Develop Bugs

When LTE dominates, will importing phones still be possible?

Importing phones is obviously possible now because tons of carriers all over the world share AT&T's GSM and UMTS/HSPA bands.
When LTE starts to become the dominant source for cell-phone signals (especially when Voice-over-LTE appears), will AT&T still share bands with the rest of the world like it does now?
In other words, will AT&T still have the advantage over Vzw and T-Mobile that early adopters of phones will be able to import them and use them months before they show up in the US? Or will the proliferation of LTE cause AT&T to suffer from the same problem from which Verizon suffers: You will ONLY be able to use phones designed specifically for the AT&T network?
I ask because right now I have AT&T and Verizon, and I have unlimited data on both. I'm going to be canceling one of them within the next week or so. Right now I actually prefer AT&T's service, and I love the fact that I can import phones that are not available in the US. But if the "importing phones" advantage of AT&T disappears, perhaps Verizon becomes the more desirable carrier for me.

You haven't read much about LTE, I guess. By conforming to the LTE standards, a multi-band LTE phone will be able to be as much of a "world phone" as a multi-band GSM phone. While there are some differences in frequency spectrums around the planet, there are many in common.
The allocated frequencies are 700 and 1700 MHz in North America; 800, 1800, 2600 MHz in Europe; 1800 and 2600 MHz in Asia; and 1800 MHz in Australia.
So, a quad-band LTE phone with frequencies of 700/1700/1800/2600 would get you coverage almost anywhere.
The end result is this: If the manufacturers want to make an LTE "world phone" just like they have in the past with GSM, they certainly can (within the laws of physics, if the antenna technologies will allow it). The same economics apply for the manufacturers, and possibly better - since there are a smaller set of frequencies with greater chance of coverage - and a greater market potential for a single design.
I suspect that with modern fractal antenna technology, this won't be a huge issue.

In North America, are the 700 and 1700 different carriers, or is it better for a phone to support both like the current att 850/1900?

¿GotJazz? said:
You haven't read much about LTE, I guess. By conforming to the LTE standards, a multi-band LTE phone will be able to be as much of a "world phone" as a multi-band GSM phone. While there are some differences in frequency spectrums around the planet, there are many in common.
The allocated frequencies are 700 and 1700 MHz in North America; 800, 1800, 2600 MHz in Europe; 1800 and 2600 MHz in Asia; and 1800 MHz in Australia.
So, a quad-band LTE phone with frequencies of 700/1700/1800/2600 would get you coverage almost anywhere.
The end result is this: If the manufacturers want to make an LTE "world phone" just like they have in the past with GSM, they certainly can (within the laws of physics, if the antenna technologies will allow it). The same economics apply for the manufacturers, and possibly better - since there are a smaller set of frequencies with greater chance of coverage - and a greater market potential for a single design.
I suspect that with modern fractal antenna technology, this won't be a huge issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. That was actually pretty helpful. But for instance, it is my understanding that AT&T runs in the low-700s, and Vzw runs in the high-700s. And Vzw has tentatively stated that its LTE phones will not be compatible with AT&T's. So I guess when you say they could make a multi-band LTE phone, it would need to cover "all of" 700 MHz for it to have both AT&T and Vzw compatibility.
In any event, does this favor AT&T or Vzw for future phones? My guess would be for at least the next several years, if not decade or more, all LTE phones will have 3G radios in them as well. And those 3G radios, just like today, are going to be GSM. So I guess you could start seeing phones world phones that are both quad-band GSM and quad-band LTE, and theoretically these would work on AT&T, but not Vzw.
Am I on the right path here? Do you agree that it seems likely at least until GSM/3G completely die (if ever), most/all LTE phones will continue to have 3G radios, and this would suggest that if anything, importing international phones will still be possible on AT&T but not Vzw?

chrikenn said:
Thanks. That was actually pretty helpful. But for instance, it is my understanding that AT&T runs in the low-700s, and Vzw runs in the high-700s. And Vzw has tentatively stated that its LTE phones will not be compatible with AT&T's. So I guess when you say they could make a multi-band LTE phone, it would need to cover "all of" 700 MHz for it to have both AT&T and Vzw compatibility.
In any event, does this favor AT&T or Vzw for future phones? My guess would be for at least the next several years, if not decade or more, all LTE phones will have 3G radios in them as well. And those 3G radios, just like today, are going to be GSM. So I guess you could start seeing phones world phones that are both quad-band GSM and quad-band LTE, and theoretically these would work on AT&T, but not Vzw.
Am I on the right path here? Do you agree that it seems likely at least until GSM/3G completely die (if ever), most/all LTE phones will continue to have 3G radios, and this would suggest that if anything, importing international phones will still be possible on AT&T but not Vzw?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Almost every LTE deployment other than VZW runs alongside an existing 3GPP (GSM) network and most all chipsets will natively support the combination. Therefore, I doubt you will see many devices without the UMTS radios. No one is turning their 3G networks off any time soon. Verizon will be one of very few sources for LTE devices WITHOUT any other GSM radios.
As for LTE frequencies, there are A LOT of them. What chipsets will support which radio combinations is still a subject of much debate. Don't expect full interop out of the box.

