Database Users

Anyone in USA really concerned about losing 3G?

Like many of us I've been salivating at the prospect of the HD's large screen and, having decided that as good as my Touch Pro keyboard is, I don't use it enough to hold out for an HD with a keyboard (if there is even one in the roadmap). But..... I'm still smarting at not having 3G on my Touch Pro (and I know our XDA-Developers team may yet lick that limitation) so I'm seriously questioning whether I should go for the HD knowing it may never have 3G capability in the USA. Anyone else share this concern?

My need for 3G is about 10% of its total use...and my Edge network isn't exactly a snails pace. My Raphael is the best phone I've ever had, and I truly enjoy the ability to customize it. I am jumping ship and getting the HD without second thought. If the Elite team cracks the 3G...that's just the icing on the perfect raphael cake I have.

th1nm1nt said:
My need for 3G is about 10% of its total use...and my Edge network isn't exactly a snails pace. My Raphael is the best phone I've ever had, and I truly enjoy the ability to customize it. I am jumping ship and getting the HD without second thought. If the Elite team cracks the 3G...that's just the icing on the perfect raphael cake I have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like we'll be here together too then th1nm1nt! Although I'll keep the Pro for a while once I have the HD just in case......
.

I share
yeah, ummm, no 3G coverage here, don't care, lol. your 10%, well I am about 1%, just when I travel and can't hardly tell a difference anyway. Two things: Either the HTC rep that gave us bad news about the arrival of Blackstone in US is not telling the truth or doesn't know the truth to tell it. OR..... HTC really has the wrong idea about consumers in the US. Surely they realize that we want the device because of the many other improvements that it brings. The improvements in performance and the killer screen does it for me. I have owned PDA phone after PDA phone starting with the old Verizon xv6600, which by the way has a large screen compared to kaiser and many others and I know a breakthrough when I see one. If they really don't plan to release this device, then they had better be working on a 3G version with or without a sliding keyboard that runs windows mobile 7. If their really going to skip around generations and stuff, that wm7 device better arrive on time and on par with the iPhone in refinement and usability. They should make a device that people don't really need to cook ROMs to be satisfied with. Do it right the first time, don't take backwards steps, don't take baby steps either. Turn one foot directly in front of the other, in full force and confidence; the smart way. I want it now!

brucewilsonpa said:
Like many of us I've been salivating at the prospect of the HD's large screen and, having decided that as good as my Touch Pro keyboard is, I don't use it enough to hold out for an HD with a keyboard (if there is even one in the roadmap). But..... I'm still smarting at not having 3G on my Touch Pro (and I know our XDA-Developers team may yet lick that limitation) so I'm seriously questioning whether I should go for the HD knowing it may never have 3G capability in the USA. Anyone else share this concern?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think maybe its hidden and we can unlock it(if i get it, ill try to unlock the usa 3g) and if not maybe i can get ahold of a prototype with usa 3g. if not then oh well. ill keep it and sell it once they make one with usa 3g. i say if ur really worried then wait.......

I go all over the USA daily while driving my truck, and I've noticed that I get the big [H] in every 3G area I come to, so 3G is very important for me, but I'm still going to retire my Polaris when the HD comes out. I'll just hope and pray daily that someone figures out how to give us 3G...

Doesnt matter to me.
Only time I use it is if I accidentally update my weather application.

JesseW said:
I go all over the USA daily while driving my truck, and I've noticed that I get the big [H] in every 3G area I come to, so 3G is very important for me, but I'm still going to retire my Polaris when the HD comes out. I'll just hope and pray daily that someone figures out how to give us 3G...
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Click to collapse
We finally got 3G here when I live in Millsboro Delaware. After installing Solace I to get the Big H now. I was either dumb or confussed. LOL However after the good people on here explained that H is better then 3G I was delighted. Not sure why. Called ATT said it was a little better, well faster and was fine for me to use with my unlimited plan.
Solace 1.5 is so smooth I just can't believe that I'd think of getting or replacing my Tilt. I think I finally found the phone for me.
Beachboyde/Jon

I switched from the Tytn 2 over to the Diamond not too long ago. I gave up 3G for slimmer form factor. I barely notice the difference. Maybe occasionally when I use YouTube or Opera, I wish I had a faster connection, but my day to day use of corporate push email is unaffected.
I would like to see the XDA pros open up 3G on these phones, but I feel the features are worth living with EDGE.
...but then again, I've been tempted to pick up a Slingbox lately too. Not sure I'd trust Slingplayer running on E.

