Differences between A320F/DS, A320F, A320FL and Usability in the United States? - Galaxy A3, A5, A7, A8, A9 Q&A, Help & Troubleshoot

Hi,
So, I'm interested in getting a cheap 4.7" Android phone to use in the United States and sometimes in Canada. I zeroed in on the Galaxy A3 2017. The model that works best in North America is the A320Y, but so far I've only been able to find it online at some store in New Zealand. Since finding the answer to the question, Will shipping the device from NZ to the United States cost customs fees (and if so, how much)? is a question harder to answer than the question, Where is Jimmy Hoffa?, I've begun considering getting one of the models listed in the title of this thread.
But there's a problem. Those models in the title don't work on US LTE. Actually, according to frequencycheck.com, the A320FL has one LTE band (Cricket/AT&T) and the other models have none of the LTE frequency bands. I wonder if frequencycheck.com is accurate. I'm also wondering if there are other differences between those models. I'm also wondering what happens if I put a Cricket SIM inside these phones. Even though frequencycheck.com says I will get no LTE bands, will putting a Cricket SIM inside suddenly activate an LTE band?
The other question I was wondering: Do I even need LTE if I don't care much about download speed? Maybe HSPA+ or whatever it is will be good enough? If I don't have LTE, will I get less reception indoors or outdoors, or will I get the same exact reception/coverage but just be relegated to 3G/4G/HSPA+ service? What is the benefit of LTE besides data speed?
Finally, which one of these models has the most ROM support? Can they all be bootloader unlocked?
I know I'm asking a whole bunch of questions at the same time. Sorry. I appreciate any help I can get with this!

To answer some:
That website appears to be accurate. Doesn't only list AT&T for a320fl once expanded.
As for SIMs activating bands, I haven't seen it on Samsung, only RRC Release, VoLTE, LTE CAT, maybe individual CA combos. The disabled bands are shown as CAL_DEFAULT vs CAL_PASS. Guess it's like Snapdragon.
HSPA+ vs LTE
The range of 3G/4G is close with the same frequency, but 4G performs better at cell edge (low signal).
Speed (anyway)
Well, 3G is usually given its own spectrum at first, then the 2G is refarmed into 3G. Today, 3G gets refarmed to 4G. This leaves 3G with a small amount of spectrum, it becomes prone to interference. It's bit like multiple tv/fm stations on the same channel number. Other 'tv/fm stations' have to be filtered out by the phone, this lowers the speed. 4G gets some too, along with echoed complex signals, but it gets less.
3G supports up to 5MHz per carrier, 4G up to 20MHz. 3G can have carrier aggregation, so 5+5+maybe 5. Expect up to 2 carriers (not every combo) on 4G, unless a specific SIM is detected in specific phone models. Along with that, 4G can have better spectral efficiency.
If you are going with 3G(HSPA, sometimes called '4G') anyway, you should know that there are these states (usually called fast dormancy) to save power.
DCH = Full speed.
FACH = Up to 32kbps. 4kB/s. Maybe RRC Release downgrade is visible (H+ to H).
PCH = No data.
Anything below is further away from data.
For high performance, keep the speed above 4kB/s, at the cost of battery. LTE has a faster start.
Sometimes, the speed is simply constrained by backhaul, the internet access that goes to the tower.

Thanks. So, to your knowledge, the F and F DS variants shouldn't work on LTE in the United States? I was in a live chat session with someone on Samsung's UK website and she said that the F variant would work on LTE in the United States. I then sent them an email to confirm and they replied with:
As per our resources from our technical review, the following Network is available in our Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) for the US.
Network
Band: Quad
GSM 850: YES
GSM 900: YES
GSM 1800: YES
GSM 1900: YES
UMTS 2100: YES
GPRS: YES
4G: YES
HSDPA: YES
Works in the US: YES
I replied to ask them why frequencycheck.com lists no LTE frequencies in common for the F variant on AT&T. I'm so confused.

sm-a320f / sm-a320f/ds
According to every other (not alternating) source the LTE band 2 and band 5 is supported in the US (and the entire spectrum of these bands). So, it supports some bands. Check if the signal of those bands (for your mobile network operator) are available in your location. Ask again, specifically for band 2 LTE(4G).

