Hi,
I ordered a phone on eBay (refurbished Touch Pro2) unlocked (originally from Sprint). This is the phone : cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170495455167 (new user, can't post full links ...)
I would like to know, is it a GSM or a CDMA phone? It says I just need to put in a SIM card and it will be ready, is that true or it must be specific carriers?
Thanks!
Sam
sam_1421 said:
Hi,
I ordered a phone on eBay (refurbished Touch Pro2) unlocked (originally from Sprint). This is the phone : cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170495455167 (new user, can't post full links ...)
I would like to know, is it a GSM or a CDMA phone? It says I just need to put in a SIM card and it will be ready, is that true or it must be specific carriers?
Thanks!
Sam
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GSM = Sim Card
CDMA = No Sim Card
The Sprint Rhodium is a CDMA/GSM worldphone. It primarily operates on a CDMA network such as Sprint's, but is GSM capable for operation in areas where CDMA network service isn't available, like overseas. So long as the Sprint Touch Pro2 you've bought is properly unlocked depending on where you plan to use the device (there is a special unlocking procedure needed in order to use US carriers' SIMs in the Sprint Touch Pro2), you can use any SIM card from any GSM carrier in that device.
Just remember if you are going to use a Sprint phone on AT&T the best data connection you are going to get is 1X.
Thanks for the replies!
I don't know if it's been unlocked properly, but I won't use it with a US carrier, since I'm in Canada. I guess it should be fine?
Thanks!
Sam
My S3 mini broke. Now I thought to get an S4 mini, but I can't figure out which one would be the right one.
I am using a plan in the US, ultra mobile, which is on the T-mobile network I think. I also often use my cellphone
abroad with other sim cards. I've seen that there is a 16GB version available - SCH-I435 from Verizon.
I can't figure out what bands this phone uses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S4_Mini has no info on the bands.
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/SCH-I435ZKAVZW-specs says:
LTE: Bands 4/13 CDMA 1x/EVDO Rev A. 850/1900 MHz.
Are there any other 16GB versions? What about root/rom? Any significant differences? Which would you recommend?
Its more like do you want LTE or 3g support, any international unlocked version will support all bands
Afaik verizon its CDMA and dont use a sim card therefore can't switch sim
fburgos said:
Its more like do you want LTE or 3g support, any international unlocked version will support all bands
Afaik verizon its CDMA and dont use a sim card therefore can't switch sim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. That would be bad. So the verison one can not switch SIM? Which means it can't be used in europe?
This post implies that there is some kind of SIM on the SCH-I435. But I don't exactly understand what works and what doesn't.
ghostwheel said:
I see. That would be bad. So the verison one can not switch SIM? Which means it can't be used in europe?
This post implies that there is some kind of SIM on the SCH-I435. But I don't exactly understand what works and what doesn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well Im really not sureim not in the us, but I remember a friend had a Verizon phone and can't be enabled in my country because didn't have Sim slot and all carriers have Sim buy was months ago that could have changed
If the info is of any help, I have a GT-I9195 model (currently connected to Spark, NZ) that claims to have 16G of memory and, in this case at least, is unlocked. It takes a mini-SIM, but that's not unusual now days.
Given that most phones in NZ are sold unlocked and people expect to be able to swap SIMs from one phone to another as well as take their current phones to another network, I'm guessing it supports most bands.
Mike_NZ said:
If the info is of any help, I have a GT-I9195 model (currently connected to Spark, NZ) that claims to have 16G of memory and, in this case at least, is unlocked. It takes a mini-SIM, but that's not unusual now days.
Given that most phones in NZ are sold unlocked and people expect to be able to swap SIMs from one phone to another as well as take their current phones to another network, I'm guessing it supports most bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! I'll get that model then.
Hello, I bought from eBay Htc one m9 and today I have got the phone and I found that's is an M9w model.
I can't find any info about this model so I thought maybe some one here knows..
