Using a verizon fascinate in canada? - Fascinate Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have a Verizon samsung fascinate and I'm looking to use it in Canada. It's running AOKP milestone 5 and I'm currently on Pageplus (not using data).
According to wikipedia there are carriers that use cdma in canada most notably Telus and Bell mobility. Is there any other things I need to consider?
I have searched around and I've found that it may be possible to work but carriers such as telus may not be willing to activate it. Others have said US phones are software coded to a certain network's frequency or something of the sort. I'm not really sure about the technical language. There doesn't seem to be entirely definitive answers out there.
I'll be moving to Montreal this fall and many things seem to be more expensive up there. I'm thinking about just getting the Nexus directly from Google but I would like to consider my cheaper options first.

Related

[Q] would the streak work on vzw? heard it could? bologna?

hi, im thinking about purchasing a streak 5. I talked to a sales rep and she said the unlocked version has a cdma radio in as well. Is this true? Could I use this on verizon? and if so, would custom roms, kernels, and basebands still work the same? or does that require additional coding. Thanks i have a contract with verizon until feb. but id like this phone/tab. Please help me out thank you
The streak is GSM only, you'd need something like a mifi for internet access and a voip provider for calls. So no it wouldnt work at all on verizon without essentially another phone or device to power connectivity.
She may be talking about WCDMA which is the technology behind 3g GSM and isnt compatable with CDMA, at least not in any meanful way to a user.
ahh damn, thanks for the quick answer. i didn't think it would work. i saw nothing about it on vzw. lesson learned, don't trust dell sales people lol. i just wish there was something with a screen 4.5-5 inches on verizon

[Q] I have looked and looked

I can't find any information on flashing samsung vibrant to cricket. I don't care about a full flash, voice and text is fine for my purposes. I don't care about data or android market or any of that.
I have seriously been NON STOP looking for last 2 days with no luck. I checked the cricket forums and I searched the forums here without any luck. I am an amateur I am not going to lie.
But I have a very good general background in technology and, I have already rooted the phone. I was trying to follow a guide I found but honestly I am not 100% sure that even does what I want it to. QPST samsung vibrant but when I do it I cannot simultaneously connect both the phone and run the software. If software is running first my computer won't recognize the phone as a modem and if the phone is connected first the software freezes and I can't even close it with task manager, I have to reboot comp.
Any help at all would be appreciated. I don't even know if this is the right forum for this question and I am sorry if I put it in the wrong place but this is vexing me.
Does cricket even use sim cards? If they are not a GSM carrier, it would make it impossible to use the vibrant on their network/service
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Cricket is cdma (sprint, Verizon, us cellular type radio, meaning no sim card) and the vibrant is gsm (meaning it uses a sim card).
The vibrant cannot and will not work with cricket.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Well question solved. Definately not the answer I wanted but that can't be helped.
Are there any nationwide carriers that use GSM available similar in price to cricket? I will be looking into this right after posting this question but I figure I might as well see if anyone knows any decent ones they can recommend. Basically, looking for cheapest possible with nationwide coverage.
I just need talk and text. Preferably no activation fee and no cost for sim but I know I am being overly optimistic with that lol. I also know that this forum isn't the place for that so any help is appreciated but I understand if no one has an idea.
PhiTwi said:
Are there any nationwide carriers that use GSM available similar in price to cricket? I will be looking into this right after posting this question but I figure I might as well see if anyone knows any decent ones they can recommend. Basically, looking for cheapest possible with nationwide coverage.
I just need talk and text. Preferably no activation fee and no cost for sim but I know I am being overly optimistic with that lol. I also know that this forum isn't the place for that so any help is appreciated but I understand if no one has an idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is the one that wal-mart sells that you could look into

Which GT-I9100?