Related

OnePlus One Carrier Compatibility

Hey everyone!
I've been looking on the OnePlus forums lately, and lots of people have questions about carrier compatibility with the One. Personally, carrier compatibility is the biggest factor when it comes to buying an unlocked phone, so I decided to make this thread to help guide people with compatibility with their carriers. According to OnePlus's website, the bands that are supported are as follows:
GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz
WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/4/5/8
LTE: Bands: 1/3/4/7/17/38/40
Now, I am going to start with USA compatibility. If anyone else would like me to add compatibility with their carrier, please reply to the thread, and I'll see what I can do. Hopefully, this will benefit all members of the community.
USA
AT&T
2G/EDGE/GPRS : Supported on both 850 and 1900 MHz bands
3G/UMTS/HSPA : Supported on both bands 2 and 5.
LTE : Only supported on bands 4 and 17. Bands 2 and 30 are not supported; however, they are usually only deployed to create extra bandwidth in high capacity areas. Band 17 is AT&T's major LTE band.
MVNOs of AT&T : Straight Talk, Net10, AIO
T-Mobile
2G/EDGE/GPRS : Supported on both 850 and 1900 MHz bands
3G/UMTS/HSPA : Supported on both bands 2 and 4 ("4G" HSPA+)
LTE: Supported on currently deployed Band 4. However, T-Mobile plans to deploy Bands 2 and 12 to extend coverage. So, if you have LTE signal now, you're okay. If you don't, then you most likely never will with the One.
MVNOs of T-Mobile : MetroPCS, Ultra Mobile, Lycamobile, Straight Talk, Net10
Sprint
INCOMPATIBLE
Verizon
INCOMPATIBLE
TELUS Details
TELUS is one of the 9 cellular networks in Canada. TELUS is owned and operated by Koodo Mobility and Telus Mobility
TELUS has an average 3G download speed of 4.3 Mb/s, which is better than the global average of 1.8 Mb/s.
TELUS is a 4G network. 4G is the latest generation of cellular technology, allowing high definition video streaming and crystal clear voice calls. We first recorded TELUS 4G on the 11th of Nov 2011. TELUS has an average 4G download speed of 15 Mb/s, which is than the global average of 8.1 Mb/s.
TELUS uses the UMTS 850 / UMTS 1900 frequency bands for its network
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
How to figure out whether AT&T or T-Mobile would be best for Straighttalk?
UNITED KINGDOM
It'll work fine on:
EE (Bands 3 & 7 supported by OPO)
Partially:
Three (Band 3 supported, Band 20 isn't by OPO. Band 20 people say will be used for rural areas)
No LTE:
O2 and Vodafone (Both use Band 20 which isn't support by OPO)
3G will obviously be fine however.
Sources:
https://forums.oneplus.net/threads/c...clear-up.8034/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...etworks#Europe
dracinn said:
How to figure out whether AT&T or T-Mobile would be best for Straighttalk?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You check the coverage map in your area for each of those providers. The one with better service in your area is the one to go for.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
FuMMoD said:
You check the coverage map in your area for each of those providers. The one with better service in your area is the one to go for.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks AT&T (Straighttalk) for me.
dracinn said:
Thanks AT&T (Straighttalk) for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the cool thing about ST you get the choice of 2 different providers. Glad you were able to figure out the better of the two for your uses. Don't forget to check in areas where you frequently travel to as well.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
http://forums.oneplus.net/threads/carrier-confusion-clear-up.8034/
More carriers and more countries that it's compatible with
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
treChoy said:
T-Mobile
LTE: Supported on currently deployed Band 4. However, T-Mobile plans to deploy Bands 2 and 12 to extend coverage. So, if you have LTE signal now, you're okay. If you don't, then you most likely never will with the One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Samsung Galaxy Light SGH-T399. It works on T-M's current LTE 1700/2100MHz (band 4), but also 700MHz (band 17), which T-M just purchased from Verizon. A few other newer T-M phones are also made to work on this 700Mhz band. It seems that they were planning ahead.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/T-Mo...TE-network-with-spectrum-from-Verizon_id51000
http://www.phonearena.com/news/As-s...can-look-forward-to-faster-4G-service_id55705
The OnePlus One also works on this 700HMz (band 17) frequency.
Good news for those lucky enough to have LTE with T-Mobile. The 700 band penetrates buildings better, so you'll have a better signal inside Wal*Mart or if you live deep inside a large apartment complex.
Planterz said:
I have the Samsung Galaxy Light SGH-T399. It works on T-M's current LTE 1700/2100MHz (band 4), but also 700MHz (band 17), which T-M just purchased from Verizon. A few other newer T-M phones are also made to work on this 700Mhz band. It seems that they were planning ahead.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/T-Mo...TE-network-with-spectrum-from-Verizon_id51000
