can get 4G on T-Mobile, I'd be a happy camper. Especially now that I'm going to let my Verizon Unlimited Data Feature GOOOOOOOO the way of the Dodo Bird. I know that the Honor X2 is just the Chinese market iteration and that it's basically the same Mediapad X2 with a different model name but, any info would be useful, especially, what department at Huawei did you contact to render this support? And, how did they facilitate the process of unlocking the 4G LTE? I've tried contacting Huawei just to get information on these two devices and have gotten no one to shed any light on USA Network Band compatibility. It's a shame that, we, as American consumers have to be at the mercy of whatever contracts and agreements the carriers sign or enter into with manufacturers and OEMs; in this case, Samsung and i Apple control everything that comes into this country which really screams anti-trust (which no one cares about at this point).
Thanks
Curious how they " unlocked" lte especially if US bands aren't supported???
xxfirerican said:
Curious how they " unlocked" lte especially if US bands aren't supported???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which begs my question: U.S. network band(s) compatibility, is that a true hardware issue or is it merely the code that's written into the system that bars (no pun intended) the reception of the U.S. bands' frequencies?
I highly suspect it is the latter because, I hacked a Verizon DROID 3 a couple of years ago to work with ALL GSM networks, including T-Mobile U.S. and AT&T U.S., which prior to my hack, wouldn't even recognize either carrier's SIM, let alone register on their respective 2G/3G frequencies. Anyone familiar with the Verizon DROID 3 knows that, in the U.S., it was locked for CDMA use ONLY. I was able to do this by editing the build.prop, using code from the Chinese (or international) DROID 3 (aka XT883, Motorola Milestone).
Anyone?
zain0300 said:
its silver and white
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you get yours?
Bought one last week on gizok, they still haven't shipped it but they emailed back and said they'd ship mine first lol, like they're sitting around waiting for enough orders to ship anything. C'mon man, this is $500 I'm spending in your store. Send it right away, ya know?
I'm using on go smart but they use T-Mobile towers and only at 3g speeds works great
Sent from my HUAWEI P8max using Tapatalk
jwhood said:
I'm using on go smart but they use T-Mobile towers and only at 3g speeds works great
Sent from my HUAWEI P8max using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this hspa+ 3G speeds or slower? The hspa+ should be 42mbps or 20something if it's the previous version.
Also gizok emailed me back saying they don't have mine in stock even though their website said they did, which is horse**** and the reason I ordered from them. So I'm grumpy and had them refund me. Hopefully that doesn't take as long as it took for them to realize they didn't have my item, which was like 2 weeks.
I then did another search and found this one, which is a better color and for cheaper so I'm not as grumpy now lol. Here's the listing if anyone else is looking for one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Huawei-P8-M...073189?hash=item33b233d425:g:stoAAOSwx-9WzfuZ
Just a tip to all, if you know you will not be getting LTE, just turn it off in the setting(preferred network) so that your phone does not waste battery searching for it.
I'm about to sell mine cause of lack of development on it granted its a big screen but other then that Huawei's in house o.s is less to be desired in my opinion if kirin chip was more dev friendly but Huawei is more like Samsung and keeping there code secret
Sent from my HUAWEI P8max using Tapatalk
jwhood said:
I'm about to sell mine cause of lack of development on it granted its a big screen but other then that Huawei's in house o.s is less to be desired in my opinion if kirin chip was more dev friendly but Huawei is more like Samsung and keeping there code secret
Sent from my HUAWEI P8max using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which version do you have? Which version of android is it running? How much are you letting it go for? Do you do swappa or ebay? so many questions.
Its running 5.1 lolli and is rooted and twrp got its the China version 703 if I'm not mistaken whats the going rate for $400 + its in very child condition
Sent from my HUAWEI P8max using Tapatalk

Samsung S7 | Newegg | Exynos-International Factory Unlocked Phone

Hi Everyone,
I am planning to buy S7 from Newegg, but it is a Factory Unlocked International Version with Exynos processor. Does anyone know, if this will work on US GSM carriers perfectly?
I have had Wifi & 3G/4G connection issues on older Samsung Unlocked International phones. I would really appreciate, If anyone purchased this model and can share experience. This will help me & lot of others making decision.
Sorry, I am not able to post a link due to new member restriction by xda.
It's currently sold at $599.99 by ThePowerSeller and at $659 .99 by Newegg.
