Wondering if the unlocked Tmobile Moto X will work on either CDMA carrier in the US (VZW, Sprint, or any of their off-contract small spin off carriers)?
I've read that people have gotten the VZW Moto X to work on T Mobile GSM, but haven't heard definitively whether the Tmobile version will work with Sprint or Straight Talk?
I'd like to buy an off contract version of the X and be able to use it on T Mobile, ATT, Straight Talk or Sprint towers in the USA. I'm currently with Sprint but am tired of them locking devices to their network not allowing you to use your device elsewhere. Was going to switch to Tmobile and have them pay my ETF so I'm contract free. Coverage is spotty sometimes in rural areas between carriers, so if after doing this Tmobile coverage sucks if I can use it with Straight Talk (which uses ATT towers I believe) then I would have better coverage from the same device. An added plus would be if it works on Sprint too, cuz then I could buy the Tmobile unlocked version now and use it on Sprint, then switch to Tmobile later on instead of having to do both at once.
bobby2478 said:
Wondering if the unlocked Tmobile Moto X will work on either CDMA carrier in the US (VZW, Sprint, or any of their off-contract small spin off carriers)?
I've read that people have gotten the VZW Moto X to work on T Mobile GSM, but haven't heard definitively whether the Tmobile version will work with Sprint or Straight Talk?
I'd like to buy an off contract version of the X and be able to use it on T Mobile, ATT, Straight Talk or Sprint towers in the USA. I'm currently with Sprint but am tired of them locking devices to their network not allowing you to use your device elsewhere. Was going to switch to Tmobile and have them pay my ETF so I'm contract free. Coverage is spotty sometimes in rural areas between carriers, so if after doing this Tmobile coverage sucks if I can use it with Straight Talk (which uses ATT towers I believe) then I would have better coverage from the same device. An added plus would be if it works on Sprint too, cuz then I could buy the Tmobile unlocked version now and use it on Sprint, then switch to Tmobile later on instead of having to do both at once.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you on a sprint family plan? If so, do they have a lower rate plan for tablets, or something of the sort?
justinisloco said:
Are you on a sprint family plan? If so, do they have a lower rate plan for tablets, or something of the sort?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes and yes, they just switched me to their "Framily" plan. My frustration with Sprint honestly is around their current network rollout as I started getting dropped calls and network issues all the time now when I never did before. Their LTE rollout is such a mess, and it will take years to resolve. And ever since the 4.2 update for my GS4 it's been behaving like crap (poor battery life, dropped Wifi, weather apps not working, etc). So was looking at selling it outright and I like the Moto X.
Also my brother who is on my plan lives in a small town and wants to eventually switch to Straight Talk from Sprint. So ideal is a device that will work on Tmobile, Straight Talk and Sprint. That way he could switch to the device now while on Sprint, and if he wants to leave for Straight Talk he can first go to Tmobile to pay off the ETF then after a few months he could switch to Straight Talk. I think in his area Tmobile coverage is very spotty, so if it doesn't work out he can at least switch to Straight Talk, which I believe uses ATT towers so likely much better GSM coverage than Tmobile).
bobby2478 said:
Wondering if the unlocked Tmobile Moto X will work on either CDMA carrier in the US (VZW, Sprint, or any of their off-contract small spin off carriers)?
I've read that people have gotten the VZW Moto X to work on T Mobile GSM, but haven't heard definitively whether the Tmobile version will work with Sprint or Straight Talk?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is because you can't.
The Verizon uses CDMA/1xRtt/EVDO for Voice and 2G/3G data, and includes GSM/HSPA radio for "global' use. Due to FCC rules around the 700mhz spectrum Verizon won and is using, their LTE devices have been SIM unlocked. So, you can take a GSM SIM, pop-it into the VZW X, set the X for Global mode, or GSM/UMTS mode, and work on a GSM Carrier (like ATT or T-Mobile) network.
While the Sprint version might include GSM radios for global roaming, its not SIM Unlocked, so you are stuck with a Sprint SIM being the only ones that work in the phone.
