Develop Bugs

T-Mobile SGS2 vs. Intl SGS2 comparison

Hello,
I have both phones, and I find it very hard to choose one. If I pick the i9100, I'll be forced to switch to AT&T and pay more per month. However, the international version feels way smoother. I guess the Exynos really does make a difference.
Here is a comparison between the two phones, based on what I have experienced so far:
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Pros: T-Mobile version:
* NFC
* 3.5G data on T-Mobile's network
Cons: T-Mobile version:
* heavier, thicker
* Snapdragon SoC
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Debatable issues:
* Screen size - Personally, I think the resolution looks better on the 4.3" screen, but some would prefer a larger screen regardless of resolution.
* Design - The square edges and central button look better than any of the U.S. variants (in my opinion). Also, that big ass T-Mobile stamp on the phone's face is kind of annoying.
* Build quality - To me, the i9100 feels more "premium" when you hold it in your hand.
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Pros: i9100 international version:
* Exynos SoC - definitely feels faster
* thinner, lighter
Cons: i9100 international version:
* will either have to switch to AT&T or stay on 2G
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The one thing that most people dislike about the T989 is the lack of development. However, I don't think this is a valid complaint and have excluded it from my comparison. Honestly, "official" ICS from Samsung is a buggy piece of ****. MIUI v4 is based on this horrible build from Samsung as well (instead of . CM9 is the only real advantage that the i9100 has in terms of development. Yet even that has many problems. Overall, they don't have it that much better than us if you are only talking about software. But really, I think that anyone who has purchased a carrier branded device should have understood the implications. To me, the real comparison is with hardware/design.
Also, if anyone wants me to run any certain tests to compare the devices, I could do it since I currently have both.
I really like the i9100, but I'm worried about switching to AT&T. I wonder if I would be able to have a T-Mobile talk/text plan and an AT&T data plan on the same phone? Does anyone know the details of T-Mobile's future plans for the 1900 band? From what I have read, it still seems that it is unconfirmed whether non-AWS phones will work on T-Mobile data in the future.
Anyone have some advice for this scenario? Also feel free to discuss any of the issues in my comparison.

Why not wait for the sgs3?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda premium

cashyftw said:
Why not wait for the sgs3?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it's not that I'm choosing which phone to buy; I have both already. The issue still applies if the SGS3 was to come out, though. If T-Mobile doesn't support non-AWS data by the time the GS3 was released; I'd still be in the same situation. It's really unlikely that the phone will support the 1700MHz band.
I've heard rumours about 1900MHz being enabled for HSPA on T-Mobile, but I haven't seen any proof about this yet.

No you caint have data with one carrier and voice on another. The only way this could even be a possibility is with a dual sim phone and even then dont know if you could as I have no experience with a phone like that. Suppose you could use two different sims that you swapped in and out with a shutdown and flash your radio depending on what sim you had in? Dont think that is what you had in mind though.
I really love my T989, Its fast looks great and I get great data speeds when I am in town (7-16 megs down 1.5 up) all for a lot less each month than at&t. I do wish there was more AOSP for my phone but the roms that are available are really nice and it seems a bit refined at this point.
Yet to see any practical use of NFC for me.

I simply don't find 2g speeds tolerable in any sense of the word.

Why not use the $45 unlimited ST plan using AT&T towers? 3g speeds, no contract, etc.. i9100 FTW!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA

We had this thread before what people don't understand the original galaxy S2 has had software improvements over the year since it's been released to icecream sandwich. Samsung has been exclusively working on improving the device since release. They just recently got started with Qualcomm processor.
I did this experiment with with a friend that had the sprint galaxy S2. Both were rooted with custom roms. Both had custom kernels.
We switch phones for a week. There both good phones. Playing games got the sprint version extremely hot. No idea why. Battery Life was better on the tmobile device. Probably susceptible to networks.. Both had stock browser checker boarding.
Exynos gave better benchmarks. Apps started slightly faster? It was really negligible though. Sometimes The Qualcomm processor will start up faster than Exynos. Most of the time Exynos would win. But it was to a point by milliseconds.
I wouldn't be disappointed what ever device you bought. According to reddit r/android the original Samsung galaxy S2 removed a lot of gingerbread enhancements for ics. So I expect to not see a difference in devices when running ics. So honestly don't worry be happy about what device you got. Next month new devices are launching so you can always sell this phone for it.

what is the maximum speed you can get with the i9100 on tmobils network?
5-6mpbs?
Sent from my SGH-T989

Killbynature said:
...
I wouldn't be disappointed what ever device you bought. According to reddit r/android the original Samsung galaxy S2 removed a lot of gingerbread enhancements for ics. So I expect to not see a difference in devices when running ics. So honestly don't worry be happy about what device you got. Next month new devices are launching so you can always sell this phone for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that I'm considering which device to buy.. I have both already.
jordanishere said:
what is the maximum speed you can get with the i9100 on tmobils network?
5-6mpbs?
Sent from my SGH-T989
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More like 0.01mbps. But I am on wifi 80% of time.

jordanishere said:
what is the maximum speed you can get with the i9100 on tmobils network?
5-6mpbs?
Sent from my SGH-T989
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edge since it doesn't support the bands.