Hello,
I have an AT&T i777 rooted running Shostock2 and I am looking to buy the international version for my daughter. Trying to separate from my contract lockup with AT&T.
What exactly is the difference between the different 9100 models (G, T, etc), and is there a better one among them? I want the most reliable one (in case the different processors makes any difference in that regard) and also one that would allow rooting and custom ROMs.
Also, it needs to work with any U.S. carrier at the highest speed that they offer. I saw one on eBay but it says "Will not work with T-Mobile or Simple Mobile 3G/4G speeds" and I am not sure why.
Thanks in advance.
Imo u'd decide to get i9100G as it powered by TI OMAP SoC which mostly being open sourced to support better & early development. But if u want it to come with NFC featured i9100P is.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S_II
I wonder how much of a "deal breaker" should NFC capability be. Looks like it is very difficult to find a P model in the US. I could probably go with T-Mobile one but from what I read it is a bit inferior to the AT&T and International models.
Then again - what if I do want the T-Mobile's 4G speeds....tough decision
sbi1 said:
I wonder how much of a "deal breaker" should NFC capability be. Looks like it is very difficult to find a P model in the US. I could probably go with T-Mobile one but from what I read it is a bit inferior to the AT&T and International models.
Then again - what if I do want the T-Mobile's 4G speeds....tough decision
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NFC=android beam, mobile cc payments, transferring files by tapping.
And maybe speed will also sacrifices power (batt), like 2G vs 3G/H+..
Intl i9100 maybe ur easy deal but maybe 2nd P var.? Ebay?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Adam Hui said:
NFC=android beam, mobile cc payments, transferring files by tapping.
And maybe speed will also sacrifices power (batt), like 2G vs 3G/H+..
Intl i9100 maybe ur easy deal but maybe 2nd P var.? Ebay?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is "2nd P Var.?" I am looking at eBay, almost impossible to find P on eBay for selling/shipping to U.S.
I meant second hand stuff buddy, sorry..
Just forget s2.. why don't u be patience & wait for lg or sony nexus4 as it's next Google golden boy. U'll taste pure aosp & find the updates dancing in ur phone w/o brand or carrier resistance..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Adam Hui said:
I meant second hand stuff buddy, sorry..
Just forget s2.. why don't u be patience & wait for lg or sony nexus4 as it's next Google golden boy. U'll taste pure aosp & find the updates dancing in ur phone w/o brand or carrier resistance..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, first of all, it's for my daughter, not me , she is the one who needs to be patient. But her old phone (Samsung Solstice 2, which is a piece of crap) is dying, it gets stuck all the time, turns off by itself, etc. She needs a new phone.
Second, I am not a big fan of Sony phones and/or LG phones. We had LG before (not a smart phone) and it was too a piece of crap. I am 100% convinced that in recent years, when the Smart Phones started to become so popular and companies started making so much money off of data plans, the manufacturers deliberately made the 'dumb' phones crappy, there is no other explanation for it.
I believe that Samsung and HTC are the best phones in the market these days (Android), not really sure I could like a 'Sony'.
sbi1 said:
Hello,
I have an AT&T i777 rooted running Shostock2 and I am looking to buy the international version for my daughter. Trying to separate from my contract lockup with AT&T.
What exactly is the difference between the different 9100 models (G, T, etc), and is there a better one among them? I want the most reliable one (in case the different processors makes any difference in that regard) and also one that would allow rooting and custom ROMs.
Also, it needs to work with any U.S. carrier at the highest speed that they offer. I saw one on eBay but it says "Will not work with T-Mobile or Simple Mobile 3G/4G speeds" and I am not sure why.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have a few options, but just keep in mind that the standard i9100 has the largest userbase, the most external support, and the quickest official updates from Samsung. In fact, these "similar yet different" models of the first Galaxy S were the first to lose official support. The i9100p may sound nice with NFC, but one feature isn't worth potentially losing out on updates. The i9100G uses a lesser version of the SOC found in the Galaxy Nexus. Unless the storage is a concern, the Galaxy Nexus would be a better (and cheaper) option in this case.
So, that leaves you with the vanilla GT-I9100, and it's still a kick-ass phone IMO. Comes in several colors but black and white are the easiest to find. Bonus if you get the black one, it will work on AT&T's medianet plan, which is truly unlimited data, no throttling, and no wifi hotspot restrictions, and it's $15/mo (or $10/mo if you have unlimited text). I've been using this for the past year and change. Added myself to my wfie's family plan and it cost us $9.99/mo for the line, $10/mo for the data, and that was it. I'm on pace to use over 30GB this month and I don't care
sbi1 said:
Well, first of all, it's for my daughter, not me , she is the one who needs to be patient. But her old phone (Samsung Solstice 2, which is a piece of crap) is dying, it gets stuck all the time, turns off by itself, etc. She needs a new phone.
Second, I am not a big fan of Sony phones and/or LG phones. We had LG before (not a smart phone) and it was too a piece of crap. I am 100% convinced that in recent years, when the Smart Phones started to become so popular and companies started making so much money off of data plans, the manufacturers deliberately made the 'dumb' phones crappy, there is no other explanation for it.
I believe that Samsung and HTC are the best phones in the market these days (Android), not really sure I could like a 'Sony'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus=Google phone
Whatever the brands that google has choosen to be a nexus device is android best choice... the only deal breaker is lack of external sdcard supported..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
You could maybe send a PM to a helpful guy called ctomgee.He knows about US phones and could advise you best variant,providers etc.
Once you get a phone,you can then install custom roms etc,which gives the phone a new lease of life.
theunderling said:
You could maybe send a PM to a helpful guy called ctomgee.He knows about US phones and could advise you best variant,providers etc.
Once you get a phone,you can then install custom roms etc,which gives the phone a new lease of life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the endorsement of my knowledge, but please don't PM me, or encourage others to do so.
sbi1 said:
Hello,
I have an AT&T i777 rooted running Shostock2 and I am looking to buy the international version for my daughter. Trying to separate from my contract lockup with AT&T.
What exactly is the difference between the different 9100 models (G, T, etc), and is there a better one among them? I want the most reliable one (in case the different processors makes any difference in that regard) and also one that would allow rooting and custom ROMs.
Also, it needs to work with any U.S. carrier at the highest speed that they offer. I saw one on eBay but it says "Will not work with T-Mobile or Simple Mobile 3G/4G speeds" and I am not sure why.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About phones working or not working with T-Mobile in the US, this is why; T-Mobile (at the moment, for their overall network) uses AWS for high-speed mobile data. AWS requires both 1700 mhz and 2100 mhz to get 3g/4g, as it uses one frequency for uplink, and the other for downlink. If one phone is not capable of receiving one of the frequencies, then the best mobile data speed the device will receive is Edge.
Now, they (T-mobile USA) are currently in the process of repurposing the spectrum of the 1900 mhz band they use now for Edge data and voice, to use it for high speed data instead. This will allow some phones that currently only get Edge speeds on T-mobile USA's network to get their "4g" speeds. That includes many of AT&T's phones (if they're unlocked), and the i9100, which receives high speed mobile data on 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 mhz. (notice the missing 1700 - which is why it won't necessarily get high speed on T-mobile USA's network... unless the market you're in has already had the repurposing of the 1900 mhz band)
However, this repurposing has already only happened in a handful of markets, though the rollout is currently underway.
Hope this makes sense.
EDIT to add:
Also, about the different I9100 variants - there are minor differences between the I9100, and the variants I9100P/T/M.
The P variant includes NFC, the T variant has a slight variance with the SAR values for the radio (so modems specifically for the T model work best for that model), and the M variant is simply a branded regional variant for the Canadian market (as far as I can tell). The CPU/GPU/SoC are all the same for these 4 variants.
The I9100G has a completely different CPU/GPU/SoC chipset, so firmwares, kernels, and ROMs are NOT compatible between this one variant, and the four listed above. But for most users, the performance between this variant and the others are very similar and comparable.
