I am looking to buy a 64gb Note 5 to use on T-mobile and am not finding many available on Amazon & ebay. So I was wondering if it made sense to also look at the Verizon & AT&T models.
In terms of: Radio bands, Rootability and bloat (and anything else I'm not thinking of ).
Thanks!
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I want to buy a nexus S that will work in Europe. I am in the US so I want to buy it here. I am pretty sure I need the i9020a which is compatible with AT&T 3g. I simply cannot find any at a reasonable price. I found many tmobile versions that are good. For example, amazon has one listed for about $400.(i am a knew user so can't post links but its easy to find).
That has the i9020t code which means tmobile. However the people who ordered claimed they got random versions. So it seems that it is all a mess. Other sites will claim tmobile version but then have the AT&T bands listed which also makes no sense.
Also, I want to get the version with super amoled. I think the i9023 is lcd.
So please, if you know of somewhere where I can get a nexus s that works on AT&T 3g and has superamoled, please let me know. I would love to pay $400 but anything below $450 is of interest.
Thank you very much and I hope this thread is useful to others as well.
dannypp said:
I want to buy a nexus S that will work in Europe. I am in the US so I want to buy it here. I am pretty sure I need the i9020a which is compatible with AT&T 3g. I simply cannot find any at a reasonable price. I found many tmobile versions that are good. For example, amazon has one listed for about $400.(i am a knew user so can't post links but its easy to find).
That has the i9020t code which means tmobile. However the people who ordered claimed they got random versions. So it seems that it is all a mess. Other sites will claim tmobile version but then have the AT&T bands listed which also makes no sense.
Also, I want to get the version with super amoled. I think the i9023 is lcd.
So please, if you know of somewhere where I can get a nexus s that works on AT&T 3g and has superamoled, please let me know. I would love to pay $400 but anything below $450 is of interest.
Thank you very much and I hope this thread is useful to others as well.
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the i9020a just got announced for AT&T, this Sunday is the release date.
Give it a little time after that, and you should be able to get good pricing in the US.
morning guys
I've seen a few threads about buying in the US and using the N5 in different countries and the fact that although you can use it for 3G/GSM, being able to use 4G LTE is a no go due to the bands that are utilised.
Does/Would anyone know if this is changeable due to the radio being used or would it be a hardware matter as to me it would seem abit odd to produce 2 different phones using the same form factor where a piece of software enabling the bands would be more cost efficient. I appreciate that the software etc is probably being looked at by Dev's now but was wondering if anyone with previous knowledge of this would know.
Only reason I ask is as I'm in the US at the moment (the 32Gb works out considerably cheaper than in the UK) and the area I live in (in the UK) hasn't got 4G (and probably won't have for a while), whether or not to purchase one and then wait for a radio change, but if thats not possible I'll have to go with the expensive UK version
thanks for you help
There are two Nexus 5 models, the D820 (for the U.S) & D821 (for the rest of the world. According to this article by Android Central, it seems that there is a physical difference between the radios installed in each model. So I don't think you would have the option of flashing a radio from a D821 on to a D820 and suddenly have access to UK/European LTE bands. I'm no expert though so maybe others could confirm/deny this.
I too would like to know the same thing (hoping to take advantage of relatives in the US )
However reading around a bit I think it's a hardware limitation. They use the same software on the phones, but they enable the different LTE bands built into the hardware.
Pretty sure no amount of flashing radios will enable the different LTE bands...I'd love to be wrong though.
Shame, even after sales tax the saving would have been worth it. Might have to bite the bullet and buy UK price £££££££££
So the OnePLUS One is available on Oppo mart but has anyone purchased it through this method? I am very curious as to how legit it is and whether the experience was good. Thanks for any advice.
See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2770622 it is a pre-existing thread with a lot of pages in regards to what you're asking about.
Be wary though, I'm pretty sure that the Chinese OPO (which is what Oppomart is selling) is not compatible with LTE on carriers that use LTE bands 4 and 17.
You will need to buy the International version (Says Cyanogen on the back of the phone) in order to have those bands.
I have a opo from oppo mart. In the us I get hspa+ on tnobile but no lte. Its not that bad I like it. Feeds my needs with no problem.
Hi guys. I am a huge fan of Android, especially when It's LG. I am currently using the LG G2 with CM12 and all.
I'm really interested in the G Flex 2 and have been waiting for more than a month now for AT&T to sell it. I use AT&T with straight talk, and have been for 3 years now. So I'm down to a major decision
1: Buy international unlocked G Flex 2, and continue to use it with straight talk
2: continue waiting for AT&T to sell the phone, and buy it off contract for Straight Talk.
What should I do? Do international phones support LTE in USA? From what I hear there is no LTE in other countries, so does that mean it will lack the radio?
Please help with with the Pros and Cons of getting the International version.
One pro is that, International models may include FM radio band, like the International G2.
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I plan on rooting and flashing the G Flex 2. Do you think the AT&T model will have better support from the Cyanogen and dev communities?
I have the H955 (European) model and live in the UK.
I'm not sure where this talk of no LTE outside the US is coming from, almost all phones and networks in the UK offer LTE these days and the flex 2 is no exception.
Since the US and European versions both have LTE I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that all versions do.
As for development, in my experience international models tend to get a bit more attention.
International models are available to a much wider community than the US variants, allowing people from all backgrounds to help out.
This also, sometimes, leads to mods and tweaks that you never thought you'd need.
I would recommend the international model, as long as it's compatible with your carrier of choice.
I wish I could be more help with your decision but this is the extent of my knowledge on these issues.
Thanks for the Insight, I went ahead and purchased the H959 (HK) Model.