Yeah but the edge speed is not even the decent edge speed you get on other phones like the iphone.. It is horrible slow edge speed
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

I had the international version, and I sold it for this one just because of the data speeds. Att was horrible for me at work where I play the most on it. But on the international version I think there were around 20 roms that I could get my crack head flash fix with. I miss having all the options to play with. Like a day after I bought this the sky rocket came out and Kansas city is a test market for there lte so I could have had it. But all in all the data was more important so I am happy with this.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

yeah hopefully the sgs3 will support multiple bands and work on basically every carrier. i9100s speeds are too low on tmobil.
if you usw tmobil, our phone is your best option
Sent from my SGH-T989

jordanishere said:
yeah hopefully the sgs3 will support multiple bands and work on basically every carrier. i9100s speeds are too low on tmobil.
if you usw tmobil, our phone is your best option
Sent from my SGH-T989
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the problem. The AWS (1700MHz) band used by T-Mobile is only shared by a few small Canadian carriers. There is no reason that an international phone would enable this band. Maybe if we get really lucky, they will enable it. But the chances are slim.

saltmine said:
That's the problem. The AWS (1700MHz) band used by T-Mobile is only shared by a few small Canadian carriers. There is no reason that an international phone would enable this band. Maybe if we get really lucky, they will enable it. But the chances are slim.
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Click to collapse
Galaxy Nexus enables it. So Samsung already has the tech there to do it. I, too, hope that all their future phones will be pentaband UMTS.

As the other guy said, why not go to ST $45 unlimited plan leave the int version?

manekineko said:
Galaxy Nexus enables it. So Samsung already has the tech there to do it. I, too, hope that all their future phones will be pentaband UMTS.
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Click to collapse
it depends on the chip. the reason we have an s3 is because exynos wont do our hspa+ bands
Sent from my SGH-T989

I prefer the look of the T989 over the international variants, as well as the bigger screen. I use my phone all day long.
BUT...it's the damn carrier branding that I hate.
I would love to find a Telus T989D with no carrier branding

I pretty much spam this everywhere but with the darkside 2.5.1 ROM and kernel, 989 is perfect to me and almost the same as 9100.
In my area tm is the only 4g, no lte so I get 16mb where att 3g is only 2.
Att sucks.
Sent from the Darkside

Diekrupt said:
I pretty much spam this everywhere but with the darkside 2.5.1 ROM and kernel, 989 is perfect to me and almost the same as 9100.
In my area tm is the only 4g, no lte so I get 16mb where att 3g is only 2.
Att sucks.
Sent from the Darkside
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
see thats the thing. if ur on tmobil... and ur going to drop $500 on a phone, ours is the best pick. obviously if ur on verison or att there are better choices for those networksm
Sent from my Galaxy S II

[Q] Dual Core or Quad Core in US?

I was talking to a Best Buy Mobile employee(probably my first mistake). But he said he confirmed that the US version would be dual core. I have no reason to believe him but has anyone else heard that? I tried to find anything about this on the Note 2 forums but found nothing.

Everything points to quad. I'm more concerned about the lack of Wolfson DAC in the AT&T version...which is probably a given.

The Exynos 4412 has a 2nd variant with a LTE modem, so the US will get a quad-core as well.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/0...op-five-us-carriers-in-time-for-the-holidays/

hellron said:
i was talking to a best buy mobile employee(probably my first mistake). But he said he confirmed that the us version would be dual core. I have no reason to believe him but has anyone else heard that? I tried to find anything about this on the note 2 forums but found nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
never
listen
to
a
best
buy
employee

rawdikrik said:
never
listen
to
a
best
buy
employee
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Click to collapse
At least I did preface it with a doubt of trust heh.

Turbotab said:
The Exynos 4412 has a 2nd variant with a LTE modem, so the US will get a quad-core as well.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/0...op-five-us-carriers-in-time-for-the-holidays/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Frankly I was surprised they didn't have this quad core variant ready for the US carrier S3 but I find the Note2 far more compelling anyway.. In that class I prefer the HTCOneX variants but the Note2 is in its own king class of handsets. Every time I'm reminded of its features, it makes it that much harder to put up with my 22 month old EVO. The Note 2 should hold up far better than our current handsets but I wouldn't be surprised if the Note 3 has a 1080p screen with stereo speakers clocked at 2+GHz with 12+MP amazing camera features & additional enhancements-functionality prompting another interest in upgrading next year..

