Hi
I'm coming from the CDMA world and want to switch to a GSM phone to get out of this 2yr contract cycle (not a lot of month-to-month CDMA options out there). I'm leaning towards a Samsung Galaxy S2 but Looking on Ebay, there are apparently a multitude of SGS2 flavors out there. SGH-T989, I9100G, I9100, SGH-I727 and the list goes on and on. I want to root the device and install a custom ROM and activate on Tmobile first to try their service for a while. I read about some people not getting 3G/4G service using unlocked AT&T phones on Tmobile's network. Is there any certain model of the SGS2 that works well with all GSM carriers or does it mostly depend on what network you want to run it on?
Thanks
Long story short my work has offered me cell phone service but they only have Verizon or ATT.
I have a tmob s4 ... rooted and custom rom. Are the phones "essentially" the same so with a kernel and modem would I be good on Verizon?
Any caveats to be concerned with? its been probably 8 years since I had a Verizon plan but it does offer better coverage than ATT in the places I need...
thansks!
Razzzzer said:
Long story short my work has offered me cell phone service but they only have Verizon or ATT.
I have a tmob s4 ... rooted and custom rom. Are the phones "essentially" the same so with a kernel and modem would I be good on Verizon?
Any caveats to be concerned with? its been probably 8 years since I had a Verizon plan but it does offer better coverage than ATT in the places I need...
thansks!
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Click to collapse
Only the Verizon S4 will work with Verizon, you'll need to go to ATT.
Oishikatta said:
Only the Verizon S4 will work with Verizon, you'll need to go to ATT.
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Click to collapse
I see others that have used the Verizon s4 on Tmob so not sure why the reverse wouldn't be true... ill research more but I am finding that all the s4 hardware is the same... only software differences.. (possible that its not possible to get the Verizon software on the phone the hardware should be the same)...
maybe get some more input
Razzzzer said:
I see others that have used the Verizon s4 on Tmob so not sure why the reverse wouldn't be true... ill research more but I am finding that all the s4 hardware is the same... only software differences.. (possible that its not possible to get the Verizon software on the phone the hardware should be the same)...
maybe get some more input
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Click to collapse
I don't know where you're researching, but the S4 definitely has hardware differences.
Verizon is what's called a "CDMA" carrier. Their S4 includes hardware that can connect to both their CDMA and others' GSM networks.
T-Mobile has a GSM network. Their S4 includes only the GSM hardware, there is no possibility of using it with a CDMA carrier.
Most variations of the S4 also have slightly different sets of "bands" that they can connect to, so the speed you get will vary depending on both the network type and your S4's type. However, the S4 should be able to get at least 2G on any GSM network. Verizon's S4 has the widest possible area of use, because it includes both CDMA and GSM. It can be used on T-Mobile or ATT, but their S4s cannot be used on Verizon entirely because of the hardware differences.
Oishikatta said:
I don't know where you're researching, but the S4 definitely has hardware differences.
Verizon is what's called a "CDMA" carrier. Their S4 includes hardware that can connect to both their CDMA and others' GSM networks.
T-Mobile has a GSM network. Their S4 includes only the GSM hardware, there is no possibility of using it with a CDMA carrier.
Most variations of the S4 also have slightly different sets of "bands" that they can connect to, so the speed you get will vary depending on both the network type and your S4's type. However, the S4 should be able to get at least 2G on any GSM network. Verizon's S4 has the widest possible area of use, because it includes both CDMA and GSM. It can be used on T-Mobile or ATT, but their S4s cannot be used on Verizon entirely because of the hardware differences.
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I understand the networks are different.. what I am seeing is that the hardware is the same ... they all have the same chips.. the different carriers are just using software to use what they need
for example here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=25953096&postcount=13
and this thread has examples of people who have used their Verizon on Tmob (voice, wifi, and 4g)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2331131
long story short they say all the phones are the same... they just use different Radio software (plus kernel I assume)
The answer is simple: You will never use a T-Mobile S4 on Verizon.
Verizon S4 on T-Mobile is completely irrelevant, because they're designed to work that way.
Razzzzer said:
I understand the networks are different.. what I am seeing is that the hardware is the same ... they all have the same chips.. the different carriers are just using software to use what they need
for example here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=25953096&postcount=13
and this thread has examples of people who have used their Verizon on Tmob (voice, wifi, and 4g)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2331131
long story short they say all the phones are the same... they just use different Radio software (plus kernel I assume)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is NO CDMA radio in a T-Mobile GS4.
Even if it were, Verizon will not add foreign IMEID/ESN to their database. Without the IMEID/ESN added to the database you cannot get voice service. You could possibly take a provisioned SIM and get data only, but what good is that.
Sell the S4, buy an HTC M8 do S-Off, move on.
Your S4 will never work on Verizon.
I have a AT&T branded M8 that I use on Tmobile because it is sim unlocked. My question is, do I flash custom roms from the Tmobile xda board or do I stick with AT&T roms only? I've never use a nonbranded phone! Thank you.
Its a tricky question, actually. In general any ROM meant for the GSM M8 should be "safe" to flash, in that they won't damage your phone and will work for the most part (but stay away from the CDMA ROMs for Verizon and Sprint). But some ROMs might work better on your specific (T-Mobile) network. Also, a different radio may or may not affect reception. The most you can really do is to read up or ask other T-Mobile users (or even T-Mobile customers using the AT&T version M8 like you) what has resulted from trial and error; or experiment yourself.
My father is likely to give me his Verizon Note 4, I know I can simply pop in my Tmobile SIM and voice works and then add in the Tmobile APN for LTE access...
But I was wondering what would be the limitations and ramifications of flashing the stock Verizon 4.4.4 Android with the Tmobile version... Is it possible and what issues could I expect when this happens?
The main reason I ask is Tmobile android phones have the Wifi Calling feature and with Verizon software I do not have this feature... interested if swapping carrier versions of Android is possible and if it would give me access to the Wifi Calling feature as if the phone was Tmobile stock.
So I'm switching from verizon to T-Mobile after this month and I was wondering what would be the best way to flash the T-Mobile firmware and get rid of the verizon firmware?
Firmware is not the problem. TMO & ATT have GSM radios, Verizon & Sprint are CDMA. Your Verizon S5 *will not* connect to the t-mobile network no matter what firmware you are running. T-mobile probably still has a very generous trade-in program.
Actually the Verizon S5 should work as it contains an LTE radio, meaning GSM functionality is present. Furthermore, the Verizon model comes unlocked as per FCC regulations. You will need to set the proper APNs to get connectivity on the Verizon S5, however.
Short answer: The S5 works on TMO.
I just made the same switch two months ago. I had two S5s and an S4. My dad is still using his VZW S4 on TMO and I used both of my S5s. However, the coverage seemed to be less than optimal and I wanted the WiFi calling options so I bought two used TMO S5s and my dad is getting a Kyocera Hydro. Even with the cellspot extender my dad's S4 won't make a call at his house.
I guess I got it wrong. DOH! Thanks for setting me straight. So what about going the other way, would a TMO S5 work on the Verizon network?