Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7" or 8" 4G/LTE or Galaxy Note 3 5.7" 4G/LTE or Galaxy Note 8 4G/LTE

I have the Tab 3 8in WIFI. I saw no need to put cellular on it, so I can't help with your specific questions, Ray. If you have questions about the 8in format or the tab 3 I would be happy to feed back. (I like it).

@ Nigel,

I want to get one of the above with 4G since im not sure where wi-fi will be available. As i see my travels for the next year or so, i will still be in europe and then it will probably be outside of europe and beyond. Im not sure about the wi-fi coverage world wide and where I would go so id rather have the 4G than not.

My bro came in town and has the Note 3 5.7" (wi-fi & 4G/LTE) and it was about what i was looking for. I was able to test using the apps i would use for my travels and it appears fine for that . I friend at work has the Tab 3 7 wi-fi, but i couldnt get the wi-fi to connect (no password) so i wasnt able to do any testing. the only issue now is will i be able to use simm from anywhere i travel if i want/need to.

thanks for the help.

Happy trails.

Ray,

I'd suggest you do your homework about the 4G/LTE...

I don't have the money to afford 4G or a data plan for it so I've never looked what's available - - but I do listen to many tech podcasts each week and I'm pretty sure that 4G in the UK is incompatible with 4G in Europe and LTE in the USA.

It may be that the Samsung tabs have that figured out and have all the different protocols onboard, but I'm pretty sure that Apple hasn't unless the 5s fixed it. Dunno, wifi and 3G is plenty fine for me.

Hope it works out well for you...

And, please, make sure you can afford a 4G eating data in Europe and the UK. The current plans in the UK (for UK users) have users burning through a whole month's data allocation in just a few short minutes, and that's around £40 or £50.

Virtually every hotel and B&B in Europe will now have WIFI. You could get the 4G version and just cut off the 4G to save money (running WIFI).
T-Mobil in the States has a $50 unlimited package for voice and free texting/internet worldwide. Phone calls when calling outside the U.S are 20 cents. And you can call worldwide for the 20 cent rate.
When I have questions about new technology, I start at Kim Komando's website, Komando.com. There's also plenty on the internet about notebooks and smartphone technology.

Ray, I have a Note 2 and my carrier (T-Mobile) unlocked the phone because I paid full price for it, but most carriers will unlock them if you are taking a trip. It works with any other SIM, although I used it with my home carrier on my last trip because they had a pretty good international plan I could use. The plan is even better now with only $0.20 a minute for calls and messaging and data at no extra charge. The data is deliberately set at a slower speed, but you can pay more for a faster connection.

A lot of phones that connect to LTE or 4G in the U.S. also have the frequencies to connect overseas. Look up the specs for the devices you are looking at and then search to see what frequencies it has that work over there if the speed of your connection is an issue. My Note 2 did connect at least at 3G speeds, I believe.

As for 4G or LTE using up all your data allowance in a flash, that only happens if you take advantage of the faster speeds to download big files or stream lots of video. A faster connection doesn't mean you automatically use more data. It just means you can get what data you do use at a faster rate. I still used a U.K. T-Mobile prepaid connection for data last summer and the cost was very low for what I did (basic email and some web browsing). I don't think that has changed. So don't be spooked by a faster connection as long as you are reasonable in what you do when you are connecting over a phone connection instead of wifi.

Finally, the size of the Note looks like it might be hard to use as a phone. I was surprised (pleasantly) at how quickly I got used to the size and it felt like any other phone I've had.

All,

thank you all for you replies. I will be checking back to see if there is anymore info/experiences with this regional lock issue.

@ Nigel.

I will do some homework on the 4G/LTE, but i may have it easy since i should be able to chat with our Product Engineers about the 4G/LTE and if there are any issues/differences with USA vs rest of the world. ALso this is the first ive read or head of it so thanks again for the info.

about the 3G, i would get the 3G without hesitation, but i have a tendency to keep my e stuff for a loooooooong time. so i try to buy the top of the line as much as i can afford knowing i will keep it until its useless. Right now im still using my Mac Quicksilver G4-1.25 ghz (mirrored door unit). It has the Motorola Processor (remember them?) in it and i need to upgrade due to there isnt anymore software/driver upgrades to be had and im having issues with staying connected and having alot of script issues. It debuted in 2003 and the last one off the line was in 2004.