Thank you in advance
I have the International version, the only things I have noticed is that it shows 4G not LTE, and Samsung Pay does not work
Mine is coming on Monday. I'll know more then.
Also note that in the UK 4G refers to LTE. So you while your phone may only say 4G, you are still connecting to, and getting, LTE speeds.
jojoluton said:
I have the International version, the only things I have noticed is that it shows 4G not LTE, and Samsung Pay does not work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you jojoluton. It's good to know that at least phone doesnt have issues catching 4G LTE signal
MN_Bug said:
Mine is coming on Monday. I'll know more then.
Also note that in the UK 4G refers to LTE. So you while your phone may only say 4G, you are still connecting to, and getting, LTE speeds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man. I am planning to order now...would you mind sharing from where you ordered S7?
jojoluton said:
I have the International version, the only things I have noticed is that it shows 4G not LTE, and Samsung Pay does not work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange mine says LTE
Swapnil09 said:
Thanks man. I am planning to order now...would you mind sharing from where you ordered S7?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, I ordered the one that was on sale on New Egg. Same one you are looking at. I got 2 day shipping but I didn't know that wasn't weekends. So it is coming Monday morning. I'll let you know how it looks (condition, not if I like it per se) when it comes.
MN_Bug said:
Yea, I ordered the one that was on sale on New Egg. Same one you are looking at. I got 2 day shipping but I didn't know that wasn't weekends. So it is coming Monday morning. I'll let you know how it looks (condition, not if I like it per se) when it comes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just got it. It was packed well. I think it is the Spanish version based on the default language (easy to switch). Just before I switched from my Nexus5 I ran a speed test and got about 30 down (on band 4). After setup one of the first things I did was run a speed test on the S7 and got about 10 in the same spot. It DOES say LTE. I think the LTE vs 4G thing was a UK thing. So far it looks good.
MN_Bug said:
Just got it. It was packed well. I think it is the Spanish version based on the default language (easy to switch). Just before I switched from my Nexus5 I ran a speed test and got about 30 down (on band 4). After setup one of the first things I did was run a speed test on the S7 and got about 10 in the same spot. It DOES say LTE. I think the LTE vs 4G thing was a UK thing. So far it looks good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome...thanks mate. I ordered Saturday, will receive by 14th I guess. I am also switching from N5 to S7. (Well, i did return N6P 2 weeks back. I am used to N5 so much that it felt so huge.)
Damn, should have used my shoprunner account to get 2-day shipping.
Swapnil09 said:
Awesome...thanks mate. I ordered Saturday, will receive by 14th I guess. I am also switching from N5 to S7. (Well, i did return N6P 2 weeks back. I am used to N5 so much that it felt so huge.)
Damn, should have used my shoprunner account to get 2-day shipping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you with ATT? I'll be curious what you see for LTE speeds. Mine still seems slower than my N5. Not horrible, but slower.
No, I am on Tmo.
MN_Bug said:
Are you with ATT? I'll be curious what you see for LTE speeds. Mine still seems slower than my N5. Not horrible, but slower.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, I AM with ATT and you are right. The LTE speeds were much lower than with my N5. I did a bunch of research and I may have found this issue but I'm still testing.
If you got to settings and then go to 'Mobile Networks' then 'Access Point Names'. Everything I read says that I should be connecting to ATT Nextgenphone. When I look at the settings in there and go to 'APN Type' there was an extra type called 'fota' which from what I can tell, is used for tablets only. Some of the stuff I read specifically said that it shouldn't be there.
https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/wireless/KM1062162
https://www.androidpit.com/us-apn-settings
Once I took it out, my next test got me a little over 25 MBs. I'm still testing but I'm hoping that this helps.
Well i received my S7 yesterday. Mine shows LTE and i am getting speed around 50mbps.
However i did notice significant heating with moderate use. I thought fixed heating problem with liquid cooling. Anyone else having problem?
Sent from my SM-G930F using XDA-Developers mobile app
I see the same speeds on the S7 as on the 5X and Motorola X Pure Edition.

Anyone tested the OP7 Pro 5G variant on Three UK network?

I'm considering buying one, but EE can suck it. Was wondering if it would play nice with Three's 5G network.
On a releated subject, I can't seem to find a nice way to match handset 5G specs to different networks spectrum slice or hardware. Am I missing some key piece of reference material?
