I want to buy a Droid Razr but I'm on TMo. I've been on TMo for ten years and do not want to change.
Thing is, the Razr does not have 1700 MHz, so I will never get 3G on TMo. I understand there is a new thing called "voice over LTE". MetroPCS is supposed to have it, and they're about to merge with TMo.
Maybe this is a way I could get voice, data, and SMS with the Droid Razr on TMo or MetroPCS? If this would be possible, which Razr should I buy? Will the 4.3" screen be possible? This seems like the best balance of screen size to me. And I'll want to run MIUI.
Metro pcs and tmobile are doing a reverse merger were metropcs buys tmobile but tmobile will control the company but dutch telecom will control all of it since they own tmobile
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
Actually it's TMobile that's doing the deal, and it's structured as a reverse merger.
And TMobile is owned by Deutsche (German) Telecom, not Dutch.
But this has nothing to do with my technical questions. Does anyone know my technical questions?
Quantumstate said:
Actually it's TMobile that's doing the deal, and it's structured as a reverse merger.
And TMobile is owned by Deutsche (German) Telecom, not Dutch.
But this has nothing to do with my technical questions. Does anyone know my technical questions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in 2015 the metro pcs network will be shut down. right their that answers your question. Go with tmobile. But legally metro is buying tmobile with tmobile money. you say ketchup i say catchup
Since no one here knows, I'll pass along what I've found out.
The Droid Razr (all versions, including M, Maxx, & HD) actually has two radios: CDMA and GSM. It's sold only for Verizon (CDMA), but with the ICS upgrade the GSM radio has been turned on. This makes it possible to use this phone worldwide, including in the US.
So this phone can be used with AT&T and TMobile. However it does not have 1700MHz so can not do 3G with TMo, only with AT&T. Newer models do have LTE at 700MHz (Verizon only).
TMo has recently lost 700,000 subscribers because it can not accommodate the iPhone, and so it is now scrambling to put together a system that can either get 3G on standard frequencies, or LTE. Verizon owns 700MHz, so I don't know how they are going to do this.
Related
Hi, I'm in California and I have an Motorola Atrix with AT&T and I just unlocked my phone because I'm about to switch to T-mobile...
However, my friend told me that AT&T and T-Mobile has different 4G networks. He said the AT&T Atrix can not use 3G or 4G speed on a T-Mobile network, It can only go up to Edge speed.... Is that true? Does anyone know about this?
Hope some people can help me here ...
Thank you
tomcklam said:
Hi, I'm in California and I have an Motorola Atrix with AT&T and I just unlocked my phone because I'm about to switch to T-mobile...
However, my friend told me that AT&T and T-Mobile has different 4G networks. He said the AT&T Atrix can not use 3G or 4G speed on a T-Mobile network, It can only go up to Edge speed.... Is that true? Does anyone know about this?
Hope some people can help me here ...
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From everything I have read that is correct, but also know that it won't be much longer till you are back as an AT&T customer since they are acquiring T-Mobile.
tomcklam said:
Hi, I'm in California and I have an Motorola Atrix with AT&T and I just unlocked my phone because I'm about to switch to T-mobile...
However, my friend told me that AT&T and T-Mobile has different 4G networks. He said the AT&T Atrix can not use 3G or 4G speed on a T-Mobile network, It can only go up to Edge speed.... Is that true? Does anyone know about this?
Hope some people can help me here ...
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its true. While both AT&T and T-Mobile use HSPA+ for their "4G" speeds, they run on different bands. If you want 3G/4G, use a T-Mobile phone. Otherwise, enjoy EDGE. Opera Mini with images set to low will be a big help.
T-Mobile leases cellular space from AT&T which is why unlocked AT&T phones can use T-Mobile service. Not sure if it is the phone's software issue that is causing the 4G/3Gnot working. It's possible that T-mobile implemented their so called 4G first but it's still AT&T equipment.....I work for AT&T. Also 4G, is just higher speed 3G, 4G LTE won't be rolling out until next year.