And finally, the GSM Moto X lack CDMA radio, so you can't get them working on a CDMA carrier.
KidJoe said:
That is because you can't.
The Verizon uses CDMA/1xRtt/EVDO for Voice and 2G/3G data, and includes GSM/HSPA radio for "global' use. Due to FCC rules around the 700mhz spectrum Verizon won and is using, their LTE devices have been SIM unlocked. So, you can take a GSM SIM, pop-it into the VZW X, set the X for Global mode, or GSM/UMTS mode, and work on a GSM Carrier (like ATT or T-Mobile) network.
While the Sprint version might include GSM radios for global roaming, its not SIM Unlocked, so you are stuck with a Sprint SIM being the only ones that work in the phone.
And finally, the GSM Moto X lack CDMA radio, so you can't get them working on a CDMA carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, that helps. So the GSM Moto X (whether ATT or Tmobile) don't have CDMA radio, and thus impossible to work with Sprint or Verizon. Where Verizon has both CDMA and GSM, and should work on VZW, ATT, Tmobile and Straight Talk. Meaning any Sprint Moto X is 100% locked to their network in the USA, and it isn't possible to unlock the SIM to use it on a GSM carrer?
If so, that further makes my decision to leave Sprint at some point easier given there are options for sufficient GSM coverage between Tmobile and Straight Talk. What radios does the Tmobile Moto X have that the VZW X does not?
bobby2478 said:
Thanks, that helps. So the GSM Moto X (whether ATT or Tmobile) don't have CDMA radio, and thus impossible to work with Sprint or Verizon. Where Verizon has both CDMA and GSM, and should work on VZW, ATT, Tmobile and Straight Talk. Meaning any Sprint Moto X is 100% locked to their network in the USA, and it isn't possible to unlock the SIM to use it on a GSM carrer?
If so, that further makes my decision to leave Sprint at some point easier given there are options for sufficient GSM coverage between Tmobile and Straight Talk. What radios does the Tmobile Moto X have that the VZW X does not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason why I asked about the family plan thing is because I did this to get out of etf with Verizon and keep my number.
-Port out of VZW to Google Voice
-Within 24 hours, changed phone number on VZW
-Ported out from Google Voice to ATT
-Swapped my line with a tablet on VZW, thus paying 10 a month for 20 remaining months rather than $310+tax cancelation fee.
-Simply try now to give someone else a AOL on my VZW now if they choose
This may work for Sprint as well, but I'm unfamiliar with them
Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk
The other thing I may need to consider is the Nexus 5, as the unlocked version from Google Play can be activated and used on Sprint, ATT and Tmobile networks as it has all radios in it. You can also take it with you to any of those 3 carriers, the only one it won't work on is Verizon.
Main thing I liked about the Moto X was the customization of colors, as well as the Touchless control and Active Notifications. Although I'm reading now that there are apps in Play that bring both of those to the Nexus 5 also. So I need to do some more research. If the Nexus 5 can have all the features of the Moto X, minus the customization, then I'll likely be willing to sacrifice customization for the sake of interoperability between carriers. Plus, the X doesn't have wireless charging while the Nexus 5 does.
Is it possible to have the Sprint Moto X unlocked for use on T-mobile? I can't seem to find any sites offering such a service.
bobby2478 said:
Thanks, that helps. So the GSM Moto X (whether ATT or Tmobile) don't have CDMA radio, and thus impossible to work with Sprint or Verizon. Where Verizon has both CDMA and GSM, and should work on VZW, ATT, Tmobile and Straight Talk. Meaning any Sprint Moto X is 100% locked to their network in the USA, and it isn't possible to unlock the SIM to use it on a GSM carrer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much, so long as Straight Talk uses ATT or T-Mobile towers.
