T-Mobile Nexus 5 on ATT...

tgp

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Yes. What you're calling a T-Mobile Nexus 5 is not actually T-Mobile at all. It's sold by T-Mobile, but it's exactly the same device sold on the Play Store.
 

Ess_78201

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Ok great. I'm going to the Nexus 5 from my LG G2 on ATT. I wouldn't say it's a step down, aside from the camera specs, but I'm pretty pumped up about the pure Android experience.

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gidgiddonihah

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Would a T-Mobile Nexus 5 work if I put my AT&T sin card in it?

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Unlike most devices every carrier sells the Nexus 5 is 100% untouched. You are still unlocked and ready to go. Google doesn't allow interference in the Nexus experience. It's why it doesn't work with the Verizon - they like to interfere - and the relationship between them and Google isn't so great. So, as others have said, it will indeed work.

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Ess_78201

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Thanks to everyone for their great advice. This was a steal. 275 new in box. I'm really glad I purchased it. Now time to sell the LG G2.

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gidgiddonihah

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Thanks to everyone for their great advice. This was a steal. 275 new in box. I'm really glad I purchased it. Now time to sell the LG G2.

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Glad to hear your having a great time a new device. You should love it on AT&T. Funny I'm considering doing the opposite of what you are doing. I'm off contract and T-Mobile's prices are starting to look more and more attractive to this poor college student who has a serious problem with tech - my wallet hates me when new tech comes out ;-).

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21stNow

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Thanks to everyone for their great advice. This was a steal. 275 new in box. I'm really glad I purchased it. Now time to sell the LG G2.

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I'm concerned for you because it may actually be a steal. If this person bought the Nexus 5 using the EIP program on T-Mobile and stops paying for it, your phone will be blacklisted. I'm unsure if this blacklist carries over to AT&T because I have heard that it will and that it won't. Checking the IMEI blacklist now wouldn't do you much good because EIP blacklisting normally takes around two months and the Nexus 5 just came out less than two months ago.
 

gidgiddonihah

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Well let's keep our fingers crossed. I haven't even thought of that.

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I would call T-Mobile and ask them. If they are going to blacklist a phone they would need the IME which you can give them to check. If that's the case I'm sure they have something setup for you to pay it off. If it is going to be blacklisted give AT&T a call and see if the blacklist goes to them as well. I doubt it but I would double check.

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21stNow

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I would call T-Mobile and ask them. If they are going to blacklist a phone they would need the IME which you can give them to check. If that's the case I'm sure they have something setup for you to pay it off. If it is going to be blacklisted give AT&T a call and see if the blacklist goes to them as well. I doubt it but I would double check.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

The thing is that the person may have made the EIP payment this month and there would be no problems with the IMEI now. The customer may not make the EIP payment in January and the phone would be shut off around March. Ess_78201 would have to call every month to make sure that the phone is still clean. Also, T-Mobile will not allow the current owner of the phone to pay off the seller's account because that would be giving out private account information. There are threads from frustrated buyers on T-Mobile's forum about this issue.

Ess_78201 could call AT&T and ask about it, but if you say the word blacklist, they will say that the device will be blocked. Before the UnCarrier initiative, there were separate blacklists for stolen devices and ones that had unpaid EIP plans on them. The one for stolen devices carried over to other carriers but the EIP blacklist didn't if I understood this correctly. I don't know if that changed either due to more people signing up for EIP under the UnCarrier initiative or under the stronger blacklist database that the carriers are using now. I always advise people not to buy a T-Mobile device from the tertiary market unless the seller is willing to meet the buyer in a T-Mobile store and authorize the release of information on the account to show that the device has been paid for in full.
 

gidgiddonihah

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The thing is that the person may have made the EIP payment this month and there would be no problems with the IMEI now. The customer may not make the EIP payment in January and the phone would be shut off around March. Ess_78201 would have to call every month to make sure that the phone is still clean. Also, T-Mobile will not allow the current owner of the phone to pay off the seller's account because that would be giving out private account information. There are threads from frustrated buyers on T-Mobile's forum about this issue.

