Database Users

GSM Models of HTC Hero: Which is the correct model I should buy?

HELP WANTED TO IDENTIFY HTC HERO MODEL #s, and what they can tell you re the specific version of the Hero you're getting. ADVICE also wanted to buying online.
I've had two HTC WindowsMobile Phones over past 4 years, all through T-Mobile USA, I've been very active @XDA, and now I'm switching to Android. Took me a while to choose which HTC android phone Model I wanted, since my carrier, T-Mobile USA, decided not to carry the Hero.
Yesterday I spent several hours at my T-Mobile store getting a feel for the first time of several Android devices -- including the G1, the myTouch, and the new Motorola Cliq (which I didn't care for at all). So many reviews on YouTube and various Smartphone news & info sites have convinced me the HTC Hero is what I want. And I am giving up 3G data speeds on T-Mobile's USA Network in order to get this phone.
Which Model Do I want?
The "Device database" site that links at the top of every page here at XDA shows all these following versions of the HTC Hero. I want to figure out specifically if one of the models shown was ever put into production, or whether it was just an early prototype while HTC was shopping it around to carriers:
COMPARISON CHART OF HTC HERO MODEL VERSIONS:
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=pdacomparer&id1=2061&id2=2005&id3=1966&id4=1955&id5=1954
Note Item #1: I have to assume this model was never put into production, and that it was perhaps just a prototype to "sell" to T-Mobile USA to carry this model, and they of course passed.
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But it was also reviewed on YouTube under this specific model name (HTC Hero / T-Mobile G2 Touch)... And so if this model somehow was produced (doubtful), it would be the Hero I'd want to buy, since it would work at 3G speeds on the T-Mobile USA 3G network, which requires bands 1700 and 2100.
Here is the other GSM model listed... I know from researching all of this that T-Mobile UK has the Hero (but only in Black and in White), that Orange UK has it, that Denmark has a version that is gunmetal blue-grey, and that India has a Hero model as well. I don't know which is which in terms of specs.
And then here are the new USA models, for Sprint (released), and Verizon (not yet released):
---
Very likely someone will confirm here that the model I buy won't be usable on T-Mobile USA's 3G network.. I've reconciled to that, and STILL want this phone over T-Mo's Android 3G phones: myTouch, Motorola Cliq.
But I want to buy the right model, so is it #2 or #3? At the online stores, mostly all I see is the GSM Hero listed THIS way:
HTC Hero A6262 Quadband 3G HSDPA GPS Unlocked Phone
but I have also seen one listed this way (sold in Singapore):
HTC Hero / HTC A6262 / Google G3
I have spoken to HTC USA -- not a help at all -- I have written to vendors -- they don't know. I have written to PDAdb.net -- no reply So please help me solve this so I can hurry up and order this phone. Thank you!

(1) does not exist, there is no Hero that supports the 1700 band that (only) T-Mobile USA uses. HERO100 is the product number of (2), which is the European/Asian version, and, as I am typing, is currently the only version of Hero with that chin.
(3) is going to be released later this week in Canada with Telus. It should looks exactly the same with HERO100. The only difference is that it supports 850/1900, which Telus and some other carriers in North and South America use for their 3G networks, in particular AT&T in the US. It carries a product number of HERO130. I am not sure if there will be an unlocked version of this phone for retail, but I am sure that people will find a way to unlock the carrier specific version within days.
(5) has released on Sprint, there is not much I can say about it that is not in the pic you posted. It is a CDMA phone, the same goes for (4), which has been renamed to Droid Eris and looks rather different from all its Hero siblings.
If you are sticking with T-Mobile USA, I am sorry but there is no Hero that supports T-Mobile USA 3G network. Don't waste your time looking for one. T-Mobile USA is the only carrier in this world that utilize the 1700 band for its 3G network (no, T-Mobile in the Europe doesn't use 1700). Unless T-Mobile USA was going to carry the Hero on their network, which they had already declined, the chance of having a compatible Hero is very very slim. In this case, HERO100 and HERO130 are the same phone to you. They will run fine on EDGE, but no 3G. If you are gonig to switch to, say, AT&T, then you should go for HERO130 instead of HERO100, since that one is compatible with AT&T's 3G network.