You can always import regardless
the only risk you face is all the different LTE radio bands that you might or might not get with certain phones
chrikenn said:
Importing phones is obviously possible now because tons of carriers all over the world share AT&T's GSM and UMTS/HSPA bands.
When LTE starts to become the dominant source for cell-phone signals (especially when Voice-over-LTE appears), will AT&T still share bands with the rest of the world like it does now?
In other words, will AT&T still have the advantage over Vzw and T-Mobile that early adopters of phones will be able to import them and use them months before they show up in the US? Or will the proliferation of LTE cause AT&T to suffer from the same problem from which Verizon suffers: You will ONLY be able to use phones designed specifically for the AT&T network?
I ask because right now I have AT&T and Verizon, and I have unlimited data on both. I'm going to be canceling one of them within the next week or so. Right now I actually prefer AT&T's service, and I love the fact that I can import phones that are not available in the US. But if the "importing phones" advantage of AT&T disappears, perhaps Verizon becomes the more desirable carrier for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Does the Galaxy Nexus LTE version also support the Penta-Band GSM bands for international travel?
Verizon version = GSM + LTE?
Sorry I'm a noob at Verizon's ways.

player911 said:
Does the Galaxy Nexus LTE version also support the Penta-Band GSM bands for international travel?
Verizon version = GSM + LTE?
Sorry I'm a noob at Verizon's ways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't think so. Verizon version = CDMA + LTE. So it will only work in the US, on Verizon.

chrikenn said:
Don't think so. Verizon version = CDMA + LTE. So it will only work in the US, on Verizon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always thought that Verizon always had bands for international travel also? I mean not really a big deal. Verizon is the clear winner for coverage nationally and since my work is paying for it, its even sweeter.
Right now I just have a blackberry

player911 said:
I always thought that Verizon always had bands for international travel also? I mean not really a big deal. Verizon is the clear winner for coverage nationally and since my work is paying for it, its even sweeter.
Right now I just have a blackberry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's possible that the Verizon version has GSM/UMTS radios, it's also possible that it has those but are disabled somehow. We really don't know all that much about the LTE version of this phone, we don't even know the exact dimensions of it and what battery it comes with. So we'll just have to wait until it passes through the FCC or is released.

Chirality said:
It's possible that the Verizon version has GSM/UMTS radios, it's also possible that it has those but are disabled somehow. We really don't know all that much about the LTE version of this phone, we don't even know the exact dimensions of it and what battery it comes with. So we'll just have to wait until it passes through the FCC or is released.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for storming Google HQ
G2x - 2.3.7 CM7
Transformer - 3.2 Revolver OC/UV

Chirality said:
It's possible that the Verizon version has GSM/UMTS radios, it's also possible that it has those but are disabled somehow. We really don't know all that much about the LTE version of this phone, we don't even know the exact dimensions of it and what battery it comes with. So we'll just have to wait until it passes through the FCC or is released.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do recall seeing a negatory on the world phone status in Verizon's inventory system. And I suppose there is still the option for dormant or disabled radios but I ain't holding my breath.

For those one on T-Mobile/wind Mobile/Mobilicity users...

The AT&T or Rogers LTE Version of HTC ONE X has HSPA support on AWS&2100
(looks like lots ppl may not know this)
So AT&T one x works on T-Mo 3G network (wow~) Tegra FAIL!
and one more... The AT&T LTE version is originally called One XL (but now they call it X since idk)
Moreover, AT&T version looks like 549.99USD (Rogers version is $629CAD+tax)

It still won't have the 1700 band.

ytwytw said:
The AT&T or Rogers LTE Version of HTC ONE X has HSPA support on AWS&2100
(looks like lots ppl may not know this)
So AT&T one x works on T-Mo 3G network (wow~) Tegra FAIL!
and one more... The AT&T LTE version is originally called One XL (but now they call it X since idk)
Moreover, AT&T version looks like 549.99USD (Rogers version is $629CAD+tax)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been discussed to death. The official HTC Asia page says the AT&T phone (by name) doesn't support AWS for HSPA. The LTE radio does but it won't work for HSPA. Do you have a link to share where someone has shown a Speed Test getting HSPA/HSPA+ speeds on T-Mobile U.S. with either a Rogers or AT&T One X? Until someone posts that this isn't confirmed and based on the published specs it probably won't be.
From HTC Asia:
HSPA/WCDMA:
•ATT: 850/1900/2100 MHz
•Asia/AUS: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
•850/900/1800/1900 MHz
LTE:
•ATT: B4/B17
•Asia/AUS: 1800/2600 MHz
From the Rogers site:
GSM Bands: 850/900/1800/1900
HSPA Bands: 850/1900/2100
LTE Bands: 700/1700/2100
From the AT&T site:
GSM/GPRS/EDGE - 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
3G/UMTS - 850/1900/2100 MHz
4G LTE - Band 4 and 17

http://www.htc.com/ca/products/htconex-rogers#tech-specs
Network
LTE CAT3 - DL 100 /UL 50
LTE: 700/AWS
WCDMA: 2100/1900/AWS/850
EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900
Clearly says AWS/2100 is on the list, also 850/1900
I'm getting it this coming weekend, so I will try
And some ppl on the XL forum says Rogers has 1700 hspa clearly written on the box,
It could be a software lockdown, Same as i717...
EDIT: Just saying on Rogers site, Nokia Lumia 7100 doesnt have 1700 listed on there either, but after unlocking, it works perfectly on Wind, so idk

