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Hello
I'm looking at replacing my S4 with an S7. My carrier in the US is AT&T and that won't be changing. I've been looking at different unlocked versions and can't find a solid representation of what the real world differences are. I know they have different processors. Some say a band is missing, but does that matter. I don't use android or samsung pay, but i know there is a difference here too. I found one comment about some kind of samsung 'coverage' plan, but what is that?
Best Buy has US unlocked phones for about $700. B&H Photo has an International phone for about $640. Its a lot of money either way. Is one phone really better or different than that other?
I am planning a trip through Canada and maybe to Europe. I assume either would take a SIM from those areas and I could avoid getting raped by international fees.
Here is a summary of question I can think of:
Does the US unlocked phone from BestBuy have a warranty or insurance or anything like that?
Can the US phone be rooted. I only do this to remove apps I don't use.
Is the hardware one vs the other really better or just different?
Does a dual SIM do anything useful?
Does a band being missing make a real world difference?
Is there a good comparison somewhere to that can decide on a phone to purchase?
It comes with a limited warranty as stated on their site:
"This device is not warrantied through the manufacturer. This device has a limited 1 year warranty provided by CCR Warranty. To obtain technical or warranty assistance, please contact CCR Warranty at 866-579-8436."
What I don't know is how useful/limited that warranty is. I'd like the HTC 10 but the unlocked S7 is my runner up, and the warranty issue is one of the major factors in my hesitation.
I do believe it can be rooted.
As far as I know, through research, the only major difference between the two is battery life.
Hello, I'll just go straight to the answers.
1. I'm going to assume that if you go through a carrier (att, t-mobile etc etc.) they will offer an insurance plan. You will have to go to third party insurance for the international version
2. As far I know, the US version does not have a root option yet. Because of the locked bootloader.
3. Hardware will depend on which version you choose. Both are very good.
4. Dual sim is as the name implies, you'll be able to use 2 separate sim cards with their respective #s. that's the only benefit really.
5. Missing radio bands is something you may have to do some research on depending your location.
6. I'm sure YouTube or some online site will have some reviews/comparison of both.
I just looked at the best buy website again and something is different. The S7 listed for $690 is definitely the international version and not the US version. When I looked last month I was positive that the phone was listed as a US phone ... huh
A little late
a little late to the thread but just wanted to share what I learned while researching the matter.
There is an US unlocked version of the S7 (g930u) and available through a few places (Best Buy, B&H, Ebay). It goes for $679.99 retail and I have not been able to find one that goes for less. Probably because it just came out end of June. The biggest benefit of it is that it has a bunch of bands and CDMA-compatible. Thus, you can get full connection with AT&T and TMobile. Downside is no wifi calling or VOLTE (as those seem to be locked by the carriers to their own phones).
The international versions (930f/930fd) are both available on Ebay/Swappa for about $500. Upside are that they have the Exnyos chip and no bloatware. You can also root and flash them with new ROM. Another thing is that you get updates earlier. I got Marshmallow on my s6 a month or so before AT&T released its update. Downsides are no Samsung Pay or WiFi Calling/VOLTE and the biggie...missing bands. I had a g920i and it was missing support for bands 29 and 30 on AT&T...this led to poor LTE and indoor reception at times. I would have to turn on/off the mobile data switch sometimes to get good connection.
Finally, we have carrier based versions, which loads you down with bloatware and has the Snapdragon chip. But, it does support all features of your carrier. Slower updates also an issue and lack of support of all bands internationally are additional drawbacks. Cost is also about $500.
Personally, I am going with an unlocked 930a. Bloatware sucks but I can delete or disable almost all of them. Snapdragon seems pretty powerful to me. Samsung Pay, Wifi Calling, and Band support are just too important for me. Note, make sure you ask the seller on Ebay/Swappa about whether the phone is unlocked.
Hope that helps.
I did a lot of research into this before buying my S7 but was kind of screwed since I'm on Verizon (CDMA)...
