Develop Bugs

T-Mobile SGS2 vs. Intl SGS2 comparison

Hello,
I have both phones, and I find it very hard to choose one. If I pick the i9100, I'll be forced to switch to AT&T and pay more per month. However, the international version feels way smoother. I guess the Exynos really does make a difference.
Here is a comparison between the two phones, based on what I have experienced so far:
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Pros: T-Mobile version:
* NFC
* 3.5G data on T-Mobile's network
Cons: T-Mobile version:
* heavier, thicker
* Snapdragon SoC
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Debatable issues:
* Screen size - Personally, I think the resolution looks better on the 4.3" screen, but some would prefer a larger screen regardless of resolution.
* Design - The square edges and central button look better than any of the U.S. variants (in my opinion). Also, that big ass T-Mobile stamp on the phone's face is kind of annoying.
* Build quality - To me, the i9100 feels more "premium" when you hold it in your hand.
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Pros: i9100 international version:
* Exynos SoC - definitely feels faster
* thinner, lighter
Cons: i9100 international version:
* will either have to switch to AT&T or stay on 2G
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The one thing that most people dislike about the T989 is the lack of development. However, I don't think this is a valid complaint and have excluded it from my comparison. Honestly, "official" ICS from Samsung is a buggy piece of ****. MIUI v4 is based on this horrible build from Samsung as well (instead of . CM9 is the only real advantage that the i9100 has in terms of development. Yet even that has many problems. Overall, they don't have it that much better than us if you are only talking about software. But really, I think that anyone who has purchased a carrier branded device should have understood the implications. To me, the real comparison is with hardware/design.
Also, if anyone wants me to run any certain tests to compare the devices, I could do it since I currently have both.
I really like the i9100, but I'm worried about switching to AT&T. I wonder if I would be able to have a T-Mobile talk/text plan and an AT&T data plan on the same phone? Does anyone know the details of T-Mobile's future plans for the 1900 band? From what I have read, it still seems that it is unconfirmed whether non-AWS phones will work on T-Mobile data in the future.
Anyone have some advice for this scenario? Also feel free to discuss any of the issues in my comparison.

Why not wait for the sgs3?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda premium

cashyftw said:
Why not wait for the sgs3?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it's not that I'm choosing which phone to buy; I have both already. The issue still applies if the SGS3 was to come out, though. If T-Mobile doesn't support non-AWS data by the time the GS3 was released; I'd still be in the same situation. It's really unlikely that the phone will support the 1700MHz band.
I've heard rumours about 1900MHz being enabled for HSPA on T-Mobile, but I haven't seen any proof about this yet.

No you caint have data with one carrier and voice on another. The only way this could even be a possibility is with a dual sim phone and even then dont know if you could as I have no experience with a phone like that. Suppose you could use two different sims that you swapped in and out with a shutdown and flash your radio depending on what sim you had in? Dont think that is what you had in mind though.
I really love my T989, Its fast looks great and I get great data speeds when I am in town (7-16 megs down 1.5 up) all for a lot less each month than at&t. I do wish there was more AOSP for my phone but the roms that are available are really nice and it seems a bit refined at this point.
Yet to see any practical use of NFC for me.

I simply don't find 2g speeds tolerable in any sense of the word.

Why not use the $45 unlimited ST plan using AT&T towers? 3g speeds, no contract, etc.. i9100 FTW!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA

We had this thread before what people don't understand the original galaxy S2 has had software improvements over the year since it's been released to icecream sandwich. Samsung has been exclusively working on improving the device since release. They just recently got started with Qualcomm processor.
I did this experiment with with a friend that had the sprint galaxy S2. Both were rooted with custom roms. Both had custom kernels.
We switch phones for a week. There both good phones. Playing games got the sprint version extremely hot. No idea why. Battery Life was better on the tmobile device. Probably susceptible to networks.. Both had stock browser checker boarding.
Exynos gave better benchmarks. Apps started slightly faster? It was really negligible though. Sometimes The Qualcomm processor will start up faster than Exynos. Most of the time Exynos would win. But it was to a point by milliseconds.
I wouldn't be disappointed what ever device you bought. According to reddit r/android the original Samsung galaxy S2 removed a lot of gingerbread enhancements for ics. So I expect to not see a difference in devices when running ics. So honestly don't worry be happy about what device you got. Next month new devices are launching so you can always sell this phone for it.

what is the maximum speed you can get with the i9100 on tmobils network?
5-6mpbs?
Sent from my SGH-T989

Killbynature said:
...
I wouldn't be disappointed what ever device you bought. According to reddit r/android the original Samsung galaxy S2 removed a lot of gingerbread enhancements for ics. So I expect to not see a difference in devices when running ics. So honestly don't worry be happy about what device you got. Next month new devices are launching so you can always sell this phone for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that I'm considering which device to buy.. I have both already.
jordanishere said:
what is the maximum speed you can get with the i9100 on tmobils network?
5-6mpbs?
Sent from my SGH-T989
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More like 0.01mbps. But I am on wifi 80% of time.

jordanishere said:
what is the maximum speed you can get with the i9100 on tmobils network?
5-6mpbs?
Sent from my SGH-T989
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edge since it doesn't support the bands.

