Are there any differences between tmobile's s4 and at&t's s4?

[gcam77]

Does any know if an unlocked S4 from AT&T will be fully functional on Tmobile's network? What bands are operational on each of the phones?

 

[Jaguarr40]

Real simple answer... GSM works on GSM and CDMA on CDMA. If unlocked it is good for the reason stated or over seas with that countries SIM card.

 

[gcam77]

Is it the same for LTE?

Real simple answer... GSM works on GSM and CDMA on CDMA. If unlocked it is good for the reason stated or over seas with that countries SIM card.

 

[Jaguarr40]

Is it the same for LTE?

It should be yes.

 

[icellphones32]

Also T mobile will have the only S4 with "HD VOICE"

 

[RG129]

Real simple answer... GSM works on GSM and CDMA on CDMA. If unlocked it is good for the reason stated or over seas with that countries SIM card.

Umm...AT&T and T-Mobile are both GSM networks. So an unlocked S4 in theory will work (to a degree) on each carrier. The variants for each carrier are a little different supporting different bands. From what I've read:

The AT&T variant is model SGH-i337 with the following compatible bands:
GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850 (B5), UMTS1900 (B2), UMTS2100 (B1), LTE700 (B17), LTE1700/2100 (B4)

The T-Mobile variant is model SGH-m919 with the following compatible bands:
GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850 (B5), UMTS900 (B8), UMTS1700/2100 (B4), UMTS1900 (B2), UMTS2100 (B1), LTE700 (B17), LTE850 (B5), LTE1700/2100 (B4), LTE1900 (B2)

So depending on how your region is deployed with HSPA+/LTE, an unlocked phone may or may not fully be interchangeable on each network.

 

[scorpiodsu]

An unlocked AT&T will not have the 1700 band that tmobile requires for HSPA in most of the country. It will however have the 1900 (refarmed) and they both use the same band for LTE. So if you are not in a tmobile refarmed then you do not want an AT&T unlocked device due to the missing 1700 band. But if you are on AT&T, you are fully operable with an unlocked tmobile device.

 

[Raptor007]

Here is some info:

T-Mobile GS4 Radios : LTE Bands: 1/2/4/5/7/17 (2100/1900/1700/850/2600/700) MHz; HSPA+/UMTS: 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz; GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
AT&T GS4 Radios: 4G-LTE Band 4 and 17- 4G HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul - 3G - UMTS 850/1900/2100MHz - GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz

I hope this helps.

 

[ocluke]

I would also add that just because you're in a refarmed area, doesn't mean the entire area is refarmed. For example, I purchased the HTC One Developer Edition because T-Mobile showed my area as refarmed to 1900. The phone gets a terrible connection to data; it's rarely on 4G. I called T-Mobile, and they said that there are still several towers that are on the 1700 band, but the area shows as refarmed because they now have 1900 available in my area (Southern California). Returned, unfortunately. Looks like I'll be stuck with the 32GB T-Mobile version.

 

[RLangerman]

Here is some info:

T-Mobile GS4 Radios : LTE Bands: 1/2/4/5/7/17 (2100/1900/1700/850/2600/700) MHz; HSPA+/UMTS: 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz; GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
AT&T GS4 Radios: 4G-LTE Band 4 and 17- 4G HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul - 3G - UMTS 850/1900/2100MHz - GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz

I hope this helps.

How does this compare with the Verizon version?

 

[bob_1117]

For example, I purchased the HTC One Developer Edition because T-Mobile showed my area as refarmed to 1900. .... but the area shows as refarmed because they now have 1900 available in my area (Southern California)..

How can i check this for my area? Did you had to call them and ask ?

Thanks,,

 

[s44]

Hardware should be the same (teardown showed the same internals). So if you can flash the T-Mo modem and perhaps firmware, it should be possible to make the AT&T work on AWS as well -- as people did for the Note 2.

Problem, of course, is that the bootloader lock for the AT&T model has prevented messing around with this stuff.

As for Verizon, it *does* have AWS for LTE (which means T-Mo LTE will work!) but not for HSPA, where it's AT&T/international/refarm T-Mo only. Perhaps there could be a hack for this too? But it seems a lot harder. Still, in a refarm area or a few years down the line where all T-Mo 3G is on 1900 and AWS is LTE-only, Verizon S4s will work perfectly on T-Mo.

