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hi everyone:
I have been looking via numerous thread online on many Android forums especially here and have been unsuccessful for the past 2 days now. So I figured I would need to create a thread and finally give in and ask for some help. I have a T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy 3 phone and I need to unlock it so that it will work on my AT&T service. Now i understand about rooting the phone and being able to play with themes etc, but its not that great if I can't use the phone itself.
Now without coming up with some kind of answer I must have watched about 40 youtube video's hoping to find out some kind of information. Mostly what I got out of it was numerous website that offer unlocking for phones at a certain price.
unlockcodesource(.)com
unlock2go(.)com
mobileunlockcodes(.)co.uk
Has anyone ever used any of these website or can someone give me some good advise on how I can get this phone unlocked please/
~Aqua
I think the toolkit stickied in the development forum has an option to SIM unlock the GS3. I have not tried this, and do not know if it works, but if the option is there, you might want to give it a shot.
If you're on contract with t mobile and your account is in good standing with them. Call them tell them you're going over seas and need to unlock your phone so you can use it. They will send you unlock code ... then pop in an att sim card and it will prompt you to enter the unlock code t Mobil gave you. Done
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
thanks _
Crisisx1 said:
If you're on contract with t mobile and your account is in good standing with them. Call them tell them you're going over seas and need to unlock your phone so you can use it. They will send you unlock code ... then pop in an att sim card and it will prompt you to enter the unlock code t Mobil gave you. Done
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
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OK thank you. I followed your instructions and they said it would take up to maybe 24 hrs for the phone to be unlocked. If it isn't unlocked than she said to call back with the conformation number she gave me. If that doesn't work than they would have to give Samsung my info and could take up to 14 days. She said when you buy phones almost all stands and corp stores have already unlocked phones.
she also said it would be auto unlocked for good. Can they lock the phone back up once it is be unlocked?
~Aqua
edited: Once I have it unlocked ( if all goes good ) do i use the same APN settings that I needed to put into the phone in order for my phone to work on the AT&T network as I did with my S2 that I got unlocked ?
Don't they use different frequencies for HSPA+
You would be relegated to edge speeds, correct me if I'm wrong
speed issue
five40 said:
Don't they use different frequencies for HSPA+
You would be relegated to edge speeds, correct me if I'm wrong
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I really don't know. That would be a great question if someone would be nice enough to help me with this information? Again i have a T mobile S3 hopefully its unlocked would I be losing speeds by being on the AT&T network?
thanks
~Aqua
AquaWater said:
I really don't know. That would be a great question if someone would be nice enough to help me with this information? Again i have a T mobile S3 hopefully its unlocked would I be losing speeds by being on the AT&T network?
thanks
~Aqua
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The T-Mobile S3 has the 850/1900 3G bands so it will work on AT&T's 3G network. It will not get LTE though.
You can unlock either by paying for a code from the various resellers online or requesting an unlock code from T-Mobile if you have an account in good standing with them. If you can't get the code from T-Mobile I suggest searching 'T999 unlock' on eBay and you'll find some good options.
The tmobile galaxy s3 will work on the ATnT HSPA+21 frequency. Same frequency the International version runs on for that network.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Edge network and 3/4G Question
I found an excellent place so far on eBay for buying unlock codes. they have almost 3800 sells with a 99% positive feedback. Great customer service. The guy answered numerous questions of mine and made sure i did everything correctly. Payment was $24.95 US, so hopefullly everything will go good.
He was talking about being on something called an " Edge " network which is a little slower, but he said you won't notice a difference between your unlocked S2 and the unlocked S3 now. Right now my S2 says I have 3G service when I use it. I dont understand how i had a inspire4G, what is the 4G for if AT&T only gives you 3G service? And where I am in United States I should have 4G service no matter what. I'm confused on that.,
AquaWater said:
I found an excellent place so far on eBay for buying unlock codes. they have almost 3800 sells with a 99% positive feedback. Great customer service. The guy answered numerous questions of mine and made sure i did everything correctly. Payment was $24.95 US, so hopefullly everything will go good.