HSPA might work base on spec
If you look at the Samsung Galaxy Nexus's spec, the 1700/2100 HSDPA is listed as "3G". I am using the international version with T-mobile and I am getting around 7mbps. This is definitely faster than 3G speed. Looking at the spec for one x, HSDPA 1700/2100 is listed as 3G also just like the Galaxy Nexus. Wouldn't this mean it would work with T-Mobile's so called "4G" HSPA?

ytwytw said:
The AT&T or Rogers LTE Version of HTC ONE X has HSPA support on AWS&2100
(looks like lots ppl may not know this)
So AT&T one x works on T-Mo 3G network (wow~) Tegra FAIL!
and one more... The AT&T LTE version is originally called One XL (but now they call it X since idk)
Moreover, AT&T version looks like 549.99USD (Rogers version is $629CAD+tax)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bands supported by the device has **nothing whatsoever** to do with the Tegra SoC, since the vendor uses a discreet modem with the Tegra 3 version of the One X anyway.

ytwytw said:
Same as i717...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If this is true, than the weak signal strength and heavier battery drain are likely to occur just like they did on the G-Note. It'll be interesting to see how (and if) the One XL performs.

AT&T vs International bands
According GSM arena the AT&T version will support 3G 1700/2100 which is what Tmobile uses for its H+ network...so if you unlock the at&t version, it should be able to run on Tmo's "4G" right out the box without any needs to flash radios or what not right?
Here's the link to a comparison: http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=4614&idPhone2=4320

Is it possible to flash a t-Mobile modem or tweek the one x to get faster speeds
Sent from T-Mobile's galaxy S II running ICS

Hello friend, I too am interested in getting the One X (international 32 Gig version preferred) but would consider AT&T's version. I was able to click around AT&T's website and I could not find where it actually stated 1700/2100 AWS however, it does say this:
"4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ (with enhanced backhaul) or LTE, where available" "4G LTE Band 4 and 17" -
And this:
"3G - UMTS850/1900/2100 MHz"
Link to AT&T's site:
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?q_sku=sku5980268#fbid=n77DzSAk3I2
T Mobile has confirmed the reframing/refarming of 1900 from 2g to 3g but stated it was slow process (slower than Edge? lol).
Really want the One X...

atvxda said:
Hello friend, I too am interested in getting the One X (international 32 Gig version preferred) but would consider AT&T's version. I was able to click around AT&T's website and I could not find where it actually stated 1700/2100 AWS however, it does say this:
"4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ (with enhanced backhaul) or LTE, where available" "4G LTE Band 4 and 17" -
And this:
"3G - UMTS850/1900/2100 MHz"
Link to AT&T's site:
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?q_sku=sku5980268#fbid=n77DzSAk3I2
T Mobile has confirmed the reframing/refarming of 1900 from 2g to 3g but stated it was slow process (slower than Edge? lol).
Really want the One X...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take the example of Lumia 710
It is a pentaband phone (850/900/1700/1900/2100) but on Rogers site it says only 850/1900/2100,
But after unlock, this phone works on Wind Mobile (same as 3G T-Mobile)
So hope to get this phone on hand ASAP, so I can try...

ytwytw said:
So hope to get this phone on hand ASAP, so I can try...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't work, at least out of the box, on the XL. It uses a different radio though so the international version could behave differently.
http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...TC-One-X-work-on-Wind?p=14788508#post14788508

ytwytw said:
Take the example of Lumia 710
It is a pentaband phone (850/900/1700/1900/2100) but on Rogers site it says only 850/1900/2100,
But after unlock, this phone works on Wind Mobile (same as 3G T-Mobile)
So hope to get this phone on hand ASAP, so I can try...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great info. As a T MoUSA customer, I will be periodically checking out Wind's site for phones, lol.
I guess I'll keep checking XDA to determine which One X I'll be buying in the next couple of weeks...

atvxda said:
Great info. As a T MoUSA customer, I will be periodically checking out Wind's site for phones, lol.
I guess I'll keep checking XDA to determine which One X I'll be buying in the next couple of weeks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This...
http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...TC-One-X-work-on-Wind?p=14788508#post14788508
Confirms this isn't true...
ytwytw said:
It is a pentaband phone (850/900/1700/1900/2100) but on Rogers site it says only 850/1900/2100,
But after unlock, this phone works on Wind Mobile (same as 3G T-Mobile)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a thread on the One XL forum you can follow. They're trying to come up with some sort of hack to try and make it work.

BarryH_GEG said:
This...
http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...TC-One-X-work-on-Wind?p=14788508#post14788508
Confirms this isn't true...
There's a thread on the One XL forum you can follow. They're trying to come up with some sort of hack to try and make it work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...TC-One-X-work-on-Wind?p=14791010#post14791010
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1610323&page=3
Confirmed, it's true,
HTC says YES to AWS (Wcdma/HspA)

ytwytw said:
Confirmed, it's true,
HTC says YES to AWS (Wcdma/HspA)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to be clear though. Out of the box, neither phone is going to get 3G data on an AWS carrier (T-Mobile, Wind). If you guys come up with a hack, people are going to have to root their phones and flash a new radio. A lot of people will be fine with it, some, especially novices, won't. And the hack for the G-Note gets the job done but you lose some signal and battery life in the process. Until it's running on someone's XL (and well) it's a little early to claim victory. I hope it works out for you guys.