Yeah but the edge speed is not even the decent edge speed you get on other phones like the iphone.. It is horrible slow edge speed
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

I had the international version, and I sold it for this one just because of the data speeds. Att was horrible for me at work where I play the most on it. But on the international version I think there were around 20 roms that I could get my crack head flash fix with. I miss having all the options to play with. Like a day after I bought this the sky rocket came out and Kansas city is a test market for there lte so I could have had it. But all in all the data was more important so I am happy with this.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

yeah hopefully the sgs3 will support multiple bands and work on basically every carrier. i9100s speeds are too low on tmobil.
if you usw tmobil, our phone is your best option
Sent from my SGH-T989

jordanishere said:
yeah hopefully the sgs3 will support multiple bands and work on basically every carrier. i9100s speeds are too low on tmobil.
if you usw tmobil, our phone is your best option
Sent from my SGH-T989
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the problem. The AWS (1700MHz) band used by T-Mobile is only shared by a few small Canadian carriers. There is no reason that an international phone would enable this band. Maybe if we get really lucky, they will enable it. But the chances are slim.

saltmine said:
That's the problem. The AWS (1700MHz) band used by T-Mobile is only shared by a few small Canadian carriers. There is no reason that an international phone would enable this band. Maybe if we get really lucky, they will enable it. But the chances are slim.
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Click to collapse
Galaxy Nexus enables it. So Samsung already has the tech there to do it. I, too, hope that all their future phones will be pentaband UMTS.

As the other guy said, why not go to ST $45 unlimited plan leave the int version?

manekineko said:
Galaxy Nexus enables it. So Samsung already has the tech there to do it. I, too, hope that all their future phones will be pentaband UMTS.
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Click to collapse
it depends on the chip. the reason we have an s3 is because exynos wont do our hspa+ bands
Sent from my SGH-T989

I prefer the look of the T989 over the international variants, as well as the bigger screen. I use my phone all day long.
BUT...it's the damn carrier branding that I hate.
I would love to find a Telus T989D with no carrier branding

I pretty much spam this everywhere but with the darkside 2.5.1 ROM and kernel, 989 is perfect to me and almost the same as 9100.
In my area tm is the only 4g, no lte so I get 16mb where att 3g is only 2.
Att sucks.
Sent from the Darkside

Diekrupt said:
I pretty much spam this everywhere but with the darkside 2.5.1 ROM and kernel, 989 is perfect to me and almost the same as 9100.
In my area tm is the only 4g, no lte so I get 16mb where att 3g is only 2.
Att sucks.
Sent from the Darkside
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
see thats the thing. if ur on tmobil... and ur going to drop $500 on a phone, ours is the best pick. obviously if ur on verison or att there are better choices for those networksm
Sent from my Galaxy S II

Should I get T-Mo or International S3?

Well im stuck on deciding which one to get. i already know the 3g/4g data wont work on the international but it will by the end of this year because t-mo is refarming. Everything is better about the international (processor, gpu, audio, support) except for the 1 gb extra ram on the t-mo version. So my question is should i buy the international one and use edge speed until t mobile refarms or play it safe and just get the t-mo?

agentdude said:
Well im stuck on deciding which one to get. i already know the 3g/4g data wont work on the international but it will by the end of this year because t-mo is refarming. Everything is better about the international (processor, gpu, audio, support) except for the 1 gb extra ram on the t-mo version. So my question is should i buy the international one and use edge speed until t mobile refarms or play it safe and just get the t-mo?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i9300 is better. but if you're with tmobile, why not just get t999? its cheaper. though i personally like i9300. its snappy

JoJo2211 said:
i9300 is better. but if you're with tmobile, why not just get t999? its cheaper. though i personally like i9300. its snappy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the specs on the international are better and is more future-proof with the quad-core and more development support. is it too risky to buy the international version and wait for t-mobiles refarming?

Will T-Mo finish refarming any time soon?
Side question, does anybody know the time frame of T-Mo getting LTE?

I am going in the morning and getting the international. And I am actually on straight talk. But ehen tmo gets data so will I. I think getting the quad core when uts already august it will only be a few months then yoy will be stuck wanting to upgrade again
sent via one badass kindle fire fueled by jellybeans

agentdude said:
Well im stuck on deciding which one to get. i already know the 3g/4g data wont work on the international but it will by the end of this year because t-mo is refarming. Everything is better about the international (processor, gpu, audio, support) except for the 1 gb extra ram on the t-mo version. So my question is should i buy the international one and use edge speed until t mobile refarms or play it safe and just get the t-mo?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if your with t mobile i would just get the sgh t999... can save you headaches later on.

Don_Perrignon said:
Will T-Mo finish refarming any time soon?
Side question, does anybody know the time frame of T-Mo getting LTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mo said by the end of 2012 and they said they will start LTE in 2013

Is there any evidence that the international version would work on T-Mobile's LTE? AT&T and Verizon already have LTE, yet they still use the S4 variant. Maybe the bands aren't the same?

I don't know why you all are talking about LTE, the INTL version doesn't support LTE period. HSPA+ 21 is all it supports and that is on AT&T network. If I were you, I would get the TMO version even if the quad core supported TMO's 4G, I feel the Snapdragon S4 in the T999 is on par or better than the quad core in the International GS3 mainly because the S4 chip is built off the A15 architecture while the quad is A9. I've held them both for 30 minutes because I was in the same predicament you are in and I chose T-Mobile's version because it felt snappier. You can search YouTube as well, there are plenty YouTube videos on on this very subject comparing the two phones. There mostly no difference in speed, and that should tell you a lot about the chip in this phone. If you're a hardcore user, this chip can handle any and all task you and the Play Store can through at it and some, not only because of the awesome S4 chip, but because the 2GB of RAM. This phone is ridiculous. You will love either one but for you and the Network you are on, go with the T-mobile Galaxy S3. That's my advice, take it or leave it.

