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Release Day is Here!!
As of today it seems like Sprint and Best Buy have stock available. Online Sprint orders are shipping out next day.
All other outlets should be taking online orders with somewhat unknown delivery times.
Best price appears to be at Costco and now Radio Shack for $199.
***General Discussion***
Well we have our own forum now so feel free to post anything in here related to buying a new GS4.
We have root! Follow instructions here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2252248
We have ALPHA cwm recovery! Works but difficult to navigate at this time: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2254323
Huge thanks to Garwyn, Shabbypenguin and Crawrj for getting things started
Woo hoo!
Just saw this as I was starting work tonight. Can't wait. So will this begin eastern time? I will call before I get off work in the am. I'm on the left coast. Not really into being first on the bandwagon but my EVO Shift is on limited time. I've already repaired it once. I know I will miss my qwerty!
SPRINT FCC GS4 analysis from S4GRU
Sprint Samsung Galaxy S4 FCC OET
by Andrew J. Shepherd
Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
Thursday, March 28, 2013 - 10:10 AM MDT
Arguably the most hotly anticipated handset of the year, rivaling even the next iPhone, the Samsung Galaxy S4 in its Sprint variant popped up in the FCC OET (Office of Engineering and Technology) database late yesterday, meaning that the next Galaxy is now authorized to operate in the US and is likely just a few weeks away from a Sprint street date. Not a revolutionary overhaul of the very successful Galaxy S3 platform of last year, the Galaxy S4 maintains a strong family resemblance to its older sibling but does generally and for Sprint specifically add a number of evolutionary enhancements, such as a larger 1080p display, world roaming capability, wireless charging cover functionality, and some transmit power increases.
Thus, adding to S4GRU's long standing series of articles on the FCC OET authorizations for the HTC EVO 4G LTE, Samsung Galaxy S3, Motorola Photon Q 4G, LG Optimus G, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and HTC One is our run through of the RF capabilities of the Galaxy S4:
CDMA1X + EV-DO band classes 0, 1, 10 (i.e. CDMA1X + EV-DO 850/1900/800)
LTE band class 25 (i.e. LTE 1900; PCS A-G blocks)
LTE 5 MHz FDD carrier bandwidth
LTE UE category 3
W-CDMA bands 2, 5 (i.e. W-CDMA 1900/850)
GSM 850/1900
802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
802.11n MCS index 7, 40 MHz carrier bandwidth
802.11ac MCS index 9, 80 MHz carrier bandwidth
SVLTE support, including SVLTE and simultaneous 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi tether
RF ERP/EIRP maximum: 25.39 dBm (CDMA1X/EV-DO 850), 23.25 dBm (CDMA1X/EV-DO 1900), 24.62 dBm (CDMA1X/EV-DO 800), 22.83 dBm (LTE 1900)
NFC antenna integrated into battery cover
CDMA1X/EV-DO Rx antenna diversity
Antenna locations: (see FCC OET diagram below)
Simultaneous transmission paths: (see FCC OET diagram below)
Breaking down the RF specs, honestly, the Galaxy S4 may come across as a disappointment to many. That is primarily, though, because the reality could hardly live up to the expectations.
First, the Galaxy S4 does not support band 26 LTE 800 nor band 41 TD-LTE 2600. Reports are that Sprint will not release any dual band LTE devices and will skip straight to tri band. Those devices, however, are still at least six months off, so like all Sprint LTE devices before it, the Galaxy S4 is limited to band 25 LTE 1900 on the native Sprint network.
Additionally, the Galaxy S4's band 25 LTE 1900 is limited to 5 MHz FDD bandwidth. This seems to be largely a Samsung quirk, as Sprint LTE devices from other OEMs are tested and authorized for 10 MHz FDD (or greater) as well. That being said, this will likely be of no consequence, as all Sprint LTE FDD deployment for at least the next several years is apt to remain based on 5 MHz FDD carriers.
