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Hi,
I just received an unlocked International Galaxy Note II in the US. Ordered from Handtec in the UK, and the phone appears to be the French model. I have observed what I think is a problem when trying to use the phone on T-Mobile USA.
I put my T-Mobile USA SIM card in the phone, and the phone thinks I am roaming. Uhhhh no. It's a T-Mobile USA SIM card on the T-Mobile USA network. It is NOT roaming. Now, it probably doesn't have any impact beyond the "R" notifier, and a "Roaming" page which shows up on TouchWiz, but it DOES make me feel very uneasy. I have to enable "Data use while roaming" to be able to use data while on my home network!! It's crazy!
To those who will point out, yes, I know that T-Mobile USA has their 3G currently on the AWS 1700/2100 band, which the Note II does not support. I am therefore using EDGE with this phone. (Yes the data speeds suck, but T-Mobile's refarming will make this problem go away in the next few months). Even though I am on EDGE, I am not "roaming" unless the Note II's definition of roaming is different from mine. I am still on the home network, regardless of whether I am on 2G or 3G.
Has anyone else seen a problem like this?
If I can't figure this out in the next day or two, I may return the Note II and just wait another month or so for the T-Mobile US version. (Probably that's what I should do anyway, but I figured the GT-N7100 would get more developer support).
Hope someone can help!
Thanks!
Edit: I forgot to add - I also have and unlocked international Note 1 GT-N7000 and an unlocked iPhone 4. Neither possess the T-Mobile USA 3G band, and neither of which show roaming when I'm using T-Mobile USA. So, either T-Mobile did some funky network work today which changed something, or there is something different (and possibly a bug) about how the Galaxy Note II determines if it's roaming.
Unfortunately I cannot be of any assistance to your issue, just wanted to comment however. I find it very odd that ALL Note II's don't work on every frequency. Bear with me, I'm under the impression that they are identical hardware wise, every version. So, maybe it's a simple matter of flashing a different radio.img? Not that there are any available currently, but there will be shortly. I hope (think) it will be similar to the ATT Note on Tmo. Hopefully it works out better though. We still don't know if the Tmo Note II will be HSPA+42 or not, but it will support next years Tmo LTE.
So, as of now, this is a little bit of a disappointment for Tmo customers looking for the N7100. Hope you can find a workaround for at least HSPA+21 soon :good:
ccampbell1 said:
Hi,
I just received an unlocked International Galaxy Note II in the US. Ordered from Handtec in the UK, and the phone appears to be the French model. I have observed what I think is a problem when trying to use the phone on T-Mobile USA.
I put my T-Mobile USA SIM card in the phone, and the phone thinks I am roaming. Uhhhh no. It's a T-Mobile USA SIM card on the T-Mobile USA network. It is NOT roaming. Now, it probably doesn't have any impact beyond the "R" notifier, and a "Roaming" page which shows up on TouchWiz, but it DOES make me feel very uneasy. I have to enable "Data use while roaming" to be able to use data while on my home network!! It's crazy!
To those who will point out, yes, I know that T-Mobile USA has their 3G currently on the AWS 1700/2100 band, which the Note II does not support. I am therefore using EDGE with this phone. (Yes the data speeds suck, but T-Mobile's refarming will make this problem go away in the next few months). Even though I am on EDGE, I am not "roaming" unless the Note II's definition of roaming is different from mine. I am still on the home network, regardless of whether I am on 2G or 3G.
Has anyone else seen a problem like this?
If I can't figure this out in the next day or two, I may return the Note II and just wait another month or so for the T-Mobile US version. (Probably that's what I should do anyway, but I figured the GT-N7100 would get more developer support).
Hope someone can help!
Thanks!