To make things clearer, let me quote something I posted in another thread..see -> THIS POST
KidJoe said:
....Because Verizon's 4G LTE phones are "global" they support the same GSM/GPRS/Edge bands (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) as ATT and T-Mobile for voice and data so they can be used globally on GSM carrier networks. Another little plus is that due to the FCC rules around their 700Mhz spectrum, they are SIM unlocked, so they happen to work with ATT and T-Mobile sim inserted. Since ATT uses the same bands for HSPA and HSPA+ as they do for EDGE, you can get HSPA speeds. In areas where T-Mobile's "network modernization" has refarmed their 1900Mhz edge to HSPA, you'll get HSPA speeds. In Tmobile areas that HSPA is still over AWS, you'll fall back to Edge when trying Verizon branded devices....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I didn't mention that ATT's HSPA also uses 2100 Mhz, but the VZW X also supports that, so you can get ATT HSPA on the VZW X.
Two other important things to keep in mind... LTE, and APNs.
The LTE bands used/supported by the wireless carriers differ. So while the VZW X supports LTE, it only supports Band 4 and 13, if the carrier you intend to use doesn't use one of those bands where you go, you wont get LTE.
When it comes to APNs, or Access Point Names, these are critical for proper data settings, MMS usage, texting, etc. Set incorrectly and your phone wont work right. In another thread, I explained how when I first got my VZW Moto X Developer Edition, and it had 4.2.2, putting my T-Mobile USA SIM in, resulted in the T-Mo APN being received automatically, and everything working. However, with 4.4 on my X, the APN isn't properly received and I have to manually enter, and MMS doesn't work. See my posts in -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2594302
bobby2478 said:
If so, that further makes my decision to leave Sprint at some point easier given there are options for sufficient GSM coverage between Tmobile and Straight Talk. What radios does the Tmobile Moto X have that the VZW X does not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In addition to the GSM bands the VZW X supports, the T-Mobile X, (as well as the GSM Developer Edition as they are the same phone), supports HSPA on AWS (1700/2100) which the VZW X doesn't have. Why is this important? When T-Mo started their HSPA/HSPA+ 3G/4G built out, they used AWS 1700/2100 spectrum for it. In 2013, T-Mobile started their "Network Modernization" plan underwich they are coverting (or refarming) their 1900 Mhz from usage for EDGE to HSPA/HSPA+. So as mentioned above, where T-Mobile still has their HSPA/HSPA+ on the AWS (1700/2100) bands the T-Mo X will get and fully utilize HSPA/HSPA+, and the Verizon X will fall back to Edge. However, in areas they have refarmed their 1900mhz spectrum from EDGE to HSPA (aka "network modernization"), you'll get HSPA/HSPA+ with the Verizon X.
The T-Mo X also supports LTE bands 2 and 17, in addition to Band 4 that the verizon X also supports. So as you can imagine, if T-Mobile is using Band 2 or 17 for LTE where you are, the VZW X wont be able to use it. If TMobile is using band 4 for LTE in your area, the VZW X will be fine.
When it comes to the ATT GSM vs T-Mobile GSM band differences... It comes down to... Like the VZW X, the ATT X lacks HSPA/HSPA+ on AWS. And the LTE bands supported are slightly different. It was posted in another thread that the T-mobile (and thus GSM Developer Edition) X is missing two LTE bands when compared to the ATT X, however it was said that the two missing bands are not used in the USA.
---------- Post added at 08:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:59 AM ----------
Rayz321 said:
Is it possible to have the Sprint Moto X unlocked for use on T-mobile? I can't seem to find any sites offering such a service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From the posts I've seen around the net. No one except Sprint can SIM Unlock the Sprint Moto X. To do so, your X must be currently active on Sprint.
--------
!UPDATE! 1/31/2014...
I do need to add something based experiences yesterday when I put my T-Mobile SIM in my Verizon Moto X developer edition (Kit Kat rom) again.