SMARTPHONEPC said:
Frankly I was surprised they didn't have this quad core variant ready for the US carrier S3 but I find the Note2 far more compelling anyway.. In that class I prefer the HTCOneX variants but the Note2 is in its own king class of handsets. Every time I'm reminded of its features, it makes it that much harder to put up with my 22 month old EVO. The Note 2 should hold up far better than our current handsets but I wouldn't be surprised if the Note 3 has a 1080p screen with stereo speakers clocked at 2+GHz with 12+MP amazing camera features & additional enhancements-functionality prompting another interest in upgrading next year..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh it will be a nice upgrade for me too. Change from this old Thunderbolt heh. I've kinda wondered since the thunderbolt was one of the first 4g phones(the first?) would a newer phone actually be faster as far as data goes? I'm still a noob to a lot of stuff and just thought I would ask.

Hellron said:
Oh it will be a nice upgrade for me too. Change from this old Thunderbolt heh. I've kinda wondered since the thunderbolt was one of the first 4g phones(the first?) would a newer phone actually be faster as far as data goes? I'm still a noob to a lot of stuff and just thought I would ask.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any modern LTE phone will smoke the Thunderbolt as it had a janky first-gen LTE chip that completely sucked.
So yeah, the Note 2 will be blazing.

SMARTPHONEPC said:
Frankly I was surprised they didn't have this quad core variant ready for the US carrier S3 but I find the Note2 far more compelling anyway.. In that class I prefer the HTCOneX variants but the Note2 is in its own king class of handsets. Every time I'm reminded of its features, it makes it that much harder to put up with my 22 month old EVO. The Note 2 should hold up far better than our current handsets but I wouldn't be surprised if the Note 3 has a 1080p screen with stereo speakers clocked at 2+GHz with 12+MP amazing camera features & additional enhancements-functionality prompting another interest in upgrading next year..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Exynos 4 SoC doesn't have an LTE modem in it, so any Exynos 4 powered device has to have a seperate LTE modem chip. I'm guessing there wasn't enough room with the S3 while with the Note 2 there's probably enough real estate behind the screen for it.

gmkelly001 said:
The Exynos 4 SoC doesn't have an LTE modem in it, so any Exynos 4 powered device has to have a seperate LTE modem chip. I'm guessing there wasn't enough room with the S3 while with the Note 2 there's probably enough real estate behind the screen for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously, nothing to do with size, see the link below, the LTE modem chip is hardly massive, it fits fine in a iPhone 5. Most likely the S3 Exynos wasn't launched with LTE, was due to time to market and the need to validate the new modem. The S3 was available first in Europe, where LTE is not yet common place, so a LTE version would have bumped the price for no benefit. There is a LTE version of Exynos S3 in the pipeline, due for release by late 2012, as Europe rolls out LTE.
http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/Xcm1d4MbTZVgFJfv.large

Turbotab said:
Seriously, nothing to do with size, see the link below, the LTE modem chip is hardly massive, it fits fine in a iPhone 5. Most likely the S3 Exynos wasn't launched with LTE, was due to time to market and the need to validate the new modem. The S3 was available first in Europe, where LTE is not yet common place, so a LTE version would have bumped the price for no benefit. There is a LTE version of Exynos S3 in the pipeline, due for release by late 2012, as Europe rolls out LTE.
http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/Xcm1d4MbTZVgFJfv.large
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Space is usually at a premium in most smartphones, even if the components are relatively small. The iPhone 5 is a poor comparison since it's taller than the 4/4S so of course it would have more room for an LTE chip. There is already an Exynos 4 Galaxy S3 with LTE in Korea, and it is indeed thicker and heavier than the normal S3.
http://www.androidcentral.com/black-samsung-galaxy-s3-lte-jelly-bean-hands
Seems like decent evidence that it's a space issue. It's not the battery since they all use the same 2100mAh battery. Either way, this doesn't effect the US Note 2.

gmkelly001 said:
Space is usually at a premium in most smartphones, even if the components are relatively small. The iPhone 5 is a poor comparison since it's taller than the 4/4S so of course it would have more room for an LTE chip. There is already an Exynos 4 Galaxy S3 with LTE in Korea, and it is indeed thicker and heavier than the normal S3.
Seems like decent evidence that it's a space issue. It's not the battery since they all use the same 2100mAh battery. Either way, this doesn't effect the US Note 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wasn't there a previous phone that was quad core international but dual core in the US? Or is it that S3 you are talking about now? Maybe that's the one I'm thinking about.

