Samsung SHV-E210S Galaxy S III LTE to work in NZ?

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tigercorp

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Topic # 138897 21-Jan-2014 12:00

Hi,

We've been considering the Moto G thread as a new phone for the girlfriend but looking around for alternatives I found a refurbed Galaxy S3 on ebay Aus for $310 AUD.

From the specs
- GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900,
UMTS850 (B5), UMTS900 (B8), UMTS1900 (B2), UMTS2100 (B1)

can anyone see an issue with it working on any NZ network with/without 4G?

mrgsm021

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Reply # 970553 21-Jan-2014 12:15

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Assuming the phone is unlocked and the specs are correct, it should work fine with any NZ network on 3G.

NikT

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Reply # 970601 21-Jan-2014 13:06

Don't do it. Samsung's site via Google Translate indicates it only has 1900 & 2100MHz 3G bands, and LTE on 850MHz is no use here. Backed up by this post on XDA, which lists 1900 & 2100MHz only. EDIT: See also the screenshots in this app, specifically for this variant. Makes sense considering the bands SK Telecom operate on. Also bear in mind that Korean phones are, by and large, hardcoded to use the Korean character set for SMS, so you won't be able to send text messages over 80 characters without it converting to MMS.

Used a Korean device last year, they really are not well suited to the NZ market, & despite some fascinating hardware never officially making it out of Korea (Like Pantech's high-end kit), it's more trouble than it's worth. Get the Moto G over this.

Product Manager @ PB Tech

https://pbtech.co.nz/smartphones

tigercorp

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Reply # 970602 21-Jan-2014 13:07

mrgsm021: Assuming the phone is unlocked and the specs are correct, it should work fine with any NZ network on 3G.

Thanks for that.

Would there be any benefit in installing an NZ carrier rom?

NikT

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Reply # 970614 21-Jan-2014 13:18

tigercorp:
mrgsm021: Assuming the phone is unlocked and the specs are correct, it should work fine with any NZ network on 3G.

Thanks for that.

Would there be any benefit in installing an NZ carrier rom?

It is a different hardware variant, you would bootloop the device by flashing local software. The closest local hardware variant to the E210S is the 4G/Dual Carrier i9305, of which Vodafone was the sole local vendor - you would need to flash the E210S radio/modem separately. There may be instructions on XDA. Really not worth it for the cost differential tho'. Recommend picking up an i9305 from Trade Me instead.

Product Manager @ PB Tech

https://pbtech.co.nz/smartphones

tigercorp

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Reply # 971673 21-Jan-2014 14:26

NikT: Don't do it. Samsung's site via Google Translate indicates it only has 1900 & 2100MHz 3G bands, and LTE on 850MHz is no use here. Backed up by this post on XDA, which lists 1900 & 2100MHz only. EDIT: See also the screenshots in this app, specifically for this variant. Makes sense considering the bands SK Telecom operate on. Also bear in mind that Korean phones are, by and large, hardcoded to use the Korean character set for SMS, so you won't be able to send text messages over 80 characters without it converting to MMS.

Used a Korean device last year, they really are not well suited to the NZ market, & despite some fascinating hardware never officially making it out of Korea (Like Pantech's high-end kit), it's more trouble than it's worth. Get the Moto G over this.

Thanks! Will cross this off the list and look for a sharply priced i9305 instead...