[Q] Switching to the Titan, but need some advice - HTC Titan

Hello everyone,
I've been an android user for a year and a half now, but after getting a grip of a WP device I am surely making the switch, and the Titan has caught my eyes from the first sight!
I was wondering if anyone can give me some advice regarding where to get the phone from and what version should I get?
I live in the Middle-East and the phone is currently unavailable here but I want to get it from the internet, there are many versions of the Titan and I am not quite sure which one should I buy!
Here are the options I got and I don't know which one I should go with:
1- The AT&T version: I've read that the AT&T version had some problems regarding voice quality but its the cheapest among them all (around 500$ and I need to unlock it of course).
2- The international version -don't know what's it called really- factory unlocked on amazon for 675$.
3- The UK version on ebay for 600$, factory unlocked.
Considering the fact that I am kinda a noob regarding these stuff, I would like to hear your suggestions, what difference is there between all these three and what should I get for someone living on the other side of the world, also would like to know what the UK version differs from the others.
and is there a chance that the phone won't work with my carrier, what info should I ask them for and check before buying the device ?
thanks a lot for your time, any help is much appreciated

ATT is slow to release updates so I would recommend an international unlocked. You are gonna love the big screen and all the iPhones will be jealous saying it's too big. That's when I set my titan on top of theirs and say Iphone? I see no stinkin iPhone
Sent from my PI39100 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

ROCOAFZ said:
ATT is slow to release updates so I would recommend an international unlocked. You are gonna love the big screen and all the iPhones will be jealous saying it's too big. That's when I set my titan on top of theirs and say Iphone? I see no stinkin iPhone
Sent from my PI39100 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see, so that is a disadvantage for the AT&T version.
Umm, ok what about the UK version, what's wrong with it more like what is the difference between it and the international one?

ROCOAFZ said:
ATT is slow to release updates so I would recommend an international unlocked. You are gonna love the big screen and all the iPhones will be jealous saying it's too big. That's when I set my titan on top of theirs and say Iphone? I see no stinkin iPhone
Sent from my PI39100 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
had an iclone user pick mine up the other day and pretend it was a riot shield. "it's just sooooo big!" wait until the iclone 5 has a bigger screen, suddenly this form factor will become "magical." &^%$ers!

The AT&T one will *never* tether on any network other than AT&T. Not sure about the UK one.
You might want to investigate whether the int'l unlocked one can.
If it were me I'd get the int'l unlocked one, *unless* I specifically needed a UMTS band that that one does not offer.

tai4de2 said:
The AT&T one will *never* tether on any network other than AT&T. Not sure about the UK one.
You might want to investigate whether the int'l unlocked one can.
If it were me I'd get the int'l unlocked one, *unless* I specifically needed a UMTS band that that one does not offer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
UK unlocked here - tethers with everything!

drupad2drupad said:
UK unlocked here - tethers with everything!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
since you own the UK version, may I ask you what differ is there between it and the international version ? (the UK version is cheaper by 75$) but I don't know if it'll work as I live in the middle-east and I don't know what to ask my carrier for to know?
thanks

I am not entirely sure about international version. But I think it probably not much difference hardware wise for sure. Since certain features of OS are limited to certain countries ir might be the case. E.g. Bing features, tell me services etc. It might be helpful if I say that even in UK version the radio is set to International.
Sent from my TITAN X310e using Board Express

drupad2drupad said:
I am not entirely sure about international version. But I think it probably not much difference hardware wise for sure. Since certain features of OS are limited to certain countries ir might be the case. E.g. Bing features, tell me services etc. It might be helpful if I say that even in UK version the radio is set to International.
Sent from my TITAN X310e using Board Express
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok that's great to know, features like Tell Me and others aren't that important to me and honestly it'll help me get a British accent, hehe
but the most important thing that there isn't any big changes, stuff like the market won't work or these kind of things, right?
thanks for your help

black_falcon90 said:
ok that's great to know, features like Tell Me and others aren't that important to me and honestly it'll help me get a British accent, hehe
but the most important thing that there isn't any big changes, stuff like the market won't work or these kind of things, right?
thanks for your help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do a search though. In some countries Market won't have certain apps. The market ideally should work in all countries but some have lesser apps than others e.g. we don't have the Netflix app in the UK. Check out what Market looks like for your specific country. Unlikely you will have all the apps. It's more to do with MS sorting out the legalities etc for each country gradually..

iFan has their own bias, so i won't talk about it here.
AT&T Version always slow in the Update since AT&T have to test it and do whatever they want to the update before it can be published.
I have the X310e version from UK, unlocked and totally happy with it.
And with the international version, you have the "HTC" agent color, which is removed on the AT&T Titan.

