Develop Bugs

Unlocking T-Mobile for AT&T service

hi everyone:
I have been looking via numerous thread online on many Android forums especially here and have been unsuccessful for the past 2 days now. So I figured I would need to create a thread and finally give in and ask for some help. I have a T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy 3 phone and I need to unlock it so that it will work on my AT&T service. Now i understand about rooting the phone and being able to play with themes etc, but its not that great if I can't use the phone itself.
Now without coming up with some kind of answer I must have watched about 40 youtube video's hoping to find out some kind of information. Mostly what I got out of it was numerous website that offer unlocking for phones at a certain price.
unlockcodesource(.)com
unlock2go(.)com
mobileunlockcodes(.)co.uk
Has anyone ever used any of these website or can someone give me some good advise on how I can get this phone unlocked please/
~Aqua

I think the toolkit stickied in the development forum has an option to SIM unlock the GS3. I have not tried this, and do not know if it works, but if the option is there, you might want to give it a shot.

If you're on contract with t mobile and your account is in good standing with them. Call them tell them you're going over seas and need to unlock your phone so you can use it. They will send you unlock code ... then pop in an att sim card and it will prompt you to enter the unlock code t Mobil gave you. Done
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

thanks _
Crisisx1 said:
If you're on contract with t mobile and your account is in good standing with them. Call them tell them you're going over seas and need to unlock your phone so you can use it. They will send you unlock code ... then pop in an att sim card and it will prompt you to enter the unlock code t Mobil gave you. Done
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
OK thank you. I followed your instructions and they said it would take up to maybe 24 hrs for the phone to be unlocked. If it isn't unlocked than she said to call back with the conformation number she gave me. If that doesn't work than they would have to give Samsung my info and could take up to 14 days. She said when you buy phones almost all stands and corp stores have already unlocked phones.
she also said it would be auto unlocked for good. Can they lock the phone back up once it is be unlocked?
~Aqua
edited: Once I have it unlocked ( if all goes good ) do i use the same APN settings that I needed to put into the phone in order for my phone to work on the AT&T network as I did with my S2 that I got unlocked ?

Don't they use different frequencies for HSPA+
You would be relegated to edge speeds, correct me if I'm wrong

speed issue
five40 said:
Don't they use different frequencies for HSPA+
You would be relegated to edge speeds, correct me if I'm wrong
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really don't know. That would be a great question if someone would be nice enough to help me with this information? Again i have a T mobile S3 hopefully its unlocked would I be losing speeds by being on the AT&T network?
thanks
~Aqua

AquaWater said:
I really don't know. That would be a great question if someone would be nice enough to help me with this information? Again i have a T mobile S3 hopefully its unlocked would I be losing speeds by being on the AT&T network?
thanks
~Aqua
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The T-Mobile S3 has the 850/1900 3G bands so it will work on AT&T's 3G network. It will not get LTE though.
You can unlock either by paying for a code from the various resellers online or requesting an unlock code from T-Mobile if you have an account in good standing with them. If you can't get the code from T-Mobile I suggest searching 'T999 unlock' on eBay and you'll find some good options.

The tmobile galaxy s3 will work on the ATnT HSPA+21 frequency. Same frequency the International version runs on for that network.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Edge network and 3/4G Question
I found an excellent place so far on eBay for buying unlock codes. they have almost 3800 sells with a 99% positive feedback. Great customer service. The guy answered numerous questions of mine and made sure i did everything correctly. Payment was $24.95 US, so hopefullly everything will go good.
He was talking about being on something called an " Edge " network which is a little slower, but he said you won't notice a difference between your unlocked S2 and the unlocked S3 now. Right now my S2 says I have 3G service when I use it. I dont understand how i had a inspire4G, what is the 4G for if AT&T only gives you 3G service? And where I am in United States I should have 4G service no matter what. I'm confused on that.,

AquaWater said:
I found an excellent place so far on eBay for buying unlock codes. they have almost 3800 sells with a 99% positive feedback. Great customer service. The guy answered numerous questions of mine and made sure i did everything correctly. Payment was $24.95 US, so hopefullly everything will go good.
He was talking about being on something called an " Edge " network which is a little slower, but he said you won't notice a difference between your unlocked S2 and the unlocked S3 now. Right now my S2 says I have 3G service when I use it. I dont understand how i had a inspire4G, what is the 4G for if AT&T only gives you 3G service? And where I am in United States I should have 4G service no matter what. I'm confused on that.,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edge is 2G speeds, which are substantially slower than 3G speeds. IMHO, 3G speeds are livable, 2G/Edge is not.
Different phones have different radios which work on different frequencies. Some phones are not compatible with other services at all, and some will work on other carriers but often not at optimal speeds.

