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With the recent influx of Droid devices generated by them being handed out to many individuals through Google's developer channels, I imagine I'm not the only one wondering whether or not it would be possible to get service for this device by anyone other than Verizon. I'm hoping that someone can explain to me what it might take to make this possible.
As I understand it, VZW uses both 1900 and 850 while Sprint uses only 1900 with roaming possible on 850. That means the device should be compatible between the two networks from a frequency standpoint. What I'm not sure about is whether any of the software instructions coded into the VZW/Sprint devices are important to the correct operation of the phone on the network, or if they are identical and it only matters which network accepts the device's ESN.
In short:
- Would any software modifications to the device be necessary for appropriate functionality on the Sprint network?
- If so, could those modifications be derived from existing Sprint Android platforms like the Hero/Moment?
I have been given a free Droid, but I have no plan on ever switching to Verizon. It will remain a development only device if I can't modify it to work with my existing Sprint account.
Thanks in advance for any information.
othelil said:
With the recent influx of Droid devices generated by them being handed out to many individuals through Google's developer channels, I imagine I'm not the only one wondering whether or not it would be possible to get service for this device by anyone other than Verizon. I'm hoping that someone can explain to me what it might take to make this possible.
As I understand it, VZW uses both 1900 and 850 while Sprint uses only 1900 with roaming possible on 850. That means the device should be compatible between the two networks from a frequency standpoint. What I'm not sure about is whether any of the software instructions coded into the VZW/Sprint devices are important to the correct operation of the phone on the network, or if they are identical and it only matters which network accepts the device's ESN.
In short:
- Would any software modifications to the device be necessary for appropriate functionality on the Sprint network?
- If so, could those modifications be derived from existing Sprint Android platforms like the Hero/Moment?
I have been given a free Droid, but I have no plan on ever switching to Verizon. It will remain a development only device if I can't modify it to work with my existing Sprint account.
Thanks in advance for any information.
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the only way to get this to work is via esn swapping !! and that is illegal!! so.... good luck google it!! sprint will not add esns to there network from other carriers !! verizon does is sometimes but sprint will not do it!! sorry are u willing to sell it?
adrianh85 said:
the only way to get this to work is via esn swapping !! and that is illegal!! so.... good luck google it!! sprint will not add esns to there network from other carriers !! verizon does is sometimes but sprint will not do it!! sorry are u willing to sell it?
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Illegal, huh? Good 'ol US; the only country that feels the need to so tightly bind our devices to specific carriers. I vastly prefer the unlocked GSM phone model that Europe operates under. Le sigh.
Thanks for the info. I'm unlikely to sell, as I can find uses even for a device that doesn't have service. I just thought I could kill the proverbial two birds with one stone if I could make it work. C'est la vie.
You're forgetting the fact that there are at least TWO major nationwide GSM carriers in the US.
Japan has better game-shows than the US does, but I'm not going to say, "good ol' US" when complaining about it. But, I wouldn't even complain about it.
Cirkustanz said:
You're forgetting the fact that there are at least TWO major nationwide GSM carriers in the US.
Japan has better game-shows than the US does, but I'm not going to say, "good ol' US" when complaining about it. But, I wouldn't even complain about it.
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I'm not forgetting at all. The difference is that phones here, even for those two carriers, are sold locked rather than unlocked. Many consumers don't even know they have a choice, nor are they aware that their phones can be unlocked. The fact that the phones can be unlocked, and maybe could be used somewhere else in the world (depending on whether or not they support non-US bands), hardly excuses the fact that a tiny number of consumers would ever even realize that, or go through the hoops and hurdles necessary to unlock their phones.
This is a far cry from a market with many options for carriers where phones are sold unlocked and can be easily moved between any available carrier. The Wikipedia listing of mobile network operators in Europe (which I can't post) is quite illuminating when you realize that countries a tiny fraction of our size have a lot more than 2 choices that the phones they purchase, their property, can operate on. I would say cheering that at least we have two choices seems a little silly when the competition level here for carriers is so much weaker than elsewhere in the world.
Let's just say I'm more than a bit frustrated that what I've been gifted is, in the absence of one particular company's service, a brick. The phone belongs to me, yet whether or not I can use it as more than an alarm clock is dictated by only one company. It seems a little silly, and more than a tad bit frustrating. I would have much preferred an unlocked GSM phone; not only would I have two networks, albeit only one with 3G, to choose from, but my international options would have been wonderful.