Thank you for the quick reply... I need to get a T-Mobile phone then.
ernestdefoe said:
From everything I have read that is correct, but also know that it won't be much longer till you are back as an AT&T customer since they are acquiring T-Mobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, but sucks that they still charge minutes when I call a T-Mobile number. I'm switching it for my girlfriend, so I can get Unlimited mobile to mobile minutes... I might get a sensation when I switch to T-Mobile
Phoneguy589 said:
T-Mobile leases cellular space from AT&T which is why unlocked AT&T phones can use T-Mobile service. Not sure if it is the phone's software issue that is causing the 4G/3Gnot working. It's possible that T-mobile implemented their so called 4G first but it's still AT&T equipment.....I work for AT&T. Also 4G, is just higher speed 3G, 4G LTE won't be rolling out until next year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good job on the misinformation front.
And also not being helpful, I'm going to assume your in sales and don't actually know anything.
Now on to the OP's question.
T-Mobile uses the same type of technology as AT&T however they operate on different bands. As such most devices that are sold on AT&T will be able work on T-Mobile for phone and edge but don't get 3g or hspa+ due to the radio in the device only supporting some of the bands. Which is why as a general rule AT&T phones such as the iphone, will work on T-Mobile if unlocked but can't use 3g because it doesn't have the ability to operate in the correct MHZ range. Its the same going from T-Mobile to AT&T. My HD2 was awesome, other then the slow data. *Not that my atrix or inspire are much better.
There are exceptions to the rule though. You'll have to check to see which bands the Atrix is capable of using. I know some of the Samsung devices had all the GSM bands so they worked fine on all networks.
the answer is NO the atrix will not work on tmobile USA 3G or 4G network. there, done!
tomcklam said:
Thank you for the quick reply... I need to get a T-Mobile phone then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Problem is that if/when the AT&T/T-mobile merger goes through, AT&T will likely flip Tmobile's 3g towers to 4g. All tmobile 3G phones...sorry no more 3g unless you buy a new phone. yay....
linky
AT&T said Monday that it planned to convert T-Mobile's 3G towers to 4G service and move T-Mobile 3G subscribers to AT&T 3G phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gnahc79 said:
Problem is that if/when the AT&T/T-mobile merger goes through, AT&T will likely flip Tmobile's 3g towers to 4g. All tmobile 3G phones...sorry no more 3g unless you buy a new phone. yay....
linky
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They won't just flip a switch and everyone has to buy new phones. They will be phased out as people finish contracts and begin new ones. If they don't, they'll be buying T-Mobile customers all new phones or paying fatcat lawyers to defend them from all the lawsuits.
CaelanT said:
They won't just flip a switch and everyone has to buy new phones. They will be phased out as people finish contracts and begin new ones. If they don't, they'll be buying T-Mobile customers all new phones or paying fatcat lawyers to defend them from all the lawsuits.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, sorry I used the term 'flip', never meant to say it would happen instantly . The article I linked stated the switch would take several years. That's not written in stone though, AT&T could move up the timeline if they are losing too many customers to Verizon and Sprint.
This is only an issue if you plan on keeping your tmobile 3g phone for YEARS, which is not likely for anyone that frequents xda .
Hi guys,
I'm from Aus and trying to get a non-savvy US (Cali, splitting time between Sac and SF) friend set up with an unlocked phone suitable for short-term US and overseas use due to travel requirements. The Amaze 4G looks great. I've tried to find answers, but would like some knowledgable eyeballs on my proposal:
1. A US website currently has the Amaze 4G for $479.50 which is much cheaper than all other options. Is this legit? Is there only the X715M model out there, or is this a predecessor?
2. Are all unlocked 'Tmo' Amaze 4G phones able to operate on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 as well as UMTS 1700/2100, both physically and as allowed by the carrier? Any weird APN/data connectivity restrictions due to unlocked phone?
3. Can this phone connect to Tmo at 3G speeds if AWS is unavailable? I read somewhere that 3G 1900 would be required, and this phone doesn't appear to have that?
4. I want to get it on the $30/m walmart/tmo prepaid plan (5G uncapped is plenty of data) but can't see how to order just the sim via their website. should I just have my friend go into walmart? prefer not to muck around with simplemobile if possible - ironically, i want to keep this whole enterprise as simple as possible with a big carrier/theoretically good support.