Ess_78201 could call AT&T and ask about it, but if you say the word blacklist, they will say that the device will be blocked. Before the UnCarrier initiative, there were separate blacklists for stolen devices and ones that had unpaid EIP plans on them. The one for stolen devices carried over to other carriers but the EIP blacklist didn't if I understood this correctly. I don't know if that changed either due to more people signing up for EIP under the UnCarrier initiative or under the stronger blacklist database that the carriers are using now. I always advise people not to buy a T-Mobile device from the tertiary market unless the seller is willing to meet the buyer in a T-Mobile store and authorize the release of information on the account to show that the device has been paid for in full.

When you talk to AT&T just say you bought this phone but you are worried it is stolen. Ask them to check the IME in their system.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 

21stNow

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When you talk to AT&T just say you bought this phone but you are worried it is stolen. Ask them to check the IME in their system.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

With the EIP blacklist, it's not that simple. The phone could be blacklisted in 2, 12 or 18 months or anytime after the original purchaser stops making EIP payments on the phone. Since the original purchase price from T-Mobile is $450 and the buyer let it go for $275, it is likely that this seller plans to stop paying the EIP for the phone. As I stated in an earlier post, due to the recent purchase date, the IMEI is likely clean at this point anyway.
 

Bob Heathcote

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Apologies for using old thread but it is top Google result: just bought new never used red N5 from ebay and this is my third as family and friends have same. I know these things pretty well so I was surprised by what happened and what the seller told me.

I took the att sim out of another N5 with excellent LTE connection and in the new N5 all I get is HSPA and shows full bars all the time, and never LTE.

I contact the seller who says "this was a T-Mobile OEM device and though it will show HSPA (actually just an H over the bars) you will get LTE service - just do a speed test to be sure.

So I install the ookla app and I am only getting 8-12Mb not even half of what this Sim will let me get with the old N5 (it has a cracked screen, BTW).

So I am calling BS on this. I msg him back to explain my findings and ask for refund and he basically repeated the same thing but said he will allow return/refund if I really want to.

If I can get LTE to work properly I will keep it. Like many have said here previously, a Nexus 5 is a Nexus 5. Difference here is the above result and the fact thus one came with a T-Mobile Sim installed while others I have purchased have had no Sim installed.

Please let me know if you have any further insight.

Typed on mobile web, sorry grammar / typos

Bob
 

raqball

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I have 2 N5's.. One was purchased from the play store and one was purchased from T-Mobile. Both are being used on AT&T and both get full LTE.
 
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jj14x

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I contact the seller who says "this was a T-Mobile OEM device and though it will show HSPA (actually just an H over the bars) you will get LTE service - just do a speed test to be sure.

Seller is incorrect. On T-Mo, a Nexus 5 should show the LTE signal when connected to LTE network.
Can you check to see the model#? Is it D820 or D821? If you got the D821 (international model), it may not support T-Mo's LTE bands. If it is the D820, and is running the stock firmware, it should connect to LTE.

To check version, go into bootloader (from power off, hold volume down button and power on). The third line in bootloader should tell you the variant
Example: VARIANT- hammerhead D820(h) 32GB
or VARIANT - hammerhead D821(H) 32GB
 

Bob Heathcote

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Seller is incorrect. On T-Mo, a Nexus 5 should show the LTE signal when connected to LTE network.
Can you check to see the model#? Is it D820 or D821? If you got the D821 (international model), it may not support T-Mo's LTE bands. If it is the D820, and is running the stock firmware, it should connect to LTE.

To check version, go into bootloader (from power off, hold volume down button and power on). The third line in bootloader should tell you the variant
Example: VARIANT- hammerhead D820(h) 32GB
or VARIANT - hammerhead D821(H) 32GB

Thanks much for this info!

Checked the bootloader and yep it is the D821

Looking again closely the listing did say "international model" which I did not catch and did not know the significance. I am lucky the seller is being cool allowing a return.

FTR, for I am trying to use this with AT&T sim, not T-mobile. I am assuming it does not have the LTE radio for AT&T. Dang it.


EDIT: Google'd AT&T USA and D821 and consensus is it does not have the right radio for AT&T USA LTE
Thanks again
 
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