Hi All!
I am thinking of getting a SGS3 very, very soon to replace my iPhone 4S. And I was wondering which is better, the Carrier version of the SGS3 or the international version which is GT-i9300. I know the 9300 has a quad core processor, and the carrier version with Telus had a dual core. But that part is obvious, the problem is RAM, i9300 has 1gb, carrier version had 2gb. This is the troublesome part for me as this is my first android phone (currently have nexus 7 and love it!) and I don't know if it needs 2gb ram...
Also, I've heard JB for SGS3 will be out by end-October, but this is only for the International version I guess, correct? So that update, on the i9300 would come straight from samsung without having to go through carriers, right?
Thanks so much!
Michael
Since you are in Canada, I recommend you to choose the Carrier version over the international version. Although the international version has quad core processor, you can't feel that much difference in speed. However, you will lose LTE connectivity on international SGS3, which you will feel dramatic difference in download speed. In addition, if you enter into a new contract with Telus, you will get this phone a lot cheaper than the international SGS3. I have a Rogers SGS3 and am pretty happy with the process speed and the LTE speed.
Speaking of JB for SGS3, I am not a big fan of Samsung's touchwiz. It is limited to me. I am using CM10 as a daily drive and not having much trouble with it. Plus, it is way faster than the touchwiz.
ainorweitang said:
Since you are in Canada, I recommend you to choose the Carrier version over the international version. Although the international version has quad core processor, you can't feel that much difference in speed. However, you will lose LTE connectivity on international SGS3, which you will feel dramatic difference in download speed. In addition, if you enter into a new contract with Telus, you will get this phone a lot cheaper than the international SGS3. I have a Rogers SGS3 and am pretty happy with the process speed and the LTE speed.
Speaking of JB for SGS3, I am not a big fan of Samsung's touchwiz. It is limited to me. I am using CM10 as a daily drive and not having much trouble with it. Plus, it is way faster than the touchwiz.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok thanks for the reply. I would only consider the international version for the quad-core which seemed faster when compared on Youtube side-by-side, and for the no contract! I am really starting to hate them!
No question the LTE version. Quad core is of course better than dual core but in real life daily use, you wouldn't even notice the difference.
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda app-developers app
cue_32 said:
No question the LTE version. Quad core is of course better than dual core but in real life daily use, you wouldn't even notice the difference.
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And again, how would I get it with no contract; I'd have to pay $649 and it would be from Telus, then I'd have to wait a lot more time for JB than the i9300 which is supposed to get it by end Oct... The i9300 I've seen goes for $450 on craigslist - new. Still very unsure, as I have the 4S which doesn't have LTE so I won't really care about LTE that much.
Related
First off I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum, MODs please move if it is.
Ok so I haven't seen that many reviews on the Rogers version of Samsung galaxy S2 LTE (not the HD from korea). Right now I debating between which one I should pick up. I had a Samsung S1 (i9000m from Bell) and I've always loved it. I love modding phones (ie custom ROM and other stuff). I plan on doing on these as well. The pros for S2 LTE is that: it is LTE compatible, 8mp back 2mp front camera, slight better processor (though I doubt there will be a big difference in performance).
Wheres the Nexus pros is that it is HD and has ICS, slightly better battery life, and of course being nexus, first in line for updates. The screen is also slightly bigger. It just sucks that the LTE from rogers isn't HD like the korean counterpart.
I do live in a LTE enabled zone so I will be able to utilize it (6GB data plan). Any thought on what phone is better? I've went in and tested both out and I honestly can't decide. I love the screen on the nexus but also the camera + LTE on the S2 balances out.
Deviatorz said:
First off I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum, MODs please move if it is.
Ok so I haven't seen that many reviews on the Rogers version of Samsung galaxy S2 LTE (not the HD from korea). Right now I debating between which one I should pick up. I had a Samsung S1 (i9000m from Bell) and I've always loved it. I love modding phones (ie custom ROM and other stuff). I plan on doing on these as well. The pros for S2 LTE is that: it is LTE compatible, 8mp back 2mp front camera, slight better processor (though I doubt there will be a big difference in performance).
