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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 everybody,
The previous HOX was not supporting the 3G data on t-mobile due to lack of HSDPA 1700 as far as I realized. It seems that the same problem remains with the new HOX+ too since it cannot support HSDPA 1700.
Does anybody know something about it?
Thanks in advance
vivid80 said:
Hi everybody,
The previous HOX was not supporting the 3G data on t-mobile due to lack of HSDPA 1700 as far as I realized. It seems that the same problem remains with the new HOX+ too since it cannot support HSDPA 1700.
Does anybody know something about it?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should check the spec sheet at htc.com
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Here's a complete list of AWS carriers worldwide. You can count them on your fingers. If you were a manufacturer, would you go out of your way to include the AWS bands on your unlocked global phones?
Canada
Wind Mobile
Mobilicity
Videotron
United States
T-Mobile USA
Big River Broadband
Cincinnati Bell
Mosaic Telecom
Cricket Wireless
Chile
VTR
Nextel
vivid80 said:
Hi everybody,
The previous HOX was not supporting the 3G data on t-mobile due to lack of HSDPA 1700 as far as I realized. It seems that the same problem remains with the new HOX+ too since it cannot support HSDPA 1700.
Does anybody know something about it?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
airportal.de (site works on laptops but not good on phones at least for me)
I think when T-mobile refarms the area you live in this might give you 3g for unlocked ATT phones and international versions also.
954wrecker said:
airportal.de (site works on laptops but not good on phones at least for me)
I think when T-mobile refarms the area you live in this might give you 3g for unlocked ATT phones and international versions also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But it could take months or even years! Right?
vivid80 said:
But it could take months or even years! Right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its popping up all over pretty fast. Central San Diego was empty until just a few days ago
954wrecker said:
Its popping up all over pretty fast. Central San Diego was empty until just a few days ago
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Click to collapse
I hope it goes as you said in our region. I've seen an AT&T version of HOX+ which will support more Network frequencies as well as LTE. Would it really matter in my case? Should I go with the unlocked AT&T version or an international version?
I'm waiting until the dust settles on the refarming and on the next batch of nexus phones. Then the selections and used prices should really improve.
Sent from my SGH-T679 using xda app-developers app
Now there is also a Telus HTC One X+.
Does anyone know if it will work on Wind Mobile in Canada?
The HTC One X+ ? Will it work if Unlocked? I know unlocking is illegal but, I'm willing to pay full price. Please Help?
If you're paying full price than u should go buy a HTC one when its released
Slithered from my HTC One X+
T-mobile maybe
The One X+ will work up to a point on T-mobile. For 3G data T-mobile uses 1700 and 2100 bands. The One x does not have the 1700 band but uses 1900 and 2100. T-mobile is refarming 1900 frequencies to work with their 3G, however, it has only been done in some areas, in which case you would only have Edge if it is not completed in your area. It is difficult to find out where it has been refarmed. You can check out some sites which show some confirmed areas of 1900 refarming, however, it is by no means complete. Look up on Google.
Just get a Nexus 4 on T-Mobile. They pair really well. There's nothing the HOX+ offers to justify paying full price for it. I've had the N4 and if it had LTE I would not be using the HOX+. LTE doesn't matter on T-Mobile and their HSPA+ network is plenty fast, the N4 is a fine device on T-Mobile. Prices have dropped on them, I've seen the 8GB on my local Craigslist for $280 which is a far cry from the obscene HOX+ retail price.
I've had an HTC HD7 on T-Mobile for a good solid three years now, but it has become outdated and I need a new phone.
All the Windows Phones on T-Mobile are very crappy (in my opinion) and the phone I would love to have would be the Lumia 920.
My only problem is, it doesn't exist. My question is: If I were to buy a Lumia 920 locked to AT&T off of eBay, then get an unlock code, would it be possible to have it running with at least 3G speeds? All the radio frequencies point to yes, but I would like to check here first.
Thanks!
Bobsteriffic said:
I've had an HTC HD7 on T-Mobile for a good solid three years now, but it has become outdated and I need a new phone.
