[Q] Transfering to another carrier - HD2 General

I'm thinking about switching to Virgin Mobile. They have 3G in my area and are EXTREMELY cheap. Cheaper than my T-Mobile plan..
I haven't been able to get a hold of customer support so I'm wondering if anyone here can answer my question.. If I use my current HD2 (rooted w/ android) would I be able to use it on their network? I know they use the sprint network.. If their phones don't use sim cards would it be possible to somehow program the information into the phone?
Thanks!

Are you in the USA ?? Because that's what it sounds like and if that's so, then no.
Totally different hardware. Virgin in the USA is not using a GSM network and it will never work.
I don't have virgin but from what I've heard you can't even use different phones not offered by virgin them selves. What ever phone selection they have to offer is all you have. A pretty ****ty, and limited selection if you ask me compared to the HD2.

Related

MetroPCS

My pre-paid phone just ran out of minutes, and I think it is a good idea to switch to MetroPCS. I am just getting the idea that it might be possible to use a Sprint Vogue with MetroPCS. Is this really true? If so, how can I get it to work on MetroPCS w/out paying for flashing it or MetroFlashing it? I am brand new to CDMA PDA phones and flashing.
BTW, does anyone know if MetroPCS is open on Sundays in SoCal?
Thanks.
BTW, I've been looking around and I don't see a solution to this. I called MetroPCS, and they claim that they don't use CDMA smartphones. I don't know if this settles it or not.
*bump* I'm kind of in desperate need of a MetroPCS phone...
metro will support the xv6900 it supports mine with web and mms
neverwinter said:
BTW, I've been looking around and I don't see a solution to this. I called MetroPCS, and they claim that they don't use CDMA smartphones. I don't know if this settles it or not.
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Click to collapse
You were misinformed... of course metro uses CDMA smartphones! CDMA (Verizon, Sprint) phones don't require SIM cards like GSM phones (ATT, Tmobile)- unless you have a world phone...
You can now get phones from other carriers (CDMA only) added onto metro's network... I have a Sprint Mogul (pda smartphone) and my wife has a Palm Treo 755p (pda smartphone) on metro's network...
I know you can flash Treos, HTC 6800, Diamond...
Go here for more information about phones on metro... http://www.howardforums.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=335
There are so many dumb-non techie- people who work at many corporate metro stores... they are just sales reps... trained to know about metro services, not to keen on phone features or other technical questions...
If you want a list of compatible phones that can be flash to metro go here:
http://houdinisoft.com/device

HTC Hero130 (Telus Version)

