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LTE cards are basically next gen GSM sim cards, right?
Will a Verizon (cdma) phone that is LTE capable like the droid bionic work outside the USA?
Since LTE needs an LTE sim card, would an LTE device work outside the USA simply by removing the LTE card and inserting a local country sim card?
Thanks!
No the radio frequency is different.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
If your device has an antenna that supports GSm then yes it will work. You wont get LTE of course.
Ala my Tbolt works in Europe.
I didnt' think the Tbolt had any GSM capability, where in Europe does it work az?
I have seen conflicting information on whether or not the Bionic has a GSM radio in it. On GSM Arena, they have the specs up now, and emphasize that it doesn't have a GSM radio, but when the phone went through the FCC, there are articles talking about how it will be a 'world phone'.
Does anyone work for Verizon, or actually know the situation? It baffles me that there are no LTE devices that are also usable in Europe.
Verizon piggy backs on Vodaphone's network in Eruope.
Check out http://b2b.vzw.com/international/Global_Phone/Europe/Germany.html for proof.
It isn't cheap though
azwildfire said:
Verizon piggy backs on Vodaphone's network in Eruope.
Check out http://b2b.vzw.com/international/Global_Phone/Europe/Germany.html for proof.
It isn't cheap though
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Thanks for that page. I see that Verizon uses that network overseas, but it doesn't appear as though the Bionic has a GSM chip in it, does it?
There is almost zero CDMA in Europe.
Yeah, you won't get 3g speeds - but you will have basic voice and sms service.
My phone stayed at 1x the whole trip - but the vast aray of free hotspots in Munich kept me well connected.
Bionic is supposed to be a world phone with 3G service on European frequencies:
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Motorola-DROID-BIONIC_id5306
Superguy said:
Bionic is supposed to be a world phone with 3G service on European frequencies:
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Motorola-DROID-BIONIC_id5306
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Click to collapse
Thank you for that link. It seems that for every link that I find that says that the Bionic has a GSM chip in it, there is another link that says that it doesn't. Phonearena is a good site, so this keeps me being hopeful, but then I find sites like this: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_droid_bionic-3710.php
They don't have a GSM chip listed, and specifically say that, "it will not work on any GSM network worldwide."
I guess that we will not know until after it is released and Verizon is finally allowed to talk about it? I tried talking to Motorola about it, and I have e-mails out to Verizon, but I'm not getting any information back that is relevant.
Check the FCC page for the Bionic here.
It's referred to in the user manual.
Though I will say, I couldn't find the GSM stuff in the tests, so it may not have made the final cut. I guess we'll see for sure on Thursday.
The link you had was for the original Bionic (the Etna). It got canned and reworked. The code name for this version was the Targa. This also has a model number of XT875 vs. the original's XT865.
I am currently living and working overseas. I can confirm that 4G LTE does not work in China. Actually, neither does verizon's 3G, which i believe is evdo (?).
No dice on it being a world phone it looks like it.
Phone Arena posted the user manual from Verizon's site. The manual's been updated from what Moto submitted to the FCC. It looks like GSM/UMTS was dropped from the final version. Makes sense considering it wasn't mentioned in the FCC test reports.
Bummer.
I would like to make a note that this phone can work in specific countries. Yes GSM is used throughout the world as the primary network (freq. band) which this phone does not provide but, it can still work in countries that has the CDMA network capabilities.
If you look in the "Getting Started" guide which came with the phone, there are Three sections about the "Go Global", "International Calling", "International Romaning" service provided by Verizon.
What I find odd is why mention this service if this phone is not a world/global/international phone..
HERE is an Example of some Countries that this phone should work in.
Japan, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Bahamas, Canada, Mexico, India, etc....
for a full list you can find it on Verizon's Wireless Site.