Blob8me said:
Looks like we'll be here together too then th1nm1nt! Although I'll keep the Pro for a while once I have the HD just in case......
.
Click to expand...
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So does that mean I'm no longer the stalker...but now you are?

T-mobile USA has 1700 Mhz and 2100 MHz frequencies for 3G support.
This is what I got from their website
--------------------------------------------------------------------
What frequency does your 3G network support?
Our 3G network supports both the 1700MHz and 2100MHz frequencies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
So... I'll try 3G there once I get mine....

3G or no 3G
I have a Touch Diamond with no 3G (edge only) and one with 3G. (the big H) .
To me, not a big enough difference to worry about. The Edge connection is actually fast enough for me. May a half sec. difference in connection to web pages. Im getting the Touch HD. Besides most of the time I'm on wifi anyway. No big deal

So what exactly determines if we can get 3G in the US? Is it the radio? I have never quite understood this part.

bartimeus said:
So what exactly determines if we can get 3G in the US? Is it the radio? I have never quite understood this part.
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Click to collapse
Not determined yet. The Elite team in the Raphael ROM forum does admit there is different hardware. They have connected to the US 3G, but don't think it is stable. They haven't finalized their research as of yet, but sure some more information will be coming shortly.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=420586

ok so it is hardware inside the phone that differs between US and EU 3G?
So if the bands on the specs page of the phone list US bands then it should be good to go?
Not trying to hyjack the thread I am just curious.

i will be getting an HD and droppign the touch pro... i think

bartimeus said:
So what exactly determines if we can get 3G in the US? Is it the radio? I have never quite understood this part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far sas i heard. its the onboard chip that does the differents. HTC said that on some of the old phones, where it got hacked and worked with 3G, hardware was there but not activated. thats why the people here could get it to work. But HTC stated that this is not the case in the HD. THey said that the HD can not be hacked to work with 3G, as it is not possible hardware wise for the HD to recieve 3g signals on the USA network

i believe i said this already once but its more of a matter of just the antennas and if they can recieve the usa 3g bands or not. the actual chipset i know can use the bands its a matter or just enabling them.

I thought the 3g put a 3g icon not the big h? Thats how it shows on my friends tilt. Me i have not had 3g ever since i have used at&t lol cause i had the wizard and now the wing. Does 3g affect call performance or just data, if so i could care less about 3g then. Although i would rather no pay the premium price on the hd buying from europe

AT&T has HSUPA but you have to activate it in the settings.

No 3G in the USA with the HD?!

Hey guys looking into purchasing an HD. Was reading this review, http://pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=1111&p=4 , and it says that there is no 3G available for the USA. It's in the last paragraph named PURCHASING and it's also under the CONS section.
Is this true?

Unfortunately, NO USA 3G is correct...only EDGE. For more info, there are already a number of threads about this.

galaxys said:
Unfortunately, NO USA 3G is correct...only EDGE. For more info, there are already a number of threads about this.
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Click to collapse
Tried doing a search, but didn't find anything. I guess I wasn't using the right keywords.
Are there any developments with this? Like is there going to be a later version with 3g capability?
Because of this, I'm going to have to look for another phone.

No further developments or announcements yet...maybe after the New Year we'll hear something.
Here's one of the threads: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=450670

you should be fine with edge. enough to push email and light browsing. 3g just means more battery drainage imo. plus the pricy data package. I mean if your really need 3g, I'd rather get it for a notebook, then you would have full potential. Most of the locations have wifi now a days so hopefully 3g won't be your downfall on not getting the phone.