Strike_Eagle said:
iFan has their own bias, so i won't talk about it here.
AT&T Version always slow in the Update since AT&T have to test it and do whatever they want to the update before it can be published.
I have the X310e version from UK, unlocked and totally happy with it.
And with the international version, you have the "HTC" agent color, which is removed on the AT&T Titan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC agent colour is also present in the UK version. So does this mean only the ATT doesn't have it? or is UK and international one the same thing?

The Apps in the market will be dependent on the Country given in your Live-Account. This can't be changed afterwards, so if you use an US-Account and someday Microsoft extends their Market to your country you're either stuck with the US Account (don't know if it will accept a Non-US-Creditcard - it doesn't accept european cards for US-Accounts as far as I remember) or you lose the Apps which are bound onto your US-Account and create a new one.
So those things will most likely have to be sorted out firt. The HTC-Titan as far as I know supports the same 3G Bands in all it's variants which makes it usable on pretty much any UMTS Network worldwide with only a few exceptions. The exact supported bands can be seen on the HTC Titans product page on htc.com
The UK version as far as I know is hardwarewise exactly the same as the international one, only difference might be in what UI languages are available (all keyboard languages are present since the Mango Update anyway although Middle-Eastern-Language support is currently expected to arrive with the Tango-Update - meaning it's not available yet).
Hope this helps and provides you with a rough idea of what troubles can arise.

StevieBallz said:
The HTC-Titan as far as I know supports the same 3G Bands in all it's variants
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The USA version is 850/1900/2100.
The UK version is 850/900/2100. The international version is probably the same as that one, but not sure.
The OP probably only needs 2100, so any of them will probably be just fine.
Now if we could only get a variant with AWS...

drupad2drupad said:
HTC agent colour is also present in the UK version. So does this mean only the ATT doesn't have it? or is UK and international one the same thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T has a choice what to do with the ROM for their Phone. and they choose to remove the Agent Color HTC. I have heard it from multiple sources.
All others versions has the HTC Agent color.

StevieBallz said:
The Apps in the market will be dependent on the Country given in your Live-Account. This can't be changed afterwards, so if you use an US-Account and someday Microsoft extends their Market to your country you're either stuck with the US Account (don't know if it will accept a Non-US-Creditcard - it doesn't accept european cards for US-Accounts as far as I remember) or you lose the Apps which are bound onto your US-Account and create a new one.
So those things will most likely have to be sorted out firt. The HTC-Titan as far as I know supports the same 3G Bands in all it's variants which makes it usable on pretty much any UMTS Network worldwide with only a few exceptions. The exact supported bands can be seen on the HTC Titans product page on htc.com
The UK version as far as I know is hardwarewise exactly the same as the international one, only difference might be in what UI languages are available (all keyboard languages are present since the Mango Update anyway although Middle-Eastern-Language support is currently expected to arrive with the Tango-Update - meaning it's not available yet).
Hope this helps and provides you with a rough idea of what troubles can arise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
okay , let's say I get the UK unlocked version and use it in my country "Jordan" , I don't know where I read it , but as it seems every phone is region locked , and if I get a UK phone for instance I won't be able to get an update to my language for example (which is Arabic) .. is that correct ?
I don't know, its safer to get the international version even tho it's a 100 bucks more expensive , but I thought about asking you guys cause I don't know a lot about these stuff.
Thanks

StevieBallz said:
This can't be changed afterwards, so if you use an US-Account and someday Microsoft extends their Market to your country you're either stuck with the US Account (don't know if it will accept a Non-US-Creditcard - it doesn't accept european cards for US-Accounts as far as I remember) or you lose the Apps which are bound onto your US-Account and create a new one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I changed the country my live account was associated with. It's a bit hard but you can do it. There is a how-to online if you search for it.

Related

[Q] Differences in AT&T model and unlocked/unbranded?

