Has anyone tried using one of the white unlocked Lumia 920 from Clove (I guess the ones from Expansys are the same) on an LTE network?
Specifically, do you have the "4G" option in the "highest connection speed" settings?
In my case, although I am using an LTE SIM with an LTE network on a supported band, I only have "2G" and "3G" options in the Highest Connection Speed settings. So normally it is only connecting over HSPA. Through playing around a lot with scanning LTE bands with the Field Test tool (##3282#), I can sometimes get the device to connect to LTE, after which it works perfectly on LTE until reboot. But it's not really a long-term solution.
The default firmware on my device is country variant "CV GB SW Variant ID 276 v03" which (apart from the version number) seems to be the same firmware as that sold by Orange / T-Mobile in the UK (i.e. for 3G networks).
I was thinking about trying to flash the EE firmware, but concerned this could create other issues (such as end up locking the phone to EE, or to certain LTE bands, or something...). Any thoughts appreciated.
You don't mention where you are, but that might help respondents.
As you may know, the LTE bands are different between the NA and Europe. The LTE Bands listed on the international version are 800/900/1800/2100/2600 while the NA(Rogers & AT&T) version has 700/850/1700/1900/2100.
Are you sure you are connecting to the LTE bands? Do you have an LTE SIM installed?
tomdjp said:
Has anyone tried using one of the white unlocked Lumia 920 from Clove (I guess the ones from Expansys are the same) on an LTE network?
Specifically, do you have the "4G" option in the "highest connection speed" settings?
In my case, although I am using an LTE SIM with an LTE network on a supported band, I only have "2G" and "3G" options in the Highest Connection Speed settings. So normally it is only connecting over HSPA. Through playing around a lot with scanning LTE bands with the Field Test tool (##3282#), I can sometimes get the device to connect to LTE, after which it works perfectly on LTE until reboot. But it's not really a long-term solution.
The default firmware on my device is country variant "CV GB SW Variant ID 276 v03" which (apart from the version number) seems to be the same firmware as that sold by Orange / T-Mobile in the UK (i.e. for 3G networks).
I was thinking about trying to flash the EE firmware, but concerned this could create other issues (such as end up locking the phone to EE, or to certain LTE bands, or something...). Any thoughts appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have a look at this offivial Blog post from Nokia.
http://goo.gl/L2eiy
They basically saying that even-thought the new Lumias are LTE ready they will required a software update to turn LTE ON.
The information on that is very limited as Nokia didn't specify ANY details on how they will push this OTA.
What happens if you have an unlock device and use it in a different country of its origins? How they will push the update under what criteria?
Is the update is driven by the SIM ID? They will update the OS and turn ON LTE depending the SIM region or the device IMEI region?? Nobody knows...
Even worst there is a rumor that the latest Snapdragon S4 is supporting all 9 LTE bands at ONCE and the software just enable the appropriate ones, its programmable from the firmware. If this is true, then Nokia is committing a suicide here, they can simply program WP8 to recognize the SIM ID and turn ON/OFF LTE Bands depending the Network. Going with OTAs across different devices and regions will be a mess.
nMIK-3 said:
Have a look at this offivial Blog post from Nokia.
http://goo.gl/L2eiy
They basically saying that even-thought the new Lumias are LTE ready they will required a software update to turn LTE ON.
The information on that is very limited as Nokia didn't specify ANY details on how they will push this OTA.
What happens if you have an unlock device and use it in a different country of its origins? How they will push the update under what criteria?
Is the update is driven by the SIM ID? They will update the OS and turn ON LTE depending the SIM region or the device IMEI region?? Nobody knows...
Even worst there is a rumor that the latest Snapdragon S4 is supporting all 9 LTE bands at ONCE and the software just enable the appropriate ones, its programmable from the firmware. If this is true, then Nokia is committing a suicide here, they can simply program WP8 to recognize the SIM ID and turn ON/OFF LTE Bands depending the Network. Going with OTAs across different devices and regions will be a mess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are international versions that HAVE ALL 9 LTE bands enabled and also petaband 3G.
For example in Germany:
http://www.nokia.com/de-de/produkte/smartphones-und-handys/lumia920/technische-daten/ (expand where it says "Basisdaten")
or in Singapore:
http://www.nokia.com/sg-en/products/phone/lumia920/specifications/ (expand where it says "Hardware")
or also in Switzerland:
http://www.nokia.com/ch-de/produkte/smartphones-und-handys/lumia920/technische-daten/ (expand where it says "Basisdaten")
I think there might be a good chance that you can unlock those extra bands on international versions (RM-821) that have them disabled by flashing a different firmware version. However this is just me thinking out loud so please don't blame me if it doesn't work or if it breaks your phone!
However I would strong discourage you from flashing an RM-821 firmware to an RM-820 (North American version) as I know that sb around here almost broke his phone by doing so.
Hi all
Thanks for your replies so far.
Right now I am using the phone in Japan, where there are three carriers with Band 1 (2100 MHz) LTE networks. I only tried one carrier so far, and yes it is an LTE SIM. As mentioned, I can actually connect to LTE and have used it for several hours, it's just necessary to use an unreliable trick (with ##3282#) to get the phone to see the LTE network. This seems related to the fact there is no 4G option in my highest connection settings.
Thanks for the heads-up on the OTA updates, agreed it's not clear how this will work at all...
Regarding the LTE band support, personally (although it's just my intuition) I think the lists of 9 LTE supported bands on those regional Nokia websites are probably in error (it wouldn't be the first time). Normally the most reliable source in Nokia's website is Nokia Developers, which clearly shows five bands for global RM-821 (1, 3, 7, 8, 20) and four bands for AT&T RM-820 (2, 4, 5, 17).
While the Snapdragon baseband may be able to support all 9 bands, the most difficult part of the design is the RF - filters, amplifiers, etc. So I imagine different RF chains are used in the two variants to support these specific bands.
Again, if anyone has the unlocked RM-821 and tried with an LTE SIM, if you could confirm if the 4G setting is available in highest connection settings, it would be much appreciated.
karlmueller said:
There are international versions that HAVE ALL 9 LTE bands enabled and also petaband 3G.
For example in Germany:
http://www.nokia.com/de-de/produkte/smartphones-und-handys/lumia920/technische-daten/ (expand where it says "Basisdaten")
or in Singapore:
http://www.nokia.com/sg-en/products/phone/lumia920/specifications/ (expand where it says "Hardware")
or also in Switzerland:
http://www.nokia.com/ch-de/produkte/smartphones-und-handys/lumia920/technische-daten/ (expand where it says "Basisdaten")
I think there might be a good chance that you can unlock those extra bands on international versions (RM-821) that have them disabled by flashing a different firmware version. However this is just me thinking out loud so please don't blame me if it doesn't work or if it breaks your phone!