Wheres the Nexus pros is that it is HD and has ICS, slightly better battery life, and of course being nexus, first in line for updates. The screen is also slightly bigger. It just sucks that the LTE from rogers isn't HD like the korean counterpart.
I do live in a LTE enabled zone so I will be able to utilize it (6GB data plan). Any thought on what phone is better? I've went in and tested both out and I honestly can't decide. I love the screen on the nexus but also the camera + LTE on the S2 balances out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally I'd go with the Nexus because the processor is almost up to par with the Exynos in the GSII vs the GSII LTE has a Qualcomm Snapdragon, which for day to day tasks is good, but GPU performance is nowhere near the Mali 400 in the Exynos.
AT&T has the Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD which is pretty much the Korean GSII with a 4-button layout. It sounds exactly like what you're looking for.
Had the at&t galaxy s2 lte and took it back. Qualcomm snapdragon sucks compared to the omap in fhe nexus, but had to use it for lte.
Nexus is so much more fluid day to day i would not look twice at the lte unless you really need limited lte .
Sounds like nexus is still the top. I might just pick it up. Idk something about the shape of the phone just doesn't catch me. Btw is the nexus 4G capable? While looking through the specs, it said its 3G or maybe that website is wrong?
Deviatorz said:
Sounds like nexus is still the top. I might just pick it up. Idk something about the shape of the phone just doesn't catch me. Btw is the nexus 4G capable? While looking through the specs, it said its 3G or maybe that website is wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It supports 4G on both GSM & LTE variants of the phone.
Deviatorz said:
Sounds like nexus is still the top. I might just pick it up. Idk something about the shape of the phone just doesn't catch me. Btw is the nexus 4G capable? While looking through the specs, it said its 3G or maybe that website is wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is an HSPA+ device. Which is the faster 3G on AT&T (like "4G"). It is not LTE on AT&T.
zephiK said:
It supports 4G on both GSM & LTE variants of the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ehhh. It supports HSPA+ on the GSM version. and it supports LTE on the CDMA version.
martonikaj said:
It is an HSPA+ device. Which is the faster 3G on AT&T (like "4G"). It is not LTE on AT&T.
Ehhh. It supports HSPA+ on the GSM version. and it supports LTE on the CDMA version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In USA, AT&T and T-Mobile markets HSPA+ as 4G.
LTE is marketed as 4G.
Therefore, the GSM & LTE both supports 4G.
I don't believe it supports Tmo's 42mbps network, however. Or does it?
zephiK said:
In USA, AT&T and T-Mobile markets HSPA+ as 4G.
LTE is marketed as 4G.
Therefore, the GSM & LTE both supports 4G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes very true, but considering OP is comparing to a 4G LTE device on AT&T, it is a good idea to make the distinction that the Galaxy Nexus is HSPA+ and the Skyrocket (SGSII LTE) is an LTE phone.
adrynalyne said:
I don't believe it supports Tmo's 42mbps network, however. Or does it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is only 21mbps. Anything over 14.4mbps T-Mobile calls 4G, however.
T-Mobile only has a couple 42mbps phones I think. The SGSII and the HTC Amaze 4G are the only 2 that come to mind.
I would like to get the opinions of the people with the tegra version of the phone. I am in the united states on att without the upgrade.
I'm trying to decide which version to buy outright. The dual core of the att version has comparable results to the tegra version. It is limited to 16 gigs, but supposedly at this point has much better battery life. I'm sure I could nab the international version for about fifty bucks less since the att version just came out.
What I'm really worried about are the tegra screen issues and storage issues and am wondering what others would do in my situation.
Thanks guys!
International version if you have the choice and don't need the LTE and have a GSM provider.
It will have the better dev support.
