I have a tmobile vibrant phone (hardware only). According to the phone specs i SHOULD be able to get 3g signal with my fido sim card since the phone seems to support all the same frequencies as the Canadian i9000.... but i only get edge.
If you guys are getting 3G with fido or rogers sim cards, did you have to set anything special in the phone settings?
Thanks!
Vibrant T-mobile 3G runs on 1700
that is why you only get EDGE (2G)
Fido, Rogers & Bell runs on 850 & 1900 for 3G
On my way to work today this is what i saw in the network box.
inside my house - EDGE
Outside my house - 3G
back country roads to work - i saw just G or no signal (normal i loose signal with my iphone and blackberry on there)
at work - back on edge
So i DO get 3g somehow! or is it just teasing me by showing 3G?
i read somewhere that the t-mo vibrant does have 1900 as one of its 3g bands, so this is why your phone has been able to pick up 3g at times. the problem for you is that rogers/fido mainly use the 850 band. i had the nokia n97 mini that had the 1900 but no 850 and while driving around most of the gta i would get 3g, but when i went into buildings, houses, etc, it would drop to edge.
Maybe your phone supports 1900 and not 850 MHz? Or the oposite? That would explain why you would get bad UMTS coverage.
@hondaguy you were faster than me
boravr6 said:
I have a tmobile vibrant phone (hardware only). According to the phone specs i SHOULD be able to get 3g signal with my fido sim card since the phone seems to support all the same frequencies as the Canadian i9000.... but i only get edge.
If you guys are getting 3G with fido or rogers sim cards, did you have to set anything special in the phone settings?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To my knowledge the T-Mobile Vibrant does not support the major Canadian 3g bands. It is quad band 2g, which is why you are able to get edge but it is only 2 band 3g, at least according to this spec sheet:
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=2439&c=samsung_sgh-t959_galaxy_s_vibrant
T-mobile uses the 1700 and 2100 UMTS bands for 3g, Bell/Rogers/Telus/Virgin/Fido use 850/1900 UMTS bands for 3g. Therefore the 3g radio on the Vibrant is not compatible with these networks.
However, WIND mobile uses the 1700/2100 UMTS bands for 3g and you can use unlocked T-Mobile phones to their full ability on Wind's network. Wind is only in major urban centres though so this may not help you if you're not in the city. Hopefully you are as Wind has a pretty sweet unlimited data plan!
http://shop.windmobile.ca/
On the other hand according this this article from Engadget:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/22/confirmed-galaxy-s-unlock-codes-are-stored-in-your-phone-vibra/
If they're right that the Vibrant is somehow capable of AT&T 3g, it would mean the phone has to be tri-band UMTS: 850, 1700, 2100 (or 1700,1900,2100) as AT&T uses the 850/1900 bands like Rogers/Bell/Telus.
This doesn't make sense to me why T-Mobile would do this. The 850/1900 bands are really only used in North America on competing carriers, so it doesn't give the phone "world" capabilities, the 2100 band does that. Why they would add a feature who's only purpose is to make the phone work on competitors' networks is a mystery to me but Engadget seems to have a picture that confirms it. If this is true than an unlocked Vibrant should technically be able to work on Rogers/Bell/Telus/Fido/Virgin 3g, but only if it is unlocked. I'm pretty sure that T-Mobile sells their phones SIM locked to their network, have you unlocked yours?
~Edit if it does have 1900 as the third band the above posters are correct in that you will get minimal 3g coverage as 850 is the primary in Canada.
yeah i wanted to switch to Wind Mobile for the $35 true unlimited data plan, until i found out they don't work with normal 850/1900/2100 phones
only 1700 / 2100
I am planning to buy MT4G, unlock it and use it on another carrier with compatible frequencies of course. Will I be still able to get updates using for example a wifi connection? or should I download updates manually? Is there something that I will lose when I use the phone on another carrier ?
I don't know if you mean overseas or in any place other than the U.S. but the only "compatible" carrier for this phone besides T-Mobile is AT&T. The reason why compatible is in quotes is because yes the phone would function and make calls on that network, but you will lose 3G and HSPA+ service as AT&T's equivalents operate on a different and incompatible spectrum.
I would also assume that you would not receive OTA updates either.
unremarked said:
I don't know if you mean overseas or in any place other than the U.S. but the only "compatible" carrier for this phone besides T-Mobile is AT&T. The reason why compatible is in quotes is because yes the phone would function and make calls on that network, but you will lose 3G and HSPA+ service as AT&T's equivalents operate on a different and incompatible spectrum.