5. Is this idea, for use in the US primarily but also overseas over the next 12 or so months, future-proof for a couple of years? e.g. I've read about tmo working on HSPA 1900MHz, but hopefully AT&T remains an option if Tmo ends up being unsatisfactory for any reason.
Thanks for having a read, hoping to tie this up ASAP. Much love for any responses.
resolved said:
Hi guys,
I'm from Aus and trying to get a non-savvy US (Cali, splitting time between Sac and SF) friend set up with an unlocked phone suitable for short-term US and overseas use due to travel requirements. The Amaze 4G looks great. I've tried to find answers, but would like some knowledgable eyeballs on my proposal:
1. A US website currently has the Amaze 4G for $479.50 which is much cheaper than all other options. Is this legit? Is there only the X715M model out there, or is this a predecessor?
2. Are all unlocked 'Tmo' Amaze 4G phones able to operate on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 as well as UMTS 1700/2100, both physically and as allowed by the carrier? Any weird APN/data connectivity restrictions due to unlocked phone?
3. Can this phone connect to Tmo at 3G speeds if AWS is unavailable? I read somewhere that 3G 1900 would be required, and this phone doesn't appear to have that?
4. I want to get it on the $30/m walmart/tmo prepaid plan (5G uncapped is plenty of data) but can't see how to order just the sim via their website. should I just have my friend go into walmart? prefer not to muck around with simplemobile if possible - ironically, i want to keep this whole enterprise as simple as possible with a big carrier/theoretically good support.
5. Is this idea, for use in the US primarily but also overseas over the next 12 or so months, future-proof for a couple of years? e.g. I've read about tmo working on HSPA 1900MHz, but hopefully AT&T remains an option if Tmo ends up being unsatisfactory for any reason.
Thanks for having a read, hoping to tie this up ASAP. Much love for any responses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. 479 sounds legit for phone, i dont know about x715m but i do know that us tmobile version is compatible with all bands networks.
2. Yes all US tmobile amaze 4g operate on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 as well as UMTS 1700/2100, both physically and as allowed by the carrier. As far as apn you would need to set up your apn settings according to the network you are using.
3. If no AWS available then only 2g Edge will work, although I have called tmobile and asked if amaze 4g unlocked will be able to use att's hspa network and they said yes amaze and sg2 are only phones capable of that meaning they were built with future proof in mind. I also seen around that tmobile version has all 3g network bands but not sure myself.
4. Easiest would be to have friend pay and pick up the sim card at walmart but i do remind you it is 30/m- 100 min and 5gb of 4g speeds CAPPED, but 2g edge speeds after the 5gb. Simple mobile is 60/m - unltd talk unlt text and 2gb of 4g speeds capped then 2g edge speeds after just depends on your preference.
5. This is a good idea as att will stil be an option and now that att failed to buy tmobile, att has come to an agreement in a roaming contract with tmobile for 7 years.
hope this helps you a little bit more in what ever you decide, good luck!
thanks mate, helped confirmed a few things in my mind.
Negri said they're on backorder so I went ahead and ordered the phone from an Amazon seller for $500. I can only hope everything's legit - I'm not too sure what the dangers of this option are. My best idea is just to use the phone heavily in the first week after getting it and make sure everything works.
now i just need a "beginners guide to android" to help the friend work through the basics... google time.
Is this your first Android phone?
Sent from my HTC Amaze 4G using xda premium
nope, i've had a HTC Hero and currently run a SGS2. I bought the Amaze for a friend who's new to Android due to Apple's stupid GSM-only unlocked phones, and their lack of 1.7ghz for tmo.
we'll get through it, tho after 15 mins of googling, there's a distinct lack of good "idiot user's (not programmer's) guide to android" articles/books. will write something up myself, i think.
my response to you above is more fishing for people's ideas about how Amazon sellers can be dodgy, esp. when pretty much every website is still doing the Amaze for $6-700.. I wondered if there were any potential pitfalls with the $500 price.