He was talking about being on something called an " Edge " network which is a little slower, but he said you won't notice a difference between your unlocked S2 and the unlocked S3 now. Right now my S2 says I have 3G service when I use it. I dont understand how i had a inspire4G, what is the 4G for if AT&T only gives you 3G service? And where I am in United States I should have 4G service no matter what. I'm confused on that.,
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Edge is 2G speeds, which are substantially slower than 3G speeds. IMHO, 3G speeds are livable, 2G/Edge is not.
Different phones have different radios which work on different frequencies. Some phones are not compatible with other services at all, and some will work on other carriers but often not at optimal speeds.
Darmokk said:
Edge is 2G speeds, which are substantially slower than 3G speeds. IMHO, 3G speeds are livable, 2G/Edge is not.
Different phones have different radios which work on different frequencies. Some phones are not compatible with other services at all, and some will work on other carriers but often not at optimal speeds.
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So than why would someone suggest that I would get "edge" instead of what i have now? I'm getting 3G now with my T-Mobile S2 unlocked on AT&T, but now I'm going to have an unlocked S3, why wouldn't it be the same?
Because the radios in the devices are different.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
So than why would someone suggest that I would get "edge" instead of what i have now?
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Because he/she doesn't know what he/she is talking about. You will be fine with a T-Mobile S3 on AT&T.
That's what I said earlier in not so many words.
Voice willl work fine you will not see HSPA+ speeds on At&t with a T-Mobile Galaxy SIII.
If the T-Mobile SIII has the hardware capability to support the At&t HSPA+ bands you would need modified radio software to unlock this ability.
I believe this was done on the Galaxy Note to tun on T-Mobile HSPA+ network before it was officially launched on T-Mobile.
kmdub I believe your the one that's wrong.
five40 said:
That's what I said earlier in not so many words.
Voice willl work fine you will not see HSPA+ speeds on At&t with a T-Mobile Galaxy SIII.
If the T-Mobile SIII has the hardware capability to support the At&t HSPA+ bands you would need modified radio software to unlock this ability.
I believe this was done on the Galaxy Note to tun on T-Mobile HSPA+ network before it was officially launched on T-Mobile.
kmdub I believe your the one that's wrong.
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I unlocked my t999 and am using an att straight talk sim getting HSPA speeds. Going to switch back to tmobile prepay because it is way faster than att HSPA with better latency. Although coverage may be lacking, i may just switch to an att ST sim.
To answer your question, a Tmobile S3 will work on ATT HSPA+ network with the HSPA+ Speeds of up to 6-7mbps in NYC area. The average I've been getting is around 2-3.5 mbps. With the tmobile prepay sim I have, it's usually around 2-18mbps down in NYC area.
The T-mobile S3 will not work on the ATT LTE network because it lacks that radio (or so they say for now); there have been other threads suspecting it's just a matter of flashing the right radio to "turn on" the ATT LTE radio. However, if all you want is HSPA+ speeds, rest assured it will work fine.
The ATT S3 is lacking the AWS bands for TMobile so it will not get the HSPA+ on Tmobile.
Best regards.
radio issue
First off, I would like to thank everyone who has been helping me along with my issues with my phone. I appreciate it a lot and I'm picking up more knowledge more and more everyday from you guys and reading heavily on the forums.
if the hardware in the phone doesn't support HSPA+ 1) will i have to root the phone and 2) change the radio? And 3 ) if I change the radio does that mean I would need to install a custom ROM i order for it to work properly?
Also, from one of the post they said "The T-Mobile S3 has the 850/1900 3G bands " - of that is true will than I should be able to have the 3G speeds correct?
I really hope I am not making some people angry, I'm new to this and trying my hardest to understand everything so I don't make mistakes. Please bare with me. Again, thank you so much everyone who has contributed so far. I still have a lot to learn. The reason why is because I just don't want it to work ( I do, want it to work ) but I want to understand why everything is working they way it is and I've over the past almost month have been picking up a lot of knowledge. Can't wait to hear from you guys
kmdub I believe your the one that's wrong.
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No, actually, you are wrong. The T-Mobile S3 does not need any modification to work properly on AT&T's HSPA network. Seems you are confusing something else with frequency. Quit spreading bad information.
OP: Don't worry about it. Some are making this way more complicated than it needs to be. As said before, if you have the T999, you will be fine on AT&T's HSPA network without any modifications (other than an account...lol). Just get the phone SIM-unlocked, pop in the right SIM, you are good to go. Seriously, it is that easy.
