Buying a Samsung Galaxy S2 and running on the X2 network: some questions

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Buying a Samsung Galaxy S2 and running on the X2 network: some questions

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#526515 27-Sep-2011 22:10

NZtechfreak: Sorry, their own information is incorrect (this is not a first for Samsung).

This is accurate:
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i9100_galaxy_s_ii-3621.php

I own one of these and have used it on both networks also.

Thanks, this review says the S2 is a quad band:

http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/mobile/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-review

Fred

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nakedmolerat

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#526527 27-Sep-2011 22:21

matt45: If its sold as a telecom phone then yes it most defiantly will be 850/2100 WCDMA

what I'm saying is if it's sold as a Vodafone phone its not necessarily the same.

sgs II definitely quadband WCDMA (works perfectly for TELECOM XT)

mine bought from vodafone

mrgsm021

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#526598 28-Sep-2011 08:34

Bought mine from an online store based in the UK and I use both Vodafone & XT sim cards and works perfectly on both.

Linuxluver

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#526601 28-Sep-2011 08:44

frednz: I am in the market for a Samsung Galaxy S2 and I see that on a prepaid plan, Telecom sells it for $1099, Vodafone for $1199, and Dick Smith (DSE) for $999.

Is there any reason why I should buy the phone from Telecom or Vodafone rather than from DSE?

Telecom advised me to make sure that if I buy the phone elsewhere and I wish to run it on the XT network, I need to ensure that it has both WCDMA 850 and 2100 frequencies.

DSE sells the S2 “unlocked”, so is there any reason why it wouldn’t have both WCDMA 850 and 2100 frequencies operational?

It seems that if you buy the S2 from Telecom or Vodafone they put some of their own software on it before you buy it, is this correct?

Thanks for your help.

Fred

You need both the 850 and 2100 WCDMA frequencies because, unlike VFNZ and 2Degrees, Telecom XT does not do GSM at all. The "Quad-band GSM" frequencies (even if the number is the same) are completely and utterly irrelevant for a phone intended for use on XT because XT doesn't use GSM. Deaf to it. Can't see it. I hope I've made that clear enough.

So if you make the mistake of buying a phone that doesn't have both of them (WCDMA frequencies), your connectivity to the XT network hangs by one frequency...and the coverage will be poor across NZ. If you rarely rtavel outside urban Auckland you may get away with having only 2100MHz....but XT cover most of the bits between cities with 850MHz WCDMA (or so I have been told). You need it, too.

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frednz

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#526616 28-Sep-2011 09:16

Linuxluver:
frednz: I am in the market for a Samsung Galaxy S2 and I see that on a prepaid plan, Telecom sells it for $1099, Vodafone for $1199, and Dick Smith (DSE) for $999.

Is there any reason why I should buy the phone from Telecom or Vodafone rather than from DSE?

Telecom advised me to make sure that if I buy the phone elsewhere and I wish to run it on the XT network, I need to ensure that it has both WCDMA 850 and 2100 frequencies.

DSE sells the S2 “unlocked”, so is there any reason why it wouldn’t have both WCDMA 850 and 2100 frequencies operational?

It seems that if you buy the S2 from Telecom or Vodafone they put some of their own software on it before you buy it, is this correct?

Thanks for your help.

Fred

You need both the 850 and 2100 WCDMA frequencies because, unlike VFNZ and 2Degrees, Telecom XT does not do GSM at all. The "Quad-band GSM" frequencies (even if the number is the same) are completely and utterly irrelevant for a phone intended for use on XT because XT doesn't use GSM. Deaf to it. Can't see it. I hope I've made that clear enough.

So if you make the mistake of buying a phone that doesn't have both of them (WCDMA frequencies), your connectivity to the XT network hangs by one frequency...and the coverage will be poor across NZ. If you rarely rtavel outside urban Auckland you may get away with having only 2100MHz....but XT cover most of the bits between cities with 850MHz WCDMA (or so I have been told). You need it, too.

Thanks, I appreciate your help. Is it actually possible to buy a Samsung Galaxy S2 from DSE that doesn't have BOTH the required Telecom WCDMA frequencies? In other words, does Samsung manufacture different versions of the same phone, or do they ALL have the same frequencies in them?

To a "non-technical" person, from what you have said above, if you want to run the phone countrywide on the XT network, it seems that the only safe thing to do is to buy the phone from Telecom - is that correct? Does Telecom MODIFY a "standard" Galaxy S2 by adding new frequencies especially so that the phone works properly throughout the whole of New Zealand on the XT network?