Is the Hero "A6262" the same as the Hero100 ?
Oh, excellent! Leave it to XDA to have clear answers in under 3 hours... vs days of unanswered questions elsewhere. Thank you so much, tsekh501. So, the Hero100 = Europe/Asia model = UMTS 900/2100 = Picture #2. Is this also known as HTC Hero A6262 Quadband 3G HSDPA GPS ? Because the designation "A6262" is the most common way the HTC Hero is denoted at various online vendors' sites.
tsekh501 said:
(3) is going to be released later this week... it supports 850/1900, which (AT&T) use for their 3G networks...in the US. It carries a product number of HERO130. ...I am not sure if there will be an unlocked version of this phone for retail, but I am sure that people will find a way to unlock the carrier specific version within days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The likelihood of my ever contracting with AT&T is so slim -- I plan to never forget their lead role in the domestic spying on every single person in the United States for all phone & internet traffic. This is why I never went for the iphone.
If you are sticking with T-Mobile USA...HERO100 and HERO130 are the same phone to you. They will run fine on EDGE, but no 3G. If you are going to switch to, say, AT&T, then you should go for HERO130 instead of HERO100, since that one is compatible with AT&T's 3G network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... But in the event I fell and hurt my head and lost all memory of their criminality, it would be best for me to wait a few weeks until the AT&T branded phones hit the secondary marketplace and are made avail online, unlocked ? (Scratch that. (a) I could not stand to look at that logo everytime I used the phone, and (b) their 3G network is so overtaxed and under-resourced, AT&T has actually been thinking of throttling usage of high-data users like iphone subscribers)
(5) has released on Sprint, there is not much I can say about it that is not in the pic you posted. It is a CDMA phone, the same goes for (4), which has been renamed to Droid Eris and looks rather different from all its Hero siblings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see that now:
(This sounds pretty snide... but who knows, maybe given the Hero's older processor, compared to the new Motorola DROID and the HTC Leo, maybe it's true
CNET: "... it should launch November 6, and it will supposedly run $99 after rebate. That's pretty cheap considering it matches the specs of the $180 Hero ... a bundled 8GB MicroSD card. ...Dan and I were talking about how one of Sprint's flagship phones, what was the premiere Android phone before the Droid came along, will be Verizon's el cheapo Android handset come Friday. The Hero more than warrants the $180 Sprint charges, but Verizon sees it as a last-gen device only worthy of last-gen pricing. That, to us, shows the carrier is really planning to push Android hardware to the next level.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---
Thanks -- my first thread in the Hero forum and a home-run reply in post#2. Thanks very much!

Item 1, the T-Mobile G2 Touch does exists - it just doesn't support the bands listed under it. It just a "normal" GSM Hero branded by T-Mobile for its european networks. My guess is that whomever put together that table on PDAnet saw it said T-Mobile and just assumed it would be for T-Mobile US. This is further evidenced by the model number, which remains Hero 100.
To be honest, if you want a GSM Hero, they are all basically the same at the moment with the only differences being the colour and the pre-installed apps in the ROM. For example SEE Hero's don't seem to come with the Market. Oh - an the white Hero is teflon coated too! Allegedly a Canadian network (Rogers?) will be launching a GSM Hero which supports AT&T 3G bands (Hero 130), but that doesn't help you much if you are staying with T-Mobile US.
So, my advice is - pick a colour!
Regards,
Dave

foxmeister said:
Item 1, the T-Mobile G2 Touch does exists - it just doesn't support the bands listed under it. It just a "normal" GSM Hero branded by T-Mobile for its european networks. My guess is that whomever put together that table on PDAnet saw it said T-Mobile and just assumed it would be for T-Mobile US. This is further evidenced by the model number, which remains Hero 100.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There exists a Hero with the name of (1) T-Mobile G2 Touch, which is basically (2). But there does NOT exists a Hero with the spec listed for (1) above. T-Mobile G2 Touch is (2) branded for T-Mobile in Europe and is NOT compatible with the 3G network of T-Mobile USA.

quicksite said:
... But in the event I fell and hurt my head and lost all memory of their criminality, it would be best for me to wait a few weeks until the AT&T branded phones hit the secondary marketplace and are made avail online, unlocked ? (Scratch that. (a) I could not stand to look at that logo everytime I used the phone, and (b) their 3G network is so overtaxed and under-resourced, AT&T has actually been thinking of throttling usage of high-data users like iphone subscribers)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, what I was saying is that this Canadian carrier, Telus, will be releasing a version of HTC Hero, HERO130, that will be compatible with AT&T US 3G network. It is very unlikely that AT&T themselves will carry the HTC Hero or any Android phones for that matter anytime soon.
(a) It won't be AT&T branded. It may be Telus branded, but it hasn't been released yet, no one knows what Telus will do to it. No one knows at the moment whether there will be a generic unlocked version of the Hero available in the Canada either.
(b) Yes I have read that. But what I've read is that they have this "unlimited" data limit of 5GB per month. Once you reached that they will start throttling your data usage. Seriously, 5GB is A LOT. My normal month data usage does not exist 500MB, and I am using an Android phone. Unlike you enjoy sitting at a no-wifi cafe and stream video all day, or play online games (do they even exist on Android?) it is pretty hard to hit 5GB. And if you are sitting down and want to do this kind of data heavy thing, normally you would much prefer to hook up with a wifi hotspot. Mainly for speed reason.

