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Metro pcs BYOD

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I have been spot reading this thread every now and then but I just did the "Is your phone compatible? " on my already Metro PCS Branded Galaxy S3 which we already know runs on CDMA and LTE... BUT... what if I wanted to upgrade to the new GSM... Spectrum... I wonder how and if this would be possible as soon as they make this nationwide? any thoughts?

From my understanding MetroPCS has A sim card slot and the same hardware as any other Galaxy S3 so isnt it a matter of unlocking the phones and starting up the new radio to work on the GSM freq..
 
XtianZark said:
I have been spot reading this thread every now and then but I just did the "Is your phone compatible? " on my already Metro PCS Branded Galaxy S3 which we already know runs on CDMA and LTE... BUT... what if I wanted to upgrade to the new GSM... Spectrum... I wonder how and if this would be possible as soon as they make this nationwide? any thoughts?

From my understanding MetroPCS has A sim card slot and the same hardware as any other Galaxy S3 so isnt it a matter of unlocking the phones and starting up the new radio to work on the GSM freq..
Click to expand...
The sim slot on metro phones is only for the lte radio, the rest of the phone runs cdma radio you can not force it to run gsm. nor will the lte radio run gsm.

The gsm radio in a gsm phone with lte on the other hand will share the info on the sim card.
 
OK, I got one for you guys here that really know your phones.

Show us some of the professional phone geek sheet. :D

Tell us your top 3 choices of BYOD services from the list.

Please? ;)
Bruce in Ocala, Fl
 
1. Galaxy S4
2. Galaxy S3
3. Note 2

Those are the only ones with LTE radio running android I would want.
 
qandres12 said:
Thats only for GSM S3. womt work for us because like its stated the slot on our LTE devices is a UICC card which only works for the LTE frequency. The rest of the phone is CDMA. So that guide is only for GSM phones. Which are more like universal phones once they are unlocked
Click to expand...

No it's actually for the Verizon S3 also CDMA/LTE but has a GSM radio ours either doesn't have a GSM radio or they're blocking it through the baseband
 
OcalaFlGuy said:
OK, I got one for you guys here that really know your phones.

Show us some of the professional phone geek sheet. :D

Tell us your top 3 choices of BYOD services from the list.

Please? ;)
Bruce in Ocala, Fl
Click to expand...
S4 ain't on the list
S3
Note 2

:eek: Sidekick is on the list that was my phone back in the day
 
qandres12 said:
Thats only for GSM S3. womt work for us because like its stated the slot on our LTE devices is a UICC card which only works for the LTE frequency. The rest of the phone is CDMA. So that guide is only for GSM phones. Which are more like universal phones once they are unlocked
Click to expand...
Ok, guys don't hate me... I can kinda see how there might limitations and if I have two more years to love my phone and then upgrade to the in-hand one from total recall.. then I dont mind... check this out.. It seems even these reps responding to me either took my word for it or are just as curious...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rfw01uh5aemywvk/Galaxy S3 Metro.jpg

And considering I am talking about having the carrier do such a modification, unless these is a technical aspect as you guys suggested above which I have no idea of other than yeah it might be true.. well time will tell... I also asked towards the end.. that you will not see on there :

Is this considering that the Samsung Galaxy S III is already a MetroPCS branded that runs on CDMA?

EDIT: I got this back


8:01pm
MetroPCS
Hi XXXXXXX - So sorry, you have asked a very good question about our Samsung Galaxy S III. Now, I am thinking that it may not be compatible. Please let me look more into this for you. I will update you as soon I get an answer. Thank you, JM
 
LOL! @gman I was laughing they carried the sidekicks as well I might just review my old phone then!!!


a question I haven't seened answered..say if I brung a note2 to get switched over..everything worked and fine an dandy..now would I be able to pop out that sim and put it in said sidekick or any other phone that's compatible would it work like normal? I remember I was able to switch phones on the fly with my tmob sim so I wonder if it will be the same..

second question.. will OUR LTE metro phones be able to run on tmo LTE towers once there available in our areas? will it just connect automatically or will there be a small update?
 
the metropcs sgs3 will not run on gsm. the verizon variant was teh only one to have a locked bootloader, it was also the only one to have a world phone capable sim slot. sprint, cricket, metro, us cellular, cspire, boost. all just cdma/lte. myself and MANY others tried MANY things and it all came back to no one could get anything working.

