will a TMOBILE note4 work on VERIZON network?

Rukbat

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There are two totally different technologies used in cellphones, CDMA, used mainly in the US, and GSM, used all over the world, including the US. A CDMA phone won't work on a GSM carrier and a GSM phone won't work on a CDMA carrier. (Some flagship phones have both radios in the same phone.)

Verizon is a CDMA carrier. The T-Mobile Note 4 is a GSM phone (because TMobile and AT&T are GSM carriers, Verizon and Sprint are CDMA). So no, a TMobile Note 4 won't work on Verizon. (There's a Verizon Note 4, though. Same phone as far as the user is concerned, just a different radio inside.)

The only thing the fact that your phone is unlocked gives you is that you can use it on AT&T, as well as TMobile. (It accepts any GSM carrier's SIM card if it's unlocked - that's all unlocking does.)


Edit:
Putting a phone on Verizon isn't as simple as "will it work?" Even if it would work, Verizon won't accept most non-Verizon phones on their network.
 
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dpham00

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This would apply to this case only because the T-Mobile Note 4 does not have CDMA radios in it.
Correct, the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will not work on tmobile and att(with limitations) , but not vice versa.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4
 

KreepyKen

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Correct, the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will not work on tmobile and att(with limitations) , but not vice versa.

The CDMA variants come with GSM radios so they can be used on LTE architecture...And (theoretically) so they can be used internationally (for vacations, work assignments, etc). So using a Verizon or Sprint variant on T-Mobile or AT&T mostly works. However, the carriers use different LTE bands (i.e. RF frequency ranges), so if you did try it, you would likely only have HSPA+ data, not LTE.

Note: LTE is a GSM technology...which is why Verizon and Sprint started using SIM cards over the last couple of years. This is why their phones are able to easily "speak GSM" these days. The SIM cards have nothing to do with their 2G/3G CDMA architecture. CDMA is dog slow, but it allows Verizon and Sprint to more tightly control access to their networks.
 

dpham00

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The CDMA variants come with GSM radios so they can be used on LTE architecture...And (theoretically) so they can be used internationally (for vacations, work assignments, etc). So using a Verizon or Sprint variant on T-Mobile or AT&T mostly works. However, the carriers use different LTE bands (i.e. RF frequency ranges), so if you did try it, you would likely only have HSPA+ data, not LTE.

Note: LTE is a GSM technology...which is why Verizon and Sprint started using SIM cards over the last couple of years. This is why their phones are able to easily "speak GSM" these days. The SIM cards have nothing to do with their 2G/3G CDMA architecture. CDMA is dog slow, but it allows Verizon and Sprint to more tightly control access to their networks.
Not sure what you mean. The Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has xlte support which is the same band class as T-Mobile's wideband lte capable of 150mbps where 20+20mhz xlte /wideband lte is deployed. Att also uses band 4 lte, albeit in limited deployment.

Verizon can and has blocked att and tmobile apn from their phones in the past. In fact, you can thank Google for convincing the fcc to add the open devices clause to the 700MHz upper block c spectrum that Verizon bought. Without this, Verizon would probably still block usa gsm carriers. This is also the reason why Verizon sells it's current 4GLTE smartphones factory sim unlocked, the only usa carrier to do so for the vast majority of its Android phones (and apple too)


Also, I am guessing that in addition to bands 13 and 4, more Verizon phones will support band 2, 5,and 10 in the future as Verizon re farms it's 2g/3g to 4GLTE and acquires aws-3 spectrum. Att and tmobile have band 2 holdings and have/will refarm to lte, and it is rumored that both are acquiring aws-3 spectrum as well.

Currently, about half of Verizon's 4GLTE phones sold support bands 2, 17 and 5 lte, band 17 being att primary lte band currently.
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4
 
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Bumps8471

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I've just encountered this issue with a tmobile Note4, but I've moved to a mountain area that only has decent 4g service with Verizon and AT&T. I was given an unlock code my tmobile. Do I need to do anything in order to utilize the AT&T network now?
 

khaidang27

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i have a Note 4 of Verizon. The firmware is 4.4.4 Kitkat, and i HAVE NO SIGNAL on it.
When i click to search Network, change to Global or GSM, my phone say "Error", or "No Service".
What's wrong with it?
Please help!
Appreciated