Since you're on AT&T you have more options.
There are two different processors in the two different models, Snapdragon 820 in the US CDMA capable and an Eyxnos in the International GSM ONLY phone.
After doing my research, I personally recommend the Eyxnos, which I couldn't get :/
If for nothing else, better battery life, by far. Do some research into the comparison between the two.
However! When buying from Best Buy be careful!
Last I checked, on their website, the black/onyx S7 was an unlocked US Snapdragon 820 phone.... while strangely enough the other two, gold and silver? were both unlocked US (actually international) Eyxnos phones.
Also, last I checked Samsung themselves only sell the CDMA snapdragon processor model to the US.
Unless Best Buy made a mistake listing the Eyxnos processor, it is the only way to get that model without buying an "internationally sourced" phone on ebay.
Just a few notes:
1) The G930u is fully compatible with all the US Carriers
2) VoLTE works on both T-Mobile and Verizon
3) Wi-Fi Calling works on T-Mobile and potentially Verizon (but I am not positive about Verizon).
The big downside to the G930u is that for whatever reason it is not receiving updates from Samsung when its branded siblings are.
Where are all the people that will be using the exynos variant in the US? I have been using international unlocked (F models) sammy phones since the s6 and I plan on sticking to this model. Where you guys ordering from? I usually get it from ebay (usually never-msrp) but it seems I might have to hold on a little longer as $970 for an 8+ is a little high.
I ordered from SamsungUK.. lets see if they honor the order.
i am checking into this place.
https://www.clove.co.uk/samsung-galaxy-s8-plus
It's that site correct that the F must first be activated in the E E A?
I'll wait for the Duos version a month later from start shipping, I'm using exynos galaxy/notes from the note 2 .
biship said:
It's that site correct that the F must first be activated in the E E A?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure. i've never bought intl phone.
I have written to the samsung UK web page and they told me the sim free phone is "locked" to unnlocked you muts make a 5 minut call to a number but from the place the phone was intended to sell, the UK
When you do the checkout on Clove store, you can choose this option: "Samsung’s region lock stops use of this handset within your chosen country unless activated with a European SIM. I agree for Clove Technology to break the seal on the box, activate the phone and remove the region lock by completing a 5 minute call on the handset."
biship said:
It's that site correct that the F must first be activated in the E E A?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clove is great and I ordered a S8+ from them too. I've ordered previous phones and accessories from them. They ship DHL overnight. Yes, EU phones are equipped with region lock to prevent them from being used outside their assigned selling region. You have to make a 5 minute phone call using a SIM from the phone's home region to unlock it. That's what Clove's doing for their international customers.
There are pros to buying from authorized resellers like Clove. EU phones have a two year warranty and Clove will act as a middleman on your behalf to get warranty work done if your phone ever needs it. You send it to them and they manage it through getting repaired and sent back to you. Having a "real" BTU phone is great for those that don't want to screw around with ODIN and multi-CSC to get updates. BTU is typically one of the first EU regions to get updates. We in the U.S. are lucky to get two for the life of the phone.
Only possible downside is getting Samsung Pay working since the framework isn't pre-installed as the UK doesn't currently support Samsung Pay. I've read the forums and some have gotten some of the features of Samsung Pay working on the S7-series but it's not a guarantee. I have a pre-order with AT&T and an order with Clove. I'm still debating which to go with primarily because I'm a heavy Samsung Pay user.
biship said:
It's that site correct that the F must first be activated in the E E A?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doubt it. Every year on release there is this region lock, but when I get my phones, they're never region locked.
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
BarryH_GEG said:
Clove is great and I ordered a S8+ from them too. I've ordered previous phones and accessories from them. They ship DHL overnight. Yes, EU phones are equipped with region lock to prevent them from being used outside their assigned selling region. You have to make a 5 minute phone call using a SIM from the phone's home region to unlock it. That's what Clove's doing for their international customers.
