vB Easy Archive - FOMA SH905I guide and user review (tmobile-USA)

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FOMA SH905I guide and user review (tmobile-USA)
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Posted by: nicekyo

My personal bias review of the device. And user guide to follow.

I have reading all the boards about this phone, I thought I’ll give back and write a comprehensive guide on how to get this phone to work on T-mobile network in the USA.

First impression:
I received this phone a day ago, and have been putting it through the paces. After a full work day of use, I have found this phone to be both useful and frustrating at the same time. I followed detailed information on how to use the NextSim, cut it, tape it, and burn it in using a regular phone for about 4 days prior. Immediately plugging it in my sh905i, it worked. I was able to receive and make calls with full caller ID. More on the user interface later.

Reception using SIM hack next sim/china3gp:
Short: If you live in a city, plan to travel little, no problems. Commuters, be careful, you will lose connection unknowingly. Cross city/town/large area, don’t even attempt it!

Long version:
I live in California, with decent tmobile coverage, not perfect, but decent. When I am set in one location with at least one bar of reception, the phone is very functional. When I am in a dead zone, this is where it might irritate some users. Once you enter a dead zone, and you exit, assuming you are looking for a signal with the same tower, you are in luck; you will get your signal back. If you are traveling, like myself, 100 mi or 160 km every weekend, going one tower to the next, you will loose your signal and handshake with tmobile permanently. The fix, troublesome fix, is to take sim card out of foma, put it in your regular phone, wait until it gain a signal, put simcard and sim hack back to foma, you are back in business. If you commute on a daily basis, you will cross the same transition zone every day, thus render this phone a pain until a better sim hack comes along that fix this issue. For many, this will be deal breaker. For a few, this shouldn’t be an issue if you stay in a well covered city and travel very little outside of that zone.

User interface:
Haven’t spent much time on it aside from making calls, playing with different themes, and contacts.

User Guide:

1) Before starting the phone, make sure simhack is tape on securely to your simcard, otherwise, it might get stuck in the tray.

2) If you haven’t burned in your simcard with simhack with a regular phone, don’t bother, I don’t think it helps or hurts. Just put it in the tray, and turn the phone on.

3) First time you turn it on, you will prompt with a security code. If you read the manual, it will tell you the default is “0000”. It will ask you again, then ask you to set it to a new code, then ask you t re-enter it. Don’t be stupid, and use random digits. Use something you know, and write it down as a backup.

4) Once that completes, you should be at the home screen, with reception bar, and maybe your carrier name (tmo).

*I will add more in the next few days as I have time. If this get stickyed, please let me know, so I can modify it accordingly.

**I know people will PM me and ask where I got the phone. I got it from LOL at ebay, expensive, but fast delivery, 3 business days! Full 5 business days if your auction ends on a weekday.

Posted by: Rakukojin

Were you using the $20 SIM hack? I thought it was supposed to work perfectly with T-Mobile

Posted by: nicekyo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakukojin

Were you using the $20 SIM hack? I thought it was supposed to work perfectly with T-Mobile

More like $10 sim hack. They are all the same, using the same Inex chip. I am getting the hypersim next week to try it out. Nothing works perfectly, it will work to certain extent. Like I said, if you travel or drive alot, keep in mind of dead spots. If you live in the US, don't spend more than 10-20 on a simhack.

Posted by: crg_zinger1

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicekyo

i agree with you. I was traveling to another city over the mountain (about 45 minutes drive) and i lost signal. It didnt come back even when i was back in my home city . thus i had to pull out the SIM put it into my 904SH and regained the signal again. then i place my SIm hack back into the SH905i

Posted by: Shihx79

Actually as long as you don't go through a great distance without reception (such as a long underwater tunnel) the signal will be back. So far driving in and out of SF Bay area has been okay for me. Going through the underground (Bart) is no problem too.

Another method you can try is if you know you are going through the distance without reception, turn off you phone first and the turn it back on when reception become stable. Most of the time you will get signal back.