The Telus version is the A6265. Lets hope these get unlocked soon so I can use it on AT&T

Twenty4 said:
The Telus version is the A6265. Lets hope these get unlocked soon so I can use it on AT&T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! ... so let me add the pic here, just to get them all captured and differentiated in one spot:
The Telus version: the A6265
Fishing around, i found this comment, fyi:
the walmart i work at already has the hero in stock here in ontario, we are able to activate them on the 5th of november
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Click to collapse
from HTC's website:
and from Telus Mobility:
No Contract price: $499
from Android Central: Telus Hero unboxed "Surprise: Unbranded"
from Howards Forums:
Question for the more knowledgeable of Canadian providers. Is Telus available in the western coast of CA? I live in Seattle and often times find myself in Bellingham, a stone's throw away from BC.
telus is big in B.C, finding a store to buy phones would not be a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

thanks tsekh -- your knowledge is invaluable.
tsekh501 said:
No, what I was saying is that this Canadian carrier, Telus, will be releasing a version of HTC Hero, HERO130, that will be compatible with AT&T US 3G network.... But what I've read is that they have this "unlimited" data limit of 5GB per month. Once you reached that they will start throttling your data usage. Seriously, 5GB is A LOT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THIS was the article I was speaking of ... indicating there is further thinking going on, don't you think?
AT&T Wireless CEO Hints at ‘Managing’ iPhone Data Usage Mark Sullivan, PC World, Oct 7, 2009 4:11 pm
...De la Vega ... cited AT&T research showing that just 3 percent of AT&T's smartphone customers [read iPhone users] use 40 percent of all smartphone data, that they consume 13 times the data of "the average smartphone customer," yet represent less than 1 percent of AT&T’s total postpaid customer base. ... So in the absence of new spectrum and new, faster 4G networks, what does AT&T intend to do about the growing demand in the near term?
De la Vega’s comments on this subject really caught my attention.
Without the proper management of these networks, De la Vega said, regular data users will be “crowded out” by the small number of users [read iPhone users] who use massive amounts of data.
“We have to manage the network to make sure that the few cannot crowd out the many,” De la Vega continued.
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He said the words “crowded out” at least five times in that part of his keynote address.... Of course nobody outside AT&T knows exactly what the company has in mind. But if De la Vega's numbers are correct, AT&T will be forced to do something, and I got the impression that De la Vega was casually introducing the "rationing" concept to the wireless community today.
AT&T's exclusive deal with Apple to sell the iPhone has made it a top-shelf wireless provider, but that blessing could become a curse if the AT&T 3G network can't keep up with the large bandwidth appetite of the popular device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason for my followup here is to say I've now thought it through, and (a) I want the brown handset -- so that's GSM Europe/Asia, since Telus is only offering the handset in black or white, and (b) I'll be satisfied with 2G and wi-fi. Thanks again.

quicksite said:
Thanks! ... so let me add the pic here, just to get them all captured and differentiated in one spot:
The Telus version: the A6265
Fishing around, i found this comment, fyi:
from HTC's website:
and from Telus Mobility:
No Contract price: $499
from Android Central: Telus Hero unboxed "Surprise: Unbranded"
from Howards Forums:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice. But unbranded does not mean that the phone is unlocked (although there is a chance that it is), there is still "Telus" written on the box. I won't be too worry about the possibility of unlocking it though, given we have seen what the people here can do.
I am using the European version on AT&T and am thinking about selling mine and importing the Telus version.

Can't find the Telus version anywhere on the web other than ordering from the telus website which does NOT ship outside of Canada.

I guess they will start popping up on eBay very soon.
I am asking a friend of mine who lives in Canada to get one from Telus directly.

quicksite said:
Oh, excellent! Leave it to XDA to have clear answers in under 3 hours... vs days of unanswered questions elsewhere. Thank you so much, tsekh501. So, the Hero100 = Europe/Asia model = UMTS 900/2100 = Picture #2. Is this also known as HTC Hero A6262 Quadband 3G HSDPA GPS ? Because the designation "A6262" is the most common way the HTC Hero is denoted at various online vendors' sites.
The likelihood of my ever contracting with AT&T is so slim -- I plan to never forget their lead role in the domestic spying on every single person in the United States for all phone & internet traffic. This is why I never went for the iphone.
... But in the event I fell and hurt my head and lost all memory of their criminality, it would be best for me to wait a few weeks until the AT&T branded phones hit the secondary marketplace and are made avail online, unlocked ? (Scratch that. (a) I could not stand to look at that logo everytime I used the phone, and (b) their 3G network is so overtaxed and under-resourced, AT&T has actually been thinking of throttling usage of high-data users like iphone subscribers)
I see that now:
(This sounds pretty snide... but who knows, maybe given the Hero's older processor, compared to the new Motorola DROID and the HTC Leo, maybe it's true
---
Thanks -- my first thread in the Hero forum and a home-run reply in post#2. Thanks very much!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 'older' processor of the Hero? How new is the DROID's processor going to be? Read this review and see for yourself:
http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/2009/11/05/motorola-droid-review-verizon-wireless/