@Traceguy does any model G flex 2 work here in the USA on AT&T LTE? I thought some models are missing certain bands / frequencey?
CCJ22 said:
@Traceguy does any model G flex 2 work here in the USA on AT&T LTE? I thought some models are missing certain bands / frequencey?
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The model I used (H959) did work on LTE in the USA. I cannot say for certain about other international versions. It was a great phone throughout my usage.
I recently switched over the a Nexus 6P. Great phone. I had to cut my sim card down though. We now have nano card sizes. The Nexus 6P seems to be doing a good job. I have no interest in replacing it with a Pixel. I'll probably keep my N6P for another year.
Hello
I'm looking at replacing my S4 with an S7. My carrier in the US is AT&T and that won't be changing. I've been looking at different unlocked versions and can't find a solid representation of what the real world differences are. I know they have different processors. Some say a band is missing, but does that matter. I don't use android or samsung pay, but i know there is a difference here too. I found one comment about some kind of samsung 'coverage' plan, but what is that?
Best Buy has US unlocked phones for about $700. B&H Photo has an International phone for about $640. Its a lot of money either way. Is one phone really better or different than that other?
I am planning a trip through Canada and maybe to Europe. I assume either would take a SIM from those areas and I could avoid getting raped by international fees.
Here is a summary of question I can think of:
Does the US unlocked phone from BestBuy have a warranty or insurance or anything like that?
Can the US phone be rooted. I only do this to remove apps I don't use.
Is the hardware one vs the other really better or just different?
Does a dual SIM do anything useful?
Does a band being missing make a real world difference?
Is there a good comparison somewhere to that can decide on a phone to purchase?
It comes with a limited warranty as stated on their site:
"This device is not warrantied through the manufacturer. This device has a limited 1 year warranty provided by CCR Warranty. To obtain technical or warranty assistance, please contact CCR Warranty at 866-579-8436."
What I don't know is how useful/limited that warranty is. I'd like the HTC 10 but the unlocked S7 is my runner up, and the warranty issue is one of the major factors in my hesitation.
I do believe it can be rooted.
As far as I know, through research, the only major difference between the two is battery life.
Hello, I'll just go straight to the answers.
1. I'm going to assume that if you go through a carrier (att, t-mobile etc etc.) they will offer an insurance plan. You will have to go to third party insurance for the international version
2. As far I know, the US version does not have a root option yet. Because of the locked bootloader.
3. Hardware will depend on which version you choose. Both are very good.
4. Dual sim is as the name implies, you'll be able to use 2 separate sim cards with their respective #s. that's the only benefit really.
5. Missing radio bands is something you may have to do some research on depending your location.
6. I'm sure YouTube or some online site will have some reviews/comparison of both.
I just looked at the best buy website again and something is different. The S7 listed for $690 is definitely the international version and not the US version. When I looked last month I was positive that the phone was listed as a US phone ... huh
A little late
a little late to the thread but just wanted to share what I learned while researching the matter.
There is an US unlocked version of the S7 (g930u) and available through a few places (Best Buy, B&H, Ebay). It goes for $679.99 retail and I have not been able to find one that goes for less. Probably because it just came out end of June. The biggest benefit of it is that it has a bunch of bands and CDMA-compatible. Thus, you can get full connection with AT&T and TMobile. Downside is no wifi calling or VOLTE (as those seem to be locked by the carriers to their own phones).
The international versions (930f/930fd) are both available on Ebay/Swappa for about $500. Upside are that they have the Exnyos chip and no bloatware. You can also root and flash them with new ROM. Another thing is that you get updates earlier. I got Marshmallow on my s6 a month or so before AT&T released its update. Downsides are no Samsung Pay or WiFi Calling/VOLTE and the biggie...missing bands. I had a g920i and it was missing support for bands 29 and 30 on AT&T...this led to poor LTE and indoor reception at times. I would have to turn on/off the mobile data switch sometimes to get good connection.
Finally, we have carrier based versions, which loads you down with bloatware and has the Snapdragon chip. But, it does support all features of your carrier. Slower updates also an issue and lack of support of all bands internationally are additional drawbacks. Cost is also about $500.
Personally, I am going with an unlocked 930a. Bloatware sucks but I can delete or disable almost all of them. Snapdragon seems pretty powerful to me. Samsung Pay, Wifi Calling, and Band support are just too important for me. Note, make sure you ask the seller on Ebay/Swappa about whether the phone is unlocked.
Hope that helps.
I did a lot of research into this before buying my S7 but was kind of screwed since I'm on Verizon (CDMA)...
Since you're on AT&T you have more options.
There are two different processors in the two different models, Snapdragon 820 in the US CDMA capable and an Eyxnos in the International GSM ONLY phone.
After doing my research, I personally recommend the Eyxnos, which I couldn't get :/
If for nothing else, better battery life, by far. Do some research into the comparison between the two.
However! When buying from Best Buy be careful!
Last I checked, on their website, the black/onyx S7 was an unlocked US Snapdragon 820 phone.... while strangely enough the other two, gold and silver? were both unlocked US (actually international) Eyxnos phones.
Also, last I checked Samsung themselves only sell the CDMA snapdragon processor model to the US.
Unless Best Buy made a mistake listing the Eyxnos processor, it is the only way to get that model without buying an "internationally sourced" phone on ebay.
Just a few notes:
1) The G930u is fully compatible with all the US Carriers
2) VoLTE works on both T-Mobile and Verizon
3) Wi-Fi Calling works on T-Mobile and potentially Verizon (but I am not positive about Verizon).
The big downside to the G930u is that for whatever reason it is not receiving updates from Samsung when its branded siblings are.