It was pretty easy for 4G - Just check the device supported the spectrum slice the network had.
Cheers
EDIT: Oh crap - looks like maybe you can't actually just buy the handset from OP/Amazon. You can only get it from EE. What BS. Still interested if anyone has tried it though!
Three haven't yet launched their 5G network. Only home broadband currently in select London postcodes.
kabadisha said:
I'm considering buying one, but EE can suck it. Was wondering if it would play nice with Three's 5G network.
On a releated subject, I can't seem to find a nice way to match handset 5G specs to different networks spectrum slice or hardware. Am I missing some key piece of reference material?
It was pretty easy for 4G - Just check the device supported the spectrum slice the network had.
Cheers
EDIT: Oh crap - looks like maybe you can't actually just buy the handset from OP/Amazon. You can only get it from EE. What BS. Still interested if anyone has tried it though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
senjiroh said:
Three haven't yet launched their 5G network. Only home broadband currently in select London postcodes.
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Click to collapse
Hmm, looks like you are right. Although they do say that it works in some areas of London.
Manybe I'll limp my OP3T on for a bit longer. It needs replacing badly, but I'm worried that if I don't get a 5G capable phone I'll suffer with buyer's remorse for the three years I expect a phone to last me...
3 Network
kabadisha said:
Hmm, looks like you are right. Although they do say that it works in some areas of London.
Manybe I'll limp my OP3T on for a bit longer. It needs replacing badly, but I'm worried that if I don't get a 5G capable phone I'll suffer with buyer's remorse for the three years I expect a phone to last me...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I Purchased the 5G model outright unlocked from CEX it is their A grade which is pristine for under £600, all bits in box (looks like it's just come from Oneplus) only had the invitation letter opened.
The 5G is not available yet here in sunny Cardiff, all other functions are as expected from OOS pie. 4G speed tests (ookla app) between 25Mbps to 60Mbps download inside the house.
My only gripe is the lack of oneplus support, very slow update schedule and sadly NO custom rom development as of yet even though the source code is on Github, I'm unaware of any proprietary drivers that are still unavailable for the additional 5G modem.
But I think the device is most excellent, nice curved screen, fab picture, still playing with the camera but I have real camera for real pictures but the & pro leaves my 6T waaaayyy behind.
There is allegedly an update for the 5G early 2020.
Hope this helps.

Importing Note 20 Ultra 5G from USA to UK

Hi Guys,
I have a possibility to buy an Unlocked version of Note 20 Ultra 5G from the US and ask a friend to bring it to the UK with them.
Apart from Snapdragon advantage, it will be even a little cheaper than buying in the UK.
I am, however, a bit worried about 5G support in the UK. I spent many hours torturing different Samsung US Live Chat Agents and BestBuy Live Chat Agents with the same questions and they all advised that the phone is fully unlocked and 5G will work in the UK. They also said there is no Region Lock so I can directly insert a UK sim card to it.
However, I am taking it with a grain of salt as the agents seem to care about sales only. Also, I couldn't find official band specifications for Note 20 Ultra on Samsung's website (correct me, if I am wrong, please).
Does anyone know if the 5G will work in the UK? Will VoLTE work? I know Samsung Pay won't work but I don't care at all - I always use Google Pay instead.
Also, will I get a Samsung firmware if I buy it from BestBuy, for firmware updates?
I really want to import it but don't want to end up getting a phone that will not have 5G or any other significant feature.
Can you please shed some light on this? Thanks.
You need to check the actual 5G bands on the device are compatible with your cellular provider.
ekerbuddyeker said:
You need to check the actual 5G bands on the device are compatible with your cellular provider.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, this is what I was thinking about too but I couldn't find any band specs on Samsung's website apart from generic 5G thing.
Any idea where can I find them? Thanks.
VirtualWaver said:
Thanks, this is what I was thinking about too but I couldn't find any band specs on Samsung's website apart from generic 5G thing.
Any idea where can I find them? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.phonearena.com/phones/S...he Note 20 Ultra is,a starting price of $1300.
https://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=6280
Thanks a lot for the info.
Surprisingly, neither Samsung Chat nor their Facebook support do not know the specs, saying they are not published on the website which is strange.