Also, unlike the recent HTC One, the Galaxy S4 does not appear to be particularly optimized for the Sprint LTE network. Using the FCC OET authorization documents, we can gauge a device's RF prowess by examining its maximum transmit ERP/EIRP and at what frequency that max occurs. This is by no means a perfect simulacrum for both transmission and reception, but we can say that Galaxy S4 LTE is at its max RF wise in the traditional PCS A-F blocks, not the PCS G block 1912.5 MHz center frequency where Sprint is deploying its initial LTE carrier nationwide.
Staying on ERP/EIRP discussion, the Galaxy S4 looks to be a rather strong performer on roaming CDMA1X/EV-DO 850 and the now being deployed Sprint native CDMA1X 800. Both show quite high ERP. On the flip side, the EIRP for CDMA1X/EV-DO 1900 is good, too, but oddly less than the ERP of the CDMA2000 airlinks below 1 GHz that enjoy significant propagation advantages. With most other handsets, the transmit power relationship is reversed, CDMA1X/EV-DO 1900 transmit power being greater to compensate for its greater path loss.
Furthermore, ERP/EIRP was tested with both the standard battery cover and the wireless charging cover. A definite caveat, the wireless charging cover reduces ERP/EIRP by up to 6 dB. Most likely, the induction coil in the wireless charging cover absorbs some of the transmitted RF, thus reducing the radiated power. For some users, the convenience of wireless charging may outweigh the hit to wireless performance. But S4GRU cannot generally recommend wireless charging due to its inefficiency (much power is wasted as heat) and detriment to RF.
As for simultaneous voice and data, the Galaxy S4 does support SVLTE but is the latest in a long line of Sprint LTE handsets now to forgo SVDO. Realistically, this comes as no great surprise, as we have not seen SVDO capability in any new handset since last summer. Either this is a limitation of the Qualcomm MDM9615 baseband modem that has become standard equipment or SVDO is no longer a strong priority as Sprint LTE coverage grows weekly. Regardless, CDMA1X and EV-DO share a transmit path (indicated in the FCC OET diagram above); hence, simultaneous CDMA1X voice and EV-DO data is not supported.
As S4GRU has reported in the past, the FCC OET authorization documents are not required to disclose world phone capabilities because those bands are not in use in the US. However, the presence of GSM 850/1900 and W-CDMA bands 2, 5 (i.e. W-CDMA 1900/850) is strongly indicative of the inclusion of international roaming capabilities, too. Indeed, other outlets are reporting that all variants of the Galaxy S4 include at a minimum quad band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and W-CDMA bands 1, 2, 5, 8 (i.e. W-CDMA 2100+1900/1900/850/900) -- the latter supporting DC-HSPA+ on the downlink and HSUPA on the uplink. While we cannot confirm these reports at this time, they certainly do seem plausible. What also remains unconfirmed at this point is the SIM situation: embedded or removable. As soon as this info comes to light, we will update the article.
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http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-343-a-short-time-from-now-in-a-galaxy-not-far-away/
Orwell1984 said:
Woo hoo!
Just saw this as I was starting work tonight. Can't wait. So will this begin eastern time? I will call before I get off work in the am. I'm on the left coast. Not really into being first on the bandwagon but my EVO Shift is on limited time. I've already repaired it once. I know I will miss my qwerty!
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12am CENTRAL time the fun begins
Can't believe anyone is still using the shift!
I've had the following phones on sprint: Mogul, Touch Pro, Touch Pro2, Evo, Evo3d, Epic 4g Touch. Been running the nexus on Straight Talk for a few months now waiting for Network Vision to come to town.
Have to keep my Sero plan alive ha ha.
Will be pre-ordering coming from iPhone, I had the Shift actually before I got the iPhone
lafester said:
Only a few hours to go! Who's going to pony up $250 for the gs4? I know I am
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I would wait 24 hours and see if any deals pop up on Wirefly, like they did for the One. They're not going to sell out in a day, I wouldn't think.
aliveon2legs said:
I would wait 24 hours and see if any deals pop up on Wirefly, like they did for the One. They're not going to sell out in a day, I wouldn't think.