Hi all,
I've decided to bite the bullet and switch carriers just so I can upgrade from my HD7 to the Titan. Keep in mind I will be unlocking the phone for use on Telus in Canada which is compatible with AT&T 3G.
However I am trying to figure out if there is any benefit to getting the AT&T variant over the unlocked, unbranded model.
I see that on the box for the AT&T model it shows 4G compatible which is cool. So I would assume that using it on Telus would also give me 4G speeds. On the specs for the unlocked model it only shows 3G so I'm wondering if that's not entirely true. I also read somewhere HTC may have included Beats technology in the AT&T version but I doubt it since I haven't heard anything else about that.
I think I'd prefer an unbranded model over the AT&T one but also wondering if anything comes bundled as well that might make one better over the other. Also are the hardware specs identical?
Any help on this would be great
should be no difference or
the only difference is it would be sim locked for their network only the unlocked will work on either telus or at&t without trouble, you could work on sim unlocking the at&t version and that might be a little troublesome, I could be wrong but telus and at&t are promoting FAUX G which is still using 3g with increased speed boost if I am getting this right, hspa+
so the hardware is the same with some minor cosmetic differences (carrier branding vs none) the os and ui with msft strict requirements will be pretty much the same and you could easily uninstall carrier bundled apps, since you do live in canada I would just get the unlocked euro one, you will and I do notice that it switches from H to 3G and then E for Edge every now and then, but if you know how to do it get the at&t version and sim unlock it
Well the unlocked unbranded version uses 3G on 850/900/2100 MHz. AT&T uses 850/1900 MHz. It appears to me that I'm getting HSPA on my Titan, but not HSPA+, but I haven't really tested it very much. You'll have to check what Telus uses for HSPA+ to check if that will work.
Holding down the Windows/Start button brings up the Microsoft Tellme voice activated stuff. It works fine, but the lady has a British accent. This isn't a big deal.
The charger that ships with the unlocked version is the British Standards 1363 plug. Mine also had a BS 1363 to NEMA 5 adapter (aka UK to US), but it was separate from the box, so I think the company I purchased from, eXpansys, threw that in for free. Of course it includes a micro USB charging cable, so any computer USB port or USB wall charger would work, even if you can't use the included charger.
and you know what too with that womans british accent i think the phone is programmed to understand english with an accent, my voice to text experience has been less than stellar lately and my british accent is terrible LOL
Thanks everyone for the info!!
However I'm curious as to which model will give me HSPA+... If anyone can confirm that I'd appreciate it
it dont matter IMO, it's so fast already i love it
pistol44 said:
Thanks everyone for the info!!
However I'm curious as to which model will give me HSPA+... If anyone can confirm that I'd appreciate it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the ATT version. The unlocked Euro version will not connect to the same 3G bands. As for 4G don't get your hopes up there is no real 4G yet. Until a standard is set any one can say it has 4g if it. 000001 MB over the Max 3g connection.
Well I took my chances and just bought the ATT version off a seller on eBay. We made the deal for $630US incl. shipping. I don't know what the phone sell for off contract but it's the cheapest one I could find that wasn't already open or used. He also sent in a request for an unlock code for it so I'm hoping we'll be able to get one.
I remember the horror when I couldn't get an unlock code for my HD7 and had to wait a week before the codes were available.
Anyway.. it's being sent by UPS so should have it by Weds next week Now I hope it's not a lemon or I'm screwed!!
pistol44 said:
Well I took my chances and just bought the ATT version off a seller on eBay. We made the deal for $630US incl. shipping. I don't know what the phone sell for off contract but it's the cheapest one I could find that wasn't already open or used. He also sent in a request for an unlock code for it so I'm hoping we'll be able to get one.
I remember the horror when I couldn't get an unlock code for my HD7 and had to wait a week before the codes were available.
Anyway.. it's being sent by UPS so should have it by Weds next week Now I hope it's not a lemon or I'm screwed!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to the Ace hack kit thread for the inspire and read it. Unlocking it is simple as long as you read the manual and have a little common sense.
zelendel said:
Go to the Ace hack kit thread for the inspire and read it. Unlocking it is simple as long as you read the manual and have a little common sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure I understood you correctly. I followed your advice to here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=952352&highlight=Ace+hack+kit
This is for an Android device and it's not clear to me what the purpose of this hack is for and how it's related to the HTC Titan.
pistol44 said:
Not sure I understood you correctly. I followed your advice to here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=952352&highlight=Ace+hack+kit
This is for an Android device and it's not clear to me what the purpose of this hack is for and how it's related to the HTC Titan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oops sorry wrong phone. That will teach me to bebppsting in 12 threads at the same time. Lol. Forget I said that
I have the AT&T model that I got at a Windows-Phone inner circle thing, and it is HSPA+, I unlocked mine at cellunlock.net as well.
noelitaux said:
and you know what too with that womans british accent i think the phone is programmed to understand english with an accent, my voice to text experience has been less than stellar lately and my british accent is terrible LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My dead-end problem.
mine come from UK, and yes, the lady inside the phone almost never recognize my English Voice Pattern, even the simplest: IMDB.
It is funny when i am foreign, i was studying British English at home and now only Americans can understand me. LMAO.
I mean, my HD7 T-Mobile almost never have trouble in using the voice to open stuffs, but my UK Titan is a pain in the ass.
