Advice on Xiaomi Mi 9 in Ontario with Freedom Mobile - General Questions and Answers

Hi there. I'm new here and I signed up with hopes of getting advice on the Mi 9!
Background Live in Ontario
Often travel between cities (ie. Toronto, London and possibly Ottawa)
Phone carrier is Freedom Mobile​
What attracts me to the Mi 9 is the affordability and mid-range pricing with the specs provided. I really like the camera features and image quality; the chipsets and the ability to wirelessly charge your phone are an added plus. I've only owned two phones in my life, being: (1) Sony Ericsson Z1010 and (2) Samsung S4 so I am really looking to upgrade.
I understand that the Global Version of the Mi 9 is compatible with the following FDD-LTE Bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17*, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40.
* Read somewhere that band 17 is only available when flashed with the Global ROM.​
Mi 9 does not support the new bands 13 and 66 that Freedom Mobile has
Is this a smart purchase (ie. "future-proof") or should I look into another phone that more supports the Canadian market? Alternatively, will I be fine without those bands? I've read posts of other people experiencing no problems but are these unique cases or are they just not experiencing problems for now?
Honestly, I think deep down I know the answer to the above-mentioned but I really like this phone and can't justify a higher price point for other phones with similar or lesser specs. Aggh!​
Option 1: Finding another phone
Can you share any other comparable models? Prefer if the price range is below $700 CAD; mid-range bang-for-your-buck, really. I'm looking for internal storage space, battery life, and camera quality.
Option 2: Finding another compatible carrier
Recommend any other carriers outside of the Big 3 (Rogers, Telus, Bell)? Can you share details of the phone plans offered?
MY PLAN I have a $35 CAD grandfathered plan with Freedom. It includes:
Unlimited Canada-wide calling and texting
Unlimited Canada-wide/ U.S. text, picture, and video messaging
Unlimited data (2 GB full speed allotment)
Voicemail​
I want to preface this with the fact that my knowledge of phones + phone plans is very narrow and limited so please tread carefully. I'll take this as a learning opportunity and a chance to develop more knowledge -- thanks to your help.
Thanks a million!

Muller21pr0 said:
what do you mean? are you taklking about smatphone mi 9 that was released recently?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the Xiaomi Mi 9. I've edited the post to include the brand name now!

Related

SM-G955F SM-G955FD on AT&T and LTE band 30 missing

It seems that S8/S8+ from AT&T as well as the unlocked SM-G955U have band 30
However the G955F and G955FD seem to not have it...
Question to International version buyers and that have AT&T, how much do you care about band 30?
Do you believe their will be a Dual sim phone with band 30 launched at future date?
Does the International model have band 12? I checked Samsung UAE and it lists band 12 but on Amazon it doesn't have it.
FrenchJo67 said:
It seems that S8/S8+ from AT&T as well as the unlocked SM-G955U have band 30
However the G955F and G955FD seem to not have it...
Question to International version buyers and that have AT&T, how much do you care about band 30?
Do you believe their will be a Dual sim phone with band 30 launched at future date?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would be nice but probably never going to happen
solojazz said:
Does the International model have band 12? I checked Samsung UAE and it lists band 12 but on Amazon it doesn't have it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes it has band 12.
https://apps.fcc.gov/eas/GetApplicationAttachment.html?id=3292117
From experience using the international version on any USA carrier can be risky. If you live in a big city you should get normal service most of the time. You won't be able to get the carrier aggregation that AT&T uses band 30 for though so when the network is congested your service will be noticeably effected.
Also if it is still missing any of the low bands you will have a hard time getting a good signal in rural areas as well. For the most part you will want to make sure you have access to Bands: 2, 4, 12, 17. that will cover the majority of your needs. Bands 29, and 30 really only come in with the carrier aggregation. but without them you will notice slower speeds or no signal at all at big events.
I tried out an international S7e after I had to relinquish my Note 7, for me it was not worth it. Root is becoming less needed now, custom ROMs break TOO much functionality (Samsung Pay, Android Pay, Work Email, Banking Apps, etc) and the things I loved root for, display scaling, ad blocking, Viper4Android, Themes, are becoming less needed, due to compatible things being offered on stock. Just not worth it anymore for slight tweaks and marginal performance increases.
ShrekOpher said:
From experience using the international version on any USA carrier can be risky. If you live in a big city you should get normal service most of the time. You won't be able to get the carrier aggregation that AT&T uses band 30 for though so when the network is congested your service will be noticeably effected.
Also if it is still missing any of the low bands you will have a hard time getting a good signal in rural areas as well. For the most part you will want to make sure you have access to Bands: 2, 4, 12, 17. that will cover the majority of your needs. Bands 29, and 30 really only come in with the carrier aggregation. but without them you will notice slower speeds or no signal at all at big events.
