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I have been buying the AT&T versions for years now, extending my contract term and trying the NEXT plan. But with the bigger carriers locking the software down I want to buy an international version, but I'm unsure where to get one.
interesting, I was looking at us version of Samsung site and realize they do not sell latest smartphones provider free and unlocked;
you have to try the Canada site, looks like up north here, we can buy Samsung phones unlocked, even the newest ones
There are a number of sites that deal with overseas international phones. You can also find them on Amazon.com quite easily. Here is one http://welectronics.com/gsm/SAMSUNGSMPHONES.shtml take note they are selling a 32GB & 64GB only version, not sure if they can't get the 128GB option, or it will come later.
Order Directly from Samsung or Use eBay Amazon Walmart Best buy or this super place swappa.com
Buying an international version sounds like a good idea.
biggstkk said:
I have been buying the AT&T versions for years now, extending my contract term and trying the NEXT plan. But with the bigger carriers locking the software down I want to buy an international version, but I'm unsure where to get one.
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I'm in the same boat. Just need to make sure the international version will support AT&T's LTE bands. If they do, I'll be going this route as well.
Try GSM Nation. Thet have the unlocked and at&t compatible version. Pre-Ordered mine.
Do not even try Canada. Yes we have stuff that work on pretty much all GSM carriers, but never can you buy an unlocked phone unless it's Google, Chinese made or bought overpriced on Sony's website. Samsung Nevers sells unlocked here. Got to use typical methods
Canada is not really international per se, Its networks are set up almost if not identical to those in the US, hence almost all devices are identical to those available in the US market.
There are however, few retailers that sells international versions of devices here in Canada. NCIX.com and Expansys Canada are the first 2 that come to mind. Its just a little more tougher to find as some retailers either don't post the complete information or don't even know their own inventory as some may carry the international versions without even knowing it.
Any other suggestions?
Buy an unbranded one off eBay.
Hello all,
I have been waiting for the Z4 tablet to come out for awhile and I'm starting to lose patience with my Nexus 7 (2012). If I were to buy the international versions that are popping up on Amazon, and I get the wifi version, are there any things that the international versions would lack that the formal U.S. release would have? I've never purchased anything that was not a U.S. device so I'm not aware of if there are things like Google Play Services that would not be functional (as is the case with the Nokia N1 when it was first released).
Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
Info
nikeboii said:
Hello all,
I have been waiting for the Z4 tablet to come out for awhile and I'm starting to lose patience with my Nexus 7 (2012). If I were to buy the international versions that are popping up on Amazon, and I get the wifi version, are there any things that the international versions would lack that the formal U.S. release would have? I've never purchased anything that was not a U.S. device so I'm not aware of if there are things like Google Play Services that would not be functional (as is the case with the Nokia N1 when it was first released).
Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
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sometimes it s better to buy international version cause u may receive update directly from Sony
Hey! This is my first post on the forums, so correct me if this is in the wrong section or anything of that nature. Anyway, I've been interested in purchasing a Galaxy S6 Edge for a while now. I currently use a Nexus 4 on the daily, and I love the Edge's similarly beautiful design. I am going to buy the phone unlocked, as I have never been and will never be locked into a service contract. Right now I use Cricket Wireless in the United States. (which operates on At&t's towers). Cricket only sells the not-so-edgy galaxy s6, but I should be able to use any gsm model on the carrier. I was wondering if there are any reasons to pick one variant over another? Could the non carrier specific ones will receive updates quicker? Or maybe US specific models will operate better in the US (reception wise)? Do some get more developer support from the community for rooting and rom development? Is there even a difference (perhaps not)? These are all just random examples that come to mind. I just want to make sure I'm not hit with any curve ball when making such a large purchase. In any case, it's sure to be an upgrade from 2012. Thanks in advance
GreatValueCereal said:
Hey! This is my first post on the forums, so correct me if this is in the wrong section or anything of that nature. Anyway, I've been interested in purchasing a Galaxy S6 Edge for a while now. I currently use a Nexus 4 on the daily, and I love the Edge's similarly beautiful design. I am going to buy the phone unlocked, as I have never been and will never be locked into a service contract. Right now I use Cricket Wireless in the United States. (which operates on At&t's towers). Cricket only sells the not-so-edgy galaxy s6, but I should be able to use any gsm model on the carrier. I was wondering if there are any reasons to pick one variant over another? Could the non carrier specific ones will receive updates quicker? Or maybe US specific models will operate better in the US (reception wise)? Do some get more developer support from the community for rooting and rom development? Is there even a difference (perhaps not)? These are all just random examples that come to mind. I just want to make sure I'm not hit with any curve ball when making such a large purchase. In any case, it's sure to be an upgrade from 2012. Thanks in advance
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The unlocked, unbranded international edition will get you the fastest updates.