I work for tmobile, But opted for sprint. as far as the notes in our internal files show. theres only a tentative Q4 timeframe for MAJOR cities. the only city that seems to be getting any love is SF with tmobile investing 4 billion dollars into the network buying up spectrum just so they have the chance to grab up more iphone users. some of you very well may be out of luck for quite a while. tmobile is content to let you roam until you hit certain limits then theyll terminate you under ERR(Extreme Roaming) great thing about that is it saves you an early 200 dollar term fee.

jaidlion said:
I work for tmobile, But opted for sprint. as far as the notes in our internal files show. theres only a tentative Q4 timeframe for MAJOR cities. the only city that seems to be getting any love is SF with tmobile investing 4 billion dollars into the network buying up spectrum just so they have the chance to grab up more iphone users. some of you very well may be out of luck for quite a while. tmobile is content to let you roam until you hit certain limits then theyll terminate you under ERR(Extreme Roaming) great thing about that is it saves you an early 200 dollar term fee.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems to me all T-Mobile cares about is the iPhone, all their ads and I mean ALL OF THEM! Include the iPhone. So annoying. They advertise the iPhone more than their own devices.

IRIE4IPIER said:
I don't know why you all are talking about LTE, the INTL version doesn't support LTE period. HSPA+ 21 is all it supports and that is on AT&T network. If I were you, I would get the TMO version even if the quad core supported TMO's 4G, I feel the Snapdragon S4 in the T999 is on par or better than the quad core in the International GS3 mainly because the S4 chip is built off the A15 architecture while the quad is A9. I've held them both for 30 minutes because I was in the same predicament you are in and I chose T-Mobile's version because it felt snappier. You can search YouTube as well, there are plenty YouTube videos on on this very subject comparing the two phones. There mostly no difference in speed, and that should tell you a lot about the chip in this phone. If you're a hardcore user, this chip can handle any and all task you and the Play Store can through at it and some, not only because of the awesome S4 chip, but because the 2GB of RAM. This phone is ridiculous. You will love either one but for you and the Network you are on, go with the T-mobile Galaxy S3. That's my advice, take it or leave it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow that was a great answer. Thank you very much this just made up my mind

To be honest with you, tmobile is really interested in the iphone, they dont want to invest the cash in tmobile is in a really unfortunate position and its all due to the piss poor decisions they are making. the Tmobile GS3 is better than the internaional one imo and loads better than the iphone but the internal document i read, actually advocated telling the users they were investing 4 billion into one specific city receiving iphone capabilities even though 1/4 of our call volume is "theres no service in my area" honestly if tmobiles sim subsidy unlocking practices werent so much better than At&ts i wouldnt even view them as a viable option =/

jaidlion said:
I work for tmobile, But opted for sprint. as far as the notes in our internal files show. theres only a tentative Q4 timeframe for MAJOR cities. the only city that seems to be getting any love is SF with tmobile investing 4 billion dollars into the network buying up spectrum just so they have the chance to grab up more iphone users. some of you very well may be out of luck for quite a while. tmobile is content to let you roam until you hit certain limits then theyll terminate you under ERR(Extreme Roaming) great thing about that is it saves you an early 200 dollar term fee.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW, I just left Sprint after 12 yrs and my Evo LTE for the TMO GS3. I get 15% discount on both but TMO is $40 cheaper per month for 3 lines with 5,2,2 data unlimted min and 500min for 3rd line. Sprint has crept up by $39 on my 3 lines over the last 2yrs with data increase and ins increase. I got tired of the below 1mbps 3G speeds and the nonexistent LTE while living in one of the LTE launch cities. Loving my cheaper plan with HSPA+ getting double digit dl speeds.
Sent from my GS3 via TapaTalk 2

i personal got the t-mobile s3 t-999 and i like its fast and responsive no real issues i noticed

IRIE4IPIER has some good advice, and is right on. If you do opt for the international version, be prepared for a very slow network experience on T-Mobile. Also, about the quad-core vs dual-core thing. I would definitely opt for the 2GB RAM dual-core over the 1GB RAM quad-core on these phones. The S4 CPU in the dual-core version is no slouch, and it is A15-ish. The Exynos, of course, is great, but there is nothing that you can do on the international version (assuming you are in the U.S. and not continuously running AnTuTu benchmarks) that you cannot do on the T-Mobile version. Conversely, there are many things that you will not be able to do on the international version.
Edit: Ok, seems as though you made your decision. Congrats.

agentdude said:
wow that was a great answer. Thank you very much this just made up my mind
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Click to collapse
you were trying to base your choice on pure speculation, as well. as of now, there is no actual, tangible release date for a network upgrade. if you bought the international version, you'd be stuck with slow mobile speeds, for what reason? because of 2 more CPUs and less ram?
good thing you made the right choice :good:

Ok, thread's been sitting but let me 2c it.
The current t-mobile network performance on the quad s3 is astoundingly bad, hopefully once they implement it will be better. Even though I knew this, I still opted for the int version because of the quad core. I consistently max out processors, so was looking for the quad and was extremely disappointed that we got the dumbed-down version in the states. Used to that though (lower performance imports, electronics, no diesels, etc, etc)
Could the quad core have worked with our current network? Of course, t-mobile made the requisite radio hardware changes for the upcoming network. Anyway, the other concern was the lack of an additional gig of ram. The solution for this problem is enabling linux-style swap on the kernel. On the former Galaxy S kernels, developers shied away from this citing it did not really work. This always frustrated me, as it does work and that's why linux uses it. The question is if it's effective on the Android system. Well, Android is constructed along the principals of linux.
Also, take note that both Windows 7 and Windows 8 ask if you want to enable you're flash drive as swap. Windows finally caught on to this too. (Sorry Mac, you're still a little slow, but your products certainly cost enough!)
Anyway, one of our developers is enabling swap in his kernel now (SiyahKernel).
Availible here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1709686
And with full rom build and installer here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1734643
(Note: This kernel is for ICS and not LB, it's why I'm sticking with ICS now)
Here's a great write-up on enabling swap: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1814311&highlight=4+1
Ok, I've tested the T-Mobile s3 multiple times and found the quad scores (I know, I know) to be in the lower 4000's. Non-oc'd the int s3 was able to barely break into the 5000's.
Overclocked with SetCPU (has to be kernel enabled, the Siyah kernel allows this) and swap enabled (1 gig, class-10 sd), I was able to achieve 6230 on Quadrant Standard.
Not too damn shabby!
(Thanks Dev's)
Only question is, will there be any work-a-round to speed up the int on T-Mobile prior to the HSPA+?
Don't know.

dont be a fool! go with tmobile!!!

dannydv said:
dont be a fool! go with tmobile!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If he wanted the int version it's his choice to make and that doesn't make him a fool.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

Sprint Galaxy Nexus .vs. Sprint Galaxy S III

I've recently moved from a sprint NS4G to a Sprint Gnex (toroplus).
The stock 4.1.1 is awesome, and the performance is great. Battery life and heat are a bit of a issue, but not a deal killer at all.
LTE Coverage ??
My main issue is LTE coverage, or the lack thereof. I have had Sprint be very responsive to my concerns in opening a network ticket, and walking through a network reset [ i.e. SCRTN ( Enter *#*#72786#*#* + MSL ). ] and other steps.
In looking at other threads, posts and dedicated Sprint 4g forums, I'm getting the sense that the toroplus has a less than steller network performance record.
My daughter's unlocked GSM is on a T-Mobile $30/ plan, and it kills mine in all areas around town, so I'm really focusing this thought on the Sprint toroplus.
So, give me feedback on this thought -> Should I switch it for a Sprint Galaxy S 3?
I can not bear to think of not having a stock JB to work off of, but without a steady and strong data connection, so much of the superior software experience is lost to me anyway. I have network issues impacting the performance of so much of the software, from Google talk app to google now.
I hate the GSIII's skin and home button, but if it would give me a significantly better network/data experience, I'm tempted to make the switch.
What do you think?
p.s. Although I am obviously asking a question, I intentionally posted this is 'general' as the overall nature is more of a discussion/opinion. If this is incorrect, PM me and I'll move it or delete it.

I'm assuming your daughter has the GSM version of the Galaxy Nexus? Your question is more about Cell Providers than about phones since you're basing your issues on network performance.

Depends
Gs3 is newer blah blah and has 2gb ram. Nexus is a nexus you will get the latest android sooner than anyone else
Other than that gs3 wins
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Vaj tswv is the creation of people with nowhere left to turn

donsh00tmesanta said:
Depends
Gs3 is newer blah blah and has 2gb ram. Nexus is a nexus you will get the latest android sooner than anyone else
Other than that gs3 wins
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Vaj tswv is the creation of people with nowhere left to turn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed but he's basing his theory on the fact that his daughter's phone is faster (network wise) but it's a different network all together. I don't see how a different phone would help if it's a network issue.

Better phone won't make data faster
Get gs3 for T-Mobile in that case
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Vaj tswv is the creation of people with nowhere left to turn

Why compare when you can buy both..common sense when in doubt buy those two. That would solve ur curiosity:sly:
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

Yeah, just buy both, duh. Lol. If only.
via xda premium on my AOKP'd Evo LTE

It seems as though, due to both phones being made by Samsung, that the radios in each would at least be comparable, resulting in similar network connectivity and quality. The good thing is that Sprint has the 2 week return period so you can always get the S3 and try it and take it back if the network quality is the same as what you are experiencing with the gnex but you might have to eat the $36 restocking fee... Or complain enough they waive it, haha.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

The S3 is a Samsung so it has its reputable crappy radio signal. I dont think getting the S3 will change things period. Sprint's network is well.. Sprint's network. It has highs and lows you just happen to be in a Low. I mean at my house i get 2 bars of 3G and its like .50 - .75 mbps but going up the street it'll hit full bars with 1.2 - 1.7 mbps its really iffy and all depends on location. Your best bet would be to drop Sprint sell the Gnex and get a GSM gnex and put that sucker on Prepaid T-Mobile or any other GSM carrier.