There are pros to buying from authorized resellers like Clove. EU phones have a two year warranty and Clove will act as a middleman on your behalf to get warranty work done if your phone ever needs it. You send it to them and they manage it through getting repaired and sent back to you. Having a "real" BTU phone is great for those that don't want to screw around with ODIN and multi-CSC to get updates. BTU is typically one of the first EU regions to get updates. We in the U.S. are lucky to get two for the life of the phone.
Only possible downside is getting Samsung Pay working since the framework isn't pre-installed as the UK doesn't currently support Samsung Pay. I've read the forums and some have gotten some of the features of Samsung Pay working on the S7-series but it's not a guarantee. I have a pre-order with AT&T and an order with Clove. I'm still debating which to go with primarily because I'm a heavy Samsung Pay user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh this sounds more like it. I've never had to deal with region lock..
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
osmosizzz said:
Where are all the people that will be using the exynos variant in the US? I have been using international unlocked (F models) sammy phones since the s6 and I plan on sticking to this model. Where you guys ordering from? I usually get it from ebay (usually never-msrp) but it seems I might have to hold on a little longer as $970 for an 8+ is a little high.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Question. Do you ever get samsung pay to work on those models ?. or samsung pay is something you never really use or cared for ?
BarryH_GEG said:
Clove is great and I ordered a S8+ from them too. I've ordered previous phones and accessories from them. They ship DHL overnight. Yes, EU phones are equipped with region lock to prevent them from being used outside their assigned selling region. You have to make a 5 minute phone call using a SIM from the phone's home region to unlock it. That's what Clove's doing for their international customers.
There are pros to buying from authorized resellers like Clove. EU phones have a two year warranty and Clove will act as a middleman on your behalf to get warranty work done if your phone ever needs it. You send it to them and they manage it through getting repaired and sent back to you. Having a "real" BTU phone is great for those that don't want to screw around with ODIN and multi-CSC to get updates. BTU is typically one of the first EU regions to get updates. We in the U.S. are lucky to get two for the life of the phone.
Only possible downside is getting Samsung Pay working since the framework isn't pre-installed as the UK doesn't currently support Samsung Pay. I've read the forums and some have gotten some of the features of Samsung Pay working on the S7-series but it's not a guarantee. I have a pre-order with AT&T and an order with Clove. I'm still debating which to go with primarily because I'm a heavy Samsung Pay user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got a samsung watch and use samsung pay through it with a Nexus 6P. Think I would be able to do the same with the S8? I use android pay also, so not being able to use samsung pay would not be a deal breaker.
The thing has has me confused about clove is that the device seems to be good bit less expensive than anywhere else. Cost for the S8+ with shipping is only 665 GBP ($829) as opposed to 779 GBP ($971) from Samsung UK site. Is that correct?
luch4galaxy said:
Question. Do you ever get samsung pay to work on those models ?. or samsung pay is something you never really use or cared for ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I never got Samsung pay to work on the international model. But recently I think they got it to work on the s7 edge somehow.
luch4galaxy said:
Question. Do you ever get samsung pay to work on those models ?. or samsung pay is something you never really use or cared for ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
PuffinNugz said:
I've got a samsung watch and use samsung pay through it with a Nexus 6P. Think I would be able to do the same with the S8? I use android pay also, so not being able to use samsung pay would not be a deal breaker.
The thing has has me confused about clove is that the device seems to be good bit less expensive than anywhere else. Cost for the S8+ with shipping is only 665 GBP ($829) as opposed to 779 GBP ($971) from Samsung UK site. Is that correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just checked clover and the price they showed me was 970 usd once I converted it (771 British pounds). That includes vat and shipping.
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
osmosizzz said:
I just checked clover and the price they showed me was 970 usd once I converted it (771 British pounds). That includes vat and shipping.
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I selected US for shipping, it automatically deleted the VAT option and lowered to 665 pounds. What exactly is VAT and why would I want it?