According to the phonescoop site it doesn't support n78 which is the UK spec, but what is really surprising that it doesn't even list all 4G bands that are supported in the UK but I remember people were saying S20 Ultra was working fine with UK 4G... I am trying to call their e-commerce department to get a confirmation from them directly.
Man, the Samsung really messed the things up with their rubbish processor policy. To be honest I was not bothering until the point when then started to sell Snapdragon in their home country which really speaks loud on how good it is in comparison with Exynos.
This is also a dilemma I am facing as well. I can choose between a US Unlock or an International Unlock. The question I am wondering is whether I can get Samsung Pay to work. I currently live in Japan. I had a Note 8 unlocked international , connected to a US vpn, that I was able to register my US credit cards on Samsung Pay and it worked flawless here. I was able to use Samsung Pay out in town with no problems. Yet ever since the Note 9 I have not been able to get it to work again. My thinking was to instead of buying an international unlocked version, was to get a US unlocked version and try to activate/register Samsung Pay via US vpn to see if it would work. Do you guys think that is doable? Or should I just go for the international Note 20 Ultra and call it a day?
cezeff said:
This is also a dilemma I am facing as well. I can choose between a US Unlock or an International Unlock. The question I am wondering is whether I can get Samsung Pay to work. I currently live in Japan. I had a Note 8 unlocked international , connected to a US vpn, that I was able to register my US credit cards on Samsung Pay and it worked flawless here. I was able to use Samsung Pay out in town with no problems. Yet ever since the Note 9 I have not been able to get it to work again. My thinking was to instead of buying an international unlocked version, was to get a US unlocked version and try to activate/register Samsung Pay via US vpn to see if it would work. Do you guys think that is doable? Or should I just go for the international Note 20 Ultra and call it a day?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was reading in many places that Samsung Pay is region locked so it won't work properly. But it might be different in case of Japan.
I personally don't use Samsung Pay at all so can't say but hopefully someone else would advise.
So I spent another 30 minutes on the phone with Samsung and am, honestly, shocked to say the least.
Not only they had not idea about 5G and 4G frequencies of their own product, they were just repeating something like "well it says it support mmwave and we googled and saw the UK also supports mmwave so it should work" which is complete nonsense (the UK doesn't even support mmwave yet, its a US thing!). The UK is using band 78 which is 3..5Ghz so all I wanted from them is to confirm if the US version has 3.5Ghz or not. Another disappointment on Samsung....
So I am currently stuck, this is, really, a gamble, not sure if the risk worth it or not. Something tells me the 5G won't work in the UK and this doesn't' worth it.
How come Samsung doesn't know what frequencies their own product supports? Is it that hard for them to get? Its rubbish!
Us Note 20 doesn't work with 5G band in UK. If you want a working snapdragon 5G note 20 or note 20 ultra you have to by N986N model from South Korea, which is one sim only but it has 256gb internal storage....
manager77 said:
Us Note 20 doesn't work with 5G band in UK. If you want a working snapdragon 5G note 20 or note 20 ultra you have to by N986N model from South Korea, which is one sim only but it has 256gb internal storage....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it seems to. I will try my luck with Wondamobile and order the HK version once available. Don't want to buy the Exynos...
Thanks for your help!
It seems like a lot of hassle just to get a snapdragon version. You may gain performance (that's probably not even noticeable in normal every day tasks) and a possible gain in battery life... but gain hassles with the UK network bands, import duty, warranty issues and resale value.
There are meant to be tweaks on the Exynos 990 in the Note20 version, so why not wait and see a reasonable handful of reviews on this subject first?
.
apprentice said:
It seems like a lot of hassle just to get a snapdragon version. You may gain performance (that's probably not even noticeable in normal every day tasks) and a possible gain in battery life... but gain hassles with the UK network bands, import duty, warranty issues and resale value.
There are meant to be tweaks on the Exynos 990 in the Note20 version, so why not wait and see a reasonable handful of reviews on this subject first?
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is also true, especially the resale value part (Wondamobile covers all import duties, etc so no probs from that side).
I am also waiting for the reviews, even though Ice Universe advised the rumors about tweaked Exynos are not legit. Still, hope dies last
Decisions, decisions
apprentice said:
It seems like a lot of hassle just to get a snapdragon version. You may gain performance (that's probably not even noticeable in normal every day tasks) and a possible gain in battery life... but gain hassles with the UK network bands, import duty, warranty issues and resale value.