http://www.phonearena.com/news/As-s...can-look-forward-to-faster-4G-service_id55705
The OnePlus One also works on this 700HMz (band 17) frequency.
Good news for those lucky enough to have LTE with T-Mobile. The 700 band penetrates buildings better, so you'll have a better signal inside Wal*Mart or if you live deep inside a large apartment complex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true. T-Mo will probably use this band to expand coverage, Good catch :good:
However, it should be worth noting that T-Mo plans to cannibalize (AKA "refarm") its EDGE network into LTE. This may sound great; however, this EDGE that they will be converting will be broadcasted on the 1900 MHz spectrum (Band 2 LTE). The OPO will not support Band 2, so OPO users on T-Mo will not be able to take advantage of LTE in many rural areas and markets.
Will the phone work in India? Vodafone is my carrier.
Portugal
2G - Full compatibility with Optimus, TMN and Vodafone
3G - Full compatibility with Optimus, TMN and Vodafone
LTE - Compatibility on 1800MHz and 2600MHz frequencies which should cover big population agglomerates on Optimus, TMN and Vodafone. 800MHz left out, so outside cities (and probably inside buildings and small cities) it will most likely revert to 3G.
treChoy said:
AT&T
LTE : Only supported on bands 4 and 17. Bands 2 and 30 are not supported; however, they are usually only deployed to create extra bandwidth in high capacity areas. Band 17 is AT&T's major LTE band.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Curious, was this written by OnePlus's P.R. team? Because it really downplays what I consider one of the biggest problems with this phone, namely that it is missing half the LTE bands used by AT&T, the biggest OPO-compatible carrier in the U.S.
The argument, "Oh but they're barely deployed", is pretty weak. The fact is the bands ARE deployed, and they're only going to get deployed more because carriers aren't exactly in the business of wasting their valuable licensed spectrum. In high traffic areas where they're in use I assume it would be pretty desirable to have them because the other two bands might be over capacity, or maybe they aren't even operating on the tower you're hitting.
Everyone seems to be brushing this off. I guess it's OK to settle after all?
Italy
2G: full compatibility with TIM;
3G: full compatibility with TIM;
4G: compatibility with TIM only 1800 and 2600 MHz, band 3 and 7.
Jubi Lee said:
Curious, was this written by OnePlus's P.R. team? Because it really downplays what I consider one of the biggest problems with this phone, namely that it is missing half the LTE bands used by AT&T, the biggest OPO-compatible carrier in the U.S.
The argument, "Oh but they're barely deployed", is pretty weak. The fact is the bands ARE deployed, and they're only going to get deployed more because carriers aren't exactly in the business of wasting their valuable licensed spectrum. In high traffic areas where they're in use I assume it would be pretty desirable to have them because the other two bands might be over capacity, or maybe they aren't even operating on the tower you're hitting.
Everyone seems to be brushing this off. I guess it's OK to settle after all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, the lack of proper LTE bands really are a turn-off for this phone. Just look at our friends in Europe, whose widely-deployed LTE Band 20 is not supported. I'm not saying that the LTE bands here on AT&T are optimal, but it's worth pointing out that it could be worse. The fact that the One supports Band 17 should be satisfactory for many users; it's AT&T's low-frequency band, so theoretically, it should cover the most people. The higher frequencies would only make sense being deployed in areas with mass congestion. So in cities, it's fair to assume that you'll get lower-than-average LTE speeds.
Now, it could be worse. Take a look at T-Mo users (like myself). We're pretty much getting screwed over. Band 4 LTE, the band that they're using now, is very high frequency. Building penetration sucks. Coverage and range sucks. Their network currently is weak. The new bands they are deploying will be lower frequency, so they should provide more coverage and reliability. However, of course, the OPO doesn't support them, which is a major blow to T-Mobile USA customers.
But hey, for $300 for an amazingly-spec'd phone, we have to expect that some compromises had to be made.
anuj247 said:
Will the phone work in India? Vodafone is my carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
India
Vodafone
2G/EDGE/GPRS : most likely supported
3G/UMTS : Yes, Band 1 UMTS is utilized by Vodafone India, and it's supported by the One.
4G LTE : not supported by Vodafone
Anyone knows if it will work in Croatia?
chil3r said:
Anyone knows if it will work in Croatia?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any specific carrier?
What about The Netherlands?
Carriers:
Tele2
T-Mobile
KPN
Vodafone
Finland:
All operators (Elisa, Sonera, DNA).
2G 900,1800MHz are both supported
3G 900, 2100MHz are both supported
4G/LTE Channels 3(1800MHz) and 7(2600MHz) are supported. Channel 20(800MHz) is not supported
Lack of support for channel 20 will limit LTE only to densely populated areas.

