I bought the american version of the Nexus 5 even though I am on the middle east (for price reasons). Since the snapdragon 800 chip support all LTE bands techniclly speaking, could I activate certain ones to work for me through firmware or modem modification?
Not at the moment,
There are people who believe that it will never be possible due to RF hardware differences between EU and US models.
There are people who believe that a modem firmware hack might unlock some LTE bands in the future.
Well I was hoping for a onesided, positive reply, but I guess you are right, we will wait and see.
What was the case on other Snapdragon 800 phones, were they able to activate it?
I'm only aware of few cases where some RF Bands could be activated/deactivated via an engineering menu.
I have never heard of a case when someone successfully hacked modem firmware and added new RF Bands.
Does anybody succeed trying this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/cro...ad-progress-please-leave-im-updating-t2871269 ?
Should work for any Qualcomm based device like Nexus 5.
Thanks for any feedback.
michelD said:
Does anybody succeed trying this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/cro...ad-progress-please-leave-im-updating-t2871269 ?
Should work for any Qualcomm based device like Nexus 5.
Thanks for any feedback.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No the program is banned. Besides we already have most the LTE bands on 2 versions. If they could fit them all on they would have done. Maximum 7 LTE bands
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
What do you mean by "the program is banned"??
Yes indeed there are 2 versions, but I purched my nexus 5 when I was in US and I am now in Europe!
So you can easily understand my interest for this topic...
michelD said:
What do you mean by "the program is banned"??
Yes indeed there are 2 versions, but I purched my nexus 5 when I was in US and I am now in Europe!
So you can easily understand my interest for this topic...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) never said there wasn't reason for your interest
2) it isn't possible to add European bands to US version. If it was, there would be no need for US version. Limitation on nexus 5 is physical. Maximum 7 bands.
3) the link you provided is for a program that is banned on XDA. You van tell that by reading the thread
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Add 3G and LTE bands to your phone
..
fffft said:
Interesting. Can you elaborate on why there might be a "physical" limitation of 7 bands on the Nexus 5? That would be an unusual finding in a recent handset. It's certainly not the case with most current phones e.g. I've enabled dozens of additional bands on my Samsung S5 and others have done the same on various HTC, Sony, LG, etc phones.
If you have any details or a source, that would be appreciated.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a limitation of the WTR1605L ref receiver. 7 bands. Actually this was the first (making the msm8974 the first) to be able to do 7. 5 was the previous Max, hence why there used to be a million versions of Samsung galaxy devices
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6541/the-state-of-qualcomms-modems-wtr1605-and-mdm9x25/2
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
..
fffft said:
Thank you for the informative reply. You are right of course and I see now where the confusion is arising as well. As you said, the previous max was five bands as in a pentaband phone. And the WTR1605L now supports 7 bands as in a heptband phone. Three bands below 1 Ghz, three bands above and one band at 2.5 Ghz. Bands meaning spectrum frequency segments e.g. 700/800/900/1700/1800/2100/2600 Mhz.
The confusion and this is ironic as well is that 3GPP, the organization who defines the GSM standard also uses the term band to refer to something confusingly different i.e. intra-band segments. And that usage while seemingly ill advised has become ubiquitous. So a band without a context can refer to the contigous 800 Mhz segement. Or half a dozen subsets of it, each of those subsets also being an officially designated 3GPP "band" as well.
When you look at the specs for a given phone, the term bands is often used in the latter sense. For example, the S5 uses the same WTR1605L chip and is obstensibly a 7 band phone as well. And it is indeed limited to 7 "major" bands for lack of a better description. But the specs appear to show the S5 as supporting 16 "bands" i.e. eight LTE "bands", four 3G "bands" and four 2G "bands". And our NV edits can enable dozens more "bands" in the way that carriers refer to them.