Darmokk said:
Edge is 2G speeds, which are substantially slower than 3G speeds. IMHO, 3G speeds are livable, 2G/Edge is not.
Different phones have different radios which work on different frequencies. Some phones are not compatible with other services at all, and some will work on other carriers but often not at optimal speeds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So than why would someone suggest that I would get "edge" instead of what i have now? I'm getting 3G now with my T-Mobile S2 unlocked on AT&T, but now I'm going to have an unlocked S3, why wouldn't it be the same?

Because the radios in the devices are different.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

So than why would someone suggest that I would get "edge" instead of what i have now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because he/she doesn't know what he/she is talking about. You will be fine with a T-Mobile S3 on AT&T.

That's what I said earlier in not so many words.
Voice willl work fine you will not see HSPA+ speeds on At&t with a T-Mobile Galaxy SIII.
If the T-Mobile SIII has the hardware capability to support the At&t HSPA+ bands you would need modified radio software to unlock this ability.
I believe this was done on the Galaxy Note to tun on T-Mobile HSPA+ network before it was officially launched on T-Mobile.
kmdub I believe your the one that's wrong.

five40 said:
That's what I said earlier in not so many words.
Voice willl work fine you will not see HSPA+ speeds on At&t with a T-Mobile Galaxy SIII.
If the T-Mobile SIII has the hardware capability to support the At&t HSPA+ bands you would need modified radio software to unlock this ability.
I believe this was done on the Galaxy Note to tun on T-Mobile HSPA+ network before it was officially launched on T-Mobile.
kmdub I believe your the one that's wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unlocked my t999 and am using an att straight talk sim getting HSPA speeds. Going to switch back to tmobile prepay because it is way faster than att HSPA with better latency. Although coverage may be lacking, i may just switch to an att ST sim.
To answer your question, a Tmobile S3 will work on ATT HSPA+ network with the HSPA+ Speeds of up to 6-7mbps in NYC area. The average I've been getting is around 2-3.5 mbps. With the tmobile prepay sim I have, it's usually around 2-18mbps down in NYC area.
The T-mobile S3 will not work on the ATT LTE network because it lacks that radio (or so they say for now); there have been other threads suspecting it's just a matter of flashing the right radio to "turn on" the ATT LTE radio. However, if all you want is HSPA+ speeds, rest assured it will work fine.
The ATT S3 is lacking the AWS bands for TMobile so it will not get the HSPA+ on Tmobile.
Best regards.

radio issue
First off, I would like to thank everyone who has been helping me along with my issues with my phone. I appreciate it a lot and I'm picking up more knowledge more and more everyday from you guys and reading heavily on the forums.
if the hardware in the phone doesn't support HSPA+ 1) will i have to root the phone and 2) change the radio? And 3 ) if I change the radio does that mean I would need to install a custom ROM i order for it to work properly?
Also, from one of the post they said "The T-Mobile S3 has the 850/1900 3G bands " - of that is true will than I should be able to have the 3G speeds correct?
I really hope I am not making some people angry, I'm new to this and trying my hardest to understand everything so I don't make mistakes. Please bare with me. Again, thank you so much everyone who has contributed so far. I still have a lot to learn. The reason why is because I just don't want it to work ( I do, want it to work ) but I want to understand why everything is working they way it is and I've over the past almost month have been picking up a lot of knowledge. Can't wait to hear from you guys

kmdub I believe your the one that's wrong.
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Click to collapse
No, actually, you are wrong. The T-Mobile S3 does not need any modification to work properly on AT&T's HSPA network. Seems you are confusing something else with frequency. Quit spreading bad information.
OP: Don't worry about it. Some are making this way more complicated than it needs to be. As said before, if you have the T999, you will be fine on AT&T's HSPA network without any modifications (other than an account...lol). Just get the phone SIM-unlocked, pop in the right SIM, you are good to go. Seriously, it is that easy.

Well there it is, I stand corrected!
I had no idea the T-Mobile SIII supports At&t HSPA+ bands.
Is the same true to all T-Mobile HSPA+ phones?

Sorry for any issues, just learning
Hi everyone,
thanks so much for the info. Will the S2 I needed to put in certain APN settings inorder to receive MMS ( picture ) via texts. Do i use the same settings for the Samsung Galaxy 3?

kmdub said:
No, actually, you are wrong. The T-Mobile S3 does not need any modification to work properly on AT&T's HSPA network. Seems you are confusing something else with frequency. Quit spreading bad information.
OP: Don't worry about it. Some are making this way more complicated than it needs to be. As said before, if you have the T999, you will be fine on AT&T's HSPA network without any modifications (other than an account...lol). Just get the phone SIM-unlocked, pop in the right SIM, you are good to go. Seriously, it is that easy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too have learned from this thread

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!
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.

