Database Users

anyone planning on using Nexus on AT&T

I have a magic (from rogers, so it works on At&t 3g) but I really really wanna get on board with the Nexus.
I am in NJ so TMo says 3g coverage is good, but i am just skeptical.
plus i have a family plan on at&t, wife uses iphone, doubt i could talk her into giving it up...
anyone gonna use the nexus on at&t and go without 3g???

I will be replacing my iphone with the nexus tomorrow when the n1 arrives. Because of how awful 3g is in my area (live in seattle work in redmond) I have been using edge almost exclusively. Funnily enough, my dropped calls have ceased after the 3g=>edge move. Go figure
I plan to keep my iphone handy and see just how painful the n1 is without the ability to attempt 3g if I really want it or need it (maps come to mind and so does pandora though both have been acceptable on edge thus far).
Perhaps I can call ATT and have them remove 3g from my account saving me some money each month.

I'm going to try it out on AT&T to see if/(how much) I miss 3g. If I can't get along without it, I'll just switch to T-Mobile. I live in Dallas so both AT&T and T-Mobile have full coverage.

For me, the people I talk to the most are on ATT and it would cost me more to continue my phone habits on a different provider than to just stick with ATT. Moving back to T-Mobile is not an option at this point. I really do wish I had kept my G1 when I made that move

yeah, i was thinking the same thing, just try my non-3g life out and go from there.....at least i'm not alone!
like you said, i have a family / friends all on att, so i might cost more if i were on tmo now...
thakns for input, good luck to us!

I have a g1 & mytouch on at&t just unlocked it. i dont mind having 2G only cuz my battery life is increased and when i get home i have wifi so i just attach to it to get better speeds.. i plan on getting the nexus one when i have the money for it. i didnt know the rogers phones are at&T compatible. anyone wanna sell or trade devices? PM ME
thanks

I hated having my iPhone on Tmobile, no 3G kinda killed the use of an iPhone, the call quality wasn't that great, and though it was handy, it was a bit annoying knowing that I had no 3G. I sold it for $370, used that money to buy a N1 :]

I have an xperia X1a.... and am probably going to buy a nexus.. I"m tired of people w/ cheap, crappy phones having way better internet speed than me.
BUT.. I will make sure that X10 really isn't tmo 3g compatible.

WHy won't the n1 get 3G- any idea when they might change that?

well, the n1 doesn't have the 850 mhz frequency that att runs there 3g on.
the n1 is coming to verizon in the spring and will have 3g......i honestly don't think n1 will ever get to att, especially since google is obviously battling with iphone.....
i really would love the n1, but i honestly don't know i could give up my magic with 3g on ATT......i was just downloading at 1600 kb/sec....pretty damn fast.
the 2g speed is only like 180 kb/sec.

dsarch21 said:
well, the n1 doesn't have the 850 mhz frequency that att runs there 3g on.
the n1 is coming to verizon in the spring and will have 3g......i honestly don't think n1 will ever get to att, especially since google is obviously battling with iphone.....
i really would love the n1, but i honestly don't know i could give up my magic with 3g on ATT......i was just downloading at 1600 kb/sec....pretty damn fast.
the 2g speed is only like 180 kb/sec.
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I was just downloading at over 4100kbps on T-mobile.

I just ordered my Nexus One Superphone. Im planning on selling my HTC Magic unlocked A6161 32A with Hero Sense UI.

uansari1 said:
I was just downloading at over 4100kbps on T-mobile.
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wow! really?? OK....well, my decision is pretty easy then....bye bye ATT......
hello N1!

No AT&T 3G means no Nexus One for me. So my only hope now is that HTC releases their own branded version with Sense (which I would have wanted anyway) shortly after the hype blows over.
If the Acer A1 hits in the meantime, I'm going to get that I guess. No way in hell I'm switching to T-Mobile for any reason. They have zero coverage where I live and no roaming agreements with AT&T (I live in a Chicago suburb). But in areas where they do work, friends aren't getting 3G and 1/2 the time they aren't even getting EDGE!
Besides, I was only getting the AT&T version of the Nexus One to hold me over until Windows Mobile 7 drops. I have no problem waiting until Windows Mobile 7 and skipping Android altogether.
Personally, I think they screwed up. They gained very little from have Verizon offer it. Verizon customers who want a high end Android device *JUST* bought the Droid and will be getting Android 2.1 soon. If they made an AT&T compatible version, they'd have more potential for sales since AT&T has NO android devices so far and Canadian carriers can also take advantage.
For those on T-Mobile, looks like a good phone...
-Mc

dsarch21 said:
wow! really?? OK....well, my decision is pretty easy then....bye bye ATT......
hello N1!
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T-mo flipped the switch on their 7.2mbps 3G today. I'm sure it was planned to coincide with the N1 release, lol... anyway, T-mo is now the fastest GSM 3G in the U.S., right?
Edit: Just came across this article: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/atandt-kicks-it-into-overdrive-rolls-out-7-2mbps-everywhere-bu/
Seems that AT&T now has a fire under its ass to follow suit. They too are speeding up their upgrade to 7.2mbps, but they won't have the backbone up to speed for a while apparently.