EkS said:
Hey guys looking into purchasing an HD. Was reading this review, http://pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=1111&p=4 , and it says that there is no 3G available for the USA. It's in the last paragraph named PURCHASING and it's also under the CONS section.
Is this true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true but I've been using mine on AT&T's edge network and performance is not bad... there is wifi at both home and work so in those enviroments really fast... 3G would be nice but at the end of the day not a real deal breaker -- for me at least

I agree, Edge is also fine with me and worth it just to have all the other functionality of this great device!

galaxys said:
I agree, Edge is also fine with me and worth it just to have all the other functionality of this great device!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does one need a 3G (fast) network in order to have GPS or mapping capabilities in the US?
I'm seriously thinking about getting this phone, but I really won't be able to use it to its full extent until April, 2009. I'm currently in the middle east and will be moving back to the states next year.

galaxys said:
No further developments or announcements yet...maybe after the New Year we'll hear something.
Here's one of the threads: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=450670
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you!
Cheeze[iT] said:
you should be fine with edge. enough to push email and light browsing. 3g just means more battery drainage imo. plus the pricy data package. I mean if your really need 3g, I'd rather get it for a notebook, then you would have full potential. Most of the locations have wifi now a days so hopefully 3g won't be your downfall on not getting the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
galaxys said:
I agree, Edge is also fine with me and worth it just to have all the other functionality of this great device!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I won't be getting it because there is no 3G. I use it to tether with my notebook when nothing else is available, and most of the time I have 3G service. I do pay for the expensive data plan. I thought I had found my next phone, but I guess not.

Another US user on the AT&T network here. I, too, "downgraded" from a 3G phone. I haven't regretted it.
I did a couple of speed test comparisons between my old phone on 3G and the Touch HD on EDGE. I found that the bandwidth test results showed my 3G phone to have around four times the bandwidth that the Touch HD has on EDGE.
However, the real difference is much less than that suggests. For most online activities, unless you're dealing with the download of large files, most of the time is spent during connection overheads and latencies. In practice, I find that the difference in speed is less than a factor of two. That is easily worth the additional capabilities of the Touch HD.
ModernMuseum said:
Does one need a 3G (fast) network in order to have GPS or mapping capabilities in the US?
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Click to collapse
No.
Even the Google Maps location feature based on cell-tower triangulations works fine on the Touch HD in the US using the EDGE network (at least here in the San Francisco Bay Area).

guney said:
Another US user on the AT&T network here. I, too, "downgraded" from a 3G phone. I haven't regretted it.
I did a couple of speed test comparisons between my old phone on 3G and the Touch HD on EDGE. I found that the bandwidth test results showed my 3G phone to have around four times the bandwidth that the Touch HD has on EDGE.
However, the real difference is much less than that suggests. For most online activities, unless you're dealing with the download of large files, most of the time is spent during connection overheads and latencies. In practice, I find that the difference in speed is less than a factor of two. That is easily worth the additional capabilities of the Touch HD.
No.
Even the Google Maps location feature based on cell-tower triangulations works fine on the Touch HD in the US using the EDGE network (at least here in the San Francisco Bay Area).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
One more noob question: does a (an expensive) data plan usually have to be purchased to activate google maps? I'd probably only be using google maps and light browsing on my phone. Approx how much would I be looking at concerning monthly cost?

Yes, you'll need a data plan for google maps as each map has to be downloaded for each new GPS location. The "all you can drink" data plan for AT&T is about $30 a month.
I actually miss the 3G on my Kaiser and its a bit embarassing trying to show an iPhone user something web related on your HD at Edge speed.

Incredible - Is it worth it?

Hey guys,
I have kind of a unique situation...
I do a lot of International travel for work - as such I currently have a VzW TP2. About a week ago the screen "shattered" (beneath the surface - phone still works fine). Looking at VzWs International Phones, I am disgusted by my options...
They can get me a replacement TP2, but then I will be locked into 2 years (work policy) with an already out-dated hardware phone (love the phone - but even with the Overclock now...a 3mp camera w/o flash...etc...it is out-dated). Of course they offered me an Imagio and or the LG Fathom. None of these phones make me excited about having it for 2 more years.
I really want either an Incredible or an X (too bad they arent International)...I was sort of leaning toward the Incredible since I like HTC and from what I understand they use the same battery...so just assuming the Incredibles battery life is better? Plus the X doesnt have a flash does it?
Anyway... to my question.
What I was thinking about doing - was getting an Incredible or an X - using that Domestically and then before I travel, de-program it (*228 ???) and program my cracked up TP2 and use that overseas, and when I come back de-program the TP2 and re-program the Incredible/X.
I travel about 1-3 weeks per trip, and usually about 6-8 trips per year.
The crappy part is I use my TP2 to watch movies on the plane from time to time...so if I use the cracked TP2 when traveling...I will be watching movies on a busted up screen...which sounds crappy but I REALLY want an Incredible or an X.
So - those of you that have the Incredible - and hopefully some of you were former TP2 users - would the above scenario be worth it to you? Or would you just get a replacement TP2 (my current TP2 is OC'ed stable at 729mhz - runs very smooth, but was never happy with the camera. only way to get a "decent" picture is to take the cover off before you take the picture) ???
The other option I may have is switching to AT&T and getting the Captivate...but not a huge fan of going to AT&T.
Sorry for the long post - looking forward to hear what you all have to say.

