I lost my WCDMA band after flashing the Ginger Clone Final R2... Somebody help... ...
1. Flight mode ON
2. Remove your SIM card
3. After you get the message "SIM card removed", *#2263#
4. Option 4
5. Option 8
6. Menu, END
7. Insert back your SIM card
8. Flight mode OFF
Krzysiek_CK said:
1. Flight mode ON
2. Remove your SIM card
3. After you get the message "SIM card removed", *#2263#
4. Option 4
5. Option 8
6. Menu, END
7. Insert back your SIM card
8. Flight mode OFF
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.. but it not work... Cannot see 3G Signal after turn on WCDMA only...
What phone? Captivate or Vibrant? What network? AT&T or TMO?
The vibrant cannot do 3g on the AT&T network, and 850 is an AT&T band.
Sent from my Ideos S7 using XDA App
fosormic said:
What phone? Captivate or Vibrant? What network? AT&T or TMO?
The vibrant cannot do 3g on the AT&T network, and 850 is an AT&T band.
Sent from my Ideos S7 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My phone's Vibrant, i'm from Viet Nam... I cannot use 3G since i'd flashed the JL4 ROM.
That 850 3g band is an ATT network which vibrant cannot use.
i have a vibrant... and am using it with att... and have had the issue of getting 3g, then going out of range to edge and not getting the 3g back unless i reboot the phone. so is this why? this phone is not compatible with att? im in puerto rico, att essentially bought centennial here and i guess uses their network...
??????
i obviously messed around with the unlocking, and im pretty sure i screwed something up - it's my first time doing these things on a cell phone - but its unlocked, i just wondered if its doing this thing because of the /efs folder and all the things i did to it lol
serialteg said:
i have a vibrant... and am using it with att... and have had the issue of getting 3g, then going out of range to edge and not getting the 3g back unless i reboot the phone. so is this why? this phone is not compatible with att? im in puerto rico, att essentially bought centennial here and i guess uses their network...
??????
i obviously messed around with the unlocking, and im pretty sure i screwed something up - it's my first time doing these things on a cell phone - but its unlocked, i just wondered if its doing this thing because of the /efs folder and all the things i did to it lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no way a Vibrant gets the AT&T 3G bands. Even if they share the 2100 3G band, the implementations are incompatible. The Vibrant cannot work 3G on 850, not here or anywhere else.
EDIT: See my post below. Seems I was wrong and the Vibrant can use AT&T's 3g. Awaiting confirmation from any user who has AT&T and an unlocked vibrant, then I'll update this post again.
I read it is compatible with the 850 2g att network.
Fear the beard...
I seem to get 3g with my Vibrant pretty consistently on AT&T. The download speeds I get aren't possible on 2g or 2.5g as far as i know.
HOLY CRAP!!!
jayprime said:
I read it is compatible with the 850 2g att network.
Fear the beard...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed. All "multiband" GSM are. They will run up to Edge.
zharptitza said:
I seem to get 3g with my Vibrant pretty consistently on AT&T. The download speeds I get aren't possible on 2g or 2.5g as far as i know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pls post speedtest.net results.
**********************************************
OK this seems to be "the" bomb
**********************************************
NOW. Having said that, I may have to swallow my words, and although I am still in a state of disbelief, here are the facts.
I just did some research in order to finish this discussion with conclusive evidence, and ran into a major surprise. There is a menu that allows the user to "enable" or "disable" bands. I managed to enable the 850 band in WCDMA (AT&T 3G) but my phone is locked so I cannot test it. However, the "enable" setting remained after reboot. Someone mentioned that it reverts to disabled after reflashing.
Here is the process (Got it from this thread: http://goo.gl/Sx7JA, all credit goes to reuthermonkey there, I just copy and paste).
Here are his instructions to get to that menu, and where I enabled 850 WCDMA:
1. on the key pad, type *#*#197328640#*#*
2. Select [1] Debug Screen
3. Select [8] Phone control
4. Select [7] Network control
5. Select [2] Network Selection
6. Select [4] Combi Bands []
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note: To go back on the menu use the menu key and then select Back. Do NOT use the back key.
His (see HIS screenshot I "borrow" from that forum) phone matches my phone: http://goo.gl/rBi4j
This menu (Network Selection, step 5 above) is used to enable bands. Bands can be disabled only selecting something else. I.E. If I select GSM bands, the 3G are disabled; if I select 3G bands the GSM bands are disabled. If I go to the Combi bands menu, I can enable whichever I want.
All I did was select (touch) the WCDMA line which did not have a * (see the screenshot) and confirm in the following screen, then going back (remember Menu-->Back, not back key) it became selected. Exited the menu, rebooted, came back and that AT&T band is still selected. Is it WCDMA 850 enabled???? Need to test but tried to force my phone into roaming to AT&T and it complained that my SIM did not authorize roaming there (lol). Someone else with an unlocked Vibrant and an any WCDMA 850 (AT&T) SIM must try.
Now, as a proof of concept, I decided to disable the TMO 3G bands by selecting GSM BAND -> GSM ALL and then just enabling 850 WCDMA. This effectively disabled all 3G bands. After doing that went back to Combi Bands and confirmed that all GSM bands were enabled and none of the 3g bands were. After that, enabled the 850 band leaving the TMO bands disabled.
Once I did that, I backed all the way to the root menu and then selected EXIT.
Behold!