resolved said:
nope, i've had a HTC Hero and currently run a SGS2. I bought the Amaze for a friend who's new to Android due to Apple's stupid GSM-only unlocked phones, and their lack of 1.7ghz for tmo.
we'll get through it, tho after 15 mins of googling, there's a distinct lack of good "idiot user's (not programmer's) guide to android" articles/books. will write something up myself, i think.
my response to you above is more fishing for people's ideas about how Amazon sellers can be dodgy, esp. when pretty much every website is still doing the Amaze for $6-700.. I wondered if there were any potential pitfalls with the $500 price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought mine from eBay. It was used for a week with everything and he gave me an Incipio case. I bought it for $445. I was happy with it.
resolved said:
Hi guys,
I'm from Aus and trying to get a non-savvy US (Cali, splitting time between Sac and SF) friend set up with an unlocked phone suitable for short-term US and overseas use due to travel requirements. The Amaze 4G looks great. I've tried to find answers, but would like some knowledgable eyeballs on my proposal:
1. A US website currently has the Amaze 4G for $479.50 which is much cheaper than all other options. Is this legit? Is there only the X715M model out there, or is this a predecessor?
2. Are all unlocked 'Tmo' Amaze 4G phones able to operate on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 as well as UMTS 1700/2100, both physically and as allowed by the carrier? Any weird APN/data connectivity restrictions due to unlocked phone?
3. Can this phone connect to Tmo at 3G speeds if AWS is unavailable? I read somewhere that 3G 1900 would be required, and this phone doesn't appear to have that?
5. Is this idea, for use in the US primarily but also overseas over the next 12 or so months, future-proof for a couple of years? e.g. I've read about tmo working on HSPA 1900MHz, but hopefully AT&T remains an option if Tmo ends up being unsatisfactory for any reason.
Thanks for having a read, hoping to tie this up ASAP. Much love for any responses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what i understand, this phone has UMTS/HSPA+ support for 850,1700/2100aws/1900mhz and 2100mhz. Pretty much anywhere in the world that uses those.
Hi,
So I've read the FCC documents located here: LINK
Page 1 and Page 5 are the most interesting! These state that the Verizon model SCH-i545 will have AWS band 4 (of course 13 too) which does support T-mobiles LTE network right? It never states 1700/1200 frequencies.
Thing I want to know from the pros is will this phone indeed offer LTE support for T-Mobile or and I'm just seeing things?
Also, for all the other people that are wondering if the ATT model will offer LTE support for T-Mobile as well? It will since it supports both bands 4 and 17 But wait is that AWS band 4?... the jury is out on that! -_-
Many Thanks
Becool0130 said:
Hi,
So I've read the FCC documents located here: LINK
Page 1 and Page 5 are the most interesting! These state that the Verizon model SCH-i545 will have AWS band 4 (of course 13 too) which does support T-mobiles LTE network right? It never states 1700/1200 frequencies.
Thing I want to know from the pros is will this phone indeed offer LTE support for T-Mobile or and I'm just seeing things?
Also, for all the other people that are wondering if the ATT model will offer LTE support for T-Mobile as well? It will since it supports both bands 4 and 17 But wait is that AWS band 4?... the jury is out on that! -_-
Many Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I am correct, Verizon phones do not use sim cards (CDMA) and AT&T and T-Mobile are GMS (sim phones). So even if the bands are supported, I don't see how a Verizon phone would work on T-Mobile or AT&T unless they are CDMA / GSM dual phones. And even then they would have to be unlocked.
scott14719 said:
If I am correct, Verizon phones do not use sim cards (CDMA) and AT&T and T-Mobile are GMS (sim phones). So even if the bands are supported, I don't see how a Verizon phone would work on T-Mobile or AT&T unless they are CDMA / GSM dual phones. And even then they would have to be unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of the major Verizon releases over the past year have come GSM unlocked. They are world phones that contain GSM and CDMA radios. I'm using a Verizon iPhone 5 on the Straight Talk (AT&T) network currently.
All lte phones have sim cards as it is a gsm technology. My girls verizon gs3 has a sim. As far as it being compatible that is a hell of a question.
