Database Users

US T-Mobile's 3G freq vs the rest of the world?

Anyone getting the T-Mobile version tomorrow? With CDMA not SIM capable, and AT&T version still up in the air, I think I'm probably going to get one tomorrow!
I've got question regarding T-Mobile's werid 3G band tho. I think Samsung listed T-Mobile's version as AWS 1700/2100. I know 1700 is weird, but is that AWS 2100 same as the 2100 band that the rest of the world use? Sorry it's my first 3G T-mobile device, and looking on wiki or google is just kinda vague

2100MHz is the band used all across Europe as well as large parts of Asia.
So, yes, the T-Mobile one should give you 3G capability in other parts of the world, though if it's locked that may open up other issues.

Step666 said:
2100MHz is the band used all across Europe as well as large parts of Asia.
So, yes, the T-Mobile one should give you 3G capability in other parts of the world, though if it's locked that may open up other issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a TMo US G1, and it worked fine on 3G when I returned to the UK. The converse was not true of my TMo UK G2 (HTC Hero), which would only get Edge in the US because it did not support both bands of AWS (1700/2100).
So, I see no reason why a TMo US shouldn't work pretty much everywhere else in the world where 2100 3G is ubiquitous.
Regards,
Dave

Cool thanks, i guess that AWS threw me off. I thought there were a regular 2100, and then T-Mobile's AWS 2100

Step666 said:
2100MHz is the band used all across Europe as well as large parts of Asia.
So, yes, the T-Mobile one should give you 3G capability in other parts of the world, though if it's locked that may open up other issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually you're a bit off. Tmo's 3G runs on AWS 1700/2100 band which is not the same 2100 *frequency* as the rest of the world. Tmo uses 1700 for downloads and 2100 for uploads, so both bands (aws/band IV) are needed.
Now Europe (and rest of GSM world) use straight 2100 band for 3G but the exact frequency is not the same as Tmo's.
Basically a Tmo Galaxy Tab will only get you EDGE outside of the US. An ATT Galaxy Tab will get you 3G in the US and the rest of the world (as long as it's sim unlocked, ofcourse).

LordLugard said:
Basically a Tmo Galaxy Tab will only get you EDGE outside of the US. An ATT Galaxy Tab will get you 3G in the US and the rest of the world (as long as it's sim unlocked, ofcourse).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the T-mobile phones give you also 3G in Europe. All AWS chipsets do both Band I (2100) and Band IV (AWS 1700/2100).

I thought the galaxy tab is quad band, so you can simply swap your sim card with another european carrier and it should work on thier frequency
Am I wrong?

ahbvrh said:
I thought the galaxy tab is quad band, so you can simply swap your sim card with another european carrier and it should work on thier frequency
Am I wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right for 2G, not for 3G

So getting the unlock code for tmobile device and putting AT&T sim card will not give me 3g connectivity (using AT&T network)?

ahbvrh said:
So getting the unlock code for tmobile device and putting AT&T sim card will not give me 3g connectivity (using AT&T network)?
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Click to collapse
No, because it doesn't support the 850 or 1900 MHz bands.

Volker1 said:
No, the T-mobile phones give you also 3G in Europe. All AWS chipsets do both Band I (2100) and Band IV (AWS 1700/2100).
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Click to collapse
It will not. Pls do some more reading on the subject. There's a very good writeup on it in these forum. Someone explained it better than I've probably done. If I find it I'll link to it.

LordLugard said:
It will not. Pls do some more reading on the subject.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One could say the same to you.
This is a link to T-Mobile US's support forum, in which someone has had it confirmed from T-Mobile themselves that all devices designed for their network have to be fully compatible with the 2100MHz band, meaning they will give you 3G capabilities in Europe.
Your previous post in which you claim that the 2100MHz band that T-Mobile use is not the same as the 2100MHz band the rest of the world uses is nothing short of ridiculous.
If the band T-Mobile used was different to the one used in the rest of the world, it would not be described as 2100MHz.