Well there it is, I stand corrected!
I had no idea the T-Mobile SIII supports At&t HSPA+ bands.
Is the same true to all T-Mobile HSPA+ phones?
Sorry for any issues, just learning
Hi everyone,
thanks so much for the info. Will the S2 I needed to put in certain APN settings inorder to receive MMS ( picture ) via texts. Do i use the same settings for the Samsung Galaxy 3?
kmdub said:
No, actually, you are wrong. The T-Mobile S3 does not need any modification to work properly on AT&T's HSPA network. Seems you are confusing something else with frequency. Quit spreading bad information.
OP: Don't worry about it. Some are making this way more complicated than it needs to be. As said before, if you have the T999, you will be fine on AT&T's HSPA network without any modifications (other than an account...lol). Just get the phone SIM-unlocked, pop in the right SIM, you are good to go. Seriously, it is that easy.
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I too have learned from this thread
I'm using a Sprint S3 on Page Plus that I purchased off ebay. The voice/text/data work just fine but the data speed is 1X and I'd like to somehow get the 3G to work. Can someone help me with that?
Thanks in advance.
kniwor said:
I'm using a Sprint S3 on Page Plus that I purchased off ebay. The voice/text/data work just fine but the data speed is 1X and I'd like to somehow get the 3G to work. Can someone help me with that?
Thanks in advance.
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Click to collapse
Using a Sprint GS3 on Page Plus may mean that the 3G won't work. As Page Plus operates on Verizon's network, the Sprint radios in your GS3 won't operate on Verizon's 3G frequencies. Your best bet would have been to buy a Verizon GS3 as you likely could have gotten the 3G to work.
Vanakatherock said:
Using a Sprint GS3 on Page Plus may mean that the 3G won't work. As Page Plus operates on Verizon's network, the Sprint radios in your GS3 won't operate on Verizon's 3G frequencies. Your best bet would have been to buy a Verizon GS3 as you likely could have gotten the 3G to work.
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How does, then, one sell a Sprint GS3 (SPH-L710) with 3G working on PP, on eBay? There are listings if you will see, with a working 3G. I just made the mistake of buying one with 1X data.
1X just means that you're in an area with no 3G. It doesn't mean that you're getting "1X" data speeds because 1X is what SMS and MMS are transferred over, its not actually a "data" signal
It may be that you just dont live in an area where verizon gives 3G
Sent from my PG06100
CNexus said:
1X just means that you're in an area with no 3G. It doesn't mean that you're getting "1X" data speeds because 1X is what SMS and MMS are transferred over, its not actually a "data" signal
It may be that you just dont live in an area where verizon gives 3G
Sent from my PG06100
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I'm pretty sure Verizon has 3G here (I live in the city of Chicago, and moving around the city doesb't give me 3G either).
Anyway, I'm pretty sure the guy who did the flashing couldn't get 3G antenna to work with PP, which is what he told me.
kniwor said:
How does, then, one sell a Sprint GS3 (SPH-L710) with 3G working on PP, on eBay? There are listings if you will see, with a working 3G. I just made the mistake of buying one with 1X data.
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This seems to be a recent development for myself, then. There are a few Sprint phones that look to be fully flashable to PP with 3G/MMS working. You may have purchased one that wasn't fully flashed. Making it work would likely require changing more than just the APN. My advice would be to contact a seller on ebay who is offering the service only and see if they can assist.
Why not just flash the radios? Your on xda where everyone flashes about everything. The seller would of flashed them. But not to mention he's legally not allowed to do anything about phones that are flashed to a different network as it became illegal the other day. Someone please correct me if I'm mistaken
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
ReapersDeath said:
Why not just flash the radios? Your on xda where everyone flashes about everything. The seller would of flashed them. But not to mention he's legally not allowed to do anything about phones that are flashed to a different network as it became illegal the other day. Someone please correct me if I'm mistaken
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
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No idea how to flash the 3G radio.
As far as the legality is concerned. This phone was unlocked much before any of that, and since now it is not tied to any carrier anymore (and no terms of service), making changes to the firmware should be perfectly legal.