OneStepAhead said:
All of the major Verizon releases over the past year have come GSM unlocked. They are world phones that contain GSM and CDMA radios. I'm using a Verizon iPhone 5 on the Straight Talk (AT&T) network currently.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes! I sold my iPhone 4s to get Samsung galaxy s4 and it sold to someone over in the UK world (Ireland) that says it works! Lol.
I've also seen threads about sim unlocking the Verizon S3 for domestic and international use. Some people use HiAPN as system app along with other steps and viola... Working on whatever network you want
Question is... Am I seeing right that Verizon S4 will support AWS Band 4 for t-mobile?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda app-developers app
good news
OneStepAhead said:
All of the major Verizon releases over the past year have come GSM unlocked. They are world phones that contain GSM and CDMA radios. I'm using a Verizon iPhone 5 on the Straight Talk (AT&T) network currently.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey this is one question i have lingering on my mind. How is the StraightTalk connection? Is it any good? Are there call drop issues? And do they have data plans?
if i buy a tmobile s4 will it work on verizon??
I know most things are under the catagory of speculation/rumor but i was wanting to to check out tmobile network for a bit.... the no contract is appealing. If i bought the phone outright and ending up not liking tmobile i would switch to verizon. Short of selling the tmobile and getting a verizon phone i was wondering about just activating the same phone on verizon?
Will there be "one phone" in US or would they all have thier own modem chips i guess is the real question....
thanks for the guesses and speculat'n!
You have to consider its Verizon and they have 700Mhz LTE and you can't roam on AT&T's 700Mhz so I would not expect to access Verizons AWS spectrum on T-Mobile or vice versa. Remember when they said LTE was the unifying spectrum to allow for easier use across networks and carriers, well that was a pile of BS.
Great news, but I heard verizon was purposely going to burn in their logo onto the amoled screens.
RaptorMD said:
You have to consider its Verizon and they have 700Mhz LTE and you can't roam on AT&T's 700Mhz so I would not expect to access Verizons AWS spectrum on T-Mobile or vice versa.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong: those "700mhz" frequencies are different bands. Both T-Mobile and Verizon are building out LTE on the same band: 4 (AWS). They will be interoperable device-wise.
AT&T also owns a lot of AWS, and though they're currently running LTE on it only in one market (somewhere in Oklahoma IIRC), all their LTE devices do come with band 4 enabled.
The more I read about the differences, the more I'm convinced that the Verizon model is more cross compatible with all other services. It's still the only CDMA model. But it's also gsm unlocked if you know how to program APNs. Any thoughts?
jerzyboy2421 said:
The more I read about the differences, the more I'm convinced that the Verizon model is more cross compatible with all other services. It's still the only CDMA model. But it's also gsm unlocked if you know how to program APNs. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I posted a pretty detailed analyzation of the LTE bands the different GS4 models work with here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=40974831#post40974831
if we ever get to the point where we don't need 3g at all any more (CDMA) and we can get VoLTE and use the LTE band exclusively that will eliminate a lot of the incompatability between Verizon and GSM carriers .
Parafly said:
if we ever get to the point where we don't need 3g at all any more (CDMA) and we can get VoLTE and use the LTE band exclusively that will eliminate a lot of the incompatability between Verizon and GSM carriers .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When we get to that point, Verizon will basically be a GSM carrier. Considering LTE is just an evolution GSM, both developed by 3GPP.
camaroz28 said:
When we get to that point, Verizon will basically be a GSM carrier. Considering LTE is just an evolution GSM, both developed by 3GPP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When it gets to that point, the question is will LTE then become open so Google can sell a Nexus that works on every network without carriers involved?
Schoat333 said:
When it gets to that point, the question is will LTE then become open so Google can sell a Nexus that works on every network without carriers involved?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not just Google...all the manufacturers could do it. But...don't get your hopes up. That situation is not in the carriers' nor major manufacturers' interests, and they sit on the standards bodies. No one represents the users/customers.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda premium
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=43469207&postcount=11
samsung GS4
scott14719 said:
If I am correct, Verizon phones do not use sim cards (CDMA) and AT&T and T-Mobile are GMS (sim phones). So even if the bands are supported, I don't see how a Verizon phone would work on T-Mobile or AT&T unless they are CDMA / GSM dual phones. And even then they would have to be unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon does use sim cards I am in the process of trying to unlock
SCH-I545 On T-Mobile
i Have This phone running on T-Mobile and have notice it does pick up AWS but very limied when compared to a T-Mobile branded phone... im wondering if anyone has tested flashing the T-Mobile modem??
