Finally decided to get a T-Mobile US TP2
Q0. Other than the looks, what else is different between the International Unbranded HTC TP2 and the US T-Mobile TP2
Q1. I've been told the US 3G bands are different from the Asian / UK 3G bands. The Asian bands if I'm not mistaken are "HSDPA 900 / 2100". Can anybody cite the US bands? Also I know that 2100 is common for both US and UK... will that be enough to use 3G in Asia?
Q2. Obviously I would need to get the phone SIM unlocked. For once I couldn't find anthing on XDA to unlock the TP2. Any light on that would be great
Q3. I noticed that Hard-SPL is now available for TP2. I'm assuming that means I can flash it with any ROM. Would doing that automatically unlock the phone to be used with any SIM?
Need answers to these real fast guys... got a good deal on eBay.
0. mostly looks and 3g bands
1. tmobile 3g is strictly for tmobile 3g. anywhere else and its edge for you
2. no free sim-unlocker yet
3. Hardspl is for flashing roms...completely separate from sim cards
Oh man... that sux. I was really hoping that atleast one of the T-mobile bands would be compatible with the Asian 3G bands. Do you have any idea what bands T-Mobile operates on?
HSPA/WCDMA
1700/2100 MHz
Note the 2100 band is part of AWS which means it's not compatible with Asia 2100. T-Mobile 3G requires both 1700 and 2100 to operate. One band is upload and one is download.
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
What exactly is the AWS?
leepriestenator said:
What exactly is the AWS?
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Advanced Wireless Service, which utilizes band IV (1710-1755 out; 2110-2155 in) for CDMA, UMTS, and LTE
Will I be ok travelling with this phone to Europe and Canada and getting 3G? Will the bands work? If not, is there something that can be done to make it work? I'm abot to get one and would like to confirm.
Thanks.
tinpanalley said:
Will I be ok travelling with this phone to Europe and Canada and getting 3G? Will the bands work? If not, is there something that can be done to make it work? I'm abot to get one and would like to confirm.
Thanks.
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the t-mobile rhodium supports UMTS 1700 and UMTS 2100 so if canada and/europe use those bands for UMTS (3G) then yes it will work. If not, the device is quad band GSM so no problem using voice and EDGE for data.
Also make sure the device is unlocked if you plan to put another carrier's SIMcard in the device.
tinpanalley said:
Will I be ok travelling with this phone to Europe and Canada and getting 3G? Will the bands work? If not, is there something that can be done to make it work? I'm abot to get one and would like to confirm.
Thanks.
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Not sure about Canada...but TmoUSA 3G bands are different than Euro-3G.
Unrelated, but worth mentioning: the T-Mobile USA international roaming charge for data is steep -- $15/megabyte.
If you got a Euro sim card that would fix the $, but not the radio (for 3G).
The T-Mobile version supports AWS and 2100 3G so works fine in Europe and most other locations. Had 3G T-Mobile and 3G Orange in the UK, but I would suggest a local SIM too. For the UK, both T-Mobile UK prepaid and Virgin UK prepaid work in a locked T-Mobile TP2 or get it unlocked for more choices.
jamssx said:
The T-Mobile version supports AWS and 2100 3G so works fine in Europe and most other locations. Had 3G T-Mobile and 3G Orange in the UK, but I would suggest a local SIM too. For the UK, both T-Mobile UK prepaid and Virgin UK prepaid work in a locked T-Mobile TP2 or get it unlocked for more choices.
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You used a T-Mobile USA version of the TP2 in Europe and had a usable 3G data connection?? Hmmm...that's the first I've read of this.
If this is well-known (and if so, maybe I'm just clueless ) can you provide a link to more discussion, that is...uhh...evidence...of it? Not about what bands the USA version supports -- I know that part -- but other reports/disucssion of it actually working.
On the other hand, are there any reports of a Euro-TP2 that can work on 3G bands in the USA?
USA TMO TP2 will work on TMO 3G in USA. It may also work on WIND Mobile for 3G data here in Canada, not sure about voice as they are using some strange network setup.
As the phone is UMTS 2100 capable, it will get 3G data and voice in most places in Europe and Asia.
quid246 said:
USA TMO TP2 will work on TMO 3G in USA. It may also work on WIND Mobile for 3G data here in Canada, not sure about voice as they are using some strange network setup.
As the phone is UMTS 2100 capable, it will get 3G data and voice in most places in Europe and Asia.
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Have you tried a TmoUSA TP2 in Europe or Asia -- yourself -- and accessed 3G data?
I'm still doubtful, but I actually hope I'm wrong 'cause I'd love to be able to get 3G data on my TmoUSA TP2 while traveling in Europe...as long as I get a Euro sim card. Otherwise, faster data just means more roaming-$$.
MCbrian said:
Have you tried a TmoUSA TP2 in Europe or Asia -- yourself -- and accessed 3G data?