I would also assume that you would not receive OTA updates either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Overseas, on a network that is compatible with regard to GSM/ UMTS frequencies. So the only way to get updates is to download them from forums like this one?
raeef said:
Overseas, on a network that is compatible with regard to GSM/ UMTS frequencies. So the only way to get updates is to download them from forums like this one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know for absolute certain, but I'm 95% sure you wouldn't recieve OTA since it goes out over the network your phone is connected to.
You can usually snag the update from here, but unfortunately, a lot of people didn't run aLogcat to log the download and get the link. Including myself, though I'm trying now with my second device.
unremarked said:
I don't know for absolute certain, but I'm 95% sure you wouldn't recieve OTA since it goes out over the network your phone is connected to.
You can usually snag the update from here, but unfortunately, a lot of people didn't run aLogcat to log the download and get the link. Including myself, though I'm trying now with my second device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another question, does anyone know if this device works on UMTS band I 2100 ( 2100/1900)? I really can't make up my mind because it's not clear on T mobile website. It says UMTS 1700/2100/AWS and this looks like it's referring only to UMTS IV
raeef said:
Another question, does anyone know if this device works on UMTS band I 2100 ( 2100/1900)? I really can't make up my mind because it's not clear on T mobile website. It says UMTS 1700/2100/AWS and this looks like it's referring only to UMTS IV
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is compatible with almost every gsm band the specs are:
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA/HSUPA 900 / 1700 / 2100
In the US most carriers are using GSM 850/1900 and 3G 1700/2100 you will only get OTA from T-mobile in the US if you are using their cellphone service or you can hope and wait for the update to show up here on XDA in the forum.
http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html
In Israel where I am, and England, France and Germany etc. the bands are
2G 900/1800 and 3G 2100
so you should have no problem using 3G or even 3g+ "4G" on this phone if your cell provider offers it. But it may require an advanced sim card or signing up for a special data service.
Dont get confused by the various terms (UMTS EDGE HSPA etc.) a phone that is guad-gsm and tri-3G will run the data services just fine but T-mobile will tell you we dont guarantee the data capabilities outside of our network... because they dont want lawsuits
mo976 said:
The phone is compatible with almost every gsm band the specs are:
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA/HSUPA 900 / 1700 / 2100
In the US most carriers are using GSM 850/1900 and 3G 1700/2100 you will only get OTA from T-mobile in the US if you are using their cellphone service or you can hope and wait for the update to show up here on XDA in the forum.
In Israel where I am, and England, France and Germany etc. the bands are
2G 900/1800 and 3G 2100
so you should have no problem using 3G or even 3g+ "4G" on this phone if your cell provider offers it. But it may require an advanced sim card or signing up for a special data service.
Dont get confused by the various terms (UMTS EDGE HSPA etc.) a phone that is guad-gsm and tri-3G will run the data services just fine but T-mobile will tell you we dont guarantee the data capabilities outside of our network... because they dont want lawsuits
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I am a telecom engineer so I know about the terms. You didn't get my question about the bands. Look here for example support.t-mobile.com/doc/tm24233.xml?&A2L.SERVICE=FeatureSummary
The listed Bands: 1 (2100) and 4 (AWS 1700/2100)
and that clearly shows that G2 supports 2 UMTS bands , 1 and 4
1 is 2100 paired with 1900 ( EU)
4 that is used by T mobile in the US.
So I am confused because on this page mytouch.t-mobile.com/mytouch-4g-features#/specs-and-manualsthey listed the bands like this
Bands 1700/2100/AWS that's why it's not clear for me if MT4G supports UMTS I or not.
This is the official reply from HTC when asked:
Dear ....,
I understand that you would like to know if your T-mobile Mytouch 4G device can use the 2100 MHZ band over in Europe for 3G. I do apologize your device is not compatible with the 2100 MHZ back over in Europe for 3G service. I do apologize for all the inconvenience that this may cause you.
To send a reply to this message or let me know I have successfully answered your question log in to our ContactUs site using your email address and your ticket number .....
Sincerely,
Victor
HTC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
raeef said:
Actually I am a telecom engineer so I know about the terms. You didn't get my question about the bands. Look here for example support.t-mobile.com/doc/tm24233.xml?&A2L.SERVICE=FeatureSummary
The listed Bands: 1 (2100) and 4 (AWS 1700/2100)
and that clearly shows that G2 supports 2 UMTS bands , 1 and 4
1 is 2100 paired with 1900 ( EU)
4 that is used by T mobile in the US.
So I am confused because on this page mytouch.t-mobile.com/mytouch-4g-features#/specs-and-manualsthey listed the bands like this
Bands 1700/2100/AWS that's why it's not clear for me if MT4G supports UMTS I or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AWS is the data delivery method used only by Tmo in the US. So the 4G service may not work outside the US but according to the phone specs it states that it supports UMTS and GPRS/EDGE so it should support 3G UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ and gprs/edge for 2G everywhere. Ill test my HD (from England) when I get to new york in a day or so and see if I can get proper 3G speeds.
