Sprint S 4 ve awill it have a GSM sim card for LTE like the HTC one? - Sprint Samsung Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshoot

Hey guys. Was just curious if anybody has information on whether the S4 will have the LTE sim card like the HTC one or will it have an embedded LTE card like the note 2? I ask because of my work, I live in NY for one month, and then in the caribbean for one month, and back and forth and back and forth. My current phone is the Photon 4G which has the international sim card slot in it, so its easy with that phone. Any help would be appreciated.

It has a sim card right next to the sd card slot behind the phone. Sim is removable as well, I heard rumors that sprint was going to weld it to the mothboard. But it pops in and out really easy.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

spawn11587 said:
Hey guys. Was just curious if anybody has information on whether the S4 will have the LTE sim card like the HTC one or will it have an embedded LTE card like the note 2? I ask because of my work, I live in NY for one month, and then in the caribbean for one month, and back and forth and back and forth. My current phone is the Photon 4G which has the international sim card slot in it, so its easy with that phone. Any help would be appreciated.
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Click to collapse
Yes it does have a removable SIM. See this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2249385
May I ask which carrier do you use your Photon with in the Caribbean and on which Island? I ask this because the bands the One and S4 support are not exactly the same ones as the Photon does.

myphone12345 said:
Yes it does have a removable SIM. See this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2249385
May I ask which carrier do you use your Photon with in the Caribbean and on which Island? I ask this because the bands the One and S4 support are not exactly the same ones as the Photon does.
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Click to collapse
Hey man, thank you for the reply.
I go to medical school on the island of Antigua, and currently have my Sprint/Motorola photon 4G with me and have had it since the beginning. I use the cell phone provider called LIME (or Cable and Wireless- depending on who talks about it, and it is GSM). LIME operates on 850 MHz band primarily and 1800 MHz in certain areas on the island, Will the sprint galaxy S4 work fine here?
There is another provider called DIGICEL which utilizes the 900 MHz band.

I am willing to bet that one of the devs here will find a way to unlock it for use in the states. Just a matter of time.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

spawn11587 said:
Hey man, thank you for the reply.
...
Will the sprint galaxy S4 work fine here?
...
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Click to collapse
That depends... Do those providers support 3G (UMTS/WCDMA/HSPA) or are they 2G only?

myphone12345 said:
That depends... Do those providers support 3G (UMTS/WCDMA/HSPA) or are they 2G only?
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Click to collapse
I would say its more of a 2G speed. But they advertise it as 3G

spawn11587 said:
I would say its more of a 2G speed. But they advertise it as 3G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The answer then is, maybe...
For some completely inexplicable reason, it appears that sprint has intentionally disabled the UMTS 850 MHz band on the S4 (and apparently HTC One too) for use worldwide (i.e., not just in the US as they normally do). This band is available in the a photon 4G though. So, if those carriers have deployed UMTS 850 (as many GSM 850 carriers across the world have) then you could very well have a problem, particularly with data speeds. The phone does not have support (disabled or otherwise) for UMTS 900 but neither did the Photon, plus, UMTS 900 tends to be a bit less deployed compared to UMTS 850 anyway. As I said in my the linked thread, I plan on starting a thread on this issue specifically at some point soon.
For 2G GSM the phone is fine though as it is quadband (like the Photon is). We're talking some painfully slow data speeds on 2G however. For 3G GSM, the phone does support UMTS 1900 and 2100.

myphone12345 said:
The answer then is, maybe...
For some completely inexplicable reason, it appears that sprint has intentionally disabled the UMTS 850 MHz band on the S4 (and apparently HTC One too) for use worldwide (i.e., not just in the US as they normally do). This band is available in the a photon 4G though. So, if those carriers have deployed UMTS 850 (as many GSM 850 carriers across the world have) then you could very well have a problem, particularly with data speeds. The phone does not have support (disabled or otherwise) for UMTS 900 but neither did the Photon, plus, UMTS 900 tends to be a bit less deployed compared to UMTS 850 anyway. As I said in my the linked thread, I plan on starting a thread on this issue specifically at some point soon.
For 2G GSM the phone is fine though as it is quadband (like the Photon is). We're talking some painfully slow data speeds on 2G however. For 3G GSM, the phone does support UMTS 1900 and 2100.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there anyway for me to determine with my photon what frequency the data is coming in on?

spawn11587 said:
Is there anyway for me to determine with my photon what frequency the data is coming in on?
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Click to collapse
Yeah, that's a problem because I believe Sprint disabled the field test menu (##778#) on the Photon. Also, I don't think the Android SDK provides that info to apps so you couldn't install the an app that will tell you that. You could install one of the many mobile network monitor apps on the play store which I would think at least would tell you if you are on GSM or UMTS/WCDMA/HSPA. If you are on UMTS on the Photon there then I'd say there's a good chance you're on 850. That is what LIME's "4G" service in the Bahamas runs on for example.
Anyhoo,let us know what you find out.
EDIT: I think the commonly used ookla "Speed Test" app will also tell you if you are on GSM or UMTS under location:network if you click on one of the test results in history. That migh be you best way of telling. You still won't be able to tell which frequency you're on unfortunately.

