[Q] So confused with all the variants - Galaxy Note 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi, I've been a S4 user and a very intrigued reader on this website. XDA has taught me many great things about my Sprint S4. I'm now ready to make the leap to the Note 4 and I'm so confused with all of the different models available.
Here's what I want the phone to do:
- I live in the US, and I would like to set up the phone on the Straight Talk or AT&T network and I obviously want to take advantage of the fastest speeds Straight Talk/AT&T offers.
- I am traveling to England in the Summer for a month and I would like the phone to work on one of their networks. (I would like to have 4G, but if 3G is the only compatible band than that's fine, as long as I'm getting some sort of data).
- I travel to Canada on a monthly basis and I would like my Note 4 to be able to run on the Rogers Network and utilize the fast speeds Rogers offers.
Basically, which Note 4 model will satisfy my needs? I just want to take advantage of the fastest bands available in these places. I've been leaning towards the N910H because my understanding is that it is compatible with all of my above requirements. Is this true? If not, which model should I be look at?
Thank you!

stevenrp said:
Hi, I've been a S4 user and a very intrigued reader on this website. XDA has taught me many great things about my Sprint S4. I'm now ready to make the leap to the Note 4 and I'm so confused with all of the different models available.
Here's what I want the phone to do:
- I live in the US, and I would like to set up the phone on the Straight Talk or AT&T network and I obviously want to take advantage of the fastest speeds Straight Talk/AT&T offers.
- I am traveling to England in the Summer for a month and I would like the phone to work on one of their networks. (I would like to have 4G, but if 3G is the only compatible band than that's fine, as long as I'm getting some sort of data).
- I travel to Canada on a monthly basis and I would like my Note 4 to be able to run on the Rogers Network and utilize the fast speeds Rogers offers.
Basically, which Note 4 model will satisfy my needs? I just want to take advantage of the fastest bands available in these places. I've been leaning towards the N910H because my understanding is that it is compatible with all of my above requirements. Is this true? If not, which model should I be look at?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't say for certain about Rogers Canada, but the US T-mobile variant- SM-910T- is what I have, and you should look into it. Maybe someone with Rogers can chime in about that.
It's 100% compatible with AT&T's fastest LTE bands and most 4G GSM bands used in Europe. It has an unlocked bootloader for easy rooting/ROM-flashing. There is an awesome XDA section devoted to it with some great ROMs and other tweaks. Of course, the major benefit is that if you stroll into a T-mobile store any buy one, it will have a warranty and service options if something were to possibly be wrong with it. Now, you'll need to get the phone SIM-unlocked either through T-mobile directly or an online sim-unlocking service (~ $20-30)
If you wanna spend less in the States, the 910T sells on craigslist, swappa, ebay, etc in pretty large numbers and it's very easy to obtain one in mint condition for a lot less than retail. Obviously, make sure that the device has a good IMEI through swappa.com before buying it used.
I find that lots of people buy the Note 4 and decide to sell it after a while- either they prefer something smaller, or an iPhone, or any number of other reasons like wanting extra cash, but there's tons of em on craigslist here in Chicago.
I bought a Sprint Note 4 in perfect condition from a guy for $350 the other week. Not saying you will necessarily have that type of luck, but just something to ponder.

i use 910U on rogers and AT&T gophone. also used it in the UK, most of europe and asia. this is an exynos taiwan variant with LTE. may not give you the fastest speeds everywhere but its awesome.

In the UK we get the Snapdragon 910F, but the 910H looks good according to the bands I've seen online (I don't know if they're correct mind!)
In the UK different networks use different bands (900, 1800, 2100, etc) for 3G; with some of the bands being shared amongst companies these days. Ideally you want a device that supports 900Mhz UTMS, and the 910H supports the band. The 900Mhz band has better indoor coverage than the higher frequencies as well.
Again 4G is on different bands depending on your provider, but the networks share most of the spectrum at the moment to reduce costs. I believe 4G is on 800, 1800, and 2600Mhz
i use 910U on rogers and AT&T gophone. also used it in the UK, most of europe and asia. this is an exynos taiwan variant with LTE. may not give you the fastest speeds everywhere but its awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IDK about LTE, but phones for China/HK will work on our 3G networks. I've tried a few 3G iphone knockoffs and had no issues.