Edit: I forgot to add - I also have and unlocked international Note 1 GT-N7000 and an unlocked iPhone 4. Neither possess the T-Mobile USA 3G band, and neither of which show roaming when I'm using T-Mobile USA. So, either T-Mobile did some funky network work today which changed something, or there is something different (and possibly a bug) about how the Galaxy Note II determines if it's roaming.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That happened to me as well using my International Galaxy S3, I dug into it for about a month and trust me, it's something with the phone detecting that it can't connect to the HSPA+ bands it supports, and when it "defaults" down to EDGE it considers it "Roaming". Stop digging for answers, I was at it for weeks, this is the reason.
You wont get charged for roaming or anything though, so use EDGE until T-Mobile's refarming finally happens; I waited for 2 months and nothing, so I jumped ship and got Straight Talk. I use over 15 GB of data a month, no throttling, $45 bucks. :good:
Hope this helps, because NO ONE gave me a straight answer, Dont even bother calling T-Mobile, they're of absolutely no help. I flashed all sorts of custom ROMs, Kernels, Network Tools, Diagnostics, etc. trying to figure it out. It's just the way these Samsung phones (GT-I9300 and N7100 by the looks of it) work when their 3G/HSPA+ bands are not supported.
Cheers!
farfromovin said:
Unfortunately I cannot be of any assistance to your issue, just wanted to comment however. I find it very odd that ALL Note II's don't work on every frequency. Bear with me, I'm under the impression that they are identical hardware wise, every version. So, maybe it's a simple matter of flashing a different radio.img? Not that there are any available currently, but there will be shortly. I hope (think) it will be similar to the ATT Note on Tmo. Hopefully it works out better though. We still don't know if the Tmo Note II will be HSPA+42 or not, but it will support next years Tmo LTE.
So, as of now, this is a little bit of a disappointment for Tmo customers looking for the N7100. Hope you can find a workaround for at least HSPA+21 soon :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
farfromovin,
I agree it's a complete pain why one model can't work worldwide - or even between carriers in one country, the US!! I'm not sure that all the revisions are the exact same hardware though. Certainly the different revisions will support different LTE bands from one another, different 3G bands (ie T-Mobile USA) and even different technologies (VZW, Sprint, US Cellular CDMA). Whether there is one uber radio chip that's the same in all versions, with different bits enabled here and there, I don't know. I would doubt that a chip currently exists to support all GSM, UMTS, LTE and CDMA bands in the one, but you never know.
I really cannot wait (getting super sick of it) until T-Mobile's 1900MHz refarming, and finally all UMTS/HSPA phones will work on pretty much any UMTS/HSPA network worldwide. But just as we finally get 3G harmony, LTE comes along with a zillion different bands, and we're back to where we were at the start of GSM, and the start of UMTS - all over again.
As far as getting the GT-N7100 to work on T-Mobile AWS bands - unless the radio supports that band somewhere, and can be enabled by some hacky flashing, I don't think there's much chance. I followed a thread for a while which was trying to do that for the original GT-N7000 and it ended up nowhere unfortunately.
I'd be very, very surprised if the T-Mobile US official Note II did not support DC-HSPA +42. Given how TMO pushes that, I don't think they'd sell a phone without it these days. I'm kind of surprised the GT-N7100 doesn't have it, to be honest, but I guess it's not yet that widespread, and most carriers will bypass it to go to LTE.
Cheers!
Ars-Hexis said:
That happened to me as well using my International Galaxy S3, I dug into it for about a month and trust me, it's something with the phone detecting that it can't connect to the HSPA+ bands it supports, and when it "defaults" down to EDGE it considers it "Roaming". Stop digging for answers, I was at it for weeks, this is the reason.
You wont get charged for roaming or anything though, so use EDGE until T-Mobile's refarming finally happens; I waited for 2 months and nothing, so I jumped ship and got Straight Talk. I use over 15 GB of data a month, no throttling, $45 bucks. :good:
Hope this helps, because NO ONE gave me a straight answer, Dont even bother calling T-Mobile, they're of absolutely no help. I flashed all sorts of custom ROMs, Kernels, Network Tools, Diagnostics, etc. trying to figure it out. It's just the way these Samsung phones (GT-I9300 and N7100 by the looks of it) work when their 3G/HSPA+ bands are not supported.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Ars-Hexis,
Thanks so much for the reply. I googled about the same issue on the i9300 as you mentioned - and sure enough a couple of threads on androidcentral, and tmobile support - and all with pretty much a bunch of people going "what?" I think you're right, and this is either some crazy change which Samsung has made to the "S3" generation of phones, or it's an unintended bug which was introduced. I contacted Samsung support on twitter but I'm sure they'll tell me to go away since this is an international model and not sold or supported in the US.
