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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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...
Click to expand...
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."
Related
Is that even possible?
Hummingbird Chipset
My guess would be that the Samsung Hummingbird chipset only supports 7.2 Mbps. Same as with the GSM Galaxy S series handsets.
many reasons why it may not be there. but you still get up to 7.2Mbps down which is very good.
Whoa your totally the 1st person to notice this and post about it......
To me, it doesn't matter. I live in a HSPA+ area and have never even come close to getting 7.2Mbps on a G2. Let alone HSPA+ speeds.
How many networks actually support those speeds anyways ?? I mean in reality not on paper. Besides, 7Mbps is enough for all mobile needs, a youtube 720p HD video averages around 2Mbps which is the highest bandwidth consuming task I can think of. Unless you are planning to tether it to a laptop and download huge files, which IMO is not a requirement for many users, since mobile data is pretty expensive.
th0r615 said:
Whoa your totally the 1st person to notice this and post about it......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol Anyways whats the big deal. 99% person of the world is not on 4G yet
I know we wanted everything from this phone but its not to be
I don't care since in my country we don't even have 4G so that would be completely useless.
But I understand entirely you're complaining about it, they're expected to make progress not regression(but that's technology, constructers choose what we will get...).
It's true "4G" isn't prominent right now. I'm guessing the disappointment comes when you try to see Nexus S as a phone into 2011, and beyond. Dropping $529 dollars for a phone that won't be taking advantage of "4G" speeds which all carriers are moving toward and pushing for, and which handsets are already featuring, doesn't seem future-proof, and maybe even a step back. It doesn't live up to the Nexus branding.
Agreed. I've decided to stay with my Samsung Epic (which has a bad ESN that I bought for $300 and I am using as an Android touch), and wait it out. When phones that come out that are compare to the Galaxy S as how the Nexus One overshadowed the Hero, I'll probably upgrade. Not then ... it's not worth selling my current phone.
I know LTE speeds are not achieved with international SIM-Free S3. I can trade-off that one feature for many other things. I use Non-smartphone plan for 15$ vs 25$(LTE) a month which is pretty cool with unlimited data and i get speed up to 1.5Mbps(which is ok as i have wifi availability everywhere). Importantly the hardware, there is a possibility of Krait processor coming in for LTE handsets(rumor as heard). I don't want to take chances of losing Wolfson DAC this time(US LTE variants might have a different chipset).
Share your thoughts.
I am getting the international version because when I got my skyrocket I sold it right away profiting $500. I got the phone for FREE.
That being said, I live in the LA area and there is 4G LTE. But I have a limited data plan anyways and always have WiFi at work and at home (fios).
I'd rather have the Wolf, and Exynos over the S4 as the Exynos blows the S4 and Tegra 3 out of the water.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5810/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-performance-preview
U guys are yanks right? I think you should wait till the American branded versions are out.
There's a possibility they could be better with a much more appealing design.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Agreed, but if all you're getting is 1.5Mbps, then I would scream bloody murder. I'm in Austin, TX and using international SGS2 on AT&T and get up to 7.5Mbps...!
I am on that plan and get avg 3-5mbs with mine. I have gotten 7-8mbs a few times and 12mbs at 1AM.
I just used 109GB on that plan and not a peep out of AT&T. LOL
I am going with international, if the ATT version ends up looking better or for some reason have better specs, than I will just buy that on contract and sell the international version. Not really worried about lte.
Also now that the ATT htc x one is the only version with a locked bootloader I am very hesitant to wait for the SIII ATT version.
diehard2222 said:
U guys are yanks right? I think you should wait till the American branded versions are out.
There's a possibility they could be better with a much more appealing design.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
I highly doubt it, there is a big chance it will be using the S4.
varunkumars said:
I know LTE speeds are not achieved with international SIM-Free S3. I can trade-off that one feature for many other things. I use Non-smartphone plan for 15$ vs 25$(LTE) a month which is pretty cool with unlimited data and i get speed up to 1.5Mbps(which is ok as i have wifi availability everywhere). Importantly the hardware, there is a possibility of Krait processor coming in for LTE handsets(rumor as heard). I don't want to take chances of losing Wolfson DAC this time(US LTE variants might have a different chipset).