Related

My N1 gets 3G on ATT

Hey guys..my friend who hooked me up with my original N1 gave me an HD2 and another N1...when I put an ATT sim in it I get the ATT logo for service and I also have 3G. My question is what model phone do I have?
thanks.
harsaphes said:
Hey guys..my friend who hooked me up with my original N1 gave me an HD2 and another N1...when I put an ATT sim in it I get the ATT logo for service and I also have 3G. My question is what model phone do I have?
thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you get 3G with the N1 with ATT sim, then it is the ATT branded one; it wasn't made specifically for ATT (i believe it was made for one of the Canadian provider), which is compatible with the ATT 3G
btw, you have a great friend to hook you up with 2 N1 and a HD2; you should hook me up with one
thanks for the quick reply...and yes, she is a great friend.
harsaphes said:
and yes, she is a great friend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Future wife
jblazea50 said:
if you get 3G with the N1 with ATT sim, then it is the ATT branded one; it wasn't made specifically for ATT (i believe it was made for one of the Canadian provider), which is compatible with the ATT 3G
btw, you have a great friend to hook you up with 2 N1 and a HD2; you should hook me up with one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the N1 that works on AT&T was made specifically for AT&T.
The HD2 that works on AT&T was made for Telstra... or you are thinking of any 3G phone made for Rogers.
jblazea50 said:
if you get 3G with the N1 with ATT sim, then it is the ATT branded one; it wasn't made specifically for ATT (i believe it was made for one of the Canadian provider), which is compatible with the ATT 3G
btw, you have a great friend to hook you up with 2 N1 and a HD2; you should hook me up with one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pjcforpres said:
No, the N1 that works on AT&T was made specifically for AT&T.
The HD2 that works on AT&T was made for Telstra... or you are thinking of any 3G phone made for Rogers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're both wrong? The Nexus One was made and sold unlocked, it has the bands 850/1900 which at&t and some canadian providers use, not specifically made for one carrier or another
https://www.google.com/phone/choose?hl=en&gl=US&s7e=
http://www.bing.com/search?q=nexus+one+for+at&t&src=IE-Address
How am I wrong? The AT&T compatible Nexus One was approved by the USA FCC, with the specific intent of it being sold as the AT&T compatible Nexus One. It does happen to work with other carriers, just as the T-Mobile version works with other carriers as well.
But there is no reason they would pay the money to get it approved by the USA FCC if it wasn't being sold specifically for AT&T customers.
As well, the Nexus One is made and sold unlocked with the option of T-Mobile 3G bands or AT&T 3G bands... those bands happen to work with other carriers as well, such as T-Mobile working with a Canadian carrier as well, just as AT&T works with another Canadian provider, plus both phones work with any carrier outside the North America... so was the T-Mobile version made for O2? Was it made for Vodafone? No, it was made for T-Mobile, just as the AT&T banded device was made for AT&T, and just happens to have carry over support for other carriers.
pjcforpres said:
https://www.google.com/phone/choose?hl=en&gl=US&s7e=
http://www.bing.com/search?q=nexus+one+for+at&t&src=IE-Address
How am I wrong? The AT&T compatible Nexus One was approved by the USA FCC, with the specific intent of it being sold as the AT&T compatible Nexus One. It does happen to work with other carriers, just as the T-Mobile version works with other carriers as well.
But there is no reason they would pay the money to get it approved by the USA FCC if it wasn't being sold specifically for AT&T customers.
As well, the Nexus One is made and sold unlocked with the option of T-Mobile 3G bands or AT&T 3G bands... those bands happen to work with other carriers as well, such as T-Mobile working with a Canadian carrier as well, just as AT&T works with another Canadian provider, plus both phones work with any carrier outside the North America... so was the T-Mobile version made for O2? Was it made for Vodafone? No, it was made for T-Mobile, just as the AT&T banded device was made for AT&T, and just happens to have carry over support for other carriers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe you are not aware of how the FCC testing process goes, but there are phones that are never even sold in the USA, like euro phones, or phones from the far east, that still go thru FCC testing, yet they dont even have the proper bands for the USA 3G networks.
so the nexus one was not specifically made to be released for ATT. i dont know where you're getting that info.
pjcforpres said:
https://www.google.com/phone/choose?hl=en&gl=US&s7e=
http://www.bing.com/search?q=nexus+one+for+at&t&src=IE-Address
How am I wrong? The AT&T compatible Nexus One was approved by the USA FCC, with the specific intent of it being sold as the AT&T compatible Nexus One. It does happen to work with other carriers, just as the T-Mobile version works with other carriers as well.
But there is no reason they would pay the money to get it approved by the USA FCC if it wasn't being sold specifically for AT&T customers.
As well, the Nexus One is made and sold unlocked with the option of T-Mobile 3G bands or AT&T 3G bands... those bands happen to work with other carriers as well, such as T-Mobile working with a Canadian carrier as well, just as AT&T works with another Canadian provider, plus both phones work with any carrier outside the North America... so was the T-Mobile version made for O2? Was it made for Vodafone? No, it was made for T-Mobile, just as the AT&T banded device was made for AT&T, and just happens to have carry over support for other carriers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're confusing "compatible" and "designed for".
Carrier 1 uses Frequency X
Carrier 2 uses Frequency Y
Just because a phone that works with frequency X doesn't mean it was created solely for carrier 1.
GSM is an "open" network unline sprint's and verizon's CDMA networks.
Take "world phones" as an example, they work on Carrier 1 and 2, but it wasn't designed specifically for either.
There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HW-wise in Nexus that is carrier-specific.
Nobody makes a phone for a specific carrier, carriers only brand phones. Phone is made for a range of networks, and Nexus has 2 options, basically - because it utilizes 1 of 2 chips, either QSD8650, or QSD8250, and those are adjusted for different ranges (specifically 850/1900/2100 or 900/AWS/2100). On the Google choice screen, read: "Compatible with XXXXXXXX".
There's 2100 coverage in most of the world, so both versions of Nexus can be used outside Americas and have a high probability of getting 3G signal, since they both support it. In Americas the common system appears to be 850/1900, though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UMTS_networks
I am not confusing anything. The Nexus One with AT&T 3G banding was made with the purpose of fulfilling Google's desire to have a Nexus One with AT&T 3G banding. Or, in other words, they made it to be the AT&T version of the Nexus One. Hence, there being hundreds of news articles and even threads on this very site using the termonology "AT&T version".