With the T-Mobile SIM inserted, and the phone reporting LTE, trying to make a phone call fails, service is briefly lost (4GLTE/3G indicator next to the bars goes out), Forcing the phone to LTE/GSM/UMTS doesn't help. Using an app like LTE OnOFF to go into the service menu and force the phone to either LTE/GSM auto (PRL) or LTE Only does not help, and the phone reverts back to LTE/GSM/CDMA auto (PRL)
There is a bug posted in another thread about not being able to use simultaneous voice/data while LTE on T-Mobile. I do not know the details on it, but its possible this is exactly what I'm seeing. Its posted in another thread that I don't have the link to right this second. Thread link -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2578665 just start reading around post 13 and 14... The work around was to force the phone to HSPA.
It was suggested to me by CellZealot to change the build.prop line of LteOnCdmaDevice to LteOnGsmDevice I have NOT tried this yet. I haven't had time, and VZW is my primary carrier, so I'd need to make the edit to test, then undo it to switch back to "normal" use. There may be other settings in there which need edited to be used in "pure GSM mode"
Also, I found that ATT also might be using LTE Band 4 in some areas, but I do not have a map showing which band LTE is used where, so while the VZW X may get ATT LTE in some areas, it wont pick it up everywhere. Also, I'm not sure how much Band 4 LTE ATT might have left due to the spectrum swap ATT did with T-Mobile as a result of the failed take over attempt. I have not had a chance to try an ATT Sim in my VZW X.
KidJoe said:
Pretty much, so long as Straight Talk uses ATT or T-Mobile towers.
To make things clearer, let me quote something I posted in another thread..see -> THIS POST
Sorry, I didn't mention that ATT's HSPA also uses 2100 Mhz, but the VZW X also supports that, so you can get ATT HSPA on the VZW X.
Two other important things to keep in mind... LTE, and APNs.
The LTE bands used/supported by the wireless carriers differ. So while the VZW X supports LTE, it only supports Band 4 and 13, if the carrier you intend to use doesn't use one of those bands where you go, you wont get LTE.
When it comes to APNs, or Access Point Names, these are critical for proper data settings, MMS usage, texting, etc. Set incorrectly and your phone wont work right. In another thread, I explained how when I first got my VZW Moto X Developer Edition, and it had 4.2.2, putting my T-Mobile USA SIM in, resulted in the T-Mo APN being received automatically, and everything working. However, with 4.4 on my X, the APN isn't properly received and I have to manually enter, and MMS doesn't work. See my posts in -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2594302
In addition to the GSM bands the VZW X supports, the T-Mobile X, (as well as the GSM Developer Edition as they are the same phone), supports HSPA on AWS (1700/2100) which the VZW X doesn't have. Why is this important? When T-Mo started their HSPA/HSPA+ 3G/4G built out, they used AWS 1700/2100 spectrum for it. In 2013, T-Mobile started their "Network Modernization" plan underwich they are coverting (or refarming) their 1900 Mhz from usage for EDGE to HSPA/HSPA+. So as mentioned above, where T-Mobile still has their HSPA/HSPA+ on the AWS (1700/2100) bands the T-Mo X will get and fully utilize HSPA/HSPA+, and the Verizon X will fall back to Edge. However, in areas they have refarmed their 1900mhz spectrum from EDGE to HSPA (aka "network modernization"), you'll get HSPA/HSPA+ with the Verizon X.
The T-Mo X also supports LTE bands 2 and 17, in addition to Band 4 that the verizon X also supports. So as you can imagine, if T-Mobile is using Band 2 or 17 for LTE where you are, the VZW X wont be able to use it. If TMobile is using band 4 for LTE in your area, the VZW X will be fine.
When it comes to the ATT GSM vs T-Mobile GSM band differences... It comes down to... Like the VZW X, the ATT X lacks HSPA/HSPA+ on AWS. And the LTE bands supported are slightly different. It was posted in another thread that the T-mobile (and thus GSM Developer Edition) X is missing two LTE bands when compared to the ATT X, however it was said that the two missing bands are not used in the USA.
---------- Post added at 08:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:59 AM ----------
From the posts I've seen around the net. No one except Sprint can SIM Unlock the Sprint Moto X. To do so, your X must be currently active on Sprint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best post I've seen so far on my latest obsession, getting the VZW Moto X Dev Ed to work on ATT LTE. By unlocking the VZW phone's bootloader, flashing the phone's modem ( and I know there will be more to it than that ) with ATT modem, is there _any_ chance other LTE bands could be made available?