However I would strong discourage you from flashing an RM-821 firmware to an RM-820 (North American version) as I know that sb around here almost broke his phone by doing so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the same thing on PentaBand 3G and 9 Bands LTE, however in another discussion we verified (at least for the German model) that even thought the Nokia German website states PentaBand 3G and 9 Bands LTE, in the retail Box it only mentions QuadBand 3G (AWS missing) and PentaBand LTE.
With the Canadian model being PentaBand and Snapdragon's S4 Specs claiming that is fully supporting it, along with the programmable LTE, we really have no clue of whats really going on until Nokia, or anyone else clarify it...
I have a very bad feeling that the all 920s are PentaBand 3G and support all bands of LTE with programmable software but Nokia for some reason is locking specific bands on specific models/regions.
Hopefully in time we will clarify everything and hopefully its sooner rather than later..
nMIK-3 said:
I thought the same thing on PentaBand 3G and 9 Bands LTE, however in another discussion we verified (at least for the German model) that even thought the Nokia German website states PentaBand 3G and 9 Bands LTE, in the retail Box it only mentions QuadBand 3G (AWS missing) and PentaBand LTE.
With the Canadian model being PentaBand and Snapdragon's S4 Specs claiming that is fully supporting it, along with the programmable LTE, we really have no clue of whats really going on until Nokia, or anyone else clarify it...
I have a very bad feeling that the all 920s are PentaBand 3G and support all bands of LTE with programmable software but Nokia for some reason is locking specific bands on specific models/regions.
Hopefully in time we will clarify everything and hopefully its sooner rather than later..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Different frequency bands require different antenna design. It is probably very difficult to design an antenna that can satisfy all LTE bands even though the chipset can support it. So, instead, Nokia is probably going to selectively make different hardware with different antenna design to fit a specific region. Apple iPhone 5 uses the similar Qualcomm chipset and it only supports very limited LTE bands for international version.
foxbat121 said:
Different frequency bands require different antenna design. It is probably very difficult to design an antenna that can satisfy all LTE bands even though the chipset can support it. So, instead, Nokia is probably going to selectively make different hardware with different antenna design to fit a specific region. Apple iPhone 5 uses the similar Qualcomm chipset and it only supports very limited LTE bands for international version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For 3G PentaBand is now standard in almost all chips and since the Canadian variant comes with PentaBand on board and the fact that is standard on the S4 I really see no reason of why Nokia will order a custom version of the S4 to just physically take off the AWS. It doesn't make any sense, so if its missing, most likely is turn off in firmware.
For the LTE. Qualcomm introduced a revolutionary technology called Software Defined Radio or simply SDR and the Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 chip which is inside the Lumia 920, supports that technology. With SDR the chipset support all LTE bands from a low to high frequency, it can work in everything between, of course not at the same time, the software programs what frequency the antenna should be set.
If the Lumia 920 and its S4 really have SDR technology, they it will make sense for Nokia to have the firmware deride what LTE to make available to the user, by reading the SIM region and not providing individual updated per region, or based on device product number.
This finally solves a major issue for the manufactures because they do not have to build customs chips for specific countries, the software simply programs it. If you Google it you can find a lot of info regarding SDR. Of course we are not in the engineering team of the Lumia 920 line and its obvious whatever we say here is based on theory and specs that are available to us.
nMIK-3 said:
For 3G PentaBand is now standard in almost all chips and since the Canadian variant comes with PentaBand on board and the fact that is standard on the S4 I really see no reason of why Nokia will order a custom version of the S4 to just physically take off the AWS. It doesn't make any sense, so if its missing, most likely is turn off in firmware.
For the LTE. Qualcomm introduced a revolutionary technology called Software Defined Radio or simply SDR and the Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 chip which is inside the Lumia 920, supports that technology. With SDR the chipset support all LTE bands from a low to high frequency, it can work in everything between, of course not at the same time, the software programs what frequency the antenna should be set.
If the Lumia 920 and its S4 really have SDR technology, they it will make sense for Nokia to have the firmware deride what LTE to make available to the user, by reading the SIM region and not providing individual updated per region, or based on device product number.
This finally solves a major issue for the manufactures because they do not have to build customs chips for specific countries, the software simply programs it. If you Google it you can find a lot of info regarding SDR. Of course we are not in the engineering team of the Lumia 920 line and its obvious whatever we say here is based on theory and specs that are available to us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you understand radio technology at all, you should know the most important part that make all things work is the radio antenna, not the chipset. The chipset itself can't receive or transmit radio signal without a proper antenna. Try to disconnect your car radio antenna and see how many stations you can receive
foxbat121 said:
If you understand radio technology at all, you should know the most important part that make all things work is the radio antenna, not the chipset. The chipset itself can't receive or transmit radio signal without a proper antenna. Try to disconnect your car radio antenna and see how many stations you can receive
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're going a bit off-topic from the thread here, but you're right - SDR defines the baseband, not the RF components.
If you look at Nokia's FCC filing for the RM-821, you can see it has two cellular antennas ("main" and "MIMO") for each of two bands ("HB" high-band and "LB" low-band). Presumably LB is used for bands below 1 GHz or so, while HB is used for bands above. So you can see it's not necessary to have different antennas for every band - bands 1 to 4 (including AWS) could also use the same antennas, for example.
However, each band needs its own RF filters to prevent interference from neighbouring channels, and also needs amplifiers that have flat gain over those bands. These RF components are usually band specific, relatively bulky and expensive, and there are some challenges to use several RF chains in parallel. To my understanding these are the limiting factors that explain why a given device tends to support maximum 4 or 5 LTE channels.
tomdjp said:
We're going a bit off-topic from the thread here, but you're right - SDR defines the baseband, not the RF components.
If you look at Nokia's FCC filing for the RM-821, you can see it has two cellular antennas ("main" and "MIMO") for each of two bands ("HB" high-band and "LB" low-band). Presumably LB is used for bands below 1 GHz or so, while HB is used for bands above. So you can see it's not necessary to have different antennas for every band - bands 1 to 4 (including AWS) could also use the same antennas, for example.