Called Lime...and the best they had for me was that they operate on GSM 850/1800/1900 MHz and GPRS data. Not sure if that helps. but I couldnt get any of the programs to function to show if the photon is GSM or UTMS
So I searched a bit for information and found that
LIME - GPRS,GSM - 2G:850 MHz.
According to here http://m2msupport.net/m2msupport/lime-antigua-and-barbuda-m2m-modules-certification-sim-data-plans/
So I am assuming that the S4 will work just like the photon, or am I wrong?

spawn11587 said:
Called Lime...and the best they had for me was that they operate on GSM 850/1800/1900 MHz and GPRS data. Not sure if that helps. but I couldnt get any of the programs to function to show if the photon is GSM or UTMS
So I searched a bit for information and found that
LIME - GPRS,GSM - 2G:850 MHz.
According to here http://m2msupport.net/m2msupport/lime-antigua-and-barbuda-m2m-modules-certification-sim-data-plans/
So I am assuming that the S4 will work just like the photon, or am I wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried running Ookla speed test on their network with the Photon? It should tell you what network they are using in the results history if you click on the result of the test as per my previous message.
If they are truly just plain GSM 2G like what the above indicates then the S4 should be fine.

myphone12345 said:
Have you tried running Ookla speed test on their network with the Photon? It should tell you what network they are using in the results history if you click on the result of the test as per my previous message.
If they are truly just plain GSM 2G like what the above indicates then the S4 should be fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I forgot to mention that. Tried Speed Test / Ookla and all it says in the results history is EDGE, nothing else.

spawn11587 said:
Sorry I forgot to mention that. Tried Speed Test / Ookla and all it says in the results history is EDGE, nothing else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it says EDGE then you will be just fine with the S4.
---------- Post added at 02:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:49 PM ----------
Oh, and I forgot to mention also, you will probably also need to get it unlocked. Unlike the photon, I don't think th S4 comes unlocked out of the box.

I think the info in this thread is inaccurate. The sprint s4 clearly supports 900 and I called and asked a sprint rep if it has a removeable sim and she said yes.

myphone12345 said:
If it says EDGE then you will be just fine with the S4.
---------- Post added at 02:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:49 PM ----------
Oh, and I forgot to mention also, you will probably also need to get it unlocked. Unlike the photon, I don't think th S4 comes unlocked out of the box.
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Click to collapse
Thank you greatly myphone12345. For it to be unlocked what has to be done? I read in another thread that I have to call sprint and they will do that for me. Ive been with sprint now for 10 years, so i doubt they would make me wait 90 days.

IamAnnoyed said:
I think the info in this thread is inaccurate. The sprint s4 clearly supports 900 and I called and asked a sprint rep if it has a removeable sim and she said yes.
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Click to collapse
GSM 900 (GSM 2G) yes, but not UMTS 900 (GSM 3G, sometimes called "4G" by companies like T-Mobile USA). UMTS-1900 and 2100 are the only international 3G bands supported by the Sprint variant. That is contrary to most US devices that contain international support (including the Motorola Photon 4G), which usually tend to support at least a third 3G band, usually UMTS-850. It's the disabling of UMTS-850 on the S4 (leaving it with only two "high" 3G bands) that's the problem. UMTS-850 is widely deployed across the Americas, plus several other places around the world.
spawn11587 said:
Thank you greatly myphone12345. For it to be unlocked what has to be done? I read in another thread that I have to call sprint and they will do that for me. Ive been with sprint now for 10 years, so i doubt they would make me wait 90 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you need to call Sprint. This inconsistency with the 90 days is strange. Seems like different CSRs apply the rule to how long you've owned the phone and some to how long your account has been open in good standing. In any case, even if they make you wait, you can always just keep using the Photon overseas and S4 in the 'States until they unlock the S4.
Anyway, Good luck with your studies! Can't think of a sweeter place to do it in.