Ok, so long story short.. there is no way to get the Droid A855 on gsm even if its unlocked? I know I just might be in the wrong forum but I have been searching all freaking day and honestly every site is starting to look the same to me 10:1 I'll prolly just sell the phone back off
Mr_Vicious said:
Ok, so long story short.. there is no way to get the Droid A855 on gsm even if its unlocked? I know I just might be in the wrong forum but I have been searching all freaking day and honestly every site is starting to look the same to me 10:1 I'll prolly just sell the phone back off
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No, because the A855 does not have a GSM radio in it. Without the capable hardware, what you want to do is impossible.
I have to say.... This is a bucket of **** (Aus Optus/Vodafone). I have half the 4g reception than my previous note 5.
It struggles switching frequency it seems. I hope future updates fix this and it's not a hardware issue.
me_ashman said:
I have to say.... This is a bucket of **** (Aus Optus/Vodafone). I have half the 4g reception than my previous note 5.
It struggles switching frequency it seems. I hope future updates fix this and it's not a hardware issue.
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I love the phone but noticed reception isn't as good in certain areas of North Carolina. I'm a T-Mobile user and also previously owned a Note 5. Definitely a difference.
Yeah mate...in places I had reception before I now have none.
I've noticed that my wife's phone will have 1 bar where mine has two, but if I go into settings and look at signal strength, it is exactly the same or even a little better.
Two note 8's had issues
Pre-ordered 1... nicest phone I've ever had until it started showing 'searching for service", ROAM, Emergency calls only... then would go to LTE with full bars, and back again. I went back to my S6 for two days with no problems, they sent me a second one... Fine for a day, then SAME ISSUES... did factory reset on both units... still persisted.. got LG V20 on special and full signal, every day....... Hope Samsung fixes issue and I will try one again.
---------- Post added at 10:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 AM ----------
Signal strength is VERY important to me as I live way out in the sticks on the coast. The best reception on any mobile I have owned has been with the old Nokia's. The worst would be HTC. Samsung, LG, Asus, Motorola and Sony all work fine here. I am in part of the county that is notorious for very poor signal strength. I have not had a problem with my Note 8 seems to be fine on Vodafone but if I change to another supplier I get zero signal on all models of mobiles.
On times its not the phone brand but our service provider. My present provider for my TV and ADSL give me about 1Mbps!!!! that's if I get a signal at all. Vodafone hotspot gives me up to 30Mbps. Again it can be the provider more than the phone. I have found Samsung fine but others have not been so fortunate. I doubt its the Note 8 though? There are always lemons though in every brand.
Ryland
which model of Note 8 are you guys experiencing this with?
Many of us Exynos owners have been noticing exceptionally poor reception and data speeds on USA carriers, but in my case I have narrowed it down to a hardware issue. Unplugging the lower antenna PCB has no effect on the poor signal strength, and this started suddenly after about 5 days of use. Out of the box it was amazing, and my download speeds were 30-50% faster than with the Note 5. I'm just waiting for replacement parts to become available so I can get a new board and replace it.
Kalm_Traveler said:
which model of Note 8 are you guys experiencing this with?
Many of us Exynos owners have been noticing exceptionally poor reception and data speeds on USA carriers, but in my case I have narrowed it down to a hardware issue. Unplugging the lower antenna PCB has no effect on the poor signal strength, and this started suddenly after about 5 days of use. Out of the box it was amazing, and my download speeds were 30-50% faster than with the Note 5. I'm just waiting for replacement parts to become available so I can get a new board and replace it.
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I thought the Snap Dragon version was issued in the States and China and the Exynos the rest of the world? PERHAPS the problem could be your carriers are not well suited to the Exynos models only the SD?
I am talking through my ears as I understand zero about such things. Here to learn. :good: Could also be one has purchased a lemon? I dont think its general to the Note 8, as I wrote above mine works very well here in a notoriously bad area of this country running Exynos.
Q; Is it wise to modify your mobile while it still has 12 months warranty? How many people have the skills to perform your modification and why should it be necessary? Your guarantee is now void.
Q; Out of the box you said it was amazing. What changed?
Ryland
Ryland Johnson said:
I thought the Snap Dragon version was issued in the States and China and the Exynos the rest of the world? PERHAPS the problem could be your carriers are not well suited to the Exynos models only the SD?