Nevermind, I see it's a tax, but it removed itself when I selected the US.
PuffinNugz said:
When I selected US for shipping, it automatically deleted the VAT option and lowered to 665 pounds. What exactly is VAT and why would I want it?
Nevermind, I see it's a tax, but it removed itself when I selected the US.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just did it on my Computer and you're right..its cheaper than anywhere else. I may just pick it up now
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
Just a Newbee question here in regards to using the international models in the US. I am guessing that these international phone can only support GSM here in the US - no LTE on any US carrier.
I get that the international boot loader might be unlocked, and the international phones seem to come carrier unlocked. But if you don't travel international all the time and just live in the US - don't you guy miss the LTE speeds? Or is there any international models that support say ATT LTE bands?
The phone says it supports: LTE Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 17(700), 20(800), 28(700)
And ATT Uses 2, 4, 5, 17 1900, 1700 abcde, 700 bc
So would the internation phone support ATT LTE?
Flame Red said:
Just a Newbee question here in regards to using the international models in the US. I am guessing that these international phone can only support GSM here in the US - no LTE on any US carrier.
I get that the international boot loader might be unlocked, and the international phones seem to come carrier unlocked. But if you don't travel international all the time and just live in the US - don't you guy miss the LTE speeds? Or is there any international models that support say ATT LTE bands?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LTE works.
PuffinNugz said:
LTE works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the education! I usually buy TMOB as in the past they have unlocked bootloaders and LTE works on ATT. But if I read the tea leaves correctly, TMOB might be changing that for the S8. I guess no one knows for sure yet for the S8, but generally speaking, have the boot loaders on past Sammy international models usually unlocked?
The axynos ones are cheap on ebay, but I can also buy an unlocked US version from Samsungs website.
Can you advice me on this?
I'm coming from the LG V20 side with the unlocked US996 model, and just looked at the non-existent G6 forums so please keep it in mind as I say this: I will never ever ever buy a major branded Android phone unlocked, ever again.
Signed, a likely future S8+ owner
midwhiteflava said:
I'm coming from the LG V20 side with the unlocked US996 model, and just looked at the non-existent G6 forums so please keep it in mind as I say this: I will never ever ever buy a major branded Android phone unlocked, ever again.
Signed, a likely future S8+ owner
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
? Why ???
The exynos have an unlocked bootloader, the "unlocked" other version only has unlocked sim. The exynos will allow root, however root trips knox, and therefore breaks Samsung Pay.
I'm using a UK version and it's pretty flawless. Samsung Pay works out of the box. I bought it from a UK authorized reseller so its got a two year warranty (in the UK - I pay to ship it there) and BTU is typically in front of the line for updates. It has no bloatware but none of the unlocked versions do. I had a AT&T version first and the Exynos version seems a tad more fluid and responsive.
It has all AT&T's LTE bands except for 30 and gets better LTE speeds than the AT&T version. Do a search, there's a thread on it.
I'm going to sell it when the Note8 comes out and it was cheaper to buy outright and will fetch more when I resell it. I liked it so much I bought a EU LTE Tab S3 to keep it company. It doesn't do VoLTE or Wi-Fi calling but that too is common to unlocked phones.
BarryH_GEG said:
I'm using a UK version and it's pretty flawless. Samsung Pay works out of the box. I bought it from a UK authorized reseller so its got a two year warranty (in the UK - I pay to ship it there) and BTU is typically in front of the line for updates. It has no bloatware but none of the unlocked versions do. I had a AT&T version first and the Exynos version seems a tad more fluid and responsive.
It has all AT&T's LTE bands except for 30 and gets better LTE speeds than the AT&T version. Do a search, there's a thread on it.
I'm going to sell it when the Note8 comes out and it was cheaper to buy outright and will fetch more when I resell it. I liked it so much I bought a EU LTE Tab S3 to keep it company. It doesn't do VoLTE or Wi-Fi calling but that too is common to unlocked phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to get a phone with a care plan . Is there something like that in the states?