Axilarry said:
Best post I've seen so far on my latest obsession, getting the VZW Moto X Dev Ed to work on ATT LTE. By unlocking the VZW phone's bootloader, flashing the phone's modem ( and I know there will be more to it than that ) with ATT modem, is there _any_ chance other LTE bands could be made available?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might be brave enough to try it since I'm too lazy to sell my old backup of a GNex. HOWEVER the only SIM I have access to that isn't VZ is TMo. Since TMo only has band 4 here, I already know I can get their LTE. If I flash a full TMo image and the 1700/2100 H+ service starts popping up when it reverted to EDGE on Verizon radios, we may be onto something.
I HIGHLY doubt these devices are physically identical and firmware is all that separates the SKUs, but the Nexus 4 showed us that it doesn't always have to be FCC certified to be physically capable of picking up the band in question.
Thankfully I have time to decide since I have already flashed a 4.4.2 bootloader and I can't do anything until a TMo 4.4.2 factory image surfaces.
Axilarry said:
Best post I've seen so far on my latest obsession, getting the VZW Moto X Dev Ed to work on ATT LTE. By unlocking the VZW phone's bootloader, flashing the phone's modem ( and I know there will be more to it than that ) with ATT modem, is there _any_ chance other LTE bands could be made available?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would NOT cross flash modems between models.
i.e. the Verizon X is an XT1060, the T-Mobile is XT0153. I would not flash a XT1053 rom onto a XT1060 or vice versa. It could result in brick.
Oh, and see the update I just added to my post that you quoted...
Vandyyy said:
I might be brave enough to try it since I'm too lazy to sell my old backup of a GNex. HOWEVER the only SIM I have access to that isn't VZ is TMo. Since TMo only has band 4 here, I already know I can get their LTE. If I flash a full TMo image and the 1700/2100 H+ service starts popping up when it reverted to EDGE on Verizon radios, we may be onto something.
I HIGHLY doubt these devices are physically identical and firmware is all that separates the SKUs, but the Nexus 4 showed us that it doesn't always have to be FCC certified to be physically capable of picking up the band in question.
Thankfully I have time to decide since I have already flashed a 4.4.2 bootloader and I can't do anything until a TMo 4.4.2 factory image surfaces.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shouldn't be long, soak test invites are going out
tapped out via XT1053 DE
So without thinking I bought a Nokia Lumia 920 for AT&T off of Ebay.
Now after doing some research I see I may not be able to get 3G/4G.
So I have two things to ask, would flashing another rom on my device help? (I really don't think it will but i'm going to ask to be safe)
Or is there anyway to get 3G/4G working without having to buy a new phone -_-
T-Mobile obtained a bunch of bandwidth that AT&T was going to use, after the failed acquisition attempt. They've used that to roll out network coverage for AT&T's phones, as part of their plan to encourage people to switch. It's not as *extensive* of coverage as T-Mobile's native bands, but it's not terrible. You probably can't get LTE, but you can get 3G and HSPA+ (what TMoUS often calls 4G, especially before they had their own LTE).
I know I get 4G and LTE on T-Mobile using an AT&T 920, but I think LTE only works in certain refarmed areas that use the right frequency. HSPA+ (4G) and 3G appear every once in while and work as well.
Sent from my RM-821_eu_france_267 using Tapatalk
GoodDayToDie said:
T-Mobile obtained a bunch of bandwidth that AT&T was going to use, after the failed acquisition attempt. They've used that to roll out network coverage for AT&T's phones, as part of their plan to encourage people to switch. It's not as *extensive* of coverage as T-Mobile's native bands, but it's not terrible. You probably can't get LTE, but you can get 3G and HSPA+ (what TMoUS often calls 4G, especially before they had their own LTE).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can deal with that, I know back in the day when i unlocked my wife's Iphone 4 it could only get edge. but I was not sure if that problem was just because well it was an Iphone.