Todays smartphones are designed to be used worldwide with full service as much as possible.
AWS is just another name of UMTS band IV. This is the only UMTS band the MT4G supports, so you'll be able to use it for 3G on carriers that use this band. You can see the list of bands and operators that use them here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
In short, outside of the US, Canada, and Chile you're out of luck for 3G. You'd be able to use 2G fine though.
athakur999 said:
AWS is just another name of UMTS band IV. This is the only UMTS band the MT4G supports, so you'll be able to use it for 3G on carriers that use this band. You can see the list of bands and operators that use them here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
In short, outside of the US, Canada, and Chile you're out of luck for 3G. You'd be able to use 2G fine though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is really confusing, look at this page http://support.t-mobile.com/doc/tm24243.xml?&A2L.SERVICE=FeatureSummary
mo976 said:
AWS is the data delivery method used only by Tmo in the US. So the 4G service may not work outside the US but according to the phone specs it states that it supports UMTS and GPRS/EDGE so it should support 3G UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ and gprs/edge for 2G everywhere. Ill test my HD (from England) when I get to new york in a day or so and see if I can get proper 3G speeds.
Todays smartphones are designed to be used worldwide with full service as much as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Frequency bands differ for different technologies on the same phone. For example there are 2 versions of Nexus one one for ATT and one for T mobile although they work on GSM level because the support both GSM bands on T mobile and ATT but not the UMTS bands on both networks. UMTS and GSM frequencies are not necessarily the same for each network and most probably they won't be the same. In my country we licensed 3G services ( UMTS) on 2100 band or UMTS 1 . GSM on 900 and 1800 only.
Can someone provide me with the FCC id from the back of the phone ?
I tired to search for it on the web but I don't think what I found was the correct one.
Update
I went to T-mobile store today, the guy was helpful and he printed out the official full technical specifications for the device that he pulled out and here what I got:
3G/UMTS Bands
Band I / UMTS2100 Yes
Band II / 1900 No
Band IV 1700/2100/AWS Yes
Band V/850 No
Band VII/ 900 No
The page was titled " Enablers" and listed specs for GSM and UMTS bands with their features. So I think this ends it for me, it does support both bands I and IV.
mo976 said:
AWS is the data delivery method used only by Tmo in the US. So the 4G service may not work outside the US but according to the phone specs it states that it supports UMTS and GPRS/EDGE so it should support 3G UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ and gprs/edge for 2G everywhere. Ill test my HD (from England) when I get to new york in a day or so and see if I can get proper 3G speeds.
Todays smartphones are designed to be used worldwide with full service as much as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did it work with you in 3G speed in England ?
Good luck but I've taken my nexus one all over the planet... you'll get 3g in the countries listed above plus Japan (softbank only) but I haven't gotten 3g anywhere else....
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
raeef said:
I am planning to buy MT4G, unlock it and use it on another carrier with compatible frequencies of course. Will I be still able to get updates using for example a wifi connection? or should I download updates manually? Is there something that I will lose when I use the phone on another carrier ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@OP: have you gotten the MT4G to work with UMTS Band I frequencies?
I got the update by only using my friend's t-mobile sim card, I think I got it via wifi since he doesn't have data plan.
unremarked said:
I don't know if you mean overseas or in any place other than the U.S. but the only "compatible" carrier for this phone besides T-Mobile is AT&T. The reason why compatible is in quotes is because yes the phone would function and make calls on that network, but you will lose 3G and HSPA+ service as AT&T's equivalents operate on a different and incompatible spectrum.
I would also assume that you would not receive OTA updates either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
I'm planning on jumping on to the Note 3 bandwagon, but before that,
I was wondering what the best option would be in order to cover my bases in terms of network coverage?
I've read that the best option for the Note 2, was the T-Mobile Note 2,
because it pretty much supports all the LTE frequencies of the major carriers.
Would that be a fair assessment of the note 3 also?
AssassinsLament said:
I'm planning on jumping on to the Note 3 bandwagon, but before that,
I was wondering what the best option would be in order to cover my bases in terms of network coverage?
I've read that the best option for the Note 2, was the T-Mobile Note 2,
because it pretty much supports all the LTE frequencies of the major carriers.
Would that be a fair assessment of the note 3 also?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess it depends upon where you live, but I use Verizon which I think has the best overall coverage. However, Verizon is not offering the 64GB version, only the 32GB. Are you able to find a 64GB version anywhere?
If you are a GMS user, T-Mo or ATT you may be able to find an unlocked unit, try www.mobilecityonline.com they have had unlocked units that work on US networks in the past with US radio's. Can't speak to the GN3 though and LTE since I am on Verizon.