First off - I Private Messaged a couple of people about this, but realized that I should have just posted this in the forum. So, my apologies for anyone seeing this a second time.
I've been getting all sort of conflicting information about the Hero 130 (The Telus one) and which UMTS bands it supports.
Most of the information I see at places like PDADB says that it's UMTS enabled for 850/1900 only, which are the North American bands. FCC reports and the Telus user manual show testing for WCDMA (UMTS) 850/1900 only.
However, HTC's Canada Hero website (http://www.htc.com/ca/product/herotelus/specification.html) says "Dual Mode UMTS" and lists frequencies for US (850/1900), EU/Asia (900/2100) and Telstra (850/2100). Two HTC support techs from their website also confirm that the Hero 130 supports UMTS for US EU/Asia and Telstra, but it feels like they are just regurgitating information from the extremely vague website.
The device is a quad-band worldwide device. These are the bands the device is capable of using:
Europe/Asia
UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (900/2100MHz for EU/Asia)
North America
850/1900
Telestra
850/2100
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900Mhz)
If the bands you are needing are any of these then the device should work.
Kay
HTC Technical Support
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Has anyone with a HERO130 actually gone overseas and seen if you get UMTS/3G to work overseas - or has seen anything that conclusively and definitively proves if it does or does not work?
Thanks!
I'm wondering the same thing. I'd like to get the Telus one and use it here on AT&T 3g in the states... anyone know if that is possible?
The Telus version of the HTC Hero (aka HERO130 or A6265) definitely supports ATT's 3G bands. It's been confirmed via the FCC documentation as well that 850/2100 is supported. T-Mobile's 1700MHz is not supported.
My question is specifically in regards to the European/Asian (900/1900MHz) bands. HTC's confirmed that it does support by phone, but I'm still a little dubious. However, I'm ordering one and am going to give it a test!
Stay Tuned!
itpromike said:
I'm wondering the same thing. I'd like to get the Telus one and use it here on AT&T 3g in the states... anyone know if that is possible?
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Click to collapse
Yes. It is possible. I've got the Telus Hero, unlocked and running on the Rogers network. HSDPA/3G works fine on Rogers. North American radio bands for 3G are supported with this hardware.
BlueHawk said:
Yes. It is possible. I've got the Telus Hero, unlocked and running on the Rogers network. HSDPA/3G works fine on Rogers. North American radio bands for 3G are supported with this hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! How difficult is the unlocking process?
I just thought about something. I'm used to the iPhone where you have to root your phone to unlock it for other carriers. Is the way it work with the HTC Hero and the like is that you just pay full price for the phone ($499) and it comes unlocked already? No tinkering needed?
itpromike said:
Awesome! How difficult is the unlocking process?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The unlocking process is not painful at all, but it costs you $20-25. When you insert a non-Telus sim into the device and power it up, it will tell you that you are using the wrong sim and ask you to enter the unlock code. The unlock code is specific to the IMEI of you phone, so they can't be shared. They can be purchased on eBay for slightly more than $20.
Note that you cannot unlock your phone by flashing a custom ROM. So unless you figured out the magic formula for generating these unlocking code (different for each device and different for each carrier), you have to pay for it one way or another.
tsekh501 said:
The unlocking process is not painful at all, but it costs you $20-25. When you insert a non-Telus sim into the device and power it up, it will tell you that you are using the wrong sim and ask you to enter the unlock code. The unlock code is specific to the IMEI of you phone, so they can't be shared. They can be purchased on eBay for slightly more than $20.
Note that you cannot unlock your phone by flashing a custom ROM. So unless you figured out the magic formula for generating these unlocking code (different for each device and different for each carrier), you have to pay for it one way or another.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I buy the full priced ($499) phone from Telus, then I have to buy the unlock code from Ebay? Hmm... I feel leery about buying something like this from Ebay. Is there an official channel I can buy an unlock code from?
itpromike said:
So I buy the full priced ($499) phone from Telus, then I have to buy the unlock code from Ebay? Hmm... I feel leery about buying something like this from Ebay. Is there an official channel I can buy an unlock code from?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I paid mine for the full price too, but this doesn't make the phone automatically unlocked. Telus enters an exclusive contract with HTC to be the sole carrier of this phone in Canada (at least for now), and they have every right to make sure that an average-joe, who knows nothing about unlocking, who wants this phone have to go to them, with or without contract. Exclusive dealings are extremely common in cell phone industry, and they are not free for the carrier.
I doubt Telus would unlock the phone for you. In the US, T-Mobile will unlock their phones for you a few months into the 2-year contract, may be Telus will do the same, if you signed a contract with them that is.
I just went to eBay and notice that there are now many sellers selling Telus Hero unlock code, and some are selling for as low as $13. I bought mine from a seller called cellfservices, it is not the cheapest but it worked (and it took them about an hour after the sales to send me the code).
mobileincanada.ca seems to be one that is very popular for unlocking, $20cdn, and they usually send unlock code very fast (within 5 minutes)
all right people.
I am here to bust the myth.
Telus hero does not have asian HSPA band.
I have two heros: GSM and Telus.
Tested location: Taiwan.
Telus hero with Taiwan sim card = GPRS only, no 3G connection.
GSM hero = 3G connection.