No reboot necessary, my phone is now on TMO Edge and cannot select 3g. Disabling the bands worked!!!! I confirmed it going to the INFO screen (*#*#4636#*#* --> Phone info) and indeed is connecting only on edge.
So, based on the test I performed, I assume that in the same way I disabled the TMO bands, I successfully enabled the WCDMA 850 (AT&T) band. Someone with an unlocked vibrant and ATT or similar service (OP) can test and confirm.The setting survived a power-off and power-on cycle. After all this messing around I was able to successfully enable my 3G bands and all is good and dandy.
I still cannot believe it, but seems completely true. Please DO test and report.
I don't know what bands my Vibrant is using but I get 3G on ATT network in California, USA.
Yeah, I know it seems odd to hear it, but it has worked for me. Problem I have is at work I can only get about 1 meg down and 1 up. I also get weird behavior with speed test sometimes where it just freezes on the upload. Here's history, it varies by where I'm at, but you can see form the icon that those are over wireless, not wifi.
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You are correct: Vibrant on 3G on AT&T
Well, after all the research I did yesterday indeed I take back my words that Vibrant cannot do 3G in AT&T. I decided to unlock mine and borrow a friend's AT&T SIM. Pictures below.
When I turned the phone on, all bands, including WCDMA 850 were enabled but the phone went to Edge. Then I disabled all and left only WCDMA 850 band and still went to edge, even though GSM 850 was explicitly disabled. However, if I enable only WCDMA 1900, it went straight to 3G. The SIM provided the APN info so it all worked. I didn't try to enable both or enabling all others combinations, had to give the SIM back.
So, maybe thats why some people who indeed have 3G on AT&T are having issues. AT&T uses the 850 band as "overflow" (for 3G that is), so maybe if you are in an area with no coverage, or where the main band, 1900 is saturated, the cell sends the phone to 850 and based in my 5 minute testing, it won't go WCDMA on 850.
Thanks all for following and giving feedback and putting up with my long rants. I just think it is fantastic that we have a phone that can do 3G on both operators.
|OP|: Using the instructions above, were you able to get your 850 band, and for that matter 3G in your operator?
Related
I just rooted and unlocked mine via instructions here. I am getting an "E" icon, does that mean edge? How do I get 3G to work like people are claiming. I am outside of Orlando with a VERY reliable 3G connection normally.
It won't give you 3g on att lol. Tmobile uses different bands and vibrant does not support att 3g bands, just edge. You should have gotten the captivate, which is made to work on att 3g. It's just a given, almost every phone is like that. You can take most att phones, unlock them to work on Tmobile, but will only get edge, same thing with Tmobile phones. Can't be done...
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
afive720 said:
It won't give you 3g on att lol. Tmobile uses different bands and vibrant does not support att 3g bands, just edge. You should have gotten the captivate, which is made to work on att 3g. It's just a given, almost every phone is like that. You can take most att phones, unlock them to work on Tmobile, but will only get edge, same thing with Tmobile phones. Can't be done...
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently it supports AT&T 3G bands
Source:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/22/confirmed-galaxy-s-unlock-codes-are-stored-in-your-phone-vibra/
Now the question is if the vibrant has both 850mhz and 1900mhz 3g bands.
I was wondering a similar thing. I saw that T-mobile roams on AT&T's networks a lot during a recent road trip, so do you think you can get 3g data speeds over those networks without the need for an ATT sim card?
Just debating whether or not to try to unlock it.
This is really odd - have not seen a device do this before but Engadget generally doesn't lie.
So basically it works on AT&T's 1900mhz based 3G network. In a lot of areas, it could actually work with an ATT SIM once unlocked.
I'm going to give this a try a bit later and will report back how it goes in my area. I know AT&T has both 850 and 1900 based 3G here.
I just took the fam out for icecream and picked up a 3G signal, but back at home on Edge...bah...
Yeah, their 1900mhz isn't as abundant as their 850mhz signal.
The best 'half-band' solutions typically involve a device that supports 850mhz but not 1900mhz, like the HD2 T9193 or HD T8285 both of which get 3G in *many* AT&T areas
Hi peeps,
My research on various forums so far suggests to me that there seems to be contradicting reports whether or not the Vibrant works on AT&T 3G.
I'm planning on importing this phone and use it with an HSPA 850 MHz network in my country, but I'm still skeptical about reception capability of this particular phone. Some reports indicated that the phone works with HSPA 850 while others confirmed that it only works with 1900 MHz band on AT&T.
Therefore, can anybody please confirm if this phone, once unlocked, actually works with HSPA 850. Thanks in advance for any help you might offer.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
The phone definitely does not work with 850MHz.
I have a 850-only phone (HD T8285) as well as this Vibrant (1900 only) in front of me.
I just tested an AT&T SIM in both.
The T8285 gets excellent reception here, around 81dbm.
The vibrant on the other hand gets very spotty reception, ranging from 97dbm to around 110.
If the vibrant worked on 850, it would be getting similar reception. Instead it drops to EDGE a lot when using it on AT&T.
Edit: If I go outside, I can get decent 3g and good speeds:
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Still, very clearly 1900 due to spotty signal indoors
This is however quite a nice surprise - it opens the opportunity to use it on AT&T's network in places where 1900 3G is solid.
So it does not support 850? Secondly how do I know if I am in 850 or 1900 area?
larry996 said:
So it does not support 850? Secondly how do I know if I am in 850 or 1900 area?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most areas are going to have both if anything, so the main thing you're going to want to know is if 1900 is strong enough where you are.