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Yeah well with Sero I have to buy from Sprint. Wirefly is a good option for some though
Please post links to third party sellers as they come up and I will add them to the op.
I love my shift. It does what I need it to do and I prefer a physical keyboard but understand they are becoming a thing of the past. Like I said I don't jump from phone to phone. My last phone was the fuze and before that the Hermes I think. When my screen finally crapped out late last month it freaked me out. No ability to communicate with those in my world.
On to bigger and better things.
Cannot wait!
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
I have sero as well, and have bought phones from best buy mobile before, but the hoops to jump thro to keep sero, I'd rather buy from sprint. I am tempted to purchase from Costco, tho
i have to choose verizon
Has anybody preordered through Sprint before? Will we GET our phones on release date, or will they be SHIPPED on release date?
When is the release if preorder is tonight/tomorrow? I didn't see it listed.
Orwell1984 said:
When is the release if preorder is tonight/tomorrow? I didn't see it listed.
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Just talked to a rep online. According to her the 27th
Any other info from the rep? Were you able to place an order?
Orwell1984 said:
Any other info from the rep? Were you able to place an order?
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No She said I had to wait haha.
QueNerdo said:
Has anybody preordered through Sprint before? Will we GET our phones on release date, or will they be SHIPPED on release date?
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Click to collapse
Sprint has a pretty good record of getting phones out a day early sometimes more if your lucky.
Still things happen and you never know until release.
45 minutes
I just tried Telesales as I am on a SERO plan and was told I had to call back at 06:00 as their systems were not updated. He told me I'd be able to order on the web. Unfortunately I can't order the phone via the web due to an issue with Sprint's site when I'm logged in. WTF Sprint.....first you gouge me for an extra $50 now I can't even pre-order the damn phone.
*Edit*
Just tried to call Telesales back and now they're closed. Apparently they close at midnight CDT?!?!?! Maybe that's why the guy didn't want to upgrade me....he was getting ready to go home. I can't pre-order on the web as an upgrade as it just doesn't show any phones for me. Adding the phone any other way results in the system trying to add a new line. Wow....SMDH.
Just ordered mine!
I was having problems website kept asking me to log in even though I was already.
Switched over to firefox (from chrome) and had no issues.
16gb black is ordered
This could be a simple or complex Question/Answer...
Throwing the LTE bands out on the table for non-Spark devices (such as M7) vs. Spark devices (Such as M8)
M7: 1900mhz
M8: 850/1900/2600 MHz
Now those who had an M7 know the fallbacks with the 1900 spectrum. While driving around depending on your area, or limitations of wall penetration, it's very easy to loose LTE and fall back to 3G. Then it's no fun waiting to get back to LTE when your streaming music or video.
The reason I am posting this question is because I don't want to assume, I'd rather have feedback for someone with an M8. If you're inside a building, or driving, have you noticed an improvement with a spark phone?
For instance, is it possible to be on the 850 spectrum and NOT the 1900? or as soon as it looses the 1900 will it still fall back to 3G? I'll be honest, I love/hate LTE on non-spark phones. Love because its unlimited data, hate because of how easy it is to loose LTE. I've had several non-spark phones and had this issue between all of them, and I also have a Verizon phone which is on LTE over 99% of the time. I live in the Tri State Area in NY.
So the bottom line question... If only one band is available (say the 850 because it should theoretically have better wall penetration), will it use that band? Or.. is Sprint Spark all three bands or bust..back to 3G?
im pretty sure from what ive read that spark uses all bands at the same time, so if you lose one youll still be connected on the others until you lose them all. my area doesnt have 850 yet so i couldnt tell you but i definitely feel the diference between having 2500+1900 and only having 1900... when i have both i get aroung 35Mbps then i lose 2500 indoors and i get 5-8Mbps but my phone never "disconnects" from lte when im testing that
Sent from my SM-T217S using xda app-developers app
bigblueshock said:
This could be a simple or complex Question/Answer...
