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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
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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?
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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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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?
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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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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.
Hi. I'm new to these devices and have a question regarding the 2 phone options. I come from the iphone. I have a factory unlocked iphone that I use a tmobile sim in. I ordered the nexus one with the plan today. My question is are these phones like iphones where the one through tmobile is locked to tmobile. In my situation att sucks. I would never use them and do not plan on switching carriers. And these phones won't work on any other carriers until the spring. So, I like tmobile and went that route. My iphone takes any sim so I can hopefully swap the tmobile one out. If I am wrong please let me know. Anyway, are the tmobile ones locked to them so popping in a att sim won't work or is the phone not locked and they just want the contract?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_lock
If you bought the phone at $180 with the Tmobile plan then it is locked, meaning you can only use it with Tmobile. After a certain period of time though, you can call tmobile and ask to unlock your phone and they will walk you through it.
A locked phone means you can only use it on the carrier's service you bought the phone from. An unlocked phone is a phone you can use on any carrier.
Locked and unlocked phones have to do with GSM phones or phones that take SIM cards like Tmobile and ATT. Verizon and Sprint use CDMA phones, which do not have SIM cards.
When buying an unlocked phone, you need to make sure the phone will be compatible with your wireless service's 3G band or you will be stuck using their slower data offerings.
I found this out the hard way back when I bought an unlocked Nokia n95 with my Tmobile service. The Nokia n95 operates on ATT's 3G frequency and not Tmobiles...I had super slow internet on tmo's EDGE network. Fail.
If you do buy a phone from a carrier and it is locked, you can unlock it by calling the phone carrier and telling them you want to unlock your phone. Most carriers allow you to do that after you've had your phone for a certain period of time.
Thanks for the reply. Looks to be locked to tmobile which is fine for my situation. Sorry to be such a bother, but do you think it will work in my unlocked iphone then. I just want to be able to switch the sim between my N1 and iphone. Thanks again.
fdxgnd said:
Thanks for the reply. Looks to be locked to tmobile which is fine for my situation. Sorry to be such a bother, but do you think it will work in my unlocked iphone then. I just want to be able to switch the sim between my N1 and iphone. Thanks again.
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Yes. You WILL be able to switch between GSM phones
That makes more sense to me. Also, my question is answered now. I don't mind tmobile as they are the premiere carrier here. Att doesn't even have 3g here and tmobile does. So, I made the right choice then. I wouldn't ever use an unlocked N1 on att for that reason. Now if it will work in my iphone life will be grand. Just to put this out there. I have no favorite software or phone. I usually get what works for what I need. I have far too many apps on my iphone to give it up. Probably upwards of $500 worth. I literally run my business on it. I am just sick of the fact that this phone was $1000 and I can't even do anything to it. I am making my way the android for that reason. Once the apps I do need come available bye bye iphone. Thanks for the great forum everyone and all willing to help out with answers. Much appreciated.
BTW. Ever try getting and iphone unlocked from apple or att. It would be easier to root the droid eris. Wife has one and I'm waiting. LOL
no if you get it for 180$ its STILL UNLOCKED!
see here:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Mobile/thread?tid=6864cbe91ce938f6&hl=en
Never realized how controlling apple was until that comment melterX12. I'm getting a phone that is not locked on a plan I do want.
very true... hence the subsidized pricing and what not. the phone is unlocked which is why you have to pay more for it if you want to break your contract before the *so many days...
i'm pretty sure thats a good hint as to it coming unlocked through the t-mobile offer
All my past ppc's have been unlocked. It the best way, and it going to now (thanks to google) be the wave of the future in the States!
I've been with Sprint for years and have never used a non-CDMA device. I don't want to leave Sprint, but Sprint network coverage isn't the greatest and non-existence outside of the US. Should I purchase a GSM phone as a backup for when I travel to areas I know not covered by Sprint? I'm thinking I should be able to go to a GSM provider and get some type of short-term plan, like a week or month plan. Is that naive?