I am talking through my ears as I understand zero about such things. Here to learn. :good: Could also be one has purchased a lemon? I dont think its general to the Note 8, as I wrote above mine works very well here in a notoriously bad area of this country running Exynos.
Q; Is it wise to modify your mobile while it still has 12 months warranty? How many people have the skills to perform your modification and why should it be necessary? Your guarantee is now void.
Q; Out of the box you said it was amazing. What changed?
Ryland
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I'm no expert by any means, but I have the Note 5 from T-Mobile, which is also an Exynos device. The Exynos Note 8 is essentially just a newer Note 5, newer version of the CPU and modem (both have Shannon modems), and support T-Mobile's LTE bands. I do not believe there is any compatibility issue with the hardware. I definitely could have purchased a lemon, and that's what it seems like. The rest of the phones functions are amazing - it's literally just been issues with the components on that bottom PCB that have been popping up (not just for me, but also others on here, the lower circuit board has LTE antennae, mic, and lower speaker - all of which have had a few complaints of not working or not working properly).
To answer your Qs, my phone is a South Korean model and I live in the USA, so Samsung here will not honor the warranty. I would need to ship it back to Korea if anything. Many people have the skills necessary to replace this board, but it is a pain in the butt due to the rear glass using adhesive from Hades to stick to the frame. It shouldn't be necessary, but Samsung seems to have sent out some phones with faulty usb/antenna boards and it's less of a hassle for me to fix it myself than try to deal with international repairs.
Out of the box was amazing, I had equal LTE signal strength to my Note 5, and download speeds were about 4-6x what they suddenly dropped to after about 5 days of use. At the time, I thought it was due to flashing NEMESIS ROM, but I Odin flashed back to full stock and nothing was 'fixed' . Then, I opened the phone and found that physically applying pressure on one of the LTE antenna connectors in a specific direction made the signal strength jump up to equal my Note 5, and the super fast data speeds returned - as long as I kept pressure applied in that specific direction.
Kalm_Traveler said:
I'm no expert by any means, but I have the Note 5 from T-Mobile, which is also an Exynos device. The Exynos Note 8 is essentially just a newer Note 5, newer version of the CPU and modem (both have Shannon modems), and support T-Mobile's LTE bands. I do not believe there is any compatibility issue with the hardware. I definitely could have purchased a lemon, and that's what it seems like. The rest of the phones functions are amazing - it's literally just been issues with the components on that bottom PCB that have been popping up (not just for me, but also others on here, the lower circuit board has LTE antennae, mic, and lower speaker - all of which have had a few complaints of not working or not working properly).
To answer your Qs, my phone is a South Korean model and I live in the USA, so Samsung here will not honor the warranty. I would need to ship it back to Korea if anything. Many people have the skills necessary to replace this board, but it is a pain in the butt due to the rear glass using adhesive from Hades to stick to the frame. It shouldn't be necessary, but Samsung seems to have sent out some phones with faulty usb/antenna boards and it's less of a hassle for me to fix it myself than try to deal with international repairs.
Out of the box was amazing, I had equal LTE signal strength to my Note 5, and download speeds were about 4-6x what they suddenly dropped to after about 5 days of use. At the time, I thought it was due to flashing NEMESIS ROM, but I Odin flashed back to full stock and nothing was 'fixed' . Then, I opened the phone and found that physically applying pressure on one of the LTE antenna connectors in a specific direction made the signal strength jump up to equal my Note 5, and the super fast data speeds returned - as long as I kept pressure applied in that specific direction.
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Excuse my ignorance,.but aren't there others on here complaining about LTE speed throughput on there F models also ? When using USA sim cards.
Perhaps it was a faulty batch?
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Limeybastard said:
Excuse my ignorance,.but aren't there others on here complaining about LTE speed throughput on there F models also ? When using USA sim cards.
Perhaps it was a faulty batch?
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
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You are correct, F and N models. They are the exact same hardware, and my thought is that a batch of those boards went out that have developed issues very quickly.