HyperChrisX said:
I know I get 4G and LTE on T-Mobile using an AT&T 920, but I think LTE only works in certain refarmed areas that use the right frequency. HSPA+ (4G) and 3G appear every once in while and work as well.
Sent from my RM-821_eu_france_267 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sweet thanks for the info.
Yeah, old iPhones used AT&T's frequencies for 3G and T-Mobile uses different frequencies, so you couldn't use 3G. That's not much of a problem anymore, though; even phones that don't support T-Mobile's main bands can use their re-farmed AT&T bandwidth.
aundeadrockstar said:
So without thinking I bought a Nokia Lumia 920 for AT&T off of Ebay.
Now after doing some research I see I may not be able to get 3G/4G.
So I have two things to ask, would flashing another rom on my device help? (I really don't think it will but i'm going to ask to be safe)
Or is there anyway to get 3G/4G working without having to buy a new phone -_-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mobile refers to it as refarming; that is assuming you have coverage and that's a big if for many of us who are rural and you live in a town big enough to have it then if you're using an AT&T device subsidy unlocked or locked then you will be able to access HSPA+ and I'm not kidding when I say it's fast, faster than both AT&T and Verizon Wireless in Auburn-Opelika, AL and Columbus, GA where I hail from. HSPA+ is not a LTE or 4G technology so it will run on both AT&T and T-Mobile's 1900 band...if AT&T it's HSPA+ everywhere and where T-Mobile has refarmed 1900; it's 3G or 3.5G there too. Otherwise, it's 2G and I can safely tell you it sucks once you've enjoyed HSPA+ and worse T-Mobile has next to no coverage in many places outside most big cities and that's the wrap with T-Mobile.
My son's AT&T S5 got stolen and my wife bought a US Cellular S5 off of Craigslist. My 1st thought was she got ripped off, but I took it in to US Cellular and they unlocked it for me. The phone doesn't have the option to switch to GSM network, so my AT&T Sim still doesn't work, but it doesn't say invalid Sim now. My question is this: is the modem GSM capable, but not listed? And if I root and flash another rom, will that enable the settings for GSM ?
I did notice the unlocked bootloader. I just rooted it very easily. Now if I can just get it to work on ATT.
sizemore2000 said:
My son's AT&T S5 got stolen and my wife bought a US Cellular S5 off of Craigslist. My 1st thought was she got ripped off, but I took it in to US Cellular and they unlocked it for me. The phone doesn't have the option to switch to GSM network, so my AT&T Sim still doesn't work, but it doesn't say invalid Sim now. My question is this: is the modem GSM capable, but not listed? And if I root and flash another rom, will that enable the settings for GSM ?
I did notice the unlocked bootloader. I just rooted it very easily. Now if I can just get it to work on ATT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the unfortunate answer is no, CDMA devices do not work on GSM networks.
Thank you sir. Guess I'll put this one up for sale for a Sprint, Verizon, or US Cellular customer.
sizemore2000 said:
My son's AT&T S5 got stolen and my wife bought a US Cellular S5 off of Craigslist. My 1st thought was she got ripped off, but I took it in to US Cellular and they unlocked it for me. The phone doesn't have the option to switch to GSM network, so my AT&T Sim still doesn't work, but it doesn't say invalid Sim now. My question is this: is the modem GSM capable, but not listed? And if I root and flash another rom, will that enable the settings for GSM ?
I did notice the unlocked bootloader. I just rooted it very easily. Now if I can just get it to work on ATT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Usually CDMA Phones wont work on GSM Network. But Verizon CDMA Phones does work on GSM too when unlocked as they have GSM Frequency.
I looked at Spec of US Cellular S5 and looks they don't have GSM Frequency. Its more like a strip down version and no GSM Frequency.