By the way, i would recommend double check everything because my turn-by-turn Navigation of Bing maps doesn't work at US for UK version. If you are really need Turn-by-Turn, i would recommend the AT&T version because it is designed for US Road, maybe Canada too. But we also have other alter maps like Nokia Maps is coming out, or navigon... blah.
If not, the Sim-Free Quad-band Unlocked Titan from Europe is also sweet. I can hit home anytime and use any sim without paying $30-$45 for an unlock code and worry about 3G Frequency since it is the world phone.
Strike_Eagle said:
My dead-end problem.
mine come from UK, and yes, the lady inside the phone almost never recognize my English Voice Pattern, even the simplest: IMDB.
It is funny when i am foreign, i was studying British English at home and now only Americans can understand me. LMAO.
I mean, my HD7 T-Mobile almost never have trouble in using the voice to open stuffs, but my UK Titan is a pain in the ass.
By the way, i would recommend double check everything because my turn-by-turn Navigation of Bing maps doesn't work at US for UK version. If you are really need Turn-by-Turn, i would recommend the AT&T version because it is designed for US Road, maybe Canada too. But we also have other alter maps like Nokia Maps is coming out, or navigon... blah.
If not, the Sim-Free Quad-band Unlocked Titan from Europe is also sweet. I can hit home anytime and use any sim without paying $30-$45 for an unlock code and worry about 3G Frequency since it is the world phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
noelitaux said:
and you know what too with that womans british accent i think the phone is programmed to understand english with an accent, my voice to text experience has been less than stellar lately and my british accent is terrible LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is true. I have this problem and no solutions exists yet. "Display language" in the Settings has "English" with no US/UK selection. It is UK effectively. Bing Maps will therefore have no voice guidance, and speech accessibility (announcing caller name, etc.) don't work, and you need to have a British accent for it to understand you.
I guess we'll have to wait for an AT&T ROM to flash on our devices.
this is true! i just realized my bing maps doesn't work either, it shows my location and will tell me where something is in relation to it but it cannot give me directions, thank god for the turn by turn navigation app which i use frequently, bing maps cannot provide me directions, and it would be great if my voice to text would work as well, yes we will have to wait for some cooked roms to come our way,
---------- Post added at 05:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:54 PM ----------
my thing is and I don't know if any other us euro titan owners are experiencing this, but i have a great rate and unlimited data plan with at&t because my device is not recognized in their system, if I were to install and at&t rom in the future , would ma bell immediately see my titan and slap a capped data plan on my account?
noelitaux said:
this is true! i just realized my bing maps doesn't work either, it shows my location and will tell me where something is in relation to it but it cannot give me directions, thank god for the turn by turn navigation app which i use frequently, bing maps cannot provide me directions, and it would be great if my voice to text would work as well, yes we will have to wait for some cooked roms to come our way,
---------- Post added at 05:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:54 PM ----------
my thing is and I don't know if any other us euro titan owners are experiencing this, but i have a great rate and unlimited data plan with at&t because my device is not recognized in their system, if I were to install and at&t rom in the future , would ma bell immediately see my titan and slap a capped data plan on my account?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Starting today, they will probably recognize your phone... lol
Doesn't matter which ROM it runs, they can see it as "HTC Titan" and apply any restrictions they wish.
From the ATT site on the Titan specs: *4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul.
Also, ATT sells the Titan new for $549.99 without contract and free shipping.
See attachment
I was in a mall today with 2 outlets for the AT&T Titan: the Microsoft Store and an AT&T store.
I entered the IMEI for both shops' floor models into htcimeiunlock.com, and for both of them the site claimed to have the codes immediately available, for $25. I've had good luck with that site in the past so I believe that at least for the first batch of Titans the codes are readily available for $25 or so.
Contrast that with AT&T, who probably won't have or give the codes for months, if ever.
tai4de2 said:
I was in a mall today with 2 outlets for the AT&T Titan: the Microsoft Store and an AT&T store.
I entered the IMEI for both shops' floor models into htcimeiunlock.com, and for both of them the site claimed to have the codes immediately available, for $25. I've had good luck with that site in the past so I believe that at least for the first batch of Titans the codes are readily available for $25 or so.
Contrast that with AT&T, who probably won't have or give the codes for months, if ever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what codes are you referring to? the $25 app cards? everyone is going to get them, i don't see why at&t would take time on this, this is sanctioned by msft, all you have to do is go on the msft's own side enter your imei proof of purchase and voila you get a $25 app card mailed to you i believe
and also at&t is a great network! they 10x better coverage than tmobile, i've had horrible experiences with tmobile letting me down, you can have the bestest shiniest most advanced phone out there and but its a useless paperweight if your carrier lets you down
"Codes" == SIM unlock codes (thought that was obvious from my mention of "htcimeiunlock.com").
Good luck getting them from AT&T any time in the next few months, even for a phone purchased at unsubsidized price.
Not a big deal for some folks, but some of us like to travel abroad with our phones and use them with local SIM cards, which makes unlocking critical. Fortunately, there's a non-AT&T source for the codes for HTC devices... you're SOL if you want to travel with a Samsung Mango phone!

