A tricky issue: Using Droid MAXX in Canada

[hanstoppable]

Hi all,

I have a question for the 'advanced' tech-guys here who are familiar with GSM, CDMA, LTE frequencies and have experience getting phones unlocked and working in other countries..

For me, i'm looking to buy the new Droid MAXX from Verizon and have it set up for use in Toronto with my Canadian phone carrier, Rogers.

I have asked a number of reps at Verizon and Motorola to help me figure out whether I'd be able to use the phone / whether it would work on Rogers LTE, but because my situation is a little bit unique I wasn't able to get a confident answer from anybody yet.. so I figure I'd ask you guys over here.

I currently have been using a Droid 4 unlocked and working with my Rogers carrier, but because the LTE band is limited to 700Mhz on the phone I am maxed out at 3G speeds. Either way, I am now looking at the new Droid MAXX to see whether I can get the LTE working in Toronto.

I've done some digging on my own and here is what I have found out so far about my situation:

Motorola DROID Maxx - Full phone specifications

According to the GSMarena.com website on the new DROID MAXX, the 4G networks that the phone supports are:
4G Network LTE 700 MHz Class 13 / 1700 / 2100 .. However, I wasn't able to confirm this info as accurate from either the Verizon or Motorola reps.. (that the phone can carry 1700 and 2100 LTE signal)

HOWEVER - from the Motorola.com website.. if you find the page for the DROID MAXX, under the Specs tab, I also found that under 'Networks', it said: LTE Band 04/13

I can only guess that the '04/13' refer to the Class?
From wikipedia.. List of LTE networks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(ie Class 13 is 700Mhz as noted by Verizon, and Class 04 corresponds to 1700Mhz... hmm....)

From the Wikipedia page on LTE networks, you'll also see that my carrier, Rogers, carriers LTE signal on 1700Mhz (class 4) as well.

--

I have gone in circles talkign to Verizon and Motorola reps to see whether I can confirm that the DROID MAXX will work with my carrier on their LTE networks and so pleaseee post your advice if you have any experience with getting these types of things to work. I want to avoid paying the $700.00 sticker price + taxes + shipping + int'l customs and finding out I am limited to 3g speeds.. or even worse, the phone not to work at all.

please help! :blink::blink:

 

[Danis]

Hi all,

I have a question for the 'advanced' tech-guys here who are familiar with GSM, CDMA, LTE frequencies and have experience getting phones unlocked and working in other countries..

For me, i'm looking to buy the new Droid MAXX from Verizon and have it set up for use in Toronto with my Canadian phone carrier, Rogers.

I have asked a number of reps at Verizon and Motorola to help me figure out whether I'd be able to use the phone / whether it would work on Rogers LTE, but because my situation is a little bit unique I wasn't able to get a confident answer from anybody yet.. so I figure I'd ask you guys over here.

I currently have been using a Droid 4 unlocked and working with my Rogers carrier, but because the LTE band is limited to 700Mhz on the phone I am maxed out at 3G speeds. Either way, I am now looking at the new Droid MAXX to see whether I can get the LTE working in Toronto.

I've done some digging on my own and here is what I have found out so far about my situation:

Motorola DROID Maxx - Full phone specifications

According to the GSMarena.com website on the new DROID MAXX, the 4G networks that the phone supports are:
4G Network LTE 700 MHz Class 13 / 1700 / 2100 .. However, I wasn't able to confirm this info as accurate from either the Verizon or Motorola reps.. (that the phone can carry 1700 and 2100 LTE signal)

HOWEVER - from the Motorola.com website.. if you find the page for the DROID MAXX, under the Specs tab, I also found that under 'Networks', it said: LTE Band 04/13

I can only guess that the '04/13' refer to the Class?
From wikipedia.. List of LTE networks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(ie Class 13 is 700Mhz as noted by Verizon, and Class 04 corresponds to 1700Mhz... hmm....)

From the Wikipedia page on LTE networks, you'll also see that my carrier, Rogers, carriers LTE signal on 1700Mhz (class 4) as well.

--

I have gone in circles talkign to Verizon and Motorola reps to see whether I can confirm that the DROID MAXX will work with my carrier on their LTE networks and so pleaseee post your advice if you have any experience with getting these types of things to work. I want to avoid paying the $700.00 sticker price + taxes + shipping + int'l customs and finding out I am limited to 3g speeds.. or even worse, the phone not to work at all.

please help! :blink::blink:

I wouldn't try it until after reading about other people testing it out first in Canada. Even if it was technically supported by the phone, the radio might not be unlocked to allow lte+gsm modes (bringing the phone to t-mo in the us). Not sure what phone you have now, but I've been running the Razr hd lte since December and it runs just fine. I charge my phone once a day and it usually lasts at least until I get to bed (this is after a day of being in the office downtown Toronto without cell signal). Other days, it can last 2 days.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

 

[hanstoppable]

Hmm, thanks Dani.

Here's what I am thinking of doing..

When the phone comes out in the States late this August, maybe I'll just go down myself to Buffalo and purchase the phone from a Verizon store..

Then I can drive close to the border where there is Rogers LTE coverage and test it out? Thoughts?

If I were to try something like this.. do you know whether I'd have to configure anything on the phone to get the LTE / 4G radio working on Rogers?

based on previous experience with other verizon/droid phones and using them in Canada... if I were to take a Rogers nano-sim down to the states and try to test it on the rogers network, could the phone work immediately on rogers LTE?

 

[ponts]

Any luck with this? I'm getting a droid maxx on eBay hopefully it arrives this week. I have both a rogers and bell Sim in Alberta. According to Motorola's site the maxx does support band 4 (1700). I'm really hoping I get LTE up here. I also have the moto x from rogers and loving it! Just want the big battery life to make it the perfect phone for me.

I have also read that it works with hspa+ right out of the box with at&t. So we should have no issues with at least getting hspa on bell or Rogers.

Hmm, thanks Dani.

Here's what I am thinking of doing..

When the phone comes out in the States late this August, maybe I'll just go down myself to Buffalo and purchase the phone from a Verizon store..

Then I can drive close to the border where there is Rogers LTE coverage and test it out? Thoughts?

If I were to try something like this.. do you know whether I'd have to configure anything on the phone to get the LTE / 4G radio working on Rogers?

based on previous experience with other verizon/droid phones and using them in Canada... if I were to take a Rogers nano-sim down to the states and try to test it on the rogers network, could the phone work immediately on rogers LTE?

 

[guidot]

Just saw this and don't know if it helps you out any: http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-maxx/252324-stock-droid-maxx-working-t-hspa.html

 

[hanstoppable]

hmm i ended up not getting this phone because I wasn't able to get Verizon / Motorola to sell me one without a US address.. Now that the phone is being sold third-party on eBay I might consider though.. At least from what I could research it sounded like the phone would work LTE on Rogers but until somebody gives it a crack and confirms it we can't know for sure! Keep me posted!