However, each band needs its own RF filters to prevent interference from neighbouring channels, and also needs amplifiers that have flat gain over those bands. These RF components are usually band specific, relatively bulky and expensive, and there are some challenges to use several RF chains in parallel. To my understanding these are the limiting factors that explain why a given device tends to support maximum 4 or 5 LTE channels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You nail it.
foxbat121 said:
If you understand radio technology at all, you should know the most important part that make all things work is the radio antenna, not the chipset. The chipset itself can't receive or transmit radio signal without a proper antenna. Try to disconnect your car radio antenna and see how many stations you can receive
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that a joke?? I am spending my time explaining what SDR is and I am getting that respond??
I am assuming that I am talking with a person that knows at least a modern chipset like the S4 package contains all the antennas for GSM/WCDMA/LTE a separate antenna for Bluetooth and Wifi, GPS (S4 also includes GLONASS), the CPU and the Adreno GPU.
All the above come in the same tinny chip that in the size of your nail. And all this is called the "chipset". Qualcomm does not use a separate antenna anymore its integrated to the chipset.
nMIK-3 said:
Is that a joke?? I am spending my time explaining what SDR is and I am getting that respond??
I am assuming that I am talking with a person that knows at least a modern chipset like the S4 package contains all the antennas for GSM/WCDMA/LTE a separate antenna for Bluetooth and Wifi, GPS (S4 also includes GLONASS), the CPU and the Adreno GPU.
All the above come in the same tinny chip that in the size of your nail. And all this is called the "chipset". Qualcomm does not use a separate antenna anymore its integrated to the chipset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With respect, that's not right - the antennas and RF components are external to the chipset.
Go and get the SAR compliance test report for Nokia 920 from the FCC's website, and you can see diagrams showing the external antennas for cellular, WLAN/BT and GPS which are positioned in various places inside the phone's chassis (btw, the LB MIMO antenna is about 7 cm long!)
Or go and check out the iFixit teardown for iPhone 5 and you can see the same kind of thing...
tomdjp said:
With respect, that's not right - the antennas and RF components are external to the chipset.
Go and get the SAR compliance test report for Nokia 920 from the FCC's website, and you can see diagrams showing the external antennas for cellular, WLAN/BT and GPS which are positioned in various places inside the phone's chassis (btw, the LB MIMO antenna is about 7 cm long!)
Or go and check out the iFixit teardown for iPhone 5 and you can see the same kind of thing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is correct. Many manufactures are placing antenna extensions and putting additional GPS censor in more practical areas.
The actual GSM/WCDMA/LTE modem WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS for Qualacom solutions are placed inside the chipset.
Please see http://www.qualcomm.com/chipsets/snapdragon for more information.
4g / LTE
tomdjp said:
Has anyone tried using one of the white unlocked Lumia 920 from Clove (I guess the ones from Expansys are the same) on an LTE network?
Specifically, do you have the "4G" option in the "highest connection speed" settings?
In my case, although I am using an LTE SIM with an LTE network on a supported band, I only have "2G" and "3G" options in the Highest Connection Speed settings. So normally it is only connecting over HSPA. Through playing around a lot with scanning LTE bands with the Field Test tool (##3282#), I can sometimes get the device to connect to LTE, after which it works perfectly on LTE until reboot. But it's not really a long-term solution.
The default firmware on my device is country variant "CV GB SW Variant ID 276 v03" which (apart from the version number) seems to be the same firmware as that sold by Orange / T-Mobile in the UK (i.e. for 3G networks).
I was thinking about trying to flash the EE firmware, but concerned this could create other issues (such as end up locking the phone to EE, or to certain LTE bands, or something...). Any thoughts appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I go into into field test mode and it says 4g then asks what LTE Band. My phone shows 4G not LTE in top left... is it LTE or 3G+?
Does anyone know what the different bands stand for? (band 5 etc) under the field service menu?
zok-star said:
Does anyone know what the different bands stand for? (band 5 etc) under the field service menu?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Likely they are LTE bands (e.g. band 5 = 850 MHz), but as you probably noticed they don't completely match with the LTE band support of the device. Keep in mind this field test program was probably thrown together by Nokia's R&D guys for internal testing only (not for consumers), so could be a legacy of earlier testing, another device variant, or some other reason...
Anyway, it seems fine to keep this setting on Automatic.
dougwallace said:
I go into into field test mode and it says 4g then asks what LTE Band. My phone shows 4G not LTE in top left... is it LTE or 3G+?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Doug, could you share what version of the Lumia 920 you have, and which firmware?
As mentioned in my mail above, there seems no problem to leave the 4G band on automatic, and the bands available to be selected don't seem relevant. (My device picks up Band 1 LTE networks even though band 1 is not in the list).
Regarding 4G vs LTE, my device (unlocked UK CV) shows 4G in the top left when it is connected to LTE. I assume this can be changed by Nokia depending on the operator's requirement (esp in the US where 4G means HSPA...). You can be sure you're on LTE by going back to the field test menu, selecting GSM option, then looking at "Radio Access Technology". If you're on LTE, it should say LTE there.
tomdjp said:
Likely they are LTE bands (e.g. band 5 = 850 MHz), but as you probably noticed they don't completely match with the LTE band support of the device. Keep in mind this field test program was probably thrown together by Nokia's R&D guys for internal testing only (not for consumers), so could be a legacy of earlier testing, another device variant, or some other reason...
Anyway, it seems fine to keep this setting on Automatic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've kept mine on all automatic and i have noticed it switch to 4G at times, but then when i go to use it, it'll flick back to 3G... I'll need to test this in CBD sometime this week.
I got my device from clove, but im in Australia on Telstra 4G network. They use 1800mhz.
zok-star said:
I've kept mine on all automatic and i have noticed it switch to 4G at times, but then when i go to use it, it'll flick back to 3G... I'll need to test this in CBD sometime this week.
I got my device from clove, but im in Australia on Telstra 4G network. They use 1800mhz.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, yes better to test in CBD where there's strong LTE signal.
In your Settings => Mobile Network, do you have a "4G" option under "Highest connection speed", or is it 2G and 3G only?
Related
So the Hero's from England won't work on USA 3G bands correct? Does anyone know when a Hero will come out that is capable?
yes that is correct, 3g in the usa will not work on the hero. the hero will come out on october 11th for United States, many indications are hinting that the carrier will be sprint
does this lie in the hardware?
Sorry to bump this thread, but as I asked earlier. Does the 3G settings lie in the hardware, or is it customizable/changeable somehow?
