I live in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
We have AT&T wireless 850 band 3g.
I want to buy this phone but the idea of not being able to get 3g on it is scaring me.
I heard it has 850 band 3g built in but it is turned off by htc.
Is this true?
Do it have a crack?
Can you tell me what i can do?
There are 2 versions of this phone:
1) The T8282, which doesn't not have the 850 capability at all (not even crippled). This phone will not work at 3G speeds down there, if you're only on 850.
2) The T8285 (Telstra - Australia) version, which does have the 850 capability. You can find them on eBay - and they're generally a little more expensive. I live in the US - and own this version. The only problem I have in Chicago though is that AT&T also uses their 1900 frequency in many areas downtown. I only get Edge speeds down there, but as soon as I'm outside that area and close to an 850 tower, I get 3G speeds again.
Good luck!
It would not be the first time HTC did that.
Remember the touch diamond.
Related
Over at http://www.xperiax1.net/forum, there is a report that, even though the phone setting on the Xperia shows support for 850 Band, the hardware appears to be missing from the Xperia that was shipped from Clove.
I cancelled my pre-order from Clove until this gets sorted out.
Here is the post:
"Guys,
OK after checking and checking again and despite being told that the X1 supports 850 and 1900 3G the device turned up today and guess what? It does not so I can't get Rogers 3G out here in Canada!!!!!!!
Going to the phone settings shows that the device can be switched into the correct mode but doing this seems to have no effect.
I can only guess that the device has the software to support the band but the hardware does not.
So be careful folks, while you will get great Edge coverage you will not be able to get 3G!!!!!!
You have been warned!!"
I think it's pretty well established that the X1i has UTMS bands 900/1900/2100. Europe uses 900 and 2100, and most reports say the 1900 band is working on ATT's 3G. Of course this requires you to live in an area with 1900 3G coverage, not just 850 mhz 3G. Sounds like he lives in an area where Rogers only has 850 mhz 3G available.
I looked at the 1900 and 850 3G Band coverage in the US on ATT. 1900 Band actually covers more area than the 850 Band. Is there any disadvantage to only having 1900 Band in the US on the Xperia?
GermanGuy said:
I looked at the 1900 and 850 3G Band coverage in the US on ATT. 1900 Band actually covers more area than the 850 Band. Is there any disadvantage to only having 1900 Band in the US on the Xperia?
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850mhz is good for getting a signal indoors, since lower frequencies can travel through obstacles better. So no 850mhz support means you might get a weak 3G signal indoors, or no 3G signal at all.
Then again, you might just be living near a 1900mhz cellsite/tower that gives you a strong signal indoors, so YMMV.
Thank you. So do phones with both 850 and 1900 Band support use both Bands at the same time? Or, if not, how does the phone decide which band to use. Is the 3G speed the same on either Band, provided you get a good signal?
One issue that sways me more towards the X1i is the better video frame rate - 30 fps vs 24 fps on the X1a (because of the stupid Qualcomm patent issue here in the US)
GermanGuy said:
Thank you. So do phones with both 850 and 1900 Band support use both Bands at the same time? Or, if not, how does the phone decide which band to use. Is the 3G speed the same on either Band, provided you get a good signal?
One issue that sways me more towards the X1i is the better video frame rate - 30 fps vs 24 fps on the X1a (because of the stupid Qualcomm patent issue here in the US)
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Click to collapse
Phones with both 850 and 1900 only use one at a time, but they can switch transparently from one to the other in areas with coverage from only one band. Exactly how it chooses which band I'm not sure (it could be network load, signal strength, etc).
Technically speaking, 1900 can offer more speed because the faster frequency allows for higher data rates. But since it's all just one 3G network, there should be no significant difference in 3G speed between 850 and 1900.
The Qualcomm patent is a tough reality for people that want the X1 for the US, and unfortunately there's just no way around it. If you happen to travel internationally frequently, the X1i will obviously be the prudent choice (you still get AT&T 1900 coverage, but also 2100/900 for virtually every other UMTS network in the world).
I found a new article with someone claiming to be receiving ATT 3g in an 850 only area. He states that none of the 1900 only devices he's tested receives a signal. He also said that SE reps he contacted claimed X1i support for 850 3g bands as well (yeah, I know not that credible).
http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=news&id=6165
Not getting my hopes up, but can anyone with an X1i confirm any of this?
jhoffa said:
I found a new article with someone claiming to be receiving ATT 3g in an 850 only area. He states that none of the 1900 only devices he's tested receives a signal. He also said that SE reps he contacted claimed X1i support for 850 3g bands as well (yeah, I know not that credible).
http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=news&id=6165
Not getting my hopes up, but can anyone with an X1i confirm any of this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read on: http://discuss.pocketnow.com/showthread.php?p=78559
He's trying to verify if it's actually 850Mhz now. Still not 100% sure.