I also called Verizon to verify if this phone will work in Japan specifically as it is a primary destination of mine. They told me that in their records, The Motorola Droid Bionic phone will work in Japan. There is though, supposedly, an issue in texting where you can receive but not send
Even if its on the list, call them to verify to be safe before making a trip with the phone.
I did also ask about Europe to verify since they use GSM and they said that it would not work there. I was testing to see if they would say something opposite to what was mentioned publicly... something possibly hidden lol
Note: The primary focus was, does this phone will work in a specific country that I might travel to while still using the Verizon's plan.
If you are looking to try and get this phone moved to another service provider in that country on the other hand, I cant guarantee that it would work or is even possible. This was not a question that I brought up to Verizon.
Also I did not ask about the 4G/3G Data plan overseas.
Bionic in Japan and China
I went to China in 2005, my CDMA phone worked fine, however it was an old phone. No smart phones in 2005. I went to Japan last year with my Droid x. Everything worked well, Navigation text, phone calls. However the entire time you are in 1x mode. No 3G service in Japan, for Verizon customers. However ATT customers often had no service. I only had no service in once place. Not in a big city.
Since Japan is moving towards LTE there is no support for 3G on the CDMA network.
I do not think an LTE World phone is ready yet, for the difference band Frequency LTE operates on in different regions of the world. I would be happy if my phone worked in Japan, and it will but you will not get fast speeds and Data is very expensive on the network. When I went it was unlimited data for $64. Now Verizon has international plans. That will give you up to 250 Mb for $100. THe good thing is at 1x, how much data can you use.
not sure why this thread is spanning more than two posts.
it's cdma. no gsm chip.
there are about a dozen countries that support cdma. google it.
well the thing is the 4g chip for LTE uses a GSM network, thus the sim card... but the GSM chip works for 700 mhz OMLY, which is a LTE network frequency ONLY, so if you roam out of country, to do texts and calls, it would have to use CDMA. Not only that, but atm verizon is the only LTE carrier to use 700mhz. (correct me if I am wrong about that) so unless verizon has LTE tours out of country (vodafone?) you only will get 4G here, and if you do get 4G out of country, not only would it cost you a arm and a leg, but if there is no CDMA in the area, you would have data only. no calls, texts, or such.
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.
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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?
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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....
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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.
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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.
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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
I'll be going to the UK for a couple of weeks and want to buy a "pay as you go" sim card when I get to heathrow to get a UK phone number and make local calls.
Can I just buy the nano sim from the provider into my verizon phone and it will work or do I have to "convert" my phone with the t-mobile software before I go to activate GSM? I don't care about LTE, data over cellular is just fine for emails and msgs. My moto x is the unlocked Verizon dev edition.
ghstudio said:
I'll be going to the UK for a couple of weeks and want to buy a "pay as you go" sim card when I get to heathrow to get a UK phone number and make local calls.
Can I just buy the nano sim from the provider into my verizon phone and it will work or do I have to "convert" my phone with the t-mobile software before I go to activate GSM? I don't care about LTE, data over cellular is just fine for emails and msgs. My moto x is the unlocked Verizon dev edition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should work fine as is. VZW devices are already sim-unlocked.
Keep in mind, that the VZW version does not support the LTE frequencies used in the UK. It also doesn't support the 1800mhz UMTS band that is used by some carriers in Europe....so you MIGHT not even get HSPA+ if your carrier happens to use that band...
There is nothing you can do about either of the above 2 issues, since the radio hardware on the VZW variant doesn't support these bands. Phone calls & texts will not be an issue, since it DOES support all the GSM bands.
Good Luck
samwathegreat said:
It should work fine as is. VZW devices are already sim-unlocked.
Keep in mind, that the VZW version does not support the LTE frequencies used in the UK. It also doesn't support the 1800mhz UMTS band that is used by some carriers in Europe....so you MIGHT not even get HSPA+ if your carrier happens to use that band...
There is nothing you can do about either of the above 2 issues, since the radio hardware on the VZW variant doesn't support these bands. Phone calls & texts will not be an issue, since it DOES support all the GSM bands.