Telus hero does not have dual model 3G, period.
So which do I get for AT&T
Ok so I'd like one of these WITH 3G connection on AT&T so which one would I get to make this happen? I'm leaning toward the Telus model from what I've been reading but if anyone can confirm or deny this, that would be great. Also once I have it and it's been unlocked, then what do I tell AT&T? Just order a second line with a data plan? Won't they ask me what type of phone is this for or how should I do this?
itpromike said:
Ok so I'd like one of these WITH 3G connection on AT&T so which one would I get to make this happen? I'm leaning toward the Telus model from what I've been reading but if anyone can confirm or deny this, that would be great. Also once I have it and it's been unlocked, then what do I tell AT&T? Just order a second line with a data plan? Won't they ask me what type of phone is this for or how should I do this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Telus Hero is the only current Hero model that will work with 3G/HSDPA in North America. The European Hero will only use Edge for Data - it doesn't support the North American radio bands. The Sprint model only supports CDMA.
Do you need a second line? Are you planning to run two cell phones? If not, just switch your current AT&T SIM into the Hero and get a data plan for that SIM/line.
I do plan on running a second line yes. I have an iPhone 3GS as my main phone and I am planning on using the Hero to play around with as my second phone. The hero is a decent phone and fun to flash and play around with etc... but I couldn't ever really use it as my main phone. I definitely couldn't give up my iPhone 3GS for an Android phone just yet there are still some refinements that Android as a mobile OS needs to undergo and still some refinements that HTC needs to bring to the SenseUI as well. I rely too heavily my phone and it doing what I need it to do as fast as possible. I did have the Sprint Hero for a month before I took it back, I just didn't like it... it was slow, laggy, and some of the things I wanted to do with the phone that I was just so used to doing on my iPhone either couldn't be done OR had to be done in a way that didn't make very much logical or design sense. I had a lot of those 'why can't I just press this to make it do that?' moments or 'why the heck would they put this menu under here?' moments. Anyhow with that being said, Hero and Android are still fun platforms to play with and flash and try different settings and home screens and different ROMS etc so I'm going to get another one but this time on AT&T so I can use voice and data at the same time (one of the things I hated about having the Hero on spring was the inability to use data and voice at the same time as well as how slow sprints data was compared to AT&T)... but I wouldn't want a phone that I flashed and played around with so much to be a phone I relied on for mission critical work.
So what's the best way of going about this? What type of line should I order from AT&T? What should I ask for when i call or go into the store to get another line? Any suggestions?
I just got my Telus Hero last week, and coming from a 3G iphone, this blows it away. Not sure about the 3GS as it is a faster processor..... Also better than the Tilt 2. Love it. Just waiting on Eclair to get Google Navigation and other goodies...
Broken said:
I just got my Telus Hero last week, and coming from a 3G iphone, this blows it away. Not sure about the 3GS as it is a faster processor..... Also better than the Tilt 2. Love it. Just waiting on Eclair to get Google Navigation and other goodies...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the iPhone 3G (I have both a 3G and 3Gs) and the Hero are pretty comparable. Browsing the web (which I do a lot) is faster on the 3G but the loading of applications etc... are pretty much the same. This is stock to stock so no modding on either phone. The scrolling on the 3G is much smoother than a stock Hero. I know that there are ROMS that make the device faster which is the only reason I'm even rethinking about getting one. The 3GS however is just no contest. But I've pretty much had all the fun I can out of the iPhone; not talking about the the apps as there are so many apps to choose from and a lot of them are awesome and fun to use, but with modding the phone itself and playing around with the OS etc I've done all I can do with the iPhone and want something new to play with...
itpromike said:
So what's the best way of going about this? What type of line should I order from AT&T? What should I ask for when i call or go into the store to get another line? Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just tell them you have an existing phone so you want a new SIM and to purchase a plan for a smartphone (data and voice plan) - they can advise you on deals and packages then. The carrier should never care about the phone - it's not like they make money on it - they usually subsidize the manufacturer for a unit anyway, in a profit sharing deal. The only thing the carrier is really interested in is the data and voice carriage charges.
i would just tell them you want to add a line for regular phone with unlimited data. that way you dont have to pay extra for the smart phone data. unless of course its cheaper and you can just for like ten dollars make your smart phone data plan you have now a family unlimited
BlueHawk said:
Just tell them you have an existing phone so you want a new SIM and to purchase a plan for a smartphone (data and voice plan) - they can advise you on deals and packages then. The carrier should never care about the phone - it's not like they make money on it - they usually subsidize the manufacturer for a unit anyway, in a profit sharing deal. The only thing the carrier is really interested in is the data and voice carriage charges.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would not be the best option. If you are going to add a line, figure out which phone they are giving away for free they you can get the biggest profit by flipping on eBay. Most likely the Solstice.
This way you can get away with the cheaper non-smart phone data plan and get about $200 back by selling the "free" phone they give you.
Can anyone confirm if the telus hero ships with the updated faster firmware? Thanks.