Anyway, suffice it to say that rootSU is absolutely correct that the hardware is limited to seven "bands". And at the same time, we can still add dozens of discrete "bands" in the sense that the carriers use the term. Yeah it is confusing.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can see on the box of the D820, what would appear to be 9 bands, but they all fall within the 7
However, since we have no solid documentation, we cannot still add dozens or even 1 carrier used-term. Its closed source.
Edit > but there is no real benefit to having a d820 and a d821 if they could get everything on the same die.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
..
As usual, a major phone maker from Asia is screwing over USA, by disabling US carrier compatible LTE bands in their flagship phone series. If anyone from US, or other parts of the world, left in the cold by Asus purchased this phone and would like to try this LTE unlock and report the results - that would be very much appreciated.
If anyone knows of an online store, which took the liberty of unlocking US compatible LTE bands (T-Mobile: 2,4,12, AT&T: 2,4,5,17) in Zenfone 3 Ultra - please post the link to the store.
Will Asus make a separate US version and sell it here, or will this phone be international only? I'm in the US on AT&T and would certainly like LTE capability, but I've been buying overseas phones for a while now and HSPA+ is certainly fast enough for my needs.
If Asus isn't planning on a US version i'll just get the international one...
omniphil said:
Will Asus make a separate US version and sell it here, or will this phone be international only? I'm in the US on AT&T and would certainly like LTE capability, but I've been buying overseas phones for a while now and HSPA+ is certainly fast enough for my needs.
If Asus isn't planning on a US version i'll just get the international one...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just get a Mi Max, it's cheaper. My friend picked me up a 4gb/128gb version when he was in China for $313. I don't see a reason to spend top dollar on the Zenfone 3 if it won't support LTE here. I'd love to see Asus support LTE here but it's a shame they always disable the US LTE bands.
ajsmsg78 said:
Just get a Mi Max, it's cheaper. My friend picked me up a 4gb/128gb version when he was in China for $313. I don't see a reason to spend top dollar on the Zenfone 3 if it won't support LTE here. I'd love to see Asus support LTE here but it's a shame they always disable the US LTE bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want the larger screen of the Zenfone. Thats really the only reason im not picking up a Mi Max...
ajsmsg78 said:
Just get a Mi Max, it's cheaper. My friend picked me up a 4gb/128gb version when he was in China for $313. I don't see a reason to spend top dollar on the Zenfone 3 if it won't support LTE here. I'd love to see Asus support LTE here but it's a shame they always disable the US LTE bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I heard that the Mi Max only supports some of the T-Mobile bands so you won't get full LTE (only HSPA). Do you know what network your friend uses his on and if he gets full LTE?
Techngro said:
I heard that the Mi Max only supports some of the T-Mobile bands so you won't get full LTE (only HSPA). Do you know what network your friend uses his on and if he gets full LTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
None of these phones support any LTE bands in the US. You'll only get HSPA+ or 3G. My thought is why pay 400+ for a phone with no LTE capabilities here. My friend picked up the Mi Max for me, I own it.
Techngro said:
I heard that the Mi Max only supports some of the T-Mobile bands so you won't get full LTE (only HSPA). Do you know what network your friend uses his on and if he gets full LTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can consider huawei mate 8 for USA LTE support (ATT & T-Mo), it is however a 6 incher 'only' .. my only gripe is the kirin 950 SoC, while on par with other top-tier silicon in terms of performance, it is none the less huawei in house and they are not known for releasing source code, meaning no 3rd party roms and probably no upgrade beyond nougat ..
http://www.anandtech.com/show/9878/the-huawei-mate-8-review
omniphil said:
Will Asus make a separate US version and sell it here, or will this phone be international only? I'm in the US on AT&T and would certainly like LTE capability, but I've been buying overseas phones for a while now and HSPA+ is certainly fast enough for my needs.
If Asus isn't planning on a US version i'll just get the international one...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I purchased my Asus Zenfone 3 ultra (ZU680KL) from EBay (593.00 factory unlocked), thru Never -Msrp, out of Houston Texas, but I believe it's still the global version.