Good Luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to the specs, my phone has exactly the same bands/frequencies as the AT&T phone, except for lte. I guess I have to see if anyone in the uk uses 1800 utms and avoid them, I guess. But per your post, if I put a gsm sim in the phone it will just start to work on gsm in the uk. That's great news.
ghstudio said:
According to the specs, my phone has exactly the same bands/frequencies as the AT&T phone, except for lte. I guess I have to see if anyone in the uk uses 1800 utms and avoid them, I guess. But per your post, if I put a gsm sim in the phone it will just start to work on gsm in the uk. That's great news.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know where you saw those "specs" but they are wrong.EDIT: I now see that you said "except for LTE" - this is correct.
Everything I said previously still applies...
The attachment should clear everything up for you.
The VZW unit does support all the same UMTS frequencies as the AT&T unit, but NOT the European model.
And finally: It probably won't "just start to work" on GSM. You WILL need to go to Settings > More > Mobile Networks --- and then select "GSM/UMTS". Then it will "just start to work"
samwathegreat said:
I don't know where you saw those "specs" but they are wrong.EDIT: I now see that you said "except for LTE" - this is correct.
Everything I said previously still applies...
The attachment should clear everything up for you.
The VZW unit does support all the same UMTS frequencies as the AT&T unit, but NOT the European model.
And finally: It probably won't "just start to work" on GSM. You WILL need to go to Settings > More > Mobile Networks --- and then select "GSM/UMTS". Then it will "just start to work"
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Thanks....especially for that last step. I kind of figured there was something that I had to change on the phone
You may also have to manually input the correct APN info for the carrier you choose, but there should be directions with the Sim. It may just work, but it didn't for me in Australia. I had to manually do it.
Sent from my Dev Edition Moto X
^ The above is correct, but ONLY applies to DATA & MMS. Talk/text will work even without an APN. Most times, the appropriate APN is added automatically from the SIM.
I see that the Sony mobile US site has the z3c listed as coming soon. Is it best to just wait for that to come out or will the European version fully support all of the AT&T bands? I'd hate to import a phone and not get the best reception/internet.
I know it was suggested in another thread that it would work with AT&T but then there was some confusion in another thread about the phone possibly missing 1 or 2 bands. Any help from an expert would be greatly appreciated.
mazyou tube
I know Sony's white papers have been wrong in the past (Z1 Compact with glass back, grrrr ) but the one for the Z3 Compact D5803 has 4G bands Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 20.
I've had a hunt around for AT&T's 4G bands but this seems a but trickier as it seems dependent on region, going by wikipedia it looks like the main bands are 2, 4 and 17 which are all supported by the European version per the above. It probably doesn't help that I'm not from the US and I don't have enough posts to add the URLs, sorry.
I feel like I remember reading back in the day that some companies used bands of the same frequency that weren't cross compatible. It's always made me nervous about buying non US phones. However my info could be wrong.
When I was in the states, I got a AT&T sim card. My phone definitely says that it has the lte bands. Still, it only displayed h+ while I was there. I did not bother to go back to the store and check because the speed was very good anyway. So maybe it's because the bands are different or it was working on 4g but just not displaying it, I don't know.
Sent from my C5503 using XDA Free mobile app
tudork said:
When I was in the states, I got a AT&T sim card. My phone definitely says that it has the lte bands. Still, it only displayed h+ while I was there. I did not bother to go back to the store and check because the speed was very good anyway. So maybe it's because the bands are different or it was working on 4g but just not displaying it, I don't know.
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AT&T must provision your sim for LTE otherwise you'll only receive 3G even if the phone is capable of 4G. Usually they do this based on the IMEI of your device and if it's a non AT&T phone then it won't appear in their database as LTE capable. There are ways for them to manually configure the sim for LTE by contacting support.
