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amateurgeeknz

6 posts

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#144156 9-May-2014 09:43
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Hi there, . i have been researching my question online and i've also called both the telecom call centre (useless- they put me through to the "technical desk" and i asked the question and the guy said it would not work at all), the vodafone call centre (they said it would work as long as i paid them $30 to have it unblocked).... my question is:

My bf gifted me a samsung galaxy s5 that he purchased outright from a vodafone store (bout 3 weeks ago), he hasnt used it yet- his work gave him the same phone around the same time.

My work has me on a telecom contract, and that wont change.

i want to make my normal telecom sim into a micro sim (ive been told i can do this quite easily at a telecom store) and use the samsung galaxy s5 (why wouldnt i ?! my work supplied phone is a samsung galaxy s3 mini)....

IS THIS POSSIBLE? i know about telecom using 850/2100 frequencies (?>!) and on the vodafone site the specs for the s5 state: "GSM Band850/900/1800/1900" and there's alot of conflicting info out there.... like it;ll work on in urban areas but if i go rural it wont etc.

i live and work in rotorua central. but obviously i leave rotorua sometimes too.

the other option for me is to just make the vodafone s5 my personal phone , on prepay (i have been telecom client on prepaid and now contract via work for at least seven years, so nervous bout changing to vodafone prepaid) and keep running the mini for work??? seems like a hassle to run 2 phones, that's 2 chargers, 2 things to worry about!!! also my work often runs over to personal- friends with lots of clients etc so theyd just keep contacting work phone, the s5 might be dead!!

any advice/experience/facts greatly appreciated :)

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keewee01
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  #1040655 9-May-2014 10:09
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Firstly check with your employer or the IT Dept about BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). They may have a policy that prevents it.

Second, look at the Telecom website. They have a tool there where you enter the IMEI of your phone and it will tell you if it is compatible.



robjg63
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  #1040734 9-May-2014 11:26
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GSM Band850/900/1800/1900 is not relevant for Telecom.
Telecom dont have GSM on their network.

They run a 3G network (for phone calls and data) and now some 4G data.
The S5 does 850, 900, 1,900 and 2,100 MHz for 3G - the 850 and 2100 are what telecom uses so should be ok.
Vodafone also use 3G (where its available - realistically I imagine everywhere there is GSM they probably use 3G for data and voice as well).
Vodafone and 2degrees both use 900 and 2100.

I think you could regard the GSM as older technology and a bit of a fall-over backup. Some really cheap basic phones may only work on GSM as well.

So this phone *should* be fine on any provider in NZ.

Just buy a telecom prepaid micro sim if you want to be extra sure - test it out - they are only about $5.




Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler


qraider
374 posts

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  #1043030 13-May-2014 13:54
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amateurgeeknz: <snip> the vodafone call centre (they said it would work as long as i paid them $30 to have it unblocked) </snip>


From that info it appears as though VF has locked the phone to their network ... ?
If so, it wont work on any other until it's unlocked

Otherwise, AFAIA, it should work fine on all NZ carriers




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Batman
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  #1043099 13-May-2014 15:50
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yes it will work just fine.

ALTHOUGH the initial software of the voda/2d S4 prevented telecom users from using telecom LTE network.

I doubt this will happen with the S5 because the telecom LTE network is now active (it wasn't when the S4 was released).

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