[Q] UK Titan - no US region settings

Hey everyone, sorry if this has cropped up previously but I've searched to no avail and no one from Microsoft has an answer either.
I've got a new HTC Titan sitting here, completely unused. I won it at the Windows Phone Inner Circle event in Denver weeks before the device's US launch, but I still haven't switched over. This is because the device is a UK phone. The phone does not appear to have any US settings at all, is unlocked, and even comes with a UK plug instead of a US one. Presumably, this is because I won the device before the US version was ready for release.
The issue is that even when I switch my region settings over to "English (US)", nothing actually changes on the phone when it restarts...everything is still English (UK). For example, "synchronising", "favourites", "colour", etc. At first I thought that this wasn't a big deal, but it might be if other region settings persist. So I have three related questions that I'd love to find out:
If/when a custom bootloader is released for the Titan, can I use it to flash a US ROM to my device?
I have to switch carriers to AT&T in order to fully use the Titan (hence my hesitation), but will bringing the phone to AT&T and letting them activate it have a chance of loading US settings onto the phone? I know that will load AT&T app marketplace options, which is why I was curious.
Most importantly, even if none of this can possibly change, will I at all be restricted by UK region restrictions for Zune, Marketplace, etc.? I have a US-based Zune and WLID account, but this is my main concern because of the phone's region.
If anyone can share some insights on this, I'd really appreciate it.
CAVX said:
Hey everyone, sorry if this has cropped up previously but I've searched to no avail and no one from Microsoft has an answer either.
I've got a new HTC Titan sitting here, completely unused. I won it at the Windows Phone Inner Circle event in Denver weeks before the device's US launch, but I still haven't switched over. This is because the device is a UK phone. The phone does not appear to have any US settings at all, is unlocked, and even comes with a UK plug instead of a US one. Presumably, this is because I won the device before the US version was ready for release.
The issue is that even when I switch my region settings over to "English (US)", nothing actually changes on the phone when it restarts...everything is still English (UK). For example, "synchronising", "favourites", "colour", etc. At first I thought that this wasn't a big deal, but it might be if other region settings persist. So I have three related questions that I'd love to find out:
If/when a custom bootloader is released for the Titan, can I use it to flash a US ROM to my device?
I have to switch carriers to AT&T in order to fully use the Titan (hence my hesitation), but will bringing the phone to AT&T and letting them activate it have a chance of loading US settings onto the phone? I know that will load AT&T app marketplace options, which is why I was curious.
Most importantly, even if none of this can possibly change, will I at all be restricted by UK region restrictions for Zune, Marketplace, etc.? I have a US-based Zune and WLID account, but this is my main concern because of the phone's region.
If anyone can share some insights on this, I'd really appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. US ROM must be considered. Because the AT&T version Does use the different Chips for different Radio version. It might get the phone bricked. The Goldcard tecnique is not available on Titan, so Official AT&T Rom to flash on the phone is nearly impossible. It need to be done by 3rd party.
2. No. Your Live ID will determine which content you can access. Don't ask why people at Asia can still submit and buys apps that are for US only.
3. The region of the phone could be changed, but not the agent inside. So, don't be surprise that you have the English voice comeout from Tellme and Turn-by-Turn navigation from Bing maps doesn't work at US. You can change, the Region Format, System Locale and Browser &Search Language to English (United States) but it can't change the fact, that this phone is built for Europe user. I will ask HTC if they can bring the custom language pack (if possible) to Windows Phone. I am still talking to HTC Tech Support about this.
I contacted HTC Support several times and they didn't give me any solution (apart from doing a deadly mistake of telling me to search the Android Market for an application :S)!!
I'm still hoping we find a different ROM to flash. Is there an Australian version maybe floating around? I'm dying to use voice navigation and Tellme (which doesn't understand anything when set to English UK).
Thanks for the replies...starting to think maybe I should just sell the thing and use the money to buy a US Titan - especially due to the points about navigation and TellMe. Of course, I'd probably want to sell it to someone in the UK so no one else has region problems. Maybe I'll start looking into that.
In the meantime, if any encouraging news pops up about this, let me know
CAVX said:
...starting to think maybe I should just sell the thing)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How much do you want?