Hellron said:
Wasn't there a previous phone that was quad core international but dual core in the US? Or is it that S3 you are talking about now? Maybe that's the one I'm thinking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one x did that too. Internationally it was tegra 3 domestically it was s4 dual. But in that case is prefer the s4 as its newer architecture and smaller transistor size.

gmkelly001 said:
Space is usually at a premium in most smartphones, even if the components are relatively small. The iPhone 5 is a poor comparison since it's taller than the 4/4S so of course it would have more room for an LTE chip. There is already an Exynos 4 Galaxy S3 with LTE in Korea, and it is indeed thicker and heavier than the normal S3.
http://www.androidcentral.com/black-samsung-galaxy-s3-lte-jelly-bean-hands
Seems like decent evidence that it's a space issue. It's not the battery since they all use the same 2100mAh battery. Either way, this doesn't effect the US Note 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android Central didn't point to any figures to back their claim about being thicker.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S_III
SHV-E210K/L/S - The Korean Model with LTE is slightly thicker 9.0 mm vs 8.6 mm & heavier 138.5g vs 133g, but the GT-I9305 (Exynos with LTE) is exactly the same weight and dimensions as the regular international i9300, not sure why the Korean model is a tiny bit heavier, hold the press the Korean model has model RAM 2 GB vs only 1 GB in the international, hence the slightly heavier weight. OK, according to a different source the LTE international is slightly heavier (+2 grams), but the same dimension as the non-LTE international.
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=3789&c=samsung_gt-i9305_galaxy_s_iii_lte_eu
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=3495&c=samsung_gt-i9300_galaxy_s_iii_32gb
Btw, regarding the Galaxy S3 aside from a larger battery, what additional components are there that require more space than the smaller iPhone 5?, so I personally doubt think space was a factor in this case, although you are right that space is always tight in smartphones, it was more likely no LTE in Europe, would create a higher cost and worse battery life for the consumer for no additional benefit. Anyway, maybe we are both wrong and Samsung wanted to piss off the early adopters, by releasing a LTE version with twice the RAM a few months later

Probably just coincidence but I've wondered if some current phones actually get better data speeds than others? I went to the verizon store and used the speedtest app on an sg3 and a maxx razer hd and the sg3 only got 8-10MB and the razer got 25MB on the same 4g network in the store. It sounds too far apart to be a coincidence...

Hellron said:
Probably just coincidence but I've wondered if some current phones actually get better data speeds than others? I went to the verizon store and used the speedtest app on an sg3 and a maxx razer hd and the sg3 only got 8-10MB and the razer got 25MB on the same 4g network in the store. It sounds too far apart to be a coincidence...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both the Verizon Galaxy S3 and the Razr Maxx HD use the same Qualcomm S4 SoC with the same LTE modem built into it. Not sure why you got different speedtest results but it's probably not because of the hardware. Could possibly be antenna design, but I doubt it.

Hellron said:
Probably just coincidence but I've wondered if some current phones actually get better data speeds than others? I went to the verizon store and used the speedtest app on an sg3 and a maxx razer hd and the sg3 only got 8-10MB and the razer got 25MB on the same 4g network in the store. It sounds too far apart to be a coincidence...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course... all the time...
gmkelly001 said:
Both the Verizon Galaxy S3 and the Razr Maxx HD use the same Qualcomm S4 SoC with the same LTE modem built into it. Not sure why you got different speedtest results but it's probably not because of the hardware. Could possibly be antenna design, but I doubt it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Antenna design/placement/material could have a VERY huge factor. Hardware probably isn't the best explanation

I would have got the s3 if it was quad core. Definitely a buying factor for me that the note 2 is quad.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

gmkelly001 said:
Both the Verizon Galaxy S3 and the Razr Maxx HD use the same Qualcomm S4 SoC with the same LTE modem built into it. Not sure why you got different speedtest results but it's probably not because of the hardware. Could possibly be antenna design, but I doubt it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That makes sense but that still confuses me how it would be that different. Hopefully the note 2 will be closer to the maxx hd in speeds.

AT&T Note II Cons compared to the International model?

As with just about every AT&T phone now a days it seems stuff is missing or gimped from the international models.
Already it seems like the Note II has only Tri-Band 3G and possibly no FM Radio, I've also heard something in the forums of it only supporting 21mpbs 3G rather than 42?mbps 3G like on the international models... can anyone confirm these things or know of anything else the AT&T Note II is missing? I'm really disappointed with this kind of stuff.

KosanRio said:
As with just about every AT&T phone now a days it seems stuff is missing or gimped from the international models.
Already it seems like the Note II has only Tri-Band 3G and possibly no FM Radio, I've also heard something in the forums of it only supporting 21mpbs 3G rather than 42?mbps 3G like on the international models... can anyone confirm these things or know of anything else the AT&T Note II is missing? I'm really disappointed with this kind of stuff.
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Click to collapse
Iirc att doesn't even support 42mbps, that's Tmobiles area. We have LTE, which is better. No FM radio is on all US versions. Blame the FCC
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app

if it was the FCC why would the FCC approve the int note for use in USA?

Mrglass86 said:
if it was the FCC why would the FCC approve the int note for use in USA?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
or the FM radios on other US branded phones? ATT wants people to use data

tbong777 said:
or the FM radios on other US branded phones? ATT wants people to use data
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but.... it's not just ATT.
Some people just have weird personal vendettas against some cell companies saying they're "gimping" their phones. There is usually a pretty good reason. Like everyone was freaking over the s3 only getting a dual core in the US but it was because the chipsets didn't support LTE yet. Is that the carriers fault? Nope. Sure ATT wants you to use more data (they aren't a NPO lol) but they aren't the only ones to blame for stuff.