Although I have not personally researched it, I have heard from other users that it gets LTE connectivity on AT&T's network, so you are good there.
If you buy any other Variant, updates will be slower.
I would discourage the purchase of the AT&T variant because it is the only one that has not been updated to 5.1
Just make sure you are very careful with where you are buying.
I have heard plenty of stories of people buying the Galaxy S6 online and either it is counterfeit, was stolen, or KNOX had been tripped.
Snowby123 said:
The unlocked, unbranded international edition will get you the fastest updates.
Although I have not personally researched it, I have heard from other users that it gets LTE connectivity on AT&T's network, so you are good there.
If you buy any other Variant, updates will be slower.
I would discourage the purchase of the AT&T variant because it is the only one that has not been updated to 5.1
Just make sure you are very careful with where you are buying.
I have heard plenty of stories of people buying the Galaxy S6 online and either it is counterfeit, was stolen, or KNOX had been tripped.
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Oh thanks a lot. I didn't even think about counterfeit or stolen devices. But it sounds like international is the way to go
In India, 99% of mobile phones fall into the "unlocked" and "international" version. Carrier based phones are extremely rare.
Since you are from a different country, I suggest you email and ask Samsung about it, because like the others said, could be counterfeit, stolen or KNOX tripped.
Sent from my SM-G925I using XDA Free mobile app
http://www.ebay.com/sch/zteusainc/m...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562
They still sell it on the regular website and Best Buy and New Egg are still selling them on ebay. But this is very interesting that they have stopped selling it on ebay.
If they don't have any stock, how would they be running anything on eBay? I don't think ebay lets you run pre-orders and such. I'd bet it will come back up when stock arrive shortly.
It's no about stock actually.
They don't want non-US users to get the chance to buy the US model outside of the US. Which you were able to using eBay.
I was told by BHPhoto that they are restricted by ZTE to sell the device to non-US customers.
The US version is the better one compared to the international model.
Lucky me I have a buddy in NY area who got the newegg pre-order of the grey version and will forward it to me. I'm in Europe and have tested the A2017G. Sent it back as I'm waiting for the A2017U (US Model).
how is that the U model is better then G?
Aimara said:
how is that the U model is better then G?
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Easy for Unlock bootloader and easy to fix soft-brick , probably more buy those 2 comes first!!
oh ok , now that they halt the sale outside us ,seem like its just for you guys , well it should promote more and increase the community , frankly speaking just this year i heard of this brand , hmmm where has it been all these years
celoxocis said:
It's no about stock actually.
They don't want non-US users to get the chance to buy the US model outside of the US. Which you were able to using eBay.
I was told by BHPhoto that they are restricted by ZTE to sell the device to non-US customers.
The US version is the better one compared to the international model.
Lucky me I have a buddy in NY area who got the newegg pre-order of the grey version and will forward it to me. I'm in Europe and have tested the A2017G. Sent it back as I'm waiting for the A2017U (US Model).
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Could you please detail why G version would be worse than U. It is same hardware and only modem is different but modem behaves better in G as read comments anywhere? What do you expect from U? If you have software issues I am sure that if any is fixed in one of two it will be sorted out on other one too.
obladi64 said:
Could you please detail why G version would be worse than U. It is same hardware and only modem is different but modem behaves better in G as read comments anywhere? What do you expect from U? If you have software issues I am sure that if any is fixed in one of two it will be sorted out on other one too.
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Actually only a few points that tipped it over for me in favor for the U version.
A: Better Software support from ZTE USA.
B: The U version has VoLTE which is supported in ROM/Baseband. The G version does not and never will. (Not supported in the modem firmware).
C: U version allows you to enter EDL mode (Qualcomms Emergency Download Mode). I need this as I'm a dev. The G version can only enter DFU mode.
D: All the band's that are required in my Euro country and in the US are supported. I travel to friends in the US and don't want to have to switch phones.
E: With the newegg pre-order you were given free headphones for around 200$. After customs it will be the same price as the G version in euros but with additional free high quality headphones.