I would love to have this properly reported to Samsung though because it is NOT correct behaviour, and I'm sure it does not meet the 3GPP standard behaviour. These phones' definition of "roaming" is frankly wrong. It's possible they know about the bug but don't care about it too much, because it only affects the minority of importers or travelers, and then only on the very few networks which use AWS band for 3G.
The phone and data works fine of course, so it's really a cosmetic annoyance. However, if I was actually outside TMO's network without knowing it (maybe camping on to some network on the Canadian border or something) then I'd never know if I was actually roaming or not. So the phone's roaming indicator, by being permanently false, is useless in the times when I'm actually roaming. Since this is not a likely scenario for me to be on the Canadian border and roaming onto an AWS-only network any time soon, I'll not worry too much about it.
Yes, I'm really sick waiting on this refarming. It's a huge undertaking of course, so I understand why. I do have a Straight Talk AT&T SIM which I got for my Galaxy Note 1, however I don't use it often for several reasons: haven't ported my number to it, am wary about data throttling or cut-off, and I find the data hit or miss on Straight Talk anyway. I heard stories about people being warned or cut off after 100MB in any day, but if you're saying 15GB and no throttling, it may be something I want to put to the test!
Thanks a lot for your reply! It's nice to know I'm not crazy!
Cheers!
ccampbell1 said:
Hey Ars-Hexis,
Thanks so much for the reply. I googled about the same issue on the i9300 as you mentioned - and sure enough a couple of threads on androidcentral, and tmobile support - and all with pretty much a bunch of people going "what?" I think you're right, and this is either some crazy change which Samsung has made to the "S3" generation of phones, or it's an unintended bug which was introduced. I contacted Samsung support on twitter but I'm sure they'll tell me to go away since this is an international model and not sold or supported in the US.
I would love to have this properly reported to Samsung though because it is NOT correct behaviour, and I'm sure it does not meet the 3GPP standard behaviour. These phones' definition of "roaming" is frankly wrong. It's possible they know about the bug but don't care about it too much, because it only affects the minority of importers or travelers, and then only on the very few networks which use AWS band for 3G.
The phone and data works fine of course, so it's really a cosmetic annoyance. However, if I was actually outside TMO's network without knowing it (maybe camping on to some network on the Canadian border or something) then I'd never know if I was actually roaming or not. So the phone's roaming indicator, by being permanently false, is useless in the times when I'm actually roaming. Since this is not a likely scenario for me to be on the Canadian border and roaming onto an AWS-only network any time soon, I'll not worry too much about it.
Yes, I'm really sick waiting on this refarming. It's a huge undertaking of course, so I understand why. I do have a Straight Talk AT&T SIM which I got for my Galaxy Note 1, however I don't use it often for several reasons: haven't ported my number to it, am wary about data throttling or cut-off, and I find the data hit or miss on Straight Talk anyway. I heard stories about people being warned or cut off after 100MB in any day, but if you're saying 15GB and no throttling, it may be something I want to put to the test!
Thanks a lot for your reply! It's nice to know I'm not crazy!
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey there! Sorry I hadn't answered in such a long time. We'll actually I've found that the S3 (sold it) and the Note 2 (own it) some how cannot be tracked for data usage correctly by straight talk. It's quite interesting... I ported my number over from T-Mobile, so if you have an S3 with a T-mobile prepaid sim... I think you have nothing to lose! I'm in Dallas and regularly get around 3-4Mbits/S during high usage hours and 6-7Mbits/S after 7 pm when network usage goes down.