Unfortunately I dont know a truly reliable way to check a specific area for whether thats the case, besides actually trying a 1900 only phone
gsvnet said:
Most areas are going to have both if anything, so the main thing you're going to want to know is if 1900 is strong enough where you are.
Unfortunately I dont know a truly reliable way to check a specific area for whether thats the case, besides actually trying a 1900 only phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true, AT&T is working on moving their entire 3G network to the 850mhz band... Here in New York City they're exclusively 850mhz unless I'm mistaken.
DevPhone1337 said:
Not true, AT&T is working on moving their entire 3G network to the 850mhz band... Here in New York City they're exclusively 850mhz unless I'm mistaken.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I heard that same thing. So if the Vibrant "only" does 1900.... those in 850 are SOL!
Anyone know how old this map is....?????
http://www.cellularmaps.com/att_850_1900.shtml
DevPhone1337 said:
Not true, AT&T is working on moving their entire 3G network to the 850mhz band... Here in New York City they're exclusively 850mhz unless I'm mistaken.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They've simply re-allocated much of the 3G network to the 850Mhz band, but based on my testing (with a vibrant), they have not totally gotten rid of 1900 3G - it still exists.
The problem with that map is it doesn't differentiate between 2G and 3G.
I have an att sim and I can get 3g on my unlocked vibrant. You can get into the debug screen and clearly see wcdma 850 listed and it is unchecked by default. Only 1900 and AWS bands are enabled. Since we have 1900 att 3g here it works fine. I just haven't had nerve to enable the 850 in the screen to test it. But I have read reports that enabling 850 does absolutely nothing anyway since the hardware does not support that band.
afive720 said:
It won't give you 3g on att lol. Tmobile uses different bands and vibrant does not support att 3g bands, just edge. You should have gotten the captivate, which is made to work on att 3g. It's just a given, almost every phone is like that. You can take most att phones, unlock them to work on Tmobile, but will only get edge, same thing with Tmobile phones. Can't be done...
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its confirmed that it gets att 3g: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/22/confirmed-galaxy-s-unlock-codes-are-stored-in-your-phone-vibra/ My recommendation is to mess around with it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
could someone confirm the 850mhz reception?
To what ive seen the vibrant comes with both 850/1900 bajds making it more then compatable with ATT 3G
My service provider Cable&Wireless Panama uses 1900 band for 3G, but I NEVER, NEVER EVER get anything but EDGE data... ever.
I have my phone set to "GSM/WCDMA (Auto Mode)" in Network settings, but I could choose one or the other.
Which should I pick? I don't know what's up, but I can never get 3G and I know that the Vibrant supports 1900, which they use for 3G.
They tell me that 3G should appear there as an option, (at least on the Galaxy S i9000 that they support, but it doesn't on the Vibrant.
Can anyone give me some advice? I'm really stumped, because I was thinking it would work fine. I'm unlocked, Rooted, running Bionix-v but I've never been able to get anything but EDGE data and they say I should have 3G in most areas, but I've never even seen it once.
Not trying to be a jerk here, but are you absolutely sure your carrier uses 1900MHz for 3G specifically?
If you search for "List of UMTS networks" on Wikipedia, it lists Cable and Wireless as 850MHz. Another thread on androidforums.com titled "i9000 No 3G after update" talks about getting an i9000 working on 850MHz for Cable and Wireless.
Also, just to clarify, you are using the T-Mobile/American Vibrant?
Hope you figure it out.
inconceeeivable said:
Not trying to be a jerk here, but are you absolutely sure your carrier uses 1900MHz for 3G specifically?
If you search for "List of UMTS networks" on Wikipedia, it lists Cable and Wireless as 850MHz. Another thread on androidforums.com titled "i9000 No 3G after update" talks about getting an i9000 working on 850MHz for Cable and Wireless.
Also, just to clarify, you are using the T-Mobile/American Vibrant?
Hope you figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I was just on the line with them and asked specifically and two different reps (I tried twice) confirmed it was 1900 for 3G, so I do think it is.
They could be wrong, I guess, because most customer service reps are idiots throughout the world, but I don't know.
change your APN.
I bet it's set to epc.tmobile.com
either that or it's set to internet
donalgodon said:
My service provider Cable&Wireless Panama uses 1900 band for 3G, but I NEVER, NEVER EVER get anything but EDGE data... ever.
I have my phone set to "GSM/WCDMA (Auto Mode)" in Network settings, but I could choose one or the other.
Which should I pick? I don't know what's up, but I can never get 3G and I know that the Vibrant supports 1900, which they use for 3G.
They tell me that 3G should appear there as an option, (at least on the Galaxy S i9000 that they support, but it doesn't on the Vibrant.
Can anyone give me some advice? I'm really stumped, because I was thinking it would work fine. I'm unlocked, Rooted, running Bionix-v but I've never been able to get anything but EDGE data and they say I should have 3G in most areas, but I've never even seen it once.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
either it's the apn, or more likely: Cable & Wireless Panama are on 850.
http://www.wireless.att.com/travelguide/coverage/coverage_details.jsp?CIDL=591&MNC=CING
UMTS 850; GSM/GPRS 850
Moved of: Samsung Vibrant > Vibrant General
To: Samsung Vibrant > Vibrant Q&A
Please put your questions to: Vibrant Q&A
krylon360 said:
change your APN.
