2 Degrees Phones - what should I buy?

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marnicknz

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#39094 8-Aug-2009 17:14

Hi.

2 Degrees are selling phones through Dick Smith and other retailers. There is a Nokia 5030 listed for $129 including $20 2D credit which seems to be a good deal. The specs of that phone say GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (is this quad band?). Question is, what happens when 2D turn on their WCDMA 2100 service, will this phone still be OK? I don't fully understand these different modes and what this will do to the network. What will I miss out on?

I also have an XT SIM. It seems that will work OK in the 5030 as XT are on GSM 850 but again will I miss out on anything not having a WCDMA phone. The alternative would be to purchase the Telecom R6 phone.

Mark.

DarkShadow

1647 posts

Uber Geek

#244252 8-Aug-2009 17:29

Yes it is quad band. You will miss out on the 3G stuff. (Video calls, fast internet etc) No you can't use XT on it because it is not a 3G phone.

Damager

2125 posts

Uber Geek

#244262 8-Aug-2009 18:10

marnicknz: Hi.

I also have an XT SIM. It seems that will work OK in the 5030 as XT are on GSM 850 but again will I miss out on anything not having a WCDMA phone. The alternative would be to purchase the Telecom R6 phone.

Mark.

XT is a WCDMA 850/2100 only network. It doesnt do any GSM at all.

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marnicknz

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#244263 8-Aug-2009 18:19

Hi. Thanks for this, I hadn't realised that a XT sim would not work ina GSM phone. What would be the situation for roaming with XT overseas? Could I use a GSM phone for that?
Mark..

old3eyes

9120 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#244266 8-Aug-2009 18:28

Damager:
marnicknz: Hi.

I also have an XT SIM. It seems that will work OK in the 5030 as XT are on GSM 850 but again will I miss out on anything not having a WCDMA phone. The alternative would be to purchase the Telecom R6 phone.

Mark.

XT is a WCDMA 850/2100 only network. It doesnt do any GSM at all.

The XT fones will roam onto normal GSM newtwork. Quade band GSM and 2 band UMTS I assume..

Regards,

Old3eyes

Damager

2125 posts

Uber Geek

#244272 8-Aug-2009 18:50

old3eyes:
Damager:
marnicknz: Hi.

I also have an XT SIM. It seems that will work OK in the 5030 as XT are on GSM 850 but again will I miss out on anything not having a WCDMA phone. The alternative would be to purchase the Telecom R6 phone.

Mark.

XT is a WCDMA 850/2100 only network. It doesnt do any GSM at all.

The XT fones will roam onto normal GSM newtwork. Quade band GSM and 2 band UMTS I assume..

thanks old3eyes,

sorry i was meaning, if you use an xt sim. most xt phones though will do quad band gsm at least. not sure about 2g umts though

Behodar

10517 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#244273 8-Aug-2009 18:57

marnicknz: Hi. Thanks for this, I hadn't realised that a XT sim would not work ina GSM phone. What would be the situation for roaming with XT overseas? Could I use a GSM phone for that?
Mark..

If the network that Telecom is using in that country supports GSM, then yes.

marnicknz

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#244287 8-Aug-2009 20:17

OK, so XT phones (Such as the Telecom R6), when in NZ, will only connect to the XT network using the WCDMA mode, but these phones also have (quad band) GSM mode which is used for roaming?

I assume they won't roam on to an alternative GSM network in NZ if outside the WCDMA network?

Mark.

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Damager

2125 posts

Uber Geek

#244288 8-Aug-2009 20:20

i grabbed a telecom r6 from someone else in my house and put my newly acquired 2degrees sim in it. I changed the network mode to gsm and it works fine :-).

marnicknz

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#244289 8-Aug-2009 20:31

marnicknz:
I assume they won't roam on to an alternative GSM network in NZ if outside the WCDMA network?

Mark.

Sorry, I meant that a XT phone with a XT sim in NZ would not roam to an alternative NZ GSM network if outside of the WCDMA network. Sounds doulbtful anyway.

I don't understand why 2D have installed a GSM network. They too are planning WCDMA so why not go straight to that like XT did?

Mark.

zkcow

57 posts

Master Geek

#244297 8-Aug-2009 21:12

No it wouldn't roam as XT don't have a roaming agreement in place with any other GSM operators in NZ that I'm aware of.

As for 2degrees, maybe it was a cost issue (though you could argue they're just spending more than they should have by doing two rollouts - still less than Telecom) or a time issue (2degrees/NZComms/Econet have been in the works for a long time) or really anything else. It would be interesting to hear an official reason.

My guess would be that it was conducive to their current arrangement with Vodafone. Vodafone's 3g network didn't have NZ well covered, but their GSM network has 97% coverage. So I would think it has to do with not being able to roll out a 3G network of their own right away and then being compatible with Voda. But I could talking nonsense.

BrentR

1315 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#244301 8-Aug-2009 21:22

Any phone currently on Vodafone and XT will work on 2 Degrees. The reverse not so much.

All 2 Degrees handsets will work on Vodafone, none will work on XT.

DarkShadow

1647 posts

Uber Geek

#244305 8-Aug-2009 21:28

marnicknz:
I don't understand why 2D have installed a GSM network.

How many people in NZ have a 2G phone and how many have a 3G phone?