I would definitely go for the att version. Battery life is so much better and that S4 processor performs really well and doesn't overheat.
Or even flash it in At&T SG3. Samsung said the hardware are the same and have all the frequencies. i believe it might not be advertised this way from the carriers. Just thinking out loud.
Sorry i posted in the wrong section. Admin please move to Q&A
sorry again
Eh, I dont think so. Not at first anyway... after some hackery it might be possible.
The US versions are all the same.
The International version is very different.
It will never work.
I have yet to get 5 bars on my SGS3. Kinda odd.
Not a good idea as someone already stated they're different. I did that once by accident with the original galaxy s. Flashed the canadian firmware for the US version of the phone and ended up bricking it. Not even a jig bought it back to life.
It should work with the at&t and t-mobile sgs3 just like with the skyrocket and t-mobile's sgs2
htc fan89 said:
It should work with the at&t and t-mobile sgs3 just like with the skyrocket and t-mobile's sgs2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure? Can you reference someone or someplace that has had success with this?
}{Alienz}{ said:
Are you sure? Can you reference someone or someplace that has had success with this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Skyrocket forums.. the AT&T Note also works because it also has the same SoC. The international version will never work with AWS though.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
... if this is true, I'm getting an AT&T S3 at retail and then flash the radio to T-Mobile.
Chances are I won't resist temptation and get the t-mobile one anyway
Lekz said:
... if this is true, I'm getting an AT&T S3 at retail and then flash the radio to T-Mobile.
Chances are I won't resist temptation and get the t-mobile one anyway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It hasn't been tested yet on the S3. And while it works on the Note, it is far from optimal. I have not read since the early stages but it would freeze and get awful battery life on T-Mobile.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
The US [GSM] models, ok. The international model, 100% no.
And as I understood, the T-Mobile version is pentaband out of the box (it will get AT&T 3G/4G 1900 MHz) because T-Mobile is moving to that frequency. So if anything, get the T-Mobile one and use it on AT&T if you don't care about LTE.
Product F(RED) said:
The US [GSM] models, ok. The international model, 100% no.
And as I understood, the T-Mobile version is pentaband out of the box (it will get AT&T 3G/4G 1900 MHz) because T-Mobile is moving to that frequency. So if anything, get the T-Mobile one and use it on AT&T if you don't care about LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what about the other way around, since at&t version is cheaper to get than t-mobile? My skyrocket had good battery life when I flashed t-mobile radio on to it...not sure about the note
htc fan89 said:
what about the other way around, since at&t version is cheaper to get than t-mobile? My skyrocket had good battery life when I flashed t-mobile radio on to it...not sure about the note
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note had abysmal battery life from what I read. Just wait for someone to do it (they will) so you don't have to possibly return whichever one you buy.
joshnichols189 said:
It hasn't been tested yet on the S3. And while it works on the Note, it is far from optimal. I have not read since the early stages but it would freeze and get awful battery life on T-Mobile.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the At&T Galaxy Note is what inspired me to think it might be doable!! The At&T Note i have is working fine with Simple Mobile and picking up 4g all the way. the battery sucks anyways even with the At&T modem. Also, you guys should note that stationed in Kuwait and im using the At&T Note with T-mobile modem overseas and still working great. Yes i have 3G as they dont have 4G here. they funny thing is that i still shows 4G and run about 19Mbps in most places.
I can get the international SGIII in Kuwait for $250 16G unlocked (NICE RIGHT?) but when im home i use the Simple mobile network(T-mobile).