here is the devices i would consider:

1) Galaxy s 4 (i have one its amazing, really)
2) Note 3*
3) Next Nexus device**

i actually wanted to have the sidekick 4g as part of my oddball phone collection (the other big namer is the kyocera echo)

* the note series has exynos processors, so that is the thing id be leary about, since it was exynos on why the international sgs3, sgs4 and the ENTIRE note 2 lineup have MASSIVE issues with CM. seriously sprint/att/uscc/cricket/vzw/tmo/i9505/can all have official nightlies. while teh exynos powered octacore i9500 doesnt even have a booting cm rom.

**lg is already confirmed as to not making teh next nexus, htc did an amazing job with the nexus one, samsung's nexus were amazing and moto devices tend to be meh in specs but build quality/software is amazing. so if its any of those 3 ill glady take it :)
 
yea im leaning on the note3 which im waiting for but I like to root to clean up the bloatware...im not big on roms..haven't rom'd my gs3 yet or plan on it as im happy with its performance.. but that's the only flaw that would be stopping me from getting the note3...the gs4 is nice..i haven't seened it in person but everyone loves it..but I also hear it has lag sometimes which I find weird but im sure will be fixed with an update..
 
Joshuah22a said:
LOL! @gman I was laughing they carried the sidekicks as well I might just review my old phone then!!!


a question I haven't seened answered..say if I brung a note2 to get switched over..everything worked and fine an dandy..now would I be able to pop out that sim and put it in said sidekick or any other phone that's compatible would it work like normal? I remember I was able to switch phones on the fly with my tmob sim so I wonder if it will be the same..

second question.. will OUR LTE metro phones be able to run on tmo LTE towers once there available in our areas? will it just connect automatically or will there be a small update?
Click to expand...
They've been automatically connecting since the tmo towers have also started broadcasting the metro LTE ID aka MCC -MNC (311-660)
 
Shabbypenguin said:
the metropcs sgs3 will not run on gsm. the verizon variant was teh only one to have a locked bootloader, it was also the only one to have a world phone capable sim slot. sprint, cricket, metro, us cellular, cspire, boost. all just cdma/lte. myself and MANY others tried MANY things and it all came back to no one could get anything working.

here is the devices i would consider:

1) Galaxy s 4 (i have one its amazing, really)
2) Note 3*
3) Next Nexus device**

i actually wanted to have the sidekick 4g as part of my oddball phone collection (the other big namer is the kyocera echo)

* the note series has exynos processors, so that is the thing id be leary about, since it was exynos on why the international sgs3, sgs4 and the ENTIRE note 2 lineup have MASSIVE issues with CM. seriously sprint/att/uscc/cricket/vzw/tmo/i9505/can all have official nightlies. while teh exynos powered octacore i9500 doesnt even have a booting cm rom.

**lg is already confirmed as to not making teh next nexus, htc did an amazing job with the nexus one, samsung's nexus were amazing and moto devices tend to be meh in specs but build quality/software is amazing. so if its any of those 3 ill glady take it :)
Click to expand...

Either way this was the best response I got from MetroPCS on facebook...

Hi XXXXXXX - It has to be a compatible unlocked phone from another carrier. Thank you, JM

Does not help much...
 
I know we're in the hurry and wait mode but it seems like I'm noticing an all around mid range VOID with phones except Metro right?

The SG3-4 is the Only T-Mo phone with LTE right? [1]

So the only choices (branded Metro or T-Mo) to get all the 2 networks goodness now are a GSM Metro S3 or new T-mo S3-4, right?

Has anyone even heard the hint of any upcoming midrange phones for T-Mo? Or Us? Anything that could come up by the middle of next month with the S4? I sure haven't.

(Yes, I'm considering the L9 an low end phone with it's 1 Ghz pro.)

All the more reason to stick with the Spirit for awhile. :rolleyes:

(Heads-up Mothership, we need some new Metro GSM midrangers.)

[1] Caught one of the Metro Faceplant peeps answer a question about the L9 today . The answer was, "no, it doesn't have LTE but it Does have 4G", I started to say something and for once thought better of it. ;)

Bruce in Ocala, FL
 
OcalaFlGuy said:
I know we're in the hurry and wait mode but it seems like I'm noticing an all around mid range VOID with phones except Metro right?