 

[snookasnoo]

I don't think anyone knows yet but Verizon has a history of gimping features other carriers include.

How does this compare with the Verizon version?

 

[alus415]

You could enable AWS on the ATT verison of the S4 , this in turn makes it 100% fully functional on Tmobile network.

[GUIDE] Enable AWS on Samsung Galaxy IV AT&T i337 & Canadian i337M - xda-developers

 

[michaelhammondd]

Samsung I9502 Galaxy S4
General 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
SIM Dual SIM (Micro-SIM)

Samsung I9500 Galaxy S4
General 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G Network LTE (market dependent)
SIM Micro-SIM


Samsung SGH-i337 for AT&T.
General 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - all versions
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 - SGH-i337
4G Network LTE 800 / 850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600
LTE 700 MHz Class 17 / 1700 / 2100 - SGH-i337


Samsung Galaxy S4 CDMA
Samsung SGH-I545 for Verizon.
General 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
CDMA 800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
4G Network LTE 700 MHz Class 13 1700 / 2100

 

[jlt4003]

Note that the T-Mobile S4 includes CDMA FDD LTE 1700/2100 on band-4 which the other S4-s do not. In the 1700/2100 range, Band 4 uses an Upload frequency of 1710-1755 and a Download Frequency of 2110-2155. The other S4-s that use CDMA 1700/2100 use Band 3 which has an Upload Frequency of 1710-1785 and a Download Frequency of 1805-1880. Without Band 4 you can not use the T-Mobile native "WiFi Calling" feature primarily due to the Download side. I found this out the hard way and after many conversations with T-Mobile techs, Samsung techs and purchasing my "unlocked" S4 GT-I9505. I believe that the S4 purchased from T-Mobile is custom built by Samsung for T-Mobile and it is a hardware difference. Consequently you need to purchase from T-Mobile if you want/need the "WiFi Calling" feature natively. Otherwise, you will need an app like Viber.

 

[myact]

So it looks like if I want to switch between ATT & T-mobile and want to experience full 4G LTE capabilities, I should buy the T-mobile version of S4 (M919) and not the ATT version (i337). Is that a correct statement? I am planning to buy an unlocked M919 online and use it with either ATT or T-mobile

 

[gxgs]

So it looks like if I want to switch between ATT & T-mobile and want to experience full 4G LTE capabilities, I should buy the T-mobile version of S4 (M919) and not the ATT version (i337). Is that a correct statement? I am planning to buy an unlocked M919 online and use it with either ATT or T-mobile

Yes, the tmobile s4 will work on lte both with tmo network and at&t network as long as its sim unlocked and has the correct apn. Also, the tmo s4 has an unlocked bootloader (if that is important to you) while the at&t version is locked. The tmobile version is close to being identical to the i9505 (international s4) but with the advantage that it supports lte on at&t and tmobile.

 

[myact]

Yes, the tmobile s4 will work on lte both with tmo network and at&t network as long as its sim unlocked and has the correct apn. Also, the tmo s4 has an unlocked bootloader (if that is important to you) while the at&t version is locked. The tmobile version is close to being identical to the i9505 (international s4) but with the advantage that it supports lte on at&t and tmobile.

Thanks. I do not know what does it mean that tmo version has an unlocked bootloader so I may not need it, may be. On internet, I saw that even if I buy i337 (ATT), it can be enabled for AWS and hence can work with Tmo 4g LTE. Does this mean I can buy i337 even if I decide to use it with tmo later? or would I run into any problems? Thank you very much for the help.

 

[gxgs]

Thanks. I do not know what does it mean that tmo version has an unlocked bootloader so I may not need it, may be. On internet, I saw that even if I buy i337 (ATT), it can be enabled for AWS and hence can work with Tmo 4g LTE. Does this mean I can buy i337 even if I decide to use it with tmo later? or would I run into any problems? Thank you very much for the help.

Yes, that too. Here is the guide if you are up for it, [GUIDE] Enable AWS on Samsung Galaxy IV AT&T i337 & Canadian i337M - xda-developers