I tried out an international S7e after I had to relinquish my Note 7, for me it was not worth it. Root is becoming less needed now, custom ROMs break TOO much functionality (Samsung Pay, Android Pay, Work Email, Banking Apps, etc) and the things I loved root for, display scaling, ad blocking, Viper4Android, Themes, are becoming less needed, due to compatible things being offered on stock. Just not worth it anymore for slight tweaks and marginal performance increases.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you've said here gets me thinking, I don't want to root I just want better battery life which if it's like the s7 launch the exynos had much better battery life but if they're the same what else are the differences should I just buy it from T-Mobile in the states?
solojazz said:
What you've said here gets me thinking, I don't want to root I just want better battery life which if it's like the s7 launch the exynos had much better battery life but if they're the same what else are the differences should I just buy it from T-Mobile in the states?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I made a drastic decision last night and got the AT&T version at Best Buy, they have a $35 14 day return policy. So I thought I can always return it and get an International version.
12 hours into s8+ 955U, I am impressed. It runs much smoother as my s7e 128gb G9350 black pearl .... was worried that like with the s7e I was going to feel more of these little delays that I had on s7e snapdragon but not on Exynos... this is not the case.
Other comments:
- smartlinked transfered, contacts, pictures, sms, etc but only 70% of the apps...
- Like everything except that the finger printer scanner location will take me another few days to unlock efficiently...
Oh and my 9 year told me, "Dad, why did you tell mom that you bought a new phone, it looks exactly the same as before just a little longer, she would never have noticed!"
FrenchJo67 said:
Well I made a drastic decision last night and got the AT&T version at Best Buy, they have a $35 14 day return policy. So I thought I can always return it and get an International version.
12 hours into s8+ 955U, I am impressed. It runs much smoother as my s7e 128gb G9350 black pearl .... was worried that like with the s7e I was going to feel more of these little delays that I had on s7e snapdragon but not on Exynos... this is not the case.
Other comments:
- smartlinked transfered, contacts, pictures, sms, etc but only 70% of the apps...
- Like everything except that the finger printer scanner location will take me another few days to unlock efficiently...
Oh and my 9 year told me, "Dad, why did you tell mom that you bought a new phone, it looks exactly the same as before just a little longer, she would never have noticed!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have an account with AT&T or you paid full price?
954wrecker said:
You have an account with AT&T or you paid full price?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I paid full price, but have an account with AT&T. I switch phones a lot and resell them on ebay.
By the way an ATT store NY wanted an extra $25 for a sim card that I did not need and then they said "sorry Sir you can not buy it for $850 we only sell no contract phones after one month"
THat is why I went to Best Buy... Ordered on the app, got an email 35 minutes, and picked up the phone....effortless..... went home switch the sim card for s7e to s8+, few setup clicks, smartlink and just had to reinstall two dozen apps that did not make it over
FrenchJo67 said:
I paid full price, but have an account with AT&T. I switch phones a lot and resell them on ebay.
By the way an ATT store NY wanted an extra $25 for a sim card that I did not need and then they said "sorry Sir you can not buy it for $850 we only sell no contract phones after one month"
THat is why I went to Best Buy... Ordered on the app, got an email 35 minutes, and picked up the phone....effortless..... went home switch the sim card for s7e to s8+, few setup clicks, smartlink and just had to reinstall two dozen apps that did not make it over
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I figured thats why I asked. Appreciate the info and honesty. I hate the cell phone companies they are so full of s$%t. So now may I ask how easy is it to have AT&T sim unlock it for you? I know they have the web portal for non and current customers, but ive never used it before.
954wrecker said:
Yea I figured thats why I asked. Appreciate the info and honesty. I hate the cell phone companies they are so full of s$%t. So now may I ask how easy is it to have AT&T sim unlock it for you? I know they have the web portal for non and current customers, but ive never used it before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unlocked many iphones on the At&T protal it usually takes 1-3 business days and was smooth.
Switched to Android for the Note 7 (!) and Knox and only bought international versions until last night.
Will unlock this in 60 days, as their is a 60 day delay... it better works as I will travel internationally in 66 days !!
FrenchJo67 said:
I unlocked many iphones on the At&T protal it usually takes 1-3 business days and was smooth.
Switched to Android for the Note 7 (!) and Knox and only bought international versions until last night.
Will unlock this in 60 days, as their is a 60 day delay... it better works as I will travel internationally in 66 days !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I just checked the portal and I believe as my account is way older as 60 days, i can unlock the new phone after 14 days (buyers remorse period)
FrenchJo67 said:
Actually I just checked the portal and I believe as my account is way older as 60 days, i can unlock the new phone after 14 days (buyers remorse period)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats good to know I wonder how long they make non customers wait if they make AT&T customers wait that long. Please if you have time update us as to the SIM lock situatuon. Thanks in advance
FrenchJo67 said:
Well I made a drastic decision last night and got the AT&T version at Best Buy, they have a $35 14 day return policy. So I thought I can always return it and get an International version.
12 hours into s8+ 955U, I am impressed. It runs much smoother as my s7e 128gb G9350 black pearl .... was worried that like with the s7e I was going to feel more of these little delays that I had on s7e snapdragon but not on Exynos... this is not the case.
Other comments:
- smartlinked transfered, contacts, pictures, sms, etc but only 70% of the apps...
- Like everything except that the finger printer scanner location will take me another few days to unlock efficiently...
