As it comes in most cases, the Nexus 5 is not just one handset and model. It comes in two different variants, the D820 and D821 as they are called. The D820 is manufactured for the North America region and the D821 is distributed in the Rest of The World. Of course, externally both models are the exact same, from the case, buttons, camera and design are indistinguishable. You have the same options of storage and colors as well, which is great.
On the inside there are a couple of minor differences. First of all, you will find the same spec sheet for the screen, processor, RAM, sensors, Wi-Fi and everything else. All of this points out that both the D820 and D821 run the exact same software build as well, which means that Google have pushed and worked hard trying to bring a “one phone” to the entire world. The only tangible difference between the two models is the mobile network bands. It is to be expected as it’s basically impossible to fit every necessary radio into just a single model.
North America (D820) model:
- GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
- CDMA: Band Class: 0/1/10
- WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/4/5/6/8/19
- LTE: Bands: 1/2/4/5/17/19/25/26/41
Rest of World (D821) model:
- GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
- WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/4/5/6/8
- LTE: Bands: 1/3/5/7/8/20
Out of the box, the D820 model will work just fine for 2G, 3G and LTE data on T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint. Any MVNO that operates on the T-Mobile or AT&T network will be good to go as well, but things turn into a bit of a grey area once you go beyond there.
Outside of North America, the Rest of World D821 model should have no issues connecting to 2G, 3G and LTE throughout Europe and beyond. Things again get into a grey area when you head over to Asia where different and unique networks are run. It is advisable to double, triple and quadruple check the bands your carrier of choice runs on before you make a purchase.
Thank you Android Central for providing us with this information
Verizon has a band 4. Anyone think it would work?