Hey Guys,
What would you recommend as the best model of the Note 20 Ultra to get? I have access to purchase the US unlocked, the International unlocked or the Korean Unlocked variant. I was concerned about using SamsungPay, yet I think I will let that ship sail. I am more concerned about overall performance and value. I will not be rooting. I use to for years on here, yet have not done so for the last 4 Note models. Just can't decided which would be the best one to purchase. Yet I need to get my pre-order in soon. I currently live in Japan. What are you thoughts?
cezeff said:
Hey Guys,
What would you recommend as the best model of the Note 20 Ultra to get? I have access to purchase the US unlocked, the International unlocked or the Korean Unlocked variant. I was concerned about using SamsungPay, yet I think I will let that ship sail. I am more concerned about overall performance and value. I will not be rooting. I use to for years on here, yet have not done so for the last 4 Note models. Just can't decided which would be the best one to purchase. Yet I need to get my pre-order in soon. I currently live in Japan. What are you thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my recommendation would be to get the version which has all the required bands to work well in Japan.
That said i would not get the international one though because it has the crappy exynos 990 in it.
both US and Korean variants have the snapdragon 865+. i known rooting doesnt matter but just for information the US and Canadian models cannot be rooted due to the locked bootloader
force70 said:
my recommendation would be to get the version which has all the required bands to work well in Japan.
That said i would not get the international one though because it has the crappy exynos 990 in it.
both US and Korean variants have the snapdragon 865+. i known rooting doesnt matter but just for information the US and Canadian models cannot be rooted due to the locked bootloader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply. Both the Korean and the US variant would work the same for LTE here... I'm going with the Korean version as it has twice the storage for the same price.... If for some crazy reason I do root it later, it looks like it would be doable with the Korean model in flashing a generic worldwide wide rom(?).. It seems there was pretty healthy development on the snapdragon Korean version of the note 10 plus...I don't think that I will ever push it has enough to fully use the chipset, yet it's a good piece of mind to have when spending so much money, that you got the best performance you can buy.... because any variant isn't 100% completely compatible with all the LTE bands in Japan, I would feel better getting the chipset that has the best energy efficiency as well... I'll be going with mystic white as it give me the greatest flexibility in swapping skins and cases, plus the grey framed camera bump looks better in my opinion
force70 said:
my recommendation would be to get the version which has all the required bands to work well in Japan.
That said i would not get the international one though because it has the crappy exynos 990 in it.
both US and Korean variants have the snapdragon 865+. i known rooting doesnt matter but just for information the US and Canadian models cannot be rooted due to the locked bootloader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am stuck in this too, live in Canada
I need Dual SIM ( not avail for North American version )
I need rooting
I checked but the HK bands dont work for my carriers 5G
So - should I buy a Note 20 Ultra with Exynos? where I am not getting its worth OR go for a Note 10 + instead International but with Exynos for $1200 CAD
inningsdefeat500 said:
I am stuck in this too, live in Canada
I need Dual SIM ( not avail for North American version )
I need rooting
I checked but the HK bands dont work for my carriers 5G
So - should I buy a Note 20 Ultra with Exynos? where I am not getting its worth OR go for a Note 10 + instead International but with Exynos for $1200 CAD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely wouldnt buy exynos this year..the 990 is total crap.
last year the snapdragon was still better but I don't think the performance margin was a big.
what carrier you with?
inningsdefeat500 said:
I am stuck in this too, live in Canada
I need Dual SIM ( not avail for North American version )
I need rooting
I checked but the HK bands dont work for my carriers 5G
So - should I buy a Note 20 Ultra with Exynos? where I am not getting its worth OR go for a Note 10 + instead International but with Exynos for $1200 CAD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me 5G is nice, yet not super important due to the fact Japan just turned on 5G for commercial use 2 months ago and still have yet to flesh it out properly. NTT Docomo, the largest of the 3 carriers, expects only 2.5 million subscribers by March 2021... In short I'm saying how much access will you have to 5G in your area?... Is it top priority if you are getting great speeds on LTE already?