Thanks.
enablee said:
Hello, I bought from eBay Htc one m9 and today I have got the phone and I found that's is an M9w model.
I can't find any info about this model so I thought maybe some one here knows..
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's China version. You can see CID is HTCCN_701. Can use wcdma/FDD LTE/TD LTE(Band 39 is not support).
Use 810 Ver 2.0.:silly:
oliver962464 said:
It's China version. You can see CID is HTCCN_701. Can use wcdma/FDD LTE/TD LTE(Band 39 is not support).
Use 810 Ver 2.0.:silly:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, this is a GSM version isn't it?
Is it safe to put a international (401) or unlocked (617) ruu?
shaqman89 said:
So, this is a GSM version isn't it?
Is it safe to put a international (401) or unlocked (617) ruu?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. As far as I can tell the m9w is gsm only.
Beamed in by telepathy.
shivadow said:
Yes. As far as I can tell the m9w is gsm only.
Beamed in by telepathy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This somewhat gets me confused.
I bought a used one with s-off condition, and found it was using stock marshmallow sprint firmware (651).
If it's gsm only, then wouldn't it have an issue with sprint firmware,which is for CDMA?
After reading a lot, I was under the impression that you can't switch firmwares between gsm and CDMA.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
shaqman89 said:
This somewhat gets me confused.
I bought a used one with s-off condition, and found it was using stock marshmallow sprint firmware (651).
If it's gsm only, then wouldn't it have an issue with sprint firmware,which is for CDMA?
After reading a lot, I was under the impression that you can't switch firmwares between gsm and CDMA.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yikes - pretty sure you can't, and that trying is a great way to brick your device. I'd guess that the model you have is somehow a CDMA version. Perhaps you could post some device information for us to research to help you determine exactly what you've got?
computerslayer said:
Yikes - pretty sure you can't, and that trying is a great way to brick your device. I'd guess that the model you have is somehow a CDMA version. Perhaps you could post some device information for us to research to help you determine exactly what you've got?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I also thought that should be the case as well.
Anyway, this is from fastboot.
Code:
(bootloader) kernel: lk
(bootloader) product: htc_himawhl
(bootloader) version: 1.0
(bootloader) imei: 3572xxxx453xxxx
(bootloader) version-main: 3.41.651.21
(bootloader) boot-mode: download
(bootloader) version-baseband: [email protected]
(bootloader) version-bootloader: 1.0.0.0000
(bootloader) mid: 0PJA20000
(bootloader) cid: SPCS_001
I'm aware that mid and cid could be changed using fastboot commands, but I never heard about changing the product field if this is really m9w version.
Anyway, I checked the imei with the box, and it matches.
The label on the box says it's m9w.
If i checked based on active bands, it is a cdma phone with only sprint 4g bands available, but going by imei (checked on imeidata.net), I got the bands are supposed to match witth the international model. I don't know how reliable that site is, though.
Code:
GSM 1800, GSM 1900, GSM 900, GSM850 (GSM800), LTE FDD BAND 1, LTE FDD BAND 20, LTE FDD BAND 28, LTE FDD BAND 3, LTE FDD BAND 5, LTE FDD BAND 7, LTE FDD BAND 8, LTE TDD BAND 38, LTE TDD BAND 40, LTE TDD BAND 41, WCDMA FDD Band I, WCDMA FDD Band II, WCDMA FDD Band V, WCDMA FDD Band VIII
Would that data be sufficient to see anything strange?
A little digging turns up that sprint spark is the most likely carrier using td-lte.
Cdma devices dont have a sim while gsm devices do. That's why you can't xflash. M9 gsm sort of does both.
Beamed in by telepathy.
shivadow said:
A little digging turns up that sprint spark is the most likely carrier using td-lte.
Cdma devices dont have a sim while gsm devices do. That's why you can't xflash. M9 gsm sort of does both.
Beamed in by telepathy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry if I'm not following entirely.