Again, all SIM hacks work with T-Mo so just pay for the cheapest one you can find.

Posted by: Rakukojin

By the way, what is the best way I can get a free replacement for my T-Mobile SIM card. I think it might be too old (like 4-5 years old) and I don't want to shell out $20 for a replacement or wait till next Monday for one to come in from eBay.

Posted by: crg_zinger1

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shihx79

Again, all SIM hacks work with T-Mo so just pay for the cheapest one you can find.

Does that mean this cheap nextsim 6 on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/NextSim-6-unloc...1QQcmdZViewItem) for 35 buck will work with the SH905i on tmobile too?

Posted by: nicekyo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shihx79

Actually as long as you don't go through a great distance without reception (such as a long underwater tunnel) the signal will be back. So far driving in and out of SF Bay area has been okay for me. Going through the underground (Bart) is no problem too.

Another method you can try is if you know you are going through the distance without reception, turn off you phone first and the turn it back on when reception become stable. Most of the time you will get signal back.

Again, all SIM hacks work with T-Mo so just pay for the cheapest one you can find.

Yep, in San Francisco, not an issue at all. Outside of San Francisco, in the south bay, where I live, some spotty coverage/old cingular towers/dead spots=un happy sh905i.....

Posted by: nicekyo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakukojin

By the way, what is the best way I can get a free replacement for my T-Mobile SIM card. I think it might be too old (like 4-5 years old) and I don't want to shell out $20 for a replacement or wait till next Monday for one to come in from eBay.

There is no way to avoid it, just go in and shelf out $20. I never heard of buying a replacement tmobile sim card on ebay.

Posted by: nicekyo

Quote:

Originally Posted by crg_zinger1

Does that mean this cheap nextsim 6 on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/NextSim-6-unloc...1QQcmdZViewItem) for 35 buck will work with the SH905i on tmobile too?

Like I said earlier, any Sim-hack, nextsim/china3gp/hypersim will work. I heard hypersim is more stable on other forums, I am going to try it next week when it comes in. I have my reservations, but I think this is going to be solution for a while, since it actually is working for 90% of GSM users not under the 850 (ATT) frequency.

Posted by: nicekyo

A bit a of bad news. Hypersim didn't work well on my sh905i. Infinite reboot. Maybe I need to burn it in first. Any thoughts?

Posted by: getaway

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicekyo

3) First time you turn it on, you will prompt with a security code. If you read the manual, it will tell you the default is “0000”. It will ask you again, then ask you to set it to a new code, then ask you t re-enter it. Don’t be stupid, and use random digits. Use something you know, and write it down as a backup.

I didn't get the second prompt...

Posted by: nietsnut

What does it mean to burn in a hypersim?

nicekyo: Did you ever get that particular hypersim working (I'm assuming it's an iNEX)?

Posted by: riel

Quote:

Originally Posted by nietsnut

What does it mean to burn in a hypersim?

nicekyo: Did you ever get that particular hypersim working (I'm assuming it's an iNEX)?

It means to "break in". New phones and new HyperSIMs need to be "broken into" with a normal phone before it can be used properly with a Japanese phone.

Posted by: nando1

to the OP, or anyone else that has used this phone, I also live in the bay area and commute from the east bay to the city almost on a daily basis. I have used other none 850gsm phone and they work just fine with t-mo. My concern is this hypersim/simhack thing. I'm not quite sure I understand. I do know I'd love to have an sh905i or any other sh phone that can be used for

1. texts, i'm a heavy texter
2. MMS I like taking pics and sending them to friends
3. and of course calls

any other suggestions on what sh phones will work with t-mo?

thanks fellas

Posted by: aw614

mms you cant do on it, texts the nec n905i has t9 if thats what you need. and I think it is stable on hypersim

Posted by: Tonice112322004

Anybody have used this phone with any GPS mapping software?

I'm looking to get a(n) GPS device, and "attach" it to the phone, to get directions, wondering if it would work, also, would the internet work, if I get this phone "hacked"?