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=AT&T+nexus+one&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
Also, from Google's official statement on the matter:
"starting today, an additional version of the Nexus One is available from the Google web store that is compatible with AT&T's 3G network. This new model can be purchased as an unlocked device without a service plan."
http://www.tgdaily.com/mobility-features/48920-google-touts-att-compatible-nexus-one
Why would they announce that they now have a version that works with AT&T 3G if it wasn't meant for AT&T?
At&t uses those bands, those bands do not belong to At&t. That's the difference.
The way to tell if your phone is the T-Mobile or AT&T version is by looking at the part number on the back of the phone.
P/N: 99HKE002-00 for the T-Mobile version
P/N: 99HKE007-01 for the AT&T version
Hope that helps!
JCopernicus said:
At&t uses those bands, those bands do not belong to At&t. That's the difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand what you guys are saying, the Nexus One wasn't made specifically for any carrier, and that isn't what I am saying or did say. What I am saying is that they did actively think about which 3G bands were included in the device... and decided they wanted to make one with AT&T banding as well, and when they released it they announced they had just released their AT&T 3G compatible Nexus One, and thus it seems fair to say (and not a stretch of words, unless we want to be anal about it), that Google made it for AT&T... perhaps saying "Google made it for AT&T's 3G network" is more complete and better, but that is a potential meaning from my original statement and so forth.
And technically AT&T owns the rights to those bands in the United States. Since you like to be super specific and technical with your semantics, figured I would add that in.
They own their towers, they don't own the bands of gsm technology, those are licensed out to them.
Yes, google made a concious decision to make that phone compatible with at&t, but that's not the same are making the phone FOR at&t.
pjcforpres said:
I understand what you guys are saying, the Nexus One wasn't made specifically for any carrier, and that isn't what I am saying or did say. What I am saying is that they did actively think about which 3G bands were included in the device... and decided they wanted to make one with AT&T banding as well, and when they released it they announced they had just released their AT&T 3G compatible Nexus One, and thus it seems fair to say (and not a stretch of words, unless we want to be anal about it), that Google made it for AT&T... perhaps saying "Google made it for AT&T's 3G network" is more complete and better, but that is a potential meaning from my original statement and so forth.
And technically AT&T owns the rights to those bands in the United States. Since you like to be super specific and technical with your semantics, figured I would add that in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it was also made for the Canadian and some South American carriers. People in the USA will call it the AT&T version, people in Canada will call it for whatever carriers they have.
I think he is maybe not quite into the world of cell phones as some of us are, so when you look at it from that perspective you would think that Google made it "for ATT." That's not really the case though.
JCopernicus said:
They own their towers, they don't own the bands of gsm technology, those are licensed out to them.
Yes, google made a concious decision to make that phone compatible with at&t, but that's not the same are making the phone FOR at&t.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am just baffled... You don't think AT&T owns the rights to use the frequencies they are running on? Why does the FCC auction off frequencies then? Who are they auctioning them off to? What is being auctioned off? Nothing? Is it just a big sham?
And FYI, GSM and CDMA can run on the same frequencies, there is not point to even mentioning that they don't own those bands of gsm technology... the technology aspect is whether they decide to use gsm or cdma to broadcast over those frequencies, it has nothing to do with buying gsm specific.
Also, it is fair to say, like I already explained, that they made the AT&T banded device for AT&T in that they actively decided to make a Nexus One that works with AT&T. Sure, semantically speaking, it isn't perfect... but based off what Google themself said at the launch (We are proud to announce the AT&T compatible version of the Nexus One) it is easy to see that was their driving force, not Telstra.
Dude, I guess you're one of those that don't ever read what others write, and definitely don't open links.
Go to the previous page, open the Wiki link to the list of UMTS networks, and look carefully at the "Americas" section. What will you find there?
Ah, yes. ALMOST EVERY CARRIER IN YOUR HALF OF THE GLOBE IS USING THOSE FREQUENCIES.
Then, perhaps, you should think again, why did Google choose the frequencies as they did. Or actually, you might understand that the only thing Google chose is Qualcomm's CPU to power the phone, and this CPU just "happens" to come in 2 versions, each supporting different bands, one optimized for Americas and one for Eurasia, both including the world's most common 2100MHz band (the choice of band support can be seen in any device using Snapdragon chipset, as far as I've checked). AT&T happens to use the same bands as 80% of Americas' providers use, so?
Maybe now the "driving force" is a bit clearer.
Oh well, wasted enough time trying to explain the obvious.
Jack_R1 said:
Dude, I guess you're one of those that don't ever read what others write, and definitely don't open links.
Go to the previous page, open the Wiki link to the list of UMTS networks, and look carefully at the "Americas" section. What will you find there?
Ah, yes. ALMOST EVERY CARRIER IN YOUR HALF OF THE GLOBE IS USING THOSE FREQUENCIES.
Then, perhaps, you should think again, why did Google choose the frequencies as they did. Or actually, you might understand that the only thing Google chose is Qualcomm's CPU to power the phone, and this CPU just "happens" to come in 2 versions, each supporting different bands, one optimized for Americas and one for Eurasia, both including the world's most common 2100MHz band (the choice of band support can be seen in any device using Snapdragon chipset, as far as I've checked). AT&T happens to use the same bands as 80% of Americas' providers use, so?
Maybe now the "driving force" is a bit clearer.
Oh well, wasted enough time trying to explain the obvious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you think it is obvioud Google had HTC make a Nexus One with the 850/1900 3G banding because they wanted to appease Rogers and Telstra? You have got to be kidding me. What sort of business sense does that make?
Hey, forget about AT&T and its 100 million customers, and that they are located in our home market, we want to make sure we make the Canadians and their 20 million customers happy.
I bet it is real nice to be so naive and caught up in "semantics" to believe such real world flawed ideas.