[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.

[Q] 3G/4G coverage in S California by specific UTMS/HSPA/LTE band

Hello,
I'm looking for intel on 3G/4G coverage in San Diego, Palm Springs and Los Angeles, initially for T-Mobile US, but potentially AT&T as well. My own proposition is that I'm travelling from the UK to Southern California at the end of the month, with my internation Samsung Galaxy S4 Active LTE (i9295). I've started a separate thread asking about whether others have been able to add additional UTMS/HSPA/LTE bands to their i9295 phones here.
In terms of T-Mobile I'm keen to understand whether there's coverage of UTMS/HSPA on band 1 or 2 (2100 or 1900MHz) and/or LTE on band 1 (2100MHz), and whether UTMS/HSPA/LTE band 1 will work without band 4. If SoCal has this coverage, then I may be able to use my phone as-is, having compared band information here:
- http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i9295_galaxy_s4_active-5446.php
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Mobile_US#Radio_frequency_spectrum_chart
In theory, AT&T could also have LTE band 5 coverage (but is this common in cities?) and also UTMS/HSPA on bands 2 and 5 which my phone would already support.
So my question is, whether there is any information out there, whether anecdotal, actual data sets or whatever, which would detail what bands are actually available in these cities?

Lte bands at&t

Is there any way to switch the lte bands. Normally I would dial #*#*4636*#*# but the phone information is saying its not available on this device. Both my nexus 6p and my old note 7 got good signal but this phone is horrible as far as signal strength goes.
McQueefus said:
Is there any way to switch the lte bands. Normally I would dial #*#*4636*#*# but the phone information is saying its not available on this device. Both my nexus 6p and my old note 7 got good signal but this phone is horrible as far as signal strength goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is my question as well. AT&T page for V20 lists LTE bands and band 17 is NOT among them. band 17 is supposedly the main ATT LTE band, which basically means you will only be able to get LTE on V20 on ATT on the backup LTE bands where they are available ...
i'm looking for confirmation that this is true, because who knows - maybe some idiot just forgot to type in number 17 on that info page ...
Notes, iPhones and Pixel all have band 17 ...
obviously i won't be getting iPhone and i can't get the Note. i didn't really want to get the Pixel because i feel like it's overpriced ...
but if what you're saying about V20 getting bad signal is true then Pixel may be the only choice ...
i started having my suspicions about V20 when i heard it won't be coming out in UK, which i thought was very odd ... but apparently one difference between Snapdragon 821 in Pixel and 820 in V20 is that 821 has more LTE bands, which would make it better both for ATT and better as a global phone for travel ...
again, i'm looking for confirmation that this is true.
HELP ???
McQueefus said:
Is there any way to switch the lte bands. Normally I would dial #*#*4636*#*# but the phone information is saying its not available on this device. Both my nexus 6p and my old note 7 got good signal but this phone is horrible as far as signal strength goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're talking about being able to choose specific LTE bands, I do that on my Tmobile handset using this dial code (use at your own risk)
*#546368#*918# - for AT&T you need to use 910 or 915 depending on your model # (not sure why AT&T has 2 different model #'s)
So it would be
*#546368#*910# or *#546368#*915#
Then
Go to Field Test
Modem Settings
LTE Band Selection
Choose band
To revert back to auto scanning
Go to Field Test
Modem Settings
Network Mode
Automatic
nest75068 said:
Go to Field Test
Modem Settings
LTE Band Selection
Choose band
To revert back to auto scanning
Go to Field Test
Modem Settings
Network Mode
Automatic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 910 doesn't have those options under modem settings.
g1981c said:
this is my question as well. AT&T page for V20 lists LTE bands and band 17 is NOT among them. band 17 is supposedly the main ATT LTE band, which basically means you will only be able to get LTE on V20 on ATT on the backup LTE bands where they are available ...
i'm looking for confirmation that this is true, because who knows - maybe some idiot just forgot to type in number 17 on that info page ...
Notes, iPhones and Pixel all have band 17 ...
obviously i won't be getting iPhone and i can't get the Note. i didn't really want to get the Pixel because i feel like it's overpriced ...
but if what you're saying about V20 getting bad signal is true then Pixel may be the only choice ...