I purchased a Bring Your Own Phone Plan thru Cricket, which is owned by AT&T. So they use their towers. I have not notice any problems with getting 4g/Lte.
Getting very good call reception and internet download speeds thru Cricket. I have a HTC 10 that I gave to my wife. The download speeds are similiar on 4g with the HTC 10 and the Asus. Both phones have many of the same 4g/lte bands. Just a little faster with the HTC 10, which might be due to the HTC having a faster processor. Depending where I am at in my area, I can see the H+ changing to 4g up in the status bar of the Asus phone when driving. Consistent 4g speeds where I live here in WV. I am also not to far from an AT&T tower.
XDA has always helped me with valuable information over the years of many of my phone ownerships, so I hope this information helps.
Slbtrb79 said:
I purchased my Asus Zenfone 3 ultra (ZU680KL) from EBay (593.00 factory unlocked), thru Never -Msrp, out of Houston Texas, but I believe it's still the global version.
I purchased a Bring Your Own Phone Plan thru Cricket, which is owned by AT&T. So they use their towers. I have not notice any problems with getting 4g/Lte.
Getting very good call reception and internet download speeds thru Cricket. I have a HTC 10 that I gave to my wife. The download speeds are similiar on 4g with the HTC 10 and the Asus. Both phones have many of the same 4g/lte bands. Just a little faster with the HTC 10, which might be due to the HTC having a faster processor. Depending where I am at in my area, I can see the H+ changing to 4g up in the status bar of the Asus phone when driving. Consistent 4g speeds where I live here in WV. I am also not to far from an AT&T tower.
XDA has always helped me with valuable information over the years of many of my phone ownerships, so I hope this information helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just so people aren't confused... 4G and LTE are 2 different things.
4G = HSPA+ and is around 5-10Mbps.
LTE can be 20-30Mbps and also has much less latency.
Most people are looking for LTE in the USA and these international phones only support 4G (Which is slower than LTE but works good enough for me)
omniphil said:
Just so people aren't confused... 4G and LTE are 2 different things.
4G = HSPA+ and is around 5-10Mbps.
LTE can be 20-30Mbps and also has much less latency.
Most people are looking for LTE in the USA and these international phones only support 4G (Which is slower than LTE but works good enough for me)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your comments. I accept mostly what you wrote for most companies definition of 4G and LTE. I was going by my carriers definition or interpretation of what they call 4G LTE and just 4G. The confusion is more from the caps on the data speeds various companies have. Because to me there is little difference between saying LTE and 4G LTE.
Cricket is the carrier owned by AT&T. They call their data speeds 4G and 4G LTE. AT&T caps Cricket download speeds at what they say is 4G LTE at 8Mbps and 4Mbps download speed cap for just 4G (Referenced from Crickets's website and from www.gottabemobile.com 6/21/2015 article on this topic).
However, my earlier remarks about my Asus phone was incorrect, due to Asus limitations on their 4G/LTE phones sold to individuals in the US, even though the carrier here might support some of the same 4G/LTE bands. It's an Asus thing and probably some others too. I'm probably only getting just 4G or less. My speed tests are only showing 3Mbps and a little better on download speeds on Cricket Wireless with the Asus Zenfone 3 ultra. But I was only getting on speed tests 4Mbps and a little better download speeds with my previous HTC 10 on Cricket Wireless. I have never even gotten close to Cricket's 8Mbps on my HTC 10.
At this point I'm ok with HSPA+ (It's what i've used for years now in the US with International phones)
I'm waiting for root to surface for this phone and then i'm jumping right in
omniphil said:
Just so people aren't confused... 4G and LTE are 2 different things.
4G = HSPA+ and is around 5-10Mbps.
LTE can be 20-30Mbps and also has much less latency.