ÜBER™ said:
The S3 is a Samsung so it has its reputable crappy radio signal. I dont think getting the S3 will change things period. Sprint's network is well.. Sprint's network. It has highs and lows you just happen to be in a Low. I mean at my house i get 2 bars of 3G and its like .50 - .75 mbps but going up the street it'll hit full bars with 1.2 - 1.7 mbps its really iffy and all depends on location. Your best bet would be to drop Sprint sell the Gnex and get a GSM gnex and put that sucker on Prepaid T-Mobile or any other GSM carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you are right, my issue is a get 'the job' to pay for Sprint, so ..... I guess I'm getting what I pay for!
I'm wondering if anyone out there has used on Sprint both a Gnex and G3 at similar locations to prove/disprove if the radios are the same. Seems likely they'd be similar, I had read some reports that at least on Sprint the G3's radio was performing better on LTE.
Thanks.

schreibman said:
I think you are right, my issue is a get 'the job' to pay for Sprint, so ..... I guess I'm getting what I pay for!
I'm wondering if anyone out there has used on Sprint both a Gnex and G3 at similar locations to prove/disprove if the radios are the same. Seems likely they'd be similar, I had read some reports that at least on Sprint the G3's radio was performing better on LTE.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not even in the US but my LTE experiences prove otherwise. Had a GS2 Skyrocket and while LTE speeds are blazing it has a very weak signal compared to 3g/4g. In full 3g/4g areas it would always have 2 bars less. Indoors it was even worse sometimes gone.(would swap back to 4g) Now not all networks are the same but thought I'd share. As previously mentioned it seems Sprint in your area is the problem not your phone

garu12 said:
I'm not even in the US but my LTE experiences prove otherwise. Had a GS2 Skyrocket and while LTE speeds are blazing it has a very weak signal compared to 3g/4g. In full 3g/4g areas it would always have 2 bars less. Indoors it was even worse sometimes gone.(would swap back to 4g) Now not all networks are the same but thought I'd share. As previously mentioned it seems Sprint in your area is the problem not your phone
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Click to collapse
There may be small differences but I would be shocked to learn that the gs3 has some kind of radical advantage over the gnex. The problem is sprint. Luckily they are rolling out lte pretty quickly. By Christmas we should see a decent footprint.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

T- Mobile Branded Galaxy Note II Compared to N7100 (I bought both Returning T-Mobile)

Hi guys!
Okay so more rather to cater to my burning curiosity of how the T-Mobile Varient would do with HSPA+ 42 and the 1700/2100 I went down this morning grabbed a white version and came home and did some test. And here's what I've found.
#1) The T-Mobile Variant of the Note 2 is Made in CHINA! While the N7100 is made in Korea
#2) The T-Mobile Variant had worse download speeds where I live and testing the HSPA+ speeds in my house resulted in the unlocked N7100 beating it on the 1900mhz band. (Keep in mind I only get HSPA+ On t-Mobile near my house all other are's that were tested I have edge on the N7100 they are still refarming.
#3) So I took it upon myself to see is the T-Mobile branded version actually faster? I drove around for about 10-20 miles stopping in different area's and testing, The highest I've Gotten with it was 15mbps down. However I was not able to compare it to the N7100 in the same exact location because that area is not yet refarmed. However Comparing it side by side the N7100 at home the N7100 had the edge in download speeds which was funny to me.
Besides that fact, the N7100 is fully unlocked and no bs from T-mobile on it and the instant I used the T-Mobile version I wanted the N7100 back. So Moral of the story for me was that is it worth getting the T-Mobile version? If your on the Re farmed network I'd say no get the N7100 instead no bloatware faster updates, Speeds won't vary much, and You can tether devices without rooting!

Good to hear others thinking along these same lines. Guess it really depends on whether tour city is being refarmed.
I live in Memphis, and I've heard rumors that we're getting / already have the 1900 band. Guess I might need to find a good way to test before hand.
km

Nyxagamemnon said:
Hi guys!
Okay so more rather to cater to my burning curiosity of how the T-Mobile Varient would do with HSPA+ 42 and the 1700/2100 I went down this morning grabbed a white version and came home and did some test. And here's what I've found.
#1) The T-Mobile Variant of the Note 2 is Made in CHINA! While the N7100 is made in Korea
#2) The T-Mobile Variant had worse download speeds where I live and testing the HSPA+ speeds in my house resulted in the unlocked N7100 beating it on the 1900mhz band. (Keep in mind I only get HSPA+ On t-Mobile near my house all other are's that were tested I have edge on the N7100 they are still refarming.
#3) So I took it upon myself to see is the T-Mobile branded version actually faster? I drove around for about 10-20 miles stopping in different area's and testing, The highest I've Gotten with it was 15mbps down. However I was not able to compare it to the N7100 in the same exact location because that area is not yet refarmed. However Comparing it side by side the N7100 at home the N7100 had the edge in download speeds which was funny to me.
Besides that fact, the N7100 is fully unlocked and no bs from T-mobile on it and the instant I used the T-Mobile version I wanted the N7100 back. So Moral of the story for me was that is it worth getting the T-Mobile version? If your on the Re farmed network I'd say no get the N7100 instead no bloatware faster updates, Speeds won't vary much, and You can tether devices without rooting!
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So would you be able to tell me if the T-mo Note and the N7100 are exact the same dimensions/shape. I want to buy a case for the T-mo version but I think all the ones on ebay are for the N7100. Maybe you can switch out battery covers to see if they fit. Thanks!