Throwing the LTE bands out on the table for non-Spark devices (such as M7) vs. Spark devices (Such as M8)
M7: 1900mhz
M8: 850/1900/2600 MHz
Now those who had an M7 know the fallbacks with the 1900 spectrum. While driving around depending on your area, or limitations of wall penetration, it's very easy to loose LTE and fall back to 3G. Then it's no fun waiting to get back to LTE when your streaming music or video.
The reason I am posting this question is because I don't want to assume, I'd rather have feedback for someone with an M8. If you're inside a building, or driving, have you noticed an improvement with a spark phone?
For instance, is it possible to be on the 850 spectrum and NOT the 1900? or as soon as it looses the 1900 will it still fall back to 3G? I'll be honest, I love/hate LTE on non-spark phones. Love because its unlimited data, hate because of how easy it is to loose LTE. I've had several non-spark phones and had this issue between all of them, and I also have a Verizon phone which is on LTE over 99% of the time. I live in the Tri State Area in NY.
So the bottom line question... If only one band is available (say the 850 because it should theoretically have better wall penetration), will it use that band? Or.. is Sprint Spark all three bands or bust..back to 3G?
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Click to collapse
Yes, if only one band is available, the M8 will only use that band as long as the signal is strong enough to stay on it. Spark enabled phones have the ability to connect to all 3 bands as you have mentioned but can only connect to a single band at any given time as far as I'm aware. Unless it uses some modulation technology. I haven't read much into it, though.
The 2600Mhz band offers the highest theoretical speed out of all of them. Sprint just calls all their Tri-Band phones, Spark enabled for simple identification and as another means of marketing both their network and devices.
I haven't noticed any issues when I'm driving on my normal routes with the M8. Though, with the M7, I would sometimes hit points where it would drop to 3G and Google Music would buffer slightly and resume playing shortly thereafter. I'm not entirely sure its due to the phone, though as it might just be Google Music caching more data or Sprint has worked on the towers recently. I also haven't paid much attention as to which bands, if any, it has been connecting to as I believe this area is still limited to 1900Mhz LTE.
skizzled said:
Yes, if only one band is available, the M8 will only use that band as long as the signal is strong enough to stay on it. Spark enabled phones have the ability to connect to all 3 bands as you have mentioned but can only connect to a single band at any given time as far as I'm aware. Unless it uses some modulation technology. I haven't read much into it, though.
The 2600Mhz band offers the highest theoretical speed out of all of them. Sprint just calls all their Tri-Band phones, Spark enabled for simple identification and as another means of marketing both their network and devices.
I haven't noticed any issues when I'm driving on my normal routes with the M8. Though, with the M7, I would sometimes hit points where it would drop to 3G and Google Music would buffer slightly and resume playing shortly thereafter. I'm not entirely sure its due to the phone, though as it might just be Google Music caching more data or Sprint has worked on the towers recently. I also haven't paid much attention as to which bands, if any, it has been connecting to as I believe this area is still limited to 1900Mhz LTE.
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ahh. I was under the impression sprint was able to bond all 3 channels together to get a lot higher speed. but if it only connects to one at a time, that's a different story
bigblueshock said:
ahh. I was under the impression sprint was able to bond all 3 channels together to get a lot higher speed. but if it only connects to one at a time, that's a different story
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That might very well be the case, I'm not entirely sure how the Tri-Band works on Sprint phones yet but will definitely be looking into it moreso since I have a M8.
Band 41 (2500Mhz) will offer higher theoretical speeds at the expense of less range and wall penetration.
Personally, I'm much more interested in Band 26 (800Mhz) as this will hopefully greatly increase range and improve reception. I've been on Sprint long enough to realize that I mostly use data services which don't require huge amounts of bandwidth and when I really need a fast connection, I have access to Wi-Fi more often than not.
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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Click to collapse
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.
I noticed on the specifications list that the international LTE version has some of the same LTE bands as the Verizon LTE version. Would the international LTE version of the S2 be at all usable on Verizon's network?
Which variant? I don't remember seeing any international variants with LTE B13 support. In any case, there is no CDMA in the international variants and I strongly doubt you could use them on Verizon.