Share your thoughts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am getting close to 3MPS DL (provisioned on MediaNet, not Smartphone) As long as I can stream movie trailers without hiccups Its all good. Thats about the only time we use Carrier data while at a restruant deciding what movie to see...We have not used an ATT branded phones since the Captivate and won't be buying any soon except to sell.
We are saving over $600 a year on two smart phones. Plus the sale of the upgrades. It's an easy decision to buy the International versions on so many levels. even IF ATT had the IMEIs and billed for a Smart Phone in whcih case we go to Straight Talk. We don't need LTE for anything .
And the Wolfson DAC AFTER Supercurio does his magic is well worth the price of entry. But like all of our International devices so far SGS IIs and a Note, we buy used. Don't need a warranty as I void it anyway rooting and ROMming...LOL
Thee should be used ones becoming available in a couple months. In the mean time let the early adopters discover the issues and the Developers fix em. I can wait..........I think........or not.
Yea I choose to get the unlocked international version to ream att. For $15 I get unlimited data and I usually pull 6 down and 2 up. I can stream netflix, hulu, rdio and tunein radio without worrying about data usage.
not to mention hd video podcasts that i download all the time to my phone with doggcatcher ... all of this and i didnt even mention torrenting lol
I go through about 40-50 gigs a month.
BuddyLee said:
Yea I choose to get the unlocked international version to ream att. For $15 I get unlimited data and I usually pull 6 down and 2 up. I can stream netflix, hulu, rdio and tunein radio without worrying about data usage.
not to mention hd video podcasts that i download all the time to my phone with doggcatcher ... all of this and i didnt even mention torrenting lol
I go through about 40-50 gigs a month.
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People brag about anything these days, even their own data usage.
greenstuffs said:
People brag about anything these days, even their own data usage.
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Only if you believe the BS
Can u guys post ur APN settings? Mine only gets 2mb down.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Lancez said:
Can u guys post ur APN settings? Mine only gets 2mb down.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
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You likely have the right settings. If you are not provisioned for a "Smart Phone" from ATT you will be on the MediaNet plan and your DL speeds will vary a lot and never really go that high,
. Mine go from 1.5 to 3mps. I have never had issues with streaming though when I needed.
tbong777 said:
You likely have the right settings. If you are not provisioned for a "Smart Phone" from ATT you will be on the MediaNet plan and your DL speeds will vary a lot and never really go that high,
. Mine go from 1.5 to 3mps. I have never had issues with streaming though when I needed.
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Click to collapse
based on "those" info, I was wondering why I can only get 2mb on my none smart phone data plan. thanks for your info.
Anybody know the official price for this thing cuz I don't want no overprices nonsense like the gn.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
george241312 said:
Anybody know the official price for this thing cuz I don't want no overprices nonsense like the gn.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wait for 6 months and you'll pay about 100 bucks less.
tbong777 said:
Only if you believe the BS
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It's a fact, easily do that amount of data a month. But I would be jealous of me if I had to pay more than $15 for not unlimited.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Lancez said:
wait for 6 months and you'll pay about 100 bucks less.
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Click to collapse
I 'd say 4 months after the first ones are shipped and $200+ less Used. I haven't bought a new International phone yet. Warranty iffy in the US and I fully intend to void it anyway rooting and ROMing it. May as well buy an already rooted device from someone reliable. Paid Less than $450 for the SGS IIs and Less than $600 for the Note. Those savings alone goes a long way toward the SGS III.
All I hope is that they will release both a LTE and non-LTE version in the US, like the SGS2.
Wishful thinking.
I'm getting international version and I am on t mobile. I have HSPA+ right now on my phone with them but honestly... Edge can still download stuff.
I'm a little upset that it won't support HSPA but I can live without it. More and more places that my friends and I frequent are putting up free WiFi so I feel like in a year's time WiFi will be so abundant that getting LTE devices won't be such a big deal.