I also knew when Samsung went with 32/64GB option Verizon would NOT sell a 64GB version, and fortunately for us Samsung killed the 16GB otherwise Verizon would be selling ONLY the 16GB.
You still won't explain why Verizon would not sell higher memory note III?
KruseLudsMobile said:
You still won't explain why Verizon would not sell higher memory note III?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it won't budge profit margins, they don't care if customers can get more choices. Just my opinion.
Note3 is currently my top pick. To me memory doesnt really matter as pretty much everything is in "the cloud"..
T-Mobile FTW!!!!!
Dalboz said:
Note3 is currently my top pick. To me memory doesnt really matter as pretty much everything is in "the cloud"..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you've got an unlimited data plan, storage in the "cloud" can really eat into your monthly data limit...Especially if you like video. Personally, I prefer to get the SMALLEST storage option and use a 3rd party upgrade...Which ends up usually being cheaper and faster vs. buying it initially with the larger capacity.
Looking on these sellers specs ATT has more LTE options
AssassinsLament said:
I'm planning on jumping on to the Note 3 bandwagon, but before that,
I was wondering what the best option would be in order to cover my bases in terms of network coverage?
I've read that the best option for the Note 2, was the T-Mobile Note 2,
because it pretty much supports all the LTE frequencies of the major carriers.
Would that be a fair assessment of the note 3 also?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking on these sellers specs ATT has more LTE options, see these links and compare the LTE spectrum of both phones:
T-Mobile 4G Network LTE 700 / 1700 / 2100
http://negrielectronics.com/samsung-galaxy-note-3-32gb-lte-t-mobile-unlocked-black.html#.Uj1UvYZ6bkh
ATT 4G Network LTE 700 / 850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100
http://negrielectronics.com/samsung-galaxy-note-3-32gb-lte-at-t-unlocked-jet-black.html#.Uj1UvYZ6bkh
That's assuming that the specs these sellers put on their site are correct and if so that the same frequencies will work on both phones... If you find the specs on another site, pls let me know... As I am wondering also what to get!
Posters in this thread have pointed out differences in storage capacity of phones retailed by the carriers. But storage capacity is not variation by carrier.
Variants by carrier per se shouldn't differ except by supported radio frequencies and bands. In that sense, FCC documents are the final authoritative source in tech spec accuracy.
To quote myself on a different thread:
StarTAC Fan said:
In the links to the FCC filings, the documents called "Test Report" lists the following bands and frequencies. It's either on the first page or in the section called EUT Description of the relevant document for each of the carriers.
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/repo...ame=N&application_id=736794&fcc_id=A3LSMN900A
AT&T version (SM-N900A) supports the following (GSM omitted).
WCDMA Band 2 1900 MHz (tx and rx)
WCDMA Band 5 850 MHz (tx and rx)
LTE Band 2 1900 MHz (tx and rx)
LTE Band 4 1700/2100 MHz (tx/rx)
LTE Band 5 850 MHz (tx and rx)
LTE Band 17 700 MHz (tx and rx) This is of course different that Verizon's 700 MHz band.
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/repo...ame=N&application_id=134996&fcc_id=A3LSMN900P
Sprint version (SM-N900P) supports the following (GSM/CDMA omitted).
WCDMA Band 2 1900 MHz (tx and rx)
WCDMA Band 5 850 MHz (tx and rx)
LTE Band 25 1900 MHz (tx and rx)
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/repo...ame=N&application_id=566535&fcc_id=A3LSMN900T
T-Mobile vesion (SM-N900T) supports the following (GSM omitted).
WCDMA Band 2 1900 MHz (tx and rx)
WCDMA Band 4 1700/2100 MHz (tx/rx)
WCDMA Band 5 850 MHz (tx and rx)
LTE Band 2 1900 MHz (tx and rx)
LTE Band 4 1700/2100 MHz (tx/rx)
LTE Band 5 850 MHz (tx and rx)
LTE Band 17 700 MHz (tx and rx) Note this is also the band for AT&T but not Verizon which is band 13 700 MHz.
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/repo...ame=N&application_id=956586&fcc_id=A3LSMN900V
Verizon version (SM-N900V) supports the following (GSM/CDMA omitted).
WCDMA Band 2 1900 MHz (tx and rx)
WCDMA Band 5 850 MHz (tx and rx)
LTE Band 4 1700/2100 MHz (tx/rx)
LTE Band 13 700 MHz (tx and rx) This is of course different that AT&T's 700 MHz band.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From the above, the following conclusions can be made.
The 2G (GSM/CDMA) technology is probably no longer relevant to most people hence I omitted their comparison but generally they are all nearly identical for GSM.
AT&T and T-Mobile versions are most alike for 3G and 4G. Sprint version is the most isolated.