I bet it's set to epc.tmobile.com
either that or it's set to internet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's connnecting, and I get data via EDGE, as I said, the APN is correct:
apn01.cwpanama.com.pa
I just don't get any 3G signal... ever, but according to CW, I should if I use 1900, which the Vibrant supports.
donalgodon said:
No, it's connnecting, and I get data via EDGE, as I said, the APN is correct:
apn01.cwpanama.com.pa
I just don't get any 3G signal... ever, but according to CW, I should if I use 1900, which the Vibrant supports.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
again, Cable and Wireless doesn't use 1900. They use 850.
If you're stuck with the Vibrant, you might try Movistar? Looks like they might support both.
I know these aren't the answers you wanted to hear though. Sorry man.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
I appreciate the help, guys.
I still find it confusing that the phone they support officially (they sell the i9000 here for like $800US) is listed as supporting the same 3G bands as the Vibrant, including 1900, which they quoted to me twice, but somehow, my Vibrant won't connect to 3G, so probably they are just idiots, as usual.
I might have to go with another carrier. Problem is that CW is the cheapest, by almost half. I guess you get what you pay for.
Movistar 850 pana..no tienen 3g son puro bulls**t,
Digicel y Claro si estan levantando 3g con la banda 1900.
Suerte
You may wanna try to post your problem in english.
Sent from my Bi-Winning powered SGH-T959 using XDA App
Hey donalgodon, I got the exact same problem with my Nexus S, same provider, same network configuration. Did you figure it out? I sent you a pm, let me know.
I was just reading this on Wikipedia.
In the bands section of T-mobile and thus their phones, 2g is supported by 850 and 1900. 3g is tied to 1700. I thought I had read it differently before but upon checking up on this once again (just now) that is what I have to offer. So I would assume if your carrier doesn't use 1700 for 3g then you would not ever get 3g.
JediDru said:
I was just reading this on Wikipedia.
In the bands section of T-mobile and thus their phones, 2g is supported by 850 and 1900. 3g is tied to 1700. I thought I had read it differently before but upon checking up on this once again (just now) that is what I have to offer. So I would assume if your carrier doesn't use 1700 for 3g then you would not ever get 3g.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Samsung Vibrant supports 3g on UMTS Bands I (2100), II (1900) and IV (AWS/1700).
If your carrier uses any of these bands for their 3g, you will get 3g.
If your carrier uses the 850 band for 3g, you will not get 3g.
Donalgodon's carrier uses 850. That's why it's not working.
So I have the Vibrant. Unlocked it and Put a AT&T Simcard in it and it worked great with 3G but sometimes it'll drop to Edge out of nowhere and It'll stay there and not go back to 3G unless I reboot the phone or in the settings say only search for WCDMA
Now I wasn't sure if I need to update the drivers on the phone? or a Modem? I'm running Trigger Rom
Thanks for any input or advice
acm1108 said:
So I have the Vibrant. Unlocked it and Put a AT&T Simcard in it and it worked great with 3G but sometimes it'll drop to Edge out of nowhere and It'll stay there and not go back to 3G unless I reboot the phone or in the settings say only search for WCDMA
Now I wasn't sure if I need to update the drivers on the phone? or a Modem? I'm running Trigger Rom
Thanks for any input or advice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All the modems that ive seen were released by samsung to work for T-mobiles network that said you may have some luck trying out different modems found here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=868774
as far as drivers if we had a source code for those maybe but the modems will be your best shot.
When I travel I do this to get 3G in Hawaii since Only Oahu Island has TMO 3G.
Here is the way you can do it:
Also by locking into 3g speeds, if you ever go into a non 3g area, or if your 3g signal is poor in your area, then your phone calls will drop and data will stop, unless you go back and set the phone to its default automatic gsm/cdma settings.
Dial: *#*#197328640#*#*
Click [1] debug screen
Click [8] phone control
Click [7] network control
Click [2] band selection
This is where you make a change, default setting is [1] automatic, which means it chooses automatically between gsm/cdma (Edge vs 3g). So we are going to change this and set it to wcdma band which is 3g.
Click [2] wcdma band
Click [1] wcdma all []
Now it should display “select wcdma all bands [*]"
Now on the bottom of your phone, click the menu key, it’s the one next to the home key, now click back, menu again one more time, back one more time, this is just to confirm it set to number 2 wcdma band.
Now click menu key one last time, click end.. and you are done. Now to double verify that the phone is locked into 3g, dial in: *#*#4636#*#*
Then click phone information Then scroll down to “set preferred network type” It should now have listed “wcdma only.” PS, if you tried to do a shortcut, and just set wcdma this way first without doing the lock above, it would just go back to gsm/cdma auto once you exit the screen.
Your phone should now be locked into 3g.
Thank you very much ^^^^ I'll try right away.
Is there anyreason or way for it to snap back into 3G bands when for some reason it is in Edge
There was a guy with somewhat the same problem a couple weeks ago. Take out your sim and type *#2263# on your dialer. Click combi band, then check the bottom band. Its WCDMA 850. It will put a star in the brackets like the rest of the selections. Hit menu, then back. Re-insert sim and you should be good.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Isnt there one frequency att has that the vibrant wont support?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Im not 100% sure, but I think AT&T uses WCDMA 850 for their 3g. That's the one I mentioned earlier which is disabled by default on the Vibrant.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
offdutyninja808 said:
Im not 100% sure, but I think AT&T uses WCDMA 850 for their 3g. That's the one I mentioned earlier which is disabled by default on the Vibrant.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T uses 850MHz and 1900MHz for 3G. (They have said that they plan on phasing out 1900MHz, but it's still active in my area.)