Oh and my 9 year told me, "Dad, why did you tell mom that you bought a new phone, it looks exactly the same as before just a little longer, she would never have noticed!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kids keep getting smarter and smarter as time goes on lol
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
ShrekOpher said:
From experience using the international version on any USA carrier can be risky. If you live in a big city you should get normal service most of the time. You won't be able to get the carrier aggregation that AT&T uses band 30 for though so when the network is congested your service will be noticeably effected.
Also if it is still missing any of the low bands you will have a hard time getting a good signal in rural areas as well. For the most part you will want to make sure you have access to Bands: 2, 4, 12, 17. that will cover the majority of your needs. Bands 29, and 30 really only come in with the carrier aggregation. but without them you will notice slower speeds or no signal at all at big events.
I tried out an international S7e after I had to relinquish my Note 7, for me it was not worth it. Root is becoming less needed now, custom ROMs break TOO much functionality (Samsung Pay, Android Pay, Work Email, Banking Apps, etc) and the things I loved root for, display scaling, ad blocking, Viper4Android, Themes, are becoming less needed, due to compatible things being offered on stock. Just not worth it anymore for slight tweaks and marginal performance increases.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not accurate for the S8 international unlocked variant this year.
According to the FCC listing it supports the following US bands 12, 17, 13, 26, 5, 66, 4, 25, 2, 41 so aside from band 30 it has all the bands needed to work great on AT&T and T-Mobile.
It also has carrier aggregation with US bands with the following combinations:
2+12
4+12
4+17
12+12
66+17
41+41
66+66
and 3 band carrier aggregation at the following bands:
4+12+12
66+12+66
41+41+41
It's interesting that this year the international version includes Verizon and Sprint LTE bands but not CDMA bands (so not sure how will that work on those two networks).
clubtech said:
That's not accurate for the S8 international unlocked variant this year.
According to the FCC listing it supports the following US bands 12, 17, 13, 26, 5, 66, 4, 25, 2, 41 so aside from band 30 it has all the bands needed to work great on AT&T and T-Mobile.
It also has carrier aggregation with US bands with the following combinations:
2+12
4+12
4+17
12+12
66+17
41+41
66+66
and 3 band carrier aggregation at the following bands:
4+12+12
66+12+66
41+41+41
It's interesting that this year the international version includes Verizon and Sprint LTE bands but not CDMA bands (so not sure how will that work on those two networks).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You keep mentioning this FCC stuff but im not sure why a phone meant for sale and use in countries outside the USA would be contacting our FCC?
954wrecker said:
You keep mentioning this FCC stuff but im not sure why a phone meant for sale and use in countries outside the USA would be contacting our FCC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Every phone model that wants to be allowed to enter the US (either if you are a foreigner and would like to come with it to the US or if you are a retailer who would like to import it to the US) must get FCC certified to makes sure it follows US wireless guidelines, does not cause interference with frequencies used in the US and has acceptable SAR levels.
clubtech said:
Every phone model that wants to be allowed to enter the US (either if you are a foreigner and would like to come with it to the US or if you are a retailer who would like to import it to the US) must get FCC certified to makes sure it follows US wireless guidelines, does not cause interference with frequencies used in the US and has acceptable SAR levels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you send a link that actually works with proof the F and FD international versions ever applied for FCC certification?
954wrecker said:
Can you send a link that actually works with proof the F and FD international versions ever applied for FCC certification?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/repo...id=y9iH3wwF54NP3e+s5fwinQ==&fcc_id=A3LSMG955F
Check "SAR Report 1" for the "proof" on the frequencies I stated earlier in the thread.
clubtech said:
That's not accurate for the S8 international unlocked variant this year.
According to the FCC listing it supports the following US bands 12, 17, 13, 26, 5, 66, 4, 25, 2, 41 so aside from band 30 it has all the bands needed to work great on AT&T and T-Mobile.
It also has carrier aggregation with US bands with the following combinations:
2+12
4+12
4+17
12+12
66+17
41+41
66+66
and 3 band carrier aggregation at the following bands:
4+12+12
66+12+66
41+41+41
It's interesting that this year the international version includes Verizon and Sprint LTE bands but not CDMA bands (so not sure how will that work on those two networks).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T rolled out both band 29 and 30 for LTE Advanced back at the same time the LG G3 came out.
http://www.fiercewireless.com/wirel...support-700-mhz-spectrum-it-got-from-qualcomm

U.S. release - July 10th

Apologies if this has already been covered, but they've opened up pre-orders for the U.S. market. You can get one for $50 off if you're a Prime member but you have to deal with lockscreen ads... no thank you!!!
https://www.amazon.com/Nokia-Unlocked-T-Mobile-Exclusive-Lockscreen/dp/B071VZKDDP/
Wondering if I should get this or wait and see if they're going to release the 5 for the U.S. market...