I read a post this week but can't find the thread now of course. In it, a user who worked on configuring phones for a large telco or something said that the antenna for each regional model is tuned to the particulars of that specific region. He wasn't just talking about supported bands, etc. It was really about antenna tuning. Ultimately he said this is why he decided to forgo the international Note 8 models in the U.S., even though he badly wanted an Exynos model for custom roms, etc. Now I personally don't know whether there is anything to his claims (and I wish I could find that thread again), but it made sense so I thought I'd mention it here as it could explain the LTE or signal issues. If it's bunk though, then please ignore
sefrcoko said:
I read a post this week but can't find the thread now of course. In it, a user who worked on configuring phones for a large telco or something said that the antenna for each regional model is tuned to the particulars of that specific region. He wasn't just talking about supported bands, etc. It was really about antenna tuning. Ultimately he said this is why he decided to forgo the international Note 8 models in the U.S., even though he badly wanted an Exynos model for custom roms, etc. Now I personally don't know whether there is anything to his claims (and I wish I could find that thread again), but it made sense so I thought I'd mention it here as it could explain the LTE or signal issues. If it's bunk though, then please ignore
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the bands are the frequencies that are 'tuned' for. Any given piece of metal is better at picking up certain frequencies than others, depending on how long it is, how thick it is, if there are any coils etc.
This is why region doesn't matter in and of itself - if a specific band is supported, the phone can operate with that band/frequency regardless of which country it was manufactured for. Where a person might run into problems is if their carrier uses a given LTE band or group of them and the international phone model they want does not support those bands.
In our case, the Exynos Note 8 has all the main bands we need for T-Mobile and AT&T here in the USA.
This phone sounds amazing, but theres some conflicting information i've heard on it from multiple different sources.
1. Does the phone work on verizon? My current phone plan is on verizon, and it would be so much easier to just change out phones rather than move my entire wireless company to get this phone. I've heard that it does and it doesn't. Is it the chinese versions that don't? I'm american, so do the versions sold in America work with verizon? I went to my local verizon store, and they said it wouldn't, but the lady had to look it up on her phone but the article she saw might have been talking about the tencent version or something.
2. If it doesn't work on verizon, what other network would work better? I've heard that T-Mobile wouldn't work well for this phone, so maybe AT&T? Again, I would greatly prefer to just stick with Verizon.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE answer my questions, I've asked these questions in multiple places but no one has answered a reliable answer in any of them.
JegusChrist said:
This phone sounds amazing, but theres some conflicting information i've heard on it from multiple different sources.
1. Does the phone work on verizon? My current phone plan is on verizon, and it would be so much easier to just change out phones rather than move my entire wireless company to get this phone. I've heard that it does and it doesn't. Is it the chinese versions that don't? I'm american, so do the versions sold in America work with verizon? I went to my local verizon store, and they said it wouldn't, but the lady had to look it up on her phone but the article she saw might have been talking about the tencent version or something.
2. If it doesn't work on verizon, what other network would work better? I've heard that T-Mobile wouldn't work well for this phone, so maybe AT&T? Again, I would greatly prefer to just stick with Verizon.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE answer my questions, I've asked these questions in multiple places but no one has answered a reliable answer in any of them.
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No on Verizon. Yes to tmobile and att. Chinese and international versions have different lte band support. Talk to your local tmobile and att reps to see which bands you need and verify on the Asus site for rog phone 2.
A few users here say they got it working on Verizon as a data only device, and it does support their LTE bands. For calls, they mostly use Google Voice but one buys a cheap subscription on an AT&T MVNO for calls.
It doesn't have band 71 support for TMO, which could make coverage an issue. AT&T has the best support from what I've seen.
Something else to note is this is not VoLTE certified in the U.S. It can only make calls on the GSM networks, and those will be shutting over the next few years. If you plan to keep the phone long term, expect to lose the ability to make any phone calls. You could move to Google Voice at that point, but you'd still be left with no 911 access. Asus has so far indicated they have no plans to certify it for VoLTE in the U.S. (even other region versions that do have VoLTE wouldn't be able to use it here).
Mr_Mooncatt said:
A few users here say they got it working on Verizon as a data only device, and it does support their LTE bands. For calls, they mostly use Google Voice but one buys a cheap subscription on an AT&T MVNO for calls.
It doesn't have band 71 support for TMO, which could make coverage an issue. AT&T has the best support from what I've seen.
Something else to note is this is not VoLTE certified in the U.S. It can only make calls on the GSM networks, and those will be shutting over the next few years. If you plan to keep the phone long term, expect to lose the ability to make any phone calls. You could move to Google Voice at that point, but you'd still be left with no 911 access. Asus has so far indicated they have no plans to certify it for VoLTE in the U.S. (even other region versions that do have VoLTE wouldn't be able to use it here).
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I'm not exactly the best at phone lingo, i just stumbled across this website while looking up things about the phone.
