Bringing a Samsung MITs M400/4000 to the PCS network?

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Acarney - 29 Mar 2004 05:32 GMT

Hey everyone, i'm new here but have been a Sprint user for over a
year... still with the a460 i got when i signed up.... the reason why
i have not upgraded is because the phones are STILL missing a lot of
the stuff i want....

Then i found the Samsung MITs M400/4000 (from my South Korean buddy

:P)... the thing seems JUST what i need.... 300 or 400Mhz Xscale

CPU... 128Mb of built in storage space... PPC... can play DivX, mp3,
ogg, avi, surf most of the web sites out there without crashing the
phone, mIRC programs for it, record video or pictures.... everything i
have longed for... but retails for around $800 USD....

My buddy and I have been talking about if someone might be able to
import this bad boy and get it working on the PCS network (even with
limited compatibility)....

The hardware seems to be there on the surface... the phone is single
band CDMA (either M4000 on 1900mhz PCS or M400 with 800Mhz cellular),
EV-DO ready, but also works on CDMA2000 1x, has an SMS app, and even
roaming options for the United States... i'm thinking there must be a
way to get this phone working on the PCS network, even if it can't do
roaming of any kind or all the Sprint PCS stuff (shortmail,
Ringers/More, all their web portals).... just the raw stuff... voice
calls, data over CDMA2000 1x, and SMS service... i would be happy with
that and jump on getting this thing....

Has anyone tried to do this before... or does anyone think it could or
could not work? Just need to get more info and background on how
Sprint configs a phone to see their network as native home network...

Reply to this Message

Scott Nelson - Wash DC - 29 Mar 2004 06:41 GMT

You might be able to with Verizon but, if it's not branded a SprintPCS
phone, the system "probably" won't take it.
Verizon is a lot more loose. As long as it has an ESN, you are generally
good with Verizon.

It would be an $800 experiment. :-)
See if he can get a deal where he can buy it over there with a return
policy, get the ESN and then have him send it to you and try to do an online
ESN switch. It will either take it or not right there.

Then there are the other issues with PRL's and such but, you said it didn't
matter if you never left the city right?

Scotty

> Hey everyone, i'm new here but have been a Sprint user for over a
> year... still with the a460 i got when i signed up.... the reason why
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> could not work? Just need to get more info and background on how
> Sprint configs a phone to see their network as native home network...

Reply to this Message

Acarney - 29 Mar 2004 17:45 GMT

Well i do plan to leave the city... in fact i do that a lot... but i'm
never off the SprintPCS network (I.E. i never roam).... what are
PRL's? And whats the deal with the ESN switch... does it just tell the
network to let the phone with that ESN place calls and data on the
network... or what... can you explain the process of adding a phone to
the network... not just what the user (me) does, but also what the
tech does on his side....

And ya, i know $800 is a lot... if it was less i would not mind so
much... but damn... this is $800 USD, shipping from South Korea,
trying to switch with Sprint, then back to South Korea if i have to
return, and money back to me... could take weeks turn around time
total... not sure if i could pull that off...

> You might be able to with Verizon but, if it's not branded a SprintPCS
> phone, the system "probably" won't take it.
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Scotty

Reply to this Message

Bob Smith - 29 Mar 2004 17:54 GMT

> Well i do plan to leave the city... in fact i do that a lot... but i'm
> never off the SprintPCS network (I.E. i never roam).... what are
> PRL's?

Preferred Roaming List. It tells your phone who's cellular system to use
when off SPCS's system.

> And whats the deal with the ESN switch... does it just tell the
> network to let the phone with that ESN place calls and data on the
> network... or what... can you explain the process of adding a phone to
> the network... not just what the user (me) does, but also what the
> tech does on his side....

What we are trying to say is if it isn't a branded SPCS phone, and the ESN
for that phone isn't in SPCS's database, you can't add that phone to your
account. SPCS will not allow a phone they (or their authorized 3rd party
retailers) haven't sold, on the system.

Bob

Reply to this Message

Bob Smith - 29 Mar 2004 13:07 GMT

> Hey everyone, i'm new here but have been a Sprint user for over a
> year... still with the a460 i got when i signed up.... the reason why
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> import this bad boy and get it working on the PCS network (even with
> limited compatibility)....

Unless that phone's ESN is in SPCS's databanks, you won't be able to get it
activated on SPCS's system and onto your account. If you can get it
activated with another CDMA provider, you could roam on SPCS's system with
the model that uses 1900 MHz.

Bob

Reply to this Message

Andrew Shepherd - 30 Mar 2004 08:55 GMT

> The hardware seems to be there on the surface... the phone is single
> band CDMA (either M4000 on 1900mhz PCS or M400 with 800Mhz cellular),

Sorry to burst your bubble. The South Korean Cellular band is 800/850
MHz. But South Korean PCS is 1700 MHz. Korean PCS carriers KT
Freetel & LG Telecom have CDMA1x 1700 networks.

Thus, not only will Sprint PCS not add the ESN to their database, but
the imported handset's futile search for a PCS CDMA signal will be
about 200 MHz too low.

Andrew
--
Andrew Shepherd
cinema@ku.edu
cinema@sprintpcs.com
http://www.ku.edu/home/cinema/

Reply to this Message

Acarney - 31 Mar 2004 00:30 GMT

On Samsung's web site it shows the MITs M4000 as still being CDMA2000 1x.....

Reply to this Message

Steven J Sobol - 31 Mar 2004 01:05 GMT

> On Samsung's web site it shows the MITs M4000 as still being CDMA2000 1x.....

And it might very well be, but different countries allocate different
frequencies for cellular and PCS communications, and if the phone is looking
for a signal at 1700, it won't find one on any American network.

Signature

JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, Apple Valley, CA PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / sjsobol@JustThe.net
Domain Names, $9.95/yr, 24x7 service: http://DomainNames.JustThe.net/
"someone once called me a sofa, but i didn't feel compelled to rush out and buy
slip covers." -adam brower * Hiroshima '45, Chernobyl '86, Windows 98/2000/2003

Reply to this Message

Steven J Sobol - 31 Mar 2004 00:48 GMT

> My buddy and I have been talking about if someone might be able to
> import this bad boy and get it working on the PCS network (even with
> limited compatibility)....

If it's not released in the USA, that means that most likely, the FCC has
not approved it for use, and therefore it wouldn't be a good idea to try to
use it. Aside from that, you'll get no support from Sprint and no guarantees
the phone will work.

Signature

Reply to this Message