Sounds like a pretty good plan, sorry about ur broke screen. couldn't u use incredible on the plane though? Airplane mode with WiFi on?
Is for activating and deactivating I couldn't tell u, sorry.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

tcberg2010 said:
Sounds like a pretty good plan, sorry about ur broke screen. couldn't u use incredible on the plane though? Airplane mode with WiFi on?
Is for activating and deactivating I couldn't tell u, sorry.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i could - just dont really care to have to carry 2 phones around =)
i travel pretty light (one to the big things i loved about getting my tp2 - stopped taking a phone, camera, ipod and went to just the TP2).
VzWs International phone selection is horrible right now...(not that it was ever great).

I personally love the DInc. I came from the samsung intensity(lol) to lg dare, to droid eris, to the DInc.
such a great phone you wont be dissappointed

I came from a Touch Pro 2 same as you, I loved my TP2. As far as an International phone It's pretty hard to beat.
That being said, aside from the International aspect there is no comparison.
It did take me a while to get used to not having a keyboard but the benefits of the Incredible make it well worth it.
Get the Incredibe, you won't regret it.
Also, you might look into getting a replacement screen for your TP2.
gadget!
Sent from my ADR6300

ditto on coming from the TP2
The incredible is a definite upgrade. but if you have time to wait for a new phone........ wait
Samsung Galaxy S (Verizon will call it Samsung Fascinate)
will possibly be available next month for 200 with contract. Better GPU, Process, Screen Size, Screen Quailty, Battery life..

theoneownz said:
ditto on coming from the TP2
The incredible is a definite upgrade. but if you have time to wait for a new phone........ wait
Samsung Galaxy S (Verizon will call it Samsung Fascinate)
will possibly be available next month for 200 with contract. Better GPU, Process, Screen Size, Screen Quailty, Battery life..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you know if it will be a global phone ???
from what i have found looks like no (CDMA only) ???

You could also pick up a used storm or tp2 for a few bucks and get the dinc for day to day. Tp2 would probably be a better choice since the batteries are interchangable. Seen them all over cl for cheap.
sent from a DInc

CDMA actually has a pretty fair international penetration. The GSM folks would have you believe that you can barely travel outside the USA and still use CDMA. Nothing could be further from the truth, and GSM is no panacea either. It has the same differing frequency issues as CDMA does.
Here's an interactive map of CDMA areas worldwide so you can check if where you tend to travel has CDMA coverage. http://www.cdg.org/worldwide/index.asp
You can also check with Verizon to see what countries they have CDMA roaming capability in.
If there is CDMA in the area you travel, get the Incredible.
Update: VZW has a very inexpensive dual CDMA/GSM phone, the Escapade, that is well reviewed. It isn't fancy, but it will keep you in touch.
http://shop.verizonwireless.com/?id...dorid=ONLINEMEDIA&index.html&cid=BAC-prodrsch
http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phones...8.html?tag=rb_content;contentMain#reviewPage1

Just curious... why do u not want the fathom? Its running a snapdragon 1GHz processor - I have one and I love it, everything runs really smoothly.
Not trying to start a debate or anything... like I siad - I'm just curious.

da_reeseboy said:
Just curious... why do u not want the fathom? Its running a snapdragon 1GHz processor - I have one and I love it, everything runs really smoothly.
Not trying to start a debate or anything... like I siad - I'm just curious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3.2MP camera, maybe it is better than the 3.2MP camera on the TP2 - but I dont want to bother. I'd like a GOOD camera and would prefer a flash if possible...

timehunter said:
CDMA actually has a pretty fair international penetration. The GSM folks would have you believe that you can barely travel outside the USA and still use CDMA. Nothing could be further from the truth, and GSM is no panacea either. It has the same differing frequency issues as CDMA does.
Here's an interactive map of CDMA areas worldwide so you can check if where you tend to travel has CDMA coverage. http://www.cdg.org/worldwide/index.asp
You can also check with Verizon to see what countries they have CDMA roaming capability in.
If there is CDMA in the area you travel, get the Incredible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the website. looks like some of the areas i travel are OK but my most frequent (Europe) has very limited if any CDMA capability.
anyone know if it is possible to do the de-program, program using *228 w/ 2 phones ???

nayr1482 said:
3.2MP camera, maybe it is better than the 3.2MP camera on the TP2 - but I dont want to bother. I'd like a GOOD camera and would prefer a flash if possible...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That makes sense... Thanks for the reply.

help picking the right 3G watch for me please.

