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Kellen

Kellen

It’s not often that you get to merge personal passions into a professional life, but that’s what Kellen did when he launched Droid Life in 2009. After working years of unsatisfying jobs in the medical and property management fields, he took a risk to try and create an online community while playing with the coolest gadgets on the planet each day, a risk that has turned out to be incredibly rewarding. Outside of Droid Life, Kellen is your typical Portlander who drinks way too much good beer, complains often about the Trail Blazers, and can be found out on the streets for a run, rain or shine.

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  • Awesome news.. just picked up my brand new Droid Maxx today. I loved everything about the phone, but wasn’t sure if I could use it overseas with a prepaid sim. Looks like this is possible now. With this info I’m even more happy about my choice.

    • Got mine on launch day and this is a great added bonus! I knew it was a world phone but I thought Verizon would gouge us on the price. Using a local SIM is the best, I got 100 minutes for like $7 in Guatemala.

  • Does this work with AT&T LTE? I have a VZW Galaxy S4 and am planning to get the Droid Maxx soon.

  • Sorry noob question: So does this mean you can get only data on AT&T though? Or could I use this as a fully working phone with calls n text over 2G? Would appreciate any clarification.

  • So you can use a verizon phone on at&t but you can’t use at&t phone on verizon

  • How is this surprising. The FCC requires them to keep the SIm unlocked as a part of their acquired spectrum.

    • The fact that it uses a SIM is irrelevant, the point is that it has hardware antenna support for HSPA. For example, the Thunderbolt and the Galaxy S3, both LTE phones that use SIM cards, do not support HSPA, just basic GSM. That means you won’t have high-speed data if you travel and use those phones on an overseas HSPA network.

      (edit: Actually, the t-bolt didn’t even support any variety of GSM besides LTE. The S3 supports most GSM varieties, but not HSPA)

  • I wish the worked the other way around, like buying a AT&T phone and have it work on Verizon. AT&T has phones that Verizon doesn’t and even the ones they both have, AT&T gets them months earlier. How nice would it be to get a S4 Active or even a custom Moto X and slapping a Verizon sim in….if only.

  • Is there any kind of pay as you go/use plan for att/t-mobile that would work with this. I can see this being a handy feature, when i’m out for the occasional rural weekend where only att/t-mobile has service.

    • Yes, AT&T has GoPhone(also has LTE) which I’m using now. $60/2gb/unlimited text & data. Buy refill cards for under $55.

  • The DNA is unlocked… I bought my DNA off of craigslist and used it on both AT&T and TMobile.

  • Its actually all Verizon LTE phones that should have GSM capabilities out of the box. One of the requirements that was put when Verizon purchased block C to expand their LTE coverage was that all Verizon LTE phones would be sim unlocked by default and could be used on GSM globally. Bought a HTC Rezound about a year ago and used it on GSM in Kenya. Funny thing is that the CDMA radios are locked to Verizon and Verizon alone.

    • See my other comment. “SIM unlocked” does not mean “supports GSM frequencies used by non-Verizon carriers”. The Thunderbolt is an example of an LTE phone that supports Verizon’s LTE (GSM) frequencies, but not the frequencies used by other GSM carriers, so you can’t use it overseas. However, most (all?) new Verizon LTE phones support most GSM frequencies, because modern chipsets already have them built in. Verizon usually refers to these as “global” phones. Also note that even if the hardware supports it, you need software support as well.

  • How well does it work on T-Mobile though? I know they use 2100, but don’t they use 1700 for most of their HSPA+ data, so it would only be compatible with their EDGE speeds?

      • Mainly wondering because I would love to check out T-Mobile’s network in my area for a month without carrying two devices. Much easier to just pop SIMs in and out.

        • It was EDGE only when I tried T-Mobile with my Verizon Note 2. Haven’t tried it on my S4. I think the bands are the same though.

          • According to Phone Arena, they all use the same bands.

            The only issue I have is that it should support 1700 AWS, since Verizon is planning on expanding their LTE network into that spectrum early/mid 2014. That’s my biggest hangup with all these new devices.

          • Looks like the Moto X will be compatible too, but the HTC One is not, according to the FCC filings. Bummer too, since the HTC One is battling the Moto X for my money.

          • Digging deeper, looks like the Mini/Ultra/Maxx support Band 4 as well. That would be pretty awesome, though dropping from LTE to EDGE with no HSPA would suck lol.

  • so my next question would be is this fraudulent or legal just because you can do something doesn’t make it right

    • How could it be? You are paying AT&T for the service (you have to get the SIM from them, have it activated, etc) AND paying for service and the device from Verizon.

      Which part is illegal and/or fraudulent?

      • you buy off contract…ur not payin verizon anything except if u buy the phone from them

        • True… Didn’t mention it because so few people actually do buy off-contract (as I have seen, I could be wrong).

  • If you used your ultra solely on at&t, wouldn’t you have trouble receiving updates from verizon?

