Its relatively cheap compared to other 5G modems in Australia, so just wondering if anyone has actually used one these before ??
They all seem to be from Japan.
and less than $200, speeds from videos seems decent. Considering most Oz 5G modems to be $400+ RRP surely this is a great competition.
Plenty of them on eBay
Only problem is most of the stuff is non English regarding these, no clue if they support n78 band or any other OZ bands ?
I think if someone speaking Japanese could see the videos/manual on these online could easily tell us if it has n78 or any other Australian Telecom band.
And most of these on eBay are actually unlocked.
I've got n78 on my (sold in the asian market) phone and 5G still doesn't work here.
The other option to me than this cheapo would be to continue with same vodafone for another 2 years on the 5G Home internet and will have the modem paid wholly by vodafone. (which may well be worth it, compared to NBN hoping every 6 months, or jumping to another 5G home internet provider)
Or look for some other cheapo bargain deal elsewhere
As far as your asian phone having n78 and you not getting 5G network, is it OPTUS/telstra ??
If so then their back end team may need to enable 5g on their back end for you to get 5G (I had this same experience too with OPTUS, and Boost 5G trial)
@USER DC: Have you tried looking at Gumtree or somewhere for a used 5G modem? Those things tend to either work or they don't, so you can test it before actually buying it.
As far as your asian phone having n78 and you not getting 5G network, is it OPTUS/telstra ??
I tried all three networks and just couldn't get it to work anymore (worked on the first day). There's a whirlpool thread on this. It's not just my phone, but appears to be all grey-import devices that are not sold by the networks themselves as "approved".
I also tried calling each at the start and things just went around in circles - no-one could tell me why it wasn't connecting. I went into a Vodafone store and they said that it's not my phone - it's their 5G network (that excuse sounds familar!). I gave up after that.
If so then their back end team may need to enable 5g on their back end for you to get 5G (I had this same experience too with OPTUS, and Boost 5G trial)
Do you know if they had to enable 5G for your phone plan or did they have to enable it for your specific device? (Vodafone tells me that 5G is automatically enabled on the plans).
@bobbified: With vodafone it was pre enabled,
For optus and Boost (telstra) they had to activate 5G for my sim/plan (Dont reckon it was specifically enabled for my device)
Hi, I have a few of these SCR01s on my hand (I brought them on Yahoo auction, with an average price of 4500 Yen each, back in May this year). Tried with Telstra Post-paid, Optus Prepaid Flex 5G, and Vodafone prepaid sim, and all work fine (You will need some tweaks to make 5G work, by turning off the 5G whitelist in the ServiceMode). First of all, it supports LTE band B1,B3, B17, B18, B41, NR band N28(Used by Voda to extend 5G coverage, but very limited speed), N41, N77, N78(All three currently using as main 5G band for higher Speed).
It is basically a Samsung A32 5G with most of the sensors, speakers, and camera removed and reduced RAM and emmc (instead of UFS found in A32 5G).
Spec is
Soc:: Mediatek Dimensity 720
RAM: 2.5GB
ROM: 32GB EMMC
OS: Android 11 with One UI 3.0 (Heavily modified. No GMS. No phone app. No SMS app)
LCD : 5.3" HD (1480*720)
3G： Nope
LTE: B1, B3, B17, B18, B41
5G： NR B28 B41 B77 B78.
Language: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese
Pros:
1. Works well when there is NSA N78 and LTE B1/B3 reception (You will need both 4G and 5G connections on a Non-standalone 5G network). Speed is ok (Not as good as my Xiaomi phone, which has an X60 modem and 44 Mimo antennas. In a random test, my Xiaomi reached 1.3Gbps while the SCR01 struggled to hit 600Mbps. BTW, SCR01 is only 22 Mimo) Speedtest examples: https://imgur.com/a/9juy2is
1.5 Not sure about Standalone 5G ATM. But people in China mainland, who have the SCR01, already tested Standalone N78/N41 working on China Unicom/Mobile.
2. Very good battery life. With 5G and 5GHz hotspot on, the battery can last about 10-15 hours.
3. Stylish design. Can be used as a digital calendar if you put it on the desk and keep it charged.
4. Since it is based on Android, you can install apps on it. (I am still working on unlocking the bootloader and rooting it.)
Cons:
1. Lack of LTE bands (And NR Band N40 for Optus, N8 for Telstra as well). The lack of LTE bands can be a huge issue when you are in a B28(700MHz) only area. And fewer LTE bands support can also cause fewer CA availabilities, which may result in lower 4G speed. (if you can only get 4G for the most time, it is not worth buying this)
2. Weak Wi-Fi signal. The signal showing on my iPhone 13 Pro dropped from 3 bars (full bar) to 2 bars within 2 or 3 metres when I am outside. But anyway, it is still usable. I am not sure if it is related to the weird wifi frequency regulation in Japan.
3. It is just a modified A32 5G, don't expect better reception compared to other normal 5G phones. Why don't I just buy a lower-range 5G phone and use it as a hotspot? And I can also make/receive calls with it.
If u need more info about it, just let me know.
Thanks mate much appreciated.
I reckon 600 Mbps is good enough speed for most people in Oz (especially given many people still on FTTN).
It is just a modified A32 5G, don't expect better reception compared to other normal 5G phones.
Wow.
I have gotten 760 Mbps on telstra network in my Xiaomi phone too.
But still I reckon it'd be a good competitor to other more expensive 5G modems which are like $400+ RRP.
With my current vodafone 5G home internet sim, the internet doesn't work on my phone, it only works when I put it in a modem/router. I am guessing its same case with Optus/telstra/TPG etc which all restrict calling, messaging etc. so putting it in a phone results in a NO INTERNET
Yeah. If u are using it mainly for 5G, it is a good and cheap alternative. Even if u don't want to use it as a 5G hotspot anymore, you can still use it as a digital calendar to decorate your room, I guess?
With my current vodafone 5G home internet sim, the internet doesn't work on my phone, it only works when I put it in a modem/router. I am guessing its same case with Optus/telstra/TPG etc which all restrict calling, messaging etc. so putting it in a phone results in a NO INTERNET
It is locked to the modem's IMEI. If Voda/Tel/Op seeing you are using their 5G home sim card with a different IMEI, they won't allow u to use it. There are some ways to change your phone's IMEI to the modem's IMEI to use this kind of sim cards.
Even if you can change your phone's IMEI to make it work, they can still locate u and may restrict your speed or even terminate your service.
n8 for telstra? the only carrier that i remember using n8, is optus.
I wouldn't risk it - it's designed for the overseas market and there's very little information on that product.
Plus, it seems like there's network blocks (for 5G only) here on devices that have not been listed as "approved" 5G products. I've got a 5G compatible phone that worked with 5G for the first day and then suddenly, it's just been 4G ever since. When I go looking for a cause or solution, I find that I'm not alone.