McHale said:
Besides, I was only getting the AT&T version of the Nexus One to hold me over until Windows Mobile 7 drops. I have no problem waiting until Windows Mobile 7 and skipping Android altogether.
Personally, I think they screwed up. They gained very little from have Verizon offer it. Verizon customers who want a high end Android device *JUST* bought the Droid and will be getting Android 2.1 soon. If they made an AT&T compatible version, they'd have more potential for sales since AT&T has NO android devices so far and Canadian carriers can also take advantage.
For those on T-Mobile, looks like a good phone...
-Mc
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Winmo over Android? Really!?! For Microsoft's sake I hope you're right, but I think it's highly unlikely that WM7 will be enough to make Windows a plausible mobile platform. I've been in the wireless industry for a few years and Windows Mobile has, for just as long, been a last resort for anyone but the most diehard Windows fanatic(you?).
I do however agree that it's a win for those of us on T-Mobile. That make's five Android devices to choose from! And for the record I'll be picking up a Nexus One as soon as they start offering it with the employee discount!

McHale said:
No AT&T 3G means no Nexus One for me. So my only hope now is that HTC releases their own branded version with Sense (which I would have wanted anyway) shortly after the hype blows over.
If the Acer A1 hits in the meantime, I'm going to get that I guess. No way in hell I'm switching to T-Mobile for any reason. They have zero coverage where I live and no roaming agreements with AT&T (I live in a Chicago suburb). But in areas where they do work, friends aren't getting 3G and 1/2 the time they aren't even getting EDGE!
Besides, I was only getting the AT&T version of the Nexus One to hold me over until Windows Mobile 7 drops. I have no problem waiting until Windows Mobile 7 and skipping Android altogether.
Personally, I think they screwed up. They gained very little from have Verizon offer it. Verizon customers who want a high end Android device *JUST* bought the Droid and will be getting Android 2.1 soon. If they made an AT&T compatible version, they'd have more potential for sales since AT&T has NO android devices so far and Canadian carriers can also take advantage.
For those on T-Mobile, looks like a good phone...
-Mc
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Seriously man... blame AT&T and Apple for their internal agreements. It's because of the iPhone that AT&T isn't allowed to bring in any products that would cannibalize sales of the iPhone. Once exclusivity expires... Android devices will storm AT&T as well.

uansari1 said:
Seriously man... blame AT&T and Apple for their internal agreements. It's because of the iPhone that AT&T isn't allowed to bring in any products that would cannibalize sales of the iPhone. Once exclusivity expires... Android devices will storm AT&T as well.
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http://gizmodo.com/5441632/atts-first-android-phones-five-from-motorola-dell-and-htc

deprecate said:
http://gizmodo.com/5441632/atts-first-android-phones-five-from-motorola-dell-and-htc
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It feels good to be right.

uansari1 said:
It feels good to be right.
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(this message requires a minimum of 10 chars...satisfied!)

Hey US users: Who's thinking of switching to a carrier version?

I'm looking at going with the larger screen T-Mobile mo to mo. First device on their high speed network. We'll have to look closely at the action of Qualcomm during the first 30 days.

Never. I've tasted freedom and won't go back. Not having to live with carrier hardware and software changes and being dependent on them for updates is a joy. For $10 a month I have unlimited fake-4G data and free tethering. When it's time to replace the SGS2 it will be with another carrier-unmolested phone. I just bought a 10.1 Tab and got if from the UK so I don't have to deal with all of the U.S. "customization." And T-Mobile sucks - I dumped them when I dumped my piece of crap G2X. Good luck if you have a problem with your phone. Their idea of overnight replacement takes 3-5 days. And every agent tells you something different - some are extremely competent the majority are idiots reading from a script. AT&T will have to dispose of some assets but there's no doubt the merger will go through. T-Mobile's lost 1MM post-paid subscribers so for this year. Then you're shiny new AWS banded phone will make a great paperweight once AT&T starts using the bands for LTE.

BarryH_GEG said:
Never. I've tasted freedom and won't go back. Not having to live with carrier hardware and software changes and being dependent on them for updates is a joy. For $10 a month I have unlimited fake-4G data and free tethering. When it's time to replace the SGS2 it will be with another carrier-unmolested phone. I just bought a 10.1 Tab and got if from the UK so I don't have to deal with all of the U.S. "customization." And T-Mobile sucks - I dumped them when I dumped my piece of crap G2X. Good luck if you have a problem with your phone. Their idea of overnight replacement takes 3-5 days. And every agent tells you something different - some are extremely competent the majority are idiots reading from a script. AT&T will have to dispose of some assets but there's no doubt the merger will go through. T-Mobile's lost 1MM post-paid subscribers so for this year. Then you're shiny new AWS banded phone will make a great paperweight once AT&T starts using the bands for LTE.
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I'm in complete agreement with you about the 'carrier' freedom. The only thing that really perturbs me is the reports of phone tweaking (example: how the ATT infuse 4g will get higher data speeds than the sgs ii with them sitting side by side) and if that pattern holds true I'd suspect that the American bastard step-child SGS II will out perform its untainted euro cousin.