Pretty sure there is no 850MHz 3G on Vibrant. Enabling it the menu doesn't do anything. Plus, the FCC document posted by Engadget only showed AWS and 1900MHz 3G bands.
As for the OP, I've experienced the same problem recently...was using stock 2.2 though. Definitely be interested in figuring this out as well. Do you have data problems when the phone switches to Edge? (Other than it being really slow lol) I ask because I was experiencing a drop to Edge followed by no data (despite still seeing the E icon).
Edit: Really dumb question, but are you sure the 3G signal isn't just really weak? Does it happen only in buildings? 1900MHz is supposedly worse than 850MHz in this regard.
As far as I know the Vibrant will not pick up the AT&T 850 band. I have the same problem. I only get 3g when I go into an area that has 1900, even though the map seems to show 1900 in my area. Now when I go into the service mode to select bands it says "RAT selection option in resticted."
inconceeeivable said:
Edit: Really dumb question, but are you sure the 3G signal isn't just really weak? Does it happen only in buildings? 1900MHz is supposedly worse than 850MHz in this regard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does go down to really low signal but my friend with a Captivate in the same area has full bars. I hate it otherwise I'd be fine.
I am not a Developer but am a Power User of Android for work and play using for Proposals,
Invoices, and business and casual browsing.
No computer needed.
Let me confirm that this Model Alpha 850M an octacore made for North, South, Central America and the Caribbean Factory Unlocked LTE phone works great on the Metro/Tmobile
Network on LTE and drops to 3G on Voice Calls and a little H+ when signal weak in large buildings.
Excellent voice quality, strong radio transceiver which locks well to even low signal in buildings or near transmitting towers .
Only my second Android and my first Samsung-I have not found the horrible bloatware I have read about but do have the phone customized with many features toggled off etc.
I come from an Audio background and Phones are the only Devices which do not often sound better ( earpiece, microphones, speakerphones) on a $600 Device versus a $150 DeviceTHIS Alpha surprised me- it sounds much fuller and a little louder than 3 or 4 AT&T
Alpha 801 quad cores I auditioned before.
Either a bigger speaker, better cone material, or more power or all three- the AT&T850A is
tinny and thin sounding compared to this 850M- not sure if they are all like this but an excellent speakerphone !
So often even with Experts you can NOT get a DEFINITIVE ANSWER on whether a specific Model performs FULLY on a certain Carrier as well as branded Devices this one does on TMobile also has the 700band which TMo will be using more and more for LTE which penetrates buildings better.
LTE Bands are AWS/ 700/850/1800/1900/2100/2600
To use a highly technical Term even for Developers this little Phone "Kicks Ass".
As I have said before If this phone was about 8.5 millimeters thick with a 3000Mah Battery
a higher res screen, 3 Gigs of RAM, SD Storage and the Camera from the Note 4 and a second speaker it would have been a great hit Worldwide.
This phone has less lag than S5 and excellent as is but SHOULD have been great.
Samsung tried to COPY the Iphone rather than surpass it, underestimating the Tech Savvy of
Android Users who purchase $600 plus phones.
One BIG PROBLEM is I cannot be on Internet and a Call Simultaneously on this phone.
It DROPS TO 3 G on Calls which temporarily kills Data-not sure if this is Alpha or Network BUT I always have Internet on calls with Metro PCS.
So this Alpha may not have this feature ?
If you are on a compatible GSM network (like T-Mobile you listed), it should maintain network connection even on 3G mode unless the phone drops to 2G mode. Until VoLTE is enabled (Alpha does support it but not yet enabled), all LTE phones on AT&T or T-Mobile will have to drop to HSPA mode (H+ or 3G or 2G depending on the availability) for voice calls. But as long as you are not on 2G (E or G), you should still have simultaneous voice and network connection.
However, I did encounter similar problems on my AT&T version but a reboot of the phone solved my problem.
robertkoa said:
One BIG PROBLEM is I cannot be on Internet and a Call Simultaneously on this phone.
It DROPS TO 3 G on Calls which temporarily kills Data-not sure if this is Alpha or Network BUT I always have Internet on calls with Metro PCS.
So this Alpha may not have this feature ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Something interesting here: my G850A indicates "4G" during voice calls at the top of the screen, but bringing up the status indicates that it is indeed fluctuating between HSPA+ and UMTS. AT&T being misleading? The G850M fluctuates between saying 3G and H+. (And also, when the G850M is on LTE, the indicator only says "4G," but status check shows it's LTE.)
The other strange thing is that with both phones, I have them set up to make a sound when I press keys. During voice calls, the keys make no sounds. Go figure.
foxbat121 said:
Until VoLTE is enabled (Alpha does support it but not yet enabled), all LTE phones on AT&T or T-Mobile will have to drop to HSPA mode (H+ or 3G or 2G depending on the availability) for voice calls.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not finding that the Alpha supports VoLTE. I have VoLTE on my T-Mobile Galaxy Avant in my area, but not on the Alpha.
Corvussimo said:
Something interesting here: my G850A indicates "4G" during voice calls at the top of the screen, but bringing up the status indicates that it is indeed fluctuating between HSPA+ and UMTS. AT&T being misleading? The G850M fluctuates between saying 3G and H+. (And also, when the G850M is on LTE, the indicator only says "4G," but status check shows it's LTE.)