You'll need a donor phone to get 3g. Some might help you here, or go over to the Page Plus forum @ Howardforums and you should find your answers there. You'll need a newer build of QPST and DFS CDMA Tool demo.
I can't find an answer on this subject, so forgive me if it has been answered.
I have the older version of the Galaxy s3 from t-mobile that doesn't get LTE . I know that LTEis available in my area, if I root my phone, can I get access to LTE instead of just 4G, or am I stuck with 4g/3g forever?
Thank you!
Nope, the original T999 is not capable of LTE. That's why they had to release a new model. It was either that or stop offering the S3 at all, which wouldn't make for a very good business decision. But if you happen to be in a market where they upgraded to hspa+42, you will be able to get very close to, sometimes better than LTE speeds. If not then it's just hspa+21, which most would agree is still very good for mobile data!
Sent from my SGH-T999V using Tapatalk 4
t3tr1s_ said:
I can't find an answer on this subject, so forgive me if it has been answered.
I have the older version of the Galaxy s3 from t-mobile that doesn't get LTE . I know that LTEis available in my area, if I root my phone, can I get access to LTE instead of just 4G, or am I stuck with 4g/3g forever?
Thank you!
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Click to collapse
No, your phone doesn't have the hardware to support LTE. Therefore, you're limited to HSPA+ unless you get the T999L.
I'm not sure why LTE is so highly valued. I download 1-1.8 MB/s on HSPA. Yes, megabytes.
Has anyone here bought an unlocked AT&T S3 to use on the MetroPCS/Tmobile network? If so has there been any issues? shorter battery life, bad connectivity?
I am debating getting the S3 unlocked or HTC One S. I would prefer the HTC One S but it doesn't have microSD slot
I have a SGH T999 Lte at&t branded unlocked and use on TMobile with the T999L lte rom with no ill effects.
Sent from my SGH-T999L using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
afwolfpacked said:
I have a SGH T999 Lte at&t branded unlocked and use on TMobile with the T999L lte rom with no ill effects.
Sent from my SGH-T999L using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Is that the same model as my phone? So it would be advisable, after I got the S3 to flash it with a MetroPCS ROM after activation by Metro?
I thought there would be no need of a flash if I got an unlocked phone.
edo101 said:
Has anyone here bought an unlocked AT&T S3 to use on the MetroPCS/Tmobile network? If so has there been any issues? shorter battery life, bad connectivity?
I am debating getting the S3 unlocked or HTC One S. I would prefer the HTC One S but it doesn't have microSD slot
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You will have issues with 3G HSPA+ on 1700mhz, but 2G EDGE & 4G LTE will work just fine. If you live in a large metro area with a lot of LTE coverage it will be fine. I just went through this with my wife's phone, she had to have the Red one (AT&T specific).
edo101 said:
Is that the same model as my phone? So it would be advisable, after I got the S3 to flash it with a MetroPCS ROM after activation by Metro?
I thought there would be no need of a flash if I got an unlocked phone.
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There is no need to flash anything, just unlock it and add/edit the APN for TMo.
DJ_SpaRky said:
You will have issues with 3G HSPA+ on 1700mhz, but 2G EDGE & 4G LTE will work just fine. If you live in a large metro area with a lot of LTE coverage it will be fine. I just went through this with my wife's phone, she had to have the Red one (AT&T specific).
There is no need to flash anything, just unlock it and add/edit the APN for TMo.
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Sweet thanks! Both areas that I frequent have 4G and LTE coverage. My only concern is when I'm driving long distances which I often do, being in college and losing 2G signal in the middle of no where. So far with my Metro phones, I haven't seen anywhere I had 3G coverage. its always 2G and 4G/LTE
edo101 said:
Sweet thanks! Both areas that I frequent have 4G and LTE coverage. My only concern is when I'm driving long distances which I often do, being in college and losing 2G signal in the middle of no where. So far with my Metro phones, I haven't seen anywhere I had 3G coverage. its always 2G and 4G/LTE
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Good, that is exactly what we are seeing as well. Mostly LTE coverage with EDGE to fallback on. Most all Metro areas and major highways/interstates will have good coverage. Funny enough we live in the middle of nowhere, but there is a major highway nearby so we get LTE coverage.