F: My buddy tested the phone for "bad signal reception" and other faults/defects I mentioned to look out for. For over a week before sending the device over. Else I would have told him to send it back.
He is using an OP3 and even compared them as a daily driver. He said it's on par with the OP3. He even said the Axon7 is like "stuck on 4G" while his OP3 loses 4G occasionally and gets 3G only.
He is an experienced IT tech. I trust his judgement.
He is even thinking about selling his OP3 and to grab an Axon7 as soon as CM is done.
obladi64 said:
Could you please detail why G version would be worse than U. It is same hardware and only modem is different but modem behaves better in G as read comments anywhere? What do you expect from U? If you have software issues I am sure that if any is fixed in one of two it will be sorted out on other one too.
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The G model has a lower volume cap, possibly due to EU regulations, while the U model has a much higher cap. The G model also seems to have more issues with bootloader unlocking, while the U model is pretty straight forward.
celoxocis said:
Actually only a few points that tipped it over for me in favor for the U version.
A: Better Software support from ZTE USA.
B: The U version has VoLTE which is supported in ROM/Baseband. The G version does not and never will. (Not supported in the modem firmware).
C: U version allows you to enter EDL mode (Qualcomms Emergency Download Mode). I need this as I'm a dev. The G version can only enter DFU mode.
D: All the band's that are required in my Euro country and in the US are supported. I travel to friends in the US and don't want to have to switch phones.
E: With the newegg pre-order you were given free headphones for around 200$. After customs it will be the same price as the G version in euros but with additional free high quality headphones.
F: My buddy tested the phone for "bad signal reception" and other faults/defects I mentioned to look out for. For over a week before sending the device over. Else I would have told him to send it back.
He is using an OP3 and even compared them as a daily driver. He said it's on par with the OP3. He even said the Axon7 is like "stuck on 4G" while his OP3 loses 4G occasionally and gets 3G only.
He is an experienced IT tech. I trust his judgement.
He is even thinking about selling his OP3 and to grab an Axon7 as soon as CM is done.
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Thanks for the details. You see it from developer point of view mainly as I see.
A) I don't know. May be but as I see much less G related problem was reported than U.
B) May be but Volte is not as wide spreaded in EU as in US. as far as I know. Otherwise It looks that workaroud (if not the final solution) for signal issue of US model is turning Volte off, so you can get in same boat easily.
C) I don't know how important it is for avaradge users. Orherwise it is also software fearure if I understand it well.
D) You are lucky. Not eveeybody can say that US bands cover of his/her country exactly.
E) Just because of this fact US version is not better. It is only cheaper.
F) It is strange because mostly US users complain for signal reception. I haven't had any issue with. G. It works perfectly and expectedly in big city as well as low signal country area. As I mentioned earlier it looks that workaroud (if not the final solution) for signal issue of US model is turning Volte off.
Also I read that overwriting field APN manually can solve few cell issues. I did it due to orher reason and I don't have any issue.
So after all you didn't mentioned anything why U would be better for users except Volte. It is just your taste and chance to get it cheaper.
obladi64 said:
Thanks for the details. You see it from developer point of view mainly as I see.
A) I don't know. May be but as I see much less G related problem was reported than U.
B) May be but Volte is not as wide spreaded in EU as in US. as far as I know. Otherwise It looks that workaroud (if not the final solution) for signal issue of US model is turning Volte off, so you can get in same boat easily.
C) I don't know how important it is for avaradge users. Orherwise it is also software fearure if I understand it well.
D) You are lucky. Not eveeybody can say that US bands cover of his/her country exactly.
E) Just because of this fact US version is not better. It is only cheaper.
F) It is strange because mostly US users complain for signal reception. I haven't had any issue with. G. It works perfectly and expectedly in big city as well as low signal country area. As I mentioned earlier it looks that workaroud (if not the final solution) for signal issue of US model is turning Volte off.
Also I read that overwriting field APN manually can solve few cell issues. I did it due to orher reason and I don't have any issue.
So after all you didn't mentioned anything why U would be better for users except Volte. It is just your taste and chance to get it cheaper.
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That's why I said it's only a few points for _me_ and not for _all_ users.
And as I have a chance to get all those pros for the same price in the end it is a no brainer.
Also I do not believe that the antenna is so much different to the G model. It is more likely that a few batches had a bad antenna build-in and when ZTE realized that, due to complains, new batches after the affected one's were sent off, were all build with a better antenna in place.