I went with the HK version over the Korean version for the dual sim capability....
As far as rooting I think both the HK and Korean versions were enjoying some success on the Note 10+ forums... You might want to check how things went with rooting development on those models , with expectations for probably the same level of support
So I ordered the ROG Phone 5 Tencent version by mistake and I couldn't cancel it in time before they shipped it. I tried out the phone upon receiving it even though I had already read about the issues with 5G connectivity in the US. Testing out the bands with LTE Connectivity it obviously will not connect to any of T-Mobile's 5G bands in the US and on top it will only connect band 4 of tmobiles 4GLTE which is quite slower than band 66. I tested it side by side with my old Galaxy Note 8 and the note 8 was consistently getting better speeds of about 60/5 on band 66 while the tencent ROG phone 5 was only getting about 25-30 download at most on band 4. I promptly created a return order and bought the international version from NGP.
So in summary for those wondering, the tencent ROG phone 5 does not have the bands needed for a phone at this price point.
Check out this link for an accurate list of bands for the China version and then the international version.
Will Asus Rog Phone 5 work in USA?
In this page we are going to show you the compatibility of Asus Rog Phone 5 with the mobile networks of USA and with the telephony operators that provide service in USA.
www.kimovil.com
I will be receiving my international version in 2 days and will be testing the mobile bands in the Los Angeles area. Hoping for 5G!!
Please let us know of your findings as im getting ready to buy the international version from the same place! and am also using T-Mobile
Also, does anyone have an info on an official USA launch? (not carrier held but like ASUS selling the phone on the USA e store website)
A how to guide for getting bad service?
Rotary88 said:
So I ordered the ROG Phone 5 Tencent version by mistake and I couldn't cancel it in time before they shipped it. I tried out the phone upon receiving it even though I had already read about the issues with 5G connectivity in the US. Testing out the bands with LTE Connectivity it obviously will not connect to any of T-Mobile's 5G bands in the US and on top it will only connect band 4 of tmobiles 4GLTE which is quite slower than band 66. I tested it side by side with my old Galaxy Note 8 and the note 8 was consistently getting better speeds of about 60/5 on band 66 while the tencent ROG phone 5 was only getting about 25-30 download at most on band 4. I promptly created a return order and bought the international version from NGP.
So in summary for those wondering, the tencent ROG phone 5 does not have the bands needed for a phone at this price point.
Check out this link for an accurate list of bands for the China version and then the international version.
Will Asus Rog Phone 5 work in USA?
In this page we are going to show you the compatibility of Asus Rog Phone 5 with the mobile networks of USA and with the telephony operators that provide service in USA.
www.kimovil.com
I will be receiving my international version in 2 days and will be testing the mobile bands in the Los Angeles area. Hoping for 5G!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't the tencent version support SA 71? T-Mobile recently added that frequency I believe unless I misunderstood
chairman011 said:
Doesn't the tencent version support SA 71? T-Mobile recently added that frequency I believe unless I misunderstood
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's going to be hit or miss, depending on location.
So I ordered the international version literally 2 days before the USA version came out to just find out that it's the exact same **** as the Tencent version. NO 5G on T-Mobile and it uses the slowest bands for 4GLTE. My LTE speed in the LA area is an abysmal 27mb download and a 9mb upload. What an absolute nightmare this has been. The one time I try to go something besides Samsung or Apple.
Does anyone know what the restocking fee's are on these returns?
Rotary88 said:
So I ordered the international version literally 2 days before the USA version came out to just find out that it's the exact same **** as the Tencent version. NO 5G on T-Mobile and it uses the slowest bands for 4GLTE. My LTE speed in the LA area is an abysmal 27mb download and a 9mb upload. What an absolute nightmare this has been. The one time I try to go something besides Samsung or Apple.