Most people are looking for LTE in the USA and these international phones only support 4G (Which is slower than LTE but works good enough for me)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please do not confuse people with false information. HSPA+ is officially considered 3.5G connection type. Long Term Evolution (LTE) is defined as a 4th generation (4G) wireless connection standard. Those are official nominations, you can find through IEEE site, Wikipedia and many other reliable sources. LTE theoretical max speed are nowhere near 20-30Mbps figure you provided - they are *much* higher. There is also LTE-A (advanced), which is also 4G but doubles the LTE speeds, and the actual LTE speeds depend on the hardware and LTE category of the modem.
Apo11on said:
Please do not confuse people with false information. HSPA+ is officially considered 3.5G connection type. Long Term Evolution (LTE) is defined as a 4th generation (4G) wireless connection standard. Those are official nominations, you can find through IEEE site, Wikipedia and many other reliable sources. LTE theoretical max speed are nowhere near 20-30Mbps figure you provided - they are *much* higher. There is also LTE-A (advanced), which is also 4G but doubles the LTE speeds, and the actual LTE speeds depend on the hardware and LTE category of the modem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apple calls HSPA+ 4G, Yes i know its not technically correct, but that's what most people associate it with.
LTE can go much faster then 30Mbps for sure, I used to get 60. But nowadays with all the people using it 20-30 is a reasonable average for what most people actually see. (The point is its much faster than HSPA+)
I only bring this up because folks ask if they can get 4G on these international phones (As not everyone is a phone nerd like us) What they are really asking is if they can get LTE on these phones and most of the time that answer is no.
Basically I want people to understand that we are talking about HSPA+ vs 4G LTE and how that relates to international phones.
Is that good?
omniphil said:
Apple calls HSPA+ 4G, Yes i know its not technically correct, but that's what most people associate it with.
LTE can go much faster then 30Mbps for sure, I used to get 60. But nowadays with all the people using it 20-30 is a reasonable average for what most people actually see. (The point is its much faster than HSPA+)
I only bring this up because folks ask if they can get 4G on these international phones (As not everyone is a phone nerd like us) What they are really asking is if they can get LTE on these phones and most of the time that answer is no.
Basically I want people to understand that we are talking about HSPA+ vs 4G LTE and how that relates to international phones.
Is that good?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apple or any other hardware manufacturers, as well as phone carriers can deploy any marketing schemes they like and call the lousy HSPA+ "4G" all they want, but it won't make it true. Neither of them gets to decide, and "most people" don't get to decide either. For the record, I disagree that most people think HSPA+ is 4G - most know better, in my opinion. The international governing body for wireless standards gets to name wireless technologies, protocols and classify by generation.
If you want people to understand that HSPA+ is different from LTE then saying "LTE can be 20-30Mbps" is not the way to go, because that would achieve the exact opposite. Theoretical max HSPA+ speeds achievable by this technology are 168 Mbps down and 22Mbps up, so defining LTE as 20-30Mbps connection makes your LTE no better than mediocre HSPA+ link. Some FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE links, based on the utilized spectrum, currently go up to 450Mbps down and 150Mbps up. Theoretical limits are much higher and LTE-A is twice faster.
While your intentions seem to be good, that still doesn't excuse providing inaccurate information, while also saying you dont want people to be confused. Confused is exactly what people would be, if they believe the info in your post. If you want to answer a question "will I get LTE in US with this phone?" - a simple "No" would be much better answer than inaccurate information you provided to "eliminate confusion". Or you could say something along those lines:
"ZenFone 3 Ultra is a GSM phone, so only AT&T or T-Mobile in US could be compatible, because Verizon and Sprint use CDMA technology. AT&T's LTE network operates on bands 2,4,5,17 (recently forced to support band 12 as part of FCC roaming support requirement) and T-Mobile's LTE network operates on bands 2,4,12 (recently forced to support band 17 as part of FCC roaming support requirement). Asus ZenFone 3 international version on the other hand, support LTE bands 1,3,5,7,8,18,19,20,26,28,38,40,41 - do you see any overlapping bands besides B5? B5 is utilized by AT&T in limited number of US regions and even there you will get extremely spotty LTE coverage, because LTE bands operate in conjunction with each other and there are constant layovers and fallbacks between frequencies, based on towers proximity".
