Should I wait for the US version, or buy an international one? - Samsung Galaxy A51 Questions & Answers

Should I wait for the US version of this phone, or buy an international one? Will it be any differences in specs or in 4G/LTE bands for the US version? And how long does it usually take between the international release and US release? Thanks!

The only two bands across T-Mobile and AT&T that I see missing from gsmarena specs are Band 30 (AT&T, not sure how important this is) and Band 71 (hardly any phones have this, so should not miss it)
The rest (Bands 2,4,5,12,17,66) seem to be supported

I've seen these specs, but they are selling now several variants - South American and some others, and it's hard to know what bands they have because models numbers are different than on GSM arena site....

mrvmrvmrv said:
Should I wait for the US version of this phone, or buy an international one? Will it be any differences in specs or in 4G/LTE bands for the US version? And how long does it usually take between the international release and US release? Thanks!
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I have the A70 and it's a South American version and I love it. You'll probably never notice a difference ever, with the exception of Samsung pay.
That will not work with phones outside your home region.
If that doesn't bother you than go for it.
If it does bother you than wait... or wait a bit longer for the 5G version that's just around the corner.
5G version on the way.
https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_a71_5g_could_be_heading_to_the_united_states-news-41068.php
Just make sure that the phone you buy has the right frequencies ....Example SM-A515W (Canada) would work whereas SM-A515GN/DS might not.
spend some research time on the frequencies and you'll be fine ....
If you buy from B&H Camera they make it simple and have international versions that work here.
Hope tha helps.

Thanks! Where do they sell Canadian version? Also, is there a website with a listing for model numbers for all countries variants, I couldn'r find one....

Related

Will the unlocked Nexus 5. Work with Indian carriers?

Guys I was wondering if the unlocked version of Nexus 5 will work with the Indian carries . Nexus 5 is much cheaper.
And what else I should take in consideration before asking relatives to buy it for me from play store?
anshmiester78900 said:
Guys I was wondering if the unlocked version of Nexus 5 will work with the Indian carries . Nexus 5 is much cheaper.
And what else I should take in consideration before asking relatives to buy it for me from play store?
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Yes it will work in India, but on HSPA only, not on LTE. As far as I can tell the only band used right now in India is Band 40 which is not supported by either model.
Apparently Videocon will be launching Band 3 LTE during the next year. This would be compatible with the Europe/Asia version of the Nexus 5. If your relatives order it to North America though, you will get a different version that does not have Band 3 LTE.
Both versions will support all Europe/Asia HSPA bands though.
cmstlist said:
Yes it will work in India, but on HSPA only, not on LTE. As far as I can tell the only band used right now in India is Band 40 which is not supported by either model.
Apparently Videocon will be launching Band 3 LTE during the next year. This would be compatible with the Europe/Asia version of the Nexus 5. If your relatives order it to North America though, you will get a different version that does not have Band 3 LTE.
Both versions will support all Europe/Asia HSPA bands though.
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Thanks a lot for replying mate. Yes my relatives stay in North America and they will buying from there only via play store. LTE is not a big deal for me right now as even 3G is not very wide spread and 4G will surly take time in India. So what say I should ask them to buy it right? Also what else should I consider?
It'll be fine with HSPA+ which in itself is a rarity so LTE isn't much of a concern for a couple years atleast. There are reports that it might launch by mid November in Google Play Store India but if you're like me I'd say get it now.

Great Price!