---------- Post added at 04:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:56 AM ----------
No need to unlock just go into settings on the phone and under mobile networks their should be a tab that says prefered network.... click it and select global....
Hi, im looking for a phone which would work with both verizon and T-mobile. Why both? well im in an odd situation, where im halfway through my contract with verizon, but want to switch to T-mobile. But my phone right now barely even works at the moment, so i need a new one, which I can bring over with me when i switch to T-mobile
I need a phone which works on both carriers or else I will end up buying to phones at full price, and I wouldnt want to do that!. Any help wpuld be extremely appreciated, there has to be some kind of smartphone out there thats capable of this
robotnikman said:
Hi, im looking for a phone which would work with both verizon and T-mobile. Why both? well im in an odd situation, where im halfway through my contract with verizon, but want to switch to T-mobile. But my phone right now barely even works at the moment, so i need a new one, which I can bring over with me when i switch to T-mobile
I need a phone which works on both carriers or else I will end up buying to phones at full price, and I wouldnt want to do that!. Any help wpuld be extremely appreciated, there has to be some kind of smartphone out there thats capable of this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of phones these days are tri/quad-band. This means they operate on 3 or 4 frequencies ranges.
I'm not from the US so I'm not 100% sure but I believe Verizon is a CDMA based network while T-Mobile uses GSM (or WCDMA).
This would mean that most phones cannot be taken from one to the other. However many newer phones are released in carrier specific versions but don't have any hardware differences. Its often very hard to test/confirm this without having the specific device in your hand.
Google suggests that the iPhone 5, 5C & 5S from Verizon is unlocked and works on T-Mobiles 3G & 4G networks. So this could be an option.
As far as android handsets go, most of the phones I can find dont have a good overlap of frequencies for both networks.
Using the LG G2 as an example, the T-Mobile versions of most handsets use 850/1700/1900/2100 for 3G and LTE Bands 2, 4, 17. Verizon uses 850/900/1900/2100 for 3G and LTE Bands 4, 13. There is a little overlap there, 3G @ 850, 900 & 2100, but the LTE coverage is limited to Band 4 which could result in some negative experiences coverage wise on T-Mobile.
Groupon has a deal for the S5 that says it's for "Verizon and GSM Unlocked":
https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-samsung-galaxy-s5-smartphones
Is there any way to tell what model # this is? I'm guessing that it is a generic S5 and not the T-Mobile specific SM-G900T. If that's true, then it likely doesn't have the TMo specific LTE frequencies needed for full service (I'm in the Chicago area), correct?
I really hate having to find special versions of GSM devices to make full use of T-Mobile's network...
<TAP><TAP> Is this thing on???
Unlocked for all Verizon and GSM carriers.
On the same page --> https://www.groupon.com/pages/groupon-deal-images-gg-gsm-providers
Only thing is that it probably will not be compatible with WiFi calling features, but I could be wrong.
I know it would work but I was curious about whether it was the same model they sell via T-Mobile that has their unique frequency bands (1900/2100 I believe). Groupon responded to an inquiry and said it was a Verizon model so while I can't confirm it, I'm guessing it doesn't have the extra bands needed to fully make use of T-Mobile's LTE network so it would likely drop down to HPDPA+ in many locations.
According to the reviews, its a Verizon branded phone. A couple of the reviews are from T-mo users and they claimed to have issues with the sim/network not going to LTE, instead it uses their HSPA network.
If it was me, I would not buy this. It is cheap yea, but remember that the S5 is not compatible with the new band 12.
-edit-
The Chicago area isn't getting band 12 anyways, not anytime soon that is.
I'm using a Verizon S5 with a T-mobile rom and it works perfect 4g lte and all If you end up getting it just root it then look at my view forum posts.