No, there is nothing to "unlock" a non 1700 frequency phone to make it capable of accepting 3G speeds on T-mobile
I've no idea whether the radio in the Hero is capable of supporting T-Mobiles 3G 1700Mhz band, but I do personally find it hard to believe that HTC would manufacture 2 different GSM Heros (as opposed to a GSM and CDMA one) which differ only by the bands they support since the additional cost involved in having 2 separate production lines is probably far greater than the incremental cost of using a more capable radio in all GSM Heros.
My G1 is a US T-Mobile G1, and it works fine with the 3G bands here in Europe. In addition, if you look up the specs of the Magic on HTCs website, it does not mention the 1700MHz band, but the MyTouch 3G does support and it is essentially a Magic.
This would lead me to believe that it is likely to be a firmware rather than hardware restriction - only time will tell!
Regards,
Dave
Hero coming to T-Mobile USA
By the looks of things at http://www.tmonews.com and with a bit of url manipulation I was able to navigate to this pretty convicing and helpful page.
Anyone have any better resources?
foxmeister said:
...My G1 is a US T-Mobile G1, and it works fine with the 3G bands here in Europe. ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, but the G1 was designed specifically for t-mobile and so the G1 itself was built to support the bands for all t-mobile networks in one device.
And as the european ones nearly all use 2100mhz, that is a slightly different case.
and as for the URL manipulation, that doesn;t always mean anything.. with the right manipulation, you can get it to show updates for one device on a page titled for a totally different model. however, it would be good if you are right!!
G1 = 1700 and 2100 MHz
Hero = 900 and 2100 MHz
So both work fine in europe (2100) but only the G1 will work with T-mo US (1700). Considering that there is no reasonable prepaid 3g data in the US anywhere, not many European travellers will miss the 1700MHz capability of their cell phone.
The choice of the 900MHz band is a bit odd, seems like the only reasonably-sized market for that would be Australia. At least it'll work when you are down-under ;-)
at the moment yeah, but many European networks are pushing to get access to the 900mhz frequency and use it for 3G once 2G gets turned off.
apparently it has better penetration into buildings or something...don't quite understand the reasons why it should be better for that, but the UK networks certainly want a bit of that action....
rhedgehog said:
at the moment yeah, but many European networks are pushing to get access to the 900mhz frequency and use it for 3G once 2G gets turned off. apparently it has better penetration into buildings or something...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a rule of thumb, the lower the frequency (longer wavelength) the deeper it is going to penetrate. Thats why you can listen to the radio inside whereas you can't see the sun (visible light=much higher frequency).
cool.
I understand now. i suppose it kinda makes sense as well, lower wavelengths tend to have more power anyway,so i shoulda figured that out....
Since Nokia does clearly say everywhere else except the US that 920 does support 1700Mhz (for obvious reasons), I wonder if the hardware in the AT&T version will be the same as in the int'l version and it'll just be a matter of unlocking the phone to use it on TMo.
Opinions?
I noticed that too!!
Its now PentaBand WCDMA/HSPA+ at 42Mbps. They added WCDMA 1700Mhz band on the specs.
Originally when the phone was announced last month was listed as QuadBand WCDMA missing the AWS band at 1700Mhz.
If this is true it means one of the following:
1.The band was always there and for some reason software locked and they decided unlock it and release it as a PendaBand.
2.They listen to the complaints (pretty much the same way they did and released the Cyan Color) as the missing AWS band was one the biggest complaints especially from T-Mobile USA subscribers and they decided to include it as well.
3.It is just a typo and Lumia 920 is still QuadBand HSPA.
4.It was a typo from the very beginning and Lumia 920 was always PentaBand.
Now assuming the the phone is PendaBand HSPA+ it will perfectly work with T-Mobile USA current 3G at AWS and with the reformed Network at 1900 they are preparing. It will work with both at 42Mbps speed.
The original unlocked Lumia 920 listed the following 5 LTE bands 800 / 1800 / 2600 / 900 / 2100.
If the unlocked phone comes with those LTE bands will be incompatible with T-Mobile USA upcoming 4G LTE network.
However the American model which AT&T will carry exclusively has the following LTE bands 700 / 850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100
If Nokia also release an unlock/unbranded version of the American model with the above LTE bands and PentaBand HSPA+ this model along with the 42Mbps HSPA will also support T-Mobile's upcoming 4G LTE that coming mid of next year with theoretical speeds of 100Mbps.
Releasing this device will be the perfect option for T-Mobile subscribers as it will be future-proof for their upcoming LTE network.
I am curious to see whats really going on here. Meanwhile I am crossing my fingers. :good:
So Nokia needs to release a international us version?
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
lovenokia said:
So Nokia needs to release a international us version?
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocked/Unbranded version of the American model is the correct way of putting it.
Nokia used to have to versions of the unlock devices in the past. The regular version which was usually the European/International model and the NAM versions for North America.
Many devices came like that in the past including the N95 & N95 NAM, 5800 & 5800 NAM, N97 & N97 NAM etc.
All had QuadBand GSM and different bands for 3G, the NAM versions had the American bands for AT&T USA and Rogers for Canada.
Now that PentaBand is standard for 3G/WCDMA, they need to release (and I hope this is the case) the European Model with the European LTE bands and a "NAM" model with the American LTE frequencies.
I guess time will tell what exactly the case is going to be.
But again this is for LTE. Assuming that the information on the spec-sheet is correct and the Lumia 920 comes with WCDMA/AWS 1700 then it will work perfectly with T-Mobile USA and AT&T's HSPA+ at 42Mpbs.
nMIK-3 said:
I noticed that too!!
Its now PentaBand WCDMA/HSPA+ at 42Mbps. They added WCDMA 1700Mhz band on the specs.
Originally when the phone was announced last month was listed as QuadBand WCDMA missing the AWS band at 1700Mhz.
If this is true it means one of the following:
1.The band was always there and for some reason software locked and they decided unlock it and release it as a PendaBand.
2.They listen to the complaints (pretty much the same way they did and released the Cyan Color) as the missing AWS band was one the biggest complaints especially from T-Mobile USA subscribers and they decided to include it as well.
3.It is just a typo and Lumia 920 is still QuadBand HSPA.
4.It was a typo from the very beginning and Lumia 920 was always PentaBand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunatly number 3 is the correct answer.
According to WPCentral.com the AWS 1700Mhz WCDMA support for T-Mobile 3G that listed in specs are just a typo on the website.
If this is the case, you can still use the Lumia 920 under T-Mobile 3G at 1900Mhz.