LordLugard said:
It will not. Pls do some more reading on the subject. There's a very good writeup on it in these forum. Someone explained it better than I've probably done. If I find it I'll link to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but as I already said earlier in this thread, my T-Mobile US G1, which is an AWS device, worked perfectly well in the UK with full 3G. Similarly, I know of people who bought TMo Nexus Ones in the US, and these all worked fine in the UK.
That's not to say there isn't some subtle difference which not all chipsets can cater for, but it is certainly true that many TMo US handsets will give 3G capabilities in Europe.
Regards,
Dave

The normal UMTS 2100 is called "Band I" and t-mobile's AWS is called "Band IV":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
The AWS 3G module has already 2100MHz support, so there is no additional hardware necessary to support Band I as well. Theoretically it could be disabled, of course, but then T-mobile wouldn't be able to charge you an arm and a leg if you were to roam outside of the US

[Q] On which US carriers will the SGSII work?

Hi guys,
I picked up an SGSII from Expansys and it runs no problem on Fido up in Canada. I'm taking a trip down to the US next month and was wondering which of the big carriers in the states would run the SGSII. I figure AT&T would, but as the phone is quad-band, I'm not 100% sure if there are other national carriers that would do the trick.
Thanks!
FK

fusionknight said:
Hi guys,
I picked up an SGSII from Expansys and it runs no problem on Fido up in Canada. I'm taking a trip down to the US next month and was wondering which of the big carriers in the states would run the SGSII. I figure AT&T would, but as the phone is quad-band, I'm not 100% sure if there are other national carriers that would do the trick.
Thanks!
FK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of the major US carriers, it will work on ATT and T-Mobile. It will only get 3g on AT&T as the SGS2 doesn't support TMO's 3g bands.

Hmm. I'm a little confused. The wikipedia page for T-Mobile says that their 3G bands are 2100MHz and 1700MHz. The SGSII apparently has 2100MHz as one of the accepted frequencies (again according to wiki). How come 3G won't work on T-Mobile?
Presumably, the phone won't work on Verizon because, while the frequencies match, Verizon is running on CDMA and the SGSII only supports GSM. Right?
Thanks again!

fusionknight said:
Hmm. I'm a little confused. The wikipedia page for T-Mobile says that their 3G bands are 2100MHz and 1700MHz. The SGSII apparently has 2100MHz as one of the accepted frequencies (again according to wiki). How come 3G won't work on T-Mobile?
Presumably, the phone won't work on Verizon because, while the frequencies match, Verizon is running on CDMA and the SGSII only supports GSM. Right?
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mo US needs 1700 and 2100, not just 2100. Att uses 850 or 1900. 3G won't work on T-Mo

No matter what it says on paper, there's a couple of people here that have tried the phone on T-Mobile U.S and get EDGE speed downloads.

Good stuff. Thanks for the help guys.

Unlock Galaxy S4

Hey guys. Have a chance to take GS4 but is there any info how to unlock it to use on TMobile?
DOes it have AWS bands for supporting TMobile HSPA?

escknx said:
Hey guys. Have a chance to take GS4 but is there any info how to unlock it to use on TMobile?
DOes it have AWS bands for supporting TMobile HSPA?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why just not get T-Mobile's version?

MattMJB0188 said:
Why just not get T-Mobile's version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great idea but there are no TMo offers yet. They plan to put it in their stores around 8-15 May. So if there is no chance to unlock ATT one I'll wait for TMo.

I'd wait. With the AT&T version you'll only get 850mhz/1900mhz HSPA, whereas the LTE would work fine. You'd definitely want AWS HSPA+ if your on T-Mobile. Their 1900mhz refarming is very spotty and not matured.

MattMJB0188 said:
I'd wait. With the AT&T version you'll only get 850mhz/1900mhz HSPA, whereas the LTE would work fine. You'd definitely want AWS HSPA+ if your on T-Mobile. Their 1900mhz refarming is very spotty and not matured.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes anyway I need HSPA+. I use ATT Note2 that supports it. But it is unknows if ATT GS4 supports it as well.