T-Mobile AWS needs 1700 AND 2100 bands. It won't work with only one, so if you don't have both, you don't have T-Mobile 3G.
Not only that, if it comes down to simply being a radio flash you NEED S-OFF to flash a radio. An RUU won't work because there is no version of the X that supports T-Mobile frequencies.

I was today That by this summer in my area the iPhone will be able to get 3g and hopefully it's the bands we to make it work on the one x
Sent from T-Mobile's galaxy S II running ICS
(edit)
The iPhone has the same network bands as of the one x. Now we wait on TMO to update.

hopefully t-mobile gets this done by july. I'll be out of Army Basic training and will have money to spend on a International HTC One X beast lol... I currently have AT&T now. I was converted to a Radioshack AT&T employee plan a few months ago which changed my data plan from 2GB to Unlimited data which was freakin amazing even tho i only used between 1.5GB - 3GB of Data. Since i quit Radioshack bcuz im about to ship to boot camp, they gotta convert it back to a consumer plan (3GB data plan :-/) Idk what to do. If i come back from boot camp and ppl report that the AWS refarming rollout is actively in progress, im ditching AT&T and coming back to T-Mobile with a Tegra 3 One X. ( 6Mbits/sec is lightning fast enough for me to support playing Call of Duty on Xbox Live anyway. Ive done it on a T-Mobile Vibrant before.

Lantek23 said:
I was today That by this summer in my area the iPhone will be able to get 3g and hopefully it's the bands we to make it work on the one x
Sent from T-Mobile's galaxy S II running ICS
(edit)
The iPhone has the same network bands as of the one x. Now we wait on TMO to update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this one, ill be keeping it no matter what but it will be a lot easier if it had some speed away from WiFi. Where did you get the info on the iPhone being able to get 3g? I'd like to find some info on my area,Tucson AZ.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

[Q] Will Developer Edition work on Tmobile

Hey Guys,
Just bought the Developer Edition on the HTC website and was wondering if this will work on Tmobile??
Thanks

I'm sure it will. It's unlocked so yea!
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

henry1970 said:
Hey Guys,
Just bought the Developer Edition on the HTC website and was wondering if this will work on Tmobile??
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's missing the AWS frequencies...

henry1970 said:
Hey Guys,
Just bought the Developer Edition on the HTC website and was wondering if this will work on Tmobile??
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes and No.
The HTC website quotes:
Networks: LTE Quad Band (Bands 17/4/2/5); LTE MIMO; GSM/EDGE: Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900 Hz), Class 12; UMTS: Tri-band (UMTS 850/1900/2100MHz), HSPA+Category 14xx (HSDPA 21Mbps/ EDCH 5.7 Mbps)
Without AWS (1700) for UMTS...you would be limited to T-mobile's LTE area only (Band 4). You will not get 3G connections.

Elythor said:
Yes and No.
The HTC website quotes:
Networks: LTE Quad Band (Bands 17/4/2/5); LTE MIMO; GSM/EDGE: Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900 Hz), Class 12; UMTS: Tri-band (UMTS 850/1900/2100MHz), HSPA+Category 14xx (HSDPA 21Mbps/ EDCH 5.7 Mbps)
Without AWS (1700) for UMTS...you would be limited to T-mobile's LTE area only (Band 4). You will not get 3G connections.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats not true he will get 3g everywhere where tmobile has reframed their network which at thus point is almost everywhere
Sent from my Nexus 5

what is the difference between unlocked version, gpe, and developer edition?

Unlocked - can use on any compatible network, locked bootloader, Sense 6.0
GPe - can use on any compatible network, locked bootloader, stock Android
Dev Edition - can use on any compatible network, unlocked bootloader, Sense 6.0

Elythor said:
Yes and No.
The HTC website quotes:
Networks: LTE Quad Band (Bands 17/4/2/5); LTE MIMO; GSM/EDGE: Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900 Hz), Class 12; UMTS: Tri-band (UMTS 850/1900/2100MHz), HSPA+Category 14xx (HSDPA 21Mbps/ EDCH 5.7 Mbps)
Without AWS (1700) for UMTS...you would be limited to T-mobile's LTE area only (Band 4). You will not get 3G connections.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dkotoric said:
Thats not true he will get 3g everywhere where tmobile has reframed their network which at thus point is almost everywhere
Sent from my Nexus 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This would be good news for me, but the HTC.com support person (would they be from Let's Talk, which seems to be the the HTC.com e-commerce provider) was saying that T-Mobile LTE is not supported for the Developer edition. I have been considering canceling that order and wait for T-Mobile version to come out, but would hate any bloatware etc.
I hope the HTC support lady was wrong. How can one confirm?