Hello, guys.
Who looking to unlock own Samsung S4 Sprint - please send to me PM. I have one way which shall to be checked. I'm still don't havemy own Sprint's S4 on hands to check if this way will works

Related

Nexus One has hardware to work on AT&T 3G

I was looking at the Nexus One teardown here. http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nexus-One/1654/2
Interesting to note that the RTR6285 RF transceiver does indeed support Band 5 UMTS, which I think is AT&T, according to a cached press release here. http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cach...l+RTR6285+umts+bands&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Note it says...
North American triple-band UMTS (bands 2, 4, 5)
Japanese triple-band UMTS (bands 1, 6, 9)
European, Chinese and rest-of-world triple-band UMTS (bands 1, 3, 8)
Also... the power amplifier SKY77336, according to this document... http://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.skyworksinc.com/uploads/documents/200780E.pdf
Does support the GSM850 band. Isn't that AT&T?
So what is really preventing the Nexus One from running on AT&T? Did they just not "bother" to certify it with the FCC because T-Mobile is their launch partner?
This could mean then the radio software, or some other configuration option in the firmware simply has AT&T 3G disabled.
I'll let you guys debate this, but I can't see any hardware reason why this phone couldn't work on AT&T 3G, with proper software/hacking of course.
-James
Actually the real question is, why didn't they certify with the FCC for AT&T 3G? My only idea is that T-Mobile was the launch partner, but the hardware can do AT&T 3G technically, it's just not certified and enabled.
No reason they couldn't certify and enable it later.
And I have to say, I would have no trouble going to T-Mobile, but in Salt Lake City, AT&T coverage is far superior and so are the 3G speed tests. There are many locations my T-Mobile friends can't get make calls to save their life. I hear T-Mobile is much better in other cities.
-James
Doesn't AT&T use both 850 and 1900 for 3G? Does this phone have 1900?
jimbo831 said:
Doesn't AT&T use both 850 and 1900 for 3G? Does this phone have 1900?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Believe the transceiver and amplifier support both.
I want to get people digging around on this.
-James
Very interesting stuff.
I bet a community could get a pot together and have a prize for whomever can get the n1 working on att first, assuming it actually will work
Thanks for digging up this info, I was actually in the process of starting to research this myself for when I grew tired of living on edge.
Does support the GSM850 band. Isn't that AT&T?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've already answered your own question here, GSM is not UMTS.
I'm in the smae boat btw, Telstra in Aus use 850UMTS and I know how painful it can be to have 2G access in most places.
YorikR32 said:
You've already answered your own question here, GSM is not UMTS.
I'm in the smae boat btw, Telstra in Aus use 850UMTS and I know how painful it can be to have 2G access in most places.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well technically UMTS is a GSM standard, could be the same thing. Same frequencies certainly.
I was just checking the brochure for the http://www.rfmw.com/data/BRO254-08B.pdf
No where does it make mention of UMTS, like say... T-Mobile's AWS... but it does specifically have the correct frequencies listed for both T-Mobile AWS and AT&T 3G.
I'm going to make the assumption that this indicates it works with UMTS is both bands since it doesn't mention UMTS specifically at all, yet it does work on T-Mobile AWS.
James I love you man! tell me there's a way to "jailbreak" this thing.... what kind of people do we need? someone has to be willing to help with this. Oh why oh why am i only a MBA.... I need a tech degree of some kind!
I don't think it has to do with the FCC. Though we are all in love with the nexus one... remember that google and apple are nearly HALF of the same executive board. They don't want to compete with the golden goose that keeps thier stock portfolio's up that much.
We just need to find out how to activate/change which airwaves this thing is listening too and THEN we will have the first truely unlocked machine!
subscribing to this thread for an outcome.
I've been doing more reading and it seems this isn't the first phone with hardware disabled. I haven't found anything yet on if anyone has made the change yet :+\
Here we go, the Blackstone all over again .
~~Tito~~ said:
Here we go, the Blackstone all over again .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, maybe. The Blackstone has a hardware limitation for the US 3G frequencies. There have been phones in the past that had software limitations that were overcome with a hack. So if the Nexus has the hardware capabilities to do ATT 3G frequencies there is a good chance that someone will figure out how to unlock it.
uh...wow. Yeah, I'll be watching this thread.
Matterhorn said:
Well, maybe. The Blackstone has a hardware limitation for the US 3G frequencies. There have been phones in the past that had software limitations that were overcome with a hack. So if the Nexus has the hardware capabilities to do ATT 3G frequencies there is a good chance that someone will figure out how to unlock it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which phones? Do you have any links we can read so we can start looking for similar solutions?
I found this link to the Diamond on XDA which they supposedly change to 3g at&t but I have read the whole thing it's long.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=432770
I'm still looking for answers! I'm just not smart enough to "create" the answer. I have hope that a future rom will help us but not for a while. For now I'll keep researching.
P.S. my phone comes tommorrow!!!!!!!!11 I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!111111
The radio chip supports all the UMTS bands it but unfortunately the UMTS power amplifiers (eg. http://www.skyworksinc.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=597) are NOT in the chip. Like the G1 it probably only has amplifiers for 900/1700/2100.
The quadband power amplifier only supports GPRS/EDGE: http://www.skyworksinc.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=437
Looking at the chip diagram here (http://s2.guide-images.ifixit.com/igi/ZhrRALhPFhWyLGKC.large) the two chips next to the SKY77191 look awfully like power amplifiers as well.. if so, conveniently for 900/2100
coolbho3000 said:
The radio chip supports all the UMTS bands it but unfortunately the UMTS power amplifiers (eg. http://www.skyworksinc.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=597) are NOT in the chip. Like the G1 it probably only has amplifiers for 900/1700/2100.
The quadband power amplifier only supports GPRS/EDGE: http://www.skyworksinc.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=437
Looking at the chip diagram here (http://s2.guide-images.ifixit.com/igi/ZhrRALhPFhWyLGKC.large) the two chips next to the SKY77191 look awfully like power amplifiers as well.. if so, conveniently for 900/2100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Killjoy
jk
Wii60 said:
Killjoy
jk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't get me wrong, I wish this worked on AT&T (points at logo). Guess I'm EDGE-only until my contract expires.
Just wish all carriers would have stuck to one standard
whoever helps figure this out will definitely be getting some donations from me!! i have att and no purpose of buying a N1 without 3g...