You should definitely wait. Or if you're buying outright full price, just get the international I9505.

Well thanks i9505 is too expensive
1-2 more weeks not a big deal then

If you live in Queens there are some T-Mobile stores launching the fone on the 1st... Actually only 3 stores in Queens launching on the 1st.

It does not support the AWS 1700 band, so wait for the TMobile version. The hardware is not there.

The ATT S3 and Note 2 did not support AWS HSPA out of the box, but a quick tweak using the Qualcomm software fixed this.
Perhaps the same fix applies to the new chipset in the S4?

WorldIRC said:
The ATT S3 and Note 2 did not support AWS HSPA out of the box, but a quick tweak using the Qualcomm software fixed this.
Perhaps the same fix applies to the new chipset in the S4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On Note 2 AWS HSPA can be enabled through service menu so I've made. Do not know about GS3..

Tmobile or ATT version S4
Will T-mobile S4, which I am sure will come as locked, work on ATT network (3G/4G/LTE) once unlocked? It appears that ATT version lacks Tmobile's 1700 band for 3G/4G. But does Tmobile version S4 comes with 1700/1900/2100 plus LTE band that works at both carriers provided that it is unlocked? If not is there an S4 unlocked version that can be purchased so that it works at both carrier's 3G/4G/LTE?

superiorbeefjerkey said:
Will T-mobile S4, which I am sure will come as locked, work on ATT network (3G/4G/LTE) once unlocked? It appears that ATT version lacks Tmobile's 1700 band for 3G/4G. But does Tmobile version S4 comes with 1700/1900/2100 plus LTE band that works at both carriers provided that it is unlocked? If not is there an S4 unlocked version that can be purchased so that it works at both carrier's 3G/4G/LTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4g lte shoukd work straight out of the box since tmobile uses the same lte band as at&t. and im pretty positive hspa should work too cause you dont need 3 bands all time. I have tmobile note 2 on att and i have all 2g hspa and lte.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

plznote said:
It does not support the AWS 1700 band, so wait for the TMobile version. The hardware is not there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you please provide a source for this? I've been looking but can't find any confirmation. I was thinking both phones would have the same hardware (cheaper to manufacture) but the modem firmware would simply disable some bands on the AT&T model.

plznote said:
It does not support the AWS 1700 band, so wait for the TMobile version. The hardware is not there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Turns out the hardware is identical on both the AT&T and the T-Mobile models. More info on this post. Cross-referencing posts to avoid duplicating info, and in case someone is interested.

what about unlocking the phone(t-mobile version)? anything available besides buying the code?

noob question
WorldIRC said:
The ATT S3 and Note 2 did not support AWS HSPA out of the box, but a quick tweak using the Qualcomm software fixed this.
Perhaps the same fix applies to the new chipset in the S4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi there, what QUALCOMM software would this be? sorry for the noob question

[Q] International Note 3 on T-Mobile

Hello there!
I reside in the UAE and recently bought a Note 3 4G LTE SM-9005 (Snapdragon Variant).
I will be moving to Chicago, USA and wanted to know if I will be able to use the 4G. I see that T-Mobile supports 2100MHz, 1900MHz, 1700MHz and 850MHz. The international Note 3, the one which I have supports 800MHz, 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz and 2600MHz. Seeing that I support one band, will 4G work on T-Mobile? Also, will 3G work? And if so, will the dual 3G work where I get 2 streams of 21MBPS?
If not on T-Mobile, will any other carriers work?
Thanks in advanced, Zain.
PS. I have read other forms but seem to get two answers, some say it will work and some say it won't. Just wanted some clarification.