AnDruid said:
This would be good news for me, but the HTC.com support person (would they be from Let's Talk, which seems to be the the HTC.com e-commerce provider) was saying that T-Mobile LTE is not supported for the Developer edition. I have been considering canceling that order and wait for T-Mobile version to come out, but would hate any bloatware etc.
I hope the HTC support lady was wrong. How can one confirm?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is supported, the developer edition is nothing but a ATT SKU. It has all the radios except AWS for T-Mobile HSPA in non refarmed markets. See the first page of anandtech review which has the different models along with the radios.
http://anandtech.com/show/7893/the-htc-one-m8-review
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

AnDruid said:
This would be good news for me, but the HTC.com support person (would they be from Let's Talk, which seems to be the the HTC.com e-commerce provider) was saying that T-Mobile LTE is not supported for the Developer edition. I have been considering canceling that order and wait for T-Mobile version to come out, but would hate any bloatware etc.
I hope the HTC support lady was wrong. How can one confirm?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can pretty much disable any bloatware I'm not sure why people are so against it when you could just disable it.
Sent from my C6833 using Tapatalk

shook187 said:
You can pretty much disable any bloatware I'm not sure why people are so against it when you could just disable it.
Sent from my C6833 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or root and uninstall. We are on XDA.

kirdroid said:
It is supported, the developer edition is nothing but a ATT SKU. It has all the radios except AWS for T-Mobile HSPA in non refarmed markets. See the first page of anandtech review which has the different models along with the radios.
http://anandtech.com/show/7893/the-htc-one-m8-review
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, The anandtech review is indeed quite comprehensive, quite impressed. I am convinced that the Dev Edition will work with T-Mobile HSPA+ at least as I am in one of the refarmed areas. Hope LTE will work fine as well though the experiences of people over on the M7 forums worries me. Even if LTE remains locked on T-Mobile, it would be great if a software/radio flash would work to enable T-mobile LTE on the Dev-edition, though I could not find a mention of anyone successfully doing that in M7 forums

AnDruid said:
Thanks, The anandtech review is indeed quite comprehensive, quite impressed. I am convinced that the Dev Edition will work with T-Mobile HSPA+ at least as I am in one of the refarmed areas. Hope LTE will work fine as well though the experiences of people over on the M7 forums worries me. Even if LTE remains locked on T-Mobile, it would be great if a software/radio flash would work to enable T-mobile LTE on the Dev-edition, though I could not find a mention of anyone successfully doing that in M7 forums
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well if you are in a refarmed area then you will have hspa+ or 3G on the 1900 band. You don't have to flash anything to enable LTE since the dev edition has both tmobile and AT&T LTE bands. Only thing missing in the dev edition is the AWS 1700 for HSPA and since you are in refarmed area you will get HSPA on 1900.
Personally, I will wait for the tmobile version on 11th and as soon as we get S-Off I'm going to fully convert it to a dev edition. In that way I have the full tmobile radio as well as HTC sense minus carrier crap.

Would getting the google play version now be just as good as the t mobile radio, if not better because it has better resale-ability to AT&T users as well?

tolem said:
Would getting the google play version now be just as good as the t mobile radio, if not better because it has better resale-ability to AT&T users as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep the Google play edition is the one with max hspa and LTE radios. Basically full compatibility with T-Mobile and ATT. ATT and Dev edition are same as Google play edition minus one band ( AWS 1700 HSPA band). T-Mobile edition has very less radio and not fully compatible with ATT LTE.
There should have only been one gsm model, that is the Google play edition model. Then they could put whatever ROM they want based on ATT, T-Mobile or stock android.
Morons at HTC just make life tough for us.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

kirdroid said:
Yep the Google play edition is the one with max hspa and LTE radios. Basically full compatibility with T-Mobile and ATT. ATT and Dev edition are same as Google play edition minus one band ( AWS 1700 HSPA band). T-Mobile edition has very less radio and not fully compatible with ATT LTE.
There should have only been one gsm model, that is the Google play edition model. Then they could put whatever ROM they want based on ATT, T-Mobile or stock android.
Morons at HTC just make life tough for us.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the blame rests on the carriers, AT&T in particular as they wanted to discourage people moving to T-Mobile with the crippled hardware (or software, I hope it is this one). AnandTech page suggested as much: "As far as I can tell only the AT&T and Google Play Edition SKUs support carrier aggregation. The two SKUs are quite similar from a cellular standpoint, with the AT&T model locking out UMTS band 4 to discourage movement to T-Mobile."
I understand that Band 4 is AWS 1700MHz (like you mentioned).
HTC are probably not in a great bargaining position with the carriers because of its own financial situation. I think Apple has been able to override carrier requests because of its superior position and carriers not being able to remove iPhones from their roster.
BTW I think I am fine with getting the Dev edition from HTC as it is cheaper than GPE(and has no tax) and arrives sooner than the T-Mobile one, with potentially more resale value having AT&T bands.

Can u flash any carriers roms with the gpe?

