Forum Discussion
What might it means to have a not fully compatible smart phone?
Hi, this ist Uwe from Germany. I will use T-Mobile network in USA while I am there. I did a check whether my mobile phone is compatible with the T-Mobile network. This is the result:
Motorola Moto G84
IMEI: 350162397257472
Tu dispositivo es parcialmente compatible con la tecnología de red de T-Mobile.
I would like to know, what this will mean to me.
Does it mean that in case my cellphone is not fully compatible, I will have no access to the T-Mobile network sometimes?
Or does it mean that I will be able to use a slower connection only, instead?
For example I will connect via 4G instead of 5G?
May I ask you for an advise how to deal with this challenge?
Will I need to buy another smartphone to be able to have a stable minimum 4G connection to T-Mobile network?
Thank you in advance for your kind support and your answers!
Greetings from Germany, Uwe
The best way to figure that out, is to look up what the device supports and the region it is from. Things like VoLTE, WiFi Calling, and VoNR from regions outside of the US and Canada are not always compatible with the T-Mobile USA network. VoLTE is required to be able to make and receive calls on the T-Mobile USA network.
Motorola Moto G84 - Full phone specifications (gsmarena.com)
For 5G, it basically supports a single band that T-Mobile USA has deployed in some areas. Whether that's n66 or n41 depending on the variant. No US carrier has all bands deployed everywhere and bands are deployed in areas that make the most sense for those technologies to be rolled out. Even though it has good 4G band support, that won't do you any good if the device is not compatible with T-Mobile's implementation (the stock Google implementation) of VoLTE. There is no way to know if the device supports T-Mobile's VoLTE implementation without finding someone that has tried to use the device on the T-Mobile USA network.
Dear Syaoran, thank you for your answers! Meanwhile I got an answer from T-Mobile USA. They wrote, if I got them right, that for me normaly a 4G coverage should be given. Maybe I will be able to get a 5G connection, but not for sure. This will be enough internet connection power for me. Thank you and greetings from Germany, Uwe
Looks.like its missing a few bamds
No LTE B71, possibly B12 (International)
No n25 or n71 (n41 on LATAM)
You'll take a hit on some rural coverage and some 5g - hopefully you don't have the LATAM instance, or you won't have any 5g