T-Mobile is reforming their Network and releasing 3G to 1900Mhz now, the problem is that we do not know what markets/areas has this already or how fast the project is moving on and when it will get complete..
nMIK-3 said:
Unfortunatly number 3 is the correct answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's wrong, because this phone will be using the Snapdragon S4 Plus (MSM8960) which uses Software Defined Radio (SDR) for determining their bands. Obviously you cannot use all at the same time, but any one at any time. The HW supports this (according to the Qualcomm reference design), and if it hasn't been supported before in this chipset, it's probably due poor modem programming and/or unstable behavior, and/or band/bandwidth throttling by service providers networks. It's also an efficient way to make sure your Verizon mobile cannot use AT&T networks and vice verse...
E:V:A said:
That's wrong, because this phone will be using the Snapdragon S4 Plus (MSM8960) which uses Software Defined Radio (SDR) for determining their bands. Obviously you cannot use all at the same time, but any one at any time. The HW supports this (according to the Qualcomm reference design), and if it hasn't been supported before in this chipset, it's probably due poor modem programming and/or unstable behavior, and/or band/bandwidth throttling by service providers networks. It's also an efficient way to make sure your Verizon mobile cannot use AT&T networks and vice verse...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is why I said its Number 3, according to WPCentral. I am aware of the SDR in the latest generation of Snapdragons, however as its name mention its programmable, meaning they may have turn off the AWS...
For me it doesn't make any sense to list the phone originally with QuadBand WCDMA and then add AWS and list it as a PentaBand.
I mean if it is wrong and its missing the AWS that is making the original listing with QuadBand the correct one, so why they bother changing it?
In the other hand if the SDR scenario applies and the AWS is already there, they may just heard the complains and simply turned ON the AWS band, that is why they added in to the specs meanwhile the Nokia representative that WPCentral reached may not be aware of the new specs yet...
All these are different scenarios, unless we have an official clarification from Nokia, we cannot know for sure until Lumia 920 its been released.
PS. Can you post the link with the detailed specifications of the Snapdragon S4 detailing the SDR? The specs I found does not include any information regarding this. If I am not mistaken and remember correctly SDR is affecting LTE only and its able to catch from 700Mhz - 2600Mhz (for LTE), its programmable to deliver everything between these bands but limited to deliver 5 Bands at a time. I do not remember mentioning WCDMA to be compatible with the SDR, but I may be wrong on that. Please feel free to correct me if that's the case.
According to FCC documents, looks like AWS is there. Question... Will it be disabled in the AT&T version? Unlock possible?
herzzreh said:
According to FCC documents, looks like AWS is there. Question... Will it be disabled in the AT&T version? Unlock possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read that the FCC Documents for the AT&T model are mentioning AWS (1700) for LTE. This is normal as AT&T's LTE is operating also in AWS.
I didn't read anything regarding AWS for 3G/WCDMA.
If you read back, it specifically mentions wcdma 1700. Document differentiates between lte freqs and wcdma ones.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Hello,
I can not get LTE working with my black Lumia 920.
The phone is supposedly RM-821 global version with pentaband LTE support disabled in firmware. Bought in Vietnam from official retailer and I am using it here in Finland where I live (LTE frequencies 1800 and 2600 are used by my operator). There is no 4G option in settings->mobile network->highest connection speed. I can go to field test menu (##3282+call) -> settings and select 4G only there but as soon as I leave that menu the setting reverts back to whatever it was set before. Also no LTE network is found during the time I stay in the menu.
This issue is driving me nuts.
Here is what I have tried so far with no success resolving the issue:
- Flashing in 8-10 different firmwares/softwares (several different region rm-821 models including finnish) with Nokia care suite.
- Called my operator several times and requested and got a new sim card to rule out the possibility that the problem lies there.
- Called nokia customer care twice and they keep telling me that the phone - for being the global variant - has LTE support on hardware level but it is just disabled in software.
- Checked the APN settings. If I select the access point with access point name for 4G network with my operator I don´t get connected at all. It says 3G in the topbar but network simply doesn´t work.
- Done this all in area where there should be 99,9% certainty for LTE-network availability.
So if anyone can point out something that I have missed or could still try please do. Would be highly appreciated!
You say it has octaband support. Have you confirmed what frequencies it operates at? It is possible that even being octaband versus pentaband that your frequency is not in that phones range. Is there any documentation that says what bands your model supports?
Solarenemy68 said:
You say it has octaband support. Have you confirmed what frequencies it operates at? It is possible that even being octaband versus pentaband that your frequency is not in that phones range. Is there any documentation that says what bands your model supports?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I mean pentaband ofcourse. It is supposed to support the 800, 900, 1800, 2100 and 2600mhz frequencies.
dmt123 said:
Sorry I mean pentaband ofcourse. It is supposed to support the 800, 900, 1800, 2100 and 2600mhz frequencies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that is out of the way, are you sure that your provider has LTE coverage in your exact area? Not just over all but at your exact location? Also is the signal you get at your location normally strong. If it is not strong enough the phone will drop to a lower band to conserve bandwidth.
you may find that nokia has not enabled it yet, they my do so at a later date by firmware .. the CVBG also do not have 4g working out of the box
I am having the same problem.. I bought a 920 when on holiday in Thailand.. now back home and it will not show 4G.. only 3G... whereas my 820 gets 4G fine...
Its an rm-821... and like the original poster i tried flashing a known 4G firmware onto the phone..
Do they actually manufacture 920s that are not 4G ?? I just assumed they were all 4G.... I guess i was wrong..
Have you try this app and manually set for the LTE? just a suggestion
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2082683&highlight=exclusive+for+nokia
Flash your RM-821 with the Finnish firmware 059Q917 (1308.1) . It will activate the LTE as it did mine.
BlinkThinks said:
Flash your RM-821 with the Finnish firmware 059Q917 (1308.1) . It will activate the LTE as it did mine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a question, when a new update comes out in the future, what product code shall be used? The firmware's or hardware's?
jtphl said:
Just a question, when a new update comes out in the future, what product code shall be used? The firmware's or hardware's?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Updates which are firmware, look at the hardware in the phone to confirm product and region compatibility.
Hi guys, some super important info here, For anyone considering getting the international version should CONSIDER getting the T-mobile phone instead because it can utilize future LTE channel 700MHZ worldwide: (Assuming this is correct)
{
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"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
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Now with this information above,
I noticed the only difference between T-mobile's Samsung Galaxy S5 (G900T), and the international Version (G900F) Is that the LTE 700MHZ is missing from the international version.
This brings 2 important questions for BOTH users of both phones.
1. Now, Assuming the specs are correct on the G900T, (it appears to have future compatibility with 700MHZ being released by Tmobile, and other networks worldwide in 2014-2015.) We need to know if this is indeed correct or not.