Atrix on t mobile?

I'm just making this thread for the future. If its possible if people can tell us if they have gotten their atrix working on t mobile and how they did it and if hspa works because it does have the bands for it according to the Motorola website. Thanks for any info.
Yo I got it to work with simple mobile with their 4g. Just go to gsmhosting forums and buy a code from their advertised sites. They email it to you in 5 minutes, just input imei and that it.
So this phone would or wouldn't work on t mobile? I know in the past I haven't bothered with ATT phones on TMO because the 3g is at different frequencies...but if the phone is 3rd party and supports all the frequencies then theoretically this phone should work on TMO, as any other phone would.... Anyone know for sure though..?
Thanks for the info. Now just for t mobile to make sure. I know simple and t mobile almost the same but I don't just wanna go and spend 550 and be stuck.
Simple mobile uses the t-mobile towers so lol yeah ! As I said I got it working with simple mobile and they have 4g too.
Can you do a speed test for me? And where and how much was the unlock code? Thanks.
Check this thread already on unlocks.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=960771&page=4
ramirez3805 said:
Thanks for the info. Now just for t mobile to make sure. I know simple and t mobile almost the same but I don't just wanna go and spend 550 and be stuck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are the same. Well this is interesting news indeed if it does work. Thinking of picking up an Atrix myself now that it works on Tmobiles 4G network.
z3r0soul said:
Check this thread already on unlocks.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=960771&page=4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you do a speed test?
It would work, but only on 2G. T-Mo uses 1700 and 2100, while the Atrix ony has 850, 1900, and 2100
So zero soul lied?
ramirez3805 said:
So zero soul lied?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well he may just be confused a bit. After it's unlocked it will work on T-Mobile, but not the 3G/4G due to the band differences. So it won't be worth the $599 if you don't get to use the fast speeds.
Of course not.
Bump
10car
this sux... I'm having the same dilemma...
1. switch to att (att sux! ... + limited internet)
2. use it on tmobile (no 3g)
3. wait for another device (I've been waiting since forever!!)
Yea! We are supposed to get this outdated galaxy s when its running outdated hardware and the s2 has been announced!
suleiman.aql said:
this sux... I'm having the same dilemma...
1. switch to att (att sux! ... + limited internet)
2. use it on tmobile (no 3g)
3. wait for another device (I've been waiting since forever!!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait until next month. Optimus 2x 4G is coming soon.
Funk2641 said:
It would work, but only on 2G. T-Mo uses 1700 and 2100, while the Atrix ony has 850, 1900, and 2100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What i want to know is being that it works on 2100 bands, is if it would work on tmobiles 4G. 4G is available in my area and im waiting for my unlock code to come it to test it. If it's 2G only, thats cool in the mean time.
svengalis said:
Wait until next month. Optimus 2x 4G is coming soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
screen res is lower
I heard that the atrix is gonna be released in canada, do they by any chance have the same freq as tmobile?