Is B13 the one Verizon uses in the U.S.? I was just looking at the one on amazon listed as "international LTE". I didn't realize there were multiple versions of that. I also got the impression from reading around here that Verizon's LTE was more or less the same as everyone else's because CDMA just isn't capable of the modern band width requirements. That was a long time ago though and I may have misunderstood.
0reo said:
Is B13 the one Verizon uses in the U.S.? I was just looking at the one on amazon listed as "international LTE". I didn't realize there were multiple versions of that. I also got the impression from reading around here that Verizon's LTE was more or less the same as everyone else's because CDMA just isn't capable of the modern band width requirements. That was a long time ago though and I may have misunderstood.
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Yes, B13 is Verizon's main LTE band in the US.
You say main as if there are others. Does Verizon use other bands too? At all?
In certain areas Verizon also supplements coverage with bands 2 and/or 4. Eventually they are also expected to deploy on band 5.
Thank-you for repeatedly taking the time to answer my questions. I appreciate it.
I live around the Baltimore area so I imagine they might have need to supplement with the additional bands around here. The international Tab S2 being sold on Amazon does support bands 2, 4, and 5. No 13 though. So assuming Verizon has deployed band(s) 2, 4, or 5 in the area the question remains: Would the international Tab S2 receive LTE service? Someone must have tried it by now.
Have any other "international" samsung devices been able to receive Verizon service in the US?
0reo said:
Thank-you for repeatedly taking the time to answer my questions. I appreciate it.
I live around the Baltimore area so I imagine they might have need to supplement with the additional bands around here. The international Tab S2 being sold on Amazon does support bands 2, 4, and 5. No 13 though. So assuming Verizon has deployed band(s) 2, 4, or 5 in the area the question remains: Would the international Tab S2 receive LTE service? Someone must have tried it by now.
Have any other "international" samsung devices been able to receive Verizon service in the US?
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What you are trying to do is just a bad idea unfortunately. Even if you could activate it (which I doubt you could in the first place), the supplemental bands are high frequency bands and you may well run into situations where you won't have any coverage at all because you couldn't pick up band 13 (which is a low frequency band that penetrates into buildings much better than bands 2 or 4).
Why not just buy the Verizon model?
That is very helpful and insightful info. Thank-you.
For my purposes the tablet will be used mostly for entertainment purposes. I have a galaxy S4 (mdk bootloader) phone for serious communication needs. I was just thinking that there may be a performance advantage if I could swap the sim card from my S4 into the tablet and get internet (where available on bands 2, 4, 5) directly from LTE rather then from the wifi hotspot on the S4. I figured it may not work all the time but if it did some of the time it would justify buying the device with capability, all else being equal.
I would absolutely buy the verizon model if it wasn't boot-loader locked. It sounds like noone has been able to hack a ssmsung/verizon device for the last few generations so I'm not holding my breath.
(The info you've been giving will also be handy when it comes time to replace my & wife's S4 phones which will probably be in the next year.)
Oh, ok, I see, your issue is with the bootloader. Yeah, that's a problem.
I am also using an S4 on a CDMA carrier (Sprint). Planning on getting a Nexus 5X soon. It's nice in that unlike Samsung and their plethora of variants of the same device for each country, there is just one Nexus model for all carriers in the US, and it's also unlocked right out of the box.
Need help figuring this one out. I just got last week while visiting Illinois a P30 Pro L04 that is from Telcel Mexico. Got it from a coworker that lives in Mexico. It is unlocked and I am using in T-mobile ever since. I live in Puerto Rico where Tmobile has Band 4-66-71 for LTE. My previous phone is an Note 9 that I love and still think is better in some ways that the P30 specially in the software side. The cameras in the P30 are spectacular and step way above the Note 9. Long story short my P30 won't connect to band 66, only band 4. It is supposedly supported but it doesn't connect to it. I put my sim card back in the Note 9 and it does connect to band 66 as it used to. So it is definitively the P30 Pro problem. Does anyone know a way to verify what Bands are supported on the phone and see if it Telcel that blocked the band 66. Or maybe the P30 does NOT support band 66 as claimed? Does anyone has a L04 and can connect to band 66? I am new to Huawei phones and don't know what tool are available to verify this things.