I too am debating on wether to get this device or go for the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra to replace my Nexus 6.
roxy1712 said:
Apologies if this has already been covered, but they've opened up pre-orders for the U.S. market. You can get one for $50 off if you're a Prime member but you have to deal with lockscreen ads... no thank you!!!
https://www.amazon.com/Nokia-Unlocked-T-Mobile-Exclusive-Lockscreen/dp/B071VZKDDP/
Wondering if I should get this or wait and see if they're going to release the 5 for the U.S. market...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they are saying July 10th, I wonder if I pre-order now when I will receive it.
I have AT&T, looks like its not fully 4G compatible... from what I have seen ATT has LTE 17 as the main band, 5 as secondary and 2,4,29,30 as backup in other markets. and the Nokia 6 only has FDD LTE:Band 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28
Those are probably the band for the international version because if that were the case it wouldn't be compatible with Tmobile as well.
Shark87 said:
Those are probably the band for the international version because if that were the case it wouldn't be compatible with Tmobile as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
interesting, I copied/pasted those band numbers directly from the Nokia site for the 6.
from the Amazon listing it says:
Amazon said:
Unlocked for freedom to choose your carrier. Compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile networks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT: did a search and Ars is stating it has these bands:
Networks:
•GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
•WCDMA: Band 1, 2, 4, 5, 8
•LTE: Band 2, 3, 4, 7, 12/17, 28, 38
I asked on Nokia's mobile fb page about the missing band 12 on the spec sheet and this is what they replied:
We don't have those details confirmed yet, Chad, but we'll have more updates to share very soon, so stay tuned to our FB page ?
Was going to purchase this phone but not if it's missing the most important band on t mobile.
Chadashcroft22 said:
I asked on Nokia's mobile fb page about the missing band 12 on the spec sheet and this is what they replied:
We don't have those details confirmed yet, Chad, but we'll have more updates to share very soon, so stay tuned to our FB page ?
Was going to purchase this phone but not if it's missing the most important band on t mobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
curious why Ars has 12/17 listed on their band coverage list
I looked around and found that Nokia submitted some stuff to the FCC for changes and this pictures was on a post:
https://www.androidheadlines.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Nokia-6-FCC-Changes_3-800x432.png
I have AT&T and don't use my data that often, so not [really] affected by the missing band... but I found out there's no LED notification light on the non-Chinese versions! Whaaaaaaa. Between that and the lack of development for root access, I might just get a Z Play. (Have been eyeballing the keyboard attachment Mod so that also helps with my decision.)
roxy1712 said:
I have AT&T and don't use my data that often, so not [really] affected by the missing band... but I found out there's no LED notification light on the non-Chinese versions! Whaaaaaaa. Between that and the lack of development for root access, I might just get a Z Play. (Have been eyeballing the keyboard attachment Mod so that also helps with my decision.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea the missing LED notifications really bummed me out, that is one thing I loved about my Nexus 5X
it was so nice just to look over and see that something was up instead of having to pick it up
quailallstar said:
I too am debating on wether to get this device or go for the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra to replace my Nexus 6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in the same boat. Have perfectly working Nexus 6 (custom rom/kernel and aging battery), can't convince myself Nokia 6 is worth it.
The Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra has my attention. Ive asked T-Mobile USA if the device will work on VOLTE and maybe even see wifi calling.

Couple of Questions....

Hello,
I would like to know the following:
1. Based on the Samsung's Unpacked - Part 2 event, there was a slide / presentation that revealed a 512 GB storage option - so, which market / model would have this?
See attached image.
2. Presuming following the Note 20 Ultra 5G., HK version - which is based on the snapdragon variant, unlock-able bootloader, which means rootable, correct?
3. What the various model numbers for various regions?
3. Will the Thom Browne Edition come in 512 GB?
Thanks.
Very good questions. I saw an ad on ebay that was selling (pre-order) a 512GB so now I'm curious to know what the story is
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Ga...432164&hash=item3b4cbda32d:g:CR8AAOSwK1dfOjtl
Swarai said:
Very good questions. I saw an ad on ebay that was selling (pre-order) a 512GB so now I'm curious to know what the story is
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Ga...432164&hash=item3b4cbda32d:g:CR8AAOSwK1dfOjtl
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
China only I believe I read?
Got some answers ...
karthigan said:
Hello,
I would like to know the following:
1. Based on the Samsung's Unpacked - Part 2 event, there was a slide / presentation that revealed a 512 GB storage option - so, which market / model would have this?
See attached image.
2. Presuming following the Note 20 Ultra 5G., HK version - which is based on the snapdragon variant, unlock-able bootloader, which means rootable, correct?
3. What the various model numbers for various regions?
3. Will the Thom Browne Edition come in 512 GB?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, I have an update from Samsung Canada - Chat online (the lpcdn.lpsnmedia.net website for the chat session - since it appears the original chat session never gets connected to an "actual" agent), if you need the direct chat link URL, let me know.
1. 512GB variant is only available in selective markets - according to the internal documents - 512GB is stated as *TBD* - but the chat agent thinks it will likely be the South Korea Variant, and HK Variant only. But also it could be released much later than the original launch date.