I'm sure the device has something to do with it, too. What is a best device out there to give me the most flexible support from major GSM providers? I supposed one that at least support voice and SMS, but data for GPS would be good.
Yes it wouldn't hurt you could buy an unlocked gsm phone and just use pre pay sim cards with it! I sell verizon and thats what I usually recommend that to any customers that are traveling outside the country but it applies to everywhere
Unlocked GSM Phone, got it. I just need to find one that supports multi-GSM frequencies. Suggestions? Nexus One?
Prepaid SIM card, now that I'm not familiar with. Is it tied to a particular provider, such as T-mobile, O2, etc. or frequency(ies)?
werkx said:
Unlocked GSM Phone, got it. I just need to find one that supports multi-GSM frequencies. Suggestions? Nexus One?
Prepaid SIM card, now that I'm not familiar with. Is it tied to a particular provider, such as T-mobile, O2, etc. or frequency(ies)?
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All Sprint World phones are GSM capable and come unlocked. The one that comes to mind that is blocked from working in the US is the Photon, but Blackberries should work fine.
You could get a phone with both a GSM and CDMA radio. The best phone I can think of is the Motorola Droid 2 Global, which is a good phone if you like slide-out QWERTY smartphones. It's also quite cheap coming in at $320 for a brand new unlocked version.
Thelolinator said:
You could get a phone with both a GSM and CDMA radio. The best phone I can think of is the Motorola Droid 2 Global, which is a good phone if you like slide-out QWERTY smartphones. It's also quite cheap coming in at $320 for a brand new unlocked version.
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No because Verizon prevents the GSM radio in Droid phones from working in the US. Blackberries work though. It might be a Motorola thing, I'm not sure about the Droid Incredible 2 (HTC).
Product F(RED) said:
No because Verizon prevents the GSM radio in Droid phones from working in the US. Blackberries work though. It might be a Motorola thing, I'm not sure about the Droid Incredible 2 (HTC).
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Oh I see, that sucks! I guess no-one has bypassed it yet then.
So this would be a reason to get a BB.
Thanks all. Craigslist, here I come.
So I see that it is possible to unlock cdma Android phone for other carriers but I am wondering you can do it with the WP7 devices, I don't want the Arrive because of the keyboard. I am just curious so any help would be appreciated. Sorry if i posted this in the wrong forum but I thought this would be a development question.
63 views and no replies, I guess I will write this off and wait until Sprint releases new WM7 phones, they are supposedly looking at the fall.
There are some listings on eBay purporting to sell unlock codes for the HTC Trophy. Some have already sold and the buyers have left positive feedback for the seller indicating success. Here (link) is the one I found, and I have no affiliation with the seller, eBay, etc. and cannot speak if this is legitimate or not. But apparently, it is possible.
Sprint as of current, will not allow any non Sprint branded phones on to their network. Even if you unlock the device, if it is not Sprint branded, and the ESN is not in their database, they will not allow it on their network.
I just don't get why people would prefer to have the SparkW (VZW Trophy) on Sprint vs the GoldC (HTC Arrive). The Arrive is made out of a nice metal, feels just like a Touch Pro2 but nicer... and its screen is only ever so slightly smaller then the Trophy. The Trophy, I got that thing in a tank of a case just so I know its in my pocket (I HATE small phones).
If anything I can't understand why Verizon didn't get GoldC or ask for a "GoldW" variant with World phone...
@MyNamesTheDoctor's You can't swap Sim cards to Sprint, Sprint is CDMA and doesn't use SIM cards. Due to Sprint's policies.... well.. only an illegal option is available to put the phone on Sprint.
Putting GoldC onto Verizon could probably be done legally, with a custom rom with Sprint software installed, and passing it threw Verizon's program to get the ESN/MIED added to their database... if they still do that. I can't wait for LTE to be the standard, then we won't have these issues with phones and everyone can have a SIM card.. and porting can be done with a simple unlock.