Does anyone know what's the HSDPA for AT&T in US? Is it 850/1900?
I know that At&t is not 850 as people from the rest of the world who buy iphones 3g in usa can use them on 3g in their countries and only america use 3g on 850
HSDPA is 850/1900 for AT&T. Look at the specs for some of the 3G phones on their website, they should all say 850/1900 UMTS
This is what it looks like to various HTC mfg phones....in Ca.
on my ATT 8525(att wm6.0 rom)= 3G:850, HSDPA:1900
No matter which network is being used 3G is what is displayed
On my X1i only HSDPA: 1900 this connects only in the major metropolitan area! in Ca. I live in a small commuter community so, HSDPA is about 15 mile out of range north or south of me....But we do have 3G: 850(what att uses in their fringe areas) so no joy for my X1i
scl_electronics said:
This is what it looks like to various HTC mfg phones....in Ca.
on my ATT 8525(att wm6.0 rom)= 3G:850, HSDPA:1900
No matter which network is being used 3G is what is displayed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download Advanced Configuration Tool (search) and you can turn on HSPDA and the icon. I've read some people had trouble with the setting sticking; however I've had good luck with the stock ATT Rom and latest 1.12.25.19 (I think) radio. Didn't do any speed tests to actually see if it made a difference other than anecdotal evidence.
I have a GSM Touch Diamond and there's no way to use the US 3G even if you have a 3G sim, we discussed it in the Diamond forum and people said it's just not possible. Is this the case with the Blackstone or are you able to use 3G in the US?
if you use a 3 sim you can get service if 3 got a roaming agreement with an usa isp
if the usa isp don't use 3g services on the hz's the rest of the world use you can only get
2g or 2.5g (edge) service
the Telstra Touch HD version (Blackstone - T8285) uses at&t's 850 3G band. it works quite well in the US as long as one is in an area that uses more 850 3G towers vs. 1900 3G towers.
cortez.i said:
the Telstra Touch HD version (Blackstone - T8285) uses at&t's 850 3G band. it works quite well in the US as long as one is in an area that uses more 850 3G towers vs. 1900 3G towers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it'll be the same 3G and the same speed as if it were an AT&T phone (like iPhone etc.)?
rpimps said:
So it'll be the same 3G and the same speed as if it were an AT&T phone (like iPhone etc.)?
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it's 3G from at&t, period. as i mentioned in my post, the Telstra HD is limited to using at&t's 850 3G band. at&t uses both 850/1900 to deliver 3G. if you're in an area that uses only/more 1900 3G towers then you may not have 3G access. i believe Phoenix, AZ is an example. can't comment on the speed with an at&t phone because i don't own one. the pic below is an example of the speed i get with my Telstra HD on at&t.
cortez.i said:
it's 3G from at&t, period. as i mentioned in my post, the Telstra HD is limited to using at&t's 850 3G band. at&t uses both 850/1900 to deliver 3G. if you're in an area that uses only/more 1900 3G towers then you may not have 3G access. i believe Phoenix, AZ is an example. can't comment on the speed with an at&t phone because i don't own one. the pic below is an example of the speed i get with my Telstra HD on at&t.
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If there's 850 towers but more 1900 towers then the 3G just won't work at all? It won't just connect to the 850 ones?
I live in Houston, TX and commute between there and Austin, TX.
rpimps said:
If there's 850 towers but more 1900 towers then the 3G just won't work at all? It won't just connect to the 850 ones?
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Click to collapse
i can't say if it won't work at all. for example, if there are 100 towers and 95 are 1900 and 5 are 850 and, you live near an 850 tower, (theoretically) you should get 3G access. using your example, i would say you'd be connected to Edge more often than 3G.
rpimps said:
I live in Houston, TX and commute between there and Austin, TX.
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if i remember correctly, there's a user here named tucomora who lives in Houston and has a Telstra HD. i believe he indicated that Houston may have more 1900 towers than 850s. but, as you may know, at&t is adding more 850 towers nation wide. i suggest you send tucomora a PM to get his perspective on using the HD in south texas.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/member.php?u=251104
I looked for tucomora, tucamora, tacamora, couldn't find anyone.
Would you not be able to go into the phone's settings and disable the 1900 band or something? I have a Diamond on AT&T now and it's between upgrading to an HD or waiting another month and signing up with Sprint for the Touch Pro 2 (or Palm Pre now) and then just looking like an idiot carrying 2 phones around.
rpimps said:
I looked for tucomora, tucamora, tacamora, couldn't find anyone.
Would you not be able to go into the phone's settings and disable the 1900 band or something? I have a Diamond on AT&T now and it's between upgrading to an HD or waiting another month and signing up with Sprint for the Touch Pro 2 (or Palm Pre now) and then just looking like an idiot carrying 2 phones around.