That said, they all have the same antenna/radio hardware, so what I said above regarding data speeds on T-Mobile USA above applies to all of them. This also means they all work just fine for high speed data on AT&T's network.
Ok tom.
I came in here to add to my previous post about which phones (and why) will/will not work on T-Mobile, but Tom beat me to it, so I'll just simply add this:
If you want 2G/3G/4G now and in the future, get the Galaxy Nexus as it's pentaband.
If you're ok with 2G and don't mind waiting on 3G/4G, get any phone, like the i9100, that supports the 1900mhz band. T-Mobile stated that they anticipate their 1900mhz refarm to conclude in mid-2013 and will cover ALL 229 current AWS HSPA+ markets.
jaykresge said:
Bonus if you get the black one, it will work on AT&T's medianet plan, which is truly unlimited data, no throttling, and no wifi hotspot restrictions, and it's $15/mo (or $10/mo if you have unlimited text). I've been using this for the past year and change.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, can you elaborate on this a bit? What do you mean by "black" one? Is a black I9100 different from a white one other than color?
Also, are you referring to AT&T's 'non-smart phone unlimited plan'?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda app-developers app
Thank you all.
ctomgee said:
I appreciate the endorsement of my knowledge, but please don't PM me, or encourage others to do so.
About phones working or not working with T-Mobile in the US, this is why; T-Mobile (at the moment, for their overall network) uses AWS for high-speed mobile data. AWS requires both 1700 mhz and 2100 mhz to get 3g/4g, as it uses one frequency for uplink, and the other for downlink. If one phone is not capable of receiving one of the frequencies, then the best mobile data speed the device will receive is Edge.
Now, they (T-mobile USA) are currently in the process of repurposing the spectrum of the 1900 mhz band they use now for Edge data and voice, to use it for high speed data instead. This will allow some phones that currently only get Edge speeds on T-mobile USA's network to get their "4g" speeds. That includes many of AT&T's phones (if they're unlocked), and the i9100, which receives high speed mobile data on 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 mhz. (notice the missing 1700 - which is why it won't necessarily get high speed on T-mobile USA's network... unless the market you're in has already had the repurposing of the 1900 mhz band)
However, this repurposing has already only happened in a handful of markets, though the rollout is currently underway.
Hope this makes sense.
EDIT to add:
Also, about the different I9100 variants - there are minor differences between the I9100, and the variants I9100P/T/M.
The P variant includes NFC, the T variant has a slight variance with the SAR values for the radio (so modems specifically for the T model work best for that model), and the M variant is simply a branded regional variant for the Canadian market (as far as I can tell). The CPU/GPU/SoC are all the same for these 4 variants.
The I9100G has a completely different CPU/GPU/SoC chipset, so firmwares, kernels, and ROMs are NOT compatible between this one variant, and the four listed above. But for most users, the performance between this variant and the others are very similar and comparable.
That said, they all have the same antenna/radio hardware, so what I said above regarding data speeds on T-Mobile USA above applies to all of them. This also means they all work just fine for high speed data on AT&T's network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for a broad response. I learned something new!
We don't necessarily want to be on T-Mobile, I mentioned T-Mobile because I want to have options...I don't want to be locked to one carrier and T-Mobile offers a great deal with "bring your own unlocked phone, get a sim card with unlimited text/data". So it was just brought as an option for us to have.
In any case, I did offer a T-Mobile (T989) version to my daughter, she "kindly" refused...she does not want to see any logo on her phone . She also doesn't care much about the NFC, even though this can be 'fixed' through an SD card solution if (as she says) "The government will force you to have NFC..." , so I am now just looking for a good deal on a I9100 version.
BTW - what is the Nexus?! I am not familiar with it at all. Does it also come in branded (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc) as well as unlocked?
Thanks again.
sbi1 said:
what is the Nexus?! I am not familiar with it at all. Does it also come in branded (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc) as well as unlocked?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus is the 'pure' android phone. Comes with stock android. No OEM bloatware or UI like Samsung's TouchWiz or HTC's SenseUI.
The biggest advantage of nexus phones however, is that they're the first to get any android update.
And yes, you do get it unlocked as well.
Hope it helps.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
sbi1 said:
Thank you all.
Thank you for a broad response. I learned something new!
We don't necessarily want to be on T-Mobile, I mentioned T-Mobile because I want to have options...I don't want to be locked to one carrier and T-Mobile offers a great deal with "bring your own unlocked phone, get a sim card with unlimited text/data". So it was just brought as an option for us to have.
In any case, I did offer a T-Mobile (T989) version to my daughter, she "kindly" refused...she does not want to see any logo on her phone . She also doesn't care much about the NFC, even though this can be 'fixed' through an SD card solution if (as she says) "The government will force you to have NFC..." , so I am now just looking for a good deal on a I9100 version.
BTW - what is the Nexus?! I am not familiar with it at all. Does it also come in branded (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc) as well as unlocked?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As HAXTREME said above. Plus: http://www.google.com/nexus
sbi1 said:
OK, can you elaborate on this a bit? What do you mean by "black" one? Is a black I9100 different from a white one other than color?
Also, are you referring to AT&T's 'non-smart phone unlimited plan'?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know why that guy differentiated between the black i9100 and the white i9100. As far as I know, there shouldn't be a difference between them, unless someone can provide us information otherwise.
EDIT: ah. I was curious and did a search on this. Apparently many have reported that their white i9100 gets flagged as a blackberry by AT&T for some reason, causing a bump in their data plan to the 2Gb tiered data plan. I didn't know this. I find that curious.
ctomgee said:
EDIT: ah. I was curious and did a search on this. Apparently many have reported that their white i9100 gets flagged as a blackberry by AT&T for some reason, causing a bump in their data plan to the 2Gb tiered data plan. I didn't know this. I find that curious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. I tried Google for 'difference' between them and didn't see anything. It sounds odd to me, to say the least. Question is - did those who report this issue also had a black one, to compare how AT&T "reads" their phone. Really doesn't make sense, but I am curious too.
Figured I'd come back and answer some questions, but thanks again to Tom for taking care of that To elaborate a bit further:
Whether or not your phone will work on AT&T's medianet plan is determined by whether or not they have loaded the device's IMEI database into their system. If they have, then they can detect your phone and will not allow medianet access. The international SGS3 and the Galaxy Nexus have already been detected. The white i9100 (SGS2) is detected as a Blackberry as it has a different IMEI database than the black or pink models. However, if you do get a device to use with AT&T medianet, understand that they can change this at anytime. Just ask Nexus and SGS3 owners who got caught 2-3 weeks ago
Based on your needs, there are two phones that I would recommend, and here's the links to the recommended purchase places.
Galaxy Nexus ($349)- This is the official Google phone, relatively cheap, always has the latest version of Android. Downside is that is only has 16GB internal storage and no support for MicroSD. 720p screen
Samsung Galaxy SII (black - $470 / white - $530)- The flagship android device from 2011 by most estimates, still a solid phone for today. Comes with 16GB internal, official support for 32GB MicroSD, but will support 64GB MicroSDXC unofficially. , 800x480 screen though. The black one will work on AT&T medianet, white one will not.
If you use on T-Mobile, or a T-Mobile MVNO such as Simple Mobile or Straight Talk w/TMO sim, you will get full 2G/3G/4G access with the Galaxy Nexus (before, during, and after the refarm). As for the SGS2s, you will get full 2G everywhere, but no 3G/4G in areas not yet refarmed. In areas that are refarmed, you will get full 2G/3G/4G. T-Mobile says that the refarming will be complete by mid-2013. You can check the current status of the refarming here:
http://airportal.de/
If you want to get her something top of the line instead of those former-fastest phones, you can look at the SGS3 unlocked, or wait 9 days to see the official unveiling of the new Nexus phone. Who knows, we may even see a $50 price drop on the Galaxy Nexus