Does anyone know what the restocking fee's are on these returns?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i thought it says its nothing if the return is because youre having connection/network issues, i just ordered the USA version, ill let you know how that one behaves when it arrives on saturday
i have a new sim card waiting for the phone when it arrives (supposedly you need a new sim to use 5g on tmobile)
twistedumbrella said:
It's going to be hit or miss, depending on location.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True that. I have the Tencent on Metro I get LTE but no 5g, I love this phone I have no issues with it but 5G would be awesome. They say they use the same service but really they don't they're both different frequencies I'm eager to try that new T-Mobile SIM card though since my phone is dual SIM I think I might go ahead and get the T-Mobile service with the SIM card I'll report back that you guys know how it goes thinking about doing it this coming week.
Trickster29 said:
i thought it says its nothing if the return is because youre having connection/network issues, i just ordered the USA version, ill let you know how that one behaves when it arrives on saturday
i have a new sim card waiting for the phone when it arrives (supposedly you need a new sim to use 5g on tmobile)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
· Failure of network compatibility in the area – customers are responsible to contact their service provider for the availability of compatible network in the area prior to purchasing the phone. If unfortunately you have no network due to this reason, you can return the phone with 15% restocking fee of the item price if it is in its original condition.
Shipping and Returns
ngpstoreusa.com
Amazon.com Seller Profile: NGP STORE USA
NGP_STORE_USA Store - Newegg.com
Checkout NGP_STORE_USA’s Seller Profile.! Get the latest deals from Seller Profile. all with faster shipping and excellent customer services
www.newegg.com
Rotary88 said:
So I ordered the international version literally 2 days before the USA version came out to just find out that it's the exact same **** as the Tencent version. NO 5G on T-Mobile and it uses the slowest bands for 4GLTE. My LTE speed in the LA area is an abysmal 27mb download and a 9mb upload. What an absolute nightmare this has been. The one time I try to go something besides Samsung or Apple.
Does anyone know what the restocking fee's are on these returns?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the international version is basically the same as the US version without warranty coverage.
If they are the same, it doesn't make sense to eat the restocking fee then. Rotary88, are you using a current SIM like the other user mentioned? Hopefully when they get their phone and test on saturday they get better results.
I purchased mine from the US store this morning (I don't need 512gb storage or 18gb ram, and the other extras will never get used lol). The price point of the tencent versions are attractive for sure but I have heard nothing but issues around the WW converted models.
If it turns out that all versions (US, international, CN) have the same issues maybe I will return the US and save some dollars.
I'm just rambling here, good luck Rotary88
twistedumbrella said:
· Failure of network compatibility in the area – customers are responsible to contact their service provider for the availability of compatible network in the area prior to purchasing the phone. If unfortunately you have no network due to this reason, you can return the phone with 15% restocking fee of the item price if it is in its original condition.
Shipping and Returns
ngpstoreusa.com
Amazon.com Seller Profile: NGP STORE USA
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Actually, the international version is basically the same as the US version without warranty coverage.
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ah must have remembered wrong. i don't think they're the same bandwise, for instance from what i understand the international is the C variant and doesn't support band 71 or 66 but this is listed as supported on the USA e-store for the USA phone. in fact every band except the mmWave that both ATT and T-Mobile use is listed on the USA versions purchase page
i did simply my check tho and ignored the fact that the shop page doesn't list 2g/3g/5g bands explicitly and just checked for a matching number, but i imagine thats what they meant, considering the page was just created and for example maybe they found theres no need to list n41 and 41 essentially listing 41 twice.
i have no phone atm, which maybe you can tell since my posts lack any auto correct, so really hoping for the best
either way i have a USA version coming on saturday and ill let everyone know of the results
So I just swapped out my old sim for a new T-Mobile SIM and its the same result with the international and also tencent variant ASUS_I005DA. Even though version A supposedly supports all the right bands, No T-Mobile 5G and also crippled LTE. This seems like something to do with their network simply not recognizing the device or allowing it to use other bands. After doing some research it seems the device also has to be carrier supported in order to connect to their extended LTE and 5G bands.