The Chinese and US Models were on the first batches. The international ones were produced later. Look into Chinese forums complaining about reception problems.
Unfortunate it is how the greedy corporate industry world works today. Sell those affected phones until enough users complain. If they complain, offer an exchange. If they don't they made profit.
Just look at the Samsung Note 7 disaster. Same **** is happening there.
Not to mention Samsungs Panel Lottery for their TV which has been going on for a decade.
I worked for Huawei Europe HQ and could write a book about how corporations do their quality check behind the doors. Just saying I'm never gone touch a Huawei phone because of what I know.
(Don't ask I signed an nondisclosure agreement.)
In the end it's on you to decide if you want to keep the phone or not. Or if you want to pay 399$ with more pros or 449euro for more cons.
Isn't the chinese A2017 model better than the rest? I mean... like, you know... 6gb RAM vs 4gb... 128gb internal vs 64... and you can use all the U unlocks/tools w/ no issue?
Seems that many of you forget that having US version in Europe you are out of warranty.
To many customers warranty is very important to them.
Also EU has 3 years warranty policy while US 2 years.
I'm having a month now both gold and gray G version and no reception /WiFi issue at all.
Compared to my S7 Edge the call reception is the same level and WiFi is better.
Also G version will have in coming weeks official root and boot loader unlocked from ZTE without loosing the warranty.
Even that US version is getting first the official software updates it's just matter of time(less than 1 month) until G version also received the software update for the specific region(Europe)
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Just curious does the u model comes from the ZTE USA down in texas? I presumed warranty is by them as well?
Sent from my tblte using XDA Labs
celoxocis said:
That's why I said it's only a few points for _me_ and not for _all_ users.
And as I have a chance to get all those pros for the same price in the end it is a no brainer.
Also I do not believe that the antenna is so much different to the G model. It is more likely that a few batches had a bad antenna build-in and when ZTE realized that, due to complains, new batches after the affected one's were sent off, were all build with a better antenna in place.
The Chinese and US Models were on the first batches. The international ones were produced later. Look into Chinese forums complaining about reception problems.
Unfortunate it is how the greedy corporate industry world works today. Sell those affected phones until enough users complain. If they complain, offer an exchange. If they don't they made profit.
Just look at the Samsung Note 7 disaster. Same **** is happening there.
Not to mention Samsungs Panel Lottery for their TV which has been going on for a decade.
I worked for Huawei Europe HQ and could write a book about how corporations do their quality check behind the doors. Just saying I'm never gone touch a Huawei phone because of what I know.
(Don't ask I signed an nondisclosure agreement.)
In the end it's on you to decide if you want to keep the phone or not. Or if you want to pay 399$ with more pros or 449euro for more cons.
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Click to collapse
You could be right. That's how the world works. You also are not enemy of your money as well as no one else.
Regarding the price I would say that EU price contains the average 21% EU VAT. So it means that price of EU version would be between $410 or 415 in US. So it is not a big deal. Also I think that EU citizens should pay duty if they import from US but it is already off topic.
shirakani said:
Isn't the chinese A2017 model better than the rest? I mean... like, you know... 6gb RAM vs 4gb... 128gb internal vs 64... and you can use all the U unlocks/tools w/ no issue?
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No, bad band support.
obladi64 said:
Also I think that EU citizens should pay duty if they import from US but it is already off topic.
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They do. Just not on specific electronics like Notebooks, Computer Hardware, Cell phones etc
Oddly enough, amazon has also stopped selling the phone. I guess it could just be sold out though.
Hm, still "in stock" at amazon.com:
https://www.amazon.com/ZTE-Axon-unl...TF8&qid=1476347129&sr=8-3&keywords=zte+axon+7
Amazon.com has gold for $399.98, but the grey (which is what I want...) is $479.00. What gives???
Hey all,
Really interested in getting one of these to replace my Mediapad X2. Can anyone tell me how it performs on U.S.A. GSM networks like T-Mo and ATT? Are you getting consistent 4G LTE? Will this handle the upcoming 5G bands? Can the phone portion be operated with and without the speaker enabled? Much obliged!!
Steve
right now got answer by US Huawei chat guy: "might be launched in a couple of months in the USA market".
M3 owner here. Even if it's an incremental update from the M3, it's going to be an awesome unit. That said I just wanted to offer a quick word of caution.