I'm rather forced to use the upcoming T-mobile USA release due the band frequencies as the current International model is not compatible with 1700 / 2100

mostyle said:
I'm in complete agreement with you about the 'carrier' freedom. The only thing that really perturbs me is the reports of phone tweaking (example: how the ATT infuse 4g will get higher data speeds than the sgs ii with them sitting side by side) and if that pattern holds true I'd suspect that the American bastard step-child SGS II will out perform its untainted euro cousin.
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I know side by side with the International version that would happen but why vs the Infuse?

BarryH_GEG said:
Never. I've tasted freedom and won't go back. Not having to live with carrier hardware and software changes and being dependent on them for updates is a joy. For $10 a month I have unlimited fake-4G data and free tethering. When it's time to replace the SGS2 it will be with another carrier-unmolested phone. I just bought a 10.1 Tab and got if from the UK so I don't have to deal with all of the U.S. "customization." And T-Mobile sucks - I dumped them when I dumped my piece of crap G2X. Good luck if you have a problem with your phone. Their idea of overnight replacement takes 3-5 days. And every agent tells you something different - some are extremely competent the majority are idiots reading from a script. AT&T will have to dispose of some assets but there's no doubt the merger will go through. T-Mobile's lost 1MM post-paid subscribers so for this year. Then you're shiny new AWS banded phone will make a great paperweight once AT&T starts using the bands for LTE.
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Agreed. I'm even running on the "4g" phone apn. On AT&T OLAM, its recognized as Medianet.

I will get the version att has if it's the sgs2 internals with the physical keyboard.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App

AllGamer said:
I'm rather forced to use the upcoming T-mobile USA release due the band frequencies as the current International model is not compatible with 1700 / 2100
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The problem there is that if the reports about the hardware specs are true, it won't really be a true sgs2.
Qualcomm instead of exynos? that would make it a pos disguised as an sgs2.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

rockky said:
I'm looking at going with the larger screen T-Mobile mo to mo. First device on their high speed network. We'll have to look closely at the action of Qualcomm during the first 30 days.
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Wait, when did TMO get a high speed network I've realized the best devices I've owned have all been unmolested by any US carrier. Last device I really loved before the SGS2 was the Nexus One. So I really can't see myself giving up my unbranded international version. Case in point is the transition to the Qualcomm processor. If it's anything like the performance I get with my Sensation, that's a big step down from the exynos. I'll be more than happy holding on to my SGS2 until something like the Nexus 3 or SGS3 drops

AT&T Note vs International Note (Processor Speed vs Data Speed)

I know that some topics touched upon this a briefly but I wanted to know from the experts what they think. I'm about to purchase the international Note because of the better processor it has but it doesn't have LTE. Is LTE worth it to get the AT&T version? I'm on a tier plan so... does it even matter?
My choices are get the international version now without LTE or wait for the AT&T version with slower processor but with LTE.
It's such a hard decision...why can't the AT&T have better processor and this wouldn't even matter then, I would just get the AT&T version.
So... I guess it boils down to if one wants either faster processor or faster data speed. Which one would I benefit more from?

ckyllr said:
I know that some topics touched upon this a briefly but I wanted to know from the experts what they think. I'm about to purchase the international Note because of the better processor it has but it doesn't have LTE. Is LTE worth it to get the AT&T version? I'm on a tier plan so... does it even matter?
My choices are get the international version now without LTE or wait for the AT&T version with slower processor but with LTE.
It's such a hard decision...why can't the AT&T have better processor and this wouldn't even matter then, I would just get the AT&T version.
So... I guess it boils down to if one wants either faster processor or faster data speed. Which one would I benefit more from?
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I would suggest reading my thread over in the general forum about buying subsidized vs unlocked devices. There's a lot more at play than LTE or processor used. But in the end it's your money!

Thanks for the link Jade Eyed Wolf. I thought you looked familiar... you were always in the galaxy tab forums...haha... just like me. I agree with 100% about buying unlocked phones but they are always higher price. Since, I don't have a choice in carriers, I'm always sort of locked to AT&T so I don't mind signing up a contract with them.
Anyway, back to topic for me is the trade off here... processor speed vs data speed... what benefits you more?
By the way, that's what happened to me.. I had the AT&T galaxy tab.. couldn't use it as a phone so I flashed to custom rom to use it and then had to switch to tier plan since I couldn't use my grandfathered unlimited plan. I wish I could have not done that but it's too late to reverse it. I figured out how to change my IMEI number but damage has already been done. Should have kept my unlimited plan.

I am in the same boat. For me to get the international version I would need to get the iPhone on contract and sell it via eBay and hope not to get scammed. Then buy the international version with that money. I would also have to worry about any type of defects requiring an exchange or repair. I heard its a pain to deal with. With Samsung products its hard to have confidence that something wont go wrong with the device.
So is it worth it?