The T-Mobile version is wholly compatible with both the T-Mobile and AT&T networks. It even supports AT&T's primary LTE band 17, 700 MHz. T-Mobile's only native LTE band is 4, 1700/2100 MHz. AT&T also uses that in part of their network, I believe in high density areas, as an adjunct to their band 17.
But the AT&T version is missing 3G band 4 1700/2100 MHz to be wholly compatible with T-Mobile That said, T-Mobile is reframing part of their 1900 MHz network for 3G in some areas to take congestion away from their band 4 1700/2100 for more LTE, so the AT&T phone will work on part of T-Mobile's 3G network.
AT&T and T-Mobile versions are not compatible with Sprint LTE band 25 even though it's the same frequency of 1900 MHz. It's a different band. However, they will be compatible with Sprint's 3G network. On the other hand, Sprint's phone will not be wholly compatible with T-Mobile's 3G network. It will be on AT&T's 3G.
AT&T and T-Mobile versions are compatible with Verizon's LTE band 4 1700/2100. But at the present time, Verizon has yet to activate their band 4 network, which even when so will be limited at first.
AT&T and T-Mobile versions are not compatible with Version's primary LTE band. Even though the same frequency range around 700 MHz, it's a different band, 13 vs 17 - something to do with "upper" and "lower" frequencies.
All versions, including Verizon, support 3G 850 and 1900 Mhz. Verizon however does not natively have a 3G network at any frequency.
All above said, the T-Mobile version has potential for being the most cross-compatible on other carriers' 3G and 4G networks.
A few other notes:
LTE frequencies and bands by carriers are listed here (to help understand the 'conclusions' above): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks . The 3G list is here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UMTS_networks.
Posters in other threads have noted that T-Mobile, unlike the others, has a history of not locking the boot loader. This will not matter to most consumers.
There may be carrier branding on the case. Verizon is notorious for this. Although cosmetic in nature not affecting end-user features, this may or may not matter to consumers who intend to use their phone carrier-unlocked.
As mentioned at the start of this post, there should not be differences in end-user features between the various carrier versions.
StarTAC Fan said:
Posters in this thread have pointed out differences in storage capacity of phones retailed by the carriers. But storage capacity is not variation by carrier.
Variants by carrier per se shouldn't differ except by supported radio frequencies and bands. In that sense, FCC documents are the final authoritative source in tech spec accuracy.
To quote myself on a different thread:
From the above, the following conclusions can be made.
The 2G (GSM/CDMA) technology is probably no longer relevant to most people hence I omitted their comparison but generally they are all nearly identical for GSM.
AT&T and T-Mobile versions are most alike for 3G and 4G. Sprint version is the most isolated.
The T-Mobile version is wholly compatible with both the T-Mobile and AT&T networks. It even supports AT&T's primary LTE band 17, 700 MHz. T-Mobile's only native LTE band is 4, 1700/2100 MHz. AT&T also uses that in part of their network, I believe in high density areas, as an adjunct to their band 17.
But the AT&T version is missing 3G band 4 1700/2100 MHz to be wholly compatible with T-Mobile That said, T-Mobile is reframing part of their 1900 MHz network for 3G in some areas to take congestion away from their band 4 1700/2100 for more LTE, so the AT&T phone will work on part of T-Mobile's 3G network.
AT&T and T-Mobile versions are not compatible with Sprint LTE band 25 even though it's the same frequency of 1900 MHz. It's a different band. However, they will be compatible with Sprint's 3G network. On the other hand, Sprint's phone will not be wholly compatible with T-Mobile's 3G network. It will be on AT&T's 3G.
AT&T and T-Mobile versions are compatible with Verizon's LTE band 4 1700/2100. But at the present time, Verizon has yet to activate their band 4 network, which even when so will be limited at first.
AT&T and T-Mobile versions are not compatible with Version's primary LTE band. Even though the same frequency range around 700 MHz, it's a different band, 13 vs 17 - something to do with "upper" and "lower" frequencies.
All versions, including Verizon, support 3G 850 and 1900 Mhz. Verizon however does not natively have a 3G network at any frequency.
All above said, the T-Mobile version has potential for being the most cross-compatible on other carriers' 3G and 4G networks.
A few other notes:
LTE frequencies and bands by carriers are listed here (to help understand the 'conclusions' above): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks . The 3G list is here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UMTS_networks.
Posters in other threads have noted that T-Mobile, unlike the others, has a history of not locking the boot loader. This will not matter to most consumers.
There may be carrier branding on the case. Verizon is notorious for this. Although cosmetic in nature not affecting end-user features, this may or may not matter to consumers who intend to use their phone carrier-unlocked.