The M3's wifi is 5ghz capable but is disabled by default with a setting you can't change unless you root the device. The reasoning was some really iffy corporate double-talk about FCC conflicts. That said, after rooting this M3 is a dream. I don't know if the M5 will have this same issue in the US, but if the FCC line has not changed you might need to root. And if you need to, strap yourself in- because Huawei root support is sparse at best.
Rooting the M3 was not difficult per se, but a good number of people (including myself) hit snags because there's conflicting data/results as to the best way to get there. Once you get to the proper image and learn how Huawei's partitions work, it's not too bad. Just be ready for a learning curve. It's a far cry from rooting OnePlus...
So if it turns out that the 5ghz comes locked in the US, either be ready to run 2.4 for a while or wait until someone develops root. Good luck!
Thanks for the info, seven. I'm concerned about the wifi issue you discuss, but I'd be more excited to get an LTE phone in the US. Don't know how much longer AT&T will provide the connectivity I need to keep my X2 working.
The thing with the M5 is how long it's taking to get these out there. The phone was released well over a month ago and I can not find a single seller either on Amazon or E Bay. I'm starting to feel as if it was all a joke.
It should work with US LTE. Towards the bottom of this page shows what bands the M5 has and what bands each network uses.
https://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-huawei-mediapad-m5-10-lte
This is for the 10 inch, but it should be the same as the 8.
Thanks. Any idea where I can actually buy on of these?
purple lady said:
It should work with US LTE. Towards the bottom of this page shows what bands the M5 has and what bands each network uses.
https://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-huawei-mediapad-m5-10-lte
This is for the 10 inch, but it should be the same as the 8.
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steveyal said:
Thanks. Any idea where I can actually buy on of these?
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Click to collapse
May be by this way ... ?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=76014300&postcount=9
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=76050565&postcount=14
kajos said:
May be by this way ... ?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=76014300&postcount=9
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=76050565&postcount=14
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Thanks dude,
Just concerned that the version sold in Germany may have different bands that won't do LTE in the U.S.
Depending on the return policy, I may pick one up to check it out myself.
Thanks again.
GREAT!!! Went to the website Amazon. de. Adds say this item can not be shipped to the United States. I get the feeling we are going to be screwed yet again.
Ordered from Amazon Italy. It shipped from Germany, got it in 3 days. I briefly tested tmobile and got internet and calling. I will do more testing. Great first impressions..
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
steveyal said:
GREAT!!! Went to the website Amazon. de. Adds say this item can not be shipped to the United States. I get the feeling we are going to be screwed yet again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trump against China
Yes bought mine from Amazon.de, took 3 days for delivery to the UK.
Quite often items are cheaper coming from Amazon Germany than the Amazon UK, plus the MediaPad is supplied and delivered by Amazon, not through a third party.
Result?
I want the 64GB WiFi version for use in the USA. I wonder why only the 32 GB version is being currently sold.
swieder711 said:
I want the 64GB WiFi version for use in the USA. I wonder why only the 32 GB version is being currently sold.
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To be honest the 32GB isn't really a problem.
I've loaded all my apps and still have well over 15GB left.
All my photo and video live on the micro SD card.
Did some further investigating. The one currently available in Europe does but have the bands for LTE in the US. Maybe we can hope for an international version, but I doubt very much that this will ever see the light of day in the US. May be a legal issue or something. Otherwise, why wouldn't all manufactures just open up the US bands just for the heck of it. After all, the US is one of the top three consumer markets in the world.
Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer business group, isn't giving up on the US yet... They really want to sell the P20 here. Hoping they bring the Mediapad M5, too.
https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/30/huawei-isnt-giving-up-on-the-us-just-yet/
This is a link to the Huawei promo info for the M5 on the US Huawei website. The only thing it doesn't have is a 'buy now' button. I'd say for sure, at this time! They are going to be available in the US soon. Really hoping to get one. asap.
https://consumer.huawei.com/us/tablets/mediapad-m5-8/
Nice that it's on the site. Wasn't there when I checked last week. Just hope the 8" gets a US release.
I saw a seller that ships to the US; but they only stock a wifi version of the tab. Hopefully, they will release an LTE version over here. Signs are looking good being that it's on the Huawei US site; but I never count my chickens until they are hatched. BTW, has anyone got answer about whether the tab has an ear speaker for calls or do you have to use a blue tooth?
For calls it is the loud speakers, or Bluetooth. No to the ear speaker.
I guess you could also go wired through the USB C adapter that is supplied not tried that yet.
It does work very well through the speakers if you don't mind being on 'loud speaker' to the world!