Arc not 3G compatible in US?

Hello,
Maybe you guys can help me clarify something for me. I want to buy this phone and get the unlocked version. Only problem is no matter which seller I'm looking at on Ebay they're all saying "3G Not compatible in the U.S" which means I'll be running at 2G and I actually considered this ok because i really want to this phone. But I want to know why it won't work? If it's a GSM phone and it would work with AT&T & T-Mobile my local carriers why wouldn't it give me 3G speeds?
I really want this phone because I wanted something different, something you won't see out here much. Plus I wanted to get back to Sony phones after playing with other manufactors. Can anyone help clear this is up for me?
Nishua said:
But I want to know why it won't work? If it's a GSM phone and it would work with AT&T & T-Mobile my local carriers why wouldn't it give me 3G speeds?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the same reason that a T-Mobile US GSM handset won't give you 3G on AT&T - it's the wrong frequency.
Most of the world uses the 2100MHz band for UMTS/HSDPA but AT&T are awkward and use 1900MHz and 850MHz and T-Mobile are even more awkward and use the extremely unusual 1700MHz band.
Nishua said:
Hello,
Maybe you guys can help me clarify something for me. I want to buy this phone and get the unlocked version. Only problem is no matter which seller I'm looking at on Ebay they're all saying "3G Not compatible in the U.S" which means I'll be running at 2G and I actually considered this ok because i really want to this phone. But I want to know why it won't work? If it's a GSM phone and it would work with AT&T & T-Mobile my local carriers why wouldn't it give me 3G speeds?
I really want this phone because I wanted something different, something you won't see out here much. Plus I wanted to get back to Sony phones after playing with other manufactors. Can anyone help clear this is up for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LT15i = T-Mobile 3G bands
LT15a = AT&T 3G bands
augie7107 said:
LT15i = T-Mobile 3G bands
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the LT15i doesn't support the AWS (1700MHz) band so it won't support T-Mobile US's 3G service.
Step666 said:
No, the LT15i doesn't support the AWS (1700MHz) band so it won't support T-Mobile US's 3G service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mobile also uses 2100
Hmm I thought that tmobile U. S used the same 3G bands as europe. So in theory it should work right?
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
augie7107 said:
T-Mobile also uses 2100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No they don't.
T-Mobile's 3G uses a ~1700MHz frequency to upload and a ~2100MHz frequency to download, this is the '1700MHz band', also referred to as 'AWS' or 'UMTS band IV'.
Compare this to the '2100MHz band' ( or 'UMTS band I') which uses a frequency of ~1900MHz to upload and a frequency of ~2100MHz to download. The two are not cross-compatible.
The LT15i supports the 2100MHz band but not the 1700MHz band, so no 3G on T-Mobile.
If you don't believe me, feel free to read this thread on T-Mobile US's own site.
People with handsets that only support the 2100MHz band don't get 3G service.
Hero Yu said:
Hmm I thought that tmobile U. S used the same 3G bands as europe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They don't.
[No they don't.
T-Mobile's 3G uses a ~1700MHz frequency to upload and a ~2100MHz frequency to download, this is the '1700MHz band', also referred to as 'AWS' or 'UMTS band IV'.]
Thanks for the detailed explanation.
You obviously know more about this than I do.
I do believe your first two statements are contradictory.
You state "no they don't" and then go on to say "they use a 2100 to download"
All other SE "I" version phones work with T-Mobile 3G, correct?
augie7107 said:
[No they don't.
T-Mobile's 3G uses a ~1700MHz frequency to upload and a ~2100MHz frequency to download, this is the '1700MHz band', also referred to as 'AWS' or 'UMTS band IV'.]
Thanks for the detailed explanation.
You obviously know more about this than I do.
I do believe your first two statements are contradictory.
You state "no they don't" and then go on to say "they use a 2100 to download"
All other SE "I" version phones work with T-Mobile 3G, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They never make anything the same. They may work or they may not. You should pay attention to every details of any product you are buying, no general rules existing with any product specially gadgets which they get a new technology everyday.
augie7107 said:
I do believe your first two statements are contradictory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can see why you might think that but it's not contradictory because band and frequency are not the same.
