What is the difference between the RM- 985. 983, and the 984?

[thepolicecall911fordetails]

If I was to buy it unlocked....

What will be the difference?

 

[Kris Simundson]

Applicable radio bands used per device

 

[RumoredNow]

RM-984 is going to have a Euro tuned radio so LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20. It won't get LTE in the States.

RM-985 is for the Americas and would be branded or Factory Unlocked depending on the unit. It could be Unlocked NAM or LTA or branded Claro, Movistar, Telecom, Rogers or Telus.

RM-983 is for AT&T. It has proved resistant to any attempts thus far to debrand and flash to RM-985 ROMs even though they are identical hardware-wise.

None of the variants appear to have WCDMA Band 4 AWS - or 1700 MHz on the 3G radio. I know it is not simply "hidden" on my RM-983 as I can not find it in Field Test to enable it. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong and some variants do have 1700 AWS. I can't see it on paper looking at specs.

Note that the ATT RM-983 and just a couple of other RM-985 models (Argentina CV and Telecom AR) do not have full Denim yet.

RM-985 is going to be your best bet and I'd look for a Factory Unlocked NAM model for maximum ease. Those are the Unlocked ones being sold through Microsoft Store US.

 

[RumoredNow]

Applicable radio bands used per device

LOLz. My long story made short. He summed it up while I was typing my novel.

 

[EMitchell]

RM-983 is for AT&T. It has proved resistant to any attempts thus far to debrand and flash to RM-985 ROMs even though they are identical hardware-wise.

Ok, this is great info. I'm planning a trip to Europe this fall, and had planned to use my L830 with a locally-purchased SIM card to keep the costs down. I've got RM-983 (ATT US). Any idea if this will work with a non-domestic SIM card?

 

[xandros9]

Ok, this is great info. I'm planning a trip to Europe this fall, and had planned to use my L830 with a locally-purchased SIM card to keep the costs down. I've got RM-983 (ATT US). Any idea if this will work with a non-domestic SIM card?

it'll work as long as its unlocked.

 

[RumoredNow]

Ok, this is great info. I'm planning a trip to Europe this fall, and had planned to use my L830 with a locally-purchased SIM card to keep the costs down. I've got RM-983 (ATT US). Any idea if this will work with a non-domestic SIM card?

Like xandros says, get the SIM tray unlocked. You'll have H+ data speeds most likely. Europe is kind of a big place so I can't promise 100% on that. :winktongue:

 

[LaVike]

Are they really identical, with the exception of the bands, to each other? I mean the chips/chipsets that are used. With how bad my Bluetooth is on my 983, I would think that more people would be upset.

My MS Band routinely loses lock with my phone.

My car stereo had BT and it worked great with my Lumia 920. However, on my Lumia 830 (RM-983) whenever I'm using Here +, the first 3-5 seconds of the voice command get cut off. It is pretty much unusable.

The only bigger goat rope I've seen on a phone is the MS Kin. I wonder if they tried to rehab the Kin Team on the Lumia 830.

 

[EMitchell]

it'll work as long as its unlocked.

Like xandros says, get the SIM tray unlocked. You'll have H+ data speeds most likely. Europe is kind of a big place so I can't promise 100% on that. :winktongue:

I saw on another post instructions for moving from RM-983 to RM-985, there is a sequence of numbers to input, after which a code is entered. Is this what you're talking about for unlocking the SIM tray? Is the unlock code something I get from ATT?

 

[RumoredNow]

Yes... get the unlock code from ATT https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...tt.com%2Fdeviceunlock%2F%23%2F&token=0N4thoci

Unlocking the SIM tray won't convert RM-983 into RM-985. It will allow you to use non-ATT SIM cards for service...

 

[EMitchell]

Yes... get the unlock code from ATT https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...tt.com%2Fdeviceunlock%2F%23%2F&token=f9G1837E
Unlocking the SIM tray won't convert RM-983 into RM-985. It will allow you to use non-ATT SIM cards for service...

We'll, everything worked smoothly, I accessed the locked SIM, entered the code I received from ATT, and the icon changed to the unlocked version. The only issue I've got now is no LTE support. I would have thought that since I'm still on the ATT network, I'd still get LTE.

 

[gordonfink]

Unlocking a 983, and using it on AT&T, should not affect LTE status.

 

[EMitchell]

Soft reset, and it's back to LTE status.

 

[thepolicecall911fordetails]

RM-984 is going to have a Euro tuned radio so LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20. It won't get LTE in the States.

RM-985 is for the Americas and would be branded or Factory Unlocked depending on the unit. It could be Unlocked NAM or LTA or branded Claro, Movistar, Telecom, Rogers or Telus.

RM-983 is for AT&T. It has proved resistant to any attempts thus far to debrand and flash to RM-985 ROMs even though they are identical hardware-wise.

None of the variants appear to have WCDMA Band 4 AWS - or 1700 MHz on the 3G radio. I know it is not simply "hidden" on my RM-983 as I can not find it in Field Test to enable it. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong and some variants do have 1700 AWS. I can't see it on paper looking at specs.

Note that the ATT RM-983 and just a couple of other RM-985 models (Argentina CV and Telecom AR) do not have full Denim yet.

RM-985 is going to be your best bet and I'd look for a Factory Unlocked NAM model for maximum ease. Those are the Unlocked ones being sold through Microsoft Store US.

So, the 983 cannot get T Mobile signal at all?

 

[RumoredNow]

If you are not in a T-Mo LTE area it falls to EDGE.

 

[thepolicecall911fordetails]

If you are not in a T-Mo LTE area it falls to EDGE.

Not even 3G then?

Goodness me...

 

[RumoredNow]

If you are in a T-Mo LTE area it gets 3G / H+

They shifted 1700 MHz from 3G to LTE and put H+ on 1900 in "refarmed" for LTE areas.

 

[thepolicecall911fordetails]

So....

The RM-983 can get Edge, HSPA+, and regular 3G but no LTE?

 

[RumoredNow]

On the 2G radio... That is pretty much a world wide standard. (GSM, 2G, GPRS, EDGE)

On the 3G radio... Fine for anywhere in the Americas except where 1700 MHz is required. IF & ONLY IF T- Mo in an area has not been upgraded to LTE, THEN you need 1700 MHz on this radio for T-Mo (3G, H+, 4G {as another label for H+, sometimes called "Faux" G}) and since there is no LTE to bump up to you fall to 2G (EDGE). IF & WHEN T-Mo in that area upgrades to LTE on 1700 then they shift 3G (H+) to 1900 MHz and you are in. H+ on T-Mo with RM-983.

On the 4G radio... In areas where T-Mo has LTE they can use Band 2, Band 4 or Band 12. RM-983 has 2 of those bands and band 17 is a subset of band 12...If T-Mo has LTE in the area chances are very good you will get LTE ("true" 4G, LTE). Band 12 starts slightly lower in frequency than Band 17, but they finish at the same upper limit. All of Band 17 fits inside of Band 12. Band 17 is just not as broad as Band 12. There is no definitive consensus yet that I am aware of regarding an interoperability between Bands 12 and 17. It may be that a Band 17 device will work perfectly on Band 12. It may be that Band 17 will only work intermittently on Band 12. I've not seen any solid evidence either way. I do know that if T-Mo is using Band 12 LTE in an area that H+ will be on 1900 MHz and the RM-983 will get H+ there without issue.

I don't know if that clears it up for you or not. Ask at your local T-Mo store what Bands of LTE they use in your area to help get some clarification...