There are meant to be tweaks on the Exynos 990 in the Note20 version, so why not wait and see a reasonable handful of reviews on this subject first?
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting...I know you said wait for the reviews, yet if you had the choice which version would you get or which version do you normally get? I'm looking at making a decision between the snapdragon or the exynos... I'm pretty sure I've always had exynos, yet this maybe the last year I'm able to afford upgrading to the latest and greatest... I want to ensure I'm getting the best bang for the buck... I'm thinking the Korean unlocked snapdragon maybe the best bet.
cezeff said:
Interesting...I know you said wait for the reviews, yet if you had the choice which version would you get or which version do you normally get? I'm looking at making a decision between the snapdragon or the exynos... I'm pretty sure I've always had exynos, yet this maybe the last year I'm able to afford upgrading to the latest and greatest... I want to ensure I'm getting the best bang for the buck... I'm thinking the Korean unlocked snapdragon maybe the best bet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depending on where you live though, if in Europe than HK would be a better choice as it has a better network compatibility with European 5g and GSM standards than Korean version. I was also reading that Koren version comes with specific Korean settings and bloatware that cannot be removed, hence, it is cheaper than HK version.
I was reading today that one guy on Twitter apparently tested Note 20 Ultra Exynos and said it is more optimised and faster than the same processor in S20 Ultra, but still not on par with Snapdragon.
I will probably try my luck with Wondamobile once they will have the HK version available.
cezeff said:
Interesting...I know you said wait for the reviews, yet if you had the choice which version would you get or which version do you normally get? I'm looking at making a decision between the snapdragon or the exynos... I'm pretty sure I've always had exynos, yet this maybe the last year I'm able to afford upgrading to the latest and greatest... I want to ensure I'm getting the best bang for the buck... I'm thinking the Korean unlocked snapdragon maybe the best bet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see you are in the US, so you will automatically get the Snapdragon version. This is technically a better chipset for both performance and battery life, but the evidence seems to point to about a 6% performance boost (on the Galaxy S20) and about 1hr more battery power. But these figures are only relevant if you are pushing the phone to absolute limits. As with all benchmarking, results are clinical and most likely aren't noticeable in every day usage and the majority of people really don't care much.
However what we do care about (here in non US markets) is that we are paying the same amount (often more) for something that technically has an inferior chipset. But Samsung seemed to have addressed this with the Exynos version having a bigger (256Gb) base storage.
There are rumours banding about that the Exynos 990 has been much improved/ramped up, also addressing the overheating issues on previous devices. So it remains to be seen if this holds true. But the crux of my input here is that is it really worth the OP going to the trouble of importing a phone from the US or S.Korea to the UK, based on all the above? Especially if something goes wrong you most likely don't have a warranty. At the price of a Note 20 Ultra that's a lot of money to lose if you get a fault.
apprentice said:
I see you are in the US, so you will automatically get the Snapdragon version. This is technically a better chipset for both performance and battery life, but the evidence seems to point to about a 6% performance boost (on the Galaxy S20) and about 1hr more battery power. But these figures are only relevant if you are pushing the phone to absolute limits. As with all benchmarking, results are clinical and most likely aren't noticeable in every day usage and the majority of people really don't care much.
However what we do care about (here in non US markets) is that we are paying the same amount (often more) for something that technically has an inferior chipset. But Samsung seemed to have addressed this with the Exynos version having a bigger (256Gb) base storage.
There are rumours banding about that the Exynos 990 has been much improved/ramped up, also addressing the overheating issues on previous devices. So it remains to be seen if this holds true. But the crux of my input here is that is it really worth the OP going to the trouble of importing a phone from the US or S.Korea to the UK, based on all the above? Especially if something goes wrong you most likely don't have a warranty. At the price of a Note 20 Ultra that's a lot of money to lose if you get a fault.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I live in Japan .. Shipping and importing is not really an issue for me... Even with the improvements to exynos, it still seems the snapdragon is the better chipset (?).. I can source an unlocked 256 snapdragon from Korea, yet now am concerned about the bloatware on the phone... wouldn't the Hong Kong version also include some form of bloatware?
---------- Post added at 06:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:35 PM ----------
VirtualWaver said:
Depending on where you live though, if in Europe than HK would be a better choice as it has a better network compatibility with European 5g and GSM standards than Korean version. I was also reading that Koren version comes with specific Korean settings and bloatware that cannot be removed, hence, it is cheaper than HK version.