3. Thom Browne Edition WILL NOT come in 512 GB, it is only 256 GB.
Also, since you CAN NOT pre-order the Thom Browne Edition on Samsung's Canada's Website - it is again, *TBD* - out of the limited quantities available - Samsung Inventory Management Department (I was quoted to SIMD by the agent) - every region will have a certain quantity for order, and once done, there is no way to order it, unless third party web sites (wondamobile, pda plaza, swiftronics, etc.) carries then.
Not sure if I should take these answers with "grains of salt" or if this agent was actually knowledgeable. The agent's name was Paula.
So, we'll see.
Hitman3984 said:
China only I believe I read?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, China, Taiwan, and Korea
Swarai said:
Yeah, China, Taiwan, and Korea
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guess they figured those of us in North America and Europe werent good enough for the 512gb version.
Samsung is doing quite a bit to annoy customers this year. I am one of them, long time samsung customer and they are doing a fabulous job of alienating its loyal customer base so far in 2020 especially lately
force70 said:
Guess they figured those of us in North America and Europe werent good enough for the 512gb version.
Samsung is doing quite a bit to annoy customers this year. I am one of them, long time samsung customer and they are doing a fabulous job of alienating its loyal customer base so far in 2020 especially lately
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't this due to different habits in each market? EU/US are very cloud heavy, with a lot of streaming for video & music...so most of the storage space will be for apps and photos.
For most users, i'd wager over 90% but don't have stats to back that up, 256gb is more than enough - overkill in fact.
In Korea/China/HK things are different and local storage is really important, so you see a lot of manufacturers offering expandable or larger storage in those markets.
Spud1 said:
Isn't this due to different habits in each market? EU/US are very cloud heavy, with a lot of streaming for video & music...so most of the storage space will be for apps and photos.
For most users, i'd wager over 90% but don't have stats to back that up, 256gb is more than enough - overkill in fact.
In Korea/China/HK things are different and local storage is really important, so you see a lot of manufacturers offering expandable or larger storage in those markets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
who knows why, either way it's very frustrating similar to how having the note 20 ultra 512gb version available only in black.
its idiotic and just irritates some customers, people want choices that's nothing new.
512 vs 256
Spud1 said:
Isn't this due to different habits in each market? EU/US are very cloud heavy, with a lot of streaming for video & music...so most of the storage space will be for apps and photos.
For most users, i'd wager over 90% but don't have stats to back that up, 256gb is more than enough - overkill in fact.
In Korea/China/HK things are different and local storage is really important, so you see a lot of manufacturers offering expandable or larger storage in those markets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd have to respectfully disagree with this, as I've lived in China for 20 years, literally about half my life. Basically, all China runs on the cloud. You'll find very very few, except for maybe the old generations (50+) not streaming everything from music to games to movies and tv from online streaming services. The only local storage used is to install games and apps, and to hold tens of thousands of pictures they love taking of every little thing. You won't find them storing videos or music or anything on their phones though. So this particular line of reasoning, at least for China, I feel doesn't hold water. But that's JMHO.
Regardless of who lives where and such, it should come with at least what the previous version did and/or allow expandable storage. We all keep getting less yet the price becomes higher. Charger is next to go. They tried as best they could to get it as close to the original price as possible, but there are sacrifices because of it obviously.
Word of caution. We're back to the old days where different variants have different cellular bands. My Tab S7+ 5G from Spain supports a handful of EU 5G bands but the only U.S. band it supports is AT&T's 850MHz. It's SD 865+ just like the Z Fold 2 so I'd imagine all Samsung's 5G phones are going to have support for bands by region. If you're happy with LTE then it doesn't matter. If you like to flip your phones I think a non-5G capable version of a $2,000 phone would be a hard sell here in the U.S. so that's something to consider too.
Old days?? Been like that for as long as I can remember.
shollywood said:
Old days?? Been like that for as long as I can remember.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Multi band LTE radios made it much less of an issue.
BarryH_GEG said:
Multi band LTE radios made it much less of an issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung has made multi-models for as long as I can remember. Unless you specifically purchase the US/Canada model, there was always at least 2+ bands missing on LTE from the other variants. Those devices would work in most areas, but not in all of the outskirts.
Even the S20 USA and Canada versions differ, both LTE and 5G bands are different. This on a very recent device.
shollywood said:
Samsung has made multi-models for as long as I can remember. Unless you specifically purchase the US/Canada model, there was always at least 2+ bands missing on LTE from the other variants. Those devices would work in most areas, but not in all of the outskirts.
Even the S20 USA and Canada versions differ, both LTE and 5G bands are different. This on a very recent device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which LTE bands do you consider missing? The point I was making is that multi-band LTE support has greatly evolved whereas 5G is going to be hit or miss for a while. Someone with a current generation device can pretty much count on accessing LTE worldwide no matter what the phone's country of origin. For 5G? Not so much and not for a long time.
Looks like wonda mobile got their pre-order page up: https://www.wondamobile.com/samsung-galaxy-fold-2-5g-dual-512-gb-f907n-sim-free-and-unlocked.html
The link mentions F907N variant, but on the page it is F9160.
It costs: $2,221.40 USD (approx. $2,926.21 CAD)
It is the 12 GB RAM, 512 GB storage.