I think you might be seeing 66 on your note, but it still really 4. (4 is a sub frequency of 66)
The 66 you're referring to will specify AWS-3. An app like network cell info on the play store should specify - though will likely only work on the Note assuming it's the snapdragon variant.
Goronok said:
I think you might be seeing 66 on your note, but it still really 4. (4 is a sub frequency of 66)
The 66 you're referring to will specify AWS-3. An app like network cell info on the play store should specify - though will likely only work on the Note assuming it's the snapdragon variant.
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Click to collapse
Do you care to elaborate a little more so I can fully understand. Yes my note 9 is the snapdragon variant from Tmobile. I am using the Network Cell Info Lite App and it does show connections to LTE bands 2, 4, 66 and 71 on the note. depending on the place I am around my apt or outside. The P30 Pro only show connections to LTE bands 2 and 4 connections. I understand that bands 66 and 4 are related as they are the same frequencies , but still band 66 should give me better speeds and better connection as shall be not as congested., more blocks, etc. The Network Cell Info (at least the lite version) does not give me anything about the AWS of the band.
So my questions for you or anyone else are:
Are you saying that band 66 won't show on the P30 Pro even if it is connected to it?
Do you know of an engineering menu to really verify that the phone support band 66?
One of my main interest and one that may help a lot of people is to establish if the phone really support band 66 as claimed for this variant?
and if it does, does Telcel disable that support?
if they did, maybe with a generic firmware modem we can get it back?
Thanks in advance
ellopr said:
Do you care to elaborate a little more so I can fully understand. Yes my note 9 is the snapdragon variant from Tmobile. I am using the Network Cell Info Lite App and it does show connections to LTE bands 2, 4, 66 and 71 on the note. depending on the place I am around my apt or outside. The P30 Pro only show connections to LTE bands 2 and 4 connections. I understand that bands 66 and 4 are related as they are the same frequencies , but still band 66 should give me better speeds and better connection as shall be not as congested., more blocks, etc. The Network Cell Info (at least the lite version) does not give me anything about the AWS of the band.
So my questions for you or anyone else are:
Are you saying that band 66 won't show on the P30 Pro even if it is connected to it?
Do you know of an engineering menu to really verify that the phone support band 66?
One of my main interest and one that may help a lot of people is to establish if the phone really support band 66 as claimed for this variant?
and if it does, does Telcel disable that support?
if they did, maybe with a generic firmware modem we can get it back?
Thanks in advance
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Click to collapse
I do not currently have a P30 Pro, so can't speak definitively. (Sold my L29 and have an L04 on the way) I asked about the snapdragon variant because these devices are generally the only that will properly break out band information for you to look at.
The answer to your question is a bit convoluted due to the fact that band 66 includes band 4. These are the AWS bands - band 2 is PCS, 3 DCS, etc. Some devices may tell you that you're connected to 66, but you are in fact connected to 4. (see here for a better definition: https://www.phonescoop.com/glossary/term.php?gid=570 ) If you look closely here, you will see that band 4 and 66 include the same frequencies, but 4 is specific to blocks A-F and 66 includes blocks A-J. Say, you're connected to block C, your phone could be telling you that you're connected to 4 or 66 - both would be correct, its just how the manufacturer has told the software to relay this information.
What you're wanting to validate is that you're connected to the "new/faster" part of band 66, which will be displayed as AWS3 for AT&T. On the RAW tab within network cell information (on your note) it should have the band info and then corresponding block information. If your Note is reading 66 (AWS13) this will probably show as band 4 on your P30 Pro, as it is technically .. band 4. If you are seeing 66 (AWS3) this means you are genuinely connected to the part of 66 you're after. If you see this on your Note and your P30 Pro is still showing band 4, I would suspect that your theory regarding P30 Pro band 66 support is correct. (aka.. not functioning)
Hope this helps.