AT&T negatives:
LTE will use more battery power (even if you don't have LTE towers in your area or mess with the APNs - there's currently no known way to disable the LTE chip so it will draw power at least searching for a LTE signal.) For some, the positives of LTE outweigh this concern.
Carrier locked device - can't toss in a tmobile SIM and expect it to work. On the other hand, it's usually possible to SIM unlock the phones if you can talk AT&T into it and/or pay someone for a code.
Carrier controlled firmware updates - AT&T devices are typically 3-6 months (and more in many cases) behind international phones on firmware updates including bug fixes. The only carrier slower than AT&T for firmware updates is Verizon (and they might actually get the SGS3 to JB before AT&T does.) It's quite possible that a serious bug is found on the gnote2 and gets fixed for N7100 users, but AT&T (and other US carrier) users are left having to deal with the bug.
Carrier bloat. (Most of this can be frozen, but there might be parts coupled tightly enough with the rest of the firmware that it's difficult/impossible to properly disable it.) In some cases, a user actually might want some of the carrier bloat, however.
Missing firmware items - This goes further than just the FM Radio. I noticed that on my i9300 (international SGS3) there were many more programs than on my wife's AT&T branded SGS3. For example, dropbox, samsung apps, etc. Some of these are just bloat (so don't matter) and some are significant depending on the user.
Possibly a locked bootloader - this is unlikely, but until the phone is released, it's always possible.
Lack of (or less) support in the developer community. The AT&T phone likely won't get near the level of developer support that the international one gets. Put another way, for every 1 developer with a 317m, there are a dozen with n7100's.
This is only a partial list and is likely missing items that we won't realize until the phone is released. On the other hand, I've purposely included at least one item I doubt will be an issue (bootloader) to make the point that we don't yet have complete info.
Gary

Seeing as it's already been successfully rooted, I don't think the bootloader is an issue.

gtalum said:
Seeing as it's already been successfully rooted, I don't think the bootloader is an issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it'll be an issue either, but the AT&T model hasn't been rooted - the Canadian variant has. Being that the devices will have different pre-loaded bloat, it's also possible they'll have different bootloaders.

garyd9 said:
I don't think it'll be an issue either, but the AT&T model hasn't been rooted - the Canadian variant has. Being that the devices will have different pre-loaded bloat, it's also possible they'll have different bootloaders.
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Click to collapse
Good point. I'm assuming they'll be the same.

garyd9 said:
I don't think it'll be an issue either, but the AT&T model hasn't been rooted - the Canadian variant has. Being that the devices will have different pre-loaded bloat, it's also possible they'll have different bootloaders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was back in Sept, posted by Briefmobile.. they've been pretty good with their sources.. and per article, the source has been spot on with the info it's been giving out... and it's said to have been rooted and comes with an unlock bootloader..
http://briefmobile.com/exclusive-att-galaxy-note-2-already-rooted-before-release

I have the ATT early, and I can assure you it is cwm-able and rootable.

garyd9 said:
AT&T negatives:
Lack of (or less) support in the developer community. The AT&T phone likely won't get near the level of developer support that the international one gets. Put another way, for every 1 developer with a 317m, there are a dozen with n7100's.
Gary
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Serious question, but why would this be the case? Other than the radios, aren't the hardware on all of the US variants and the international Note II pretty much identical? Couldn't we just flash the rom, but keep the modem corresponding to our carrier?
Not a developer or anything, but I'm just a curious consumer that might buy the Note II when it gets released on AT&T

crazililazn said:
Serious question, but why would this be the case? Other than the radios, aren't the hardware on all of the US variants and the international Note II pretty much identical? Couldn't we just flash the rom, but keep the modem corresponding to our carrier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be ideal, but it's doubtful. N7100 firmware doesn't work on the N7105 (international LTE), and there have already been kernel-level differences noticed between the 7105 and the tmobile variant. Chances are high that the tmobile variant is closer to the 317 than the 7105.
Of course, it's all guesswork until we start actually messing with the phone.

2 more (slight) cons. Native tethering on ATT is not free. And no FM radio app. Hopefully both can be fixed later by devs.

Lack of FM radio - pretty trivial I think.
Lack of a 32/64gb version of the phone (16gb only). Also trivial considering 64gb cards.
ATT tethering not being free isn't only an ATT issue and it's also not a phone hardware limitation....so I don't see this as a con of the phone itself, rather a carrier con. You can get this via rom

I read where someone mentioned that the AT&T model was missing the multi-window feature. Is it still not on the device? The international Note 2 has it. That's a pretty big omission if it's not there. I've been thinking really hard about which one to get but I'd rather have no bloat, fast(er) updates, and full manufacturer software instead of a carrier crippled device with LTE.