So I was almost ready to buy the Gear S AT&T (refurb) for $145 off e-bay, then decided to check out XDA and been looking at different watches for the past few hours and am kinda lost.
I'm looking for a watch that has a fairly large face (6 feet tall, & like bigger watches) 2G/3G capable, Bluetooth, long battery life, easy to buy charging cradle separately, waterproof (not gonna shower with it or anything, but needs to be able to wear it when washing hands & in the rain & stuff), I'd need an app to push missed calls & SMS's to my android devices & preferably Chrome extension somehow for notification under windows 10 ( I currently use pushbullet & LOVE it).
I currently live in the USA, I have 2 sim cards, metro pcs + international sim that roams on AT&T towers (no data, just use it for calls & SMS). I'll be using the international sim in the watch for the occasional call + sms, instead of finding the right phone that supports dual sim + mSD card (F u samsung S7 edge, but I read there's a hack; oh well).
Thank you.

Via PM
zolo111 said:
I've been doing nothing but reading tons of forum posts, but can't seem to find what I'm looking for; could you please read my thread and help me out?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/smartwatch/other-smartwatches/help-picking-3g-watch-please-t3329759
Every smart watch I read about doesn't seem to support 3G 1900Mhz for AT&T.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Proper 1900mhz 3G support is rare. Most smartwatch makers don't even bother to support it. Reading your requirements in your thread limits your choice to something like a 3 year old Omate TrueSmart U.S. version and not much else as you want features that would require it run Android.

Thank for the info, I have to have 2 sim cards (international sim that roams on AT&T towers+ metro pcs), so I thought I could buy a 3G sim capable watch, this way I can buy a single sim phone. I guess I'll continue researching for a proper dual sim phone.

I'm on my 2nd cheap Chinese watch, and still looking.
I want a phonewatch, it doesn't have to be smart, just able to do phone calls, notifications, and stream audio, without being tethered to a smartphone. Apparently that's asking too much, because all I can find that meet those needs, are Chinese watches. They look ok on paper: providing maximum flexibility by running full Android. The problem is poor execution.
My first watch stopped working when water splashed on it when I was washing my hands. Learning my lesson, I replaced it with one that claimed water resistance. It has wcdma 850/2100 so its missing 1900 which means data is very slow in my area. When streaming audio, it overheats. And it cannot get through the whole day the way I use it: as a standalone device, handling all phone calls and messages.
The only Chinese watch I've found so far with all the 3G frequencies used on AT&T (I haven't found any with T-Mobile's 1700+2100) is the Doogee S1. Its just been released and I haven't found any reviews online that weren't from the manufacturer.
The Gear S and S2 are not quite standalone devices, but they are the closest to it that any major manufacturer designing for US networks, has come thus far. I think the Omate TrueSmart has wcdma 1900 or 2100 but lacks 850. The LG Urbane 2 seemed promising, but was pulled from the market. I've seen write-ups on soon to be released watches, so maybe 2016 will be the year...

afblangley said:
.....The LG Urbane 2 seemed promising, but was pulled from the market. I've seen write-ups on soon to be released watches, so maybe 2016 will be the year...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you haven't already seen, the LG Urbane 2 is taking pre-orders from AT&T and Verizon and will hit the market next week. Full price is $360 on AT&T and $499 on Verizon.
Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using XDA Free mobile app

mward1995 said:
If you haven't already seen, the LG Urbane 2 is taking pre-orders from AT&T and Verizon and will hit the market next week. Full price is $360 on AT&T and $499 on Verizon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm waiting to hear reports on it. The first edition of the 2nd Edition had a major flaw: bluetooth headsets didn't work with phone calls. I hope they've fixed that. If so, it (or the Doogee S1) may be my next watch.