All the Windows Phones on T-Mobile are very crappy (in my opinion) and the phone I would love to have would be the Lumia 920.
My only problem is, it doesn't exist. My question is: If I were to buy a Lumia 920 locked to AT&T off of eBay, then get an unlock code, would it be possible to have it running with at least 3G speeds? All the radio frequencies point to yes, but I would like to check here first.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you read around, all at&t lumias 820 & 920 are locked. there is a rare rare chance of getting an unlock code from AT&T. All the sites in the web are scams. It would be better to buy a Rogers Unlocked 920 because: 1. they have the same antennas as AT&T, some say the phones are pentaband and 2. they are already unlocked.
or get an international unlocked. some reports stated you can flash the firmware from other countries and get AWS.
Long story short, unless you want straight talk which is powered by AT&T, you wont have a good chance of getting an AT&T lumia sim unlocked
hope i am wrong. working on getting a code or two time will tell
jhr said:
if you read around, all at&t lumias 820 & 920 are locked. there is a rare rare chance of getting an unlock code from AT&T. All the sites in the web are scams. It would be better to buy a Rogers Unlocked 920 because: 1. they have the same antennas as AT&T, some say the phones are pentaband and 2. they are already unlocked.
or get an international unlocked. some reports stated you can flash the firmware from other countries and get AWS.
Long story short, unless you want straight talk which is powered by AT&T, you wont have a good chance of getting an AT&T lumia sim unlocked
hope i am wrong. working on getting a code or two time will tell
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Click to collapse
Can you point me towards the direction of the Rogers Lumia? I've heard about them but I have no idea where to find them.
Bobsteriffic said:
Can you point me towards the direction of the Rogers Lumia? I've heard about them but I have no idea where to find them.
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eBay.
Bobsteriffic said:
Can you point me towards the direction of the Rogers Lumia? I've heard about them but I have no idea where to find them.
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Click to collapse
https://www.google.com/#hl=en&outpu...94,d.aWM&fp=e404425d9557a858&biw=1680&bih=834
google search my friend, anyways ebay is good, like other stated, craigslist but rare. negri electronics, expansys. there is a canadian retailer that sells them and ships them to the USA, but in the long run buying new and out of country will cost you a shinnier penny than at AT&T
go to http://forums.wpcentral.com/marketplace-buy-sell-trade/
Bobsteriffic said:
Can you point me towards the direction of the Rogers Lumia? I've heard about them but I have no idea where to find them.
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Click to collapse
Bought mine at canadagsm.ca and had it in my hands 3 days later in Miami. And, so far is the best phone I've owned. It is a pentaband so it will work with T-MOBILE. Also, I have none of the problems others are mentionning on this forum (dust in front of the FFC, etc ...).
SO, I'm very satisfied !!!
Realized that there are two threads...I'm pasting my reply here and requesting the other to be deleted.
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I'm on T-Mobile as well. I ended up purchasing a Lumia 920 international unlocked (Polish variant). The international variant uses the same 3G frequency as the AT&T variant (1900 MHz 3G).
T-Mobile has been refarming their network and they are now running 3G on 1900 MHz as well, in addition to the original 1700 MHz.
If you're in the Mill Creek, WA area, I can't tell you how the 1900 MHz 3G network performs since I'm not in that area. However, I live in Bellevue, go to UW and work in Shoreline and 3G coverage on the 1900 MHz network has been pretty good. At UW, I can get anywhere between 7-15 Mbit/sec.
To answer your question, yes an AT&T version will have 3G on T-Mobile's network, but only if you're in an area that has received refarming.
Hope this helps. Feel free to send any more questions my way!
hawc1506 said:
Realized that there are two threads...I'm pasting my reply here and requesting the other to be deleted.
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I'm on T-Mobile as well. I ended up purchasing a Lumia 920 international unlocked (Polish variant). The international variant uses the same 3G frequency as the AT&T variant (1900 MHz 3G).
T-Mobile has been refarming their network and they are now running 3G on 1900 MHz as well, in addition to the original 1700 MHz.