However, surprised to see it as a single SIM, not even an SD slot and/or 2nd sim, is that new for a HK model?
I have asked this question in the Note 20 Ultra thread, but I'll ask again here (as no answers were posted), now that all Galaxy Z Fold 2 is using Snapdragon chipset:
1. Since it is based on the Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865+, is there a way to change the LTE & 5G bands on the SM-F9160?
2. Is it hard-coded into the firmware of the 5G modem that is incorporated with the Snapdragon 865+, which makes the change impossible?
3. Since I am with Rogers provider - is it possible to change the CSC on SM-F9160 to match that of Rogers?
Dont think your going to get any answers for the next little while. It is still in pre-order state and not readily available. However, I have not seen or heard of any that will have dual SIM and definitely no SD card slot for storage expansion.
karthigan said:
Looks like wonda mobile got their pre-order page up: https://www.wondamobile.com/samsung-galaxy-fold-2-5g-dual-512-gb-f907n-sim-free-and-unlocked.html
The link mentions F907N variant, but on the page it is F9160.
It costs: $2,221.40 USD (approx. $2,926.21 CAD)
It is the 12 GB RAM, 512 GB storage.
However, surprised to see it as a single SIM, not even an SD slot and/or 2nd sim, is that new for a HK model?
I have asked this question in the Note 20 Ultra thread, but I'll ask again here (as no answers were posted), now that all Galaxy Z Fold 2 is using Snapdragon chipset:
1. Since it is based on the Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865+, is there a way to change the LTE & 5G bands on the SM-F9160?
2. Is it hard-coded into the firmware of the 5G modem that is incorporated with the Snapdragon 865+, which makes the change impossible?
3. Since I am with Rogers provider - is it possible to change the CSC on SM-F9160 to match that of Rogers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could live without the SD card slot if it came with 512gb. But that's the minimum for me. 256gb won't cut it for me so I'm hoping this phone would work out for me in the US. But I don't want to give up 5g or all the bands I need for LTE on tmobile in the US.
chetly968 said:
I could live without the SD card slot if it came with 512gb. But that's the minimum for me. 256gb won't cut it for me so I'm hoping this phone would work out for me in the US. But I don't want to give up 5g or all the bands I need for LTE on tmobile in the US.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same, I still cant believe samsung was stupid enough to give this top-tier phone only 256gb of storage in most parts of the world. They seem to favour the asian countries since they got 512gb.Note 20 ultra got 512gb in black only here i canada and most other places yet again some (not all) asian countries got other colours in 512gb.
This is a trend starting here and not a good look for samsung or any company showing bias like this.
I've imported tons of phones, but I will not do that with this one due to its more fragile nature and knowing samsung canada will not touch a non Canadian device for warranty.
Hard enough to get them to touch a CDN device with warranty!

DevDB

I've been researching for the past 2 months and I've narrowed it down to the Poco F2 Pro, K30 Ultra, OnePlus 7 Pro, and Galaxy A71, I would've pulled the trigger on the OnePlus already, had there been a factory sealed one reasonably priced, but....nope still nothing, A71 is the "settle for" option, I FEEL that the Ultra and F2 are the obvious selections, but NOT ONE person can give me a complete compatibility, definitive, "WE GOT YOU" answer without the IMEI #, duh?!. So let me go ahead and buy one blindly and waste $400?? I live in Atlanta, GA, someone please tell me which of the 2 international phones, I like both, will NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, work great? Thank you
JAtherton85 said:
but NOT ONE person can give me a complete compatibility, definitive, "WE GOT YOU" answer without the IMEI #, duh?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Compatibility with what?
JAtherton85 said:
I've been researching for the past 2 months and I've narrowed it down to the Poco F2 Pro, K30 Ultra, OnePlus 7 Pro, and Galaxy A71, I would've pulled the trigger on the OnePlus already, had there been a factory sealed one reasonably priced, but....nope still nothing, A71 is the "settle for" option, I FEEL that the Ultra and F2 are the obvious selections, but NOT ONE person can give me a complete compatibility, definitive, "WE GOT YOU" answer without the IMEI #, duh?!. So let me go ahead and buy one blindly and waste $400?? I live in Atlanta, GA, someone please tell me which of the 2 international phones, I like both, will NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, work great? Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just look up the phone's bands and then look up the bands you use on your carrier. Keep in mind Xiaomi phones tend not to work too good in the US.
JAtherton85 said:
I've been researching for the past 2 months and I've narrowed it down to the Poco F2 Pro, K30 Ultra, OnePlus 7 Pro, and Galaxy A71, I would've pulled the trigger on the OnePlus already, had there been a factory sealed one reasonably priced, but....nope still nothing, A71 is the "settle for" option, I FEEL that the Ultra and F2 are the obvious selections, but NOT ONE person can give me a complete compatibility, definitive, "WE GOT YOU" answer without the IMEI #, duh?!. So let me go ahead and buy one blindly and waste $400?? I live in Atlanta, GA, someone please tell me which of the 2 international phones, I like both, will NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, work great? Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Poco F2 Pro supported bands 2 & 4 for LTE coverage on AT&T while I was in the ATL area.
