On T-Mobile US and want the Nokia Lumia 1020? Rogers is your solution

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By Daniel Rubino
last updated

Of all the questions we get regarding the 41 MP Lumia 1020 for those in the States, the ‘when can I get it on my carrier?’ one ranks as the most frequent. While the rest of the world has been getting the massive camera phone on various networks internally, in the US it is only AT&T who can fly the flag for the 1020.

Unfortunately, we have heard zero hints or rumors that this will change in the near future, making this more akin to the Lumia 920 than the Lumia 925 in the US.

Not all is lost though. Rogers launched the Lumia 1020 four days ago up in Canada, finally bringing that device up north (Telus is also selling it). Rogers often gets so-called pentaband Lumias, meaning they support more frequencies than the traditional four-band ones found on other carriers. From our forums, we can now confirm that the Rogers Lumia 1020 is pentaband enabled, meaning it supports the following frequencies:

  • GSM/EDGE Bands: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
  • HSPA+/HSPA Bands: 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz
  • LTE Bands: 1700/2100 MHz (Band 4)

That means if you can get your hands on one and SIM unlock it, it will work just beautifully on T-Mobile US’s network—both for full 3g and even LTE. We’re not talking their re-farmed 3G areas but full on T-Mobile network support. You won’t be able to get Wi-Fi calling because ultimately that is a firmware configuration, but the Lumia 1020 should function just fine otherwise. (It's also been confirmed to work on Mobilicity)

That’s the good news, the bad news of course is you’ll have to purchase the Rogers Lumia 1020 out-right for a straight $600 CAN. We’re also not too sure how easy it is to buy from Rogers when in the US and not on a contract. In that sense, eBay may provide your best options should you go down this route.

Should you bite or wait? As we said above, we have heard zero news, rumors or even grumblings of T-Mobile officially getting this device here in the States. If you really want the Lumia 1020 and you have the cash to spare, then going the Rogers route is a sure fire way to get the best experience.

Have questions? Join the continuing discussion in our forums to get them answered!

Thanks, WavingReds for the image and our forum members for the info

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.