afblangley said:
I'm waiting to hear reports on it. The first edition of the 2nd Edition had a major flaw: bluetooth headsets didn't work with phone calls. I hope they've fixed that. If so, it (or the Doogee S1) may be my next watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the original release and you are correct, I can't make calls through the headset. However, I believe this is an Android Wear 1.4 issue and not a watch issue. https://support.google.com/androidwear/answer/6321349?hl=en
I know 1.4 has been released for other watches now. Has anyone confirmed use of a headset to make calls? I know "calls over bluetooth" posts can get confused because the watch is paired over bluetooth but I haven't specifically seen anyone mention calls using a headset.
Bluetooth does work great for music and I use the audio feedback option in the settings to have texts dictated to me when I'm running.

mward1995 said:
I know 1.4 has been released for other watches now. Has anyone confirmed use of a headset to make calls?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nobody wants to be limited to speakerphone only. If it's an OS issue, Google needs to fix it ASAP. There are no other Android Wear watches to test this. The U2 is the only one that uses a SIM, so it has a phone number to make/receive calls from. All the other watches are bluetooth tethered to a smartphone.

Yeah I agree. I'm hoping they do fix it soon. I would definitely be more inclined to make calls with it if I could use the headset. For now, I can still use it as an emergency phone when I leave the phone behind. Maybe the new release will have an updated AW version, hopefully.

Hey mward, besides calls and texts, what other functions of the LG can be operated standalone (ie. with smartphone off)? For example, can it stream audio (ie. Pandora, podcasts)?

afblangley said:
Hey mward, besides calls and texts, what other functions of the LG can be operated standalone (ie. with smartphone off)? For example, can it stream audio (ie. Pandora, podcasts)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't found an app that installs on AW that will allow streaming in standalone. I haven't searched too hard though. I used Wear Media to transfer 1 GB of music to the watch so I'm usually listening to my music or transferred podcasts through Wear Media when I'm running and the phone is in the car. My phone is always on though so I am always paired through cell data to receive notifications/texts from my phone. My main use when away from the phone is tracking runs with GPS, listening to music through BT, responding to texts paired through cell. It's also my emergency phone, but I don't make too many calls with it. I have 'web browser for Android Wear' installed so I can browse the web in standalone if needed.

Thanks!
I'm trying to move some activities currently handled by my smartphone to a smartwatch. Ideally, all phone calls, notifications, and audio streaming. Basically, I want the watch to be my primary phone, with capabilities comparable to a feature phone. Then my smartphone becomes a secondary phone and doesn't always have to be with me.

Thanks for tips, but I ended up ordering the Contixo Smart Watch W3 from amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Contixo-W3-An...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00
It's advertised as HSPA 850/1900/2100 capable, but turned out it's just a K8 watch. I figured that Amazon won't let me down if I wanted to return it. This watch supports 850/2100 3G only, no 1900 (based on K8 specs).
fun to play with (my first watch). I changed the settings so it connects to HSPA only, and it seems to work fine under 850Mhz ( I live in S. Jersey). Don't need DATA, just voice calls a few times a week.
But I'd prefer a larger screen though, +2" would be better.
The Doogee S1 screen has less resolution (240X240), but supports 850/1900, would I really need 1900 for voice calls only? Can't seem to find any detailed map that shows AT&T 3G coverage, which area covered by which band, or are all towers have both 850 & 1900?
The LG urbane 2 LTE has even a smaller screen.
Why does it have to be so hard!

1G (GSM) = Plain old voice and texting
2G and 3G (EDGE and HPSA)= Data (can be as fast as 7-15Mbps on HSPA)

So if I only want to use my sim card for phone calls/ SMS only, what bands/ tech do I need on AT&T network (Roaming)?
What you're saying is that I shouldn't be worried about 2G networks shutting down by the end of the year?

zolo111 said:
So if I only want to use my sim card for phone calls/ SMS only, what bands/ tech do I need on AT&T network (Roaming)?
What you're saying is that I shouldn't be worried about 2G networks shutting down by the end of the year?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T would have a better idea about the voice text bands, but you should be good.
As long as you have 850 and 1900 support on the watch, the 2G shut down shouldn't be an issue. That will give you voice/text and data when you need it.