I too was sitting on the fence on whether to pick the the N7100 or T-mobile's handset. I eventually chose the latter for the following reasons. It may not necessarily apply to everyone. I'm not an engineer so I don't know much about technical details but I am very logical in understanding how things work:
1) Tmo has done a fairly good job on refarming the 1900 band for hspa+ and true enough you will get speeds >10mbps. I previously tested this service on an international SGS2 and international GN1. And that was using a prepaid sim. So clearly international versions of samsung will have hspa+ service IF there is coverage. However as to date, we still have to see consistent and widespread coverage of hspa+ on the 1900 band. Who's to say that by year's end the refarming would have been completed to a satisfactory level as promised by T-mobile? What if coverage would still be practically the same in YOUR area? What if completion simply means additional cities/towns but your area basically has already been refarmed to completion. I feel that will be the case with MY area. It's still really "wait and see" for the refarming project. While with the t-mo variant you get consistent hspa+ ALREADY, NOW and greater coverage simply because they have been designed to work with the existing hspa+ AWS bands of Tmo. 1900 hspa+ is just additional for the Tmo variant.
In my case, I use my home wifi. So that situation negates the 4G coverage comparison between the 2 .
I'm curious as to what your home speed differences were? Was it that significant to outweigh the benefit of more consistent hspa+ coverage outside your home? I understand your mobile tests showed Tmo's variant to be the winner by "default". Meaning N7100 didn't have a chance to even compete. That alone is enough for me to chose Tmo's.
2) N7100 has a 21mbps hspa+ radio. Tmo's variant has a 42mbps radio. Although I am not seeing speeds proportionate to the advertised 42mbps radio in my area. I believe some folks around the US have demonstrated 20-30mbps on Tmo's network. Just scourge the net for those blogs and anecdotes. Obviously the 42mbps radio is required for those speeds. I guess it will all depend on the location and if 42mbps hspa+ is enforced on the surrounding towers.
3) re: bloatware - They don't bother me much. However for the tinkerers out there, this may be a deal breaker. But I am certain there is always a way around this for the advanced users.
4) N7100 doesn't have an LTE radio. Tmo's variant potential has this feature. That adds a little future proofing value to it. Check engadget's latest review of Tmo's variant. To quote:
"Also, according to the T889's FCC application, the device includes support for LTE bands 4 (AWS) and 17, though this particular set of radios is currently locked on T-Mobile. We're hoping the AWS LTE band will be enabled for us as soon as the network is ready to push ahead with its next-gen technology, but we haven't heard any official word from Magenta about this. Regardless of what happens, we wouldn't put it past hackers Android programming aficionados to come up with a way of taking advantage of this."
Regardless, by the time LTE would be fully and satisfactorily enforced, we all would have probably moved on to another device.

trojanlawyer said:
So would you be able to tell me if the T-mo Note and the N7100 are exact the same dimensions/shape. I want to buy a case for the T-mo version but I think all the ones on ebay are for the N7100. Maybe you can switch out battery covers to see if they fit. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are the same damn phone except for the International version is made in Korean (says on label) and the U.S. variants are made in China (again, on the label) but the specs are the same as far as the meat and bones and the accessories will all work together just like the Galaxy S 3.... I have both a T-mobile (which I picked up today) Titanium color and An International Note in white and my T-mobile is performing a tad quicker as far as benchmarks but that really does not mean much... As far as where it's made.... I, personally, don't care cause they are both the same phone and qc for Samsung (in general) is the same across the board. I almost want to keep the T-mobile AND the International but I don't know if my budget will like that although I did get the International N7100 for $589.99 plus $12.00 back in ebay bucks so I can't complain on the price! The T-mobile was $688.00 OTD when I purchased it today but the HUGE difference is that the T-mobile will work on HSPA+ networks with both T-mobile and AT&T (if unlocked) and the International is edge on T-mobile(nothin you can do)... So I have more options as far as Pre-paid services and I can obtain insurance or a warranty without a problem in the US with the T-mobile version also... Another big plus! The International version is nice because it has hardly any bloat and it gets updates quickly! Who knows when we will see multitasking on the T-mobile version although they aren't as bad as some networks for updates... My opinions on the two versions....
EDIT: What he said above.... LOL He beat me to it! **I also notice on the T-mobile version that when you go to the dialer and press *#0*# there are more test options....??**

Hi all, here's a map you should all have bookmarked and contributed to:
http://www.airportal.de/

Quick comment - checked back of my phone and it says made in Korea . My model jumber is SGH-T889v. Thanks!

Aren't the white ones made in Korea?

Kawaisa - I have the titanium grey - the SGH-T889v I have is the Canadian variant.

That's one way to look at it I guess. If you get 1900 Mhz at your house and don't want to use your wifi, ok. I would take the Tmo version with wifi calling app and HSPA+42 radio with next years LTE bands built in and just run a debloated stock rom when they start popping up here (or pull your own bloat out using TB). I got one today at Tmo, rooted it, uninstalled a bunch of garbage, and am really happy with the device. The only thing I "want" is the TV animation when shutting the screen off lol. Oh, and I don't like the boot audio either of the SGH-T889, but that will change in a week or so when ROM's start getting released To each there own, although I'd bet the N7100 will get superior dev support...

Kawaisa said:
Aren't the white ones made in Korea?
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I would like to know too. Does anyone have the White US version and where it was made?

I have the white where i can check that
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

AndroidNoober said:
I have the white where i can check that
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
Behind the phone, under the battery in the back. Thanks.