Does anyone know if there is any difference frequency/band-wise between the dev and att versions?

jwsm said:
Does anyone know if there is any difference frequency/band-wise between the dev and att versions?
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Click to collapse
Nope.. Same.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 04:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:54 PM ----------
us3rm3 said:
Can u flash any carriers roms with the gpe?
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Click to collapse
Yes you can, at least with M7 it was possible. And once you get S-off you can fully convert one model to another including model Id, cid etc.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 05:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:56 PM ----------
AnDruid said:
I think the blame rests on the carriers, AT&T in particular as they wanted to discourage people moving to T-Mobile with the crippled hardware (or software, I hope it is this one). AnandTech page suggested as much: "As far as I can tell only the AT&T and Google Play Edition SKUs support carrier aggregation. The two SKUs are quite similar from a cellular standpoint, with the AT&T model locking out UMTS band 4 to discourage movement to T-Mobile."
I understand that Band 4 is AWS 1700MHz (like you mentioned).
HTC are probably not in a great bargaining position with the carriers because of its own financial situation. I think Apple has been able to override carrier requests because of its superior position and carriers not being able to remove iPhones from their roster.
BTW I think I am fine with getting the Dev edition from HTC as it is cheaper than GPE(and has no tax) and arrives sooner than the T-Mobile one, with potentially more resale value having AT&T bands.
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Click to collapse
Yeah makes sense man. Forget the carrier versions which they don't have control. At least the Dev and unlocked editions should have been based on gpe model instead of the ATT. That was totally with HTC control, but may be financially just made sense for them to use ATT model. Whatever it is hopefully they fix this next year.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

AnDruid said:
Thanks, The anandtech review is indeed quite comprehensive, quite impressed. I am convinced that the Dev Edition will work with T-Mobile HSPA+ at least as I am in one of the refarmed areas. Hope LTE will work fine as well though the experiences of people over on the M7 forums worries me. Even if LTE remains locked on T-Mobile, it would be great if a software/radio flash would work to enable T-mobile LTE on the Dev-edition, though I could not find a mention of anyone successfully doing that in M7 forums
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes M8 Developer Edition supports T-Mobile HSPA (1900MHz) and LTE. The refarmed areas with LTE cover over 200 million users now according to T-Mobile. The M8 GPe includes AWS HSPA (1700MHz) for T-Mobile.
I'm using M8 Developer Edition on T-Mobile LTE right now with zero issues.

[Q] Factory Unlocked vs T-Mobile Radios

Will the factory unlocked M8 support everything radio wise that the T-Mobile M8 will? I'm currently able to get one considerably cheaper than a T-Mobile one and just wanted to be sure.

I believe the unlocked is missing the 1700 band that hspa+ runs on. If you're in a reframed 1900 band area then you're okay. Otherwise you lose hspa+
Sent from my SGH-T999 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

VolcanicSkunk said:
I believe the unlocked is missing the 1700 band that hspa+ runs on. If you're in a reframed 1900 band area then you're okay. Otherwise you lose hspa+
Sent from my SGH-T999 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the dev edition missing this band?

Sonic2756 said:
Is the dev edition missing this band?
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Click to collapse
Google Play Edition, and the T-Mobile version are the only ones that support AWS on HSPA+

Tidbits said:
Google Play Edition, and the T-Mobile version are the only ones that support AWS on HSPA+
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Click to collapse
Since we have supercid we can flash the radio and get it too.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

charlieb620 said:
Since we have supercid we can flash the radio and get it too.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you test this and tell me the results?
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Sonic2756 said:
Could you test this and tell me the results?
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will work if you supercid you phone. we don't have tmobile radio yet, I'm using att m8 on tmobile service without any problem but will flash tmobile radio when available.

Sonic2756 said:
Will the factory unlocked M8 support everything radio wise that the T-Mobile M8 will? I'm currently able to get one considerably cheaper than a T-Mobile one and just wanted to be sure.
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Click to collapse
Which factory unlocked version? There’s EMEA and Asia:
2G/2.5G - GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
850/900/1800/1900 MHz
3G - WCDMA:
EMEA: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps
Asia: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps
4G - LTE:
EMEA: 800/900/1800/2600 MHz
Asia: 700/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz
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Click to collapse
Source: M8 spec page
If you’re looking at the Dev edition:
3G: 850/1900/2100 MHz HSPA+ up to 21 Mbps
4G: 700/850/1700/1900 MHz
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Click to collapse
Sources: M8 Dev Edition Spec Page
List of LTE Networks
T-Mobile’s current spectrum:
3G: 850/AWS (850 is currently part of a roaming agreement with AT&T, AWS is 42 Mbps HSPA+)
4G: 700/1900/AWS (1900 currently being re-farmed)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source: T-Mobile US
Neither of the unlocked or Dev M8s will give you HSPA on AWS, so you’d have to be in an 850 MHz area. If you got the Dev edition, you’d be limited to 21 Mbps.
For LTE, the unlocked EMEA version won’t work at all and the Asia version will only work in areas where T-Mobile is transmitting on 700 MHz. The Dev edition will at least give you 700 and 1900 MHz, but I think T-Mobile currently has most of their LTE on AWS.

I've been around for several years now, but still very much uneducated about the radios and bands supported.
I have the GSM Dev edition. By reading the info in the last few posts about what bands/etc are supported and what speeds (HSPA, AWS, 4G, LTE) does this mean the Dev version is physically incapable of getting 100% service (edge, aws,...their whole network) on T-Mobile because of a lack of an actual component inside the phone? Or is it not "supported" because the firmware ( I.e....the radio software) is not included?
I guess my next logical question would be since I'm unlocked, s-off and superCID, would it be possible to turn my phone into a virtually identical T-Mobile phone? Or is T-Mobile's version of the M8 not even going to fully work on their network... Areas that haven't been refarmed yet.

