Not all phones are made equal, and in the case of model SKUs, not all variants of the same phone are made equal. Typically, but not always, the only difference between SKUs is network bands, and perhaps processors.
With today’s announcement of the OnePlus 3, we’ve got 3 SKUs on out hands. We’ve been seeing chatter from the early adopters out there in Ausdroid land looking at importing a OnePlus 3, and if you want to we think that it looks like a very compelling device. However, just make sure you’re getting the correct variant.
All 3 SKUs have the same GSM bands supporting the 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz spectrums, in short you’re covered for 3G connectivity. How about LTE? We’re going to break down all 3 variants and compare them to the Australian LTE Bands.
| Band | Telstra | Optus | Vodafone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Used | Used | Not used |
| 3 | Used | Used | Used |
| 5 | Not used | Not used | Used |
| 7 | Used | Used | Not used |
| 28 | Used | Used | Not used |
| 40 | Not used | Used | Not used |
North America model LTE Bands
- FDD-LTE: Bands 1/2/4/5/7/8/12/17
Europe / Asia model
- FDD-LTE: Bands 1/3/5/7/8/20
- TDD-LTE: Bands 38/40/41
China model
- FDD-LTE: Bands 1/3/7
- TDD-LTE: Bands 38/39/40/41
So, I’m on carrier X which is the right phone for me?
Telstra
The European model has the most number of compatible LTE bands, Telstra ‘owns’ spectrum in the 1/3/7 and 28 bands their ‘main’ bands are 3 and 28 with some coverage in band 1. If you’re on Telstra none of the 3 variants are ‘perfect’ but if you really want one then the European variant is the most suitable, the Chinese model may also be suitable but harder to source.
Optus
The European model has the most number of compatible LTE bands, Optus ‘owns’ spectrum in the 1/3/7/28 and 40 bands their ‘main’ bands are 1, 3 and 28 with some coverage in band 40. If you’re on Optus none of the 3 variants are ‘perfect’ but if you really want one then the European variant is the most suitable, the Chinese model may also be suitable but harder to source.
Vodafone
The European model has the most number of compatible LTE bands, Vodafone ‘owns’ spectrum in the 3 and 5 bands their ‘main’ bands are (unsurprisingly) 3 and 5. If you’re on Vodafone the European variant is the most suitable.
In short be careful about which model you choose and make sure if you’re importing one that you know which model they are selling you.
Are you thinking of getting a OnePlus 3? Let us know in the comments.