The K30 Ultra mediatek modem is more suited for China/Asian markets and does not support common US bands.
K30 Ultra bands are as follows:
3G bands HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41
5G bands 1, 3, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA
Check with your carrier what bands you need supported. K30 Ultra is working great for me on Vodafone in the UK, and I made sure that Vodafone's bands matched this device before purchase.
---------- Post added at 12:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:10 AM ----------
Actually check this out https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/US/xiaomi-redmi-k30-ultra
That indicates that it will /work/ on many US carriers but reception will be poor in some areas.
*Update 1 week after purchase*
Loving the F2 Pro, hands down one of the best phones I've ever owned, the only 2 negative's are the refresh rate and compatibility in Georgia, went with Straight Talk as I was denied by AT&T and T-Mobile, which is extremely contradicting because Straight Talk works off their towers, anyways I tried the AT&T sim and horrible signal, T-Mobile I have full bars displaying with LTE, data and text are great, but NOBODY can hear me on a call, best troubleshooting they could come up with, "we usually only deal with Apple and Samsung".....ok.....so it's looking like I'll just use it for a data only phone and get the A51 5G for my business phone, it was worth a shot, thanks guys
JAtherton85 said:
Loving the F2 Pro, hands down one of the best phones I've ever owned, the only 2 negative's are the refresh rate and compatibility in Georgia, went with Straight Talk as I was denied by AT&T and T-Mobile, which is extremely contradicting because Straight Talk works off their towers, anyways I tried the AT&T sim and horrible signal, T-Mobile I have full bars displaying with LTE, data and text are great, but NOBODY can hear me on a call, best troubleshooting they could come up with, "we usually only deal with Apple and Samsung".....ok.....so it's looking like I'll just use it for a data only phone and get the A51 5G for my business phone, it was worth a shot, thanks guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try using the dialer codes to enable VoLTE and/or VoWIFI:
VoLTE *#*#86583#*#*
VoWiFi/WLAN *#*#869434#*#*
I had no issues making calls with AT&T while in Georgia specifically the Atlanta and Carrollton areas.
Codes
I put both of those in, each time it said disabled, there's a voLTE box on the top right, does this mean my calls should work now? Obviously I hadn't the slightest idea what I'm doing
JAtherton85 said:
I put both of those in, each time it said disabled, there's a voLTE box on the top right, does this mean my calls should work now? Obviously I hadn't the slightest idea what I'm doing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, if you see the VoLTE icon in the status bar you should be able to make calls with LTE.

Question Pixel 7 Pro US vs Japan variant

Hi all,
I am planning to get my P7P, but a little confused which variant to get. There are 2 variants available in my country: US (Model GE2AE) and Japan (Model GFE4J). The Japanese variant is around 100 USD cheaper than the US one. Anyone has experience handling both variants? What are the main differences? How about network signal reception on both variants? I heard a lot of complaints about network issues, etc.
Google Pixel 7 just tipped to have four models — here's the proof
Possible FCC listings for the Google Pixel 7 may have revealed how many models there are
www.tomsguide.com
Details in there. Hardware wise they seem the same.
According to these listings, there are four total models. Two (GP4BC and GVU6C/G03Z5) offer sub-6GHz 5G connectivity only, and the other two (GE2AE/GFE4J and GQML3) also have mmWave 5G too.
I haven't had any problems, cell signal or otherwise, with my GE2AE in the United States.
The only issue is the warranty
I'd go so far as to say you might be able change either of them to think it's the other with a bit of creative flashing.
Beefheart said:
I'd go so far as to say you might be able change either of them to think it's the other with a bit of creative flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, another user reported success changing from one hardware version to another (it won't give mmWave to a non-mmWave capable model but in this case, it's the same hardware capability) - I have a link to his post about it here:
June 20, 2023 TQ3A.230605.012.A1 Verizon/MVNOs / June 13, 2023 TQ3A.230605.012 Global - Unlock bootloader / Root Pixel 7 Pro [Cheetah] / SafetyNet
Pixel 7 Pro [Cheetah] Updated May 13, 2023 Note that more than three users have said that 34.0.1 (even May 10, 2023's binary update of 34.0.1) did not work correctly for them. I recommend sticking with 33.0.3 (just below these quotes) Someone...
forum.xda-developers.com
roirraW edor ehT said:
Yep, another user reported success changing from one hardware version to another (it won't give mmWave to a non-mmWave capable model but in this case, it's the same hardware capability) - I have a link to his post about it here:
June 20, 2023 TQ3A.230605.012.A1 Verizon/MVNOs / June 13, 2023 TQ3A.230605.012 Global - Unlock bootloader / Root Pixel 7 Pro [Cheetah] / SafetyNet
Pixel 7 Pro [Cheetah] Updated May 13, 2023 Note that more than three users have said that 34.0.1 (even May 10, 2023's binary update of 34.0.1) did not work correctly for them. I recommend sticking with 33.0.3 (just below these quotes) Someone...
forum.xda-developers.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, that makes sense.