SkizzMcNizz said:
I read where someone mentioned that the AT&T model was missing the multi-window feature. Is it still not on the device? The international Note 2 has it. That's a pretty big omission if it's not there. I've been thinking really hard about which one to get but I'd rather have no bloat, fast(er) updates, and full manufacturer software instead of a carrier crippled device with LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I kind of agree with this (especially since LTE is over a year away here) No FM radio ( I do use it and it saves battery as well as a lot Data)
Deal breaker is ROM development though. I learned my lesson with the Captivate insofar as development I was really hoping the ATT version would be equivalent to the International. Have to wait and see.

I realize that people really want custom ROMs, as I would, but considering how much better the hardware and OS is getting (note 2 cpu + project butter + 2gb ram) is bloat really so much of an issue?
Seems to me that we can always remove some of the apps we don't need.
Now as for customizations, like the "phablet" stuff that Jamie did with the paranoidandroid rom, those I'll miss.
But overall I'm excited to see how well this phone works, I should have mine on the 7th. I'm looking forward to the new S-Pen integration features, which should be really cool I hope. I am also anticipating a very smooth running device even with the bloated ATT rom As to custom rom's we'll have to see how it goes and keep our hopes up.

SkizzMcNizz said:
I read where someone mentioned that the AT&T model was missing the multi-window feature. Is it still not on the device? The international Note 2 has it. That's a pretty big omission if it's not there. I've been thinking really hard about which one to get but I'd rather have no bloat, fast(er) updates, and full manufacturer software instead of a carrier crippled device with LTE.
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Pretty sure the i.international models did not have the multi window function on release either (except maybe the Korean version). They got it in an update.
from a galaxy far far away....

tbong777 said:
I kind of agree with this (especially since LTE is over a year away here) No FM radio ( I do use it and it saves battery as well as a lot Data)
Deal breaker is ROM development though. I learned my lesson with the Captivate insofar as development I was really hoping the ATT version would be equivalent to the International. Have to wait and see.
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Same with the original Note vs. the international Note. The development was totally different. The development for the AT&T Note didn't even compare to the international. I almost traded my att Note for an international model but I decided to sell it and buy the One X. I forgot to mention in my previous post but that is also a huge consideration. It looks like, as of now, I'll be going with the International Note 2. I use Straight Talk on my One X and plan to with any of my future phones so it's not like I'd be able to use LTE if even my area did have it, which still won't be for at least another year or so.
I wonder tho if the development will be roughly the same since they have the same chipset this time around. Such as roms for the international being portable to the carrier versions and vice versa. Still, even with that, it looks like international versions usually have more development. Plus they get a head start.

Need expert help to determine which model I have

I have already been given great help (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2082364) but still don't really know what S3 I have?
Finding out what phone I got should be a easy task, but I get different information wherever I look.
Connected to Kies:
Device name: SGH-I747M PDA:LEM / PHONE:LEM /CSC:LEM (TLS)
Printed on phone (under battery):
GT-I9300
Setting- About device:
Baseband:T999UVLEM
Bulid number: romup dott com
Friend at Telenor (operator) says it comes up as 999 in the network
After taking the phone apart looking for clues I got more confused!
Got this Galaxy 3, in Chongqing China. In the middle of the haggling proses (700USD) I discovered that the IMEI on the box and the phone wasn’t matching (every possible thing have to be inspected in china). The seller didn't seem bothered by my questions about the IMEI, and told me something about Hong Kong, UK and smuggling, I didn't really get it! After some more negotiation I got the phone down to about 500USD, and where told 700USD if I wanted same IMEI on the box and the phone.
Anyway now I want stock rom on my phone and are unsure what rom to install?

And a picture from the back of the phone.

SGH-T999 is TMobile's id, but that can changed/faked by a new modem's baseband id, and the SGH-I747M (canadian s3 on rogers, but att similar) id can be changed by a custom rom's build prop.
i9300 is the international model, but if you don't have an Exynos chipset, then it's not really the international S3, as all the US variants have Qualcomm.
*shrug*
China.

Okey, so here I found a picture of a random 9300 and compered to my phone it seems a bit different. Does anyone with the 747 know how this part look like?

Is there any forum where the different hardware is discussed?

That's... a really weird device you have there.
In my experienced but amateur opinion, of all the info you've given us, the bit that's least likely to be able to be faked successfully would be the modem baseband, seeing as trying to use an incompatible baseband with a given device tends to either cause the phone to not recognise the baseband or to just fail to boot altogether. I'm also aware that in some circumstances, i747 ROMs can be successfully run on T999s (and possibly vice-versa), given that the hardware between T999s and i747s is similar (not as identical as, say, the i747 and i747m, but still possible).
Thus, I'm inclined to believe the base hardware is supposed to be a T999, which would be the T-Mobile version of the phone.
EDIT: Looking at the pictures, I'm inclined to believe your phone's been cobbled together from spare parts, with the base being a T999 and a lot of parts taken from an i747 - but the core phone probably would operate closest to a T999. What network are you running it on? That might help us figure things out further.