[Q] T-Mo Galaxy Tab Overseas?

Have been dead-set on getting a Tab for a while now, and since Christmas is coming up I'm considering having my family in the states send me a T-Mo Galaxy Tab.
I've been reading over the threads on getting voice unlocked on the T-Mo models. Voice isn't a MASSIVE issue for me, since I use text messaging 99% of the time anyway, but it would be a nice feature to have. I can wait for that though, so it's not a deal-breaker.
The one thing I would really hate to be without would be 3G. My local provider (Vodafone New Zealand) uses UMTS as well, but without AWS. Both T-Mo and VFNZ use 2100Mhz, but T-Mo uses 1700Mhz and VFNZ use 900/1800Mhz. If it's just a matter of ROMs, I'm sure that wouldn't be too much of a problem as eventually the local carrier stores will start selling it, but at the moment the only places I can find it for are importers (and they're charging ~1000USD).
Advice? How likely am I to be without 3G? How likely to be without phone support? And do I have any alternatives that don't involve paying nearly twice what a US model costs?
Your best bet would be At&t's (USA) version of the Galaxy Tab with Quad band GSM.
This is from Samsung's website:
Quad-Band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz);
Tri-band UMTS (850/1900/2100MHz) & Wi-Fi
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab/SGH-I987ZKAATT-features
There are ways around the voice capability, though it will strictly be over VOIP and not cellular. For example, you can use Skype to call people. As long as you have good wifi coverage, there shouldn't be much difference from cellular.
Your last bet would be to get the totally unlocked and full featured international version of the Galaxy Tab. However, that costs quite a bit more than the carrier locked US versions.
----------