Hi guys,
I just wanted to share this with you as I've purchased
in the past from these guys and had a great experience!
Right now they have the U Ultra for a really good price:
https://www.eglobalcentral.com/htc-...3_9_2017)&mc_cid=349967201c&mc_eid=65fe3b8e9c
P.S= I hope this is OK for me to post it here, if not please let me know so that I can remove it ASAP.
Again international model don't have all the bands for USA carriers
joeyac02 said:
Again international model don't have all the bands for USA carriers
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Hey there,
Not that I am 100% sure, but I've called this statement into question in another thread, I'll repost here.
In one of the threads here on XDA, another member suggested he ordered the intl. model and it didnt support the right bands for the USA. Leading me to think there were multiple models.
I'm starting to think there isn't, here is why.
1. Michael Fisher (I think he's in Canada) imported a TW market phone for his early review. It appears to have LTE in the film, and he doesnt mention anything about incompatibilities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIWbn8ecKwA
2. Jeff Springer (I think he's in the USA) imported a HK market phone, it also appears to have LTE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fclOYUyfxnE&t=522s
I believe the belief that the intl. model doesnt support USA bands (2/4, etc) comes from the practice (poor practice, admittedly) for HTC's Taiwanese website to only declare the bands that it perceives are relevant to Taiwanese users. The HK website suggests the same as taiwan = FDD: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28 TDD: B38/B39/B40/B41
The UK / India / USA / AU sites all state - FDD: Bands B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B17/B20/B28TDD: Bands B38/B39/B40/B41
With USA & AU not stating support for dual sim, but HK, TW, India, UK do.
I believe there is only one model (with multiple software variations), and the information published being variable.
I now know there are at least 2 model numbers. U-1u (Taiwan and HK confirmed to use this model, dual sim), and U-1h (single sim, AU and UK confirmed). But given the info above (michael fisher and Jeff Springer both importing the U-1u, and seemingly can connect to north american lte, seems to suggest that the band support for U-1u is wider than the official website specs)
HTC U Ultra - got from imobilephonex
Hey there
I got from New HTC U Ultra form imobilephonex
Really good price & brilliant phone :good:
Here is the breakdown officially from HTC's website. The dual band international version is missing 2, 4, 12 and 17. 17 being the most important one.
So get this I wake up to a text from FedEx saying I have a package coming I didn't order anything else so it's out for delivery! I checked the HTC site and it still says it hasn't been shipped and no tracking number!
It's cheaper on eBay (649) and it's from a US based seller instead of having it shipped from Asia. What is holding me back from this phone is the horrific resale value of HTC and LG products. Once the S8 is announced/released this HTC U Ultra can be purchased for an insane amount less than full retail. Apple and Samsung phones hold their value well even used but unfortunately phones like this are not worth buying new for full retail IMO.
sephstyler said:
Hey there,
Not that I am 100% sure, but I've called this statement into question in another thread, I'll repost here.
In one of the threads here on XDA, another member suggested he ordered the intl. model and it didnt support the right bands for the USA. Leading me to think there were multiple models.
I'm starting to think there isn't, here is why.
1. Michael Fisher (I think he's in Canada) imported a TW market phone for his early review. It appears to have LTE in the film, and he doesnt mention anything about incompatibilities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIWbn8ecKwA
2. Jeff Springer (I think he's in the USA) imported a HK market phone, it also appears to have LTE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fclOYUyfxnE&t=522s
I believe the belief that the intl. model doesnt support USA bands (2/4, etc) comes from the practice (poor practice, admittedly) for HTC's Taiwanese website to only declare the bands that it perceives are relevant to Taiwanese users. The HK website suggests the same as taiwan = FDD: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28 TDD: B38/B39/B40/B41
The UK / India / USA / AU sites all state - FDD: Bands B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B17/B20/B28TDD: Bands B38/B39/B40/B41
With USA & AU not stating support for dual sim, but HK, TW, India, UK do.
I believe there is only one model (with multiple software variations), and the information published being variable.
I now know there are at least 2 model numbers. U-1u (Taiwan and HK confirmed to use this model, dual sim), and U-1h (single sim, AU and UK confirmed). But given the info above (michael fisher and Jeff Springer both importing the U-1u, and seemingly can connect to north american lte, seems to suggest that the band support for U-1u is wider than the official website specs)
Click to expand...
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Having an LTE sign does not mean it supports the entire range of the network.