If we look at the specs for the Arc, it says says '3G Network HSDPA 900 / 2100' (that's the LT15i, the line below is the frequencies supported by the LT15a).
Those numbers refer to UMTS bands I and VIII as listed here.
As you can see from the page on Wikipedia, every band operates on two different frequencies, one for uploading and one for downloading. This is to avoid interference.
So even though the download frequencies of the 1700 band and the 2100 band are the same, the two bands are not compatible as the upload frequencies are different (sorry for all the underlining, it just makes it easier to explain...).
It would be a lot simpler if each band's upload and download frequencies were distinct, it would be far less confusing but I guess there's some sort of reason why things are the way they are...
augie7107 said:
All other SE "I" version phones work with T-Mobile 3G, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think so, not unless they say they support the 1700/AWS band.
Basically, unless a phone's specs say it supports 1700MHz for 3G (or mentions AWS support, which means the same thing), it should be assumed that it won't give you 3G on T-Mobile US.
Though this all starts to become even more confusing when local roaming agreements are factored in but I don't really know anything about that to be honest.
Nishua said:
Hello,
Maybe you guys can help me clarify something for me. I want to buy this phone and get the unlocked version. Only problem is no matter which seller I'm looking at on Ebay they're all saying "3G Not compatible in the U.S" which means I'll be running at 2G and I actually considered this ok because i really want to this phone. But I want to know why it won't work? If it's a GSM phone and it would work with AT&T & T-Mobile my local carriers why wouldn't it give me 3G speeds?
I really want this phone because I wanted something different, something you won't see out here much. Plus I wanted to get back to Sony phones after playing with other manufactors. Can anyone help clear this is up for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In short:
LT15i: 2G will work just fine on both AT&T and T-Mobile. 3G will NOT work on either network.
LT15a: 2G will work just fine on both AT&T and T-Mobile. 3G will ONLY work with AT&T.
so my concerns is..if i am using T Mobile right now...it means I am doomed right? Even the new T mobile 4G(whatever they wanna call it) wont get me the right internet speed to blast the phone?
felixlaw11114 said:
so my concerns is..if i am using T Mobile right now...it means I am doomed right? Even the new T mobile 4G(whatever they wanna call it) wont get me the right internet speed to blast the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
att bought tmobile couple of weeks back , so ask if they are sharing the 3G frequencies now
alsaqr said:
att bought tmobile couple of weeks back , so ask if they are sharing the 3G frequencies now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure that went completely though. It is still hanging with no solution...
Nimche said:
I am not sure that went completely though. It is still hanging with no solution...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if i assume they are not sharing frequency..the only way for me to enjoy 3G/4G internet is to use AT&T?
felixlaw11114 said:
so my concerns is..if i am using T Mobile right now...it means I am doomed right? Even the new T mobile 4G(whatever they wanna call it) wont get me the right internet speed to blast the phone?
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Click to collapse
'4G' has nothing to do with any of this - that's just speed, it doesn't change which band T-Mobile use.
alsaqr said:
att bought tmobile couple of weeks back , so ask if they are sharing the 3G frequencies now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're not.
The merger hasn't even been approved yet, let alone any sort of migration of customers.
If the merger is approved, you're talking anywhere from 1 year to 3 before you see any real-world differences like the ones you're suggesting.
...um...I am doom-ed then..
I read their press and their said the deal wont close until the end of the year
Assuming the regulators allow it to go ahead at all.
There are, rightly so, concerns about a single national GSM-based network and the knock-on effect that would have on competition.
seems like I got a smart phone that not gonna be that smart
augie7107 said:
T-Mobile also uses 2100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tmo uses 1700 downlink and 2100 uplink. phone must support both freqs to get 3G. LT15i does not support 1700, hence 3G will not work.