ckyllr said:
Thanks for the link Jade Eyed Wolf. I thought you looked familiar... you were always in the galaxy tab forums...haha... just like me. I agree with 100% about buying unlocked phones but they are always higher price. Since, I don't have a choice in carriers, I'm always sort of locked to AT&T so I don't mind signing up a contract with them.
Anyway, back to topic for me is the trade off here... processor speed vs data speed... what benefits you more?
By the way, that's what happened to me.. I had the AT&T galaxy tab.. couldn't use it as a phone so I flashed to custom rom to use it and then had to switch to tier plan since I couldn't use my grandfathered unlimited plan. I wish I could have not done that but it's too late to reverse it. I figured out how to change my IMEI number but damage has already been done. Should have kept my unlimited plan.
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The bigger my name becomes on XDA, the better! I may not be a developer (yet), but that doesn't mean I won't help people when and where I can!
Actually, I think there's still a loophole where if you can get your hands on an original 1st generation iPhone, you can register it with an unlimited data account, and once you have that you can go back to using whatever "appropriate" unlimited data plan you need! I would Google that!
Also, even if I were in your shoes, I would still buy unlocked anyway for things like absence of carrier bloat and AT&T's specific hardware customization's (you'll have WAY better community support and development if you get the international version).
Anyway, on the topic of data speed vs processor speed, here's my logic:
With regard to mobile data, you said you're on a tiered data plan. So that means you have (I'm assuming) 4GB of data per month before you start running into $10/GB territory. Another user in another thread argued that the bandwidth doesn't affect how much actual data they were actually using in a given period, just how quickly they were getting to their content.
Theoretically, I can see the point of this argument. However, unless you're extremely data-conscious of your usage, being on LTE will make it VERY easy to go through a LOT of data very quickly. Streaming HD video and music, downloading big files, pictures, tethering, etc.
Personally I think that LTE on a tiered plan is a complete waste. I have used the slow car/fast car analogy before, but I think a more appropriate analogy would be like comparing a car to a full sized tractor trailer, both going the same speed. Both can carry 4GB of stuff in one trip. The car might be just about filled up to the brim at 4GB, but it gets the job done. If you need to spend a little extra to make another trip, ok fine.
On the other hand, with the truck, you're still paying for that same 4GB of stuff, but it's only taking up a small little corner of its trailer, with all that wasted capacity just being empty air. Oh you can still use it up to capacity, but you'll pay through the nose for it, even though the truck is still making that one trip.
Hence, as it is, LTE is a complete waste, unless they start offering like 250GB/month tiered plans, or something similar to what you'd pay for cable or FiOS or DSL (because the speeds are basically on par with those now).
Now, as for CPU performance, I can't speak for the S3 chipset based on any personal experience, because I haven't really had any. I can, however, say that the Exynos chip is a BEAST! Especially for things like 3D gaming and HD video. Seriously. It'll chew through high bitrate 1080p like is was nothing!
Either way though, your mileage may vary.
I would still recommend getting unlocked for all the reasons mentioned in the other thread.

Depends on what you use you phone for. Processor or data? Gaming, multitasking, video editing etc the processor is key. If you are streaming, browsing, tethering, etc then LTE.
Without unlimited data, LTE could be expensive if you say screw wifi, my LTE is faster so I won't use wifi. I have unlimited but have not gone over 2.5 GB because wifi is everywhere. LTE is indeed fast and the signal penetration is better. With my GNote on hspa+ I do not find myself wishing for LTE again because of wifi everywhere.
The processor difference with the SGSII and skyrocket was minimal. With a 1.4 GHz exynos and a HD screen, it will be interesting to see if the snapdragon can keep up with the demands of the GNote vs the SGSII.
Of course if you are up for an upgrade it is an easier decision. I know many people are pushing unlocked etc on this issue but in reality 95% of people are going for what is less expensive period. The only time the unlocked versus locked matters is if you are buying with ATT off contract.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using XDA App

planoman said:
Of course if you are up for an upgrade it is an easier decision. I know many people are pushing unlocked etc on this issue but in reality 95% of people are going for what is less expensive period. The only time the unlocked versus locked matters is if you are buying with ATT off contract.
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Exactly... I'm very price conscience and if AT&T did offer the Note for say $199 (highly unlikely..more like $299)...then the price between this and uncontract note is like $400 to $500 (closer to $500 since the price has been steadily going up in the last few days! yikes... better buy soon if I want the uncontract Note) and that makes a big difference especially if you were going to stay with AT&T regardless.
Or like the earlier poster said that you could get the iphone 4 or 4S to sell it and say it to recoup some of the cost for the international Note....hmmm...decisions decisions... I am leaning towards the international Note since I don't stream much and I'm on a tier plan so... that extra processor speed for games and HD movie watching can come in handy.
Regardless... thanks everyone for chiming in. I will make a decision by end of the day.... (Luckily I locked a Note on Amazon for $698 which hasn't shipped yet but can cancel anytime.)

i will trade my intl note for att note when it comes out in case anyone is interested.

If money were not an object, I would prefer the better processor just because the screen is so large.

ckyllr said:
Exactly... I'm very price conscience and if AT&T did offer the Note for say $199 (highly unlikely..more like $299)...then the price between this and uncontract note is like $400 to $500 (closer to $500 since the price has been steadily going up in the last few days! yikes... better buy soon if I want the uncontract Note) and that makes a big difference especially if you were going to stay with AT&T regardless.
Or like the earlier poster said that you could get the iphone 4 or 4S to sell it and say it to recoup some of the cost for the international Note....hmmm...decisions decisions... I am leaning towards the international Note since I don't stream much and I'm on a tier plan so... that extra processor speed for games and HD movie watching can come in handy.
Regardless... thanks everyone for chiming in. I will make a decision by end of the day.... (Luckily I locked a Note on Amazon for $698 which hasn't shipped yet but can cancel anytime.)
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So do you think it is worth going through the trouble of importing the note and selling the iPhone?
I also think battery life is going to be a huge deal here as well. They did not increase the battery size for lte, that was disappointing. We could be looking at quite adifference in battery life with lte. I don't want another phone that is tethered to a charger like my current inspire.