      • Wouldn’t you? The device connects to Motorola’s servers for the update, not Verizon’s. You may not get an update notification when connected to cell data, but you should be able to be notified and pull the update while on wifi.

        • On every Verizon phone I’ve had, the update notification was sent by Verizon. Many people have said that you don’t get a carrier update, without being active on that carrier.

          • I think if you keep your Verizon SIM, you may be able to pop it in and connect to WiFi to pull down the update. Even if it isn’t an active account, it stills has network access for 911. That should register your phone for the update.

  • The iPhone 5, Note 2, Droid DNA, and Galaxy S4 are unlocked as well. Why does this surprise you?

    • Are all of those still that way? Both data and calling? I guess I should pay attention more. 😛

      • Yes. I’ve heard it was required of them for LTE phones due to Block C. Not sure if that is the case, but I have a hard time seeing Verizon as just being nice.

        • I’ve heard that as well, just thought that not everything worked, like calling. But if it does! That’s awesome. Good job FCC for enforcing that.

          • I tested a T-Mobile SIM in my Note 2. It worked fine for calls and data, but lacked one of the bands for T-Mobile HSPA+. I haven’t tried it in my S4.

          • Not only will these phones work with all of those services, the newer flagships (so far Q10, S4, 928, Ultra/Maxx/Mini/X, and maybe the One) work on Band 4 LTE so Canadian carrier LTE, T-Mobile’s LTE, and very few AT&T LTE markets can connect to LTE on these phones.

    • so you are saying that if i go into settings on my S4 and mess around that I can get on HSPA?

      • LOL, actually, to be honest. The nature of ATT’s network is more modern tech ant it’s actually faster than Verizon.

        • Agreed. Verizon wins in area covered, but when an area has both AT&T and Verizon LTE AT&T almost always wins.

          • Yup, T mobile often times will beat both of them in speed as a matter of fact.

            But yeah Verizon still wins hands down in terms of markets but also in terms of rural coverage big time.

          • My GF’s nexus 4 more than triples my speed with less signal on a regular basis, makes me sad.

          • You mean where AT&T/T-Mobile have none, yes, Verizon wins there. *And by there I mean here, where I live* I have LTE all over and H+ on AT&T very spotty, EDGE everywhere on T-Mo.

          • Verizon used to be like this, I would get 20+ mbps everywhere then after a year there was a drop in speed and then recently its been getting to the point that I am between 2-5 mbps if I am lucky in a full signal area. It’s just a matter of time until they are saturated.

          • too many users in one area on one wan link, too much saturation. The problem persists all through the downtown area on multiple cell IDs. but in less populated areas I can still get that magical 30 mbps

          • Exactly! If I go to a rural town that had maybe 20 housed in several square miles, I can pull high 20’s to mid 30’s down, but where I am and in many somewhat populated areas I’m lucky to get 5-12Mbps down. Meanwhile, on AT&T I get anywhere from 30-60Mbps down, even in large cities.

        • LOL ^^^ This guy.

          AT&T’s LTE network usually SpeedTests better yes, but in overall coverage and reliability, it’s a candle in the wind.

          This is for HSPA+ only though, not their LTE tech.

    • My bloatalicious VZW S4 can do this, so what? So could my GN2. poor folks with GN2 on the “NOW network,” however, couldn’t (soldered sim cards anyone?).

  • For the first time in my life I will give ATT some credit, they are really starting to build up their network. Finally.

        • Yes. They still offer individual plans. They don’t force you on family share. That means for my 2 lines, I get 6 GB total, for $60, instead of 4 on Verizon if allowed to stay individual, or 2 if forced on share.

          • If you already have a single line on Verizon, you can keep it if you lose unlimited. It’s the same price as AT&T except you get 2GB of data instead of 3GB.

          • Yes, I get that. But I’d rather get 3GB, instead of 2 for the same price. With 2 lines, that’s 2GB more. But my main point is that if they pull unlimited, they’ll probably force you to family share. Either way, I’ll be in trouble. I have used 11 GB in 6 days. I got rid of my home WiFi. I use tethering to watch Netflix. I don’t see the point in paying a WiFi bill, when I’m having to pay Verizon full price for two phones, plus pay the subsidy in the plan. If I’m going to pay that much for the priveledge of having unlimited, I’m going to use it as I please.

          • Verizon still very much has individual plans for single-line users. You just have to ask at a store.

          • I do the same. I have WiFi at home but I tether all the time because our router isn’t very reliable and the signal doesn’t reach my room very well. I normally use 30+GB a month.

  • If I recall correctly, @P3Droid had the RAZR M working on AT&T bands shortly after its release, as well.

  • Yup…I was the first to report this on androidcentral forums. I’ve been using my ultra just fine on ATT…no issues at all.

    • So the Droid Maxx will work on AT&T’s Edge and HSPA bands? My main concern is that if I buy a Droid Maxx for AT&T, I don’t want my cell or data reception to be spotty because my phone doesn’t access one or more of the bands.

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