Trade T-Mobile N1 for AT&T N1?

I bought a used N1 on eBay. I totally wasn't even thinking about the fact that there are different models of the phone for different carriers. Turns out I have the T-Mobile N1, but I have AT&T service currently.
I assume that there is no kind of mod/firmware to get it to use AT&T 3G, and that it's the hardware that limits me to T-Mo? Probably more than some custom firmware or something could fix?
That kind of sucks, if so. I doubt anyone would have an AT&T model, looking for a T-Mo model, eh?
Thanks for any help, if it's even possible..
Have you looked at the seller's return policy?
No returns accepted, as stated on the item page.
I can live with it (in remorse)..
The seller didn't mention what model it was at all, either.
I don't suppose Verizon uses the same bands as T-Mo?
austinm08 said:
No returns accepted, as stated on the item page.
I can live with it (in remorse)..
The seller didn't mention what model it was at all, either.
I don't suppose Verizon uses the same bands as T-Mo?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, they don't. T-Mobile and Verizon use totally different radio technologies.
Go onto the Marketplace forum on XDA, and trade/sell it through there.
Put your sim card in it
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Post it for sale locally on craigslist to finance a unit with the AT&T radio.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Also if you have trouble locating the AT&T compatible N1, you may also consider the Telus version of HTC Desire. Largely the same hardware, AT&T bands, but no Euro 2100 band.
Possible bonus: AT&T does not know the IMEI of Telus Androids, and might not force you to a higher cost smart phone data plan.
Thanks for your input, guys.
I'll try first to sell it locally via Craigslist.
I really think that it will be much more difficult
since they discontinued the Nexus One, and provided it through the developers only,
it has always been the T-Mobile version which is quite disappointing....
the AT&T version seem to just disappear from manufacturing all together
point I am trying to make is that it the AT&T version should be much rarer and possibly worth more on the market since there are less quantities of it
it sucks my friend I feel for you...
How is the T-Mobile N1 different from AT&T model?
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Different radio frequencies and limited availability. Otherwise identical.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
I've done the exact opposite...got myself an ATT N1 while on tmobile...hahaha
hahah. I've since sold my T-Mo N1 on eBay and bought an AT&T N1 from Craigslist.. got a sweet deal, too!
wait wait a sec
If you Unlock the S off on the nexus one Tmobile. You can use a At&t sm card with out a problem. I UnloCked the S off ON the mytouch 4g AND IT works on At&t s network. HMMMM. Wondering if it works.
Sir0 said:
If you Unlock the S off on the nexus one Tmobile. You can use a At&t sm card with out a problem. I UnloCked the S off ON the mytouch 4g AND IT works on At&t s network. HMMMM. Wondering if it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it will function on the network. The issue is that the radio hardware is built for specific frequencies, which differ between the T-Mobile and AT&T models.
You can use one phone on the other's network just fine as a phone, but you will be limited to 2G data speeds, as AT&T uses 850/1900MHz for their 3G data and T-Mobile uses 900 1700/2100MHz.
Umm, nobody uses 900 MHz for cellular in North America... that spectrum is not allocated for that purpose here.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
cmstlist said:
Umm, nobody uses 900 MHz for cellular in North America... that spectrum is not allocated for that purpose here.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right, my apologies. The fact of the matter (that the hardware is incompatible between the AT&T and T-Mobile networks) remains intact though.
Correct 3G data frequency information, as best I can make it out:
AT&T uses 850MHz and 1900MHz.
T-Mobile uses 1700MHz and 2100MHz.
900MHz and 2100MHz are used primarily in Europe; a phone made for European markets will have a better chance of being fully compatible with T-Mobile's network in the states based on sharing the 2100MHz band.
Closer but still not quite
Read up on the AWS band. European phones will not get T-Mobile 3G at all without 1700.
But in the specific case of the Nexus One, models sold in Europe do have AWS.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Dope
I just got the mytouch 4g and i wanted to sell my nexus one. But i wanted to double check and see if i can sell it to someone on the at&t network. I currently have tmobile. I thought the S-Off was to completely unlock the phone. So u can switch between carriers. Didnt know the frequency would be different. thank guyz. Damn u HTC.
austinm08 said:
I bought a used N1 on eBay. I totally wasn't even thinking about the fact that there are different models of the phone for different carriers. Turns out I have the T-Mobile N1, but I have AT&T service currently.
I assume that there is no kind of mod/firmware to get it to use AT&T 3G, and that it's the hardware that limits me to T-Mo? Probably more than some custom firmware or something could fix?
That kind of sucks, if so. I doubt anyone would have an AT&T model, looking for a T-Mo model, eh?
Thanks for any help, if it's even possible..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What kind of shape is your T-Mobile N1 in?
I'm actually in the process of switching to T-Mobile, and I have an ATT model that I would potentially be interested in trading, but it's definitely not mint.