zainmobhani said:
Hello there!
I reside in the UAE and recently bought a Note 3 4G LTE SM-9005 (Snapdragon Variant).
I will be moving to Chicago, USA and wanted to know if I will be able to use the 4G. I see that T-Mobile supports 2100MHz, 1900MHz, 1700MHz and 850MHz. The international Note 3, the one which I have supports 800MHz, 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz and 2600MHz. Seeing that I support one band, will 4G work on T-Mobile? Also, will 3G work? And if so, will the dual 3G work where I get 2 streams of 21MBPS?
If not on T-Mobile, will any other carriers work?
Thanks in advanced, Zain.
PS. I have read other forms but seem to get two answers, some say it will work and some say it won't. Just wanted some clarification.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use my SM-N900W8 in Hong Kong and it is nearly, if not exactly alike as the SM-N900T. I can say that even in HK I get 4 - 5 bars of LTE, and worst case scenario I get 3 bars of 3G/H+
I also used an N9105 - Note II LTE, with the exact same bands as the SM-N9005 (the one you have), but the problem was that I couldn't get enough bars as my N900W8 did. The phone got really hot when it searched for reception (as it was usually at 2-3 bars), whilst at the same spot, I would get 4-5 on my N900W8. So to answer your question, yes, they should work, except your reception would be lower than an American banded phone.

zainmobhani said:
Hello there!
I reside in the UAE and recently bought a Note 3 4G LTE SM-9005 (Snapdragon Variant).
I will be moving to Chicago, USA and wanted to know if I will be able to use the 4G. I see that T-Mobile supports 2100MHz, 1900MHz, 1700MHz and 850MHz. The international Note 3, the one which I have supports 800MHz, 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz and 2600MHz. Seeing that I support one band, will 4G work on T-Mobile? Also, will 3G work? And if so, will the dual 3G work where I get 2 streams of 21MBPS?
If not on T-Mobile, will any other carriers work?
Thanks in advanced, Zain.
PS. I have read other forms but seem to get two answers, some say it will work and some say it won't. Just wanted some clarification.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Snapdragon is not the International version, your title is confusing. International version is Exynos and has no US LTE.

Neo3D said:
Snapdragon is not the International version, your title is confusing. International version is Exynos and has no US LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, international is N9005, Snapdragon.
The Exynos edition is only being sold in select areas. Most people here use Snapdragon as it is easier to get, but most N900s are found in India. Hong Kong would only sell international phones, unlocked, and they are all N9005.
Regardless. If you have the 9005, you have the Snapdragon, and it should come with LTE, but may not contain the right bands for the US as Neo said above.

zainmobhani said:
Hello there!
I reside in the UAE and recently bought a Note 3 4G LTE SM-9005 (Snapdragon Variant).
I will be moving to Chicago, USA and wanted to know if I will be able to use the 4G. I see that T-Mobile supports 2100MHz, 1900MHz, 1700MHz and 850MHz. The international Note 3, the one which I have supports 800MHz, 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz and 2600MHz.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Region doesn't matter in fact I got my device from France, but had Hong Kong firmware on it. Later to get KitKat I flashed Poland firmware.
as for the bands T mobile mainly uses 1700MHz so you won't get LTE doesn't matter if you change the APN, I tried. You will get HSPA+ which isn't horrible, its enough to watch HQ YouTube videos.
idk about ATT though when I looked it up I remembered it being able to, but now that I look at doesn't look like it can...

[Q] Using my Galaxy S5 G900F in Canada?

Hi all, I'm wondering if I may trouble you with a quick question.
I recently bought a Galaxy S5 (Galaxy S5 G900F) in the hopes to have it future proof as I move to Canada next year and would like to have a solid phone for about two - three years. I'm based in Ireland at the moment and wondering can the phone be used in Canada without issue?
I was looking at a phone company (Koodo) who offer great rates and once I inputted my IMEI it stated my phone wouldn't work on their network.
Surely the S5 would work on any network throughout the globe? Last year my Note 3 worked perfectly in America and it was an international edition also.
Is this a hardware issue (radios) or software (were a simple flash of a different rom could fix)?
Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Regards