tsekh501 said:
There exists a Hero with the name of (1) T-Mobile G2 Touch, which is basically (2). But there does NOT exists a Hero with the spec listed for (1) above. T-Mobile G2 Touch is (2) branded for T-Mobile in Europe and is NOT compatible with the 3G network of T-Mobile USA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Errhhh - that is what I said!
Item 1, the T-Mobile G2 Touch does exists - it just doesn't support the bands listed under it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regards,
Dave

blackvyper said:
The 'older' processor of the Hero? How new is the DROID's processor going to be? Read this review and see for yourself:
http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/2009/11/05/motorola-droid-review-verizon-wireless/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I didn't author the snide comment... CNET did. But here are the specs compared in PDAdb.net:
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=pdacomparer&id1=2011&id2=2061

Best Buy Canada -- now has the Telus Heros for sale (stores only)
It says they are only for sale IN STORES ...
(that last $999.99 is probably meant to be $99.99 -- same as the white phone for 3 year contract; same as on Telus website)
Home > Best Buy Mobile > Cell Phones > Smartphones > Telus > Product Information

The Arm Cortex-A8 core at the heart of the Droid is a much more modern design than the Arm-11 core in the Hero's Qualcomm processor. Clock for clock, you can expect it to be significantly faster.
See this article comparing the two cores in the iPhone. Whilst they don't use the same SoC as the Hero and Droid, they are based on the same Arm cores (iPhone 3G - ARM11, iPhone 3GS - Arm Cortex-A8) so the comparisons are likely to be apposite.
Regards,
Dave

foxmeister said:
The Arm Cortex-A8 core at the heart of the Droid is a much more modern design than the Arm-11 core in the Hero's Qualcomm processor. Clock for clock, you can expect it to be significantly faster.
See this article comparing the two cores in the iPhone. Whilst they don't use the same SoC as the Hero and Droid, they are based on the same Arm cores (iPhone 3G - ARM11, iPhone 3GS - Arm Cortex-A8) so the comparisons are likely to be apposite.
Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dave, you are a master of info. I'm only 2 days into this Hero forum (after 3 years on the windows mobile forums here), and you really deliver the goods. I look forward to getting my phone. I'm sure this Hero forum will be great for development.
This was very cool to read in that article, so thx for the reference.
A Call to Action
This leads me to a further point: we need more transparency in specs from smartphone manufacturers. The mobile phone market is all too shielded from the performance metrics and accountability that we’ve had in the PC space. When Intel was shipping Pentium 4s that performed slower than the Pentium IIIs they were replacing, we called them out on it. To this day, Apple refuses to talk about the processor in the iPhone 3GS. We get to hear all about what’s in the Nehalem Mac Pro, but the hardware behind the 3GS is off limits - despite the fact that it’s very good. This policy of not delivering specifics and a general unwillingness to talk about specs is absurd at best. It doesn’t take much more than a teardown and some homebrew code to figure out what CPU at what frequency is in any modern day smartphone; manufacturers should show pride in their hardware, or refrain from putting something inside a phone that’s they can’t be proud of.
What we need are cache sizes, clock speeds, full architecture disclosures. They don’t have to be on the phone’s marketing materials but make them accessible and at least some of the focus. These SoCs are so incredibly cool, they pack more power than the desktops of 10 years ago into a single chip smaller than my thumbnail - boast about them! Palm had a tremendous leg up on the competition with its OMAP 3430 processor, yet there was hardly any attention paid to it by Palm. I get that the vast majority of consumers don’t get, but those who do, would help tremendously if given access to this information. It’s something to get excited about.
And if the manufacturers won’t devote time and energy to this stuff, then I will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I really don't have any plans of getting the verizon version (Eris) as I feel it was built on the same set as the sprint version and will most likly suck in the battery department as the GSM version does not. Ohwell, hope we see theses soon. I can't find a single shop in canada that will ship to the USA...

Well the contract from when I bought my Tilt two years ago just ended. I will be buying the Telus Hero as soon as I can find one. Then I will research which non-smartphone I can get from AT&T with the biggest turn around on Ebay.
That way I can get keep the cheap data plan I have now and re-coupe some of the cash from paying full price for the Hero.

HTC Hero130 (Telus Version)

First off - I Private Messaged a couple of people about this, but realized that I should have just posted this in the forum. So, my apologies for anyone seeing this a second time.
I've been getting all sort of conflicting information about the Hero 130 (The Telus one) and which UMTS bands it supports.
Most of the information I see at places like PDADB says that it's UMTS enabled for 850/1900 only, which are the North American bands. FCC reports and the Telus user manual show testing for WCDMA (UMTS) 850/1900 only.
However, HTC's Canada Hero website (http://www.htc.com/ca/product/herotelus/specification.html) says "Dual Mode UMTS" and lists frequencies for US (850/1900), EU/Asia (900/2100) and Telstra (850/2100). Two HTC support techs from their website also confirm that the Hero 130 supports UMTS for US EU/Asia and Telstra, but it feels like they are just regurgitating information from the extremely vague website.
The device is a quad-band worldwide device. These are the bands the device is capable of using:
Europe/Asia
UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (900/2100MHz for EU/Asia)
North America
850/1900
Telestra
850/2100
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900Mhz)
If the bands you are needing are any of these then the device should work.
Kay
HTC Technical Support
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Has anyone with a HERO130 actually gone overseas and seen if you get UMTS/3G to work overseas - or has seen anything that conclusively and definitively proves if it does or does not work?
Thanks!