The SG3-4 is the Only T-Mo phone with LTE right? [1]

So the only choices (branded Metro or T-Mo) to get all the 2 networks goodness now are a GSM Metro S3 or new T-mo S3-4, right?

Has anyone even heard the hint of any upcoming midrange phones for T-Mo? Or Us? Anything that could come up by the middle of next month with the S4? I sure haven't.

(Yes, I'm considering the L9 an low end phone with it's 1 Ghz pro.)

All the more reason to stick with the Spirit for awhile. :rolleyes:

(Heads-up Mothership, we need some new Metro GSM midrangers.)

[1] Caught one of the Metro Faceplant peeps answer a question about the L9 today . The answer was, "no, it doesn't have LTE but it Does have 4G", I started to say something and for once thought better of it. ;)

Bruce in Ocala, FL
Click to expand...
Tmobile LTE phones
HTC One
GS3
GS4
Note 2
iPhone 5
 
I'm not sure if I ask this before so let's say if I get the metro s4 will it access tmobile hspa and voice signal? Or just metro lte and talk coverage?
 
OcalaFlGuy said:
OK, I got one for you guys here that really know your phones.

Show us some of the professional phone geek sheet. :D

Tell us your top 3 choices of BYOD services from the list.

Please? ;)
Bruce in Ocala, Fl
Click to expand...

1) Galaxy S4 - If it's $500 or under.

2) Galaxy Nexus 4

3) Oppo Find 5.

I'd be all over the Find 5 if it had LTE. I love Oppo as a company. Make great Blu Ray players that they always keep up to date and are among the best in existence. And they have been supporting their phones great as well. Unfortunately being new to the phone game they still have kinks to work out on the software end. I'll keep them in mind in the future but I'm probably better off waiting out their growing pains.

I'd be fine with a Galaxy s3 like I have now. That assumes it has LTE and unlike the t-mobile S3 is at a worthwhile discount from the S4. Right now T-Mobile sells the s3 for nearly the same price as the S4. If Metro offers it at their current CDMA price it would be VERY tempting.

I really liked the Sony ZL. Unfortunately it had one defect that took out of contention for me. The viewing angles of the screen. I figured it wouldn't be a big deal since who looks at a phone sideways but went to look at one at the Sony store. But I do tend to like when I'm waiting say in a restaurant or somewhere else to put my phone down on the table and use it that way rather than holding it. And it really was worse than I expected from that particular angle. Give it Oppo's IPS screen and Oppo's sound. And a removable battery like Samsung and it would be the perfect phone for me.

Nexus 4's price is of course the lowest. Though with 16gb and adding in shipping and handling it does come to $400 which puts it closer to other option. If the SG4 is too expensive may just park here. And maybe upgrade onces prices start to fall. Being used to touchwiz and it's little touches not sure how well I'll adjust to stock.

Main concern I have right now is at least where I am in New York CDMA MetroPCS seems to have degraded. I thought it was perhaps Pandora's fault (as that was the main app I streamed with) but I really noticed it during Hurricane Sandy when wifi no longer was an option. No matter how "strong" LTE was or what I got in the speed tests streaming apps like Netflix and Pandora seemed to drop in & out constantly making them difficult to use. On the other hand the T-Mobile SG2 I was got for my father streamed like a champ. Pre-merger I thought of switching but decided to stay for the grandfathered fully unlimited plan.

Other concern is resale value on my SG3 which could fall completely off the cliff as the shutoff date becomes closer. Without that concern in the back of my head I'd probably just wait till Black Friday of the release of the Nexus 5. Logically I probably should wait because I'm likely to pay less for a decent LTE capable phone. On the other hand there is always something to wait for.
 
So hypothetically speaking...
Is it possible for someone to buy a SIM from one of the 'BYOD ready' markets ex. Las Vegas, and take it to a technically 'BYOD non-ready' market such as Miami, drop it in a SGH-M919 Tmo S4, and have it work?

if not, whats an estimated guess on when FL markets will become 'BYOD ready' ?
Please dont answer unless you know the forsure answer to my questions, thanks
 
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