[Q] Updates in the US

Imported this bad boy to the US, but with Nokia releasing new updates, will they ever reach the US? I have a feeling that it may never be rolled out here... If so are there any other alternatives to update?
(It is unlocked/unbranded and ordered from Handtec)
halfnelson117 said:
Imported this bad boy to the US, but with Nokia releasing new updates, will they ever reach the US? I have a feeling that it may never be rolled out here... If so are there any other alternatives to update?
(It is unlocked/unbranded and ordered from Handtec)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you get to avoid paying VAT on your purchase?
I'm pretty sure the update isn't rolled out by region, more like IMEI groups.
Isn't Market Place done by region your account is registered to? Maybe updates are the same?
You could also try conencting via a VPN in a region where it's released, see if it picks up an update?
I've had two updates so far, so would of thought most people would have had atleast one?
I did get to avoid VAT I'll check again tonight as another update was released. I just haven't received any messages telling me to update. Thanks for the info!
halfnelson117 said:
I did get to avoid VAT I'll check again tonight as another update was released. I just haven't received any messages telling me to update. Thanks for the info!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then that's a really good price for it!
I really want this phone, but need to be sure that Internet Sharing will be enabled first, or it's a waste of my money.
Hey, keep us posted would you? I'm getting mine this Monday from Amazon and curious to see if Zune will detect the update in Burbank, Ca.
Need WiFi tethering as I use for my Kindle Touch WiFi, but it's not a deal breaker.
Also, one or two people have posted some anomalies with the update concerning the battery indicator. ..
Hey halfnelson.. does the phone accept your AT&T GSM SIM card as it is or did you have to cut it to a lesser size to fit?
Someone on O2 in Europe wrote they had to cut theirs?
The Lumia uses a microSIM, so yes it would need cutting (unless you had one already, of course).
I trimmed down my GIffgaff one no problem.
apollo15rover said:
Hey halfnelson.. does the phone accept your AT&T GSM SIM card as it is or did you have to cut it to a lesser size to fit?
Someone on O2 in Europe wrote they had to cut theirs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It did accept my regular sim after I cut it. Be sure to do it correctly, or else the contacts won't match up
I researched it and decided to wuss and shell out the $20 for a T-Mobile micro sim.. Will phone activate when I get the phone Monday. Failed too many shop and craft classes to trust myself cutting.
Hey any news on your update?
I've got another ? for the OP.
The website you bought from, with the best price I've seen, does not specific the WCMDA/HSPA bandwidths to differentiate if it's the quad-band or one of the two different tri-bands. Which carrier are you using here in the US and is the 3G fully functioning for you?
anseio said:
I've got another ? for the OP.
The website you bought from, with the best price I've seen, does not specific the WCMDA/HSPA bandwidths to differentiate if it's the quad-band or one of the two different tri-bands. Which carrier are you using here in the US and is the 3G fully functioning for you?
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Click to collapse
I'm on Att and get fully functioning HSPA+. it uses the 850/900/1900/2100 bands for 3g/HSPA+.
halfnelson117 said:
I'm on Att and get fully functioning HSPA+. it uses the 850/900/1900/2100 bands for 3g/HSPA+.
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Click to collapse
This is good to know, cuz the product page doesn't list them. I spent waaaay too long last night looking for a UK site that sells quad-band HSPA. Have it narrowed down to two, thanks to your confirmation here.
I'm kinda keen on the cyan.
Although many sites say they don't have the right bands, all the lumia devices have the bands I said above.
halfnelson117 said:
Although many sites say they don't have the right bands, all the lumia devices have the bands I said above.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pull the sim tray out and look at the model number.. will be RM-801 or something... what model do you have?
One Update Came Through - T-Mobile USA
So I have..
OS: 7.10.7740.16
Firmware: 1600.2475.7720.11414
But I am only getting Edge Data.
Have Hard Reset and I'm hoping that this is just a new SIM getting onto the system (customer service warned me to allow 2 hrs for full services)
Otherwise could be a deal breaker.
Hoping not; a chap at the TMobile store in Burbank where I live said another customer came in with the same phone bragging away on it so hope this is just a temp thing..
Beautiful device though!!
The Lumia doesn't do AWS, EDGE is the best you'll get from T-Mobile US.
Yep; I found that out... Hopefully AT&T will buy out T-Mobile..
apollo15rover said:
Yep; I found that out... Hopefully AT&T will buy out T-Mobile..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully AT&T won't be able to buy T-Mobile. Talk about market concentration and increased rates. The acquisition doesn't mean that tmo phones will magically start working. The changes you'd hope to see would not be immediate.

[Q] Galaxy S2 I9100 vs US Variants (T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint)