This really should be in Q&A though.
deleted
inteller said:
thanks for reminding me why I stick to GSM carriers.
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If AT&T was worth a damn where I live, I would be back on them. They have poor coverage here though, so I am almost forced to use Verizon, which works wonderfully I have to say.
For me, Verizon has the best voice service in the area... while AT&T covers the area slightly better, Verizon has 3G data EVERYWHERE (they are 100% 3G), while AT&T has HSPA+ only closer to to Erie, and 1X in the rest of northwest PA.
Greetings, I can't seem to find a definite answer or guide to this. I have a sprint galaxy s4 and once my contract was up I was looking to get off sprint and onto another contract, looking at verizon as my friends happen with them. I know they both use cdma. If I have them unlock the phone, can it be brought over and used that easily? If not, what must I do? Custom root? Find a verizon s4 motherboard with clean esn? I'm willing to do it to not spend a few hundred bucks on a new phone. I'd liketo give it to my mother and get the s6 for myself when it comes out.
Man, I'm 0 for 2 here. Anything?
bump?
Another bump. Can anyone help me?
94 views, not a peep. I thought these forums were active and helpful? Perhaps not?
All of my research leads me to believe I'd need to get a verizon logicboard with a clean esn. Maybe I can trade for one, but I would like some confirmation before I spend the 80 bucks or so. Thanks.
Dabba87 said:
Greetings, I can't seem to find a definite answer or guide to this. I have a sprint galaxy s4 and once my contract was up I was looking to get off sprint and onto another contract, looking at verizon as my friends happen with them. I know they both use cdma. If I have them unlock the phone, can it be brought over and used that easily? If not, what must I do? Custom root? Find a verizon s4 motherboard with clean esn? I'm willing to do it to not spend a few hundred bucks on a new phone. I'd liketo give it to my mother and get the s6 for myself when it comes out.
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is your phone still locked on sprint?
xDroidZz said:
is your phone still locked on sprint?
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Hello DroidZ,
It is. I was planning to have them unlock it. But I heard that though both are CDMA, I wouldnt have full 4g with it. I was contemplating buying a verizon (or any other carrier's logic board that I would switch to) and sell my sprint board.
Of course I'd need a clean esn right?
Another bump. Does the lack of responses mean it's harder than a logical board swap?
bump again
Bump
You can use the Sprint S4 on Verizon, assuming it's possible for you to unlock it from Sprint's network, but LTE will never work. Verizon uses standard LTE frequencies (750 & 1700MHz) while Sprint uses "Extended PCS", i.e. Spark. Totally different technologies.
You'll need a new phone to take full advantage of Verizon infrastructure, which unfortunately means dealing with an encrypted (locked) bootloader.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
You can use the Sprint S4 on Verizon, assuming it's possible for you to unlock it from Sprint's network, but LTE will never work. Verizon uses standard LTE frequencies (750 & 1700MHz) while Sprint uses "Extended PCS", i.e. Spark. Totally different technologies.
You'll need a new phone to take full advantage of Verizon infrastructure, which unfortunately means dealing with an encrypted (locked) bootloader.
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Greetings,
Does that mean swapping the logic board with a verizon version won't fix the LTE problem? So I'd get normal 4g? I suppose I could try it. Couldnt deal with 3G. I guess I'm asking if there are any parts I could swap out to fix the problem or if I'm just screwed.
Thanks man.
Dabba
If you have a Sprint phone, you cannot simply purchase a Verizon motherboard and replace the Sprint motherboard with it. Why it won't work is because the design of the two motherboards is sufficiently different that if you tried it the Verizon motherboard wouldn't fit in the midframe.
In simpler language, you're screwed. You need a new phone if you want LTE. Whether that is a new phone from Verizon or a used device off Swappa is irrelevant, so long as the MEID is clear.
Hmm, I didnt know the motherboards were actually different. That sucks, I assumed they were more like computers. Oh well, thanks for the info though, now I know!
Again, thanks a bunch