---
To each their own.
hey fellows,
out of curiosity, what would you favor between the 2 for this Nexus.. a price drop or LTE?
Price drop because with limited data lte isn't of much use.
Anubis007 said:
hey fellows,
out of curiosity, what would you favor between the 2 for this Nexus.. a price drop or LTE?
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Click to collapse
Definitely LTE, I was ready to jump ship to AT&T but now I don't even know if I'll get this... waiting to see if any good LTE options become available in the next few weeks.
LTE is a dogs breakfast, especially in the US, when {again} it has decided to use different frequencies to most of the rest of the world...
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/29/3569688/why-nexus-4-does-not-have-4g-lte/in/3335719
%#$! lte... it's overpriced / not ready for prime time.
The $299 / 349 price for the N4 is insane and well worth it.
A price drop past the 300/350 mark =0?
yahoowizard said:
A price drop past the 300/350 mark =0?
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i meant the current price drop, the 350$ 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...
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
Long story short, I'm selling my S3 (US Variant) for the Nexus 4 (my first owned nexus device). It supports HSPA+ 42mpbs (AT&T and T-Mobile here in the states) and where I live, LTE in my area is a dream and won't be coming for awhileeee. Sure the cities have LTE and all that, but 90% of the time in my general area it doesn't offer LTE. Would you, personally, sacrifice the use of LTE for the Nexus? If they are aiming to be future proof devices then do you think that they will pull off an LTE version a couple months in the year and I'm stuck with the HSPA+ version? Or do you think Google will wait until its next Nexus to have LTE.
Remember now.. I'm talking about the US VARIANT of the S3, not the quad core INTL version.
iAndropple said:
Long story short, I'm selling my S3 (US Variant) for the Nexus 4 (my first owned nexus device). It supports HSPA+ 42mpbs (AT&T and T-Mobile here in the states) and where I live, LTE in my area is a dream and won't be coming for awhileeee. Sure the cities have LTE and all that, but 90% of the time in my general area it doesn't offer LTE. Would you, personally, sacrifice the use of LTE for the Nexus? If they are aiming to be future proof devices then do you think that they will pull off an LTE version a couple months in the year and I'm stuck with the HSPA+ version? Or do you think Google will wait until its next Nexus to have LTE.
Remember now.. I'm talking about the US VARIANT of the S3, not the quad core INTL version.
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Click to collapse
I live in Germany, so I couldn't care less for LTE on the Nexus 4.
Once Germany has LTE readily available everywhere for a reasonable price, another 2 or 3 Nexus phones will probably have hit the market.
I'm getting the Nexus 4 on day one!
An emphatic NO.
I live in an LTE enabled area but refuse to pay extortionate rates for minimal usage allowances
inside a particular zone, with the phone dropping back to 3G when 4G is unavailable.
Far easier and much less expensive for me to find a free wi-fi hotspot.
No! It's gonna be a while before my area has LTE service anyway. It's by no means a deal breaker. LTE is a huge battery drainer too.
Even though they offer LTE they don't offer unlimited data. So I would easily switch to HSPA+
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
I honestly use WiFi 90% of the time.
My city just launched LTE. I currently have a Samsung Note which gets 1 bar of LTE or 5 bars of HSPA+. I've disabled LTE.
LTE has been more of a pain than anything, in my case.
Why would it be a deal breaker? if your carrier supports HSPA+ 42 you get speeds close to LTE any way. I had the LG Nitro and The SG2 Skyrocket when i visited St.Louis, MO which has LTE and both phones couldn't give me the speed my HTC Amaze does which use HSPA+ 42. IMO LTE will be a joke until carriers start to support VoLTE.
Hmm of course not, t-mobile hspa+ is as fast if not faster than verizon and att LTE ( not everywhere ik) but at least in south florida my note2 and gs3 are faster than my cousins gs3 on att LTE. just my 2 cents
Why is LTE on a phone even considered necessary by some? LTE is faster than my home internet speeds. Like nearly 10 times faster. So, what do people need that speed for on a PHONE? Downloading 1080p DVD's to your 4 inch phone screen to watch? Torrenting the latest Windows 8 release to your phone? I don't get it.