smelenchuk said:
That's... a really weird device you have there.
In my experienced but amateur opinion, of all the info you've given us, the bit that's least likely to be able to be faked successfully would be the modem baseband, seeing as trying to use an incompatible baseband with a given device tends to either cause the phone to not recognise the baseband or to just fail to boot altogether. I'm also aware that in some circumstances, i747 ROMs can be successfully run on T999s (and possibly vice-versa), given that the hardware between T999s and i747s is similar (not as identical as, say, the i747 and i747m, but still possible).
Thus, I'm inclined to believe the base hardware is supposed to be a T999, which would be the T-Mobile version of the phone.
EDIT: Looking at the pictures, I'm inclined to believe your phone's been cobbled together from spare parts, with the base being a T999 and a lot of parts taken from an i747 - but the core phone probably would operate closest to a T999. What network are you running it on? That might help us figure things out further.
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Thanks for your info, my network is telenor mobil norway, and I have used the phone without problem around Asia and Europe.

Maybe its 2 phones that has broken parts and were combined to make 1 usable phone? That's what that looks like to me anyway
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

So the hardware do not look like the 747M? Tried to fine pictures online, but hard to find.

Download "android hardware info" and look through that. It'll say if it has 2 cores or 4 cores, etc. Build model. And what the device and product say.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda premium

I can't give help other than what's already been said, but my advice is don't buy things from China. And as soon as he said smuggling I would've walked out.

gulbir101 said:
Download "android hardware info" and look through that. It'll say if it has 2 cores or 4 cores, etc. Build model. And what the device and product say.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda premium
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Not sure I downloaded the right app? But here is the info:
PROCESSOR (ARMv7)
Processor: ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v7l)
Cores: 2
Max Frequency: 1512 Mhz
Instruction Sets: armeabi-v7a, armeabi
NEON Supported: Yes

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it is a Tmobile variant. The T999. Though it does look like they just threw crap together, so there is no telling if you can just flash a stock TMobile ROM. The hardware is virtually the same, but there are some difference, mainly in the radio. So, you should be able to just Flash either any ROM (custom, not stock) from either AT&T forum or TMobile forum.
The radio is going to depend on what kind of phone service you are hooking into. Who is your network operator?

shoestar said:
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it is a Tmobile variant. The T999. Though it does look like they just threw crap together, so there is no telling if you can just flash a stock TMobile ROM. The hardware is virtually the same, but there are some difference, mainly in the radio. So, you should be able to just Flash either any ROM (custom, not stock) from either AT&T forum or TMobile forum.
The radio is going to depend on what kind of phone service you are hooking into. Who is your network operator?
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Im using telenor mobil in Norway. Is the radio a hardware component that is possible to locate, so I can know for sure?

interrogation said:
Not sure I downloaded the right app? But here is the info:
PROCESSOR (ARMv7)
Processor: ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v7l)
Cores: 2
Max Frequency: 1512 Mhz
Instruction Sets: armeabi-v7a, armeabi
NEON Supported: Yes
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Click to collapse
So that cuts out the international version. Either you have T-Mobile or ATT. As for radio, I can't find anything. You probably would have to try a T-Mobile or ATT radios to see which works.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda premium

gulbir101 said:
So that cuts out the international version. Either you have T-Mobile or ATT. As for radio, I can't find anything. You probably would have to try a T-Mobile or ATT radios to see which works.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda premium
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Thanks, is there any risk regarding flashing wrong radio?

interrogation said:
Thanks, is there any risk regarding flashing wrong radio?
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Click to collapse
Nope. If you don't get signal, flash the other.

shoestar said:
Nope. If you don't get signal, flash the other.
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Great think I will try this, what rom do you recommend me to start off with? Any step-by-step guides? I have the rom manager app, is it possible to install from memory card?

Seeing as I'm not the only one who thinks this is most likely T999-based, I'd start with one of the stock ROMs for that model of device.

smelenchuk said:
Seeing as I'm not the only one who thinks this is most likely T999-based, I'd start with one of the stock ROMs for that model of device.
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Thanks for the link, from what I can read im not sure if I can use the rom?
How to Flash the OTA's
Requirements:
Unmodified stock system
No modem or kernel changes

[Q] Modding the GT-n7105 to get LTE on Tmobile

I was recently gifted a Note 2, which is awesome and I love it, but I feel it's a shame for such a nice phone to be stuck on edge, even with Tmobile's refarming (laaaaaame). Everything I can find on Google says that it's a hardware limitation, not firmware. So I wonder, what if I swapped out the radios?
I'm aware that such a feat would require replacing the entire motherboard. If I buy a T889 motherboard and put it in my phone, what kind of issues would I run into, if any? I would have to flash firmwares and radios and such- would going to the Tmobile Note 2 board and flashing everything stock that I find over there be sufficient? Any IMEI issues that I would run into? Would my phone now be considered a SGH-T889?
No, returning/reselling and buying the T889 isn't an option. It's too much effort for uncertain risks for something I don't care all that much about. I'd be open to a trade, but it would have to be an exact counterpart to my own (unlocked, titanium gray, screen protector from new, great condition). I'm sure trading is much easier, but modding sounds much more fun.
Even if I do the mod, it won't be right away, as motherboards are rather scarce and the prices are higher than I'm willing to pay.
Not sure if it matters, but my note 2 is stock rooted and my efs partition is backed up.