2. I had flashed AllianceROM for the international version on my G900T, and it shows G900F in the about device.
Will this prevent any phone flashed in this manner from using 700 MHZ if the ROM is a G900F and flashed on a G900T. This is not important now, but will be very much so in the future as the cellular networks mature and roll out the AWS LTE band 700.
This is SUPER important as it may cause headaches for developers/users and mass confusion in the future if the issue isn't caught now before everyone starts using LTE 700 (AWS), and projects mature, and users may notice coverage gaps, if (2) above is confirmed to be a problem.
solrazr said:
Hi guys, some super important info here, For anyone considering getting the international version should CONSIDER getting the T-mobile phone instead because it can utilize future LTE channel 700MHZ worldwide: (Assuming this is correct)
Now with this information above,
I noticed the only difference between T-mobile's Samsung Galaxy S5 (G900T), and the international Version (G900F) Is that the LTE 700MHZ is missing from the international version.
This brings 2 important questions for BOTH users of both phones.
1. Now, Assuming the specs are correct on the G900T, (it appears to have future compatibility with 700MHZ being released by Tmobile, and other networks worldwide in 2014-2015.) We need to know if this is indeed correct or not.
2. I had flashed AllianceROM for the international version on my G900T, and it shows G900F in the about device.
Will this prevent any phone flashed in this manner from using 700 MHZ if the ROM is a G900F and flashed on a G900T. This is not important now, but will be very much so in the future as the cellular networks mature and roll out the AWS LTE band 700.
This is SUPER important as it may cause headaches for developers/users and mass confusion in the future if the issue isn't caught now before everyone starts using LTE 700 (AWS), and projects mature, and users may notice coverage gaps, if (2) above is confirmed to be a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edit build.prop and you can make your phone appear as any model.
Docmjldds said:
Edit build.prop and you can make your phone appear as any model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair enough, however we need to get confirmation if the international ROM's are compatible and can utilize the 700 MHz LTE band (radio) on the G900T regardless of model displayed on the phone. I would think it *might* work, but without 700MHz available yet on T-mobile, I can't test it.
Doesn't matter what ROM you installed ... If you actual phone has LTE bands than it wouldn't really matter what ROM you installed .... and like the other guy posted you can edit build.prop and make it to any model you want ...
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Your answer is yes, just know when flashing a int rom, apn settings are for other bands. When I flashed alliance, I had to change apn settings to the LTE version. I know this for a fact cause I have 2 s5's and I had to copy its original settings to get LTE speeds
Sent from my Stanced Out S5
Sometimes you don't need to set up apn's they set up by itself .. that's why I like tmobile
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Looks like the gsmarena specs might be wrong, according to this LTE band 12 (700 MHz) is not supported on the SM-G900T:
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/SM-G900TZKATMB-specs
solrazr said:
Hi guys, some super important info here, For anyone considering getting the international version should CONSIDER getting the T-mobile phone instead because it can utilize future LTE channel 700MHZ worldwide: (Assuming this is correct)
I noticed the only difference between T-mobile's Samsung Galaxy S5 (G900T), and the international Version (G900F) Is that the LTE 700MHZ is missing from the international version.
This brings 2 important questions for BOTH users of both phones.
1. Now, Assuming the specs are correct on the G900T, (it appears to have future compatibility with 700MHZ being released by Tmobile, and other networks worldwide in 2014-2015.) We need to know if this is indeed correct or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not the only difference:
T-Mobile (T) has LTE 700 & 1700 (Band 17/4), International version (F) does not. (mainly used in North America)
F has LTE 800 (Band 20), T does not. (mainly used in Europe)
F - WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100
T - WCDMA 850/1700&2100/1900/2100
I'm in Hong Kong where they sell unlocked F version but I travel to the US (and Europe) very often (have a place there) so I'm waiting to get a T-Mo version - which IMHO has the best world wide LTE coverage.
I am confused and would very much appreciate if someone here who knows this stuff clear it out. According to these sites the T-Mobile 700 MHz block will be band 12 and the SM-G900T has band 17 which is a subset of band 12.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Mobile_US
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-UTRA#Frequency_bands_and_channel_bandwidths
So it seems to me that while our phones might be able to get on some 700 MHz LTE networks they would not be able to use the USA T-Mobile 700 MHz band?
Edit: Just found this:
"Annoyingly, both the AT&T and T-Mobile (SGS5) models lack LTE Band 12, which T-Mobile and some regional carriers are implementing at the end of this year to improve rural coverage, but no other phone has that yet, either."
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2456033,00.asp
Wondering if band 12 LTE access can be added through a modem upgrade...?
rtwhtever said:
...
"Annoyingly, both the AT&T and T-Mobile (SGS5) models lack LTE Band 12, which T-Mobile and some regional carriers are implementing at the end of this year to improve rural coverage, but no other phone has that yet, either."
Wondering if band 12 LTE access can be added through a modem upgrade...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More than likely, No.
Based on what I've read in other articles there is "physical" gap between the bands on 700mhz which requires filters on the PCB.
The S5 would have had to be shipped band 12 capable from the start or the hardware would have to be refreshed later in the year.
If the GS5 were band 12 capable you'd think they would try to market it as such, since that would be a major upsell.
I wouldn't hold my breath for a hardware refresh though. Seeing as the carriers (especially T-Mobile) seem to have a "hard time" trying to stock multiple internal storage and color options as it is, throw band 12 capable" and "not band 12 capable" and the whole system might collapse!
Old topic ?
Flash an international S5 rom then flash a t-mobile radio.
..
fffft said:
I'd say more than likely, yes.
Your information about SAW filters being necessary is out of date. The S5 has been reported to use the Qualcomm WTR1625L RF transceiver. This chipset is capable of operating on all LTE bands.
There may still be cost saving or protectionist measures in supporting hardware choices that limit us but given the available evidence, the overwhelming chances are that each variant can access an arbritrary set of LTE frequences and that the restrictions will be firmware based.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I stand corrected if that's the chipset used. I knew Samsung had been using SDRs I just was not aware that chips had become available to also dynamically handle the filtering.
Here's hoping it gets resubmitted to the FCC for band 12 approval later this year.
..
fffft said:
Chipworks says that is the chipset and they should certainly know. The WTR1625L is release 10 compliant so it supports all 34 announced bands, not just the current bands in use. The companion WFR1620 chip in the photo is used for carrier aggregation which is LTE channel bonding to achieve higher speeds. Interestingly, Qualcomm's aggressive release schedule already puts a 28 nm successor on the table, the WTR3925 which will be the first single chip carrier aggregation solution to market. It will be release 11 compliant.