you can call it greed but i want to have 2GB RAM, LTE, T-mobile 4G and the ablity to use every network in the world
I hope someone can make this happen
The reason it worked with the AT&T Note is because the T-Mobile S2 used the same SoC (Snapdragons S3). The US Galaxy S3's have Snapdragon S4's, the International has an Exynos 4412. The SoC's (CPU, RAM, Radios, DAC) are COMPLETELY different. It will NOT work. It's not software magic that got the Note to work. It's the fact that it supported the 1700 MHz frequency. The Exynos SoC's radio doesn't. You'll end up bricking the phone and requiring a JTAG.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium HD app
Product F(RED) said:
The reason it worked with the AT&T Note is because the T-Mobile S2 used the same SoC (Snapdragons S3). The US Galaxy S3's have Snapdragon S4's, the International has an Exynos 4412. The SoC's (CPU, RAM, Radios, DAC) are COMPLETELY different. It will NOT work. It's not software magic that got the Note to work. It's the fact that it supported the 1700 MHz frequency. The Exynos SoC's radio doesn't. You'll end up bricking the phone and requiring a JTAG.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one listens to me :'( thanks for the backup Fred. Haha
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
To be fair, I never meant the International S3
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2
Product F(RED) said:
The US [GSM] models, ok. The international model, 100% no.
And as I understood, the T-Mobile version is pentaband out of the box (it will get AT&T 3G/4G 1900 MHz) because T-Mobile is moving to that frequency. So if anything, get the T-Mobile one and use it on AT&T if you don't care about LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you please confirm this, if I get the T-mobile version, and get it unlocked and use my existing AT&T sim on it, it will get 3G/4G speeds?. Would the international version also not give the same?. 4G speeds with AT&T?.
Thanks.
RizSher said:
Can you please confirm this, if I get the T-mobile version, and get it unlocked and use my existing AT&T sim on it, it will get 3G/4G speeds?. Would the international version also not give the same?. 4G speeds with AT&T?.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using the i9300 (International) on Straight Talk AT&T, which runs on AT&T's base network, and I get full HSPA+ (of course, no LTE). The i9300 runs on AT&T's bands, so if you used it on T-Mobile you'd only get EDGE (for now, because they're moving their network onto the same frequency as AT&T). If the T-Mobile version is indeed pentaband as I suspect, then unlocking it and using it on AT&T will give you the same data speeds as using the international version on AT&T.
hey guys,
I have an opertunity to get an S3 international edition, but i want to know from you guys if the international version is better than the T999 Tmobile version? Please let me know if there are any differences and if so, what they are and which one would you recommend getting?
elite-fusion said:
hey guys,
I have an opertunity to get an S3 international edition, but i want to know from you guys if the international version is better than the T999 Tmobile version? Please let me know if there are any differences and if so, what they are and which one would you recommend getting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I chose T999 because it has penta band HSPA - meaning, it gets full HSPA signal on both AT&T and T-Mobile. Performance wise I think it's kind of a toss up.
-Sent from my GS3 running CM10.-
I agree with phositadc. As far as performance goes, its almost the same due to the US variants having 2 gigs of ram vs the 1 gig on the int'l. I also like having the choice of carrier between ATT & TMO and being able to fully utilize either network; the int'l version will only get edge speeds for data on TMO.
IMO if you don't spend a lot of time traveling out of the country, go with the T999.
Edit:
Comparison
Pretty much identical except for some frequencies used, ram, and CPU
After considering a number of things I've been led on deciding I'd probably want to get an S4 over the other currently available smartphones. I've held off because I had wanted a more premium feeling phone other than plastic, but I realize now I can easily buy an aluminum backing+bumper replacement to give it that look and feel.
Anyways now to the question part of it... I was preferring an unlocked device, but the Internationally sold i9505 and i9500 do not have faster than 3G in the US, or so I've read.
I'm not looking to get a specific phone service right away, for now I want a solid device I'll be happy with for some years to come. Mainly as a portable device with storage and apps, and a little down the road to use it as my mobile phone.
I need some confirmation, but from what I understand the T-Mobile version would probably be the best? Due to once unlocked you can use it on both T-Mobile, or AT&T with 4G/LTE speeds. Also I am led to believe the AT&T S4 does not have the right frequencies for T-Mobile 4G/LTE.