Here are the spec for
US Cellular
FREQUENCIES AND DATA TYPE
LTE: Bands 2/4/5/12/17; CDMA 1x/EVDO Rev.A: 800/1900MHz
Verizon S5
FREQUENCIES AND DATA TYPE
LTE: Bands 4/13; CDMA 1x/EVDO Rev.A: 800/1900MHz; GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz; HSPA+/UMTS: 850/900/1900/2100MHz
ATT
FREQUENCIES AND DATA TYPE
LTE: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/17; HSPA+/UMTS: 850/1900/2100MHz; GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz;
sakdroid said:
Usually CDMA Phones wont work on GSM Network. But Verizon CDMA Phones does work on GSM too when unlocked as they have GSM Frequency.
I looked at Spec of US Cellular S5 and looks they don't have GSM Frequency. Its more like a strip down version and no GSM Frequency.
Here are the spec for
US Cellular
FREQUENCIES AND DATA TYPE
LTE: Bands 2/4/5/12/17; CDMA 1x/EVDO Rev.A: 800/1900MHz
Verizon S5
FREQUENCIES AND DATA TYPE
LTE: Bands 4/13; CDMA 1x/EVDO Rev.A: 800/1900MHz; GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz; HSPA+/UMTS: 850/900/1900/2100MHz
ATT
FREQUENCIES AND DATA TYPE
LTE: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/17; HSPA+/UMTS: 850/1900/2100MHz; GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz;
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon switched to GSM thats why there devices will ocasionally work as long as the freqs are the same (some arent)
they still also have CDMA/EVDO configs as well since their network is still supporting both once they complete the switch over (from what ive been told mid to late 2016) they will no longer support any CDMA devices.
cstayton said:
Verizon switched to GSM thats why there devices will ocasionally work as long as the freqs are the same (some arent)
they still also have CDMA/EVDO configs as well since their network is still supporting both once they complete the switch over (from what ive been told mid to late 2016) they will no longer support any CDMA devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to sound harsh but what you're saying is complete nonsense. Verizon did not (and is not planning on a) switch to GSM. They were, and still are a CDMA carrier.
The reason Verizon devices support GSM is so that their customers can roam in countries outside the US, some of which happen to use the same GSM frequencies as AT&T and T-Mobile do in the US (and therefore, by extension, support these two carriers domestically). And since all Verizon devices which include support for LTE are completely unlocked, in most instances you can take the phone and use it on AT&T or T-Mobile US. That said, when it comes to LTE specifically, these devices often do not have all of the LTE bands supported by T-Mobile and AT&T so on them they will often only work on GSM (2G) or UMTS (3G).
The reason the US Cellular variant won't work on AT&T or T-Mobile is because it looks like US Cellular didn't care about giving their customers the capability to roam internationally with their variant of the S5 - meaning they had the phone made in such a way that it doesn't support any GSM or UMTS bands at all.
myphone12345 said:
Sorry to sound harsh but what you're saying is complete nonsense. Verizon did not (and is not planning on a) switch to GSM. They were, and still are a CDMA carrier.
The reason Verizon devices support GSM is so that their customers can roam in countries outside the US, some of which happen to use the same GSM frequencies as AT&T and T-Mobile do in the US (and therefore, by extension, support these two carriers domestically). And since all Verizon devices which include support for LTE are completely unlocked, in most instances you can take the phone and use it on AT&T or T-Mobile US. That said, when it comes to LTE specifically, these devices often do not have all of the LTE bands supported by T-Mobile and AT&T so on them they will often only work on GSM (2G) or UMTS (3G).
The reason the US Cellular variant won't work on AT&T or T-Mobile is because it looks like US Cellular didn't care about giving their customers the capability to roam internationally with their variant of the S5 - meaning they had the phone made in such a way that it doesn't support any GSM or UMTS bands at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
calm down dude, i'm only passing on information that was provided to me by the local verizon store manager and unless your a verizon employee im gonna go with what im told by a verizon employee
cstayton said:
calm down dude, i'm only passing on information that was provided to me by the local verizon store manager and unless your a verizon employee im gonna go with what im told by a verizon employee
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can tell you with 100% certainty that the person you talked to has no clue whatsoever (and Lord help Verizon if that is the level of technical understanding of their store managers ).