carlz28 said:
I've been around for several years now, but still very much uneducated about the radios and bands supported.
I have the GSM Dev edition. By reading the info in the last few posts about what bands/etc are supported and what speeds (HSPA, AWS, 4G, LTE) does this mean the Dev version is physically incapable of getting 100% service (edge, aws,...their whole network) on T-Mobile because of a lack of an actual component inside the phone? Or is it not "supported" because the firmware ( I.e....the radio software) is not included?
I guess my next logical question would be since I'm unlocked, s-off and superCID, would it be possible to turn my phone into a virtually identical T-Mobile phone? Or is T-Mobile's version of the M8 not even going to fully work on their network... Areas that haven't been refarmed yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm wondering this as well
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using xda app-developers app

carlz28 said:
I've been around for several years now, but still very much uneducated about the radios and bands supported.
I have the GSM Dev edition. By reading the info in the last few posts about what bands/etc are supported and what speeds (HSPA, AWS, 4G, LTE) does this mean the Dev version is physically incapable of getting 100% service (edge, aws,...their whole network) on T-Mobile because of a lack of an actual component inside the phone? Or is it not "supported" because the firmware ( I.e....the radio software) is not included?
I guess my next logical question would be since I'm unlocked, s-off and superCID, would it be possible to turn my phone into a virtually identical T-Mobile phone? Or is T-Mobile's version of the M8 not even going to fully work on their network... Areas that haven't been refarmed yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jonathan413 said:
I'm wondering this as well
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what my post above was addressing.
The Dev edition is physically incapable of getting 100% service in all of T-Mobile's markets due to lack of hardware, yes. Therefore, it is impossible to turn it into an identical phone from the standpoint of radio compatibility.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

subhumanderelict said:
This is what my post above was addressing.
The Dev edition is physically incapable of getting 100% service in all of T-Mobile's markets due to lack of hardware, yes. Therefore, it is impossible to turn it into an identical phone from the standpoint of radio compatibility.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this the same for the Carrier unlocked and Verizon variant?
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Sonic2756 said:
Is this the same for the Carrier unlocked and Verizon variant?
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Click to collapse
The Verizon version is a little different than the T-Mobile version. The Verizon M8 is a little more limited with its 3G/HSPA since it only goes up to 14.4 Mbps vs. 42 Mbps with the two unlocked versions and the T-Mobile version. It has more LTE bands than the T-Mobile version, but at least one person on the Verizon board is having problems connecting to LTE on his Verizon M8 abroad.
Just in case you were referring to the Dev edition when you said “carrier unlocked,” those are different as well. I wouldn’t recommend using anything but the Verizon M8 on Verizon’s network since only the Verizon and Sprint models have CDMA radios and Sprint’s model doesn’t have the LTE radio to use Verizon’s LTE network (or vice-versa).
3G
EMEA: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps
Asia: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps
Dev: 850/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 21 Mbps
Verizon: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 14.4 Mbps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4G
EMEA: 800/900/1800/2600 MHz
Asia: 700/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz
Dev: 700/850/1700/1900 MHz
Verizon: 700/AWS/1800/2600 MHz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

makomek said:
It will work if you supercid you phone. we don't have tmobile radio yet, I'm using att m8 on tmobile service without any problem but will flash tmobile radio when available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you able to connect to all T-Mobile bands? I want to pickup a used m8 but the T-Mobile variant is $100 more expensive than all the other carrier's versions. Does anyone know if I could pickup a used AT&T/Sprint/Verizon m8 and use it on T-Mobile without sacrificing frequency bands or anything?

Hi,
I know this is a really old thread, but I recently switched over from At&t to T-Mobile and similar questions about radios etc. Doing some internet searches I found Tom's Hardware review of the HTC One M8 (sorry don't have time to find the link), but according to the review the At&t and the US GPE version are the same version. Furthermore, both phones can fully support the AWS band for T-Mobile, however, At&t elected to lock the AWS band for the HSPA+ to refrain customers from unlocking and switching.
I was getting spotty service around my house, and just installed the T-Mobile radio and ROM on to my At&t M8. I will report on the performance once I have some time with the new set up.

dhaliwal925 said:
Hi,
I know this is a really old thread, but I recently switched over from At&t to T-Mobile and similar questions about radios etc. Doing some internet searches I found Tom's Hardware review of the HTC One M8 (sorry don't have time to find the link), but according to the review the At&t and the US GPE version are the same version. Furthermore, both phones can fully support the AWS band for T-Mobile, however, At&t elected to lock the AWS band for the HSPA+ to refrain customers from unlocking and switching.
I was getting spotty service around my house, and just installed the T-Mobile radio and ROM on to my At&t M8. I will report on the performance once I have some time with the new set up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is this working for you? I have a vzw m8 and I'm over on T-Mobile, now mostly everything works,except for 4glte, it will work and then cut off after a bit, or if I travel between towers I loose connection and it won't try to find another tower, band or any other... So I get most out of this, just not all. And I was wondering which radio I used... Last time I tried a T-Mobile radio, I lost all connectivity. Btw I'm soff and supCID
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app

Haha I know the pains of using a vzw device on gsm networks I had a LG g2 Verizon wireless and ran it on t-mobile I had to sell it had to reboot the radio about twice a week as well as take out SIM card

Helpful article
I found http://www.anandtech.com/show/7893/the-htc-one-m8-review very helpful to understanding the M8 radios.