Slbtrb79 said:
I purchased my Asus Zenfone 3 ultra (ZU680KL) from EBay (593.00 factory unlocked), thru Never -Msrp, out of Houston Texas, but I believe it's still the global version.
I purchased a Bring Your Own Phone Plan thru Cricket, which is owned by AT&T. So they use their towers. I have not notice any problems with getting 4g/Lte.
Getting very good call reception and internet download speeds thru Cricket. I have a HTC 10 that I gave to my wife. The download speeds are similiar on 4g with the HTC 10 and the Asus. Both phones have many of the same 4g/lte bands. Just a little faster with the HTC 10, which might be due to the HTC having a faster processor. Depending where I am at in my area, I can see the H+ changing to 4g up in the status bar of the Asus phone when driving. Consistent 4g speeds where I live here in WV. I am also not to far from an AT&T tower.
XDA has always helped me with valuable information over the years of many of my phone ownerships, so I hope this information helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!
I bought a Huawei Mediapad X2 7" display phablet last November. I used it for a month on Cricket and couldn't get good MMS service... I wouldn't get group texts or pictures... How is your Ultra doing in that regard (on Cricket)? No good MMS is a deal breaker for me... Also, the X2 came with Google and Google Play Store already installed. I am not a techie but asked a LOT of questions on xda and was walked through a successful setup (I learned a lot from other people's questions, too)... I don't root my phones... So I need good out of the box service. I have been looking for a 128GB Ultra just to compare prices to a 64GB Ultra. Have you seen any? I am waiting for the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro to be re-released but I really would love this Ultra, instead (if it works on Cricket the way I need it to)... Thanks for your time!
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
VillaRegina said:
Hi!
I bought a Huawei Mediapad X2 7" display phablet last November. I used it for a month on Cricket and couldn't get good MMS service... I wouldn't get group texts or pictures... How is your Ultra doing in that regard (on Cricket)? No good MMS is a deal breaker for me... Also, the X2 came with Google and Google Play Store already installed. I am not a techie but asked a LOT of questions on xda and was walked through a successful setup (I learned a lot from other people's questions, too)... I don't root my phones... So I need good out of the box service. I have been looking for a 128GB Ultra just to compare prices to a 64GB Ultra. Have you seen any? I am waiting for the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro to be re-released but I really would love this Ultra, instead (if it works on Cricket the way I need it to)... Thanks for your time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had no problems with Cricket on my Zenfone Ultra. MMS, SMS, work just fine. No problem with sending group texts and pictures. However, you will not get LTE on the Ultra, in the US. For me, the 64gb on the internal side with a 64 GB SD card, gives me plenty of space. Google and Google play came pre-installed on my Ultra. So far, I have received great service from Cricket on my Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra and my HTC 10. I love the music app, the audio wizard, and the stereo speakers. Takes great pictures. It's like having a 7 inch tablet with 4gb of ram and it's a phone. Due to the size, the music features, the picture features, the huge battery, I use this phone more than my HTC 10. The only down side that I have with this phone, is you can't get LTE here in the US and you can't unlock the bootloader yet. But personally, I was initially looking for a 7 inch tablet with 4gb of ram, stereo speakers, that also took good pictures and has a big battery. I ended up with the Ultra.
If screen size is important to you might look at the Xiaomi Mi-Max, it has 6.4 screen and nice specs. Also Huawei Mate 9 with a 5.9 inch screen with nice specs also.
Hope this helped some...