That being said, can you tell me whether or not the phone is worth it? It seems like theres wayy too many disadvantages to this phone, and that kinda bugs me. I've been wanting this phone for a while, so I'd much rather get this than anything else.
If it's not really worth it, can you mention any other phones that are similar? mainly one that can emulate games just as good if not better than the ROG 2?
"Is it worth it?"
That is such a loaded question if you're in the U.S. That's something you'll have to decide for yourself based on your needs. If it had VoLTE here, then it would be worth every penny. All I can say is that for me, it isn't worth it. Yes, you get a ton of value for the phone. I'm on Verizon and would've been ok switching calls and texts to Google Voice. I also planned to keep it long term, likely after the GSM network shutdowns. I also drive for a living, hauling hazardous materials. So in my case, the inability to make a 911 call once those networks shut down is a very big concern. For me, that one reason alone is why I've decided to hold off on it.
On the flip side, if you don't have a problem with the 911 issue, or plan to switch phones in a year or two anyway, then this may very well be worth it in your case.
As for other options, I think the Nubia Red Magic 3s is likely the closest in terms of features and performance. It's not quite as bleeding edge as the ROG 2, but it's also a lot cheaper and has VoLTE calling. The Razer Phone 2 is another known option, but it's a generation older too and support may be questionable (rumor has it there may not be a Razer 3). I don't know a ton about either phone other than what I've read on their specs.
Curious if anyone is using the unlocked Pixel 5 with T-Mobile? I bought the unlocked Pixel 5 from Best Buy today and went to activate it with T-Mobile and they are telling me it doesn't support VoLTE or LTE Extended Range so they can't activate the device?? This is the model I bought: GA01316-US
I have T-Mobile and dropped my sim card from my og Pixel XL into my new phone (same model # as you provided). Works well, no issues at all.
I'm waiting on the arrival of my phone, but there was a message from TMobile a while back about needing a new sim card to use the 5G SA Network. Does anyone know if this applies to Pixel 5?
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
I'm no expert on 5g, but the sim card I dropped in my new phone has been around since at least 2014, and I'm getting 5g in Phx.
https://www.t-mobile.com/support/devices/latest-sim-for-great-network-experience
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
I also picked up my pixel 5 at a Best Buy in the Chicago area. Getting 5G on T-mobile just fine with a 5 year old sim.
From what I'm reading, Stand Alone is supposed to be better. You need a new Sim card for that. I have 5G everywhere with my old Sim. Probably going to get a new Sim soon
I should mention I'm a Sprint customer but I'm using a T-Mobile SIM in my current iPhone 11. I don't think that should matter though?
I'm curious if you all put your IMEI in T-Mobiles IMEI checker what does it say? When I put mine in for model: GD1YQ it tells me that it's not supported on T-Mobile. I did the same IMEI check for Verizon and AT&T and it checked out fine. This is so weird...
Newerabs said:
Curious if anyone is using the unlocked Pixel 5 with T-Mobile? I bought the unlocked Pixel 5 from Best Buy today and went to activate it with T-Mobile and they are telling me it doesn't support VoLTE or LTE Extended Range so they can't activate the device?? This is the model I bought: GA01316-US
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I am.
It's a long story, I won't bore everyone with it. I have replaced (tried to) my Pixel 4 XL on Thursday the 29th, which was running on an eSIM.
I called T-Mobile after work to get a new eSIM downloaded. I wasted six hours of my life with getting an eSIM with absolutely clueless technicians. I was really pissed off, T-Mobile has always been number one in customer service from my experience. They gave up and told me to visit a store to get a physical SIM. Bull****. After I told them no way I was visiting a store they wanted $25.00 US to mail me a SIM. As far as I know, it's still coming, but Customer Service in the US has removed the charges from my upcoming bill, especially after I told them I'm talking to them on a SIM-less device. If do receive the SIM, I will be depositing it in a strong metal container. My trash can.
I called back the next day during normal business hours and the eSIM deal took exactly five minutes to get done, as was my experience with my Pixel 4 XL.
Lesson learned? Hang up and call back during normal business hours to find someone with a clue. Everything you are stating that T-Mobile told you is incorrect.
After speaking with the network engineer, I learned that currently T-Mobile is both 5G SA and NSA, that's how he was seeing my connection and provisioning profile for my account, but should change soon. in some areas and they are migrating to complete SA, I am good to go with my account on with both versions of 5G. Right now NSA isn't quite as fast as SA, in theory, but not reality at this time. If I understood him correctly I was on NSA, which could simply be due to my physical location. Pulling 100Mb/s but the potential is there for 300Mb/s or better.