I'm trying to decide what model to buy. I'm not from US and I'll not use my cellphone there.
I've noticed that there are plenty of US variants. Since I'm not used to all of these, can somebody tell me what is the support for these variants out of US? I mean, OS Updates, Custom ROMs and even parts.
I'll take a GS2 to my country (Brazil) and I don't want to get there and find out that I'm stuck with a nice phone but that will not work properly, will not have updates and will not have parts for it, including nobody wanting to buy it as well.
Thanks for your advise.
gsmarena for differences
Ok, Atfish, let me add something to my first post: I ALREADY checked Gsmarena for all variants, even Wiki for that. I'm not asking about hardware specifics, I'm talking about personal experience, ROM update, parts, etc. As I said, I'm planning on buying one when I arrive in USA, but don't know what could be the problems faced after I leave the country with a US variant (band problem already checked as well).
I know that Cianogen supports AT&T, for example, but none of the others. So, accordingly to knowledge AT&T is the closest thing to the standard I9100, but it doesn't mean that I'll be able to have all the privileges of a I9100. I'm looking for the closest thing to the I9100 that I can buy, since all US variants are always 30-50% cheaper than the International version.
Thanks, though.
Get the I9100. Plenty of custom firmware. Most common variant. Should work with most networks in most parts of the world.
Parts ? What have parts got to do with anything ? Your phone breaks or doesn't work, you send it in to Samsung/an authorised repairer for warranty service or take it to a mobile repair shop if it's out of warranty.
Why would you even consider a US variant? The one for Sprint is designed for CDMA networks, and probably won't even work for any of the carriers in Brazil, and the ATT and T-mobile USA variants will both have a bunch of branding. And the T-mobile USA variant uses slightly different frequencies than the ATT one, so you would have to do your due diligence with researching which one would work with your carrier. An un-branded i9100 is your best bet.
MistahBungle said:
Get the I9100. Plenty of custom firmware. Most common variant. Should work with most networks in most parts of the world.
Parts ? What have parts got to do with anything ? Your phone breaks or doesn't work, you send it in to Samsung/an authorised repairer for warranty service or take it to a mobile repair shop if it's out of warranty.
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Click to collapse
Mistah, you think it's not worth pay a little bit less for any of the US variants? I prefer to get the I9100, but the other are always cheaper.
Parts. Remember, I'll be outside of US, so get support for a US variant out of US could be very tricky.
ctomgee, thanks. I'm start to think that paying less now could cost me a lot more in the future.
I can't comment on that, because I don't own one of the US variants. What I do know is the I9100 is the 'most common' variant & it's easy to get help with it on places like XDA & there is plenty of custom firmware & mods for it.
We have a number of Brazilian members here on XDA who have the I9100, which suggests it works well with the networks in that country, and I'd be surprised if you didn't have repairers in the major cities at least who couldn't easily repair an I9100.
Up to you whether you want to get a cheaper US variant. Maybe ask on the specific boards on XDA devoted to those phones to get an idea from people who actually own those phones ?
hknoener said:
Mistah, you think it's not worth pay a little bit less for any of the US variants? I prefer to get the I9100, but the other are always cheaper.
Parts. Remember, I'll be outside of US, so get support for a US variant out of US could be very tricky.
ctomgee, thanks. I'm start to think that paying less now could cost me a lot more in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MistahBungle said:
I can't comment on that, because I don't own one of the US variants. What I do know is the I9100 is the 'most common' variant & it's easy to get help with it on places like XDA & there is plenty of custom firmware & mods for it.
We have a number of Brazilian members here on XDA who have the I9100, which suggests it works well with the networks in that country, and I'd be surprised if you didn't have repairers in the major cities at least who couldn't easily repair an I9100.
Up to you whether you want to get a cheaper US variant. Maybe ask on the specific boards on XDA devoted to those phones to get an idea from people who actually own those phones ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came here just to check the general idea of I9100 owners. Sometimes there are things pretty obvious about some variants that I, as a totally new user to Android, have no idea.
I used a lot XDA during my Windows Mobile experience, tested several different ROMs and tools, but since 3-4 years ago I don't have any phone that actually requires my visit here (Blackberry, in that case). So I've dug up a bit to know more about the different versions in order to know where I was going into. But I couldn't decide without coming here and checking with the XDA community, since I'll use for sure the ROMs and Tools available here on this phone.
With the answers that I've got so far it's pretty clear that it would be a mistake to buy a variant, specially not being a US resident.
Thanks, again, for your help.
better to ask that in att forum as we are not using the variants.....
plus i dont know where you get that impression that us variants are cheaper....!
they are not see the full price not contract price
atifsh said:
better to ask that in att forum as we are not using the variants.....
plus i dont know where you get that impression that us variants are cheaper....!
they are not see the full price not contract price
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where? eBay, Craiglist, Amazon... I'm not talking about phone with contract here, just carrier branded. A lot of times they are unlocked, but still branded.
I think I already bothered too much here, don't know if I want to annoy people there asking silly questions.
hknoener said:
Where? eBay, Craiglist, Amazon... I'm not talking about phone with contract here, just carrier branded. A lot of times they are unlocked, but still branded.
I think I already bothered too much here, don't know if I want to annoy people there asking silly questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not a silly question at all.
From what I know, the ATT 3G one is closest to i9100 international. These phones are lightweight and have better screen (better clarity and contrast, not much though) than the 4.5 inch variants like Tmobile.
Tmobile has 4G and there are still a decent selection of roms.
sieudaochich said:
This is not a silly question at all.
From what I know, the ATT 3G one is closest to i9100 international. These phones are lightweight and have better screen (better clarity and contrast, not much though) than the 4.5 inch variants like Tmobile.
Tmobile has 4G and there are still a decent selection of roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your info!
I've noticed, when looking for a Windows Phone for my wife, that the AT&T version could be normally used in Brazil. The frequencies are basically the same.
From what I have found out the AT&T version was the closest one, just wanted to have a confirmation. Thanks for that.