On a side note, US carriers marketed HSPA as 3G and HSPA+ as 4g, but both are technically 3G. True 4G is LTE. I am not sure if Metro ever had HSPA service, I think that they were just CDMA then later added LTE and have been migrated to TMo's GSM/HSPA network which now uses Metro's LTE as well. Only the newer GSM Based phones would connect to HSPA.
I have my s3 i747 unlocked an on metro I cannot get no data
banks2878 said:
I have my s3 i747 unlocked an on metro I cannot get no data
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Check your APN settings.
i cant even get to the apn's when i goto more network then mobile networks it says insert Sim card to access network services but calling an text work fine
banks2878 said:
i cant even get to the apn's when i goto more network then mobile networks it says insert Sim card to access network services but calling an text work fine
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What firmware are you running?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
4.3 rooted.. I got data now that I flashed a modem but its very slow datai don't know how to find the right 1..heres what the one I downloaded is called modem_CWM_I747UCUEMJB
Define Slow data please. Post Speed test results.
normally around 0.15mbs but sometimes it works great and I get around 15.00mbs
Given this is not an LTE device, that sounds about right. Weather, tower congestion do affect results.
Perseus71 said:
Given this is not an LTE device, that sounds about right. Weather, tower congestion do affect results.
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The I747 is an LTE device, my wife's (running on TMo) works just fine on LTE, just not HSPA+ 1700MHz. I'll run speed test if people would like.
Unlocked att siii will not access metro/t-mobile data
Can someone verify for me what the correct apn settings are? Should there be a network operator? And since I think the apn is finally right, do you have any more suggestions? Also, do you know if this is CDMA or GSM?
can I ask why people want to buy an ATT phone to use on a Tmobile carrier? On the S4 and Note versions, people buy Tmobile phones and use them on ATT, myself included. This is because of the bootloader, and the Tmobile phones cover ATT LTE channels while not the opposite.
Wasn't planned
I didn't intentionally set out to buy an AT&T phone, I was just looking to upgrade and this was the best deal. Or at least it looked to be on the surface. Do I just need to forget it and try to sell it?
If you are in an area recently upgraded by T-Mobile, the I747 will work just fine. However, if you are in an are not upgraded with LTE, etc, it's waay more trouble than its worth. The above post about not getting HSPA+21/42 is worth considering too though.
T-Mobile and AT&T are both GSM networks btw.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
I am actually on Metro P.S, but they are on the T-mobile network now in Atlanta, Ga where I live. We do run 4glte,but so far the fastest mine will connect to shows "E" on my phone, edge maybe? One of the many I've spoken with at metro said E is 3g. One of their repair techs said I needed a different SIM card because I had a CDMA phone but when I got to the store that had one he said it was a GSM phone. It's already about been more trouble than it is worth, but as much effort as I've put into it already, I'd like to resolve it.
Hey guys! I'm trying to get my Verizon S4 working for my wife on T-Mobile! She got the LG G3 last night and because she's so tiny, it's like a tablet to her!
Anyways, the Verizon S4 is rooted and is still on original MDK firmware. With that said, I'm not too sure exactly which steps in your guide apply to our situation...not having safe strap and all.
With changing the APN settings to match up to my phone (LG G3 on T-Mobile), and inserting a T-Mobile 4G sim card, I'm able to get calls and SMS working over WiFi on the S4...that's it though. No mobile data seems to be coming through. Her mobile signal icon in the status bar keeps switching back n forth from E to H for some reason...but no LTE or 4G icon.
Anyways, is this something anyone thinks they could help with? Or do ya think we're screwed? My sweet wife would be eternally grateful if someone could help to make this happen!!
EDIT: haha, my signature will be changed if I'm able to get this working for her!
Aren't you missing something here? Verizon is CDMA, TMo is GSM. I don't see how you can get cell coverage to work unless the phone has dual antennas.
enmatt said:
Aren't you missing something here? Verizon is CDMA, TMo is GSM. I don't see how you can get cell coverage to work unless the phone has dual antennas.
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Many newer CDMA devices with LTE support have gsm radios as well, that includes sprint and Verizon..
To OP, you may have better luck searching the Verizon forums if nobody replies here