From what I've read here on the forums, calling them is a waste of time. I guess all I can do is wait to see if even the US "variants" get 5G/LTE but I somehow am doubting it since they seem identical to the international variant. I'm stuck with a $1000 gimped phone until T-Mobile decides to support it on their network.
Rotary88 said:
So I just swapped out my old sim for a new T-Mobile SIM and its the same result with the international and also tencent variant ASUS_I005DA. Even though version A supposedly supports all the right bands, No T-Mobile 5G and also crippled LTE. This seems like something to do with their network simply not recognizing the device or allowing it to use other bands. After doing some research it seems the device also has to be carrier supported in order to connect to their extended LTE and 5G bands.
From what I've read here on the forums, calling them is a waste of time. I guess all I can do is wait to see if even the US "variants" get 5G/LTE but I somehow am doubting it since they seem identical to the international variant. I'm stuck with a $1000 gimped phone until T-Mobile decides to support it on their network.
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strange because according to asus the I005DA is not the A version but the G version. The version i believe is on the box not the model.
PhoneBots said:
strange because according to asus the I005DA is not the A version but the G version. The version i believe is on the box not the model.
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Did you contact ASUS ? do you have and official documentation / site where they say which version is tencent / Global / US ?
I had bought the tencent version - i005DA was mentioned prominently in the packaging.. and 'tencent games' was printed on the back of the phone.
Neither T-mobile nor AT&T worked reliably - actually I was barely ever getting a signal.
I returned that.one . .and got myself a global variant - asus_i005DC is mentioned in the packaging.
Now everything works fine - I have seen the 5G symbol, but not really great speeds, but that could be because of my area.
arun_suresh said:
Did you contact ASUS ? do you have and official documentation / site where they say which version is tencent / Global / US ?
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https://zentalk.asus.com/en/discussion/47006/which-version-does-asus-rog-5-model-i005da-map-to i think this is where he found it, see last post (you can press the back button if it asks you to create acct or sign in and it wont ask again and will allow you to read)
this would imply the last letter in the model number is not necessarily the version the phone corresponds to, for every model even your asus_i005DC
Trickster29 said:
https://zentalk.asus.com/en/discussion/47006/which-version-does-asus-rog-5-model-i005da-map-to i think this is where he found it, see last post (you can press the back button if it asks you to create acct or sign in and it wont ask again and will allow you to read)
this would imply the last letter in the model number is not necessarily the version the phone corresponds to, for every model even your asus_i005DC
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That's exactly it.
At this point I'm waiting to see if the one they sell on Asus dot com is any better than the global version sold on aliexpress or if I should go all in on -300$ less
PhoneBots said:
That's exactly it.
At this point I'm waiting to see if the one they sell on Asus dot com is any better than the global version sold on aliexpress or if I should go all in on -300$ less
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$300 less means a Tencent flashed to WW, or at least it did for mine. The idiot seller didn't realize the bands aren't controlled by the software, but PayPal called it "materially similar" and denied the refund. Oh well.
PhoneBots said:
That's exactly it.
At this point I'm waiting to see if the one they sell on Asus dot com is any better than the global version sold on aliexpress or if I should go all in on -300$ less
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well ill find out if the USA version on asus.com is better literally tomorrow and ill post the update here. i imagine it is now that i understand the versions don't follow model number.
twistedumbrella said:
$300 less means a Tencent flashed to WW, or at least it did for mine. The idiot didn't realize the bands aren't controlled by the software, but PayPal called it "materially similar" and denied the refund. Oh well.
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I was looking more at the global version rather than the ROM