Slbtrb79 said:
I have had no problems with Cricket on my Zenfone Ultra. MMS, SMS, work just fine. No problem with sending group texts and pictures. However, you will not get LTE on the Ultra, in the US. For me, the 64gb on the internal side with a 64 GB SD card, gives me plenty of space. Google and Google play came pre-installed on my Ultra. So far, I have received great service from Cricket on my Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra and my HTC 10. I love the music app, the audio wizard, and the stereo speakers. Takes great pictures. It's like having a 7 inch tablet with 4gb of ram and it's a phone. Due to the size, the music features, the picture features, the huge battery, I use this phone more than my HTC 10. The only down side that I have with this phone, is you can't get LTE here in the US and you can't unlock the bootloader yet. But personally, I was initially looking for a 7 inch tablet with 4gb of ram, stereo speakers, that also took good pictures and has a big battery. I ended up with the Ultra.
If screen size is important to you might look at the Xiaomi Mi-Max, it has 6.4 screen and nice specs. Also Huawei Mate 9 with a 5.9 inch screen with nice specs also.
Hope this helped some...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much for your time on the detailed answer!!!
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Apo11on said:
Apple or any other hardware manufacturers, as well as phone carriers can deploy any marketing schemes they like and call the lousy HSPA+ "4G" all they want, but it won't make it true. Neither of them gets to decide, and "most people" don't get to decide either. For the record, I disagree that most people think HSPA+ is 4G - most know better, in my opinion. The international governing body for wireless standards gets to name wireless technologies, protocols and classify by generation.
If you want people to understand that HSPA+ is different from LTE then saying "LTE can be 20-30Mbps" is not the way to go, because that would achieve the exact opposite. Theoretical max HSPA+ speeds achievable by this technology are 168 Mbps down and 22Mbps up, so defining LTE as 20-30Mbps connection makes your LTE no better than mediocre HSPA+ link. Some FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE links, based on the utilized spectrum, currently go up to 450Mbps down and 150Mbps up. Theoretical limits are much higher and LTE-A is twice faster.
While your intentions seem to be good, that still doesn't excuse providing inaccurate information, while also saying you dont want people to be confused. Confused is exactly what people would be, if they believe the info in your post. If you want to answer a question "will I get LTE in US with this phone?" - a simple "No" would be much better answer than inaccurate information you provided to "eliminate confusion". Or you could say something along those lines:
"ZenFone 3 Ultra is a GSM phone, so only AT&T or T-Mobile in US could be compatible, because Verizon and Sprint use CDMA technology. AT&T's LTE network operates on bands 2,4,5,17 (recently forced to support band 12 as part of FCC roaming support requirement) and T-Mobile's LTE network operates on bands 2,4,12 (recently forced to support band 17 as part of FCC roaming support requirement). Asus ZenFone 3 international version on the other hand, support LTE bands 1,3,5,7,8,18,19,20,26,28,38,40,41 - do you see any overlapping bands besides B5? B5 is utilized by AT&T in limited number of US regions and even there you will get extremely spotty LTE coverage, because LTE bands operate in conjunction with each other and there are constant layovers and fallbacks between frequencies, based on towers proximity".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm only a junior member with limited experience with these technologies, But I am just a little confused with these previous comments in regards to these discussions on HSPA+, LTE, and even Wimax for that matter. Believe me, when I say that I still have much to learn on this subject. Just because HSPA+ is different from 4G, I was always under the impression from everything I've read, that they are all still labeled as 4G technologies, as defined by the ITU. With all the above, having wide variations in consumer speeds. Also, whether a certain phone manufacturer supports a particular LTE band is just part of the whole part of the 4G technology. (Information taken from, in part, from Android Authority and Tech Radar)
Slbtrb79 said:
I'm only a junior member with limited experience with these technologies, But I am just a little confused with these previous comments in regards to these discussions on HSPA+, LTE, and even Wimax for that matter. Believe me, when I say that I still have much to learn on this subject. Just because HSPA+ is different from 4G, I was always under the impression from everything I've read, that they are all still labeled as 4G technologies, as defined by the ITU. With all the above, having wide variations in consumer speeds. Also, whether a certain phone manufacturer supports a particular LTE band is just part of the whole part of the 4G technology. (Information taken from, in part, from Android Authority and Tech Radar)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phrase "HSPA+ is different from 4G" has no meaning. Those are not comparible things "HSPA+" is an abbreviation for wireless protocol name, and "4G" is a generic reference to 4th generation of wireless technologies, which include several protocols. it's like comparing TV weight to picture brightness.