The move away from discrete filtering and aggressive push towards single IC systems is meant to capture a larger market share in this multi billion dollar market. Single chip solutions can hit cost and power reduction goals that discrete components could not reach.
The wild card, the possible hardware bottleneck will be the Avago RF front end. It's rumoured to be release 10 compliant as well, but since Avago only releases their specs and datasheets to qualified customers we can't be certain yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IFixit found a Qualcomm WTR1625L within when they did their teardown.
mastarpete said:
I stand corrected if that's the chipset used. I knew Samsung had been using SDRs I just was not aware that chips had become available to also dynamically handle the filtering.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gentlemen, all phones operating in full duplex mode require band-specific RF duplexers to separate the uplink and downlink frequencies and route the antenna to and from the receiver and transmit PA respectively. These are essentially paired RF filters. Duplexers serve the additional purpose of blocking out of band interferers including harmonics generated by the phone transmitting on other bands. Additional SAW and BAW filters are still required in the receive chain in some cases to block interference as well.
E-UTRA bands 1 through 32 are FDD bands and require duplexers. B12 requires its own duplexer. A tunable duplexer that can operate over several of the 700 MHz E-UTRA bands might be possible in the future, but for now a phone that can operate in LTE mode on AT&T (B17), Verizon (B13), US Cellular etc.(B12) requires multiple duplexers.
A phone operating in "All LTE bands" would require an unworkable number of duplexers. As a result, LTE phones are operator and region specific with respect to LTE, and right now it takes at least three SKUs to cover the main population regions and LTE operators across the world. The radio chipset is the same, but not the duplexers and usually not the RF power amps. Some phones will not operate on the right frequencies for LTE on some carrier networks without hardware changes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ylo said:
Gentlemen, all phones operating in full duplex mode require band-specific RF duplexers to separate the uplink and downlink frequencies and route the antenna to and from the receiver and transmit PA respectively. These are essentially paired RF filters. Duplexers serve the additional purpose of blocking out of band interferers including harmonics generated by the phone transmitting on other bands. Additional SAW and BAW filters are still required in the receive chain in some cases to block interference as well.
E-UTRA bands 1 through 32 are FDD bands and require duplexers. B12 requires its own duplexer. A tunable duplexer that can operate over several of the 700 MHz E-UTRA bands might be possible in the future, but for now a phone that can operate in LTE mode on AT&T (B17), Verizon (B13), US Cellular etc.(B12) requires multiple duplexers.
A phone operating in "All LTE bands" would require an unworkable number of duplexers. As a result, LTE phones are operator and region specific with respect to LTE, and right now it takes at least three SKUs to cover the main population regions and LTE operators across the world. The radio chipset is the same, but not the duplexers and usually not the RF power amps. Some phones will not operate on the right frequencies for LTE on some carrier networks without hardware changes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, thanks for sharing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ylo said:
Gentlemen, all phones operating in full duplex mode require band-specific RF duplexers to separate the uplink and downlink frequencies and route the antenna to and from the receiver and transmit PA respectively. These are essentially paired RF filters. Duplexers serve the additional purpose of blocking out of band interferers including harmonics generated by the phone transmitting on other bands. Additional SAW and BAW filters are still required in the receive chain in some cases to block interference as well.
E-UTRA bands 1 through 32 are FDD bands and require duplexers. B12 requires its own duplexer. A tunable duplexer that can operate over several of the 700 MHz E-UTRA bands might be possible in the future, but for now a phone that can operate in LTE mode on AT&T (B17), Verizon (B13), US Cellular etc.(B12) requires multiple duplexers.
A phone operating in "All LTE bands" would require an unworkable number of duplexers. As a result, LTE phones are operator and region specific with respect to LTE, and right now it takes at least three SKUs to cover the main population regions and LTE operators across the world. The radio chipset is the same, but not the duplexers and usually not the RF power amps. Some phones will not operate on the right frequencies for LTE on some carrier networks without hardware changes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response.
When I google the WTR1625L the results I'm seeing are claiming it is Release 10 based and supports all announced bands. Maybe their wording is over simplifying but it seems to imply it's capable of handling the duplexing, antenna switching and basic filtering as one combined chipset.
I understand that there could still be a possibility of needing additional interference filtering.
Are you pointing out that the WTR1625L really only has selective support based on how the OEM builds out the chipset?
ie. Hardware wise (ignoring software configuration), if the OEM using the WTR1625L gets a request to not include (or doesn't ask for) a specific band they wont actually physically assemble it in a way that supports all bands.
Edit: here's a link to the press release from when the WTR1625L was announced.
http://www.multivu.com/mnr/60452-qualcomm-rf360-front-end-solution-global-4g-lte-for-mobile-devices
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
..
fffft said:
The observations about discrete components being a limiting factor was accurate five years ago. It largely out of date now and specifically has little relevance to the specific chipset under discussion. This chipset is release 10 compliant and only requires minimal external hardware support.
A RF front end is still required, but as the current generation of Avago chips have made comparable advances and are also R10 compliant. The days when we needed a slew of SAW filters and other discrete components are behind us.
Between that and general manufacturing practice, it is all but certain that the in situ chipset can support all existing GSM and LTE bands. The (artificial) restrictions will be in the firmware.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any new thoughts or information on this discussion?
Does anyone have an authoritative link or source for the different S23 ultra regional model variants and their respective bandwidth frequencies such as for 4g and 5g?
Can't find this information for any including the USA variant eg which specific frequencies of 4g and 5g does the USA model support?
The chipset and x70 modem makes it possible for this phone to truly be a global phone but.....
asking the same as well, cant find these details.
Here's hoping that the band unlock methods for the s22's and s21's also work on the s23's.
jcsww said:
Here's hoping that the band unlock methods for the s22's and s21's also work on the s23's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure it will be the same to unlock the bands, no one will really know until they have one in hand.
Can you elaborate on these band unlock methods?
And could they unlock mmwave for example on the international variants so that 5g could work in US? And unlock international bands on US version so it could work everywhere else?
evangelionpunk said:
Can you elaborate on these band unlock methods?
And could they unlock mmwave for example on the international variants so that 5g could work in US? And unlock international bands on US version so it could work everywhere else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the thread you probably want to have a look at. This method also worked for the s21's.