[Q] unable to get 3G internet speed on mobile network

Hi, im in Jamaica, using my HTC MyTouch 4 G but unfortunately my phone refuse to connect to more than EDGE speed on any of the mobile network, it is unlocked & therefore able to use any SIM but no matter which networks i connect to this phone refuse to go any faster than edge. Today I tried my SIM in another phone which is an Iphone 3G, and it instantly picked up 3G speed so it prove that the problem is with my phone & not the networks, can anybody give some advice? My internet settings are all correct & entered by the technicians at all the respectful phone companies
Did you do factory restore settings.. or just factory reset the whole phone..ooh are you on Android 2.1 or 2.3. Also go to network mode and see if its not on GSM only.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using xda premium
jamgirl said:
Hi, im in Jamaica, using my HTC MyTouch 4 G but unfortunately my phone refuse to connect to more than EDGE speed on any of the mobile network, it is unlocked & therefore able to use any SIM but no matter which networks i connect to this phone refuse to go any faster than edge. Today I tried my SIM in another phone which is an Iphone 3G, and it instantly picked up 3G speed so it prove that the problem is with my phone & not the networks, can anybody give some advice? My internet settings are all correct & entered by the technicians at all the respectful phone companies
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the mytouch 4g and all other tmobile phones will only have 3g/4g on tmobile networks. this is because the bands that the mytouch 4g and other tmobile devices have are different from most of the world's. so unless another carrier has the same bands as tmobile, 1700/2100/AWS, EDGE will be the fastest you get. the iPhone 3G is capable of 3G because it's band is the same as most of the world's carriers network bands for 3G: 850 / 1900 / 2100.
this doesn't have anything to do with factory resetting the phone or whatever. it is simply hardware.
hope this sheds some light for you.
jamgirl said:
Hi, im in Jamaica, using my HTC MyTouch 4 G but unfortunately my phone refuse to connect to more than EDGE speed on any of the mobile network, it is unlocked & therefore able to use any SIM but no matter which networks i connect to this phone refuse to go any faster than edge. Today I tried my SIM in another phone which is an Iphone 3G, and it instantly picked up 3G speed so it prove that the problem is with my phone & not the networks, can anybody give some advice? My internet settings are all correct & entered by the technicians at all the respectful phone companies
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason it worked in the iPhone is that T-Mobile and att use different 3g bands and the hardware in those phones is only setup to work on those bands. Before you buy a phone, unlocked you should find out what bands your local networks use.
saranhai said:
the mytouch 4g and all other tmobile phones will only have 3g/4g on tmobile networks. this is because the bands that the mytouch 4g and other tmobile devices have are different from most of the world's. so unless another carrier has the same bands as tmobile, 1700/2100/AWS, EDGE will be the fastest you get. the iPhone 3G is capable of 3G because it's band is the same as most of the world's carriers network bands for 3G: 850 / 1900 / 2100.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just some semantics: "most of the world" uses 2100 band, which makes MT4G compatible with most existing networks in Europe and around the world. Americas (both North and South), on the other hand, happen to use mostly 850 and 1900 bands, uncommon in the rest of the world, which are indeed incompatible with MT4G.
Am still confused.. even some people and parts of the united states people still fall on or can't get pass edge..anyway...
Sent from my HTC Glacier using xda premium
As long as you don't have a compatible-band cellular tower of your carrier in vicinity, you won't get 3G. Not all cellular towers support 3G.
And if your carrier's band(s) aren't compatible, then you never get 3G.
jr_718 said:
Am still confused.. even some people and parts of the united states people still fall on or can't get pass edge..anyway...
Sent from my HTC Glacier using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's because they can't get good signal where they live.
Sent from the HTC Glacier Sense 3.0 using XDA premium app
saranhai said:
the mytouch 4g and all other tmobile phones will only have 3g/4g on tmobile networks. this is because the bands that the mytouch 4g and other tmobile devices have are different from most of the world's. so unless another carrier has the same bands as tmobile, 1700/2100/AWS, EDGE will be the fastest you get. the iPhone 3G is capable of 3G because it's band is the same as most of the world's carriers network bands for 3G: 850 / 1900 / 2100.
this doesn't have anything to do with factory resetting the phone or whatever. it is simply hardware.
hope this sheds some light for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks so so much to everyone who took time out to answer my question, i am no more happier than when i asked my question unfortunately but i am so much wiser and now with more knowledge, lol , i know now what i need to do, get rid of the phone and get myself a more compatible phone...unless there is a way to manipulate or change the network factory/hardware settings in the phone???...any ideas?
Nope. Some phones are restricted to certain bands by software (radio build), but unfortunately this restriction seems to be in HW.
jamgirl said:
thanks so so much to everyone who took time out to answer my question, i am no more happier than when i asked my question unfortunately but i am so much wiser and now with more knowledge, lol , i know now what i need to do, get rid of the phone and get myself a more compatible phone...unless there is a way to manipulate or change the network factory/hardware settings in the phone???...any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With some God like skills you may be able to remove the HW antenna from a T-Mobile phone and replace the one in this phone. While I would not suggest it. I didn't want to tell you there was NO way to do it.
I hope someone in this thread can answer the same kinda question for me, but in a different way. Right now I'm in the United States on Simple Mobile's 40$ 3G Plan, but I noticed on my MyTouch 4G (Running the latest RoyalGinger) that I am connected at 4G speeds, however shouldn't my indicator for Data/internet connector on the phone read off as 3G instead of 4G? When i ran a bandwidth test on my phone from DSL Reports Mobile Speed Test, I got the following from a 100k file.
124 kbit/sec
0.287s latency
6.72s d/l time
Is that how fast 3G usually is? or should I be going faster? Thanks to anyone who can help.