If you're in the Mill Creek, WA area, I can't tell you how the 1900 MHz 3G network performs since I'm not in that area. However, I live in Bellevue, go to UW and work in Shoreline and 3G coverage on the 1900 MHz network has been pretty good. At UW, I can get anywhere between 7-15 Mbit/sec.
To answer your question, yes an AT&T version will have 3G on T-Mobile's network, but only if you're in an area that has received refarming.
Hope this helps. Feel free to send any more questions my way!
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Now this here is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you! Now all I need to do is to find an unlock code for the AT&T Lumia 920
Bobsteriffic said:
Now this here is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you! Now all I need to do is to find an unlock code for the AT&T Lumia 920
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck as right now they don't exist. The sites claiming to have them are scams. Those claiming to have received one are most likely working for or being paid by those same scam sites.
Solarenemy68 said:
Good luck as right now they don't exist. The sites claiming to have them are scams. Those claiming to have received one are most likely working for or being paid by those same scam sites.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is true. Do NOT give your money to any site claiming to unlock the AT&T 920. It will only be possible for those sites to do so after May 9th, and then still only buy it from reputable sites!
The ONLY way to unlock an AT&T 920 is if you're an AT&T customer and push really hard with the customer support. It might also be only customers with accounts on business discounts (tied to your work email) that are able to get it. I get premier business customer support when I call in to AT&T and I even had to argue on the phone for 60 minutes in total with all the reps I talked to before I was able to get them to submit an unlock request.
Hi all,
I see a few threads about folks trying to make lumia 920 work on Tmobile USA and I see some talk about quadband vs pentaband, which I am unable to follow. I am planning to buy an unlocked lumia 920 from expansys. I see they are selling unlocked lumia 920 for 450$ and for 550$. I am not sure what the difference is. Can the experts here take a look at the below links and let me know what the difference between the 2 models are and which one would work on Tmobile USA 3g and 4g bandwidths?
www .expansys-usa.com/nokia-lumia-920-windows-phone-white-238632/
www .expansys-usa.com/nokia-lumia-920-windows-phone-236632/
www .expansys-usa.com/nokia-lumia-920-windows-phone-yellow-238634/ (my preferred color!)
www .expansys-usa.com/nokia-lumia-920-windows-phone-rogers-branded-black-unlocked-241692/
If someone could point me to some website (other than ebay) to buy an unlocked lumia 920 (yellow/red) which could be made to work with Tmobile USA, that would be really helpful!
zeeshmk said:
Hi all,
I see a few threads about folks trying to make lumia 920 work on Tmobile USA and I see some talk about quadband vs pentaband, which I am unable to follow. I am planning to buy an unlocked lumia 920 from expansys. I see they are selling unlocked lumia 920 for 450$ and for 550$. I am not sure what the difference is. Can the experts here take a look at the below links and let me know what the difference between the 2 models are and which one would work on Tmobile USA 3g and 4g bandwidths?
www .expansys-usa.com/nokia-lumia-920-windows-phone-white-238632/
www .expansys-usa.com/nokia-lumia-920-windows-phone-236632/
www .expansys-usa.com/nokia-lumia-920-windows-phone-yellow-238634/ (my preferred color!)
www .expansys-usa.com/nokia-lumia-920-windows-phone-rogers-branded-black-unlocked-241692/
If someone could point me to some website (other than ebay) to buy an unlocked lumia 920 (yellow/red) which could be made to work with Tmobile USA, that would be really helpful!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Well, I am not an expert but here's my two cents:
Quadband vs Pentaband refers to the bands the phone can work on. If you go to the technical specs on the pages you posted, you'll see this:
Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900; HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100...which means that the phone has 4 (hence 'quad') bands in both GSM and HSDPA. In the case of a pentaband HSDPA, it also includes a fifth (and for you very important) band -1700 MHz.
Your last (and most expensive) option should work for sure, since it is a pentaband Rogers-branded model, even though the technical specifications do not mention the 1700 MHz frequency which is one of the two T-Mobile uses (the other one being 2100). But other vendors, including the one I've purchased my 2 Rogers-branded 920s from, do not list this frequency either, since they just take the info from one source and never bother to correct it when wrong.