I'm still doubtful, but I actually hope I'm wrong 'cause I'd love to be able to get 3G data on my TmoUSA TP2 while traveling in Europe...as long as I get a Euro sim card. Otherwise, faster data just means more roaming-$$.
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Check the specifications. It supports both 1700 and 2100 UMTS. That means it will work in Europe. ALL Touch Pro 2's have 2100MHz UMTS and quadband GSM, every single one of them, including the CDMA ones. The carrier specific ones add certain bands.
European Touch Pro 2s have UMTS 900
CDMA Touch Pro 2s have CDMA bands
T-Mobile USA has 1700MHz AWS band
AT&T has 850/1900MHz UMTS
TP2 overseas vs versions
I believe, as I've use phones often in the US and overseas, that T-mobile uses 1700 UMTS in the US, but that their TP2 is also 2100 UMTS. Just as At&t Tilt uses 850 & 1900 UMTS (At&t requires both frequencies), but also has 2100 UMTS. As such, both should work in most European, African and Asian countries (verizon and sprint you,re mostly screwed).
I believe the older Tytn II (tilt) was sold world wide as a 850/1900/2100 phone, so you could basically buy it anywhere and use it here on At&t only for 3g or T-mobile Edge only. Unfortunately, the TP2 is sold mostly as a 900/2100 UMTS worldwide outside the US, so you are stuck buying the US versions that correspond to the US networks. The bonus of the At&t tilit 2 version is that it is 850/1900/2100, so it will work almost anywhere. The drawback of the T-mobile TP2 is that 1700 is used by almost no one and while you can use it in most of the aforementioned places, you can't use it in the Americas outside the US & Canada.
Check out this handy wiki UMTS page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Deployed_UMTS_networks
Just a note, I almost always pick up a pay as you go sim in other countries- much cheaper and very little hassle. Worth it for anything over a week stay. Maybe not as much so in some of Western Europe.
drjby4 said:
I believe, as I've use phones often in the US and overseas, that T-mobile uses 1700 UMTS in the US, but that their TP2 is also 2100 UMTS. Just as At&t Tilt uses 850 & 1900 UMTS (At&t requires both frequencies), but also has 2100 UMTS. As such, both should work in most European, African and Asian countries (verizon and sprint you,re mostly screwed).
I believe the older Tytn II (tilt) was sold world wide as a 850/1900/2100 phone, so you could basically buy it anywhere and use it here on At&t only for 3g or T-mobile Edge only. Unfortunately, the TP2 is sold mostly as a 900/2100 UMTS worldwide outside the US, so you are stuck buying the US versions that correspond to the US networks. The bonus of the At&t tilit 2 version is that it is 850/1900/2100, so it will work almost anywhere. The drawback of the T-mobile TP2 is that 1700 is used by almost no one and while you can use it in most of the aforementioned places, you can't use it in the Americas outside the US & Canada.
Check out this handy wiki UMTS page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Deployed_UMTS_networks
Just a note, I almost always pick up a pay as you go sim in other countries- much cheaper and very little hassle. Worth it for anything over a week stay. Maybe not as much so in some of Western Europe.
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That is correct. Apparently they are only able to have 3 3G frequencies (though NTT DoCoMo is currently working on a chip that can handle 8 frequencies!)
At first Europe only used 2100MHz 3G and AT&T had set up on 850MHz/1900MHz. Since those were the only 3 bands, HTC would put all three of those bands in its phones up to the Tilt (Kaiser). Once they made the Raphael though, there was 900MHz 3G in Europe and T-Mobile had chosen the AWS band.
Since they can apparently only put 3 bands in, and Europe now needed two for 900MHz/2100MHz, they could no longer put but of AT&T's frequencies in. So they must have just dropped them.
The AT&T version (FUZE) has 850MHz/1900MHz and also has 2100MHz, which is the dominant band for 3G in Europe. I am not sure if they are using 900MHz there yet, but they decided that was more important to put in the European ones than AT&T's bands.
T-Mobile's 3G phones get AWS and 2100MHz. I think AWS might use 2 of the bands because it is split on 1700MHz and 2100MHz (but a different 2100MHz apparently, maybe low 2100MHz vs high, I'm not sure)
petard said:
Check the specifications. It supports both 1700 and 2100 UMTS. That means it will work in Europe. ALL Touch Pro 2's have 2100MHz UMTS and quadband GSM, every single one of them, including the CDMA ones. The carrier specific ones add certain bands.
European Touch Pro 2s have UMTS 900
CDMA Touch Pro 2s have CDMA bands
T-Mobile USA has 1700MHz AWS band
AT&T has 850/1900MHz UMTS
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It doesn't just support 1700 and 2100, it uses both to work: 1700 for up/send and 2100 for down/receive. So, how does the Tmo USA radio cope without 1700 band for up/send when it's expecting it?
petard said:
T-Mobile's 3G phones get AWS and 2100MHz. I think AWS might use 2 of the bands because it is split on 1700MHz and 2100MHz (but a different 2100MHz apparently, maybe low 2100MHz vs high, I'm not sure)
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So, the full story (?) is that T-Mobile uses 1700+2100 (up/down) in the USA (which is what I already understood/knew) and in addition to that pair there's a separate slightly-different 2100 band that's used outside the USA? -- That, I didn't know.