The other strange thing is that with both phones, I have them set up to make a sound when I press keys. During voice calls, the keys make no sounds. Go figure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T labels HSPA/HSPA+ as 4G and LTE as 4G LTE. T-Mobile does the similar thing. In other places, HSPA+ is called 3G and LTE is called 4G. Semantics. HSPA+ is based on UMTS.
Corvussimo said:
I'm not finding that the Alpha supports VoLTE. I have VoLTE on my T-Mobile Galaxy Avant in my area, but not on the Alpha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
VoLTE has to be enabled in the phone's firmware. When the time comes, AT&T will release a firmware update to enable it as it did with short list of other phones that supports VoLTE.
I see this is on Ebay right now for a good price, I assume this will work 100% on cricket wireless with LTE? Are there various model #s? On Ebay it just unlocked. I wanted to get this to use for work.
Interesting .
I am not a dev but as I recall Metro PCS was
one of the first to have VoLTE and also simultaneous Voice and Data back on 2011 or 2012 so I was used to talking on calls and always seeing 4G LTE on the phone. LG Motion 4G.
So this Alpha is my first Samsung- and my first factory unlocked phone still on Metro Tmo.
Now I see the LTE drop to 3G when I make a call but thanks to better APN Settings I almost always have voice and Internet simultaneously because the phone jumps to H or H+ and gives fast Internet on a call on H+.
I even had Youtube and a Speakerphone call a few times as silly experiment.
I also with inferior APN setting got "unable
to access Internet while on a call message"
previously so APN Settings make a big difference sometimes.
Very few problems, fast phone, good audio and sharp Camera...
Hope that Samsung has a Note 5 with removable battery and does a Compact Note kind of like super Alpha..
Not sure if Lollipop will give VoLTE to a Factory Unlocked Phone but if any Devs can achieve it for me ...good Donation .
CashmereEsquire said:
I see this is on Ebay right now for a good price, I assume this will work 100% on cricket wireless with LTE? Are there various model #s? On Ebay it just unlocked. I wanted to get this to use for work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a G850M and a G850F which both are international unlocked phones but cover different LTE bands. I would recommend that you check your carriers available bands (this is also depended on area), then cross check this with http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_alpha-6573.php
There are a few variants specifically for the asian market, but unless you live there you will have a difficult time in the US to get them.
When your G850M boots up, does it display any carrier branding?
robertkoa said:
I am not a Developer but am a Power User of Android for work and play using for Proposals,
Invoices, and business and casual browsing.
No computer needed.
Let me confirm that this Model Alpha 850M an octacore made for North, South, Central America and the Caribbean Factory Unlocked LTE phone works great on the Metro/Tmobile
Network on LTE and drops to 3G on Voice Calls and a little H+ when signal weak in large buildings.
Excellent voice quality, strong radio transceiver which locks well to even low signal in buildings or near transmitting towers .
Only my second Android and my first Samsung-I have not found the horrible bloatware I have read about but do have the phone customized with many features toggled off etc.
I come from an Audio background and Phones are the only Devices which do not often sound better ( earpiece, microphones, speakerphones) on a $600 Device versus a $150 DeviceTHIS Alpha surprised me- it sounds much fuller and a little louder than 3 or 4 AT&T
Alpha 801 quad cores I auditioned before.
Either a bigger speaker, better cone material, or more power or all three- the AT&T850A is
tinny and thin sounding compared to this 850M- not sure if they are all like this but an excellent speakerphone !
So often even with Experts you can NOT get a DEFINITIVE ANSWER on whether a specific Model performs FULLY on a certain Carrier as well as branded Devices this one does on TMobile also has the 700band which TMo will be using more and more for LTE which penetrates buildings better.
LTE Bands are AWS/ 700/850/1800/1900/2100/2600
To use a highly technical Term even for Developers this little Phone "Kicks Ass".
As I have said before If this phone was about 8.5 millimeters thick with a 3000Mah Battery
a higher res screen, 3 Gigs of RAM, SD Storage and the Camera from the Note 4 and a second speaker it would have been a great hit Worldwide.
This phone has less lag than S5 and excellent as is but SHOULD have been great.
Samsung tried to COPY the Iphone rather than surpass it, underestimating the Tech Savvy of
Android Users who purchase $600 plus phones.
One BIG PROBLEM is I cannot be on Internet and a Call Simultaneously on this phone.
It DROPS TO 3 G on Calls which temporarily kills Data-not sure if this is Alpha or Network BUT I always have Internet on calls with Metro PCS.
So this Alpha may not have this feature ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All sources that i could find on net say that SM-G850M doesn't support the band 4 on WCDMA/UMTS. They may be wrong. Since you own the device you would be the best source whether band 4 is unlocked on the device or not. I mention band 4 because that is the band t-mobile uses in most markets on 3G (fake 4G) and LTE. Go into settings\more networks\mobile networks and change the preferred network connection into 3G (or it may say 4G on your phone, just stay away from LTE), verify that it is now operating on 3G (fake 4G), then go to dialer and dial *#197328640#, choose "BASIC INFORMATION' and report what you see. I own the ATT version and when i force it (using *#*#INFO#*#*) into fake 4G it reports "RRC:IDLE, BAND:5" which is WCDMA BAND 850, that is what ATT uses here (ATT uses BAND 2 here also which is WCDMA 1900) where i live for 3G (fake 4G). When i switch back to LTE and go into this hidden menu, it reports that it is connected on "LTE RRC:IDLE BAND: 17", which is what ATT uses in my area. So you may be in market that t-mobiles uses PCS band for 3G (BAND 2) and that would explain why you do not drop on EDGE. It would be a lot clearer when you report properly on which BAND you are connected. What is concerning is that you say you loose data when making calls, which makes me think that you indeed drop to EDGE while on calls, which is painfully slow and makes you think you lost data. As i said, it would be easier to understand what is going on when you provide the whole picture ...