The other (cheaper) options are most likely the ATT version, which does not have the 1700 MHz band, but technically can be flashed to Rogers and unlock this band (there's lots of info on this forum on how to do it). There's always a risk to brick the phone (render it unusable), but it's minimal. I guess it depends on your risk-management level, whether you feel comfortable enough to save $220 and carry all the process of flashing the phone, or shell out the full amount and have it working out of the box.
There's also the possibility that the cheaper ones do work on your area without flashing, depending on whether T-Mobile has already deployed the 1900 MHz band:
From: http://explore.t-mobile.com/phone-sim-card#faq
Will non-T-Mobile phones without the AWS 1700/2100 band not work on T-Mobile's 3G / 4G network?
A: T-Mobile provides 4G data services nationwide on the AWS 1700/2100 bands, and is in the process of adding service on the PCS 1900 band. Today, phones with both AWS 1700/2100 bands (not just one or the other) work nationwide on T-Mobile’s 4G network. PCS 1900 band phones (sold by AT&T and others) work on the T-Mobile 4G network in cities where 1900 service has been added. Check with your local T-Mobile store or call customer service to learn about the network status in your area.
You could also buy it from another place, more reasonably priced. This is where I bought my first one in December, and my second one a couple of weeks ago when I lost my first one Mind you, I did not buy either online, but actually went to their retail store to get them. Some people tend to think that they have a bad reputation, but my experience has been quite satisfactory (I bought the first one locked for $500, and they sold me the second one unlocked for the same price, virtually unlocking it for free). I do not know if they ship to the US, and if so, how much it costs but you could try contacting them... The downside is that they only have black. Here's the links:
$499: http://canadagsm.ca/NOKIA/Nokia-Lumia-920-Unlocked-Penta-band-lte/
$550: http://canadagsm.ca/NOKIA/Nokia-Lumia-920-LTE-Windows-8-Rogers/
You could buy the locked one and order an unlock code for about $15 on sites like cellunlocker.net
Attached is a pic of the box to show you that it does have the 1700 MHz frequency...
HTH
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ARG
Thanks Abelitin for the detailed response. Appreciate your help!
I did go through some threads in this forum and it appears that flashing an Rogers version onto an unlocked ATT 920 involves so many steps that I got confused. Also I think there was one more thread about Nokia locking out the "navifirm" software that people use to get the different carrier versions.
In any case, after searching quite a bit, the cheapest I have found was in Negrielectronics and they are selling the Rogers version for 450 - 530$ range. Even ATT unlocked versions seem to fall in the same price range. So I might as well get the Rogers version.
zeeshmk said:
Thanks Abelitin for the detailed response. Appreciate your help!
I did go through some threads in this forum and it appears that flashing an Rogers version onto an unlocked ATT 920 involves so many steps that I got confused. Also I think there was one more thread about Nokia locking out the "navifirm" software that people use to get the different carrier versions.
In any case, after searching quite a bit, the cheapest I have found was in Negrielectronics and they are selling the Rogers version for 450 - 530$ range. Even ATT unlocked versions seem to fall in the same price range. So I might as well get the Rogers version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to help...
The cheapest variants on that website do no specify if they are Rogers, but the tech specs do mention they have the 1700 MHz band, so you should be ok.
Nokia did close access through Navifirm, but apparently it is still possible to flash using Nokia Care Suite, as per the post below...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=40988591&postcount=8
It is a simple but risky process, so if negrielectronics is selling an unlocked pentaband version for $450, that is the best option, imho.
Good luck in your quest. It's a great phone... You won't regret having purchased it! (Incidentally, my carrier also works on the 1700-2100 MHz frequencies. I was waiting for last September's iphone release, hoping it would add the 1700 band, but it didn't, so I then decided to get another Nokia (had had a 5230 for 1 1/2 years) and went for the Lumia 920. The very same day I lost it, Apple came out with a new version of the iphone 5 that does support the 1700 (therefore, it also works on T-Mobile), but now there is no way I go the iphone road, so I got another L920!)
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ARG