I'm wondering the same thing. I'd like to get the Telus one and use it here on AT&T 3g in the states... anyone know if that is possible?

The Telus version of the HTC Hero (aka HERO130 or A6265) definitely supports ATT's 3G bands. It's been confirmed via the FCC documentation as well that 850/2100 is supported. T-Mobile's 1700MHz is not supported.
My question is specifically in regards to the European/Asian (900/1900MHz) bands. HTC's confirmed that it does support by phone, but I'm still a little dubious. However, I'm ordering one and am going to give it a test!
Stay Tuned!

itpromike said:
I'm wondering the same thing. I'd like to get the Telus one and use it here on AT&T 3g in the states... anyone know if that is possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. It is possible. I've got the Telus Hero, unlocked and running on the Rogers network. HSDPA/3G works fine on Rogers. North American radio bands for 3G are supported with this hardware.

BlueHawk said:
Yes. It is possible. I've got the Telus Hero, unlocked and running on the Rogers network. HSDPA/3G works fine on Rogers. North American radio bands for 3G are supported with this hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! How difficult is the unlocking process?

I just thought about something. I'm used to the iPhone where you have to root your phone to unlock it for other carriers. Is the way it work with the HTC Hero and the like is that you just pay full price for the phone ($499) and it comes unlocked already? No tinkering needed?

itpromike said:
Awesome! How difficult is the unlocking process?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The unlocking process is not painful at all, but it costs you $20-25. When you insert a non-Telus sim into the device and power it up, it will tell you that you are using the wrong sim and ask you to enter the unlock code. The unlock code is specific to the IMEI of you phone, so they can't be shared. They can be purchased on eBay for slightly more than $20.
Note that you cannot unlock your phone by flashing a custom ROM. So unless you figured out the magic formula for generating these unlocking code (different for each device and different for each carrier), you have to pay for it one way or another.

tsekh501 said:
The unlocking process is not painful at all, but it costs you $20-25. When you insert a non-Telus sim into the device and power it up, it will tell you that you are using the wrong sim and ask you to enter the unlock code. The unlock code is specific to the IMEI of you phone, so they can't be shared. They can be purchased on eBay for slightly more than $20.
Note that you cannot unlock your phone by flashing a custom ROM. So unless you figured out the magic formula for generating these unlocking code (different for each device and different for each carrier), you have to pay for it one way or another.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I buy the full priced ($499) phone from Telus, then I have to buy the unlock code from Ebay? Hmm... I feel leery about buying something like this from Ebay. Is there an official channel I can buy an unlock code from?

itpromike said:
So I buy the full priced ($499) phone from Telus, then I have to buy the unlock code from Ebay? Hmm... I feel leery about buying something like this from Ebay. Is there an official channel I can buy an unlock code from?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I paid mine for the full price too, but this doesn't make the phone automatically unlocked. Telus enters an exclusive contract with HTC to be the sole carrier of this phone in Canada (at least for now), and they have every right to make sure that an average-joe, who knows nothing about unlocking, who wants this phone have to go to them, with or without contract. Exclusive dealings are extremely common in cell phone industry, and they are not free for the carrier.
I doubt Telus would unlock the phone for you. In the US, T-Mobile will unlock their phones for you a few months into the 2-year contract, may be Telus will do the same, if you signed a contract with them that is.
I just went to eBay and notice that there are now many sellers selling Telus Hero unlock code, and some are selling for as low as $13. I bought mine from a seller called cellfservices, it is not the cheapest but it worked (and it took them about an hour after the sales to send me the code).

mobileincanada.ca seems to be one that is very popular for unlocking, $20cdn, and they usually send unlock code very fast (within 5 minutes)

all right people.
I am here to bust the myth.
Telus hero does not have asian HSPA band.
I have two heros: GSM and Telus.
Tested location: Taiwan.
Telus hero with Taiwan sim card = GPRS only, no 3G connection.
GSM hero = 3G connection.
Telus hero does not have dual model 3G, period.