Corriewf said:
So do you think it is worth going through the trouble of importing the note and selling the iPhone?
I also think battery life is going to be a huge deal here as well. They did not increase the battery size for lte, that was disappointing. We could be looking at quite adifference in battery life with lte. I don't want another phone that is tethered to a charger like my current inspire.
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I will say that the APQ8060 is more power efficient in general than Exynos, before you factor in whatever LTE connectivity will cost your battery life.

I had and returned a Rogers galaxy s2 lte (same as skyrocket). It was not as smooth as my note. And you have to take into account that the note has 3 times as many pixels to push out compared to gs2.
Also, I had the captivate, which is Rogers/att's version of original galaxy s. While there was and still is decent dev support, it paled in comparison to the international version.
Sent from my GT-N7000

Corriewf said:
So do you think it is worth going through the trouble of importing the note and selling the iPhone?
I also think battery life is going to be a huge deal here as well. They did not increase the battery size for lte, that was disappointing. We could be looking at quite adifference in battery life with lte. I don't want another phone that is tethered to a charger like my current inspire.
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No good thing in life comes for free. If you want something good, you have to work to get it!
Buying/selling an iPhone as a means of obtaining something more desired may be a hassle to some, but well worth the reward to others.
I suppose the degree of work one decides to go through to get what they want is an indicator of sorts for how lazy/apathetic they are. Like an AT&T iPhone. If you don't want to jump through any hoops to get one unlocked, and you just don't care enough about possibly making it better, then it's well suited to you. As for an unlocked Android, sure it may not be perfect right our of the box, but with a little bit of effort and care, it can potentially be even more perfect than the iPhone! It's all about what you're willing to work for.
American consumers are (mostly) too lazy and/or apathetic when it comes to our demands, our expectations, and what we're willing to do to meet those. That's why our subsidized devices suck compared to the rest of the world. That's why our rate plans are gouging us through the eyeballs for every little thing. Because not enough of us care to push back against the giants when they start screwing us over, because that'd be too much of a "hassle." We'd rather just roll over and put up with the higher costs for less service.
Buy hey, we get cheaper phones up front! They may not be as good, sure, but they're cheaper today!
Yeah we may be making up for the overall cost later on, but hey, they're cheaper today!
Sure, the carrier is loading CIQ, and other bloat onto my device that I can't (easily) remove... But it's cheaper!
I know I'm paying $80 or $100 or even more than that a month, when I really could be getting the same, or better level of service for ~$40 a month instead... BUT I GOT MY PHONE FOR SO MUCH LESS!!!!
*sigh* This sucks...

It is about your needs, about your pockets ($$$$) and about your local conditions.
Are you a bandwidth fanatic and are able to pay for it, or do you want a faster processor and 21 MBPS is enough for you?
Do not expect that your carrier gives you LTE for the same price as 3G.
Usually they ask more, much more for LTE speeds.
So do you need LTE and can you pay for LTE?
And what about LTE coverage in your area? Not all areas have LTE coverage or they have LTE coverage but it is not good. And how crowded is your LTE area?
If your local LTE network has too many users, the speed is slow as 3G.
Mobile bandwidth is always a shared bandwidth you share with everyone in your area.
And do you need very very fast internet on the move? Or do you need very very fast Internet only at home? If you want it at home it is cheaper and more reliable to take very fast cable internet, not LTE.
If you have no high speed internet options except LTE, and you do not need it on the move, it is smarter to get a LTE/Wifi router that takes the LTE and gives it to your Note as Wifi. In that case it is better to take the Note international version even if you want to use LTE, because you are not moving.
If you are a pirate that is downloading blu-rays from the net and are able to pay a lte contract and are constantly moving to escape the FBI and there is good LTE coverage in your area, take the Note i717.
If you are going to use the net just to surf and/or you can not pay for an expensive LTE contract and/or the LTE coverage in your area sucks and/or you do not need high internet speed on the move, buy the international version.
In Korea they are pissed off because most can not pay for LTE contracts, have 3G, but Samsung will not sell the non-LTE Exynos version there.
So they have to buy the LTE version but do not use LTE.
For most people, the international version is better. Faster machine with fast internet. Who needs 100000 kbps on his phone, on the move?
Is your life so short that you can not wait 5 minutes for a download to finish?
And you never really reach those high LTE speeds, they are theoretical max speeds that you usually do not reach in real life on the internet of today.
Internet speed is based on the speed of the weakest link. So if your connection to the local link is very fast but between you and the computer you want to reach there is a slower link (the normal situation today), your maximum speed will be the speed of that slow link.
Some will buy the LTE version because they think like this they are more "future proof". In other words their Note will still be valuable in some years when everyone uses only LTE.
That is not a good idea. In some years, when everyone uses LTE, your Note will suck because of AMOLED burn in and because Smartphones will be 10 times faster then today. So do not expect to use the Note for too long.
I know it is a long answer, but there are many variables as you see.