Aside the above wireless speed question, I'd like to know:
1. What would be the point in flashing the i9505/i9500 ROM on the T-Mobile version? To remove T-Mobile association more from the phone... boot screen/software?
2. Does T-Mobile actually sell their version of the S4 at full price, not linked to any plan? Will they provide an unlock code same day, assuming I don't use the free method posted publically. I'm dreading the possibility of having to jump through hoops.
Below I have summerized what I understand about a few non-carrier specific phones....
i9505: International LTE "not working in USA", quad core CPU.
i9500: International 8 core CPU, better GPU.
S4 Google Edition: 4G/LTE capabile, Quad Core CPU, No touchwiz, comes in white color only.
Anyways looking for S4 owner's knowledge, experience and opinions here!
if youre going to pay full price you might want to consider the LTE-A version aka snapdragon 800 version
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Gal...1271471972?pt=Cell_Phones&hash=item3384ceb764
32gb+snapdragon 800
According to that auction, it says it wont have 4G/LTE in the US? "I'm a frequency noob" One of my concerns was having something I could use on either TMobile or AT&T so I have options... if I was just looking at a 3g phone and cpu power I could just do this, or the i9500 "8 cores".
Dreamgun said:
According to that auction, it says it wont have 4G/LTE in the US? "I'm a frequency noob" One of my concerns was having something I could use on either TMobile or AT&T so I have options... if I was just looking at a 3g phone and cpu power I could just do this, or the i9500 "8 cores".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it gets hspa+ on tmobile and att it might be able to use LTE-A when tmobile and att add it to their networks
and the 8core isnt really 8 core its 4+4 = 4 low power 4 high power cores, only 1 pair of cores work at a time so its only quad core
Several threads say the 9505 can work on TMobile if you flash a compatible kernel but the 9500 is not compatible. With regard to AT&T vs. TMO compatibility, search for AWS mod. A T-Mobile salesman told me he got his girlfriend's AT&T phone to work on TMO network using that patch.
Sent from my SGH-M919
@OP
My experience is that yes, I could buy the S4 from TMO without plan, just pre-paid with a small credit. I do not live in the US,and had no problem with documentation or payment. Of course it is full price.
What the sales person told me is they will give you an unlock code only after 3 months if you are using it, reloading credit I guess. This doesn't work at all for me, but unlocking is actually real easy with the Samsun embedded app. I bought the phone and tried, it worked immediately (if it doesn't you can hand it back and have it refunded, for the restocking fee of 50USD).
Recently I used the ROM code here from Jamal (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2348272), to turn the M919 TMO into a i9505 Nexus. For me it is a massive improvement as I just cannot stand bloatware. It also free up much memory, and battery lasts longer.
The 9505 and 9500 will not get you LTE nor H+ on T-Mobile.
They will ONLY *possibly* get you 4G on AT&T.
The AT&T S4 is locked, yes. Your best bet is the T-Mobile S4.
You can flash 9505 ROMs on the T-Mobile version as well as some other ones.
Additionally, the development for the T-Mobile s4 is outstanding.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
How do the Verizon and Sprint Galaxy S4 compare to the T-Mobile S4?
Nate2 said:
How do the Verizon and Sprint Galaxy S4 compare to the T-Mobile S4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cant use them on tmobile - cdma phones
haldi15 said:
cant use them on tmobile - cdma phones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear the Verizon S4 has a SIM card. Aren't SIM cards for GSM phones?
Hi,
I m also freq noob and as much as I have searched the forum I cannot find the answer...I have SGH-M919 TMO and I am using it in Serbia but have network problems: receiving missed call TXT msg from operator, dropping out of network and difficulty in reconnecting to home network (need restarting).
Since TMO version supports all bands what can be the problem that phone is acting like that?
It works fine when i m on the network...we dont have LTE here nor will we for some time...
Please some help/direction to the thread dealing with this kind of problem...
Thanks
I had a stock unlocked att s4 on T-Mobile getting LTE without any mods.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4