As mentioned at the start of this post, there should not be differences in end-user features between the various carrier versions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
would you be kind as to also include GSM/UMTS comparisons? I travel frequently to Europe, and I want to get a version that supports 4G in the us and 3G where I travel to in Europe (3g @ 2100MHZ band). SO would you please advise me on which variant I should be getting based on my needs? In any case, I only want a bootloader unlocked phone. keeping that in mind, should I get a US variant (please tell me which) or the international N9005 version ?
Thanks in advance for your time
sharl1987 said:
would you be kind as to also include GSM/UMTS comparisons? I travel frequently to Europe, and I want to get a version that supports 4G in the us and 3G where I travel to in Europe (3g @ 2100MHZ band). SO would you please advise me on which variant I should be getting based on my needs? In any case, I only want a bootloader unlocked phone. keeping that in mind, should I get a US variant (please tell me which) or the international N9005 version ?
Thanks in advance for your time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you referring to GSM/EDGE, not GSM/UMTS? Or are you saying you want info for GSM (2G) and also info for UMTS (3G)?
Part 1: General Non-4G Support
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/samsung/galaxy-note-3-jet-black.html
2G: 800, 850, 1800, 1900
3G: 850, 1900, 2100
http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phones/samsung-galaxy-note-3.html
GSM frequencies supported said as being "quad band" without needing to specify what they are, no doubt same as AT&T's 2G
UMTS/HSPA same as AT&T's 3G with addition of 1700 MHz
Verizon and Sprint have not yet posted 2G and 3G frequency specifications, indeed any details of the Galaxy Note 3, on their websites. However, FCC documents show that 2G 850 and 1900 MHz have been tested.
Part 2: 2G
GSM/GPRS/EDGE is 2G and therefore can't really provide usable data speed. So I'm unsure if this is what you want or if you just want to use it for voice (without GPRS and EDGE extensions). However, general rule of thumb, nowadays all GSM capable phones are "quad band" (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz). Indeed, AT&T and T-Mobile which have posted specs on their website confirm this. 850 and 1900 are frequencies used in North America among other places while 900 and 1800 are used in Europe and other places as you are probably already aware.
Whether they have posted specs on their website or not already, for all 4 major American carriers, the FCC documents show testing was performed only for 2G 850 and 1900 MHz. That's a little misleading because to meet American regulatory requirements, the 900 and 1800 European frequencies don't have to be tested although support for them may be present in the device. That's why carrier and manufacturer specs can claim additional frequencies not of interest to the US FCC - not any of the other regulated frequencies.
Part 3: 3G
Your were concerned about 3G support in Europe. The Band 1 2100 MHz is universal for 3G for all phones, or should be. With insignificant exception, Band 1 is used by all European carriers as well as pretty much the rest of the world for 3G as you seem to be aware (you specifically mentioned looking for Band 1 support). The FCC documents don't specify and don't need to whether 3G Band 1 testing was carried out for transmission and reception. However, 2100 MHz is used as half of the Band 4 supported by the AT&T and T-Mobile models. That said, 3G Band 1 support should be present for both up and downlink.
Indeed the specs posted at AT&T and T-Mobile sites confirm that there is support for 3G Band 1 (implicitly up and down). With Sprint and Verizon, they have not yet confirmed support for 3G Band 1. But if they want their phones roamable on 3G networks elsewhere in the world, they must include Band 1 support at minimum. FCC documents submitted by the manufacturer, Samsung in this case, don't have to indicate support for 3G Band 1 because, again, it doesn't exist in the FCC's jurisdiction.
UMTS (also called WCDMA) is an early form of 3G theoretically capable of up to 384 kb/s. HSDPA and HSUPA were backward compatible improvements (D for downlink and U for uplink, and where HSDPA + HSUPA = HSPA) to which pretty much all the original UMTS carriers have upgraded. A further improvement is HSPA+ to which many HSPA carriers have upgraded. Although not the exact same, UMTS, WCDMA, HSPA and HSPA+ are interchangeably referred to as 3G. Modern phones are HSPA+ capable, therefore automatically backward compatible with UMTS (WCDMA) and HSPA carriers.
Part 4: Other Remarks
We'll know in a few weeks which phones are bootloader locked or unlocked. As mentioned, T-Mobile has historically not locked it.
LTE frequencies throughout the world are fragmented like no other. And we used to think quad band 2G and penta band 3G were excessive. But you're interested in quad band GSM and 3G at 2100 MHz, not universal 4G support - that's good.
I cannot tell you which carrier's GN3 or the International to get or not get particularly for US 4G + at minimum 2G/3G for international travel, only provide information for you to arrive at your own informed decision. That said, here is a summary:
AT&T and T-Mobile have already explicitly published that their Note 3 phones will be 2G quad-band.