i started having my suspicions about V20 when i heard it won't be coming out in UK, which i thought was very odd ... but apparently one difference between Snapdragon 821 in Pixel and 820 in V20 is that 821 has more LTE bands, which would make it better both for ATT and better as a global phone for travel ...
again, i'm looking for confirmation that this is true.
HELP ???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THAT IS NOT THE DIFFERENCE. Modem and CPU part of the SOC are totally different things. The pixel is and unlocked and more likely to support more bands as unlocked phones tend to be more globally friendly. Chances are that certain bands are on there but T-Mobile has it disabled or LG. T-Mobile is usually more bands friendly but not always, as the HTC M8 was seriously gimped in the LTE bands, didn't even support T-Mobile's band 12. I would look at the unlocked version of the V20 to decipher more info.
And you're welcome for the undeserved thanks. Your comment made no sense. Qualcomm modems for certain phones are usually about 2-5 different sets depending on markets a phone will serve. It is usually 2 or 3 when the phone is released worldwide basically and every carrier and market will have certain bands disabled for whatever reason. It also rare for developers to enable them as it takes specialized hardware or knowledge of the software. Another factor is if the antenna for certain bands are even in the phone. No antenna for a band then no firmware will ever be able to enable it, much less some hijinks tweaking.
@rbiter said:
THAT IS NOT THE DIFFERENCE. Modem and CPU part of the SOC are totally different things. The pixel is and unlocked and more likely to support more bands as unlocked phones tend to be more globally friendly. Chances are that certain bands are on there but T-Mobile has it disabled or LG. T-Mobile is usually more bands friendly but not always, as the HTC M8 was seriously gimped in the LTE bands, didn't even support T-Mobile's band 12. I would look at the unlocked version of the V20 to decipher more info.
And you're welcome for the undeserved thanks. Your comment made no sense. Qualcomm modems for certain phones are usually about 2-5 different sets depending on markets a phone will serve. It is usually 2 or 3 when the phone is released worldwide basically and every carrier and market will have certain bands disabled for whatever reason. It also rare for developers to enable them as it takes specialized hardware or knowledge of the software. Another factor is if the antenna for certain bands are even in the phone. No antenna for a band then no firmware will ever be able to enable it, much less some hijinks tweaking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK i followed your advice and looked up Unlocked V20. i'm not allowed to post links yet but from bhphotovideo page the unlocked US version has LTE bands: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25 which includes the band 17 ...
while the ATT page lists LTE bands: 1, 2 ,3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 20, 29, and 30 which does NOT include band 17 ...
now the question is, assuming that information is correct, why on earth would ATT chose the version of a phone that doesn't have the main ATT band ?
is there any way to find out whether the above information is accurate ?
as an ATT subscriber, would there be any advantage / disadvantage for getting unlocked phone from B&H versus ATT branded phone from ATT ?
should i try to contact some sort of ATT technical support to try and get an answer ?
EDIT:
according to article titled "LG V20 Model Numbers (F800, H910, H918, H990 DS Dual, H990N Dual, H990T, LS997, US996, VS995) Differences" from techwalls dot com the ATT version has bands: 1,2,3,4,5,7,12,17,20,30 which again has the band 17. it has same number of bands but compared to information on ATT page it subtracts band 29 and adds band 17 ...
frankly, this makes far more sense than ATT page info, but for 800 bucks i need to know for sure ...
EDIT:
according to frequencycheck website the ATT version of V20 ( H910 / H915 ) supports all ( 8 out of 8 ) bands used by ATT, all 4 LTE bands as well as both GSM and both UMTS bands used by ATT.
according to LG's own website H910 has: 2/4/5/12/29/30, Roaming 1/3/7/20, and CA ... which is the same was what ATT lists except for "CA" ...
Band 12 replaces band 17
The way I understand it, band 12 and band 17 covers the same frequency range. At&t has achieved (they were forced by FCC) interoperability between band 12 and 17 now. So band 17 is essentially obsolete and only useful if you are on the at&t network. If you have band 12 capability on your phone, you can use any 700mhz at&t tower that formerly may have only supported band 17. Now all those towers support both bands. And you can use smaller carrier towers too if you have band 12 capability.