Hey my phone is doing great! I even managed to pick up some better HSPA+ around the house - although I can't confirm if it is on the AWS band.
In terms of flashing the radio on the Verizon M8, I am highly doubtful that it will produce any valuable results. The CDMA version of HTC's always differs significantly from their GSM counterparts. If you look at the supported bands for the Verizon M8, there is no support for the T-Mobile UTMS AWS band - which is probably why you are dropping signal while switching towers.

Looking for a radio to get LTE band 2 on T-Mobile US

I have a T-Mobile branded M8 rooted, unlocked bootloader, and S-Off. I live out in the sticks and can only get 1900mhz LTE band 2 on my wife's S4 however, my M8 doesn't see band 2 because of the radio firmware.
Is there a radio firmware from another GSM M8 variant that I could flash to my T-Mobile branded M8 that would get me the 1900mhz LTE band 2?

Are you using the phone on a different carrier besides T-Mobile? If so, which carrier?
Also, Band 2 looks like its 1900 MHz, and band 4 corresponds to 1700 MHz (also known as AWS). So not clear which band you are looking for: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks

No. I am on T-Mobile US.
Sorry, I meant band 2 (1900mhz). Corrected in the OP.

barcodelinux said:
No. I am on T-Mobile US.
Sorry, I meant band 2 (1900mhz). Corrected in the OP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's really odd that the T-Mobile US variant doesn't include a band that T-Mob uses. But based on specs listed online, this is the case (doesn't support 1900 MHz Band 2 for LTE): http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_(m8)-6074.php
AT&T or Developer's Edition radios may be your best bet (AT&T uses 1900 for LTE).

barcodelinux said:
I have a T-Mobile branded M8 rooted, unlocked bootloader, and S-Off. I live out in the sticks and can only get 1900mhz LTE band 2 on my wife's S4 however, my M8 doesn't see band 2 because of the radio firmware.
Is there a radio firmware from another GSM M8 variant that I could flash to my T-Mobile branded M8 that would get me the 1900mhz LTE band 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like you and I are in the same boat. I was dumfounded when I found out a LTE capable phone I purchased from T-Mobile is not able to get LTE due to an unsupported band.
In any case, I have a similar post over in the [Q&A] [RADIO] Q&A HTC One M8 Radio collection for different model Models/CID's. See http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-one-m8/help/qa-htc-one-m8-radio-collection-models-t2941210/page6
One guy mentions the AT&T radio would probably work but I would lose 3G connectivity in some areas. I'm going to have to look into that a little deeper.
Please update me if you find a solution and let me know how things work out. I'll do the same.

fyrcap100 said:
One guy mentions the AT&T radio would probably work but I would lose 3G connectivity in some areas. I'm going to have to look into that a little deeper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's right. It occurred to me that the AT&T version lacks the AWS band (Band 4, or 1700/2100MHz), which T-Mob uses for HSPA+ (3G) in many areas. Its somewhat of an oddball band, meaning its not used in many places aside from T-Mob US, so its pretty rare to have this built into any radio that is not specifically T-Mob.

redpoint73 said:
That's right. It occurred to me that the AT&T version lacks the AWS band (Band 4, or 1700/2100MHz), which T-Mob uses for HSPA+ (3G) in many areas. Its somewhat of an oddball band, meaning its not used in many places aside from T-Mob US, so its pretty rare to have this built into any radio that is not specifically T-Mob.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What a PITA. Why didn't TMO just go ahead and put LTE Band 2 in the phone in the first place. They knew they were pushing LTE in that band so why handcuff their customers. You can't make this stuff up!
Thanks for the information you have provided. It really is eye-opening. I'm still in the buyers remorse period as far as this phone is concerned and could return it. The problem is I don't know what phone to get without spending twice the money at this point. That is unless I want to move of an iPhone (Boo!!).
What a tangled web!

redpoint73 said:
That's right. It occurred to me that the AT&T version lacks the AWS band (Band 4, or 1700/2100MHz), which T-Mob uses for HSPA+ (3G) in many areas. Its somewhat of an oddball band, meaning its not used in many places aside from T-Mob US, so its pretty rare to have this built into any radio that is not specifically T-Mob.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So does the developer version support the AWS band?

fastbyte27 said:
So does the developer version support the AWS band?
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Click to collapse
I don't know for sure but there is a 2014 article on Phandroid that states the Developer Edition is basically an unbranded version of the AT&T phone. So logic would say that if the AT&T version doesn't support it then the Developer Edition wouldn't either.
http://phandroid.com/2014/03/26/htc-one-m8-developer-edition/

fastbyte27 said:
So does the developer version support the AWS band?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dev Edition does not support AWS for HSPA+ (3G), according to this: https://support.t-mobile.com/message/359612
---------- Post added at 09:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:18 AM ----------
fyrcap100 said:
I don't know for sure but there is a 2014 article on Phandroid that states the Developer Edition is basically an unbranded version of the AT&T phone. So logic would say that if the AT&T version doesn't support it then the Developer Edition wouldn't either.
http://phandroid.com/2014/03/26/htc-one-m8-developer-edition/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was my original understanding as well, and for the most part true. However, its been pointed out on XDA (and specs online agree) that the Dev Edition is missing LTE Band 7, which the AT&T version does support. A minor difference that won't affect most folks (AT&T doesn't use that band), but a difference nonetheless.