AT&T and T-Mobile have published their phones will be 3G Band 1 2100 MHz capable in addition to their native 3G network frequencies.
Sprint and Verizon should also be quad-band 2G and, at minimum, Band 1 3G capable for roaming outside the US. FCC test reports cannot verify this for reason cited. It would be foolish for these 2 carriers to not to support minimal international roaming but we just have to wait.
As long as whatever variant you get has quad 2G and 3G @ 2100, you'll be fine for voice and data pretty much anywhere outside the Americas.
StarTAC Fan said:
Are you referring to GSM/EDGE, not GSM/UMTS? Or are you saying you want info for GSM (2G) and also info for UMTS (3G)?
Part 1: General Non-4G Support
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/samsung/galaxy-note-3-jet-black.html
2G: 800, 850, 1800, 1900
3G: 850, 1900, 2100
http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phones/samsung-galaxy-note-3.html
GSM frequencies supported said as being "quad band" without needing to specify what they are, no doubt same as AT&T's 2G
UMTS/HSPA same as AT&T's 3G with addition of 1700 MHz
Verizon and Sprint have not yet posted 2G and 3G frequency specifications, indeed any details of the Galaxy Note 3, on their websites. However, FCC documents show that 2G 850 and 1900 MHz have been tested.
Part 2: 2G
GSM/GPRS/EDGE is 2G and therefore can't really provide usable data speed. So I'm unsure if this is what you want or if you just want to use it for voice (without GPRS and EDGE extensions). However, general rule of thumb, nowadays all GSM capable phones are "quad band" (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz). Indeed, AT&T and T-Mobile which have posted specs on their website confirm this. 850 and 1900 are frequencies used in North America among other places while 900 and 1800 are used in Europe and other places as you are probably already aware.
Whether they have posted specs on their website or not already, for all 4 major American carriers, the FCC documents show testing was performed only for 2G 850 and 1900 MHz. That's a little misleading because to meet American regulatory requirements, the 900 and 1800 European frequencies don't have to be tested although support for them may be present in the device. That's why carrier and manufacturer specs can claim additional frequencies not of interest to the US FCC - not any of the other regulated frequencies.
Part 3: 3G
Your were concerned about 3G support in Europe. The Band 1 2100 MHz is universal for 3G for all phones, or should be. With insignificant exception, Band 1 is used by all European carriers as well as pretty much the rest of the world for 3G as you seem to be aware (you specifically mentioned looking for Band 1 support). The FCC documents don't specify and don't need to whether 3G Band 1 testing was carried out for transmission and reception. However, 2100 MHz is used as half of the Band 4 supported by the AT&T and T-Mobile models. That said, 3G Band 1 support should be present for both up and downlink.
Indeed the specs posted at AT&T and T-Mobile sites confirm that there is support for 3G Band 1 (implicitly up and down). With Sprint and Verizon, they have not yet confirmed support for 3G Band 1. But if they want their phones roamable on 3G networks elsewhere in the world, they must include Band 1 support at minimum. FCC documents submitted by the manufacturer, Samsung in this case, don't have to indicate support for 3G Band 1 because, again, it doesn't exist in the FCC's jurisdiction.
UMTS (also called WCDMA) is an early form of 3G theoretically capable of up to 384 kb/s. HSDPA and HSUPA were backward compatible improvements (D for downlink and U for uplink, and where HSDPA + HSUPA = HSPA) to which pretty much all the original UMTS carriers have upgraded. A further improvement is HSPA+ to which many HSPA carriers have upgraded. Although not the exact same, UMTS, WCDMA, HSPA and HSPA+ are interchangeably referred to as 3G. Modern phones are HSPA+ capable, therefore automatically backward compatible with UMTS (WCDMA) and HSPA carriers.
Part 4: Other Remarks
We'll know in a few weeks which phones are bootloader locked or unlocked. As mentioned, T-Mobile has historically not locked it.
LTE frequencies throughout the world are fragmented like no other. And we used to think quad band 2G and penta band 3G were excessive. But you're interested in quad band GSM and 3G at 2100 MHz, not universal 4G support - that's good.
I cannot tell you which carrier's GN3 or the International to get or not get particularly for US 4G + at minimum 2G/3G for international travel, only provide information for you to arrive at your own informed decision. That said, here is a summary:
AT&T and T-Mobile have already explicitly published that their Note 3 phones will be 2G quad-band.
AT&T and T-Mobile have published their phones will be 3G Band 1 2100 MHz capable in addition to their native 3G network frequencies.
Sprint and Verizon should also be quad-band 2G and, at minimum, Band 1 3G capable for roaming outside the US. FCC test reports cannot verify this for reason cited. It would be foolish for these 2 carriers to not to support minimal international roaming but we just have to wait.