Judging from the phrase "whether a certain phone manufacturer supports a particular LTE band is just part of the whole part of the 4G technology" I'm not sure you understand how things work. Since approximately 4 years ago, ALL major SoCs (system on chip) support Worldwide Global LTE, all 41 bands. Here is an example of Qualcomm's Snapdragon SoCs, scroll down to "Global Mode": https://www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon/modems/4g-lte . So, all major SoC manufacturers have been "supporting" ALL LTE bands for approximately 4 years now. Mobile device manufacturers, who partner with SoC makers like Qualcomm, or produce their own (i.e. Samsung: Exynos) control what LTE bands are actually enabled using modem's firmware, which is purely a software issue and can be changed at any time with NVRAM hack or firmware update. They decide what bands to enable based on the country the device is targeted for. Operating frequencies in each country are tightly regulated, because otherwise there are security issues, surveillance issues, interference issues (that's why they ask you to shut your phone down on a plane) and LTE frequency bands spectrum is divided to over 100 chunks, and each country/region are only allowed to operate on a specific, limited number of frequency bands. Therefore, any phone manufacturer, who wants to release wireless device with certain LTE bands enabled in a specific country, first must abide by the frequency bands international rules and then before they are allowed to sell and operate their device, their device must be approved by each country's wireless regulations governing body, which will thoroughly test the device, to make sure it meets all the required technical, safety and security standards. For example, that governing body in US is called FCC and in China it's TENAA. To sum up, what LTE bands each phone maker enables for which country, has nothing to do with being "part of the 4G technology".
Slbtrb79 said:
If screen size is important to you might look at the Xiaomi Mi-Max, it has 6.4 screen and nice specs. Also Huawei Mate 9 with a 5.9 inch screen with nice specs also.
Hope this helped some...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xiaomi Mi Max is a bit of an old news. This Xiaomi phone is the future. Same 6.4" screen size as Mi Max, but device size is comparable to 5.7" phone, not to mention numerous other innovations, such as ceramic body and audio transmissions via ultrasonic vibrations, instead of conventional speaker.
First unfortunately it's not just one version for all the carriers as some had suggested. The GSM providers phones do not support CDMA. The T-Mobile version is the only one with the new band 66 LTE. The AT&T version is the only one that supports band 30 (the fastest band in my area)
SEE FULL SPECS by following the links
http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/galaxy-s8-sprint
http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/galaxy-s-8-at-t
http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/galaxy-s8-t-mobile
http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/galaxy-s8-verizon
So the Verizon model is missing at&t frequencies?
Turb0wned said:
So the Verizon model is missing at&t frequencies?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems it had them all. I'm curious as to why the att version is. Band 17 if att themselves use the 17 in many places. It's actually one of the main bands of att and they don't have it showing
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
osmosizzz said:
Seems it had them all. I'm curious as to why the att version is. Band 17 if att themselves use the 17 in many places. It's actually one of the main bands of att and they don't have it showing
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Band 12 includes band 17. If the phone truly doesn't support band 17, then I suspect that AT&T advertises the band as 12 and 17 to support it.
Guys check this eBay listing, there's something funny about it, 232298704354
Selling cheaper, one unit, faster than official shipping.
The seller feed back is off from picture to details of feedback and also the items sold are entirely different than phones.
Think it's a hacked account?