LTE is a big deal to those of us who are grand fathered into unlimited data and pay the same $30 per months for LTE. It's really nice for streaming music at work.

Unlocked phones are always better. That's understandable.
However, for some, even if money is not an issue, it's simply a question of whether it's worth it.
You're paying $600 ~ 700 for the phone. Your monthly phone rate doesn't change drastically. It's not like your plan is going to drop by $30 a month for using an unlocked phone.
I can get either the Amaze 4G or the SGS2 for free on T-Mobile. Getting it unlocked would cost me at least 4 ~ 5 benjamins. No matter how you spin it, after 2 years, even after denying the insurance, it's still more expensive to purchase an unlocked version of these phones.
So unless if using a carrier unlocked phone results in my monthly bill being substantially lower, unlocked phones will always be more expensive within the USA.
Your rationale as posted in the other general section only applies to countries where companies only provide the service and customers must obtain their own cellphones. I don't see this ever changing in the USA.
Moral of the story? Buy an unlocked cellphone if and only if you are really into cellphones. If you're just a casual user but enjoy using smartphones, there is very little significant pragmatic difference between a carrier branded and unlocked cellphone for all practical purpose in your life.
Lastly, you said it yourself. Don't expect to use your Note for too long. Then why pay more money over X phones that a user keeps switching to? Doesn't make any good economic sense to me.
legion1911 said:
It is about your needs, about your pockets ($$$$) and about your local conditions.
Are you a bandwidth fanatic and are able to pay for it, or do you want a faster processor and 21 MBPS is enough for you?
Do not expect that your carrier gives you LTE for the same price as 3G.
Usually they ask more, much more for LTE speeds.
So do you need LTE and can you pay for LTE?
And what about LTE coverage in your area? Not all areas have LTE coverage or they have LTE coverage but it is not good. And how crowded is your LTE area?
If your local LTE network has too many users, the speed is slow as 3G.
Mobile bandwidth is always a shared bandwidth you share with everyone in your area.
And do you need very very fast internet on the move? Or do you need very very fast Internet only at home? If you want it at home it is cheaper and more reliable to take very fast cable internet, not LTE.
If you have no high speed internet options except LTE, and you do not need it on the move, it is smarter to get a LTE/Wifi router that takes the LTE and gives it to your Note as Wifi. In that case it is better to take the Note international version even if you want to use LTE, because you are not moving.
If you are a pirate that is downloading blu-rays from the net and are able to pay a lte contract and are constantly moving to escape the FBI and there is good LTE coverage in your area, take the Note i717.
If you are going to use the net just to surf and/or you can not pay for an expensive LTE contract and/or the LTE coverage in your area sucks and/or you do not need high internet speed on the move, buy the international version.
In Korea they are pissed off because most can not pay for LTE contracts, have 3G, but Samsung will not sell the non-LTE Exynos version there.
So they have to buy the LTE version but do not use LTE.
For most people, the international version is better. Faster machine with fast internet. Who needs 100000 kbps on his phone, on the move?
Is your life so short that you can not wait 5 minutes for a download to finish?
And you never really reach those high LTE speeds, they are theoretical max speeds that you usually do not reach in real life on the internet of today.
Internet speed is based on the speed of the weakest link. So if your connection to the local link is very fast but between you and the computer you want to reach there is a slower link (the normal situation today), your maximum speed will be the speed of that slow link.
Some will buy the LTE version because they think like this they are more "future proof". In other words their Note will still be valuable in some years when everyone uses only LTE.
That is not a good idea. In some years, when everyone uses LTE, your Note will suck because of AMOLED burn in and because Smartphones will be 10 times faster then today. So do not expect to use the Note for too long.
I know it is a long answer, but there are many variables as you see.
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Click to collapse

Jade Eyed Wolf said:
No good thing in life comes for free. If you want something good, you have to work to get it!
Buying/selling an iPhone as a means of obtaining something more desired may be a hassle to some, but well worth the reward to others.
I suppose the degree of work one decides to go through to get what they want is an indicator of sorts for how lazy/apathetic they are. Like an AT&T iPhone. If you don't want to jump through any hoops to get one unlocked, and you just don't care enough about possibly making it better, then it's well suited to you. As for an unlocked Android, sure it may not be perfect right our of the box, but with a little bit of effort and care, it can potentially be even more perfect than the iPhone! It's all about what you're willing to work for.
American consumers are (mostly) too lazy and/or apathetic when it comes to our demands, our expectations, and what we're willing to do to meet those. That's why our subsidized devices suck compared to the rest of the world. That's why our rate plans are gouging us through the eyeballs for every little thing. Because not enough of us care to push back against the giants when they start screwing us over, because that'd be too much of a "hassle." We'd rather just roll over and put up with the higher costs for less service.
Buy hey, we get cheaper phones up front! They may not be as good, sure, but they're cheaper today!
Yeah we may be making up for the overall cost later on, but hey, they're cheaper today!
Sure, the carrier is loading CIQ, and other bloat onto my device that I can't (easily) remove... But it's cheaper!
I know I'm paying $80 or $100 or even more than that a month, when I really could be getting the same, or better level of service for ~$40 a month instead... BUT I GOT MY PHONE FOR SO MUCH LESS!!!!
*sigh* This sucks...
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Click to collapse
What?!?! Maybe I need to sell what you're smoking and buy both versions. There is a difference between being lazy and being practical ok! I'm looking at leg work and fees to sell items. I'm also looking at a lack of warranty or one that is less practical. Its Samsung, their quality control is not great.