If that's the explanation, that makes sense. But confusing that there's 2 different 2100 bands...
I may have to use some frequent-flyer miles and go check it out...
MCbrian said:
So, the full story (?) is that T-Mobile uses 1700+2100 (up/down) in the USA (which is what I already understood/knew) and in addition to that pair there's a separate slightly-different 2100 band that's used outside the USA? -- That, I didn't know.
If that's the explanation, that makes sense. But confusing that there's 2 different 2100 bands...
I may have to use some frequent-flyer miles and go check it out...
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According to Wikipedia, UMTS Band I (commonly known as 2100MHz) uses 1920 - 1980 for uplink and 2110 - 2170 for downlink while UMTS Band IV (AWS, 1700MHz) uses 1710 - 1755 for uplink and 2110 - 2155 for downlink.
Band II (1900MHz) uses 1850 - 1910 for uplink and 1930 - 1990 for downlink and band V (850MHz) uses 824 - 849 for uplink and 869 - 894 for downlink. The uplink and download for these are close, unlike bands I and IV.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
I just assume they are only able to have 3 different frequencies since I have yet to see a UMTS phone with 4 frequencies. But as I wrote this, I'm not too sure because there were phones with Band I, Band II, and Band IV which would mean that there are chips capable for 4 different frequencies? Who knows, maybe someone with actual technical knowledge about this can say.
Also according to that page, there are five different UMTS bands deployed across the world. A bit of a pain. That is more then GSM ever had and who knows if it will grow to even more. LTE also will be coming in before GSM is phased out, so we are going to have to have phones that have GSM, UMTS, AND LTE. GSM will be no problem, quadband has been standard for a while, but having a phone that has both your carriers UMTS and LTE frequencies is going to be tough unless you buy it from your carrier.
What they should have done is just used the band names, and not their frequencies. It would be much easier to know that Europe runs on band I and T-Mobile USA runs on band IV and the T-Mobile Rhodium supports both Band I and Band IV.
Does anybody have any news in regards to if there is going to be an LTE 1800mhz version of the Note 2? I am very keen to get it, but want to use it on the Optus LTE network in Australia.
GSN2 LTE is to be released in Germany in mid November then in the rest of Europe:
http://www.sammobile.com/2012/09/11...iii-lte-note-10-1-and-ativ-s-over-in-germany/
Germany has 3 bands, 800/1800/2600.
If Sammy makes the EU GN2LTE with the same bands as the EU GS3LTE, which it probably will, it should work fine on Optus.
Who knows when we will see it selling in Australia.
"The new version of the Galaxy S III comes in two iterations: one with LTE over 800MHz, 1800MHz and 2600MHz, and a second one that switches the 800MHz band for the 900MHz band, according to Samsung in Sweden."
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9231166/Samsung_Nokia_LTE_smartphones_coming_to_Europe_in_Q4
Here's hoping!
I'm looking to buy a HTC One M8 T-Mobile version, and unlocking it.
I read on gsmarena.com that the frequencies that work on that phone are these.
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA 850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - T-Mobile
LTE band 4(1700/2100), 17(700) - T-Mobile
Now the frequencies in my country are
HSDPA 850 / 900/ 2100
LTE band 4 1800
If I unlock the phone will it be open from my LTE frequency in my country, and the 900Mhz 3g in my country,
or are the phones made for T-Mobile only work with those frequencies no matter if you unlock it or not.
Thanks in advance for all answers!
SIM unlock doesn't change the band compatibility. It just allows you to use a SIM from another carrier besides T-Mobile.
You should be able to s-off the phone ($25 US by sunshine method), and flash the appropriate radio for your region.
But it might be a safer bet to just buy the M8 version that supports your bands out of the phone. Just in case you are (for whatever reason) not able to accomplish the mods I mentioned above.
My cousin just moved from Asia to Canada and wanted to use his HTC One M8 on wind
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_(m8)-6074.php
based on the my information wind needs 1700/2100 bands for 3g but dose that mean the phone would need both? It seems to have the 2100 band but not the 1700 band. Is this a software restriction that I can get around by flashing the t-mobile firmware? Is the phone having just the 2100 band enough?
Thanks for any help in advance
sunfirestorm said:
My cousin just moved from Asia to Canada and wanted to use his HTC One M8 on wind
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_(m8)-6074.php
based on the my information wind needs 1700/2100 bands for 3g but dose that mean the phone would need both? It seems to have the 2100 band but not the 1700 band. Is this a software restriction that I can get around by flashing the t-mobile firmware? Is the phone having just the 2100 band enough?
Thanks for any help in advance
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Yeah, that will work on Wind with no issues. AWS (something you probably saw when checking on Google) means 1700/2100, and that is something that Wind supports.