There have been 2 occasions over the past 2 months where I'm throttled for like an hour and suddenly it gets uncapped on its own (?!?!?) lol. Last month I used about 25 GB... It's insane. Btw, if you if get throttled for real (happened to me once), you can just call them and say your "Internets is slow" (act technologically challenged) and they'll reset it.
Ah 1 last thing: I got the at&T ST sim card when I switched.
Cheers!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium HD app
I just got my International Note 2 today, and I am using it on the T-Mobile network also. I am seeing that I am roaming but my data is off and I am just using wifi. I have turned off my phone and back on again and its still showing. But after reading this whole thread I am getting that is a bug or something along those lines is that correct? Thanks.
I really need to know
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
roaming
I am on prepaid tmobile and I have Roaming sign only in areas where I used to loose signal with my old phone . Basically when I go in Garage underground my signal starts getting weaker and weaker and then roaming kiks in and signal is up all the way . T-mobile does not charges for local roaming . If you use USA tmobile and you are in usa you are fine . My texts and voice are still the same rate for me . When I had Chinese rom it was showing all the time , now I flashed German t-mobile and R shows only sometime , but it does not bother me .
Hope this helps .
I too have a Note II (GT-N7100) I purchased in Thailand in December. I use it on the T-Mobile network and have the same issues with the "R" symbol. I am located in Tampa Bay area, Florida.
T-Mobile was indicating to me in January that this was an issue in weaker signal areas for their data network as they prepare to refarm it. Don't know if this explanation is entirely accurate, but I find in my local area that the R symbol goes away in certain areas and it behaves "normally". This includes the area where my T-Mobile office is located. It seems to be somewhat of a patchwork network, and for some reasons certain areas cause it to go into the Roaming mode.
I was just on a trip with stops in Los Amgeles, San Francisco, and Philadelphia and noted the same behavior in some of those cities: Getting normal signal indications in some places, and Roaming in others.
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!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
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.
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
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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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Click to collapse
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
I had a few questions since I am tried of sprint and want to get a n7100 on soalvei (tmobile network):
1) how would I know my area is refarmed? ( I live in north miami, fl )
2) is there a site or thread of a large sample of speed tests I can look up for my area on the network compatible with the n7100? The reason i ask is that I am afraid that I won't get reliable high speed (anything over 5Mbit down consistently is my goal).
3) I am on the fence about solavei and was wondering if tmobile has any options to purchase that do not throttle your speeds? I plan to use 20-30gb a month
4) Is there a trusted site that I can purchase an unlocked gsm n7100 that is compatible with the high speed tmobile network? I don't want to spend more than $600 if possible.
5) should I invest in the n7105 (has lte radio) since tmobile merged with metropcs and is rolling out LTE? (or should I wait for the note 3?)
I am completely out of the loop on tmobile news and would appreciate any help on making the switch over.
Thank you all.
mitul2288 said:
I had a few questions since I am tried of sprint and want to get a n7100 on soalvei (tmobile network):
1) how would I know my area is refarmed? ( I live in north miami, fl )
2) is there a site or thread of a large sample of speed tests I can look up for my area on the network compatible with the n7100? The reason i ask is that I am afraid that I won't get reliable high speed (anything over 5Mbit down consistently is my goal).
3) I am on the fence about solavei and was wondering if tmobile has any options to purchase that do not throttle your speeds? I plan to use 20-30gb a month
4) Is there a trusted site that I can purchase an unlocked gsm n7100 that is compatible with the high speed tmobile network? I don't want to spend more than $600 if possible.
5) should I invest in the n7105 (has lte radio) since tmobile merged with metropcs and is rolling out LTE? (or should I wait for the note 3?)
I am completely out of the loop on tmobile news and would appreciate any help on making the switch over.
Thank you all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been using Solavei since early September and I love it. Like you I came from Sprint (12 years!) and grew to hate them. I haven't really tried selling it much, was mostly interested in the price and plan. However just out of the occasional conversation I've already signed up 6 people which puts me at $40 a month, making my effective bill $9 a month. That's a bargain in my book!