In the case of the two models the OP mentions, it looks like the hardware is identical so he could buy the cheaper Japanese model, flash it to a GE2AE and save 100 notes. Warranty wise he might have an issue if something goes wrong, mind.
Beefheart said:
Yup, that makes sense.
In the case of the two models the OP mentions, it looks like the hardware is identical so he could buy the cheaper Japanese model, flash it to a GE2AE and save 100 notes. Warranty wise he might have an issue if something goes wrong, mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think if indeed the GE2AE has a longer warranty, I would be tempted to spend the extra $100, but there's also a decent chance nothing will go wrong with the "cheaper" model. If anything went wrong within 30 days, I'd return it and get the GE2AE, though.
Last I checked, the Japanese model has extra NFC modes and forces camera sounds.
LLStarks said:
Last I checked, the Japanese model has extra NFC modes and forces camera sounds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there any other difference aside from extra NFC mode and forced camera sounds, especially on software side and cellular signal reception, VoLTE or VoWifi, etc?
Thank you all friends for giving your valuable advice so far. I have not decided yet which variant to get. I am not a technical guy on flashing and other technical things, and I am still worried about software differences and compatibility with mobile operators in my country such as VoLTE and VoWifi.
I don't mean to thread hijack, but I saw this thread and hoping previous posters can offer relevant advice/feedback.
I have the US rooted/bootloader/sim unlocked Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro. To the best of my knowledge, Japan has 4 major carriers: Softbank, Docomo, Rakuten, and AU. Does the Pixel 6/7 Pro have the hardware to roam on any of those networks?
I am planning on bringing both phones to have a backup device, in case one gets lost or damaged--I nearly lost my Pixel 2, when I left it in a French Uber on the same day I was flying home, so it can happen...LOL.
Would I gain anything by flashing either device with the Japanese-specific firmware before I leave?
I know I could also rent a pocket wifi router, but I am traveling solo, so I am leaning toward getting a prepaid sim that can use NTT the Docomo and Softbank network.
diesteldorf said:
Would I gain anything by flashing either device with the Japanese-specific firmware before I leave?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can only address this part of your question. If you go to Factory Image and Control-F JP there have been only 17 total monthly firmware releases specifically geared towards users in Japan on the Pixel 4, 4 XL, 4a, 4a (5G), 5, 5a, 6a, and 7 / 7 Pro. Note that there weren't any for the 6 and 6 Pro - even the December 2021 Factory Image that was later pulled didn't have any specifically for Japan. All the months there weren't Japan-specific images - which is almost all the time, users in Japan would use the Global firmware.
There have been tons of users over the years who experiment and flash firmware that technically isn't optimized for where they use their phone, just to see if they get a better signal. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes you can just flash the radio.img from one firmware over top of the radio partition in whatever firmware you're currently using to see if there's a difference.
Japanese phone models must contain NFC-F not NFC-B. As previously mentioned camera apps must make a shutter sound. Gcam mods can prevent this.
I have the Japanese model but I'm in Japan. Nfc-f is backwards compatible but a NFC-B phone cannot pay or use train touch gates etc
TrustAugustus said:
Japanese phone models must contain NFC-F not NFC-B. As previously mentioned camera apps must make a shutter sound. Gcam mods can prevent this.
I have the Japanese model but I'm in Japan. Nfc-f is backwards compatible but a NFC-B phone cannot pay or use train touch gates etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for pointing that out. It sounds like my US Pixel Pro may have issues at the train gates, tap to pay, etc.
TrustAugustus said:
Japanese phone models must contain NFC-F not NFC-B. As previously mentioned camera apps must make a shutter sound. Gcam mods can prevent this.
I have the Japanese model but I'm in Japan. Nfc-f is backwards compatible but a NFC-B phone cannot pay or use train touch gates etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that if the hardware is the same and the differences are only in NFC-F (supports the opening of smart gates on the train) versus NFC-B, which does not support it, for me it is very minor.
Let's not talk about the notification ring when taking a photo with the camera, I don't have it on my Galaxy S20 Ultra, on the other hand My wife's OP9PRO does have the alert sound when shooting which is also minor.
I wrote a quick module to enable the shutter sound toggle on the Japanese SKU for the Pixel 7 Pro (but should work on other Pixels as well) which should be easier than converting to the global version altogether if removing the sound is someone's goal.
Release v1 · tonylizj/enable_shutter_sound_option
Enable Shutter Sound Option on Japanese SKU Pixel 7 Pro (GFE4J) - Release v1 · tonylizj/enable_shutter_sound_option
github.com
Thanks for the module to disable the shtter sound of camera in Japan variant.
This works.
Personally, this was the only problem I found in Japan variant.
The monthly update of Japan variant is just the same with US variant, and as a bonus in Japan variant, I have a Felica NFC so I can use Osaifu keitai in Japan (e.g. Suica, to pay for the train etc).
While this variant also includes another NFC so I am also able to pay by google pay in other countries too (e.g. HK) without any problem.
If Japan variant is cheaper in your country, I think it would be a good choice.

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