[Q] T8282 + Prepaid?

Hello All,
Just recently came across a T8282 for sale, At a local thrift store of all places (lol).
Aside from some screen scratches (I assume these did not come with a factory protector/layer I can just peel off?) and missing the stylus + SIM card, But It works perfectly.
Anyway,
This is my first "Real" cell phone or "Modern" I guess you would say.
I've always used Prepaid service and Phones provided by the Prepaid Carrier, As has my family.
We all use Virgin Mobile, And I already have an established account with funds on it for them.
Also, They just added a very reasonable monthly Data Package Plan that seems to be the best deal around in prepaid.
Would there be any possible way to use Virgin Mobile Service with my new T8282?
I'm aware Virgin does not ussualy use SIM cards (or at all) in there phones, But, I've seen some Virgin Sim cards up for sale on auctions sites that appear to be available from outside the US.
Would I be able to make one of these "Foreign" SIM Cards work properly inside the US?
And if not~
What is a good Prepaid Service Provider that uses SIM cards I could switch over to?
I'm aware prepaid is not really the way to go with a phone like this, But I'm not really a hardcore user, And Non-Contract has always got me through just fine.
Sorry if this is in the wrong area.
Oh, And does this phone come already unlocked? Or will I need to do that also?
Bad news I'm afraid
The T8282 is a European GSM/UMTS handset and as such won't work on Virgin Mobile in the US (which uses the Sprint CDMA network)
You'll need to switch to a US carrier which uses GSM - AT&T and T-Mobile are the two big networks which do. In addition, you'll only get voice and GPRS data as the phone can't use the 3G frequences used in the US (the T8285 was the version with US bands)
Virgin Mobile is a global brand, but each country runs its network seperatly. You won't be able to pick up a SIM card and expect it to work on the US Virgin network.
As ther T8282 wasn't sold officially in the US, it will already have been unlocked if it has been used with a US network.
There's other people here which have used a T8282 in the US, it's worth searching the forums.
*Facedesk*
Thanks for all the info handsomedog.
I kinda figured Virgin wouldnt work out, But had to ask.
I dont mind switching Carriers as long as its a prepaid service, But did not count on the phone not being able to "Fully" function... That really sucks.

Which Galaxy Tab???

Hey Guys,
I am thinking of buying a Galaxy Tab, but I am unsure of which carrier I want to go with.
I am from the UK, but living in the US. I do go back to the UK occasionally, so want something that works there - this would mean I would either need the T_Mobile or the AT&T versions.
However, I believe that AT&T and T-Mobile use different frequencies for their 3G signal here in the US, with AT&T being the only one that is the same as the UK/EU.
I was wanting to to with the T-Mobile version as I read somewhere that their speeds would be faster, but if 3G is not going to work in the UK, i'll pass on it. T-Mobile also had a subsidised version which is also an incentive.
So, do any of you guys know if the hardware radio has this frequency limitation or is it something to do with the software? I ask this because my AT&T blackberry was able to connect to T-Mobiles 3G network while I was over in the US last time so it is possible to havea radio that can connect to both.... Perhaps they did not do this though for cost savings....
Why don't u buy a Euro tab. There was a post stating he could use the Euro tab with both voice & data with AT&T sim. No hacking was needed
dh010447 said:
However, I believe that AT&T and T-Mobile use different frequencies for their 3G signal here in the US, with AT&T being the only one that is the same as the UK/EU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't guarantee you that a TMo US Tab would work on UK 3G, but what I can say is that my TMo US G1 worked fine.
Regards,
Dave