So which do I get for AT&T
Ok so I'd like one of these WITH 3G connection on AT&T so which one would I get to make this happen? I'm leaning toward the Telus model from what I've been reading but if anyone can confirm or deny this, that would be great. Also once I have it and it's been unlocked, then what do I tell AT&T? Just order a second line with a data plan? Won't they ask me what type of phone is this for or how should I do this?

itpromike said:
Ok so I'd like one of these WITH 3G connection on AT&T so which one would I get to make this happen? I'm leaning toward the Telus model from what I've been reading but if anyone can confirm or deny this, that would be great. Also once I have it and it's been unlocked, then what do I tell AT&T? Just order a second line with a data plan? Won't they ask me what type of phone is this for or how should I do this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Telus Hero is the only current Hero model that will work with 3G/HSDPA in North America. The European Hero will only use Edge for Data - it doesn't support the North American radio bands. The Sprint model only supports CDMA.
Do you need a second line? Are you planning to run two cell phones? If not, just switch your current AT&T SIM into the Hero and get a data plan for that SIM/line.

I do plan on running a second line yes. I have an iPhone 3GS as my main phone and I am planning on using the Hero to play around with as my second phone. The hero is a decent phone and fun to flash and play around with etc... but I couldn't ever really use it as my main phone. I definitely couldn't give up my iPhone 3GS for an Android phone just yet there are still some refinements that Android as a mobile OS needs to undergo and still some refinements that HTC needs to bring to the SenseUI as well. I rely too heavily my phone and it doing what I need it to do as fast as possible. I did have the Sprint Hero for a month before I took it back, I just didn't like it... it was slow, laggy, and some of the things I wanted to do with the phone that I was just so used to doing on my iPhone either couldn't be done OR had to be done in a way that didn't make very much logical or design sense. I had a lot of those 'why can't I just press this to make it do that?' moments or 'why the heck would they put this menu under here?' moments. Anyhow with that being said, Hero and Android are still fun platforms to play with and flash and try different settings and home screens and different ROMS etc so I'm going to get another one but this time on AT&T so I can use voice and data at the same time (one of the things I hated about having the Hero on spring was the inability to use data and voice at the same time as well as how slow sprints data was compared to AT&T)... but I wouldn't want a phone that I flashed and played around with so much to be a phone I relied on for mission critical work.
So what's the best way of going about this? What type of line should I order from AT&T? What should I ask for when i call or go into the store to get another line? Any suggestions?

I just got my Telus Hero last week, and coming from a 3G iphone, this blows it away. Not sure about the 3GS as it is a faster processor..... Also better than the Tilt 2. Love it. Just waiting on Eclair to get Google Navigation and other goodies...

Broken said:
I just got my Telus Hero last week, and coming from a 3G iphone, this blows it away. Not sure about the 3GS as it is a faster processor..... Also better than the Tilt 2. Love it. Just waiting on Eclair to get Google Navigation and other goodies...
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Click to collapse
Yeah the iPhone 3G (I have both a 3G and 3Gs) and the Hero are pretty comparable. Browsing the web (which I do a lot) is faster on the 3G but the loading of applications etc... are pretty much the same. This is stock to stock so no modding on either phone. The scrolling on the 3G is much smoother than a stock Hero. I know that there are ROMS that make the device faster which is the only reason I'm even rethinking about getting one. The 3GS however is just no contest. But I've pretty much had all the fun I can out of the iPhone; not talking about the the apps as there are so many apps to choose from and a lot of them are awesome and fun to use, but with modding the phone itself and playing around with the OS etc I've done all I can do with the iPhone and want something new to play with...

itpromike said:
So what's the best way of going about this? What type of line should I order from AT&T? What should I ask for when i call or go into the store to get another line? Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just tell them you have an existing phone so you want a new SIM and to purchase a plan for a smartphone (data and voice plan) - they can advise you on deals and packages then. The carrier should never care about the phone - it's not like they make money on it - they usually subsidize the manufacturer for a unit anyway, in a profit sharing deal. The only thing the carrier is really interested in is the data and voice carriage charges.

i would just tell them you want to add a line for regular phone with unlimited data. that way you dont have to pay extra for the smart phone data. unless of course its cheaper and you can just for like ten dollars make your smart phone data plan you have now a family unlimited

BlueHawk said:
Just tell them you have an existing phone so you want a new SIM and to purchase a plan for a smartphone (data and voice plan) - they can advise you on deals and packages then. The carrier should never care about the phone - it's not like they make money on it - they usually subsidize the manufacturer for a unit anyway, in a profit sharing deal. The only thing the carrier is really interested in is the data and voice carriage charges.
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Click to collapse
That would not be the best option. If you are going to add a line, figure out which phone they are giving away for free they you can get the biggest profit by flipping on eBay. Most likely the Solstice.
This way you can get away with the cheaper non-smart phone data plan and get about $200 back by selling the "free" phone they give you.

Can anyone confirm if the telus hero ships with the updated faster firmware? Thanks.

Aquiring US version of HD2 in UK?

I was looking at the best deal i could get on the HD2 when i heard about the US version, has there been any news on the 'upgraded' US version coming to anywhere else? Namely the UK? I dont want to sign up to a contract to then see the better version released
Or would an imported handset from the US work in the UK?

