Are mobile phones from telco stores better optimised?

Forums › Mobile handsets › Are mobile phones from telco stores better optimised?

stone2

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#281316 10-Feb-2021 15:56

Looking for a new phone and visited a vodfone store and was told their phones have better network connectivity than a phone from a 3rd party store when I asked about price matching. Store with a cheaper price is https://www.einfo.co.nz/samsung-galaxy-a51-sm-a515fd-6gb-ram-128gb-black.html

Mentioned something about international phones compared to phones specifically for NZ market.

Are they correct or can I smell BS?

RunningMan

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#2653137 10-Feb-2021 16:03

Can't speak for that model specifically, but they are correct in some cases. Some parallel imported phones don't have all the bands/frequencies that are used in NZ, so won't get optimal coverage. They will work OK, but may not get signal in areas covered exclusively by a band not supported by that handset.

pootie

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#2653138 10-Feb-2021 16:04

If you purchase from a Telco, you can at least expect the correct bands to be supported. This could potentially be an issue if sourcing a handset elsewhere. Other items to consider are carrier/nz specific services like VoLTE / 5G / VoWiFi / Emergency Alerts / APNs. These are unlikely / less likely to work if not purchased from the carrier you intend to use. However, if you don't care about VoLTE etc and the device support the correct bands for your network of choice - you'll probably be fine. Another thing to consider are issues / warranty. A carrier may offer better support if the device was purchased through them.

stone2

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#2653209 10-Feb-2021 17:56

Sound logical. Thank you all for your help.

nztim

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TEAMnetwork

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#2653214 10-Feb-2021 18:25

True except for Apple iPhones which are 100% compatible with NZ Telcos

Android you may get no Band28 support and VoLTE is very hit and miss which is a requirement for RCG as their is no 3g fallback for voice calls

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

Linux

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#2653216 10-Feb-2021 18:51

Wi-Fi / VoLTE may not work on Android handsets and you should see Spark and VodafoneNZ stepping into Wi-Fi calling this year

quickymart

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#2653218 10-Feb-2021 18:52

Also, steer clear of Expert Infotech.