As long as whatever variant you get has quad 2G and 3G @ 2100, you'll be fine for voice and data pretty much anywhere outside the Americas.
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Can't thank you enough for your troubles for this complete and well written answer, must have taken you quite some time. Anyhow, the reason I am concerned about UMTS (excuse the error from my previous post) is that my international galaxy S III will only get EDGE on T-mobile, this has confined me to the use of AT&T's network. I know that is because AT&T utilizes the 1900Mhz band for 3G, where TMO has just started doing that and was running on a different band before ( and still is,I think it was the 1700Mhz band). That's why I am trying to make sure I get at least 3G service in Europe and 4G in the states
muqali said:
If it won't budge profit margins, they don't care if customers can get more choices. Just my opinion.
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I think it is about the profit margins for the Big Red. Less onboard storage space = more cloud usage = more bandwidth use = profit $$$. They may have forgotten the usd card storage option as it may be a blanket policy they apply to all smartphones not branded Apple.
Coming from 16gb GS3, 32gb is enough for me. I would definitely get the 64gb version if offered, but am more concerned about things like radio quality and overall performance of VZW GN3
sharl1987 said:
hat's why I am trying to make sure I get at least 3G service in Europe and 4G in the states
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It seems to me that either all carriers will support the Band 1 3G (2100 MHz) whether they have already posted it up on their website or not. To not allow such basic international is...well...just dumb. They should all have 3G Band 1.
Therefore your choice depends on which 4G frequencies you need, ie. on which carrier(s) you intend to use the phone at home in the US. Your decision, again something I cannot make for you, comes down to being that simple.
T-Mobile's Note 3, also Support LTE Band 7 (2600), as detailed spec indcates http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-9056
So the Best US/International Note 3 is the one Sell by T-Mobile, besides AWS 3G/4G, support All AT&T LTE Bands, most European 3G and some European/SouthAmerican LTE (2600).
I'm planning to get the Note3 besides his little older brother Note1 (AT&T version - I717).
I only have a question and it's related to the subject I believe; does the UNLOCKED version can get the AT&T 4G network?
I'm thinking of buying the unlocked version because I'm from middle east and I always came back to my country for visiting, but currently I live in USA
FWIW the best option is probably at&t, if you are ok with shacking up with evil incarnate. The thought process is as follows (based on your request for best network coverage), verizons seems to be monoband even though it passed the fcc as dual band and secondly the eirp is apparently poor for the note 3 so even though you will have access to lte on a sub 1000MHz band, the phone will be the weak link. TMO has nothing sub 1000MHz and their rural coverage isn't as great although I do personally use tmo. Sprint went monoband on the note 3, no sub 1000MHz. The only provider offering sub 1000MHz LTE that doesn't have a crippled radio is at&t.
YMMV but that was pretty much the thought process I went through, digging through fcc docs and then realising screw it, I get decent service on tmo and unlimited plus (limited) tethering without breaking my contract is nice.If you really want coverage more than anything else at&t is probably the best bet, followed by verizon and a wilson sleek 4g booster if there are areas you need coverage that only vzw cover.
richym82 said:
FWIW the best option is probably at&t, if you are ok with shacking up with evil incarnate. The thought process is as follows (based on your request for best network coverage), verizons seems to be monoband even though it passed the fcc as dual band and secondly the eirp is apparently poor for the note 3 so even though you will have access to lte on a sub 1000MHz band, the phone will be the weak link. TMO has nothing sub 1000MHz and their rural coverage isn't as great although I do personally use tmo. Sprint went monoband on the note 3, no sub 1000MHz. The only provider offering sub 1000MHz LTE that doesn't have a crippled radio is at&t.
YMMV but that was pretty much the thought process I went through, digging through fcc docs and then realising screw it, I get decent service on tmo and unlimited plus (limited) tethering without breaking my contract is nice.If you really want coverage more than anything else at&t is probably the best bet, followed by verizon and a wilson sleek 4g booster if there are areas you need coverage that only vzw cover.
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If you really need ATT, I would get the tmo note 3 and use straight talk which is an ATT MVNO. They use ATT's LTE and are much much cheaper. ATT does not have any plans that strip the subsidies for new phones out. Also, the tmo s4 worked on ATT"s LTE but no one has tested the tmo note 3 yet. I'm still getting the tmo version though because I'm willing to take the chance. Everything so far says it will.
AcostaJA said:
T-Mobile's Note 3, also Support LTE Band 7 (2600), as detailed spec indcates http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-9056
So the Best US/International Note 3 is the one Sell by T-Mobile, besides AWS 3G/4G, support All AT&T LTE Bands, most European 3G and some European/SouthAmerican LTE (2600).
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Beautiful. That means it will support the ultra fast LTE networks on Rogers and Bell in Canada.