I can see the use if you use your phone as a hotspot 100% of the time and have multiple devices connected to it. But, what % of the population even does this? 1%? And your capped on data anyways....so again what's the point?
FlukerFlakes said:
Why is LTE on a phone even considered necessary by some? LTE is faster than my home internet speeds. Like nearly 10 times faster. So, what do people need that speed for on a PHONE? Downloading 1080p DVD's to your 4 inch phone screen to watch? Torrenting the latest Windows 8 release to your phone? I don't get it.
I can see the use if you use your phone as a hotspot 100% of the time and have multiple devices connected to it. But, what % of the population even does this? 1%? And your capped on data anyways....so again what's the point?
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Click to collapse
I use my phone constantly for work and personal. Anything other than LTE in Pittsburgh has horrible browsing speeds. I tether my tablets through my phone. I DO have unlimited data. Everyone keeps complaining about price but LTE plans are the same price as any other plans.
That being said. I'm still not a fan of VZW and I'll probably get a Nexus 4 and try to find a month-to-month plan to test out for a while. I'm doubting I'll stick with it but who knows.
More than 97% of my data use is over wifi, and I have pretty decent HSPA+42 access averaging 11-13Mbps where I am geographically situated. I'll take longer batter life over faster mobile data speed every time.
itznfb said:
I use my phone constantly for work and personal. Anything other than LTE in Pittsburgh has horrible browsing speeds. I tether my tablets through my phone. I DO have unlimited data. Everyone keeps complaining about price but LTE plans are the same price as any other plans.
That being said. I'm still not a fan of VZW and I'll probably get a Nexus 4 and try to find a month-to-month plan to test out for a while. I'm doubting I'll stick with it but who knows.
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Click to collapse
If I was paying what people pay Verizon then I would expect the best....but I'm switching to Tmobile and gonna spend about 30 dollars a month. And i just need good data speed for occasional browsing and streaming on spotify. LTE just seems like overkill for what most of the population actually needs.
Also, can't justify spending over 3x more money for extensive Verizon LTE when its just not needed (at least for me)
FlukerFlakes said:
If I was paying what people pay Verizon then I would expect the best....but I'm switching to Tmobile and gonna spend about 30 dollars a month. And i just need good data speed for occasional browsing and streaming on spotify. LTE just seems like overkill for what most of the population actually needs.
Also, can't justify spending over 3x more money for extensive Verizon LTE when its just not needed (at least for me)
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Click to collapse
The only plan I've found so far (probably the same one you're talking about) that makes me consider switching is the $30 Web Exclusive. But according to their site it seems to be a limited time thing. If I'm paying $50+ for a plan I'll just stick with my $70 VZW.
itznfb said:
The only plan I've found so far (probably the same one you're talking about) that makes me consider switching is the $30 Web Exclusive. But according to their site it seems to be a limited time thing. If I'm paying $50+ for a plan I'll just stick with my $70 VZW.
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Click to collapse
yeah that's the one im gonna start with.
also might try Slovai (sp?) for 49 a month...unlimited everything with 4GB of HSPA+ speed. plus decrease price if you get others to join
Forgot to mention, I am on AT&T's HSPA+ network, and it only supports 21Mbps
I can confirm that LTE is working on My 4gb/64gb ZenFone 2... I live in Seattle Washington and I've been getting consistent speeds of right around 25-28 MB/s... Not the greatest speeds in the world but far better than the 7-8 MB/s I was getting with my At&t Go Phone SIM... For whatever it's worth to anyone on the fence about buying one, I've had just about every phone worth having, between the EVo 4G and the GS5 and I gotta say "I'm loving my ZenFone 2"!!! If you factor in the $299 price tag, off contract, I have to say... This Bad Boy is Unrivalled!!!
I believe Metro relies on Magneta's LTE bands (2/4/12) because they merged a few years back. You can also unlock certain Metro phones for T-Mobile and vice versa.
