Are all phones created equal?

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Rickles

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#96597 1-Feb-2012 00:15

For some time now mobile phones bought in NZ or Australia have been 'unlocked', usually meaning that any SIM card could be dropped in and the appropriate network used.

I have recently been shown a website selling new phones, but many have the rider that they can only be used on Vodafone or 2Degrees networks .... thus excluding Telecoms' XT and/or Skinny.

When the frequency types and ranges are compared, these phones all have exactly the same as all the telco networks, so I was wondering what would actually prevent them working with a Telecom NZ SIM card?

Cheers,

R.

kyhwana2

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#575601 1-Feb-2012 00:27

What you're seeing (besides the ones SIM locked to skinny) is that XT _REQUIRES_ 850Mhz UMTS/3G (NOT GSM/2G).
Most 900/2100 3G phones (with newer exceptions) don't also do 850.

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johnr

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#575603 1-Feb-2012 00:30

They make look like the same model but they generally have different chipsets that support different 3G bands but some getting more common do support all 3G bands used in NZ 850/900/2100 UMTS

Telecom XT 850/2100 Mhz
Vodafone / 2Degrees 900/2100 Mhz

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sbiddle

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#575615 1-Feb-2012 06:18

FYI the vast majority of phones sold in Australia are locked. There are however plenty of places online that sell unlocked and imported handsets that aren't locked.

freitasm

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#575624 1-Feb-2012 07:47

Telecom XT is 3G only (in some boxes shown as WCDMA or UMTS). 2G (GSM) is an old, different technology.

850 MHz 3G is not the same as 850 MHz 2G.

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johnr

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#575628 1-Feb-2012 07:59

Telecom XT is 100% 850Mhz 3G and only uses 3G 2100Mhz for capacity in fill not coverage

Rickles

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#575650 1-Feb-2012 08:38

Thanks guys, and yes Steve, you are correct about locked handsets in Australia ... my error.

Now, to summerise, UMTS means Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, and is essentially the 'third generation' (3G) of the technology used for mobile phone networks ... itself based on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). Prior to this, and still working in many places, is 2G technology. In addition, there is HDSPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access, which is an 'enhancement' of 3G.

In NZ we have a number of mobile telephone providers, each with one or more of their chosen network technologies, thus -
Telecom XT & Skinny = 3G 850/2100 Mhz
Vodafone/TelstraClear/2Degrees = 3G 900/2100 Mhz

The site I was looking at shows, for example, the Motorola Defy Plus as being:

General 2G Network GSM 850/900/1800/1900
3G Network HSDPA 900/2100, HSDPA 850/2100, or HSDPA 850/1900

BUT supporting only Vodafone and 2Degrees.

Question: If Telecom's XT/Skinny requires 3G 850/2100, then would not this be the same as the 3G HSDPA 850/2100 since HDSPA is presumably backward compatible with its base 3G system?

R.

freitasm

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#575654 1-Feb-2012 08:41

Rickles: The site I was looking at shows, for example, the Motorola Defy Plus as being:

General 2G Network GSM 850/900/1800/1900
3G Network HSDPA 900/2100, HSDPA 850/2100, or HSDPA 850/1900

BUT supporting only Vodafone and 2Degrees.

Question: If Telecom's XT/Skinny requires 3G 850/2100, then would not this be the same as the 3G HSDPA 850/2100 since HDSPA is presumably backward compatible with its base 3G system?

"3G Network HSDPA 900/2100, HSDPA 850/2100, or HSDPA 850/1900"

This to me indicates there are three models of this handset. If the seller says it's for Vodafone and 2degrees only then it's likely he's only selling the 900/2100 model. A few sellers have no idea of technology and copy specifications word by word, instead of listing what they actually have for sale. The only clue is the "only for [this network]" note.

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Rickles

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#575660 1-Feb-2012 08:48

Morning Mauricio,

Yeah, I noticed the "or" and thought it could be indicative of either the handset being capable of the full range, OR just one of many flavours .

I think you are right that we should assume that at least the retailer is stating correctly which networks the device they are selling will work with.

R.

Ragnor

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#575781 1-Feb-2012 11:07

It's still quite a bit cheaper to make devices with dual (900/2100 or 850/2100) HSDPA than tri or quad band

Different phones models are definitely not created equal there are many trade offs in phone design.

If you're worried about being able to switch networks why not go for a quad band 3G phone like like the iPhone 4GS or the international version of the Samsung Galaxy S II.

http://www.clove.co.uk/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-i9100-16gb
http://einfo.co.nz/shop/samsung-gti9100-galaxy-ii-black-special-price-in-stock-p-23005.html

Not sure if HTC sell a quad band 3G phone yet