Tmo white note 2 is Made in china
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

I'm going to receive my T-Mobile Note2 in a few days and I chose it pretty much for the same reasons as what had already been stated.
I am not based in the US..but I'm based in the Philippines and will just unlock my Note2. I got it through Wirefly so the price difference really did sway me to get it over the international variant. I also like that it is LTE capable so at least it's future proof somehow.
I am very capable of tinkering with phones so I can easily get rid of bloat and such.
My main concern is the amount of dev support this would be getting. I would imagine that due to the similar hardware, porting ROMs meant for international version would be relatively easy.
I'm wondering though if I could just flash an international based ROM straight away since I don't intend to use this with TMO anyway so I can live without sms/call/data of TMO as long as it can still somehow work with my international SIM and the phone still fully function.. I don't want to wait for updates via carrier.

I've read several of you are talking about uninstalling bloatware, wouldn't this hinder in the OTA update process (we should get one soon for the multi-window feature) whenever it gets pushed out. I thought it was best to disable or freeze the apps through TB rather than uninstalling it, could someone clarify that for me?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app

GN2 TMo on ATT with 3G speeds?
shojus said:
They are the same damn phone except for the International version is made in Korean (says on label) and the U.S. variants are made in China (again, on the label) but the specs are the same as far as the meat and bones and the accessories will all work together just like the Galaxy S 3.... I have both a T-mobile (which I picked up today) Titanium color and An International Note in white and my T-mobile is performing a tad quicker as far as benchmarks but that really does not mean much... As far as where it's made.... I, personally, don't care cause they are both the same phone and qc for Samsung (in general) is the same across the board. I almost want to keep the T-mobile AND the International but I don't know if my budget will like that although I did get the International N7100 for $589.99 plus $12.00 back in ebay bucks so I can't complain on the price! The T-mobile was $688.00 OTD when I purchased it today but the HUGE difference is that the T-mobile will work on HSPA+ networks with both T-mobile and AT&T (if unlocked) and the International is edge on T-mobile(nothin you can do)... So I have more options as far as Pre-paid services and I can obtain insurance or a warranty without a problem in the US with the T-mobile version also... Another big plus! The International version is nice because it has hardly any bloat and it gets updates quickly! Who knows when we will see multitasking on the T-mobile version although they aren't as bad as some networks for updates... My opinions on the two versions....
EDIT: What he said above.... LOL He beat me to it! **I also notice on the T-mobile version that when you go to the dialer and press *#0*# there are more test options....??**
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Besides unlocking a TMo note 2, did you have to do anything else to make it work on 3G on ATT? Did you actually test that it would work on ATT 3G or this is just a guess based on specs?

dont be mad now that the cat is out of the bag that tmobile galaxy note 2 has LTE

RE: Bloatware
its called root and titanium backup if you want the Tmo version and no bloatware. root is achievable on the Tmo Note 2, along w/CWM. i am sticking w/the stock rom since i plan to use S-Pen quite a bit. we'll see as the weeks go by and roms start to appear.
i went the tmo vs international due to that 1900 isn't in my area yet and won't be until end of year and our version as prev noted does have the LTE hardware and cheaper than importing an unlocked phone. has anyone noticed VERY slow A-GPS lockons when in doors? my gnex was freakin instant indoors.

Can anyone else post what color they have and where it was Made?
I was reading that the international ones have Made in Korea, Made in China, and Made by Samsung.
Thanks.

ANY ATT users sorry they did not get the ATT version?

I aquired the ATT version and sold it because
1. We don't; have LTE and won't for another upgrade
2. I like the lower battery and data consumption of the FM Radio
3.We share 1GB data on legitimate Family share plan with one International "(dumbphone SGS II i9100) and my International Note I declared as a smart phone to get the family share plan. (cannot get that UL messaging Talk shared data plan with two "Feature phones" I am using the APN that came with the ATT version I upgraded for and sold on my Note.
4. The development community is huge already and FW udates are realesed there first. I am already running XXLA on my Note 1.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

tbong777 said:
I aquired the ATT version and sold it because
1. We don't; have LTE and won't for another upgrade
2. I like the lower battery and data consumption of the FM Radio
3.We share 1GB data on legitimate Family share plan with one International "(dumbphone SGS II i9100) and my International Note I declared as a smart phone to get the family share plan. (cannot get that UL messaging Talk shared data plan with two "Feature phones" I am using the APN that came with the ATT version I upgraded for and sold on my Note.
4. The development community is huge already and FW udates are realesed there first. I am already running XXLA on my Note 1.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
1. I live 30 min from ATT headquarters. LTE blows hspa+ outta the water.
2. I get 6+ hours screen time and 2 days off charger on my lte note.
3. Upgrade your data plan.
4. Development? Its not hard to learn and teach yourself. You will notice nothing between 4.1.1 and 4.1.2, except some settings moved around.
5. 7100 ROMs work on the att note.

