I'm thinking about getting a Verizon Note 3 for my dad who lives in a rural area with bad coverage from all networks and have some questions. I like this phone because it's unlocked out of the box and the idea is to try out t-mobile's $30 plan and fall back on at&t if necessary. It seems like it keeps the most options open.
Is there any real advantage to going with the verizon over t-mobile version of this phone for use on t-mobile/at&t when most use will not be in an LTE area? Are the other bands pretty much covered? I can't see my dad ever needing much bandwidth outside of maybe streaming a Netflix movie in a hotel room or uploading a couple of dozen vacation photos so extremely high speeds aren't as important as just having decent data coverage.
Is the verizon version any better suited toward international travel than the t-mobile version once unlocked?
Basically I'm getting an unlocked Note 3 and am unsure of whether or not I should get the verizon or t-mobile version.
If you aren't in an lte area then no real difference between the tmobile, att and Verizon versions. You will get 4g on tmobile or ATT regardless of version used. The Verizon version however doesn't support bands 17 and 5 which att uses, only band 4.
Once the att or tmobile versions are unlocked there aren't that many differences when used internationally. But note that you would need to meet certain criteria before att or tmobile would unlock. There are other unlock methods of you wish to bypass the carrier
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Thank you. That's exactly what I wanted to know.
I wanted to update the thread. I am sitting in Buenos Aires, Argentina with my verizon note 3. Got a local sim and it's working perfectly. I just had to do some googling to figure out the APN settings. Getting 2-3Mbps down .5 up. Good enough for me! Using Talkatone app to make Google Voice calls free to the US. There's a continuous message on the notifications sections that says "Non Verizon SIM" that won't seem to go away. Otherwise, works like a charm![]()
Um, aren't all the 4G phones on Verizon unlocked?
Didn't the FCC make that a requirement for the spectrum they use?
Well some early 4GLTE devices were sim locked from the factory(later were unlocked via update) , but AFAIK, all current 4GLTE phones are factory sim unlocked if they contain gsm radios. Not all 4GLTE devices had gsm capabilites (besides band 13 lte)
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What is that amplifier/repeater? I assume it's not the same thing that I use to boost the signal.
In case anyone was wondering, the Verizon Note 3 is factory sim unlocked. No need for root or anything. I tested a straight talk sim using tmobile and was able to get calls. Edited the apn and got data H+. Verizon does support band 4 lte, perhaps the band is locked now, but H+ worked just fine.
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3 via Tapatalk 4
Still here in Argentina. Anyone know how to get the mobile hotspot working? All I get is "Checking Subscription Status" and "Mobile Hotspot failed to connect. Please try again later." I assume it is trying to contact Verizon or something. Any ideas?
Do you have a subscription (either by using the share everything or by paying a separate fee) ? If so then contact Verizon.
If you do not have a subscription, then with the latest update, you would have to use a third party app like foxfi
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3 via Tapatalk Pro
Ok good news I took you guys advice and put a T-mobile Sim Card in my VZW Note 3 and it worked !!!!! I just have some issues one is i cant send pics via text but I can get and receive regular text messages .Is there a fix to this ??? .Second how do I get the band 4 to work on my VZW Note 3 ? do i have to root it ?? or is there another simpler way to do it? I dont want to end up bricking my phone.
You just need the latest update.
cools how do i get that update is there a link or something remember iam on t-mobile network now .My last software update was 12/14/2013
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