This is what i know that t-mobile uses on 3G:
-- BAND2 and BAND4
and LTE:
-- BAND4 and BAND17 (they might be using BAND2 too in some markets)
If your phone drops to EDGE, you won't be able to do voice and data simultaneously. You need to be on 3G (UMTS minimum) to have simultaneous voice and data.
Since Alpha only has AT&T version released in US, I'd suspect you can't buy any model of Alpha that fully supports all T-Mobile's bands because of the unique mix of bands used by T-Mobile.
The models sold on ebay varies a lot but the one I purchased says Factory unlocked by also states AT&T compatible. For all intents and purposes, the one I received is actually AT&T version, indeed factory unlocked, running AT&T branded firmware. That fits me just fine because I'm on AT&T. But if you are not on AT&T, YMMV. Cricket wireless, IIRC, is now a subsidiary of AT&T.
bormasina said:
All sources that i could find on net say that SM-G850M doesn't support the band 4 on WCDMA/UMTS. They may be wrong. Since you own the device you would be the best source whether band 4 is unlocked on the device or not. I mention band 4 because that is the band t-mobile uses in most markets on 3G (fake 4G) and LTE. Go into settings\more networks\mobile networks and change the preferred network connection into 3G (or it may say 4G on your phone, just stay away from LTE), verify that it is now operating on 3G (fake 4G), then go to dialer and dial *#197328640#, choose "BASIC INFORMATION' and report what you see. I own the ATT version and when i force it (using *#*#INFO#*#*) into fake 4G it reports "RRC:IDLE, BAND:5" which is WCDMA BAND 850, that is what ATT uses here (ATT uses BAND 2 here also which is WCDMA 1900) where i live for 3G (fake 4G). When i switch back to LTE and go into this hidden menu, it reports that it is connected on "LTE RRC:IDLE BAND: 17", which is what ATT uses in my area. So you may be in market that t-mobiles uses PCS band for 3G (BAND 2) and that would explain why you do not drop on EDGE. It would be a lot clearer when you report properly on which BAND you are connected. What is concerning is that you say you loose data when making calls, which makes me think that you indeed drop to EDGE while on calls, which is painfully slow and makes you think you lost data. As i said, it would be easier to understand what is going on when you provide the whole picture ...
This is what i know that t-mobile uses on 3G:
-- BAND2 and BAND4
and LTE:
-- BAND4 and BAND17 (they might be using BAND2 too in some markets)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, I did this: I changed the settings on my G850M to force 3G. The code(s) you said to put in didn't work for me, so I used *#0011# instead. It said two different things, depending on when I did the test. Once it said 1900 Band 2, and once it said 1700 Band 4. Then, I put it back to LTE and it said Band 4. I've attached screenshots of all three. This is T-Mobile in Portland, OR.
Also, I found one reasonably reliable Internet source that indicated the G850M does support 3G Band 4. Here's the link:
Samsung Peru's Specs on the G850M
I was also hesitant to buy the G850M for the same Band 4 reason, until I found the specs on the Samsung Peru Website. The screenshot below shows that the M indeed does have 3G Band 4.
Corvussimo said:
OK, I did this: I changed the settings on my G850M to force 3G. The code(s) you said to put in didn't work for me, so I used *#0011# instead. It said two different things, depending on when I did the test. Once it said 1900 Band 2, and once it said 1700 Band 4. Then, I put it back to LTE and it said Band 4. I've attached screenshots of all three. This is T-Mobile in Portland, OR.
Also, I found one reasonably reliable Internet source that indicated the G850M does support 3G Band 4. Here's the link:
Samsung Peru's Specs on the G850M
I was also hesitant to buy the G850M for the same Band 4 reason, until I found the specs on the Samsung Peru Website. The screenshot below shows that the M indeed does have 3G Band 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for doing this. It is always good when things get confirmed like this. Now I can safely purchase one for wife. Where did you purchase it, if I may ask?
bormasina said:
Thanks for doing this. It is always good when things get confirmed like this. Now I can safely purchase one for wife. Where did you purchase it, if I may ask?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to help. I was a still a little concerned myself until I ran this test.
I bought it on eBay from The Pwrsellers
They currently have black, white, and gold for $450. Mine was a Brand New Open Box black model, so it was another $50 less than that. So far, so good! There is no cell company boot-up screen, and the bloatware is at a refreshing minimum.
AT&T now sells brand new for $319.99 retail.
I was at att last weekend and they wanted like $600 to buy it the 850a.
I got the 850m from target online via Amazon. It does work on t mobile.
jjsaustin said:
I got the 850m from target online via Amazon. It does work on t mobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I almost bought one from Target, too, but this less expensive one came up just at the right time. FWIW, the one I bought from The Pwrsellers came drop-shipped from Amazon as well, so that makes me think most (if not all) the companies selling the G850M in the US right now are drop-shipping through Amazon.