Hd2 on at&t

I have a hd2 tmobile usa version, i need a At&t friendly Nand rom. Whats the best rom out there for At&t????
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
as far as I know any NAND Android ROM should work on AT&T as it is not the ROM that controls this but a combination of you sim card, APN settings, and you having your HD2 sim unlocked. Wait for more replies though as I do not use AT&T and it might actually be a ROM out there that has certain things adjusted for AT&T, but what that might be I do not know.
This is true, the ROM does not control the radio. There are methods of flashing the radio to a different version, one that may work for the AT&T 3G bands. I am looking them up, but that is how you would flash the device to change the radio.
Hardware wise, the GSM module does support all world wide bands but what makes then different from one HD2 from one carrier ot another is the firmware version that is used in the phones that make them work on the network's bands. Correct me if i am wrong though.
TKETZ196 said:
This is true, the ROM does not control the radio. There are methods of flashing the radio to a different version, one that may work for the AT&T 3G bands. I am looking them up, but that is how you would flash the device to change the radio.
Hardware wise, the GSM module does support all world wide bands but what makes then different from one HD2 from one carrier ot another is the firmware version that is used in the phones that make them work on the network's bands. Correct me if i am wrong though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Untrue my friend, the T-Mobile HD2 only supports the bands used by T-Mobile for 3G. If you sim unlock the T-Mobile HD2 you can use the device with other carriers but you will only get Edge for a data signal as the hardware only supports the T-Mobile 3G bands. There is a model of the HD2 that supports a different 3G band the same ones AT&T uses in the US, it is the Australian model that Telstra a Australian cell carrier released as they use the same bands as AT&T. go to "Official HD2 T9193 (Telstra 850Mhz) Discussion Thread" and you can learn more about it. I also saw your other post in another thread about trying to help your friend out getting 3G on his HD2 using AT&T. Unless he is willing to buy a Telstra HTC HD2 T9193 or have his T-Mobile HTC HD2 T8585 worked on to switch out the hardware for the hardware in the T9193 then he will never getb 3G with AT&T.
Just to answer your question, every rom is an AT&T friendly ROM, meaning, they'll allow you to talk, text and surf the internet.
What you DONT have is AT&T 3G on your tmous HD2. You'll be stuck with EDGE speed.
Thank you all 4 your help,greatly apreciated!! I'm in puerto rico where tmobile is still on Edge. But for some reason tmobile is still alot faster when it comes to receiving & sending MMS than At&t on this phone. Currently using Coredroid 1.5
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
its interesting they would use different hardware GSM modules for the slightly different models. I would think the radio firmware version woudl take care of that. Thanks for clarification. I assumed that all GSM modules would be built the same way.
Sadly they are not, this in my opinion is just cellular carriers trying to keep you locked to their networks cause the know most people don"t want to have to buy another device when changing carriers if they already have a good device. So they make it were branded devices can only utilize high speed data with it's intended carriers network. I think this is unfair to consumers, but again just my opinion.
T-Macgnolia said:
Sadly they are not, this in my opinion is just cellular carriers trying to keep you locked to their networks cause the know most people don"t want to have to buy another device when changing carriers if they already have a good device. So they make it were branded devices can only utilize high speed data with it's intended carriers network. I think this is unfair to consumers, but again just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think there is technical reason. The various carriers have very different technologies. Even AT&T uses a different 3G network than T-Mobile, despite the fact that both are GSM. Sprint and Verizon use non GSM technologies that are even more different. When a device manufacturer makes a certain model, there is only so much room inside, and unless one wants a really thick and heavy device, a choice has to be made as to which hardware goes into the phone.
I'm not saying that they don't want you to stay on their network - they do, which is why they have those 2 year contracts in exchange for buying a discounted phone. But I don't think that is why the hardware is different.
stevedebi said:
I think there is technical reason. The various carriers have very different technologies. Even AT&T uses a different 3G network than T-Mobile, despite the fact that both are GSM. Sprint and Verizon use non GSM technologies that are even more different. When a device manufacturer makes a certain model, there is only so much room inside, and unless one wants a really thick and heavy device, a choice has to be made as to which hardware goes into the phone.
I'm not saying that they don't want you to stay on their network - they do, which is why they have those 2 year contracts in exchange for buying a discounted phone. But I don't think that is why the hardware is different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Point taken
I would go further with the discussion but I do not want to hijack this thread.

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