So you are saying that it is possible for m9w to be flashed using sprint firmware which would explains my case above?
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
shaqman89 said:
Sorry if I'm not following entirely.
So you are saying that it is possible for m9w to be flashed using sprint firmware which would explains my case above?
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends.
If your network is "sprint" then you need to check if the phone has a sim card port. If it does then you have a gsm phone. If not then it's cdma.
Sprint also does gsm phones but the question is "how do you know if the firmware you're downloading is cdma or gsm?". Because you CANNOT cross flash a cdma firmware to a gsm device or vice versa.
So, presuming you DO have a sim card port it's gsm for sure so you can treat it as a generic gsm device BUT sprint are known for making their devices difficult to work with, but that could be cdma devices.. So yes, with gsm you should be able to mess with it to flash stuff but make sure you make a backup the very second you get into TWRP (everything except data) and, if you can, make the files available to flippy for others to recover their devices (your contribution for the help you have had and will get?). I can host the files forever on my gdrive with my m9 backup if needed and flippy will add them to his help thread in the general section.
So, by common locigal deduction, we don't know for sure but now you know how to tell if it is gsm or cdma but still be careful with firmwares as one mistake = a doorstop.
Beamed in by telepathy.
shaqman89 said:
Thanks. I also thought that should be the case as well.
Anyway, this is from fastboot.
I'm aware that mid and cid could be changed using fastboot commands, but I never heard about changing the product field if this is really m9w version.
Anyway, I checked the imei with the box, and it matches.
The label on the box says it's m9w.
If i checked based on active bands, it is a cdma phone with only sprint 4g bands available, but going by imei (checked on imeidata.net), I got the bands are supposed to match witth the international model. I don't know how reliable that site is, though.
Would that data be sufficient to see anything strange?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For what it's worth, the SKU you're software is reporting is 651 - that's definitely a CDMA version (Sprint).
shivadow said:
It depends.
If your network is "sprint" then you need to check if the phone has a sim card port. If it does then you have a gsm phone. If not then it's cdma.
Sprint also does gsm phones but the question is "how do you know if the firmware you're downloading is cdma or gsm?". Because you CANNOT cross flash a cdma firmware to a gsm device or vice versa.
So, presuming you DO have a sim card port it's gsm for sure so you can treat it as a generic gsm device BUT sprint are known for making their devices difficult to work with, but that could be cdma devices.. So yes, with gsm you should be able to mess with it to flash stuff but make sure you make a backup the very second you get into TWRP (everything except data) and, if you can, make the files available to flippy for others to recover their devices (your contribution for the help you have had and will get?). I can host the files forever on my gdrive with my m9 backup if needed and flippy will add them to his help thread in the general section.
So, by common locigal deduction, we don't know for sure but now you know how to tell if it is gsm or cdma but still be careful with firmwares as one mistake = a doorstop.
Beamed in by telepathy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint-branded M9s are always CDMA devices. Since LTE exists CDMA phones use sim cards as well. Please be carefull with such posts as the one I quoted. People might think they own a GSM device although they don't.
Flippy498 said:
Sprint-branded M9s are always CDMA devices. Since LTE exists CDMA phones use sim cards as well. Please be carefull with such posts as the one I quoted. People might think they own a GSM device although they don't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, not 100% true at all. Sprint have sprint spark which is td-lte and uses gsm devices. I did extensive research into it last night.
If the cdma phones use simcards then those devices are gsm. Cdma devices are tuned at the factory for specific networks hence the lack of simcard slot. Simcards support gsm and the m9 with a sim doesn't support cdma but instead wcdma along with all the gsm bands too.
So I'm willing to bet a testicle. You?.
Beamed in by telepathy.
In short, I think this means, sprint is giving me a hard time lol.
So, just to summarize:
- From the box and imei, it seems I have m9w model (GSM)
- According to firmware, and available bands, I have sprint network (CDMA)
- Judging by the availability of a sim card slot (the provider I am using is GSM), it's definitely GSM capable.