I was reading today that one guy on Twitter apparently tested Note 20 Ultra Exynos and said it is more optimised and faster than the same processor in S20 Ultra, but still not on par with Snapdragon.
I will probably try my luck with Wondamobile once they will have the HK version available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't the HK version include bloatware as well?
cezeff said:
Well I live in Japan .. Shipping and importing is not really an issue for me... Even with the improvements to exynos, it still seems the snapdragon is the better chipset (?).. I can source an unlocked 256 snapdragon from Korea, yet now am concerned about the bloatware on the phone... wouldn't the Hong Kong version also include some form of bloatware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah sorry, I was just going by the country flag on your profile.
I don't know if the HK version will be full of bloatware. However, I think Samsung have toned down their bloatware over the past 2-3 years anyway (certainly in the UK versions), instead opting to provide links to downloads of their apps that might interest you. I actually really like the Samsung Browser for example but it's no longer installed by default, so I had to install it from the Galaxy Store.
apprentice said:
Ah sorry, I was just going by the country flag on your profile.
I don't know if the HK version will be full of bloatware. However, I think Samsung have toned down their bloatware over the past 2-3 years anyway (certainly in the UK versions), instead opting to provide links to downloads of their apps that might interest you. I actually really like the Samsung Browser for example but it's no longer installed by default, so I had to install it from the Galaxy Store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will second the Samsung Browser - absolutely the best and works super fast. My to go browser, in fact.
I am not sure about bloatware content but there was a deal on HotUKDeals website where Wonda was selling S20 from Korea and it was cheaper and people was saying the comments that the reason is that it has many pre-configured Korean bloat that cannot be removed even with package managers.
It looks like (from my research on the web) that HK version doesn't have these.
apprentice said:
Ah sorry, I was just going by the country flag on your profile.
I don't know if the HK version will be full of bloatware. However, I think Samsung have toned down their bloatware over the past 2-3 years anyway (certainly in the UK versions), instead opting to provide links to downloads of their apps that might interest you. I actually really like the Samsung Browser for example but it's no longer installed by default, so I had to install it from the Galaxy Store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. I do agree that Samsung has toned it down. I think I'll go ahead and pre-order the Korean snapdragon with 256gb in mystic white... mystic bronze looks great, yet I can't do much with it, even putting on a skin the frame would stick out like a sore thumb... If anything I can disable bloatware via ADB shell without root... One of the reasons I buy unlocked phones is because the bloatware on Japanese locked phones are absolutely crazy... The system is also proprietary, losing much of the customization other regions have, along with super long delayed updates...
---------- Post added at 07:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:01 PM ----------
VirtualWaver said:
I will second the Samsung Browser - absolutely the best and works super fast. My to go browser, in fact.
I am not sure about bloatware content but there was a deal on HotUKDeals website where Wonda was selling S20 from Korea and it was cheaper and people was saying the comments that the reason is that it has many pre-configured Korean bloat that cannot be removed even with package managers.
It looks like (from my research on the web) that HK version doesn't have these.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll roll with the Korean version for now.. If there is any excessive bloated I'll ADB shell it and if anything else maybe flash a universal ROM later down the road... Thanks for you guys input
cezeff said:
No problem. I do agree that Samsung has toned it down. I think I'll go ahead and pre-order the Korean snapdragon with 256gb in mystic white... mystic bronze looks great, yet I can't do much with it, even putting on a skin the frame would stick out like a sore thumb... If anything I can disable bloatware via ADB shell without root... One of the reasons I buy unlocked phones is because the bloatware on Japanese locked phones are absolutely crazy... The system is also proprietary, losing much of the customization other regions have, along with super long delayed updates...
---------- Post added at 07:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:01 PM ----------
I'll roll with the Korean version for now.. If there is any excessive bloated I'll ADB shell it and if anything else maybe flash a universal ROM later down the road... Thanks for you guys input
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please let us know how once you get it
I will also hold on and wait for Exynos review. Hope it will be available soon.
I am not a gamer at all, but am a power user and do appreciate when the phone heats less and consumes less battery. Also, apparently, Snapdragon's reception is better. So will wait for reviews before getting. For now, I cancelled my Samsung order from the UK.

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