Selofain said:
I was recently gifted a Note 2, which is awesome and I love it, but I feel it's a shame for such a nice phone to be stuck on edge, even with Tmobile's refarming (laaaaaame). Everything I can find on Google says that it's a hardware limitation, not firmware. So I wonder, what if I swapped out the radios?
I'm aware that such a feat would require replacing the entire motherboard. If I buy a T889 motherboard and put it in my phone, what kind of issues would I run into, if any? I would have to flash firmwares and radios and such- would going to the Tmobile Note 2 board and flashing everything stock that I find over there be sufficient? Any IMEI issues that I would run into? Would my phone now be considered a SGH-T889?
No, returning/reselling and buying the T889 isn't an option. It's too much effort for uncertain risks for something I don't care all that much about. I'd be open to a trade, but it would have to be an exact counterpart to my own (unlocked, titanium gray, screen protector from new, great condition). I'm sure trading is much easier, but modding sounds much more fun.
Even if I do the mod, it won't be right away, as motherboards are rather scarce and the prices are higher than I'm willing to pay.
Not sure if it matters, but my note 2 is stock rooted and my efs partition is backed up.
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Click to collapse
1. research/check on the LTE frequency bands t mobile uses then go check for example at gsmarena.com if the N7105 supports those bands by checking it's technical specifications
2. in the mean time you can try this.. go to SETTINGS then MORE SETTINGS then MOBILE WIRELESS change your NETWORK MODE to LTE/GSM/WCDMA AUTO
if this doesn't work and t mobile runs in an LTE frequency band supported by your handset it could also mean you need to upgrade/replace your SIM card .....same number but the new chip has LTE features inside it..it's possible
Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 4

dead soul said:
1. research/check on the LTE frequency bands t mobile uses then go check for example at gsmarena.com if the N7105 supports those bands by checking it's technical specifications
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Click to collapse
I've done my research on this. Tmobile uses AWS, which the n7105 doesn't support. Tmobile is refarming some of their 1900Mhz to free up frequencies for LTE, which the n7105 does support, but I'm not getting 3G speeds in those areas at all. I've seen around these boards that I'm not the only one to do so.
dead soul said:
2. in the mean time you can try this.. go to SETTINGS then MORE SETTINGS then MOBILE WIRELESS change your NETWORK MODE to LTE/GSM/WCDMA AUTO
if this doesn't work and t mobile runs in an LTE frequency band supported by your handset it could also mean you need to upgrade/replace your SIM card .....same number but the new chip has LTE features inside it..it's possible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said before, my research indicates that it's a radio hardware issue, not firmware. There are posts on how to get AT&T/Verizon/Sprint/Tmobile versions to work on each other's networks, but not much on getting international versions to fully support LTE in the US. Besides, I get 4G just fine in my old G2.
Which brings me to my original question- what issues would I run into should I do a motherboard swap?

Bump.

Selofain said:
I've done my research on this. Tmobile uses AWS, which the n7105 doesn't support. Tmobile is refarming some of their 1900Mhz to free up frequencies for LTE, which the n7105 does support, but I'm not getting 3G speeds in those areas at all. I've seen around these boards that I'm not the only one to do so.
As I said before, my research indicates that it's a radio hardware issue, not firmware. There are posts on how to get AT&T/Verizon/Sprint/Tmobile versions to work on each other's networks, but not much on getting international versions to fully support LTE in the US. Besides, I get 4G just fine in my old G2.
Which brings me to my original question- what issues would I run into should I do a motherboard swap?
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Click to collapse
I have seen my note II bring opened up and I have seen a video of a N7100 being open up...they are virtually identical to me atleast.... I saw all the complex/circuitry /smart chips were all on one board like RAM, CPU including the radio...Obb the motherboard..most things if not all which connect to the motherboard are dumb circuits like there was a small board which holds the charging port and Mic and that board has a cable to connect to the main mother board...which I'm pretty sure it's dumb.no advanced circuitry...the 3.5 mm Jack port same thing, the antennas are just cables nothing smart on that, the LCD had a one cable I believed just connecting to the mother board...I personally, only my opinion there could even be a good chance somebody could even switch a note II motherboard and force into a note I so if you want to change mother boards between note II variants I think you could be successful...but again..I could be wrong...see some note II tear downs on YouTube between note II variants..and do the judging by yourself
Sent from my Samsung Note II N7105 LTE using Tapatalk 4