"I'd Totally Hug You, If That Was Something I Did"
Update/A few thoughts
So the last few days I had been running my speed tests in the afternoon, mostly because my mornings are so busy and I forget. However, today I made it a point to run a few on off peak hours and in different locations on my 45 min commute to work and I was getting consistent speeds over 35MB/s and as high as 45mb/s! Not to bad :good:
At my office where I was struggling to achieve 2MB/s on my At&t SIM, I got 3 tests of 35MB/s at least on all 3...
So I'd say if you're on Metro PCS in Seattle and you're contemplating the ZenFone 2 US version, buy away. On the flip side if you own the ZenFone 2 and you're contemplating Metro PCS, save yourself some money and enjoy the higher speeds!!! Oh and I bought the $12 case on Amazon with the circular display on the front. Sorry the name of it slips my mind at the moment. It's slightly on the fragile side but I believe is fine if you aren't doing anything to crazy with it but I'd have to say the features that are enacted while it's on are pretty cool to have.
Between that and the knock to wake features, it has truly simplified the menial tasks you do with your phone... Every day I like this phone more and more. My infatuation with rooting and custom roms, while it's still there, has definitely subsided over the past year or so and the way these phones are coming out of the box these days we're getting the performance we were so desperately craving on our Evo's, Galaxy's etc. So while I still love the work these geniuses are doing and I'm still in awe with their talents at times, I can wait a little longer for the development to catch up... I suppose what I'm saying is don't let the lack of development detour you, they'll get around to it, they can't help themselves, you can only push one project so far before you start craving the next one!
APN
nickchambers1977 said:
I can confirm that LTE is working on My 4gb/64gb ZenFone 2... I live in Seattle Washington and I've been getting consistent speeds of right around 25-28 MB/s... Not the greatest speeds in the world but far better than the 7-8 MB/s I was getting with my At&t Go Phone SIM... For whatever it's worth to anyone on the fence about buying one, I've had just about every phone worth having, between the EVo 4G and the GS5 and I gotta say "I'm loving my ZenFone 2"!!! If you factor in the $299 price tag, off contract, I have to say... This Bad Boy is Unrivalled!!!
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Click to collapse
So is your zenfone showing the "4G" symbol or is it showing something else like "LTE"
BrknDub said:
So is your zenfone showing the "4G" symbol or is it showing something else like "LTE"
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As it is an unlocked phone, it will show 4G. To the rest of the world (other than us here in the USA) 4G is LTE. What we consider 4G is actually HSPDA+ (so your signal will show H+).
The phone won't show LTE because 4G is LTE
MetroPCS runs on the T-Mobile network, so any phone that works with T-Mobile, when unlocked, will work on MetroPCS
Excellent signal on metro, much better than this cheap lg phone I bought through them.
This is definitely showing 4G on Metro? I'm contemplating switching from Cricket because the best I can get thus far is H+ yet my GF, who has an identical device to mine except for ROM size, get's 4G all the time. When I saw that Metro has unlimited LTE for the same price as Cricket's 10GB max I figured I might as well try them out.
However I will say this. I'm on Tmobile but have many friends on MetroPCS. It runs on T-mobile but seems to have better policies in terms of usage restrictions but there is still a fine underlying line. If you consecutively pass 15GB month to month they will throttle you and when you call they play the whole "Oh thats strange let me help you with that. Were not throttling you" but magically when its the start of the next month your internet magically works again. So there is still a fine line and you cant go completely native but regardless if you average under 15GB and 8GB on tether a month Metro does offer one of the best deals around atm.
misfitpierce said:
However I will say this. I'm on Tmobile but have many friends on MetroPCS. It runs on T-mobile but seems to have better policies in terms of usage restrictions but there is still a fine underlying line. If you consecutively pass 15GB month to month they will throttle you and when you call they play the whole "Oh thats strange let me help you with that. Were not throttling you" but magically when its the start of the next month your internet magically works again. So there is still a fine line and you cant go completely native but regardless if you average under 15GB and 8GB on tether a month Metro does offer one of the best deals around atm.
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Nice I'll definitely check that out. I hit 10GB often with Cricket now but rarely over that.