gbyrne2011 said:
Surely the S5 would work on any network throughout the globe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, let me ask you this question. If the S5 should work around the world.. why does Samsung have a dozen S5 variants?
Figured it out yet? Ironically the hardware is capable of supporting all GSM and LTE bands world wide. But Samsung endeavors to sell their phones for higher prices in more affluent countries. And carriers don't want to make it easy for you to jump ship and sign your phone up to another network. So they have artificial restrictions in the firmware and other measures e.g. region locking, SIM locks, to limit what you can do. They have to allow enough compatibility that you could usually roam when traveling. But not complete compatibility or you might buy a cheaper S5 from another country. Or change carriers willy nilly.
Yup, great system.
And so it is for your phone. It will work most of the time in Canada. But it isn't 100% compatible and you may find that it can't operate on the necessary bands in fringe areas or for niche carriers.
Most of the bands are the same between the S5 900F (yours) and the S5 900W8 (Canada)
The differences, I believe are:
2G: same for both
3G: Most bands are the same. But you have B8(900) in place of Canadian band B4(1700 aka AWS)
4G: Most bands are the same. But you have B5(850), B20(800) instead of Canadian bands B4(1700 aka AWS), B17(700)
In the case of Fido, their site says:
Fido said:
Things to Know
Your device must be compatible with the Fido network, which uses GSM, UMTS, HSPA and HSPA+ at 850 MHz and 1900 MHz and LTE at 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz. If you are unsure of how to check the frequencies your device supports, try the manufacturer's official website and search for the specifications for your particular phone/smartphone model;
If your device is currently locked, it needs to be unlocked by the carrier you bought it from;
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It appears to me that your phone supports all of the Fido bands. And most, but not all of the bands on other Canadian carriers. I don't believe that your phone will work at all on niche carriers Wind or Mobilicity.
.

fffft said:
Okay, let me ask you this question. If the S5 should work around the world.. why does Samsung have a dozen S5 variants?
Figured it out yet? Ironically the hardware is capable of supporting all GSM and LTE bands world wide. But Samsung endeavors to sell their phones for higher prices in more affluent countries. And carriers don't want to make it easy for you to jump ship and sign your phone up to another network. So they have artificial restrictions in the firmware and other measures e.g. region locking, SIM locks, to limit what you can do. They have to allow enough compatibility that you could usually roam when traveling. But not complete compatibility or you might buy a cheaper S5 from another country. Or change carriers willy nilly.
Yup, great system.
And so it is for your phone. It will work most of the time in Canada. But it isn't 100% compatible and you may find that it can't operate on the necessary bands in fringe areas or for niche carriers.
Most of the bands are the same between the S5 900F (yours) and the S5 900W8 (Canada)
The differences, I believe are:
2G: same for both
3G: Most bands are the same. But you have B8(900) in place of Canadian band B4(1700 aka AWS)
4G: Most bands are the same. But you have B5(850), B20(800) instead of Canadian bands B4(1700 aka AWS), B17(700)
In the case of Fido, their site says:
It appears to me that your phone supports all of the Fido bands. And most, but not all of the bands on other Canadian carriers. I don't believe that your phone will work at all on niche carriers Wind or Mobilicity.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your reply. I figured it would be something to do with the radio.. Will check the bands for the network Koodoo, if it falls in ok and I can find a firmware to flash which hopefully should do the trick. Hell I might even just sell before I go, make it easier.
Cheers

gbyrne2011 said:
Will check the bands for the network Koodoo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Koodo is a secondary brand of Telus.
They use 3G 850 CLR/1900 PCS
And 4G /LTE 1700/2100 (and possibly 700 in the future)
You are missing their 1700 LTE band, sometimes referred to as AWS. So you will have to find out how extensively they use that band and whether it is a sole frequency in any areas.
.

fffft said:
Koodo is a secondary brand of Telus.
They use 3G 850 CLR/1900 PCS
And 4G /LTE 1700/2100 (and possibly 700 in the future)
You are missing their 1700 LTE band, sometimes referred to as AWS. So you will have to find out how extensively they use that band and whether it is a sole frequency in any areas.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much for all your help fffft, it's much appreciated.