So, going for that, it seems that it really is a CDMA model, just with different brandings?
Am I right?
As for the backup, I don't mind sharing it, though I don't see much benefit, since I have tried a sprint RUU, and it works fine.
I also used ViperOne and using only Sprint kernel would make it be able to recieve network signal.
So, I think it's safe to say that the one I am using one of Sprint variant, so I should be careful when cross-flashing.
CMIIW.
@shivadow:
Link #1
SIM cards: Before the advent of 4G LTE, the obvious difference between GSM and CDMA devices were with regards to the SIM card.
[...]
You may have noticed the latest smartphones intended for CDMA networks also coming with SIM card slots, to take advantage of the network’s 4G LTE capabilities. While GSM and CDMA devices cannot be interchanged even now, and will never be cross-compatible, that won’t make a difference as we continue to make a push towards 4G LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Link #2
Many Sprint and Verizon phones now have SIM cards, but that isn't because of CDMA. The SIM cards are generally there for Sprint's and Verizon's 4G LTE networks, because the LTE standard also uses SIM cards. The phones may also have SIM slots to support foreign GSM networks as "world phones." But those carriers still use CDMA to authenticate their phones on their own home networks.
[...]
The problem is, they're turning it on in different frequency bands, with different 3G backup systems, and even, in the case of the new Sprint Spark network, using an LTE variant (TD-LTE) that doesn't work with any other U.S. carrier's phones. There are very few phones that support all of the carriers' LTE bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Link #3 (and Link #4 for comparison)
OEM ID: 0PJA20000
Supported Cellular Networks: CDMA800 (BC0), CDMA1900 (BC1/BC14)
Supported Cellular Data Links: cdmaOne, CDMA2000 1x, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev A
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Sprint M9 is not a traditional CDMA phone but that's due to LTE being a GSM technology and therefore requiring a sim card*. Nevertheless it's still CMDA enough for not being compatible with GSM firmware like the dev edition (617) or the wwe version (401). My statement is still valid. If you tell people every phone with a sim slot is a GSM device they may try to flash GSM RUUs on CDMA devices and brick their phone this way.
* Well, and because CDMA carriers probably understood that their phones need to support at least some GSM bands if they don't want to lose all customers who travel to other countries where CDMA most likely isn't supported at all.
Edit @shaqman89: Can you please take a look at the bottom of the backside of your M9? HTC engraved the model id at this place on the European WWE version. I don't know for sure but I guess that this might be the case for the other versions of the M9, as well. If you own a sprint M9 you should find "0PJA200" there. (The engraving lacks two zeros if you compare it with the MID that you get with fastboot getvar.)
Edit @shaqman89: Can you please take a look at the bottom of the backside of your M9? HTC engraved the model id at this place on the European WWE version. I don't know for sure but I guess that this might be the case for the other versions of the M9, as well. If you own a sprint M9 you should find "0PJA200" there. (The engraving lacks two zeros if you compare it with the MID that you get with fastboot getvar.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right. It's really faint and small, but there is a model id there.
It is 0PJA200. I guess that's settle it and could be hard confirmation that this is a sprint variant.
Flippy498 said:
@shivadow:
Link #1
Link #2
Link #3 (and Link #4 for comparison)
The Sprint M9 is not a traditional CDMA phone but that's due to LTE being a GSM technology and therefore requiring a sim card*. Nevertheless it's still CMDA enough for not being compatible with GSM firmware like the dev edition (617) or the wwe version (401). My statement is still valid. If you tell people every phone with a sim slot is a GSM device they may try to flash GSM RUUs on CDMA devices and brick their phone this way.
* Well, and because CDMA carriers probably understood that their phones need to support at least some GSM bands if they don't want to lose all customers who travel to other countries where CDMA most likely isn't supported at all.