3g high speed data wouldn't work in the uk. and before you ask no, flashing a different rom or radio wouldn't fix that, the frequencies are built into the hardware.
for the sake of the extra rom in my opinion it isn't worth it and to be honest I suspect they'll be difficult to get as they will be tmobile usa locked.

synyster31 said:
I was looking at the best deal i could get on the HD2 when i heard about the US version, has there been any news on the 'upgraded' US version coming to anywhere else? Namely the UK? I dont want to sign up to a contract to then see the better version released
Or would an imported handset from the US work in the UK?
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Click to collapse
samsamuel said:
3g high speed data wouldn't work in the uk. and before you ask no, flashing a different rom or radio wouldn't fix that, the frequencies are built into the hardware.
for the sake of the extra rom in my opinion it isn't worth it and to be honest I suspect they'll be difficult to get as they will be tmobile usa locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see why 3G data wouldn't work. The handset is listed as 1700 (AWS) / 2100.
If it only worked on the T-Mobile USA bands they would have just listed it as 1700 (AWS) [even though it still needs 2100 to work on T-Mobile USA].
Without 2100 the phone could only be used in a tiny handful of countries - well, not even a handful really, which would very much destroy some of the appeal of the phone.
If you really want one then Ebay will be your friend. However considering all the problems this phone has had I wouldn't buy one that I couldn't return or exchange, I really wouldn't.

Oh ok thanks guys, just a thought.
Think i'll plump for the Uk one then & see what happens
Thanks

I asked htc back then, even if thair response was obviously the "commercial" one, it was clear enough, "that version of hd2 has been customized especially for tmobile usa and will not be available elsewhere also because it won't work on other networks." or something along those lines.

Are these guys for real? HD2 with US 3G?

http://www.htcphones.com/product.asp?itemMDL=HTC_TOUCH_HD_2_NAM
Kinda too much-a money. I really want a new phone but am holding out for an X10a or HD2 type phone with US 3G. Still using my sad little Touch Cruise with US 3G but a CPU that is to slow too really use it. Dirty little US service providers.

Ha, might want to rename your thread title before it starts a ruckus.
It's a cheat, since it's not really 'US 3G' but Australian 3G, which happens to be partially compatible.
Most of the Americans/Canadians on this board that wanted a 3G-capable version have purchased it from here:
http://personaldigital.com.au/p380/...NEXTG-850Mhz-AT&T-Roger-&-Telecom-NZ/buy.html
Much better price than those crooks, I assure you It comes out to about $830 with expedited shipping.
Note: 3G-compatible with ATT for the US and Robbers in Canada, NOT Tmo, NOT Wind.
And if you're wondering, for the most part it works perfectly fine. I get H nearly everywhere, and the switch between E/3G is seamless with Radio 2.06.50something

mazzarin said:
Ha, might want to rename your thread title before it starts a ruckus.
It's a cheat, since it's not really 'US 3G' but Australian 3G, which happens to be partially compatible.
Most of the Americans/Canadians on this board that wanted a 3G-capable version have purchased it from here:
http://personaldigital.com.au/p380/...NEXTG-850Mhz-AT&T-Roger-&-Telecom-NZ/buy.html
Much better price than those crooks, I assure you It comes out to about $830 with expedited shipping.
Note: 3G-compatible with ATT for the US and Robbers in Canada, NOT Tmo, NOT Wind.
And if you're wondering, for the most part it works perfectly fine. I get H nearly everywhere, and the switch between E/3G is seamless with Radio 2.06.50something
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed -I purchased mine from PersonalDigital and use it on ATT in Florida. It works wonderful on 850mhz 3G here.

So no 1900MHz US 3g, I did not catch that. Hmm...
"And if you're wondering, for the most part it works perfectly fine"
For the most part? What are the issues? Just that you don't get #G in places that only have 1900MHz 3G?
I thought most places had 1900MHz and only some had 850Mhz. I was on order from eXpansys at $899 but I guess I'll cancel. I hate how big business tries to control everything.
Maybe the Sony X10a will make it out this year.

mazzarin said:
Ha, might want to rename your thread title before it starts a ruckus.
It's a cheat, since it's not really 'US 3G' but Australian 3G, which happens to be partially compatible.
Most of the Americans/Canadians on this board that wanted a 3G-capable version have purchased it from here:
http://personaldigital.com.au/p380/...NEXTG-850Mhz-AT&T-Roger-&-Telecom-NZ/buy.html
Much better price than those crooks, I assure you It comes out to about $830 with expedited shipping.
Note: 3G-compatible with ATT for the US and Robbers in Canada, NOT Tmo, NOT Wind.
And if you're wondering, for the most part it works perfectly fine. I get H nearly everywhere, and the switch between E/3G is seamless with Radio 2.06.50something
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But aren't they putting in the new ROM for you:
"# We software-unlock your phone to support any HTC HD2 ROM
# We then upgrade the ROM to the latest, pure HTC ROM v 1.66
# Most important - our process enables you to do the same for new releases! "
That may account for the higher price

Audiguy3 said:
But aren't they putting in the new ROM for you:
"# We software-unlock your phone to support any HTC HD2 ROM
# We then upgrade the ROM to the latest, pure HTC ROM v 1.66
# Most important - our process enables you to do the same for new releases! "
That may account for the higher price
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but how much does it cost, and how long does it take to unlock your phone and upgrade the ROM?