Windows 8 Update Portico

HTC 8x has started getting updates of the new OS. Any news on when Lumia phones will get the update?
No news, but I assume quite fast for unlocked phones. Rest are subject to carriers I assume.
http://www.wpcentral.com/first-ota-update-windows-phone-8-os-now-live-htc-8x
http://www.wpcentral.com/new-windows-phone-8-os-update-portico-brings-sms-drafts-and-call-reject-it
Supposed to be able to bypass the carriers. But considering this is the first update pushed, I'm sure we'll learn more soon.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012...rovide-an-escape-from-carrier-update-tyranny/
This looks promising ?
Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express
peterfnet said:
Supposed to be able to bypass the carriers. But considering this is the first update pushed, I'm sure we'll learn more soon.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012...rovide-an-escape-from-carrier-update-tyranny/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bypass carriers, yes. Bypass OEMs, no
This should mean that we get a 920 update for each "build" of the 920 that exists, once Nokia does whatever they do to it. They should have it from Microsoft (one would think) already.
schettj said:
Bypass carriers, yes. Bypass OEMs, no
This should mean that we get a 920 update for each "build" of the 920 that exists, once Nokia does whatever they do to it. They should have it from Microsoft (one would think) already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will have it already, and it's in Nokia's interests to get it out fast and ideally beat HTC to the punch every time, as HTC have been set up as Premier Partners. Nokia want to be THE choice for WP8 buyers, so they need to be there first with the best reputation for updates and excellent hardware.
Nokia obviously has that build available because the Lumia 920T (the chinese variant) is already running that newer build of the OS.
true, must just be waiting for the rollout ok from carriers. I'll check my 8X to see if that's updating on EE, that way we should know if the carriers are slowing things down or not with a quick carrier vs unlocked update speed comparison.
(Groan) I hope it's not the carriers. Pulling teeth with oily fingers is easier than persuading AT&T to release updates in a timely manner. :\
peterfnet said:
Supposed to be able to bypass the carriers. But considering this is the first update pushed, I'm sure we'll learn more soon.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012...rovide-an-escape-from-carrier-update-tyranny/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
schettj said:
Bypass carriers, yes. Bypass OEMs, no
This should mean that we get a 920 update for each "build" of the 920 that exists, once Nokia does whatever they do to it. They should have it from Microsoft (one would think) already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That enthusiasts program hasn't rolled out yet. You have to sign up to this program in order to bypass your carrier.
I flashed my EE 920 to a generic UK ROM, will this make a difference to when the update appears?
gilesjuk said:
I flashed my EE 920 to a generic UK ROM, will this make a difference to when the update appears?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
probably not, since carriers no longer decide updates, Microsoft manages it now
the_tyrant said:
probably not, since carriers no longer decide updates, Microsoft manages it now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wishful thinking with zero facts behind it.
Sent from my RM-820_nam_canada_246 using Board Express
gilesjuk said:
I flashed my EE 920 to a generic UK ROM, will this make a difference to when the update appears?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how do you know what rom is a generic one? I have been searching but i haven´t find it yet. can you help me'
thanks in advance
Adding to that, does 4G still work on the generic UK ROM, as EE has 4G specific software bits, e.g. the 3G/2G toggle is now the 4G/3G toggle.
So, since I have a Rogers branded but unlocked phone and running it on Telus, what bucket would I be put in? Would I get the generic updates or the Rogers? My phone STILL says that the Mobile Operator Name is ROG-CA, so I'm not too sure what to make of my situation.
jeromel said:
So, since I have a Rogers branded but unlocked phone and running it on Telus, what bucket would I be put in? Would I get the generic updates or the Rogers? My phone STILL says that the Mobile Operator Name is ROG-CA, so I'm not too sure what to make of my situation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will be under the mercy of Rogers. In order to get out of Roger's grip, you will need to be de-branded. SIM unlock means nothing. In the old days of WM7.0, you can jailbreak your phone and edit a registry to de-brand. Now, you pretty much have to flash a unbranded ROM to do it.
foxbat121 said:
You will be under the mercy of Rogers. In order to get out of Roger's grip, you will need to be de-branded. SIM unlock means nothing. In the old days of WM7.0, you can jailbreak your phone and edit a registry to de-brand. Now, you pretty much have to flash a unbranded ROM to do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I reject your answer and substitute it with my own. The answer is...
Crap... NaviFirm only has 2 ROMs for the Canadian versions... both of which are Rogers branded. I'm SOOL.
gallegus said:
how do you know what rom is a generic one? I have been searching but i haven´t find it yet. can you help me'
thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it doesn't have the name of a mobile network in the filename. I went from one with EE and UK in the filename to one which just says CV GB.

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