How to Enable All Bands Through Service Menu on US/CA S22 series (including Sub-6 and mmWave)
What is this? This is a guide on how to enable all LTE and 5G bands on the US or Canadian S22 series phones by going through the service menu. This guide is mostly based on this S20U guide by mellojosh, but has been adapted for the S22U phone...
forum.xda-developers.com
jcsww said:
This is the thread you probably want to have a look at. This method also worked for the s21's.
How to Enable All Bands Through Service Menu on US/CA S22 series (including Sub-6 and mmWave)
What is this? This is a guide on how to enable all LTE and 5G bands on the US or Canadian S22 series phones by going through the service menu. This guide is mostly based on this S20U guide by mellojosh, but has been adapted for the S22U phone...
forum.xda-developers.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting....
So basically you could enter the service menu and turn on all the extra bands?
In that case wouldn't the US version be the best one to have since it would have mmwave hardware baked in too? It should then work everywhere.
Though it sounds like you'll lose the function on os updates and resets?
evangelionpunk said:
Interesting....
So basically you could enter the service menu and turn on all the extra bands?
In that case wouldn't the US version be the best one to have since it would have mmwave hardware baked in too? It should then work everywhere.
Though it sounds like you'll lose the function on os updates and resets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OS updates from Samsung are never fast. Doing so once every 2 to 3 months isn't so bad for the extra band support.
Samsung's modem software works well for the US and Canada because the hardware is the same and only the modem software separates the bands based on carrier/region. Due to the wide spread of mess across North America, US and Canadian models are always a good choice for potential band support. In some cases though, mixed ROM's can also bridge the support. In the S9 days, you could.jeep.the base.for.your region but flash the carrier side of the firmware to unlock band 71 on some overseas models. I don't know if this is still possible today but with all devices being very similar. I am hoping the hardware, including dual-SIM pins on the main board, will be there to enable through a firmware change or mod.
Do we know if the international dual sim variant has the same USA hardware based on s22/21/20?
Does it have mmwave baked in but just disabled by software?
I am still not clear what 5G bands are supported on the SM-S918BZKPEUB, nor if unlocking the bands through the service menu works. @UK S23, your deliveries are in place already, has anyone tried?
It seems as though the bands might only be disabled in software? If so, then it should be possible to enable whatever band you need. The only exception would be if a hardware component is needed or missing then it wouldn't be possible which likely wouldn't be the case for your 3g, 4g and 5g standard range. Maybe only 5g mmwave which is essentially only in US anyway.
If that's the case it sounds like US variant might be the best to get for global coverage barring lack of dual sim (though it does have physical+esim).
evangelionpunk said:
It seems as though the bands might only be disabled in software? If so, then it should be possible to enable whatever band you need. The only exception would be if a hardware component is needed or missing then it wouldn't be possible which likely wouldn't be the case for your 3g, 4g and 5g standard range. Maybe only 5g mmwave which is essentially only in US anyway.
If that's the case it sounds like US variant might be the best to get for global coverage barring lack of dual sim (though it does have physical+esim).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung's band support is mostly software, at least when it comes to 4G and 5G. I have never bothered to change 2G and 3G bands because there is no use for them unless you are in a very rural area or roaming. This is why it is so easy to convert the North American models and why in the days of the S9+, you could get band 71 on international models with dual-SIM.
jcsww said:
Samsung's band support is mostly software, at least when it comes to 4G and 5G. I have never bothered to change 2G and 3G bands because there is no use for them unless you are in a very rural area or roaming. This is why it is so easy to convert the North American models and why in the days of the S9+, you could get band 71 on international models with dual-SIM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct me if I'm wrong but you can't get mmwave bands on the international dual sim models right?
evangelionpunk said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but you can't get mmwave bands on the international dual sim models right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure when it comes to mmWave. You can enable it on the W for Canada even though the cell coverage and technologies used up there are probably never going to deploy it. Overseas, I have no idea.
jcsww said:
I'm not sure when it comes to mmWave. You can enable it on the W for Canada even though the cell coverage and technologies used up there are probably never going to deploy it. Overseas, I have no idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've read that the US and CA models are basically identical so that might explain it. It's also possible I suppose that in s23 since it uses x70 modem, which has native support built in, that all model variants might be able to do it but for software. Though we won't know for sure till someone from different region goes into their service menu and checks.
mmWave requires a specific antenna to function. This antenna used to cost like $50 but I'd be surprised if it's gone down much beyond $30 so manufacturers will still leave it out if it's not necessary.
EtherealRemnant said:
mmWave requires a specific antenna to function. This antenna used to cost like $50 but I'd be surprised if it's gone down much beyond $30 so manufacturers will still leave it out if it's not necessary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks and that probably means it likely won't be in other region variants.
Personally, I'd just make a single phone that is globally universal and can be used everywhere. The massive scale should drop the component pricing considerably. Carrier exclusives and market restrictions if any needed in software only. But that's just me lol.
evangelionpunk said:
Thanks and that probably means it likely won't be in other region variants.
Personally, I'd just make a single phone that is globally universal and can be used everywhere. The massive scale should drop the component pricing considerably. Carrier exclusives and market restrictions if any needed in software only. But that's just me lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you would think they would do this, but Samsung has always customized difference models for different regions so it must not be that straightforward. I believe that regulatory bodies would require them to test and submit all the documentation for that extra antenna, for example. It also wouldn't surprise me if the mmWave equipment is outright banned in some regions either for whatever reason.
EtherealRemnant said:
Yes, you would think they would do this, but Samsung has always customized difference models for different regions so it must not be that straightforward. I believe that regulatory bodies would require them to test and submit all the documentation for that extra antenna, for example. It also wouldn't surprise me if the mmWave equipment is outright banned in some regions either for whatever reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah.
Are iphones globally all exactly the same now?
evangelionpunk said:
Yeah.
Are iphones globally all exactly the same now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. There are 5 different models of iPhone 14 Pro Max, for example, and each will have different band configurations.
That said, the NA models have the most complete bands of any device released so far this year and it was released last year with an older modem. They even have support for Dish Network's n70, a band exclusive to them worldwide, something Samsung didn't even choose to support on their NA variant this year despite having a contract with Dish for radio equipment supporting that band.
I actually think the NA iPhone 14 Pro models support every commercially available band worldwide but I don't really keep up on bands not used in the US.
iPhone 14 Pro Max Model Number A2651, A2893, A2894, A2896, A2895 Differences - TechWalls
The iPhone 14 Pro Max comes in 5 model numbers, which are A2651, A2893, A2894, A2896, and A2895. Let's check out their differences and all the part numbers.
www.techwalls.com