What's the very best version of the Note 3?

I'm using an ATT Note 2 and I want to upgrade, mainly because of the better RAM and ROM. But I'm confused by the choices and Knox and locking and all that.
I am going too want to root my phone for sure, and unlock to use on different providers.
Not to worried about the cost.
What's the very best version out there, in your opinion?
capite said:
I'm using an ATT Note 2 and I want to upgrade, mainly because of the better RAM and ROM. But I'm confused by the choices and Knox and locking and all that.
I am going to want to root my phone for sure, and unlock to use on different providers.
Not to worried about the cost.
What's the very best version out there, in your opinion?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since the LTE bands tend to be very different from one provider to another the differences are only relevant once you know who is your carrier - so you should probably look / ask in the OTHER Note 3 forums:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-att
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-sprint
http://forum.xda-developers.com/verizon-galaxy-note-3
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-tmobile
Also see this to get a start on the matter of portability (or almost complete lack thereof) among those:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2464498
Thanks. When I mean I will want to use the phone on 'other providers,' I really just mean the GSM-based ones like ATT/T-mo and overseas carriers. I understand that Tmo and ATT use different LTE bands, just hoping that there's at least one unlocked and rootable model that covers both sets of LTE bands.
xclub_101 said:
Since the LTE bands tend to be very different from one provider to another the differences are only relevant once you know who is your carrier - so you should probably look / ask in the OTHER Note 3 forums:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-att
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-sprint
http://forum.xda-developers.com/verizon-galaxy-note-3
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-tmobile
Also see this to get a start on the matter of portability (or almost complete lack thereof) among those:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2464498
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
capite said:
Thanks. When I mean I will want to use the phone on 'other providers,' I really just mean the GSM-based ones like ATT/T-mo and overseas carriers. I understand that Tmo and ATT use different LTE bands, just hoping that there's at least one unlocked and rootable model that covers both sets of LTE bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the ATT and TMOBILE gnote3 cover each others LTE bands too. Infact, after unlocking your tmobile gnote3, achieving LTE on ATT should be as easy as popping in a sim card.
I think your choice would be between ATT and Tmo and I believe both can be rooted without tripping Knox. Even thought Tmo supposed to have unlocked bootloader, they use ATT rooted ROMs (since the name delavega root). Personally I would stick with the carrier: Tmo phone will give you Wifi calling, but only on Tmo network, so you can call home for free from anywhere in the world over WiFi. ATT is just beginning to test voice over LTE, no other US carrier has yet. And if you have call issues, are you going to call t-mo complaining their phone doesn't work well on ATT network, or you going to call ATT, that their network signal sucks with T-mo phone? And for example it would be difficult to buy new T-mo phone without at least some temporary t-mo service.
capite said:
Thanks. When I mean I will want to use the phone on 'other providers,' I really just mean the GSM-based ones like ATT/T-mo and overseas carriers. I understand that Tmo and ATT use different LTE bands, just hoping that there's at least one unlocked and rootable model that covers both sets of LTE bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not have a lot of experience on the US market but my last link seems to suggest that the TMo version is 100% compatible with ATT LTE (and the other way around), so generally (given the much bigger bootloader freedom on TMo vs ATT) I would say that TMo Note 3 should be a good choice. It will also work on ATT up to the full 4G and worldwide for voice over normal GSM, maybe 3G in many places. Also that last link suggests that once you unlock it (which is IMHO rather inexpensive and worth it) you will be able to use (almost) any GSM SIM in the world.

