der_saeufer

My iPhone 12 mini is on its second battery and the battery life has gotten to be extremely poor--unless I'm sitting at my desk all day, I rarely make it to 9pm without recharging. I only went to iOS because no one else had small phones in 2021, but now Apple doesn't have small phones either.

Other than iPhones and Pixels, are there any other phones that support a ton of LTE and 5G bands? I move every couple years and travel a lot for work, so I really need a phone that works everywhere. I've had great luck with Pixels in the past and iPhones for work, but before I order a new Pixel 8a I figured I'd ask if I was missing any competitors. Even the Galaxy S23 looks to come in several models with very different band support depending on where it's sold.

All I really care about is eSIM support, as many LTE and 5G bands as possible, and that the phone isn't huge. iPhone 15/Pixel 8/8a size is good, iPhone 15 Pro Max/Pixel 8 Pro size is bad. Availability at retail in North America or Europe is a major plus.

TGarza

I use both iPhone 15 plus(personal) Pixel 7a(work). iPhone 15 plus provides significantly more battery life than the iPhone 15. Both phones are easy to setup with an esim to use cellular over WiFi when traveling internationally to avoid international roaming.

Both are good phones. Your personal preference is the deciding factor.

planes&trains

On the Android side, you can unlock all the bands. Just a few steps. Every now and then a software update sends its back to default set, and its another couple of mins to unlock. Easy. I have tested this on S23 Ultra.

mrcamp

Not that I am aware of. Iphones and Pixel devices are known for supporting the most LTE/5G bands. So if you find one of those devices that meets your needs, go for it.

paperwastage

Samsung, it's a hidden band selection mode or unlocking all bands: Some providers lock it out, but you can flash some stuff to unlock it. So far, it's still available and not locked out entirely.

https://xdaforums.com/t/how-to-enabl...mwave.4554611/

This feature on Android "backup calling" is ymmv, may not work reliable for android (Samsung/pixel).

Pixel: https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel...nd_android_14/.

Samsung: may not work in usa. May not work if the data-enabled sim is roaming. https://r2.community.samsung.com/t5/.../td-p/11194437

TGarza

That is a big step backwards by Android. I switched to iOS for the ability to use my phone overseas without paying international roaming. A friend has been using Visible with an iPhone 13 in several Asian countries.

paperwastage

its not a big step backwards if it was never properly implemented in the first place for Android

der_saeufer

My American number has been on Google Voice since 2015, and the rest of the world uses messaging apps so when I travel I've never used "backup calling".

It looks like only the S-series Samsung phones can have the extra bands unlocked--it definitely doesn't work on the gigantic M-series phablet that I use for motorcycle navigation.

I ended up ordering a Pixel 8a from Amazon US with the $100 gift card promo. Once Google gets find my device rolled out completely, that should be a nice plus too--AirTags aren't as useful in places where Apple only sells 5-10% of the phones in people's pockets.

TGarza

GV and my primary CC have 2FA problems which seems to be an issue when traveling internationally. Using a prepaid service with an iPhone and local eSIM is a good option to have international 2FA without paying international roaming. Prior to IMS on the XR, I used Google Hangouts for calls to the US when traveling internationally.