[Q] Can a Razr M be used on networks other than Verizon?

I'm rather lost. I was using an old Motorola E815 clamshell which finally died. I got a Razr M now. I was told it is an international phone and I thought that meant that it would work on any network, at least overseas. However I now suspect it is tied to Verizon and I am not sure if that can be over-ridden somehow. I have heard of unlocking, rooting and flashing ROM. I have been trying to find out is one or more of those processes will make this phone universal. I suspect that this phone cannot be unlocked. It is the plain vanilla version sold in the US and is not the Developer edition.
What do I want to do with it? I am not that pleased with Verizon and I'm considering Straight Talk. I'm paying about $70 per month now, getting 200 minutes talk, 2 GB of data and I have to pay $.20 additional for each text message. Straight Talk is $45 per month and is unlimited talk, text and data. It's obviously a far better deal.
Verizon says it is an international phone. It is capable of CDMA as well as several GSM bands. Can this phone be used on Straight Talk? Can it be used In foreign countries?
According to phonearena and gsmarena the answer is a convoluted yes to both.- the phone can be used overseas and on worldwide gsm networks, but only through verizon roaming. There is a version of Straight Talk that I believe uses the same towers as Verizon and the same CDMA bands... but it will take someone more knowledgable about CDMA than me to cover that one (GSM for years here). Hopefully I did help somewhat though.
Sent from my SGH-T699 using xda app-developers app
The SIM slot should be unlockable...