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Click to collapse
why would you want to disable the UMTS 1900 3G band? if there are no 850 3G towers, you won't get 3G service you'll get EDGE instead. my phone options are set to Auto for GSM and UMTS and if there are no 850 3G towers it switches to EDGE. simple as that, not a big deal for me (and not implying that it is to you). you can change the GSM/UMTS settings to seek/use only 850/1900 3G towers, but in my experience, if the HD doesn't find an 850 3G tower, i won't have a phone signal, period. if you're in the US and want a HD with 3G capabilities, you get the Telstra Touch HD and accept the fact that having only one US 3G band (e.g., 850 3G) will limit 3G access in some areas.
link to user i was referring to turcomora.
cortez.i said:
why would you want to disable the UMTS 1900 3G band? if there are no 850 3G towers, you won't get 3G service you'll get EDGE instead.[/URL]
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Click to collapse
If there are 850 towers but just not as many as 1900 towers, you could disable 1900 so it only connects to the 850 towers and then you'd have 3G, right? That's what I was saying. I have EDGE on the Diamond but it's so slow it makes me not want to use it most of the time.
rpimps said:
If there are 850 towers but just not as many as 1900 towers, you could disable 1900 so it only connects to the 850 towers and then you'd have 3G, right? That's what I was saying. I have EDGE on the Diamond but it's so slow it makes me not want to use it most of the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
uh, no it doesn't work like that. the phone is going to lock onto the strongest signal possible. if it sees a stronger 1900 signal, that's what the phone will use. if you (could) disable the 1900 band and you're in an area with 1900 towers, you would not have ANY signal at all, no phone, no data. based on your level of concern, wait for the at&t TP2 (or whatever it's called); then you'll have no worries about 3G access.
Thanks for all the help, I just ordered the T8285 so I'll let you know how it is. Will I be able to use all my Diamond accessories with the HD (extra batteries, chargers, etc.)?
rpimps said:
Thanks for all the help, I just ordered the T8285 so I'll let you know how it is. Will I be able to use all my Diamond accessories with the HD (extra batteries, chargers, etc.)?
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Click to collapse
chargers yes, batteries no. The Telstra ROM that comes with your device will have its internet connection settings locked to Telstra (which we can't obviously use in the US). this means you won't be able to access the internet from your phone until you add at&t's connection settings. i never researched methods to add at&t's connection settings so i don't know if they exist. i flashed HardSPL to my device so i could install a custom ROM. i suggest you click the link in my signature and learn about flashing new ROMS. hope you enjoy your device!
Thanks. I looked at some accessories on ebay and they all say for t8282 (for example http://cgi.ebay.com/o569-2in1-Deskt...ries?hash=item3352c2143b&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 ), are the batteries for the 8282 and the 8285 different or will this work?
rpimps said:
Thanks. I looked at some accessories on ebay and they all say for t8282 (for example http://cgi.ebay.com/o569-2in1-Deskt...ries?hash=item3352c2143b&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 ), are the batteries for the 8282 and the 8285 different or will this work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bumpppppppppppppp, anyone know?
rpimps said:
Thanks. I looked at some accessories on ebay and they all say for t8282 (for example http://cgi.ebay.com/o569-2in1-Deskt...ries?hash=item3352c2143b&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 ), are the batteries for the 8282 and the 8285 different or will this work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T8282 battery works with T8285. essentially, accessories for the T8282 work for the T8285. the only difference between the phones is the radio bands.
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 haven't seen any specs for North American Galaxy Tab so I don't know if the AT&T version will have UMTS 850. I have ordered a Euro version that has UMTS 1900 so I presume it "should" work on AT&T 3G but I'm worried because what I can find on this subject implies UMTS 850 is essential for AT&T 3G. Can anyone with experience in US tell me how well the UMTS 1900 only works? Thanks.
Yes
To be more specific, it will if your city still has the 1900 mhz band. Check here: http://www.cellularmaps.com/att_850_1900.shtml
Funk2641 said:
Yes
To be more specific, it will if your city still has the 1900 mhz band. Check here: http://www.cellularmaps.com/att_850_1900.shtml
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick response and the maps (first time I've seen coverage maps by frequency, since AT&T no longer offers them) Very helpful and I feel better about haven ordered the Euro version.
Are there any owners of cellphones using the Euro 900/1900 UMTS frequencies on US 3G networks who can share their experience?
I live in the SF Bay Area and here the network is mainly 1900Mhz so the device works very well.
If you live in a market that got 3g fairly early, your network in probably 1900Mhz.
If you live in a market that only recently (1-2 years) got 3G, you might be on a 850Mhz network.