antiochasylum said:
1. I live 30 min from ATT headquarters. LTE blows hspa+ outta the water.
2. I get 6+ hours screen time and 2 days off charger on my lte note.
3. Upgrade your data plan.
4. Development? Its not hard to learn and teach yourself. You will notice nothing between 4.1.1 and 4.1.2, except some settings moved around.
5. 7100 ROMs work on the att note.
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Click to collapse
I "get it" You love the ATT version and you develop your own ROMs however I am asking people on ATT using an International device in an International forum who do not develop ROMs if they would have preferred the ATT version now and why. Not who already has the ATT version and loves it. That said it seems seems no one on ATT is unhappy with their N7100.
I Don't need to use much data with the FM Radio. Why pay for something I am getting free or worse I won't use? $115 a month for two smart phones is a bargain. .Another $300+ a year for 4GB of unused data not so much....
Regarding LTE speeds, we all know the frustration of downloading a 700mb ROM on 'high speed" cable at 100kb a second despite our measured 15mps download benchmark speeds on Speednet. LOL
3G+ is plenty fast enough for most web browsing which is ultimately dependent on the web site. LTE looks great on speed tests, on paper, and may save a few minutes here and there downloading and may be very nice for someone who does not have another form of Internet source most of the time. But a few extra seconds of page loading won;t make a whole lot of difference on a mobile device as long as video and music streams seamlessly.
I don't have the time and especially the inclination to learn how to develop code for these devices, I'd rather have a choice of using another's passionate work with the shared results of their hobby.
Those of us without LTE for another year or so don't need the ATT badged phone. I had it. I tried it. I flashed a Rom on it. I sold it cheap .I am holding out for a great deal on a 7100 because I have the ROM already and can wait another $100 or so for the rest of the Note 2 goodies.

I am very happy with my international N2 on AT&T. My 3g speeds average 6-7. There is not LTE where I live, nor will there be for a good while. I have no real concerns about having LTE on my phone with limited data...

I'm fine with the International version. No regrets.

No regrets here. LTE is a long way off where I live. HSPA+ is plenty fast enough.

Thanks guys. I did the right thing. Now I wait for a better price while I rock XXLSA on the N7000
What APNs are you using? Cingular wap or ATT Phone?. I l am on using the Shared data plan I upgraded for with the option of switching back to the MediaNet UL data plan.

I'm using AT&T PTA. I get 6-8 down on average. With wap cingular I only get 3-5 down.

americasteam said:
I'm using AT&T PTA. I get 6-8 down on average. With wap cingular I only get 3-5 down.
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Thanks Good news I am glad I got the new SIM then and provisioned for a smart phone.

I have no regrets. I have the peace of mind knowing that AT&T hasn't tampered with my device in any way in order to monitor activities and/or limit features that are present to me out-of-the box. As for LTE, it's pointless to me the way things are right now. I mean, what need have I for a connection rivaling my home internet speeds, when I'm faced with overages or throttling? HSPA+ is plenty for me.

Jade Eyed Wolf said:
I have no regrets. I have the peace of mind knowing that AT&T hasn't tampered with my device in any way in order to monitor activities and/or limit features that are present to me out-of-the box. As for LTE, it's pointless to me the way things are right now. I mean, what need have I for a connection rivaling my home internet speeds, when I'm faced with overages or throttling? HSPA+ is plenty for me.
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I just ordered on on Newegg for $599 shipped.... I agree with LTE. I have high speed internet here at home and downloading 700MB ROM files at 100KB/sec reminds me LTE is not all that. Websites determine speeds more than the carrier. The only clear advantage to LTE is when downloading or uploading large files otherwise web pages load in seconds on 3G rather than instantly. Not bad.
I put my phone up next to a Verizon SIII and compared my MediaNet 3g with their LTE. Thier's was faster by a few seconds in some cases and not even by one second in others.

can't you just disable the LTE radio (to save battery or if your area doesn't have LTE), or does that disable data/service entirely?

slapshot136 said:
can't you just disable the LTE radio (to save battery or if your area doesn't have LTE), or does that disable data/service entirely?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought the International version of the Note 2 and coming from the Note 1 AT&T LTE the battery life is not even close. The note 2 gives me well over 10hrs of heavy screen-on set to auto+high, net surfing over HSPA+. I could not get 1/2 that on my LTE Note 1.
As far as disabling LTE... For my wife, coming from the Skyrocket there was an APN that would disable LTE, however the radio was still there so the battery life was not helped as much as turning it off would have been. Trully turning it "off" on the Skyrocket was not an option. For her I opted to get her the T-Mobile Note2 and unlock it and she is running on AT&T HSPA+ as well with great results.
Bottomline: Getting between 8-9000kpbs is plenty fine with me, especially if it gives me even a fraction of extra battery
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CrozB said:
I bought the International version of the Note 2 and coming from the Note 1 AT&T LTE the battery life is not even close. The note 2 gives me well over 10hrs of heavy screen-on set to auto+high, net surfing over HSPA+. I could not get 1/2 that on my LTE Note 1.
As far as disabling LTE... For my wife, coming from the Skyrocket there was an APN that would disable LTE, however the radio was still there so the battery life was not helped as much as turning it off would have been. Trully turning it "off" on the Skyrocket was not an option. For her I opted to get her the T-Mobile Note2 and unlock it and she is running on AT&T HSPA+ as well with great results.
Bootomline: Getting between 8-9000kpbs is plenty fine with me, especially if it gives me even a fraction of extra battery
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Click to collapse
Yeah I thought that might be the case. Mine is on the way from NewEgg. I tried the ATT version but I am too used to a vanilla Samsung device. I actually like Samsung without the ATT stuff (although I don;t use TW. ) I tried the CM and AKOP stuff but too much flashing going on and samsung does not release drivers so FM didn't work without a $10 app and the S Pen stuff was wonky. .
The stock custom roms always were my choice. I would find one development team and stick with them. DesignGears on the Cappy, CheckRom on the i9100, Eybee, N7000 and looks like Omega will be my choice with the Note II