Goronok said:
I do not currently have a P30 Pro, so can't speak definitively. (Sold my L29 and have an L04 on the way) I asked about the snapdragon variant because these devices are generally the only that will properly break out band information for you to look at.
The answer to your question is a bit convoluted due to the fact that band 66 includes band 4. These are the AWS bands - band 2 is PCS, 3 DCS, etc. Some devices may tell you that you're connected to 66, but you are in fact connected to 4. (see here for a better definition: https://www.phonescoop.com/glossary/term.php?gid=570 ) If you look closely here, you will see that band 4 and 66 include the same frequencies, but 4 is specific to blocks A-F and 66 includes blocks A-J. Say, you're connected to block C, your phone could be telling you that you're connected to 4 or 66 - both would be correct, its just how the manufacturer has told the software to relay this information.
What you're wanting to validate is that you're connected to the "new/faster" part of band 66, which will be displayed as AWS3 for AT&T. On the RAW tab within network cell information (on your note) it should have the band info and then corresponding block information. If your Note is reading 66 (AWS13) this will probably show as band 4 on your P30 Pro, as it is technically .. band 4. If you are seeing 66 (AWS3) this means you are genuinely connected to the part of 66 you're after. If you see this on your Note and your P30 Pro is still showing band 4, I would suspect that your theory regarding P30 Pro band 66 support is correct. (aka.. not functioning)
Hope this helps.
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Yes it helps a ton. I had to buy the full version of the Network Cell info to get the AWS information, not showing the Lite version.
The note 9 is reading band 66 (AWS13) in Tmobile. With the same simcard and location the P30 reads Band 4(AWS1). So I can't really say if the P30 Pro it is not connecting to band 66. I guess will be good if you give me a follow up once you get your P30 Pro L04 and you happen to be in an area with "real" band 66 support.
Thanks because I am sure this info is good for those that has this variant, or those that want to get one especially if its going to factor into their decision.
ellopr said:
Yes it helps a ton. I had to buy the full version of the Network Cell info to get the AWS information, not showing the Lite version.
The note 9 is reading band 66 (AWS13) in Tmobile. With the same simcard and location the P30 reads Band 4(AWS1). So I can't really say if the P30 Pro it is not connecting to band 66. I guess will be good if you give me a follow up once you get your P30 Pro L04 and you happen to be in an area with "real" band 66 support.
Thanks because I am sure this info is good for those that has this variant, or those that want to get one especially if its going to factor into their decision.
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For sure. I also bought the L04 variant for B66, so I'm hopeful that this band is indeed active. I will let you know what I find out.
Let me know if you run across AWS3 to validate too.
I've had my L04 P30 pro all over Chicago and St Louis the past few days (in areas I know have b66 coverage) and have yet to see the device pickup it up once.
My only thoughts are that the device only activates b66 once properly provisioned by Telus on their networks, or that AT&T will only tell certain devices to grab the band that they know have proper hardware for. (Internal database of devices, etc) I'm genuinely curious if any Tmobile people are able to pickup the band; generally Tmobile is more lax about these requirements.
Either way, b66 isn't supported on AT&T on my particular L04.
Goronok said:
I've had my L04 P30 pro all over Chicago and St Louis the past few days (in areas I know have b66 coverage) and have yet to see the device pickup it up once.
My only thoughts are that the device only activates b66 once properly provisioned by Telus on their networks, or that AT&T will only tell certain devices to grab the band that they know have proper hardware for. (Internal database of devices, etc) I'm genuinely curious if any Tmobile people are able to pickup the band; generally Tmobile is more lax about these requirements.
Either way, b66 isn't supported on AT&T on my particular L04.
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At least in different place in Puerto Rico it is the same, only band 4. I shall be in Chicago area also probably in like a month and in Mexico. Will take my note 9 with me to make sure I am in AWS 3 to see if I get band 66. if not then something is right with the phones having band 66 blocked.
Thanks for the update