Will this phone work with T-Mobile HSPA+/4g?

I have an s3 but I may be getting this phone but I'm on T-Mobile network..I know with the gti9100 I had 4g wasn't possible.. but is it the same deal with this phone or did they make the phone compatible with every network? Thanks in advance.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

pezlomd said:
I have an s3 but I may be getting this phone but I'm on T-Mobile network..I know with the gti9100 I had 4g wasn't possible.. but is it the same deal with this phone or did they make the phone compatible with every network? Thanks in advance.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I made the mistake of buying this phone assuming the same thing... Right now the international Note 2 will only get EDGE in the vast majority of places, because T-Mobile runs most of its 3G on the 1700 frequency which the N7100 doesn't support. T-Mobile is in the process of changing to 1900 (mostly for iPhone users), but who knows how long that'll take. I'm mostly fine with EDGE since I'm on WIFI a lot, but I definitely wish I had known before buying.

Riio said:
I made the mistake of buying this phone assuming the same thing... Right now the international Note 2 will only get EDGE in the vast majority of places, because T-Mobile runs most of its 3G on the 1700 frequency which the N7100 doesn't support. T-Mobile is in the process of changing to 1900 (mostly for iPhone users), but who knows how long that'll take. I'm mostly fine with EDGE since I'm on WIFI a lot, but I definitely wish I had known before buying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I had the exact same question and you answered it perfectly. I was going to buy the GT-N7100 to use on T-Mobile, but if it only gets edge, I won't. Maybe it would work on another carrier, though, like AT&T straight-talk?

Just FYI, I do get HSPA+ while driving to work here in Northern VA although some sites suggest T-Mobile is work to upgrade their 850 to 1900. I do get pretty good speed (5Mbps down/2Mbps up). Check this site if you want to confirm your area but for sure it will work currently only on EDGE: http://www.airportal.de/
I just ordered a Straight Talk SIM card because I know lots of people have constant 3G/4G connection on it since it runs on AT&T. The only draw back with AT&T/Straight Talk is the prohibit unlimited international SMS which I use A LOT.

"E"??
Hi, I just got my N7100 yesterday and upon booting it up with a T-Mobile sim all I get is the "E" for edge network. Like you guys mentioned I guess this is normal for right now correct? Also do any of you get the "R" icon next to your signal strength bar? I opens up the "Roaming" page buddy and thinks I'm roaming. How do you get rid of this "R" icon or can you? Please help newbie here.
Thanks,
John

glad i live in an area where we have the 1900mhz band. its faster than my ATT speed. with my gf tmobile sim i was getting 7mbps and with my att its like 3mbp
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Note2.. yep

i dont get it.. if your going to spend $600+ why not just get the T-Mo version?

YoungAceAtlanta said:
i dont get it.. if your going to spend $600+ why not just get the T-Mo version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
people are impatient. .
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Note2.. yep

Carrier branded versions of phones are often sim-locked and significantly slower to receive software updates. They're also more expensive in the long-run once you factor in the cost of a contract, even with the discounts. And carrier bloatware is usually a negative, too.
Is the T-Mobile Note II free of any of these disadvantages?

2 thumbs up!
strumcat said:
Carrier branded versions of phones are often sim-locked and significantly slower to receive software updates. They're also more expensive in the long-run once you factor in the cost of a contract, even with the discounts. And carrier bloatware is usually a negative, too.
Is the T-Mobile Note II free of any of these disadvantages?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:good::good: Couldn't have explained my reason better! Thanks!

strumcat said:
Carrier branded versions of phones are often sim-locked and significantly slower to receive software updates. They're also more expensive in the long-run once you factor in the cost of a contract, even with the discounts. And carrier bloatware is usually a negative, too.
Is the T-Mobile Note II free of any of these disadvantages?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1.) SIM Unlocking is dirt cheap (even free sometimes).
2.) ROM upgrade availability is just as quick if not quicker if you use custom ROMS (and if you're on this site you likely know how to flash them).
3.) Carrier branded devices can be bought off contract.
4.) Carrier bloatware can be frozen and/or removed quite easily.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

Tmobile note 2 on AT&T?

