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Can I use my device on a different carrier?

Both are international models, and I'm looking to buy an unlocked one off of Amazon. However, I'm not too sure if they're compatible with T-Mobile.

I currently have a prepaid standard SIM Card, and although I only have unlimited text and call at the moment, I may get a 4G Data Plan in the near future.

Which one of these models is compatible with T-Mobile's 4G service? I've read that the i9300 isn't, but I couldn't obtain any information about the i9305 (which is the 4G LTE version).

Community
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Annie
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  • Welcome to Android Enthusiasts StackExchange. :) Shopping questions or recommendations are off-topic, please see the [FAQ]. It would be wiser to actually go into a T-Mobile shop and ask in there :) – t0mm13b Dec 15 '12 at 22:47

1 Answers1

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While this is sort of a "shopping" question, it is also a question about if these phones will work on t-mobile's network.

T-Mobile does not (currently) have LTE. So if the device has LTE, you will not use the LTE chip.

Will the devices work on T-Mobile? Yes. Will you get the T-Mobile 4G speeds? Well that depends on what bands (or frequencies) the device supports.

T-Mobile has support for the following bands for their 4G netowork:

  • 1700 MHz | UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+
  • 1900 MHz | UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+
  • 1700 MHz | LTE (this is the band they will use when they roll out LTE)

According to the Spec Sheet on Amazon of the i9300:

  • 3G Network | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
    • AFAIK, internationally, HSPA+ is not considered 4G, so based on this, yes this phone will give you T-Mobile 4G

The i9305 on the other had, according to Amazon, does not appear to have the bands available for T-Mobile:

  • 4G Network: LTE 800 / 1800 / 2600
  • 3G: HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100

Now, what I am actually making here is just an assumption, because it supports the bands that T-Mobile supports. I cannot say with 100% certainty that it will operate with their 4G speeds.

Ryan Conrad
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