Looking for new phone

**Fail9** · 02-05-2012, 09:52 AM

Hi im new here and thinking about getting a japanese phone but after searching around the forums im still unsure about a few things-

- i know new docomo releases can be unlocked with a small fee but does this mean everything will work outside of japan? i live in the u.s with tmobile and i want a phone that can use 3g internet so it has to be a android i hear.

If anyone can help it would be much appreciated.
ty

*Edit*
I'm looking at buying a softunlocked 007sh.
Can anyone who has this phone(with tmobile) tell me if the 3g internet works in u.s? ty in advance.

**Kyoex** · 02-05-2012, 12:57 PM

Im happy to help you out

1. All Docomo phones released after April 2011 can be unlocked.
2. The Android Smartphone based docomo phones, when you unlock them, pretty much all the features will work outside of Japan.
3. If its an android smartphone from docomo, the 3G will work in the USA
4. But it won't work on your T-mobile simcard. Currently only AT&T 3G simcards have the compatible 3G network frequency with docomo phones. So if you want to use 3G and one of the newer docomo's, you will need to switch to AT&T
5. All of my customers who live in the USA use the unlocked docomo phones I sent them on the AT&T 3G network. I had a few purchase who had Tmobile, but they could only run the phone on 2G GSM.

The 007SH is Softbank phone, and even if its unlocked, I don't know if this phone will run on Tmobile 3G. Also, currently there seems to be only a handful of people around the world who know how to software unlock the 007SH and they charge about 150-200 dollars and you need to send them the phone.

Softbank won't do an unlock of their phones. They won't allow it no matter who you ask or if you even try and pay them to do it

Anyways, I hope this helps you a little

**Fail9** · 02-05-2012, 01:27 PM

Very informative. ty for response

Do you know if your customers from u.s.a can use 3g net?
meaning they can browse, fb , google, youtube, and other apps that require net.

I asked the person im trying to buy the phone from if 3g net works in the u.s.a - Tmobile and he told me
that it will work for any 3g operator. I still want to make sure because i do not want to spend a lot of money on a phone that cant use 3g net.

**Kyoex** · 02-05-2012, 01:34 PM

3G on AT&T will work fine

3G on Tmobile, will NOT work with docomo phones

If you are on AT&T then the 3G signal is compatible and you can use everything. Apps, google, android marketplace, facebook, youtube, gps, etc etc etc

Trust me, the person you are buying it from is not correct, it will NOT work on Tmobile 3G network, since only AT&T is using the 850mhz bandwidth in the USA.

Im in Japan, I have friends who work at docomo and I can read the docomo support site where it clearly shows that 3G in USA only works for AT&T. I've sold over 200-300 phones to USA customers since last year when unlocking has started, and I can tell you 100% it will not work on Tmobile 3G network

**Fail9** · 02-05-2012, 01:53 PM

So it does not matter which android phone(or any japan phone) i get
i wont be able to use 3g net unless i switch over to AT&T?

**Kyoex** · 02-05-2012, 02:08 PM

yes you must switch over to AT&T

Tmobile doesn't support the 850mhz frequency, so even if the phone is unlocked, if the freq doesn't match, you are still screwed

**Fail9** · 02-05-2012, 03:06 PM

Thats suck to hear but atleast i didnt spend my money on a phone i couldnt use
thx for the help

Btw do you know if docomo came out with any flip android phones?
would be less work since they unlock their phones for you

**IonNuke** · 02-05-2012, 06:10 PM

I guess I should just add that AT&T uses UMTS 850/1900 bands and T-Mobile uses AWS system.
AWS bascially forces 1700/2100. I think 1700 is the Tx and 2100 is the Rx bands. So if the handset doesn't have those bands in specifically for Tx/Rx transmission it just simply won't work

I would know. I have TMO and a big-ol box of Docomo/SoftBank handsets lol.

**Fail9** · 02-05-2012, 09:27 PM

I was sent a link to the softbank website and there they let you check what services are available in the u.s.a with different carriers. When i go to T-Mobile USA and click details
im led to here:
http://mb.softbank.jp/en/global_serv...ilId=537095539

and here i clicked coverage:list:
http://gsma.streetmap.co.uk/custom/b...ftbankJ&id=466

then i check the "3g" to see where they have 3g service
does this mean tmobile has compatible band with softbank phones here?

**Kyoex** · 02-05-2012, 09:47 PM

Even if softbank phones have compatible bands, their phones are locked, so unless you have someone unlock the softbank phone for you, it still won't work.

on some other news, I just read this :

http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/20/t...eement-gets-d/

http://www.phonenews.com/etf-out-t-m...-limits-19770/

All this news is confusing, so Tmobile customers are able to access AT&T's 850mhz band while roaming, but the data limit is going to super low? I never understood the USA mobile phone market. Tmobile has an agreement with AT&T but then basically screws its customers by enforcing a harsh data limit even on customers who have unlimited or high data contracts?

**Fail9** · 02-05-2012, 10:11 PM

Well the person I'm buying the phone from already has it unlocked, I just have to make sure that tmobile's 3g would work on it or else theres no point.

I dont understand it either. If the limit is going to be 5mb per month then theres no point to it to begin with.
But maybe theres still hope for me getting this phone

**Kyoex** · 02-05-2012, 10:35 PM

Which softbank phone are you talking about?

**Fail9** · 02-05-2012, 10:37 PM

sharp 007sh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpIjmIvWP5E

**Kyoex** · 02-05-2012, 10:47 PM

From what I know, only that Russian guy was able to successfully unlock the 007SH. Are you 100% sure the person you buying it from is understanding your english and not assuming Unlock = Hypersim?

you should be 100% sure, he actually means SOFTWARE unlocked and not hypersim Unlocked