There is a site with a map that is showing where the refarmed areas are www.airportal.de
As for throttling, I consider myself a very heavy user and rarely break 3GB's of data, I can't imagine using 20 to 30 and even any possible unthrottled plans you might find yourself having your account cancelled for that much data.
Unless you can confirm you are in a refarmed area I'd stick with the T-Mo branded Note 2.
mrchris1234 said:
I have been using Solavei since early September and I love it. Like you I came from Sprint (12 years!) and grew to hate them. I haven't really tried selling it much, was mostly interested in the price and plan. However just out of the occasional conversation I've already signed up 6 people which puts me at $40 a month, making my effective bill $9 a month. That's a bargain in my book!
There is a site with a map that is showing where the refarmed areas are www.airportal.de
As for throttling, I consider myself a very heavy user and rarely break 3GB's of data, I can't imagine using 20 to 30 and even any possible unthrottled plans you might find yourself having your account cancelled for that much data.
Unless you can confirm you are in a refarmed area I'd stick with the T-Mo branded Note 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I check my IMEI on solavei, it says "sorry! your phone isn't compatible with Solavei Mobile Service" I just unlocked it, does it take some time?
Jinra321 said:
When I check my IMEI on solavei, it says "sorry! your phone isn't compatible with Solavei Mobile Service" I just unlocked it, does it take some time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Their IMEI checker doesn't check whether a phone is unlocked or not, it's just checking the number against a small database of known compatible phones. I have the TMO GN2 and it works fine with some caveats. Like everyone else with the TMO note2 I couldn't use the wifi hotspot without rooting and the APN settings for Solavei and the GN2 are slightly different than other Android phones and it took some experimentation on my part to get them correct so that MMS worked.
Beyond that if the phone has GSM and is unlocked it will work subject to potential speed issues for non TMO phones (except Blackberry).
mrchris1234 said:
Their IMEI checker doesn't check whether a phone is unlocked or not, it's just checking the number against a small database of known compatible phones. I have the TMO GN2 and it works fine with some caveats. Like everyone else with the TMO note2 I couldn't use the wifi hotspot without rooting and the APN settings for Solavei and the GN2 are slightly different than other Android phones and it took some experimentation on my part to get them correct so that MMS worked.
Beyond that if the phone has GSM and is unlocked it will work subject to potential speed issues for non TMO phones (except Blackberry).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, how am I suppose to get a SIM? Would I have to use a dummy phone to register with solavei?
Jinra321 said:
Hmm, how am I suppose to get a SIM? Would I have to use a dummy phone to register with solavei?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just grabbed the IMEI for a phone I knew would work and had the right sized SIM. The IMEI used to confirm the phone is not at all tied to the account and is only used to size the SIM and match to their database. Once you receive your SIM you can just activate and go.
For that matter I have bulk packs of Solavei SIM's and could just send you one and register you if you don't already have a sponsor, or find someone local who has SIM's in stock.
mrchris1234 said:
I just grabbed the IMEI for a phone I knew would work and had the right sized SIM. The IMEI used to confirm the phone is not at all tied to the account and is only used to size the SIM and match to their database. Once you receive your SIM you can just activate and go.
For that matter I have bulk packs of Solavei SIM's and could just send you one and register you if you don't already have a sponsor, or find someone local who has SIM's in stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the same thing, my sponsor let me use his IMEI just to get the sim, and then once we liked the service, my wife used his sim for her own note 2.
As for question number 3, they do have a plan that doesn't have any cap, but I believe it's $89 per month.
mrchris1234 said:
I have been using Solavei since early September and I love it. Like you I came from Sprint (12 years!) and grew to hate them. I haven't really tried selling it much, was mostly interested in the price and plan. However just out of the occasional conversation I've already signed up 6 people which puts me at $40 a month, making my effective bill $9 a month. That's a bargain in my book!