I should have also mentioned price as well. $199-$299 vs. $700 to $1000... Amazon just raised their price from $708 to $899 which I believe is retail. Obviously they don't have any in stock but that shows you that for some reason there is a greater demand for these right now.
I'm with AT&T for awhile so contract price or uncontract price means nothing to me. But at least I can get the iphone 4 (or 4s) and sell it to cover the difference above even though that would require more work on my part.
I think I'm going to take a chance and keep my order for the international Note.
Here are the reasons why:
1) I can have it now! versus whenever AT&T decides to release theirs.
2) Faster processor speed for my HD movies and games
3) Physical home button. I have the Captivate and I hate the capacitance buttons.
4) I don't need LTE speeds since I only use data to surf the web and email purposes since I don't stream movies or music. HSPA+ should suffice.
5) Bragging rights and showing off to friends before the AT&T version comes out since it will loose its appeal once it's available here in the states.
6) I can enjoy without bloatware crap and also faster updates as well. (My Captivate just got GB update...WTF? year and half later?)
7) Bigger dev community for custom roms and such and support from XDA.
8) This is speculations only but maybe better battery life? I hope AT&T and their LTE version will have sucky battery life and we can all laugh at their inferior Note.

The only thing I saw that was relevant was point 7).
Everything else seemed like self-justification rationale to me to have it now. Lawl.
ckyllr said:
I should have also mentioned price as well. $199-$299 vs. $700 to $1000... Amazon just raised their price from $708 to $899 which I believe is retail. Obviously they don't have any in stock but that shows you that for some reason there is a greater demand for these right now.
I'm with AT&T for awhile so contract price or uncontract price means nothing to me. But at least I can get the iphone 4 (or 4s) and sell it to cover the difference above even though that would require more work on my part.
I think I'm going to take a chance and keep my order for the international order.
Here are the reasons why:
1) I can have it now! versus whenever AT&T decides to release theirs.
2) Faster processor speed for my HD movies and games
3) Physical home button. I have the Captivate and I hate the capacitance buttons.
4) I don't need LTE speeds since I only use data to surf the web and email purposes since I don't stream movies or music. HSPA+ should suffice.
5) Bragging rights and showing off to friends before the AT&T version comes out since it will loose its appeal once it's available here in the states.
6) I can enjoy without bloatware crap and also faster updates as well. (My Captivate just got GB update...WTF? year and half later?)
7) Bigger dev community for custom roms and such and support from XDA.
8) This is speculations only but maybe better battery life? I hope AT&T and their LTE version will have sucky battery life and we can all laugh at their inferior Note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I want to direct you to another thread that has some very good info
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1434845&page=12
It has some good links to Anandtech with CPU comparisons, that I will link below.
Keep in mind the comparisons were done with a GS2 clocked at 1.2ghz not 1.4ghz.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4686/samsung-galaxy-s-2-international-review-the-best-redefined/14
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4686/samsung-galaxy-s-2-international-review-the-best-redefined/17
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/505?vs=489
Hope this helps!
Update: After reading through one of the articles I saw this regarding the low triangle/geometry test scores for the Mali-400. "Luckily for ARM however, most mobile games aren't geometry bound - what we really need here is pixel processing power and that's something Mali-400 does deliver quite well."

got s3 as gift, i live in lte area should i trade for att s3?

At the end of a project, we all got a international s3 as a gift. I live in lte area. Should I trade it for an att version? Is there a good reason not to?
Everyone says performance is about the same. I dont care about FM radio. My sim is company paid lte. I do care a bit about audio quality. I guess no concrete info on dac in us version, but not a deal breaker.
Can lastly can I just post in the sales forums for trade?
Thanks guys

If wanna pay a million dollars a month for service with at&t, knock yourself out.

Ptrout said:
At the end of a project, we all got a international s3 as a gift. I live in lte area. Should I trade it for an att version? Is there a good reason not to?
Everyone says performance is about the same. I dont care about FM radio. My sim is company paid lte. I do care a bit about audio quality. I guess no concrete info on dac in us version, but not a deal breaker.
Can lastly can I just post in the sales forums for trade?
Thanks guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, don't take advice from the poster above me. What you do is entirely up to you. Both phones will perform about the same.
With the International version you can get Unlimited HSPA+ AT&T Data for $10-$15 a month depending on your account. Or you can sell it for $600 and then get the AT&T one for $199 and pay $25 a month for 3GB of LTE/HSPA+ Data.
The choice is yours really.

thanks, I'll look into that 10-15 month plan.maybe use it ad personal
Currently have skyrocket (att s2), and monthly bill is not a factor, its coorporate unlimited lte.
Just wanted to know if by going lte, if I was going to lose any major features or hardware advantages.
Thanks again

What color is it? I have a mint Pebble blue AT&T GS3 and dont have LTE in my area. I'd throw some cash on top of the trade towards your phone.

