Root [MetroPCS/CDMA] Will the metro SGS3 work with t-mobile?

h4x0rj3ff · Feb 26, 2014

Does the metropcs SGS3 (r530m cdma) work on the t-mobile network? after they shut off the cdma towers will the phone still work on there network?

thatguy96 · Feb 26, 2014

CDMA will not work after cdma network is shut down, from what I know...tmo is gsm so that's a different network...

h4x0rj3ff · Feb 26, 2014

i get that... lol but i know that the s3 is a world phone and has the gsm chip in it. tmobile says it will work but i wanted more information because im confused on the whole world phone thing. i know the verizon s3 doesnt have the same radios as the cdma metro s3 does so AFAIK the vzw s3 wont work but the metro s3 has the same 1700/2100 radio that tmobile uses so it should work.

Rukbat · Feb 26, 2014

As thatguy said, CDMA phones don't work on GSM networks, and TMobile is a GSM network. It's a different technology - to one technology, signals from the other technology sound like noise. All MetroPCS CDMA phones become useless after Metro shuts their CDMA network down. They may offer you a great deal on the equivalent TMobile phone (the TMobile version of the S3), but reflashing the phone to work on a different CDMA network is one of those "don't try this at home" things.

It's not a matter of radios, it's a matter of technology - a CDMA phone can't hear TDMA (which GSM is) signals, because it works by code, not by timeslots. IF you could make the 2G connection, then the 3G/4G/LTE connection might work (those are the "same radios") - but since the 2G connections use different technologies, it's not going to happen.

If TMobile is so sure it will work, ask them to put one of their SIMs in your phone and show you it working. (Any phone that will work on TMobile's network will work with any TMobile SIM of the same size. If they tell you otherwise, they don't know what they're talking about. That's one of the main selling points of GSM - put your SIM in any phone and it'll work if the phone isn't locked.)

confed · Feb 26, 2014

The CDMA S3 should still work after the network is shutdown. Won't it be running on LTE and just not have a fallback?

jpizle · Feb 26, 2014

You guys seem so lost lol. Google is your best friend. These phones don't have a SIM slot anyway.

The Capo · Mar 1, 2014

To different sims cards

jahunt78 · Mar 1, 2014

jpizle said:
You guys seem so lost lol. Google is your best friend. These phones don't have a SIM slot anyway.

Not to sound rude but seems you r mislead because cdma phones have SIM card I put mine in myself in the slot that says SIM when I activated my phone

confed · Mar 1, 2014

jahunt78 said:
Not to sound rude but seems you r mislead because cdma phones have SIM card I put mine in myself in the slot that says SIM when I activated my phone

That would be a UICC card, similar but different.

jpizle · Mar 1, 2014

jahunt78 said:
Not to sound rude but seems you r mislead because cdma phones have SIM card I put mine in myself in the slot that says SIM when I activated my phone

The uicc card is phone specific. You can't put that uicc in another phone and it work. Not a SIM

h4x0rj3ff · Mar 1, 2014

jpizle said:
The uicc card is phone specific. You can't put that uicc in another phone and it work. Not a SIM

you seem to be in the wrong era.... the sgs3 has a 4glte SIM CARD that IS interchangeable to other 4g certified devices (not carrier specific. my uncle can take his sim out of his metro cdma sgs3 and insert it into his lg motion and get internet off of metro 4g. no voice but defenatly data.

THE W · Mar 1, 2014

h4x0rj3ff said:
you seem to be in the wrong era.... the sgs3 has a 4glte SIM CARD that IS interchangeable to other 4g certified devices (not carrier specific. my uncle can take his sim out of his metro cdma sgs3 and insert it into his lg motion and get internet off of metro 4g. no voice but defenatly data.

i can confirm that the emboldened text is true as i have done this myself when i was going from my motion to the S3.

all this shows, however, is that you can put a UICC card from one metro CDMA 4G phone into another metro CDMA 4G phone and it will work. metro just has to register the code with the new phone.

AstroDroid · Mar 17, 2014

From what I have read about the topic online, Tmobile will still allow CDMA phones to work, but will be covered under roaming charges? or something like that. I will try to find the link I read about it. It kinda don't make sense, maybe someone could explain it a bit better?

confed · Mar 17, 2014

AstroDroid said:
From what I have read about the topic online, Tmobile will still allow CDMA phones to work, but will be covered under roaming charges? or something like that. I will try to find the link I read about it. It kinda don't make sense, maybe someone could explain it a bit better?

I live in Philly which will be one of the first 3 markets to have their CDMA shutdown. When it gets shutdown earlier than originally planned, they will be using Sprint roaming for CDMA.

A305Gemini · Mar 25, 2014

FROM MY EXPERIENCE....you're better off getting a phone originally under T-Mobile....bringing a metro S3 over will work, but you won't get 4G service, only 3G. The sales rep at the T-Mobile store told me I will get intermittent 4G, but not as if the phone was bought through T-Mobile. She lied. I had no service sometimes standing outside where I normally get 4 bars of metro 4G LTE after I signed up with T-MOBILE. Worst 2 days of my life!

Root [MetroPCS/CDMA] Will the metro SGS3 work with t-mobile?

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