Hi wondering if the european version will work in us need some advice

hi wonder if the european version of this phone will work good in us?
when looking on network specs on the uk and us page it seems they support same bands and so but the us version is a single sim and the uk one is a dual sim hope somone can give a good answer thanks in advance.
here is the links to the us and uk sites.
https://www.htc.com/us/smartphones/htc-u12-plus/buy/
https://www.htc.com/uk/smartphones/htc-u12-plus-spec/
LennartL said:
hi wonder if the european version of this phone will work good in us?
when looking on network specs on the uk and us page it seems they support same bands and so but the us version is a single sim and the uk one is a dual sim hope somone can give a good answer thanks in advance.
here is the links to the us and uk sites.
https://www.htc.com/us/smartphones/htc-u12-plus/buy/
https://www.htc.com/uk/smartphones/htc-u12-plus-spec/
Click to expand...
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the u12+ is fully unlocked and supports all bands afaik, doesn't matter if dual or single sim. unlocked even supports the carriers and you get the same phone, just different software version. but should work fine
ok are u sure about that ? .Was talking with htc on their chat. but they didn't to make any promises if it will work in us or not. From what i have understood the uk (european) version and the us one has same network capabilities. So in theory the europé version should work on same network as the us one or do i misunderstand ?
LennartL said:
ok are u sure about that ? .Was talking with htc on their chat. but they didn't to make any promises if it will work in us or not. From what i have understood the uk (european) version and the us one has same network capabilities. So in theory the europé version should work on same network as the us one or do i misunderstand ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the bands are complete the same, since it's unlocked anyways and both variants share the same bands for GSM/WCDMA etc, it should be fine. You can always buy the phone and test it and otherwise send it back
Sent from my HTC U12+ using XDA Labs
So since I am in the US and have a US u12+, if I RUU using the Exodus firmware, I should be safe, correct?
I go back and forth between Europe and the US, the U11 works there, the U12+ has more bands available. You won't get band 71, unless someone works out an activation hack and somehow the hardware can still use it, even if not the specific band 71 hardware.
You'll get 4G on ATT, you'll get band 12 4G on T-Mobile. If the carriers lock anything out on non-native devices, I don't know. Also the local municipalities may not have certain bands available, either. Too many variables.
A lot of the confusion comes from Samsung and other companies that uselessly institute the same practices as them- they cripple their phones so they can't be used properly on another continent. I would buy an S10, but will be stuck with Exynos and bands not fully compatible with the US, while the US gets Snapdragon, bands specific for North America, but due to the Snapdragon, has a better chance of having the missing Europe frequencies activated.
The idiots pretty much locked out the frequencies for the other continent that would give one 4G, leaving most all others the same.