My suspicion as to where the confusion is coming from is that at some point in the future Verizon will stop putting CDMA radios in their devices and rely solely on VoLTE (voice over LTE) technology to provide voice services (currently most voice calls on Verizon are carried on their CDMA network). However, that certainly doesn't mean that they will be shutting off their CDMA service anytime in the foreseeable future .since they will still have a lot of legacy devices whose voice support will only be on CDMA. Nor does it mean that they are switching over to GSM, which is certainly not something they are planning on doing.
myphone12345 said:
I can tell you with 100% certainty that the person you talked to has no clue whatsoever (and Lord help Verizon if that is the level of technical understanding of their store managers ).
My suspicion as to where the confusion is coming from is that at some point in the future Verizon will stop putting CDMA radios in their devices and rely solely on VoLTE (voice over LTE) technology to provide voice services (currently most voice calls on Verizon are carried on their CDMA network). However, that certainly doesn't mean that they will be shutting off their CDMA service anytime in the foreseeable future .since they will still have a lot of legacy devices whose voice support will only be on CDMA. Nor does it mean that they are switching over to GSM, which is certainly not something they are planning on doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well like i said was info passed on by a verizon store manager so take that as you may im not a verizon customer nor will i be since they dont provide coverage where i need it.
Thanks for the info. I ended up selling the phone on ebay and now the guy wants to send it back claiming it's only unlocked for us cellular. I told him it should work on any cdma network, but they might have to flash it on their network. Oh well, if all else fails, I can use it to download movies and stream to the TV! Lol.
I'll install Kodi on it and use it as a media center.
Lol
cstayton said:
Verizon switched to GSM thats why there devices will ocasionally work as long as the freqs are the same (some arent)
they still also have CDMA/EVDO configs as well since their network is still supporting both once they complete the switch over (from what ive been told mid to late 2016) they will no longer support any CDMA devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just gonna LMAO to this reply. Lol. It's an old thread but I'm assuming you have done some research and realize your answer is wrong pertaining to Verizon and GSM. Have a great day.
Not sure if this is the correct forum but I can't seem to find anything about using VZ G4 on T-mobile? I don't mind if it need to be rooted, just want a stable setting that I can do. TIA.
Unless something has changed lately, you can't. Verizon uses CDMA for its voice network and T-Mobile uses GSM.
With that being said, the only way I've seen any Verizon phone being used on a GSM network is if the phone supports a SIM card (and I'm not sure the SIM card for the LTE counts) and the phone is unlocked to use international SIM cards (which, by default, will allow it to use T-Mobile). There's a catch to that, however. You may not be able to use the optimum frequencies T-Mobile uses if the Verizon phone doesn't support them, which may cause a less than desirable experience with your phone.
An unlocked AT&T G4 would be a better bet. Some international versions of the phone may also be better than the Verizon version. You'll have to do some research on the last one.
In the past I know Verizon would let their cdma/gsm phones work with international sim cards but not att or t-mobile. The verizon g4 supports lte bands 2 and 4 and that's the two main bands that t-mobile uses. It's not clear from the tech specs if the phone supports wcdma but if it does not you might drop to edge while on a call.
like tkirton said you would be much better off with a phone that's intended mainly for GSM. t-mobile branded phones, newer nexus phones(6 and later), and the iphone also have the advantage of volte and wifi calling.
My Verizon G2 worked on T-Mobile and Cricket which as both GSM. I got LTE also, but you'll loose LTE on calls, and probably won't have HD voice. So, G4 might be the same.
MicroMod777 said:
My Verizon G2 worked on T-Mobile and Cricket which as both GSM. I got LTE also, but you'll loose LTE on calls, and probably won't have HD voice. So, G4 might be the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i can backup/confirm this, i was using the G2 (VS980 Verizon) with T-mobile and i was getting nice LTE Speed in my area but loose some T-Mo features of course....