[Q] Is there an international model with AT&T LTE?

After searching and running into various answers (and perpetual confusion), I'm confused about which S5 I should purchase. I would much rather buy an international version from a seller on eBay if I can get LTE bands in the states. I've freed myself from carrier devices for almost two years now and the thought of going back is awful (even though I probably will if I have to). Anyway, can someone give me a clear answer. Which variant do I need to buy?
jtc276 said:
After searching and running into various answers (and perpetual confusion), I'm confused about which S5 I should purchase. I would much rather buy an international version from a seller on eBay if I can get LTE bands in the states. I've freed myself from carrier devices for almost two years now and the thought of going back is awful (even though I probably will if I have to). Anyway, can someone give me a clear answer. Which variant do I need to buy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bump
jtc276 said:
After searching and running into various answers (and perpetual confusion), I'm confused about which S5 I should purchase. I would much rather buy an international version from a seller on eBay if I can get LTE bands in the states. I've freed myself from carrier devices for almost two years now and the thought of going back is awful (even though I probably will if I have to). Anyway, can someone give me a clear answer. Which variant do I need to buy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get an accurate answer from Samsung. Or Carrier X, win a prize.
Samsung doesn't want you buying a lower priced phone from another country, it cuts into their quarterly profit results and they actively deter so called grey market sales in a number of ways. Nor will carriers make it easy for you to jump ship. So easily accessible and accurate information is difficult to come by.
As far as I can tell, the S5 hardware is release 10 compliant. Meaning that baring artificial firmware restrictions, the S5 in your hand is capable of working on all of the GSM and LTE frequencies in use or in the process of being deployed, worldwide.
If you are not relying upon a subsidized handset or can find the right deal, I'd suggest purchasing the TMobile variant (SM-G900T) for use on ATT. The TMobile S5 works on ATT LTE, has the substantial advantage of an unlocked bootloader & has more accessible bands, an advantage for roaming on other networks.
AFAIK, the TMobile variant supports all of the ATT bands. You'll find posts agreeing with me and posts disputing this. All I can tell you is that there are a lot of misinformed people and I haven't seen anyone credibly dispute it. The specs say that it should work, there are lots of reports of it working and firsthand I've seen good data speeds; 50+ Mbps speeds in some ATT cities.
If you were looking at some specific Ebay auction and /or specific international model, you didn't spell that out nor give us any specifics so it's impossible to give you useful advice on that point. Many of the international variants have firmware restrictions supporting HSPA+ and not "ATT" LTE.
The best advice of course is always caveat emptor.
.
fffft said:
Get an accurate answer from Samsung. Or Carrier X, win a prize.
Samsung doesn't want you buying a lower priced phone from another country, it cuts into their quarterly profit results and they actively deter so called grey market sales in a number of ways. Nor will carriers make it easy for you to jump ship. So easily accessible and accurate information is difficult to come by.
As far as I can tell, the S5 hardware is release 10 compliant. Meaning that baring artificial firmware restrictions, the S5 in your hand is capable of working on all of the GSM and LTE frequencies in use or in the process of being deployed, worldwide.
If you are not relying upon a subsidized handset or can find the right deal, I'd suggest purchasing the TMobile variant (SM-G900T) for use on ATT. The TMobile S5 works on ATT LTE, has the substantial advantage of an unlocked bootloader & has more accessible bands, an advantage for roaming on other networks.
AFAIK, the TMobile variant supports all of the ATT bands. You'll find posts agreeing with me and posts disputing this. All I can tell you is that there are a lot of misinformed people and I haven't seen anyone credibly dispute it. The specs say that it should work, there are lots of reports of it working and firsthand I've seen good data speeds; 50+ Mbps speeds in some ATT cities.
If you were looking at some specific Ebay auction and /or specific international model, you didn't spell that out nor give us any specifics so it's impossible to give you useful advice on that point. Many of the international variants have firmware restrictions supporting HSPA+ and not "ATT" LTE.
The best advice of course is always caveat emptor.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought the T-Mobile variant (900T) which I'm hoping was the best choice. The international models that I could have bought on eBay (900F,H, I) were missing at least one AT&T LTE band.

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