You can find the distinctions on:
https://www.t-mobile.com/support/devices/latest-sim-for-great-network-experience
Your mileage will vary depending on your area I live and tower proximity, I live in a major city in the US, and I understand they are working with the city's downtown area as priority. He was unfamiliar with which bands the Pixel covers, but it does have the antennae to handle the higher frequencies AT&T and Sprint uses, T-Mobile is using the 600Ghz for the majority of its customers:
https://www.t-mobile.com/support/coverage/t-mobile-network
I put my ~4 year old T-Mobile SIM card in my Pixel 5 and it's working just fine on 5G. The sim was previously in my Pixel 4, Pixel 3 before that, and Pixel 2XL, prior to that.
I didn't know you could buy an unlocked Pixel 5 from BestBuy that wasn't meant to work with Verizon or Sprint. I'm wondering if your "unlocked" phone is really meant for one of those two carriers.
bleez99 said:
I am.
It's a long story, I won't bore everyone with it. I have replaced (tried to) my Pixel 4 XL on Thursday the 29th, which was running on an eSIM.
I called T-Mobile after work to get a new eSIM downloaded. I wasted six hours of my life with getting an eSIM with absolutely clueless technicians. I was really pissed off, T-Mobile has always been number one in customer service from my experience. They gave up and told me to visit a store to get a physical SIM. Bull****. After I told them no way I was visiting a store they wanted $25.00 US to mail me a SIM. As far as I know, it's still coming, but Customer Service in the US has removed the charges from my upcoming bill, especially after I told them I'm talking to them on a SIM-less device. If do receive the SIM, I will be depositing it in a strong metal container. My trash can.
I called back the next day during normal business hours and the eSIM deal took exactly five minutes to get done, as was my experience with my Pixel 4 XL.
Lesson learned? Hang up and call back during normal business hours to find someone with a clue. Everything you are stating that T-Mobile told you is incorrect.
After speaking with the network engineer, I learned that currently T-Mobile is both 5G SA and NSA, that's how he was seeing my connection and provisioning profile for my account, but should change soon. in some areas and they are migrating to complete SA, I am good to go with my account on with both versions of 5G. Right now NSA isn't quite as fast as SA, in theory, but not reality at this time. If I understood him correctly I was on NSA, which could simply be due to my physical location. Pulling 100Mb/s but the potential is there for 300Mb/s or better.
You can find the distinctions on:
https://www.t-mobile.com/support/devices/latest-sim-for-great-network-experience
Your mileage will vary depending on your area I live and tower proximity, I live in a major city in the US, and I understand they are working with the city's downtown area as priority. He was unfamiliar with which bands the Pixel covers, but it does have the antennae to handle the higher frequencies AT&T and Sprint uses, T-Mobile is using the 600Ghz for the majority of its customers:
https://www.t-mobile.com/support/coverage/t-mobile-network
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Click to collapse
So maybe try with an esim? If you put your IMEI in T-Mobile IMEI checker does it say it's compatible? This is just so mind boggling to me. I can activate it with Sprint but not with T-Mobile. It's so weird.
Newerabs said:
So maybe try with an esim? If you put your IMEI in T-Mobile IMEI checker does it say it's compatible? This is just so mind boggling to me. I can activate it with Sprint but not with T-Mobile. It's so weird.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try getting an eSIM. Eventually, SIM cards will go away as bothersome. Do yourself a favor though, I don't know what your location is, but call T-Mobile during their normal 9-5 business hours. If your call is routed overseas, hang up and call again, or ask to speak to a US based engineer. Please don't take that the wrong way, I found that the outsourced call centers are poorly trained, and cannot perform the simplest of technical tasks. I actually had an argument with an "engineer" when he told me to scan the QR code without activating the EID in their system. Moron. He refused to listen to someone who has some understanding of cellular operations. Then he accused me of not knowing what a QR code is. This is not magic, you cannot just scan the QR code on their website and expect registration without prior entry into the system by EID.
Don't expect the reps at the stores to understand how to set up an eSIM either.
IMEI doesn't matter to T-Mobile at all. When it comes to an eSIM, they do ask you for an EID. The IMEI is either whitelisted after activation or rejected because it's on a "questionable or stolen list" The fact, as far as I understand it, report you phone stolen and the IMEI will become blacklisted. They have the IMEI and the phone is dead to the world. If someone is asking for an IMEI for an eSIM, hang up. Rest assured your IMEI will show up on their systems and your account once your phone is up and running on their network AFTER successful EID based registration.