Hd2 on at&t

I have a hd2 tmobile usa version, i need a At&t friendly Nand rom. Whats the best rom out there for At&t????
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

as far as I know any NAND Android ROM should work on AT&T as it is not the ROM that controls this but a combination of you sim card, APN settings, and you having your HD2 sim unlocked. Wait for more replies though as I do not use AT&T and it might actually be a ROM out there that has certain things adjusted for AT&T, but what that might be I do not know.

This is true, the ROM does not control the radio. There are methods of flashing the radio to a different version, one that may work for the AT&T 3G bands. I am looking them up, but that is how you would flash the device to change the radio.
Hardware wise, the GSM module does support all world wide bands but what makes then different from one HD2 from one carrier ot another is the firmware version that is used in the phones that make them work on the network's bands. Correct me if i am wrong though.

TKETZ196 said:
This is true, the ROM does not control the radio. There are methods of flashing the radio to a different version, one that may work for the AT&T 3G bands. I am looking them up, but that is how you would flash the device to change the radio.
Hardware wise, the GSM module does support all world wide bands but what makes then different from one HD2 from one carrier ot another is the firmware version that is used in the phones that make them work on the network's bands. Correct me if i am wrong though.
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Click to collapse
Untrue my friend, the T-Mobile HD2 only supports the bands used by T-Mobile for 3G. If you sim unlock the T-Mobile HD2 you can use the device with other carriers but you will only get Edge for a data signal as the hardware only supports the T-Mobile 3G bands. There is a model of the HD2 that supports a different 3G band the same ones AT&T uses in the US, it is the Australian model that Telstra a Australian cell carrier released as they use the same bands as AT&T. go to "Official HD2 T9193 (Telstra 850Mhz) Discussion Thread" and you can learn more about it. I also saw your other post in another thread about trying to help your friend out getting 3G on his HD2 using AT&T. Unless he is willing to buy a Telstra HTC HD2 T9193 or have his T-Mobile HTC HD2 T8585 worked on to switch out the hardware for the hardware in the T9193 then he will never getb 3G with AT&T.

Just to answer your question, every rom is an AT&T friendly ROM, meaning, they'll allow you to talk, text and surf the internet.
What you DONT have is AT&T 3G on your tmous HD2. You'll be stuck with EDGE speed.

Thank you all 4 your help,greatly apreciated!! I'm in puerto rico where tmobile is still on Edge. But for some reason tmobile is still alot faster when it comes to receiving & sending MMS than At&t on this phone. Currently using Coredroid 1.5
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

its interesting they would use different hardware GSM modules for the slightly different models. I would think the radio firmware version woudl take care of that. Thanks for clarification. I assumed that all GSM modules would be built the same way.

Sadly they are not, this in my opinion is just cellular carriers trying to keep you locked to their networks cause the know most people don"t want to have to buy another device when changing carriers if they already have a good device. So they make it were branded devices can only utilize high speed data with it's intended carriers network. I think this is unfair to consumers, but again just my opinion.

T-Macgnolia said:
Sadly they are not, this in my opinion is just cellular carriers trying to keep you locked to their networks cause the know most people don"t want to have to buy another device when changing carriers if they already have a good device. So they make it were branded devices can only utilize high speed data with it's intended carriers network. I think this is unfair to consumers, but again just my opinion.
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Click to collapse
I think there is technical reason. The various carriers have very different technologies. Even AT&T uses a different 3G network than T-Mobile, despite the fact that both are GSM. Sprint and Verizon use non GSM technologies that are even more different. When a device manufacturer makes a certain model, there is only so much room inside, and unless one wants a really thick and heavy device, a choice has to be made as to which hardware goes into the phone.
I'm not saying that they don't want you to stay on their network - they do, which is why they have those 2 year contracts in exchange for buying a discounted phone. But I don't think that is why the hardware is different.

stevedebi said:
I think there is technical reason. The various carriers have very different technologies. Even AT&T uses a different 3G network than T-Mobile, despite the fact that both are GSM. Sprint and Verizon use non GSM technologies that are even more different. When a device manufacturer makes a certain model, there is only so much room inside, and unless one wants a really thick and heavy device, a choice has to be made as to which hardware goes into the phone.
I'm not saying that they don't want you to stay on their network - they do, which is why they have those 2 year contracts in exchange for buying a discounted phone. But I don't think that is why the hardware is different.
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Click to collapse
Point taken
I would go further with the discussion but I do not want to hijack this thread.