Edit @shaqman89: Can you please take a look at the bottom of the backside of your M9? HTC engraved the model id at this place on the European WWE version. I don't know for sure but I guess that this might be the case for the other versions of the M9, as well. If you own a sprint M9 you should find "0PJA200" there. (The engraving lacks two zeros if you compare it with the MID that you get with fastboot getvar.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I owe you a testicle but I have no obligation to pay up on the clause that neither of us actually know what the hell is going on.. [emoji12]
But, what does that mean for the m9w?. Have we established that its a sprint phone and the regular firmware is ok or does it have an alter ego like jekyll and hyde?. Is there an easy way to find out if it'll be locked out, like branding etc.. Can you use any sim for any network?. A test on a 3g only network could reveal some truth?. Will the m9 take a 3g sim card?..
Beamed in by telepathy.
shivadow said:
I owe you a testicle but I have no obligation to pay up on the clause that neither of us actually know what the hell is going on.. [emoji12]
But, what does that mean for the m9w?. Have we established that its a sprint phone and the regular firmware is ok or does it have an alter ego like jekyll and hyde?. Is there an easy way to find out if it'll be locked out, like branding etc.. Can you use any sim for any network?. A test on a 3g only network could reveal some truth?. Will the m9 take a 3g sim card?..
Beamed in by telepathy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The sprint phone and any GSM firmware are incompatible due to the different partition layout. The "problem" of this thread lies in the naming of the phone/thread. There are several variants called M9w which all have different MIDs (and slightly different hardware). Just like almost every GSM M9 is called M9u. That's why I prefer identifying them via the MID or their codename. The number part of the MID or the ul/uhl/wl/whl ending of the codename tell you exactly which model is lying in front of you.
Newer CDMA phones (every model that uses LTE) have some GSM frequencies enabled. On the one hand for being able to use LTE and on the other hand since many US customers who traveled to non-CDMA countries prefered GSM carriers in the US, as well, since they could keep their GSM phone whenever they left the US. Many CDMA customers had to buy a GSM phone and a sim card whenever they left the US due to the lack of CDMA on the rest of the world.
As far as I know sprint phones are sim-locked. However, you can contact sprint and request an unlock code so that non-sprint sim cards can be used, as well. Nevertheless, the sprint version doesn't support all GSM frequencies so you might not get any reception if your GSM carrier doesn't use the frequencies that are supported by the phone. That's why it's in almost every case impossible to get LTE with a non-sprint sim card on a sprint M9. (The same apllies to the verizon variant.)
So basically what you're saying is "sell the m9w and buy a wwe"?.
Beamed in by telepathy.
shivadow said:
So basically what you're saying is "sell the m9w and buy a wwe"?.
Beamed in by telepathy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, not really. There is no variant that supports every existing frequency. Therefore, the best variant for user 1 isn't necessarily the best variant for user 2, as well.
Scenario a): You live in the US
If you own a sprint sim card the sprint m9 is totally fine. If you own a verizon sim card you should get the verizon variant. If you own a t-mobile US or an AT&T sim card and rely on VoLTE you should get one of their dedicated variants. If you don't care about VoLTE but own a GSM sim card you should get either the unlocked or the dev edition (both are actually the same phone - only the CIDs differ slightly and the dev edition's bootloader is already unlocked).
Scenario b): You live outside the US
If you rely on VoLTE you should get a phone that got branded by your carrier. If you don't care about VoLTE you should get one of the unbranded versions. There is SKU 401 for Europe, SKU 708 and 709 for Asia and SKU 710 for Australia and New Zealand. They're all (the branded and the unbranded versions) the same if you look at the hardware but the firmware is optimized for the dedicated continent/country/carrier.
With S-OFF you can always convert your GSM phone from one version to another. However, the frequencies that are supported by the US GSM variants differ slightly from the ones of the rest of the world.
Tl;dr: You should always choose the variant that suits you best.