This is why I find it incredible that people steal phones, when in reality they are stealing a paperweight.
As far as companies like AT&T, they refuse to activate phones if not on their supported list EMEI list, I told them where they can stick their IMEI and walked across the street to T-Mobile after being with AT&T forever. The last straw was refusing to let me use HD voice because didn't purchase the phone from them (IMEI related). Petty, idiotic, they lost a customer. I don't know why I didn't leave AT&T earlier, they refused to activate Nexus and Play Edition phones without a lot of drama.
Here it is, T-Mobile is bring your own device friendly, always has been, that's why IMEI is not relevant to them. AT&T can burn in hell.
Their polices may have changed since then, I wouldn't know, and I don't plan on ever finding out.
sn0warmy said:
I put my ~4 year old T-Mobile SIM card in my Pixel 5 and it's working just fine on 5G. The sim was previously in my Pixel 4, Pixel 3 before that, and Pixel 2XL, prior to that.
I didn't know you could buy an unlocked Pixel 5 from BestBuy that wasn't meant to work with Verizon or Sprint. I'm wondering if your "unlocked" phone is really meant for one of those two carriers.
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I think they have Verizon, ATT, Sprint/TM, Unlocked.
On their web site, Best Buy shows two options. Verizon and Unlocked.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
sn0warmy said:
I put my ~4 year old T-Mobile SIM card in my Pixel 5 and it's working just fine on 5G. The sim was previously in my Pixel 4, Pixel 3 before that, and Pixel 2XL, prior to that.
I didn't know you could buy an unlocked Pixel 5 from BestBuy that wasn't meant to work with Verizon or Sprint. I'm wondering if your "unlocked" phone is really meant for one of those two carriers.
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Actually, the unlocked one from Best Buy works with all carriers. It's no different than the unlocked version you can buy from Google.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
xRogerxC said:
Actually, the unlocked one from Best Buy works with all carriers. It's no different than the unlocked version you can buy from Google.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
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That's what's so weird. I don't understand why when I put in the IMEI on T-Mobiles website it says it's not supported. It's just so strange to me. Even when I call T-Mobile and try and activate they tell me it won't work. I think I'm going to go and return and try another one. Maybe I got a dud or something... I don't know how but you never know.
Newerabs said:
That's what's so weird. I don't understand why when I put in the IMEI on T-Mobiles website it says it's not supported. It's just so strange to me. Even when I call T-Mobile and try and activate they tell me it won't work. I think I'm going to go and return and try another one. Maybe I got a dud or something... I don't know how but you never know.
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Works just fine. Those guys don't know what their talking about.
My carrier, Spectrum, sells the P5 but won't activate an unlocked P5. At least not now they won't, they said in future they would, no time line.
Multiple ppl I talked all bought it unlocked and just used their old SIM and it works fine, even gets 5G in the areas where its available.
My P5 comes tomorrow and I'm just gonna pop my old SIM in and call it a day.
TokedUp said:
My carrier, Spectrum, sells the P5 but won't activate an unlocked P5. At least not now they won't, they said in future they would, no time line.
Multiple ppl I talked all bought it unlocked and just used their old SIM and it works fine, even gets 5G in the areas where its available.
My P5 comes tomorrow and I'm just gonna pop my old SIM in and call it a day.
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I could not get the IMEI to check with Spectrum. I called them and they are sending me a new SIM. I was told I need a new one for 5G. I will verify I can activate it when I get it. I was able to verify the IMEI with the Verizon check site.
I went to order a pixel 5 yesterday and all they had in stock were the Fi variants (ordered anyways), after some quick research I discovered that they were the same phone as the unlocked version. I'm a T-Mobile customer, with 2 numbers, one for personal and one for work. I read where some people have said the esim is tied to Fi, I'm hoping someone here can shed some light on that as my plan was to have T-Mobile activate the esim for one of my lines and using the traditional sim card in the slot. Anyone done this?
Also, I've read where they say 5g isn't an option with dual sims, yet I also read where changes were pushed to allow 5g with dual sims... Anyone have an answer on that as well? Thanks.