Why is my LTE device displaying as HSPA+?

Hey guys. I Have a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (SGH-I317M) and for some reason it fluctuates between HSPA+ and 3G signals rather than LTE. The device is originally locked to Rogers but I unlocked it and am now using it with MTS. I am running on jelly bean 4. 1.2 and CleanRom 4.0.5. Anybody have any ideas as to why I'm not getting LTE?
KR3W said:
Hey guys. I Have a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (SGH-I317M) and for some reason it fluctuates between HSPA+ and 3G signals rather than LTE. The device is originally locked to Rogers but I unlocked it and am now using it with MTS. I am running on jelly bean 4. 1.2 and CleanRom 4.0.5. Anybody have any ideas as to why I'm not getting LTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you still getting fast data speeds? All LTE is 3.9 g and hspa is like 3.6 g lol..
http://tasel.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/lte-hsdpa-dc-hsdpa-explain-this-alphbet-soup-of-4g-to-me/
Since you only mentioned your phone model and not the important notion what your carrier is, what is it?
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
thlinx said:
Are you still getting fast data speeds? All LTE is 3.9 g and hspa is like 3.6 g lol..
Since you only mentioned your phone model and not the important notion what your carrier is, what is it?
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I'm getting fast speeds but I can't help but wonder why this is happening. I mentioned that I'm with MTS so I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for. I live in Canada so it's probably not familiar to you. They just started carrying S3's which are running on their LTE network and they show 4G at the top of them when activated rather than HSPA+.
KR3W said:
Yes I'm getting fast speeds but I can't help but wonder why this is happening. I mentioned that I'm with MTS so I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for. I live in Canada so it's probably not familiar to you. They just started carrying S3's which are running on their LTE network and they show 4G at the top of them when activated rather than HSPA+.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope not familiar with Mts. That's correct.. it all depends on the towers u are near .. if they haven't upgraded there towers sorry your sol lol
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
It is either the towers or your phone isn't compatible with the bands of LTE (there are multiple bands like there is with UTMS).
MrObvious said:
It is either the towers or your phone isn't compatible with the bands of LTE (there are multiple bands like there is with UTMS).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure it isn't the towers cause my friends iPhone 5 is running off LTE and he live about 5 minutes away from my house. I've also been at distances one minute away from his house and did not pick up LTE then either. I don't know much about bands or frequencies but my carrier just launched the Galaxy S3's and they run off LTE and I'm assuming the Note 2 has the same hardware. S3: 700 (Band 17), 1700/2100 (AWS) MHz , Note 2: 700(band 17) 850 AWS 1,900(band 2). I'm clueless as to what those numbers mean but i'm guessing the important thing is Band 17, right?
Try going near his house then. Or have you checked the network settings? You may have to flash something.
MrObvious said:
Try going near his house then. Or have you checked the network settings? You may have to flash something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to no avail. I had a friend try to help me out over the phone with network settings and his phone appears to have a setting that mine does not. When he goes into settings > wireless and network more settings > mobile network there is an option for him to toggle between LTE, HSPA+ etc. My phone doesn't have that for some reason. All that's listed is Mobile data, data roaming, Access point names, and network operators. Nothing to toggle between networks, which is probably what I need to enable LTE. I have no idea why that setting would be absent from my device. My friend was using an S3 on the same operating system as me btw.
From what i can tell it's the frequencies . The frequencies your device have seem to be different than the frequencies the s3 have on your carrier. If it's not that then you can check your apn settings.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 01:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:05 AM ----------
Well i didn't realize how old the thread was, but i hope yes fixed your problem.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
What model is your phone, and what model is his phone. You said you brought your phone from a competing carrier who is likely using alternate frequencies that your phone might not be picking up either due to hardware or software limitations. Without knowing the hardware, and where it came from in the first place, we can't figure out what frequencies your phone is looking for and can't answer your question effectively.
download an app that will show you what is the type of connection you are actually on.
I think that maybe its the matter of incorrect icon.

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