Corvussimo said:
Yeah, I almost bought one from Target, too, but this less expensive one came up just at the right time. FWIW, the one I bought from The Pwrsellers came drop-shipped from Amazon as well, so that makes me think most (if not all) the companies selling the G850M in the US right now are drop-shipping through Amazon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought from target for the return policy, especially since I was not sure if it was going to work on tmobile .
I just bought another one to see if the reception is any better and I will return the one with the worse reception.
Thanks for 1700 Band Test on 3G
I have found APN Settings for Metro/Tmo important for best performance on my Factory Unlocked 850M.
MetroPCS frequently uses Tmo APNs even on Metro PCS Phones.
With Factory Unlocked Phones I assume trial and error may be best for an advanced Phone like Alpha.
I tried the Settings used for Note 4 on Tmobile which worked but not as well as what I use now but open for suggestions lol.
Here are current best I have found which are fast Data and allow
Internet while on calls about 90% of the time.
I always have good voice and audio on calls.
Here's current APN Settings :
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
I have found that IPv4/IPv6 seems to perform a bit better than IPv4 .
But I have NO IDEA what these do in Tmobile Protocol.
Also I leave BEARER unspecified but have tried LTE also.
The only problem I sometimes have is no data on 3G and Phone does not bounce back to LTE AFTER a call- often turning data off and on with Quick Toggle restores LTE quickly.
Oddly this is an intermittent problem.
Often I have quick Internet while on a call but sometimes no Internet on a Call.
Here are the screenshots from my Alpha 850M which has no Carrier Branding when I forced 3G also some H showed and I got
1900 band in 3G but have not seen 1700 3G but in LTE in second screen.
I am in Miami area which is reframed so Metro/Tmo uses 1900 more here for 3G - Corvussimo - how did you get 1700 to show on 3G - is yours a Factory Unlocked unbranded Alpha ?
Thanks for both your help very interesting stuff.
I just wanted to discuss if anyone is using any Xiaomi device while on any of Canada's phone carriers.
I have no problems getting mine working on 4G LTE currently across the Greater Toronto Area. I only tried this on the MIUI 7 with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro (version I got is China Mobile/Unicom Edition) although I do believe my method will work on MIUI 8 and Global version as well. If anyone needs help setting up theirs to work on 4G LTE network in North America, just leave a reply below. And I will post How-To.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Mine is running on Qualcomm Snapdragon variant of the phone.
Technically my phone supports the following:
Network Bands/ Frequencies:
2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2
3G bands HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
TD-SCDMA
4G bands LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 38(2600),
39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)
With my (TBA) method, the bands/ frequencies are utilized switching from 3G to 4G with ease while in Canada. *Also I'm not getting any problems with signal or data so far so good
Below is screenshots of what I can gather, how well my method works (despite Canada LTE network requires Bands with 700MHz)
I have that version China/unicom but there i have only 2g.cant use 4g it gets no service and 3g only appears the network but cant send sms/make calls/internet
skriller said:
I have that version China/unicom but there i have only 2g.cant use 4g it gets no service and 3g only appears the network but cant send sms/make calls/internet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to the dial pad of your phone. Type *#*#4636#*#* and press on "phone information1" if that's where the sim card is located that you are using. Scroll down until you find "Set preferred network type" and choose "Unknown".
Now go to settings of your phone and press on "sim cards & mobile networks" and press the "Sim 1" by now press "Preferred Network Type" change to 3G or LTE.
Hopefully this works for you.
Im in a bad luck.its the same lte i get emergency calls only and if choose 3g network appears but it switches back to Edge.when 3g appears data icon disapears and get no sms calls internet
I was in Canada for a couple of weeks and used my Redmi Note 3 Pro on Rogers network. 4G worked fine, didn't have to do anything special. I think it was the 2600Mhz band. I am running CM13 nightly.
skriller said:
Im in a bad luck.its the same lte i get emergency calls only and if choose 3g network appears but it switches back to Edge.when 3g appears data icon disapears and get no sms calls internet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@skiller what is your phone carrier? and what country are you trying get it to work in?
syl0n said:
I was in Canada for a couple of weeks and used my Redmi Note 3 Pro on Rogers network. 4G worked fine, didn't have to do anything special. I think it was the 2600Mhz band. I am running CM13 nightly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice to hear that, but some people have problems in Canada depending on what model of redmi note 3 pro they have and which phone carrier/ provider they were trying use.
Im in Portugal.the frequencies in the China unicom redmi note 3 should work here.im trying running all options until jumping to the hardware issue since i got this phone with a vendor customize rom.
Was with Vodafone but changed to MEO(Portugal Telecom) we have three operators but they all use the same frequencies.
Post how to.
imwatcinu a said:
Post how to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Step 1, Remove SIM card.
Step 2, go to Dial Pad type *#*#4636#*#*
Step 3, press phone information1 (or 2)
Step 4, scroll down and change "Set preferred network type" to Unknown
Step 5, go to phone settings, put back SIM card in phone and press "SIM cards & mobile networks"
Step 6, press SIM 1 or SIM 2, depending which SIM you are using, press Preferred network type, set it to prefer LTE.
Step 7, quickly go back to phone information1 (or 2) and change "Set preferred network type" to LTE/GSM auto (PRL).
Hopefully this has worked for you, if not try steps again but change Step 7 to LTE/WCDMA or LTE only.
Good luck