XT1644 Greece GSM Bands?

I have an XT1644 and I am going to Greece in September. My carrier (cricket wireless) is able to add international calling and data for a low-cost fee for the time I am over there. My question is, will my phone work on the bands within Greece or will I need to get a new phone for the time I am over there and then switch back? I couldn't find any answers on this while looking on the forums.
and Moto g4 plus on the frequency check website looks like it would work without a problem on 2/3 bands. Is this true?
Based on my phone specs listed and the bands from the link above It seems it will work but I do not want to be stranded without data when I get over there. :fingers-crossed:
From what I can tell, your XT1644 should work in Greece Your device has support for LTE 3 and 7 (1800 MHz, 2600 MHz) though is missing LTE band 20 (800 MHz) as you've noted. Seems that most carriers have support for bands 3 and 7 so it looks like you'll get LTE (hopefully a nice signal in the region you're in). A useful website for seeing which carriers will play nice with your device is: http://willmyphonework.net/
Seems that most of the 4G/LTE operators (e.g. Cosmote, Frog, Vodafone and Wind) there have decent coverage of Greece (from their coverage maps).
Well it looks like I read the agreement wrong for Cricket. It is from the US to that country. My phone will work but I will have to get a temporary card from Greece in order for it to work. Any suggestions on that one?
Get a local SIM card like Vodafone. They constantly have deals for new customers, offers for higher data. I think it is something like 20 Euros.
Lack of band 20 is not important, Vodafone in EU have a strong H/H+ (3G) network usually in the rural areas (where LTE 20 might be deployed) and the G4 Plus has all the needed bands for that.
PS: I am returning from Romania now, where with Vodafone and equivalent of $20, by playing with the offers, I had 44GB of data for my vacation. Plus 900 phone minutes with US. In Romania, the 3G speeds where around 19/5 Mbps, on 4G (they don't display LTE) I had speess up to 66/22Mbps.

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