My wife and I are considering taking our tmobile phones over to AT&T. There both unlocked... Note 2 & sg3. Question I have is would I have to flash AT&T modems and roms to be able to fully utilize the new network? Just don't want to end up with bricks. AT&T already told me both devices unlocked will work fine on the network.

Wat I'm asking is if I can utilize the lte on the t-889 if I put it on AT&T? I found a bunch of threads with mixed responses.

fix-this! said:
My wife and I are considering taking our tmobile phones over to AT&T. There both unlocked... Note 2 & sg3. Question I have is would I have to flash AT&T modems and roms to be able to fully utilize the new network? Just don't want to end up with bricks. AT&T already told me both devices unlocked will work fine on the network.
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It should work fine but the only problem is you wont have LTE

chousayz said:
It should work fine but the only problem is you wont have LTE
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Why's that? AT&T says I will be able to use lte since my area has it. If not I probably won't do this. As I've said I've read mixed responses. Could I flash AT&T radios to utilize it?

It will give you weak service because att and t mobile run on different bands which is hardware related not software
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda premium

Android The Greek said:
It will give you weak service because att and t mobile run on different bands which is hardware related not software
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda premium
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I dunno about that as many said everything works but LTE. I have also read a few that says they have LTE enabled. That's what's confusing. I may go to AT&T tomorrow and have them test a sim before I decide to switch. I assume if I change to AT&T apn ill get better 4g speed at least. The limitation your speaking to its a locked radio for the t-889 that prevents LTE from being enabled currently.

I can't quickly tell, but if it has LTE support on band 17 (700MHz) then it will work. It's a T-Mobile phone so it has support on band 4 which AT&T only uses for a very small part of its LTE network.
Like you said the radio it comes with might be locked to not allow LTE. If you can flash an AT&T radio without issue then you'd be able to see if it works.
If I were to guess I'd say it would have the right band since it's basically the same phone that AT&T sells.

Does it at least get hspa+ and 3G? I can wait for lte.

fix-this! said:
Does it at least get hspa+ and 3G? I can wait for lte.
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It should. Just put an AT&T SIM in and see.

petard said:
It should. Just put an AT&T SIM in and see.
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I'll be going to AT&T tomorrow to test before I switch carriers.

fix-this! said:
Why's that? AT&T says I will be able to use lte since my area has it. If not I probably won't do this. As I've said I've read mixed responses. Could I flash AT&T radios to utilize it?
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The AT&T rep you spoke to definitely isnt informed on the hardware issue.
If you are switching over you should just sell those two phones you have and just buy new ones since its new activation Im sure you can get a good price on the phones

chousayz said:
The AT&T rep you spoke to definitely isnt informed on the hardware issue.
If you are switching over you should just sell those two phones you have and just buy new ones since its new activation Im sure you can get a good price on the phones
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From what I understand its not hardware, it's because of a radio limitation currently. Lte isn't enabled yet on the t-889. That's why I asked if I could flash a AT&T radio. As long as I get 4g and 3G ill switch. The whole point was to save $$ on buying new devices.

fix-this! said:
From what I understand its not hardware, it's because of a radio limitation currently. Lte isn't enabled yet on the t-889. That's why I asked if I could flash a AT&T radio. As long as I get 4g and 3G ill switch. The whole point was to save $$ on buying new devices.
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Well please understand it's hardware. Been that way forever
Sent from my SGH-I777 running AOKP

brandonarev said:
Well please understand it's hardware. Been that way forever
Sent from my SGH-I777 running AOKP
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Well as long as I get 3G and decent hspa+ speeds ill be happy. I'll be getting the s4 anyways when it comes out. I don't have lte anyways with tmobile lol.

Sending Note to Buddy Overseas

Hello all. Been a long while since I've been on the forums. I've got a VZW Note 10+ (SM-N975U) that I just paid off through my carrier. However I'm going to be switching me and my family to ATT solely for better coverage reasons and a buddy of mine needs a new phone bad. I've thought it upon myself to send my Note to him however I'm not 100% sure how good the lte functionality would be for him.
He says right now in his area the only bands they honestly support are 900/1800/2400 for the 4G LTE handle. I wasn't able to find much for the LTE handles this one specifically supports which is why I'm making this post. Would my phone be compatible if I had sent it to him.?
I can send whatever screenshots necessary, this is just something that's new to me
Thanks all
-ElmoRapz

Where is he at?
I've had no problems using Verizon 4G LTE phones in both Okinawa and Japan.

gernerttl said:
Where is he at?
I've had no problems using Verizon 4G LTE phones in both Okinawa and Japan.
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He's over by Yelverton UK

It should work. He should be able to pop in a SIM from a local provider access get LTE.