Three Network Versions

Hey everyone,
the new Zenfone 6 is amazing, besides the FlipCamera it has nearly everything (big battery, microSD, 3,5 mm headphone,...).
Just one thing irritates me: there are three Versions A, B and C, as one can see here under "Network Standard"
https://www.asus.com/Phone/ZenFone-6-ZS630KL/Tech-Specs/
So can someone tell me what that means? Like if I get the European version A (with Band 20), will I than for instance not be able to use it in the USA for telephone / SMS?! Or just not LTE / can I still use it like on UMTS? No LTE at all or just not certain carriers?
Hope someone can make it clear to me, thanks in advance
You'll be able to use it anywhere, it's just there's slightly less band coverage, so some networks in some countries would be nixed.
See Kimovil.com for network compatibility.
Gearbest currently have the 6GB / 64GB Version C (most bands) for €495.
It means you'll have to be sure to verify you get the version with the bands needed for your particular carrier. You have to be very careful and verify before buying as it seems with the ZenFone 5Z, for example, sellers don't always properly clarify which version they're selling.
You need to find out which of the main bands your phone carrier uses then match them up to one of the versions. I use AT&T prepaid, so for for example I need a phone with coverage for bands 2,4,5,8, and 17 if I recall correctly.
If some bands aren't covered you won't have LTE in that area, as not all areas you're in are using the same network frequency bands. Therefore coverage can get worse when you travel with a phone without full band support.
Checked out the bands available on the Asus site you linked (thank you very much BTW) and it seems they are missing bands 66(extension of band 4) & 71 (600mhz frequency) so it seems like it may work okay on TMobile.
What do you guys think if those two bands are missing? Will it be detrimental to daily use or not really? Currently on an OG Pixel and this Asus offering is looking like a future purchase!!
CDMA (Sprint or Verizon) compatiblity in the US?
Stanto said:
CDMA (Sprint or Verizon) compatiblity in the US?
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Click to collapse
Looks like the C variants might work for you but double check the bands for your carrier Kimovil.com.
mudnightoil said:
See Kimovil.com for network compatibility.
Gearbest currently have the 6GB / 64GB Version C (most bands) for €495.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the hint.
I need Band 20 (O2 Germany), so I can only use Version A (so no B or C for me).
---edit---
I just checked: T-Online and Vodafone use Band 20 and 32 (in Germany), but none of the three versions support both.
MartyM76 said:
If some bands aren't covered you won't have LTE in that area, as not all areas you're in are using the same network frequency bands. Therefore coverage can get worse when you travel with a phone without full band support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, but does it mean I will at least have telephone and SMS in those areas, where the LTE band won't be supported?!
JJ111 said:
Ok, but does it mean I will at least have telephone and SMS in those areas, where the LTE band won't be supported?!
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Click to collapse
Yes, as long at the other bands are supported (which they should be) it will drop to 3G/4G or whatever. That's why people using some Chinese phones for example in the USA can use everything but LTE.
You might
need to check however about VoLTE, I think. I don't have T-Mobile but you should read more about that as I've seen it mentioned in XDA & other places.
---------- Post added at 12:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:48 PM ----------
> Gearbest currently have the 6GB / 64GB Version C (most bands) for €495
I only see the A version there. Where did you find the C version?
This device just hit my radar... looks like we might have an upgrade winner!
For Tmobile US, C model is the way to go. The two highest bands that are missing with this device would get you better signal indoors / less interference, but I am not sure how far along that tech even is.
charlatan01 said:
The two highest bands that are missing with this device would get you better signal indoors / less interference, but I am not sure how far along that tech even is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By highest bands do you mean 66 and 71? The only phones that use band 71 at the moment are Samsung s8 Active and LG V30. I currently have an OG Pixel and it does not use 66 or 71 and I get great coverage in the East coast even when going north into the mountains.
wreq5 said:
By highest bands do you mean 66 and 71? The only phones that use band 71 at the moment are Samsung s8 Active and LG V30. I currently have an OG Pixel and it does not use 66 or 71 and I get great coverage in the East coast even when going north into the mountains.
Click to expand...
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'
Yep, those are the two. Those two are still relatively new, and general Tmo coverage continues to improve here in Colorado.
I imagine that once the phone is sold on the asus.com website that particular variant will support all the main carriers LTE bands. I would be surprised if there were any major issues with that otherwise what's the point of even selling it in the USA?
SantinoInc said:
I imagine that once the phone is sold on the asus.com website that particular variant will support all the main carriers LTE bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, for example in the case of the 5Z I just ordered (to get me by since I desperately need a phone with a better camera & no OLED to cause eye strain) the bands listed for phones at the Asus USA online store cover AT&T properly and to the best of my knowledge T-Mobile as well.
I figured out that they don't list phones there that aren't USA network compatible. I still check, regardless, just to feel 100% sure but that's what I found.
It's the 3rd party sellers you really need to be careful about and always verify.
The OnePlus 7 pro has bands 66 and 71.
This probably would have been my first choice until I noticed the different versions. With more and more manufacturers choosing to release single, global bands phones, I really don't understand why Asus insist on continuing to release regional versions of their phones.
Back in the days when everyone made regional models, I had the Padfone Infinity 2 and it was a great phone (until a late OTA release have it the new ZenUI, which was promptly removed). After reading that the latest ZenUI 6 has been slimmed down to an almost stock Android experience, I thought it might once again be similar to what Asus provided before ZenUI came along and that I can now once again consider Asus phones. Wrong!
I spend time in both Europe and Asia and there is no version that covers both areas major LTE bands. So Asus will have to remain on the list of phones to ignore.
Robbo.5000 said:
This probably would have been my first choice until I noticed the different versions. With more and more manufacturers choosing to release single, global bands phones, I really don't understand why Asus insist on continuing to release regional versions of their phones.
Back in the days when everyone made regional models, I had the Padfone Infinity 2 and it was a great phone (until a late OTA release have it the new ZenUI, which was promptly removed). After reading that the latest ZenUI 6 has been slimmed down to an almost stock Android experience, I thought it might once again be similar to what Asus provided before ZenUI came along and that I can now once again consider Asus phones. Wrong!
I spend time in both Europe and Asia and there is no version that covers both areas major LTE bands. So Asus will have to remain on the list of phones to ignore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the same position. The C version covers everything I need except for Band 20 which is a necessity throughout Europe. The A version has Bamd 20 but won't work on US LTE. They did the same thing with the Zenfone 2 and inexplicably mixed up the bands regionally. I'll stick with my NexS for now but keep an eye on this phone in case the Limited edition they usually release solves the problem.
prestonmcafee said:
The OnePlus 7 pro has bands 66 and 71.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want the OP7. This isn't the OP7 forum.

Korean version in the US

Has anyone heard about whether the Korean version of the Fold 2 would work in the US? I am thinking about picking one up in Korea but wondering if I will have issues in the US, especially with bands.
lte bands shouldn't be an issue to unlock, 5g bands though are at this point a no go in us.
This is based on my f9160 and YMMV but should be able to be tweaked the same.

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