There is a site with a map that is showing where the refarmed areas are www.airportal.de
As for throttling, I consider myself a very heavy user and rarely break 3GB's of data, I can't imagine using 20 to 30 and even any possible unthrottled plans you might find yourself having your account cancelled for that much data.
Unless you can confirm you are in a refarmed area I'd stick with the T-Mo branded Note 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, I am glad you like it. I was hoping to use my phone to download .nzb movies while on the go and use it as my main internet line via tethering. That is where I came up with the 20-30 gb figure.
Would solavei throttle me or block my account if I use that much data?
Solavei gives you 4gb 4g speed than throttle you to 2g
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
jacky37 said:
Solavei gives you 4gb 4g speed than throttle you to 2g
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
dang. welp.. looks like I will be sticking with sprint
mitul2288 said:
dang. welp.. looks like I will be sticking with sprint
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Click to collapse
Doesn't sprint throttle as well? In this part of TN sprint coverage is plain garbage. Then again, I don't think I have ever lived in a good sprint coverage area.
T-Mobile seems to have the only truly unlimited plan that isn't throttled. I just don't think it's worth $89 a month. But I also pay only $34 per month for a 10 mb fiber line to the house. Ymmv.
*Signature blocks shouldn't default to free advertising.*
Sent from my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 2 via Solavei.
mdt73 said:
Doesn't sprint throttle as well? In this part of TN sprint coverage is plain garbage. Then again, I don't think I have ever lived in a good sprint coverage area.
T-Mobile seems to have the only truly unlimited plan that isn't throttled. I just don't think it's worth $89 a month. But I also pay only $34 per month for a 10 mb fiber line to the house. Ymmv.
*Signature blocks shouldn't default to free advertising.*
Sent from my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 2 via Solavei.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, sprint doesn't throttle at all, although it's hard to find a place with LTE or WiMAX which means, you'll be stuck on their 3G at best.
mrchris1234 said:
Their IMEI checker doesn't check whether a phone is unlocked or not, it's just checking the number against a small database of known compatible phones. I have the TMO GN2 and it works fine with some caveats. Like everyone else with the TMO note2 I couldn't use the wifi hotspot without rooting and the APN settings for Solavei and the GN2 are slightly different than other Android phones and it took some experimentation on my part to get them correct so that MMS worked.
Beyond that if the phone has GSM and is unlocked it will work subject to potential speed issues for non TMO phones (except Blackberry).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chris, how did you get the MMS to send out on the Note 2? ...I've been trying different things, but I'm stuck...
djhvc said:
Chris, how did you get the MMS to send out on the Note 2? ...I've been trying different things, but I'm stuck...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got MMS working?
I wanna be able to use this while im stationed in korea...possible? was told that i'll have to get a different phone by another guy thats over there. i refuse to get an iPhone though. and also hoping i can get a gn3 or something w octa core like they have.
personally I don't know. Depends if there is a CDMA carrier over there. Plus, then you need to hack the phone to change the EMI; see what's involved in using the phone for TMobile.
I think you'll probably need to get another phone. You don't have to get an iPhone. You may need to get the international version the phone you're interested in. You may just not get the subsidized price like one can on Sprint and other major US carriers. It's less common outside the USA
it does have gsm antenna. that's why sprint pre loads it with "sprint worldwide" no sprint phone has worldwide capabilities with just CDMA antennas
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
If it is, expect to pay out the donger. You're better off getting one there if you'll be stationed there a while. Just take your phone over and Hangout/Talk/Skype. WiFi is wide open over there.
The south Korean major carriers are Lg+ and KT olleh. You will not be able to use your note because they are gsm carriers. I went ahead and got a note 2 through a korean carrier. I have been getting better coverage than sprint but i never got lte in my area. It is mostly "crappy lte" on post but it still bets sprint hands down and att when i was with them on their lte network. They both have thier verions of note SHV-E250K(kt) or Shv-E250L (Lg+). The only major differance is the note has a DMB antenna. There are 32gb versions and you get an extra battery, with the spare battery charger/stand in the box.