Sent from my SM-G935U using Tapatalk
So what it seems like to me (im not including sprint nor did I even pay attention to it) is that the Verizon model should work great with both AT&T and Tmobile if one wanted to switch. Looks like the verizon model would be the closes to the factory unlocked model, even more so if they really dont have any Verizon branding on them. But, what is 3G TD-SCDMA that is on the GSM models?
It appears that Samsung's website is showing the same unlocked model for all carriers (G950U*), although I'm not sure why the LTE bands supported are listed (slightly) differently for each carrier. Confusingly, this is a different model than the phones being sold directly by each carrier (G950P for Sprint, G950A for AT&T, G950V for Verizon, G950T for T-Mobile). You can see that that LTE bands supported by those models are different that the G950U as well (the carrier-specific versions seem to have a subset of the LTE bands supported by the unlocked version). I was not able to locate a spec sheet for the G950P.
dustbuster said:
It appears that Samsung's website is showing the same unlocked model for all carriers (G950U*), although I'm not sure why the LTE bands supported are listed differently for each carrier. Confusingly, this is a different model than the phones being sold directly by each carrier (G950P for Sprint, G950A for AT&T, G950V for Verizon, G950T for T-Mobile). You can see that that LTE bands supported by those models are different that the G950U as well. I was not able to locate a spec sheet for the G950P.
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What was wrong with the links to each carrier i provided plus the pictures i uploaded?
954wrecker said:
What was wrong with the links to each carrier i provided plus the pictures i uploaded?
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The links you provided are all to the Samsung website. The Samsung website does not have the same models that the carriers themselves are selling, as I tried to explain above.
dustbuster said:
The links you provided are all to the Samsung website. The Samsung website does not have the same models that the carriers themselves are selling, as I tried to explain above.
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So you want me to believe the 4 carrier versions Samsungs selling are not the same phones that the 4 carriers themselves are selling?
The phones I ordered from samsung are not the same as I would have gotten from the carriers directly? I'm sorry but i think it's you that is confused.
954wrecker said:
So you want me to believe the 4 carrier versions Samsungs selling are not the same phones that the 4 carriers themselves are selling?
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The evidence indicates that they are likely different... but you can believe whatever you want.
dustbuster said:
The evidence indicates that they are likely different... but you can believe whatever you want.
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Thanks but the links you provided prove absolutely nothing that you said
dustbuster said:
It appears that Samsung's website is showing the same unlocked model for all carriers (G950U*), although I'm not sure why the LTE bands supported are listed (slightly) differently for each carrier. Confusingly, this is a different model than the phones being sold directly by each carrier (G950P for Sprint, G950A for AT&T, G950V for Verizon, G950T for T-Mobile). You can see that that LTE bands supported by those models are different that the G950U as well (the carrier-specific versions seem to have a subset of the LTE bands supported by the unlocked version). I was not able to locate a spec sheet for the G950P.
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I don't see where the carriers list their model numbers anywhere...
Actually, here's other preorders from carriers:
AT&T (Says U)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8+/how-to/galaxy-s8-s8-waiting-t3581697/post71861643
Sprint (Also says U)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8+/how-to/galaxy-s8-s8-waiting-t3581697/post71876304
It's the same model phone but with different FW. It is possible that specific carrier models only support their own network bands thru FW. In the past, the Samsung would actually have different radio and antenna hardware in the phones.
Given the proper FW I believe the s8 series will function identically no matter which carrier model is used provided the SIM is unlocked.
My 2 cents
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
equake said:
It's the same model phone but with different FW. It is possible that specific carrier models only support their own network bands thru FW. In the past, the Samsung would actually have different radio and antenna hardware in the phones.
Given the proper FW I believe the s8 series will function identically no matter which carrier model is used provided the SIM is unlocked.
My 2 cents
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That's exactly how the US S7 variants were, only difference was the firmware installed. I'm hoping for the same.