Yep, it's a K8, albeit overpriced. I have one, which I referred to in post #5.
No one has confirmed that the Doggee S1 has UMTS 1900 band. This is needed for voice or data on T-Mobile's network and in some places for AT&T. The only map delineated by band that I could find was last updated in 2008:
http://www.cellularmaps.com/att_850_1900.shtml
Your described usage is not very demanding, the LG U2 is capable of handling those tasks, and should deliver a quality user experience. The only question is whether that's worth $360 to you. The Samsung Gear S (older but still sold by AT&T) would also work and is $200. Another option is to stick with a cheap watch for now and look for a replacement later this year.
Based on my disappointing experience with cheap Chinese watches and the belief that better watches coming out in the next few months, I wouldn't pay more than $100 for any off brand watch at this time.

Thanks fo the info, I ended up returning the watch to the amazon seller; seeing that the LG U2 has a smaller screen, I don't think I'll like that + the high price, agh.
I guess I'll wait and see what will be released in the next few months.

Is there a way to make the v20 5G compatible?

Didn't know if it had the necessary Hardware and might be possible with a new SIM card.

No.

Lol

Thought I read somewhere that the V20 won't be exactly compatible with 5G, but will get a slight speed boost when in 5G markets. Thoughts?

baldybill said:
Thought I read somewhere that the V20 won't be exactly compatible with 5G, but will get a slight speed boost when in 5G markets. Thoughts?
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The only way if you are still using v20 when 5g fully rolls out is when majority of lte users move onto 5g. Thereby freeing up bandwidth space for the now legacy lte for you to use so it will be faster.

joaovictorsouza said:
Lol
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Fantastic contribution

darkknight200 said:
The only way if you are still using v20 when 5g fully rolls out is when majority of lte users move onto 5g. Thereby freeing up bandwidth space for the now legacy lte for you to use so it will be faster.
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Most insightful comment I have read in a while.
That is exactly what happened when they rolled out LTE. I stayed on HSPA+ and got great speeds because everyone else was jumping on the LTE bandwagon.
Once LTE was fully deployed, and you couldn't buy a phone anymore without LTE support, things were much better -- 120mbits average for the area I am in.
Once T-Mobile fully deploys band 71 (600Mhz) with 5g, then I will bite the bullet and buy the least sucky flagship phone that is available and supports it (I think I will have my V20s for many years yet )
-- Brian

runningnak3d said:
Most insightful comment I have read in a while.
That is exactly what happened when they rolled out LTE. I stayed on HSPA+ and got great speeds because everyone else was jumping on the LTE bandwagon.
Once LTE was fully deployed, and you couldn't buy a phone anymore without LTE support, things were much better -- 120mbits average for the area I am in.
Once T-Mobile fully deploys band 71 (600Mhz) with 5g, then I will bite the bullet and buy the least sucky flagship phone that is available and supports it (I think I will have my V20s for many years yet )
-- Brian
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I like to hear that! . Still Loving my v20 also. Guess I am a little bit old school and like the Legacy device

runningnak3d said:
Once T-Mobile fully deploys band 71 (600Mhz) with 5g, then I will bite the bullet and buy the least sucky flagship phone that is available and supports it (I think I will have my V20s for many years yet )
-- Brian
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This is mainly what I'm waiting on for a new phone. My next phone I would definitely want that band to have as future proofing but since I'm in a rather low populated part, I don't think I will be seeing this band on a tower in my area for quite a few years at least.

Thanks for the replies and information everybody. Hope you're all having an awesome weekend. Or soon-to-be weekend that is

It is not possible as the radio inside the phone would need to be changed. So 5g compatibility is something on the hardware level that needs to be available not something able to be turned on with software.
Unfortunately the v20 seems as if it will be the last phone to have removable battery everyone has since moved to the glass laminate design apple uses.

