how many bands must match new phone

[irish416]

how many bands must match when buying a phone? willmyphonework says its compatible with some..i was looking to buy http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=30_415&item_id=114423 , 

LTE B1/3/4/5/7/8/20/38/40,CAT.6 ; WCDMA B1/B2/B5/B8 ; GSM B2/B3/B5/B8 . will i get LTE coverage in toronto with only a couple matching bands.

sorry for the probably stupid questions, as this is my first time buying a phone, that i didnt purchase from my cell company . thanks for your time and help

[sheytoon]

@markjohn00 if your info about India is accurate, you'll be fine with B3 and B5.

B40 is TDD midband, unlikely to cause coverage problems.

[markjohn00]

@slusagm 

It seems that they share one band B1 (2100)...I wonder if thats enough

[slusagm]

and how about 3G? it would be nice to have 3G as backup

[markjohn00]

@slusagm 

Hey thanks for the reply...

According to this. It seems that there are only 3 bands for the 4G network (which is the only one that matters really)

The phone that I am thinking to get is a US model and ya as mentioned seemed to have 2 of the bands. I have read that phones can use several bands at once, so more the better. My fear is, that without having all the bands that it will make connectivity an issue...Though Im not sure on this

https://www.datareign.com/4g-circles-in-india/

[slusagm]

@markjohn00 just trying to help althought I don't know much about the network used in India

are there only 3 bands needed for India or more? if just 3 , then you got 2 out of 3 , would be good  But if more , then probably not.  PM used around 8 bands (forgot the exact number), and 2 compatible bands definitely not enough here

[markjohn00]

@ sheytoon

Forgive me highjacking this thread...

But I am looking to buy Velvet LG LM-G900VM that has access to Bands (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 20, 28, 66)

And Im going to Asia, specifically India which has bands 3, 5, 40 for LTE

So my questions is if the phone only has 2 bands that work, is that enough?

[kav2001c]

In general B4 is the most important band

If you have that you will usually have LTE cross Canada

Other bands are only for certain areas, or offer improved speeds

But matching more bands gives a better user experiance

[sheytoon]

@irish416

It's not a stupid question at all. See here:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Discussions/LTE-network-fundamentals/m-p/134356#M5822...

For voice calls and 3G data, your phone will only use one band.

For high speed LTE data, your phone can combine or aggregate multiple bands simultaneously using a technology called CA (carrier aggregation).

The phone you have listed will be fine in the GTA, but may not have LTE in rural areas (cottage country) because there's no B12/17. If you don't need fast LTE data speeds in rural areas, go for it.

Let us know if you have more questions about this.

[will13am]

@irish416, this phone should have no problems with getting LTE in the GTA.  The main LTE band is B4.  I used an Oppo for more than a year on this service.  That phone is compatible with B4 and B17.  I found myself connected to B4 LTE 99% of the time.  You should also be mindful that calls are on 3G using B2 and B5 which this phone has.  A lot of phones intended for the overseas market lacks B4 LTE and B2/B5 3G. 

BTW, I commend you for shopping retail instead of with a carrier.  I believe it is the way of the  future. 

[matbasm]

@irish416,  If I'm not mistaken, you only need one or two bands to match.  However, depending on the bands the phone uses, voice or data signals could be great, or not as good as possible.

I found this other thread here, that discusses that phone.  There are a few other threads that also discuss it.  I didn't read through all of it, but there might be issues with LTE data in some areas if you go with that phone.  Please read through that topic, and some others in this community before you buy.