The UK model D5803 definitely supports AT&Ts LTE on bands 2, 4, and 17.
Does AT&T have more bands than 2,4,17?
I found when googling AT&T LTE bands that they apparently have also started to use band 5 (850mhz) but that's still supported by the Z3 compact. This was both on AT&T's forums and howardforums but I'm not sure if AT&T need to do something else to enable LTE support on that particular device. I think my own network (3 UK) has to do this as it took a few months for my unlocked Moto X to pick up their 4G network.
From AT&T: https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/byop.html
Refer to the manufacturer's website to verify your unlocked device works with a SIM card on an AT&T GSM network frequency:
• 3G UMTS network 850/1900MHz bands
• 4G LTE network AWS / 700 / 850 / 1900MHz bands
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AWS (1700/2100MHz) is band 4 (Blocks A, B, C, D, E)
700MHz is band 17 (blocks B, C)
850MHz is band 5
1900MHz is band 2
The overwhelming majority of AT&T LTE is on band 17. Bands 2 and 4 are used for additional capacity in some markets and/or some rural/smaller market coverage. I'm not sure they've rolled anything out on band 5 yet, but even so the Z3c has that covered.
OK,
thank you very much for the additional research. It seemed like that was the case but I don't trust my own opinion since I haven't done any real looking into this type of stuff in like 4 years.
derekmarch said:
OK,
thank you very much for the additional research. It seemed like that was the case but I don't trust my own opinion since I haven't done any real looking into this type of stuff in like 4 years.
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To answer your original question, as far as we know there is no US model of the Z3c, only the EU D5803 and Asia D5833. If Sony sells it unlocked in the US it will probably be the D5803.
In preparation, hopefully I'll have it in a week.
Programming non-AT&T devices with the correct APN and MMS data settings
Subscribing since I'm very interested in this phone and my service provider is AT&T
Works great. I live in both NY and San Francisco, and I get LTE everywhere on AT&T.
I imported the D5803 (EU) model through Expansys.
Yes. Just make sure to get the d5803 model.
Hi, I have the Moto X 2014 pure edition and I am on consumer cellular. Consumer cellular is basically AT&T if you have not heard of it. My problem is my LTE connection. When I turn my phone on in the morning, I have an LTE signal. When my LTE signal goes under two bars I get pushed down to HSPA. However, once I go to HSPA my phone never goes back to LTE even when I know I have full bars. I have tried multiple APN settings so I don't believe that they are the problem. I will post screenshots from LTE discovery. This app shows the spinal strength of the connection. Both screenshots are from the exact same location within 20 seconds of each other. The only reason I got the LTE signal is because I set my phone to LTE only mode which I can't keep it in because I there is not volte here. Please help. Thanks in advance.
I think AT&T sells the XT1097 and that's because the pure edition is one band missing that your company uses, the same happens in Latin America. Here some information you can use https://forums.motorola.com/posts/889129c231
I also saw that when I was researching the problem. However, LTE discovery shows I am using band 4 which is available on my phone. If I update to lollipop, it will unlock more bands but I don't want to update yet because of the many bugs.
Konner27 said:
I also saw that when I was researching the problem. However, LTE discovery shows I am using band 4 which is available on my phone. If I update to lollipop, it will unlock more bands but I don't want to update yet because of the many bugs.
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Searching found this
AT&T 4G HSPA and HSPA+ use 850Mhz(Band 5) and 1900Mhz(Band 2) bands but it all depends on area if they own a license. LTE uses Band 17(700Mhz), Band 5(850Mhz), Band 2(1900Mhz), Band 4(1700/2100Mhz) currently.
Depends of the area you are, if you are some place where the band 4 is available you will have LTE as soon you leave signal will lost, as I said the pure edition XT1095 supports only bands 2,4 and 17 and Lollipop enables bands 3,5 and 7, so I am guessing that the band you are missing is the 5.