Ducter said:
I went to order a pixel 5 yesterday and all they had in stock were the Fi variants (ordered anyways), after some quick research I discovered that they were the same phone as the unlocked version. I'm a T-Mobile customer, with 2 numbers, one for personal and one for work. I read where some people have said the esim is tied to Fi, I'm hoping someone here can shed some light on that as my plan was to have T-Mobile activate the esim for one of my lines and using the traditional sim card in the slot. Anyone done this?
Also, I've read where they say 5g isn't an option with dual sims, yet I also read where changes were pushed to allow 5g with dual sims... Anyone have an answer on that as well? Thanks.
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The only difference with the Fi phone vs. the Google one is who supports it. If you have a warranty replacement it will have to come from the Fi team and not Google. Weird but true. Otherwise they are exactly the same. That includes not being branded to any one carrier. If you have a Fi account when you set up your phone it will automatically download the eSim if you want but if you don't then just pop in your physical sim and you're off to the races. Then contact the provider for a scan code for the eSim. I've not done it with TM but with Verizon and all works easily enough. Get yourself a 5G sim too while you're at it.
Now the big question, lol, I do not have 5G with both my sims active.. yet. I do not have the December patch from VZW either so I can't say if the merged code made it into the patch. I've asked all around and no one even responds to my inquiries including Android Police and 9to5 who initially reported it from the XDA feed. But supposedly Monday I'll get the Dec build and know one way or the other.
bobby janow said:
Now the big question
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Thanks for the reply. I assumed as much but you know what it's like after you do something, you begin to wonder lol. I do not have Fi, hopefully if I have an issue, that won't become one.
Hopefully the 5g on both sims made it into the update, or will be making it in shortly. I'm coming from a OnePlus 6t and dissatisfied with how OnePlus has been handling their updates. Phone gets great updates, timely and functional for 6 months, after that it's mainly focused on the newer models and the updates slow down but do still come, 12 months it starts to get left behind and now, they throw a security update at you occasionally. Been on lineage for a while and just decided spec wise, modern phones do all I care for them to do so the pixel 5 looked like a nice offering even if it's not "top of the line". We'll see I suppose.
Ducter said:
Thanks for the reply. I assumed as much but you know what it's like after you do something, you begin to wonder lol. I do not have Fi, hopefully if I have an issue, that won't become one.
Hopefully the 5g on both sims made it into the update, or will be making it in shortly. I'm coming from a OnePlus 6t and dissatisfied with how OnePlus has been handling their updates. Phone gets great updates, timely and functional for 6 months, after that it's mainly focused on the newer models and the updates slow down but do still come, 12 months it starts to get left behind and now, they throw a security update at you occasionally. Been on lineage for a while and just decided spec wise, modern phones do all I care for them to do so the pixel 5 looked like a nice offering even if it's not "top of the line". We'll see I suppose.
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You'll be happy with the phone. It's the right price, right size and battery lasts all day no matter what you do to it. At least for me, lol. There have been some issues with Fi support buy you really won't be dealing with them unless you have a hardware issue. As soon as I get the update on Monday I'll chime in here but you might get the device before that. Make sure you are there to sign for it as I've heard of some empty boxes arriving on doorsteps.
As for 5G if you need it you can toggle off a sim very quickly and bring it back online just as easily. If I toggle off my work number 5G pops right up. I don't usually do it but I will on the weekends sometimes. I don't find it any faster than lte at this point but perhaps TM is better the VZW. Then again I've yet to connect to the super duper 5G they are touting.
Ducter said:
Hopefully the 5g on both sims made it into the update, or will be making it in shortly.
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Nope, didn't make it in. Still LTE with both sims active.
bobby janow said:
Nope, didn't make it in. Still LTE with both sims active.
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Yeah, I received the phone Sunday actually, surprised me they delivered then as it was scheduled for Monday. I wasn't home, they delivered it regardless, another surprise as tracking said signature required and I watched on my camera the FedEx guy walk up, put the phone by the door and walk away... Worked for me I suppose.
My time with the phone so far has been good. I'm coming from a OnePlus 6t that I was happy with the performance of the phone but it was starting to have gps issues and would drop calls fairly often. This phone is much smaller but I like it. I'm 6'4 with large hands but it still is a nice size. Performance wise, if I'm honest I can't really tell a difference. Sure, benchmarks likely would suggest different but I don't use them, I use the phone and in that regard, the pixel 5 is fine. Camera, even with it's aging hardware takes much better pictures. I can't comment fully on battery as of yet but then again my 6t would easily outlast my usage per day anyways.