Thanks
Fred

Kelem

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#526633 28-Sep-2011 09:54

I have had mine since they came out, its used for work all over NZ and Aus i constantly swap out sims it works flawlessly on everything i put in it.
XT, Vodafone AU + NZ, Next G, and works very well, alot of the camps i stay in don't have fixed wired BB so its used as a modem.

have a E6 as a back up just incase

frednz

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#526640 28-Sep-2011 10:10

Kelem: I have had mine since they came out, its used for work all over NZ and Aus i constantly swap out sims it works flawlessly on everything i put in it.
XT, Vodafone AU + NZ, Next G, and works very well, alot of the camps i stay in don't have fixed wired BB so its used as a modem.

have a E6 as a back up just incase

Thanks for your post. I think the warnings given in this thread that some phones may not work satisfactorily on the Telecom network are very useful. However, people who own the Samsung Galaxy S2, who have not bought it from Telecom, do not seem to have reported any problems using it on the Telecom network throughout the whole country. I think this also applies to the Vodafone and 2 Degrees networks?

So, perhaps there are some other phones you can buy that do not have the required Telecom frequencies, but it seems to me that this doesn't apply to the Galaxy S2. I hope I have interpreted this correctly?

Cheers
Fred

nakedmolerat

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#526653 28-Sep-2011 10:33

frednz:
Kelem: I have had mine since they came out, its used for work all over NZ and Aus i constantly swap out sims it works flawlessly on everything i put in it.?
XT, Vodafone AU + NZ,?Next G, and works very well, alot of the camps i stay in?don't?have fixed wired BB so its used as a modem.

have a E6 as a back up just incase ?

Thanks for your post. I think the warnings given in this thread that some phones may not work satisfactorily on the Telecom network are very useful. However, people who own the Samsung Galaxy S2, who have not bought it from Telecom, do not seem to have reported any problems using it on the Telecom?network throughout the whole country. I think this also applies to the Vodafone and 2 Degrees networks?

So, perhaps there?are some other phones you can buy that do not have the required Telecom frequencies, but it seems to me that this doesn't apply to the Galaxy S2. I hope I have interpreted this correctly?

Cheers
Fred ?

all samsung sgs2 throughout the world use quadband wcdma and quadband gsm

to simplify, if you want to run on XT network, you must use phone with wcdma 850. period. stop listening to others

openmedia

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#526664 28-Sep-2011 10:45

So who would you buy one through as a parallel import that is reasonably trustworthy

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

DoggNZ

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#526850 28-Sep-2011 16:49

I bought mine off top-10.co.nz Doesn't look like they have them at the moment but it was around $800. Have used it all over NZ on both Telecom and 2 Degrees and in Australia with a Vodafone Pre Pay SIM I bought there. Just buy the cheapest one you can find and you'll be sweet

akia

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#526895 28-Sep-2011 18:41

So much as the phone has the right APN's set up then it should work fine. If bought elsewhere then just note that you couldn't return the handset to Telecom to repair (you'd just take it back to who you purchased it from)

frednz

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#526936 28-Sep-2011 20:27

akia: So much as the phone has the right APN's set up then it should work fine. If bought elsewhere then just note that you couldn't return the handset to Telecom to repair (you'd just take it back to who you purchased it from)

Thanks very much for confirming this. I see that the Telecom APN settings were set out here:

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=39&topicid=32983

Are these still the current APN settings?

Thanks for your help.
Fred

nakedmolerat

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#526947 28-Sep-2011 21:11

frednz:
akia: So much as the phone has the right APN's set up then it should work fine. If bought elsewhere then just note that you couldn't return the handset to Telecom to repair (you'd just take it back to who you purchased it from)

Thanks very much for confirming this. I see that the Telecom APN settings were set out here:

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=39&topicid=32983

Are these still the current APN settings?

Thanks for your help.
Fred

pop in the simcard and you will be good to go. it is usually automatic with sgs2. if you still have problem, come back to geekzone and we can help you out.

Kelem

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#526998 28-Sep-2011 23:36

nakedmolerat:
frednz:
akia: So much as the phone has the right APN's set up then it should work fine. If bought elsewhere then just note that you couldn't return the handset to Telecom to repair (you'd just take it back to who you purchased it from)

Thanks very much for confirming this. I see that the Telecom APN settings were set out here:

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=39&topicid=32983

Are these still the current APN settings?

Thanks for your help.
Fred

pop in the simcard and you will be good to go. it is usually automatic with sgs2. if you still have problem, come back to geekzone and we can help you out.

Just as stated APN's load automatically on power up after sim change, leaves the other ones in a list to check /delete or use if you wanted to The one illuminated is the current one.

akia

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#527003 29-Sep-2011 00:05

@Frednz as the guys said it should be automatic, if not then yes that thread has the correct apn's. If all else fails let us know we can help out :)

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