That is a great point. However, I haven't moved more than a couple blocks to school. Once LTE becomes weak enough to drop down to HSPA, the phone doesn't reconnect to LTE once the signal is strong enough. I can turn on LTE only and it will switch to LTE with three or four bars of LTE.
Get a new phone?
I just got the phone about 2 months ago.
That happens to me as well. I know I'm on a place where there's LTE coverage, but the phone never connects to it, even though in the network option I have 4G as preferred network type. I can only get it to connect to LTE by going to the dialer and entering *#*#4636#*#*, Phone information and forcing it to connect to LTE Only.
Are you also on KitKat?
Konner27 said:
Are you also on KitKat?
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Right now I'm on Lollipop, but the problem did happen when I was on Kit Kat as well.
Sent from my XT1097 using Tapatalk
Are you on native at&t or an MVNO?
Not all MVNO's have access to LTE and that might be a reason.
I am on native at&t with a Moto X Pure Edition and I register on and maintain LTE all day long without issue.
VoLTE would be an added benefit but as of yet nobody knows if unbranded device (or in at&t parlance gray devices) will ever support VoLTE.
Dan
Consumer cellular is a MVNO of AT&T. They utilize AT&T LTE and also have roaming. It is pretty much postpaid at&t. I understand that in the lollipop update, more LTE bands are unlocked. However, the LTE band that my phone shows is band 4 which is supported without lollipop. Thanks
If Consumer Cellular is allowed access to at&t's LTE network and if you area utilizing LTE on band 4, than it sounds like you have a defective device.
An easy test would be to pop an at&t SIM into your Moto X and see if that connects to LTE properly, if it doesn't then it is your device, if does then it is your account, it could be a provisioning problem or some other issue on the account side.
You could also try it putting your SIM into another device that supports at&t LTE and see if it properly connects and if it does that would pretty much indicate an issue with your Moto X.
Dan
I talked to Motorola through online chat and I was told to try a new Sim card before they could continue helping me. I called and a new Sim card is being sent. A couple days ago, I put my Sim card into my mother's gophone that she is using on consumer cellular also. It received LTE but I couldn't test it further to see if it stayed connected to LTE because she needed it back. Also, I could input APN settings and they would save no problem.
Konner27 said:
I talked to Motorola through online chat and I was told to try a new Sim card before they could continue helping me. I called and a new Sim card is being sent. A couple days ago, I put my Sim card into my mother's gophone that she is using on consumer cellular also. It received LTE but I couldn't test it further to see if it stayed connected to LTE because she needed it back. Also, I could input APN settings and they would save no problem.
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A SIM may or may not be the answer but it is a good place to start.
In my experience this type of issue is sometimes hard to pinpoint as there could be multiple issues at play, some within your control and some not.
If you have a chance to try your SIM (for more than a few moments) in another handset capable of Band 4 LTE on at&t, that would be beneficial in pinpointing the issue, conversely it is just as helpful to take a consumer cellular or at&t sim (though an at&t might be more telling) and insert that into your Moto X and see what happens.
Another issue, though less likely is that at&t is recognizing the phone as something other than a LTE capable handset and thus not allowing it to register on LTE? Have you used your SIM an a LTE capable handset prior to your Moto X?
Dan
I'm using a PE on AT&T and have bulletproof LTE signal. Not once have I seen it drop to HSPA+ when LTE is available. My N5 does it all the time, but not the Moto X.
I'm hoping to try my Sim in my mother's or brothers phone for a longer period of time sometime soon. A new Sim card will be here soon but I don't think it is the problem but it is indeed a good place to start.
I received the replacement Sim card and it did not help. I called Motorola support and they are sending me a replacement moto x. I really hope it fixes the problem. Also, I read that some people have had bad experiences with Motorola support but I had a great experience. The support member is sending me Motorola earbuds for free because of the inconvenience! I will update this thread once I receive the replacement. Meanwhile, thanks to all who have commented their advice. I truly appreciate it!