I dont plan on keeping my sim in it all the time, since i have a carrier for the ones for my phone. I just want to be able to use 3G/4G LTE if im not able to use wi-fi. I figured that cellular service has been out there longer (for now) than wi-fi, but until the time comes, i will want my cellular service too. I understand its expensive for roaming and such, but again, it just for when i cant get wi-fi.

@ David,

Im sure that there are alot of wi-fi spots in Europe, but my travel is not limited to europe. I am in Europe for now, but in 2 or 3 years, i wont be. as someone said, its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. thats how im looking at the 4G/LTE service.

my UK phone has a T-mobile sim in it and i also have an Amsterdam and USA T-mobile sim too. I opted for the PAYG in the UK since it was way cheaper than the USA and if i needed the internet i could buy it when i needed it. I only use my cell phone for emergencies. if i know that someone needs to contact me i will turn it on, other than that, its off 24/7/365. Oh i do, pop in my AMS and UK sims every month or 2 and dial my home phone just to keep the AMS and UK numbers active.

I will be only using this for my travels both domestic and foreign. I know it may not be cost effective to some of you, but its the way im wired. I also have an old mac that will be upgraded soon so i will use that when im at home.

@ Paul,

i have t-mobile also for my UK phone. I was planning on just paying up front for the unlocked version of what i will buy and calling it good. I know they will ream me for it, but im willing to take that hit now. My brothers note 3 is costing him 125 USD/month for 2 years (i think). Since i wont be using it 24/7/365 i wont need that service. He uses his for business.

I was reading about regional lock issues. apparently some people cant get theirs to work outside of their region without doing some firmware changes.

As far as chewing up data allowance, i will only use it when wi-fi is not available.

My brothers Note 3 is the 5.7" version and i had a short opportunity to play with it last night. the screen was large enough for what i need to do/see and i was able to use the app the way i wanted/planned. Other then that, the size/weight and battery life was my only other concerns. since i wont be carrying it as my "cell phone" it will be staying in my room unless i need to take it out for some reason. One day it may replace my cell phone, but for now, i can put my UK cell phone i my shirt pocket without any issues whereas the Note will take some doing.

again, thank you all for your replies and info.

happy trails.

@ George,

sometimes i do, but i learned along time ago to put some thought up front so i dont waste time or $$$ later. Since i know im going to use it overseas, having it work anywhere is a must. Not iffy, or "i think it will", but "it WILL work over there". If not, then its no good to me and im back to my 3 ring binder or a different product. Im not the typical buy the newest e gadget every time a new one is announced so thats why i keep my toys longer than average. The toy companies dont like that and i see alot of the people at work buying the latest and newest gadget when ever they are released. Thats okay for them, but i want to travel more and play with e stuff less other than for travel.

Since the region lock issue maybe here for a while in Samsung products, i will be looking/researching other tablets/notebooks this week. Even if Samsung will fix the issue, but i seriously doubt it, then it will be a while and too late for my purchase. Who knows, other mfgs may do the same thing. I will also look into the firmware fix that is out there, but so far from the responses on here, no one has done it, used it, or tested it.

if you think this was overthinking it, you should have seen how much effort i put into choosing my two (2) pocket digital cameras i bought two (2) years ago.

happy trails.

I would also consider tethering off your cellphone to turn it into a wifi hotspot so you can use a tablet even if wifi isn't available. I was able to do that on my S4 until I foolishly installed the latest update which made that capability go away without paying extra. Then you can get a tablet without the built in cell capability and save the monthly expense.

@ Richard,

I was going to look into using my phone as a hotspot but didnt get that far. I figured i would just the tablet/notebook w/4G-LTE capabilities. But i guess i will have to revisit that.

thanks alot,

Happy trails.