Ptrout said:
thanks, I'll look into that 10-15 month plan.maybe use it ad personal
Currently have skyrocket (att s2), and monthly bill is not a factor, its coorporate unlimited lte.
Just wanted to know if by going lte, if I was going to lose any major features or hardware advantages.
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll just loose the slightly smoother/quicker quad core processor, but you'll gain another GB of RAM.

LTE or the price cut?

hey fellows,
out of curiosity, what would you favor between the 2 for this Nexus.. a price drop or LTE?

Price drop because with limited data lte isn't of much use.

Anubis007 said:
hey fellows,
out of curiosity, what would you favor between the 2 for this Nexus.. a price drop or LTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely LTE, I was ready to jump ship to AT&T but now I don't even know if I'll get this... waiting to see if any good LTE options become available in the next few weeks.

LTE is a dogs breakfast, especially in the US, when {again} it has decided to use different frequencies to most of the rest of the world...
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/29/3569688/why-nexus-4-does-not-have-4g-lte/in/3335719

%#$! lte... it's overpriced / not ready for prime time.
The $299 / 349 price for the N4 is insane and well worth it.

A price drop past the 300/350 mark =0?

yahoowizard said:
A price drop past the 300/350 mark =0?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i meant the current price drop, the 350$ mark.

Oh, definitely the price drop. I mean, I'm not using my phone for anything that requires 42 mbps or any super high speeds anyway. As long as my YouTube videos are loading properly, which is the main thing I would need for speed, I'm okay.

Between LTE being overly battery hungry and the lack of unlimited data, I say no freaking way I want LTE! I've had LTE before and it's eye opening fast, but I think HSPA+ is the golden ticket right now. It's very battery friendly and plenty fast enough for a mobile handset.
I've had 2 Gnex's (maguro and toro) and I can say that the battery on the Maguro Gnex is easily 50% better. As power hungry as these mobile platforms are these days, until they make improvements on LTE power consumption, I will not have another LTE phone as I've had 3 of them and they're all power hungry!

i think the question is better asked, price drop or cdma compatible? because this phone is useless to me having Sprint about to switch to Verizon network...

the1dynasty said:
i think the question is better asked, price drop or cdma compatible? because this phone is useless to me having Sprint about to switch to Verizon network...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A cdma nexus just doesn't seem like a real nexus:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/29/3569688/why-nexus-4-does-not-have-4g-lte
And there's precious little to suggest working with carriers is even in Google's best interests, or in the best interests of Nexus customers. The Galaxy Nexus was announced last year with a promised LTE version on Verizon, but the carrier held back releasing the phone for months to promote its own Droid RAZR instead. Google eventually grew tired of waiting and sent unlocked HSPA+ devices to reviewers. And software updates for Nexus phones sold through carriers have been problematic as well: it took the Verizon three full months to disseminate the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to its Galaxy Nexus, slightly longer than Sprint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I definitely like the current price, I will be selling my att sgs3 for the nexus4 without a doubt in my mind. I don't really even get LTE in these parts of CT so lte is not a deciding factor at all.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

It's not fair :'(
My grandparents live in a rural area and its where I spend about 1/4 of the year. Tmobile and Att are GPRS, but Sprint and Verizon have 3g. Its the only internet there and I need reliable internet for work. I can't get the new Nexus.
I know I'm in a small boat of people but I'm still going to post my sob story. I just love the Nexus program.

ap3604 said:
A cdma nexus just doesn't seem like a real nexus:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/29/3569688/why-nexus-4-does-not-have-4g-lte
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Click to collapse
while i agree the updates take longer... i also prefer to use Sprint/Verizon over GSM options...

I understand its coming to T-Mobile, but will the Nexus 4 work on AT&T's HSPA+ network?

I will take $350 price point over LTE.
Sent from my Nexus 7

kanariya said:
I will take $350 price point over LTE.
Sent from my Nexus 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you there, I'm not too big on LTE myself, mainly for the fact that the faster my data is being processed, the more money I have to spend on data overages. But that's just me.

I would pay $500+ for 32GB and LTE if only Google would give me the option and take my money.
Instead I'm stuck between choosing between a capable phone and one that will get updates.

ap3604 said:
%#$! lte... it's overpriced / not ready for prime time.
The $299 / 349 price for the N4 is insane and well worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like Fanboy talk to me. Brings me back to the Iphone 4s launch.
My GS3 gets great battery life and radios are getting better everyday.
No LTE is a dealbreaker. You can't honestly tell me that having this outdated technology is adequate. Not when most people keep heir phones for 2 yrs. T-mobile might not even be around in 2 yrs.
One of Androids biggest selling points is that they are always pushing the boundaries of technology. This is a huge step back.
One of the reasons, Apple products are so solidly built is they wait till the tech is old before they incorporate them into their products. I could get a cutting edge sailboat built but who uses sailboats. The Nexus 4 for is a cutting edge sailboat.
A 1.5ghz Quadcore Krait that's about a hair better than the International GS3. They could have at least gone Quad core Cortex A15.
All this so that I can have "Vanilla Android", if that's the price no thank you I'll stick with Cyanogenmod & AOKP.

Wouldn't mind a lte option but screw all the us carrier nonsense
Id rather have a dumb phone then have a CDMA device or anything at all to do with Verizon or sprint.