[Q] Verizon-Sprint GSIII

So I looked around the threads on both Verizon, and Sprints side of the fences for an answer to this question and couldn't find any thing.
I have a Verizon Galaxy S3, and my contract with Verizon recently came to a close. I want to switch to sprint due to pricing and other options, but I don't have the money to drop on a new phone at the time, so I have been looking into unlocking the phone to work with Sprint, however I haven't much of luck...
That's when I came to XDA. While I was looking around the forum, I got to thinking.
Is there any possible way that I could take the Sprint version of the Samsung Galaxy S3's ROM, and load it onto my Verizon Galaxy? And has anyone tried this yet?
It's essentially the same hardware, right? To the best of my understanding, the only difference in the phones would be software related according to the carrier.
I am really struggling with this one, and I have witnessed the vast knowledge and great work by this forum before, so I am hoping I'll be able to find the help I need.
-Mortem Obrie
Verizon and Sprint do use the same cdma networks but will not activate each others devices on their network so the answer is no I do not think this is going to be possible for you.
alekurkudi said:
Verizon and Sprint do use the same cdma networks but will not activate each others devices on their network so the answer is no I do not think this is going to be possible for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I did talk to Sprint, and Sprint said they would be willing to activate an unlocked Galaxy. It's just the unlocking process that I am unsure of.

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