mirrin said:
It is not possible as the radio inside the phone would need to be changed. So 5g compatibility is something on the hardware level that needs to be available not something able to be turned on with software.
Unfortunately the v20 seems as if it will be the last phone to have removable battery everyone has since moved to the glass laminate design apple uses.
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I am hoping that when 5G fully rolls out that a manufacturer releases one more smartphone with a removable battery. As long as the specs are ok, and by ok I mean a minimum of 4 GB of RAM and a 4K (or greater) display resolution and of course Micro SD card support then it would be up for my consideration.
I recently purchased a brand new LG V20 H918 (the Unlocked T-Mobile variant) phone. The very first purchase that I did was getting the PowerBear extended battery on Amazon, with the 2 day prime shipping that's what I got much sooner than the actual phone since the phone I also got it brand new but on Ebay since there it was significantly cheaper ($150) compared to any price I was seeing for a new phone for any variant on Amazon, you could only get a "renewed" (another way of Amazon saying "refurbished" I guess) for the same price I got my new phone on Ebay. (I guess the price inflation could be another way of Amazon getting back their 5% cash back they pay their Amazon Chase Visa card holders).
The V20 replaces my Samsung Galaxy S5 that also had an extended battery (the iPossible battery) and then it dropped onto a hard porcelain floor facing down, and while the screen didn't crack, it started zooming and unzooming erratically at random times and it would only reset back to normal if I power off the screen and turn it back on. Faced with having to purchase a new LCD screen and having to do the repair something that I know how to do since I have done it many times to other users I took the opportunity to search for a newer phone with a removable battery since I didn't have the time to dedicate to perform this repair with my super busy schedule, replacing an LCD screen off any smartphone is a tedious task, I just didn't wanted to bother this time. So after 3 days of hard research I finally discovered that the LG V20 is the latest smartphone to actually support a removable battery and then my next research turned on to determine what variant should I exactly go for: I had many options, I could have gone with Sprint's variant (the LS995) the Verizon's variant (VS995) or the T-Mobile's variant (H918). The Sprint's unlocked variant seemed very promising, being compatible with most networks here in the USA, except that it didn't support one of T-Mobile newer LTE Band 66 but other than that it supported every LTE band the Galaxy S5 supported and I guess it could have been a great compromise giving me the future option to go with Sprint or any of their MVNO's, except that when I checked if that phone was rootable I was dissapointed to hear that if my phone came with a certain firmware version or greater then it was unrootable and there has been more than 1 year without a method being discovered yet, um I need to be able to root, certain producttivity apps that I use depends on rooting, including the use of Titanium backup that allows me to import all of my Google Authenticator keys that aren't backed up in any other ways. Next to my list: the verizon's variant: it was a good choice except it didn't support all of Sprint's LTE bands which would mean a spotty Sprint coverage shall I go with Sprint in the future, and no Band 12 support for T-mobile either, that automatically was a no-go. At the end, I just went with the T-Mobile's unlocked variant and T-Mobile is my actual carrier too. In my area I used to get 25 Mbps speed test on my old Galaxy S5 phone that lacked Band 66 support, on this new phone with B66 support I got 100 Mbps. I got surprised when I saw that speed and I was only able to get that speed after I changed the Access Point Name from the default IPv6 only configuration into IPv4 only, under IPv6 I only got 35 Mbps don't exactly know why IPv4 outperformed IPv6 by a factor greater than 3 but those were my results here in the city of New York.
Overall, I am very happy with this phone. Its a super fast performing phone for a phone that was introduced in 2016 and by the looks of it, this phone can continue being relevant for many years to come.
Once again, I really hope to see another phone with removable battery being introduced somewhere in the future that actually supports 5G.

kaluna00 said:
Didn't know if it had the necessary Hardware and might be possible with a new SIM card.
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this is a fuzzy answer and not one many would tackle due to the efforts gained. the V20 series can NOT handle the data (think volume) rates of 5G , BUT...
i have no doubts the physical device would work on a 5G network. 5G is a VERY short wave, but the V20 is unique because the antennas are easy access with room to spare. ( top/bottom cases)
so with time , a 30,000.00$ -S2-test set- network analyzer, YES its quite simple. but no matter what is done, the core of the device is only capable of the original design for MAX 4G speeds (100-300megs/sec?) PLUS i cant say how the device would hold up to the MAX rates 100% of the time. would be a cool experiment, but this is far out for a 2016 spec phone. T-mobile network would be the best bet for easy tune, but again, how will hardware handle
i wouldn't know where to start for the software side, but tuning an antenna isn't too bad.

Speeds are often be more down to what your network provider is capable of giving you rather than your fones capability.
3G working at full speed as advertised can be absolutely fine for streaming video.
4G+ is more than good enough for me, not all the time but most of the time. Don't care less I don't have 5g on my V20, my fave fone ever.

kaluna00 said:
Didn't know if it had the necessary Hardware and might be possible with a new SIM card.
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No, as that would require changes on the SoC level and I don't think any of us have the hardware or qualifications to do stuff like that.