Buying a phone from overseas - what do I need to know so that it is compatible with use in Oz with a Telstra SIM?

SYD said:
It won’t confirm the compatibility of the handset with the local Telstra network (although the goto handsets are pretty decent compared to the old days of needing specific hardware in the USA and Japan (as examples)).

But if the new handset recognises the Telstra SIM and connects / roams, that ought to be a good sign that the handset isn’t locked to another carrier and the Telstra SIM is working in the handset.

Google could help to check the model is comparable with Oz (as well as infos suggested earlier).
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You are confusing two different things and providing out of date info.
Sim locking is just a commercial thing, putting in your Telstra SIM will confirm that’s not in place however it won’t confirm if it will work back home.
With the shutdown of the 3G network new measures are in place to ensure phones are compatible with 000 and the network it’s being used on. A phone registering on the network calls home and provides a heap of details to the network operator, allowing the provider to see if it’s compliant with Australian Law with regards not using 3G for emergency calls that was brought in last year. See Australia’s 3G Shutdown - Telcos to Block Working 4G/5G Phones!

Plenty of phones that appear to be 100% compliant are being blocked.
 
markis10 said:
You are confusing two different things and providing out of date info.
Sim locking is just a commercial thing, putting in your Telstra SIM will confirm that’s not in place however it won’t confirm if it will work back home.
With the shutdown of the 3G network new measures are in place to ensure phones are compatible with 000 and the network it’s being used on. A phone registering on the network calls home and provides a heap of details to the network operator, allowing the provider to see if it’s compliant with Australian Law with regards not using 3G for emergency calls that was brought in last year. See Australia’s 3G Shutdown - Telcos to Block Working 4G/5G Phones!

Plenty of phones that appear to be 100% compliant are being blocked.
Click to expand...
No, We’ve all mentioned the network comparability issues and the potential pitfalls of buying a handset OS.
 
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One would have to have a very very old phone if it was solely using 3G for calls. 3G launched way back in 2003; 4G launched in 2011and pretty much every phone released since 2012 in Australia was 4G compatible.

There is only so much room on cell towers, operators retire old tech to re-use the space for newer tech once critical mass has been reached for the newer techs.

Most phone manufacturers so only provide software (OS and Security) updates for 5 years, it is imo unrealistic to expect a mobile phone to have a useable lifespan of more than 5-6 years.

There was a heap of notice before the analogue, 2G and then 3G network shutdowns . If you are after a basic 4G phone you can get them from $39 like the Telstra T Essential from Big W. If you need a bit more grunt for apps you have android options from$89 at Officeworks.
 
Aeryn said:
If you are after a basic 4G phone you can get them from $39 like the Telstra T Essential from Big W. If you need a bit more grunt for apps you have android options from$89 at Officeworks.
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Looking for a reasonably high performing dual-sim rugged phone - its just going to take some time to research it to try to find something local. Unfortunately the range of overseas phones that meet my requirements is good, the range of what is available in Australia is rather less so.
 
SYD said:
No, We’ve all mentioned the network comparability issues and the potential pitfalls of buying a handset OS.
Click to expand...

Fact is a phone that is 100% compatible using google etc will still get blocked in a lot of cases! Phones need to have the RCM mark to ensure no issues in reality

Aeryn said:
One would have to have a very very old phone if it was solely using 3G for calls. 3G launched way back in 2003; 4G launched in 2011and pretty much every phone released since 2012 in Australia was 4G compatible.
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It’s how they route 000 calls, many 4G and 5G phones reverted to 3G for 000 phone calls when that provided the best coverage. As a rule each generation reduces in range while increasing throughput. Phones should be routing 000 calls via VoLTE now.
 
RSD said:
Looking for a reasonably high performing dual-sim rugged phone - its just going to take some time to research it to try to find something local. Unfortunately the range of overseas phones that meet my requirements is good, the range of what is available in Australia is rather less so.
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are esims not suitable?
 
SYD said:
But slightly OT for OP who wants a “tough” phone that works in Oz with a Telstra SIM (or eSIM).
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He wants a tough dual sim phone - I get that but if he is willing to look at Esim instead of dual sim it will give him more choices
 
VPS said:
He wants a tough dual sim phone - I get that but if he is willing to look at Esim instead of dual sim it will give him more choices
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I will consider either, I'm doing a huge search now trying to find a suitable phone from Australian stores - unfortunately the specs on most of what is available here makes them museum pieces compared to the Oukitel WP50 Pro that I found - most of them don't even have 5G.
 
VPS said:
He wants a tough dual sim phone - I get that but if he is willing to look at Esim instead of dual sim it will give him more choices
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Most new phones are already eSIM capable - as already mentioned upthread.

I suspect you’d be struggling to find a “new” phone model that’s still limited to two physical dual SIMs.
 
Think it's more there aren't a lot of tough/rugged phones full stop.

Equally there are good quality rugged cases out there (eg. Otterbox) but they only seem to support the Apple/ Samsung range, whereas I think the OP is after more of a sub-$500 phone.
 
moa999 said:
Think it's more there aren't a lot of tough/rugged phones full stop.

Equally there are good quality rugged cases out there (eg. Otterbox) but they only seem to support the Apple/ Samsung range, whereas I think the OP is after more of a sub-$500 phone.
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Up to $1000
5G
Android 14
no more than 17mm thick
weighs no more than 375 grams
12GB of RAM (or more)
8000mAH or larger battery
Rugged
Dual Sim or Sim + eSim
 
Ok I may be bored at work and asked copilot and chat gpt

Here are some rugged Android phones under AU$1,000 (~£500) that match your specs (5G, Android 14, thick ≤17 mm, ≤375 g, ≥12 GB RAM, ≥8,000 mAh battery, rugged, dual SIM/eSIM):




Blackview BV9300 Pro​


  • Why it fits: Rugged IP68/IP69K design, MIL‑STD‑810H; 12 GB RAM; chunk of battery (likely 8,800 mAh like related BV8000/8100 models) alibaba.com+11reddit.com+11bestproductsaustralia.com+11
  • Estimates: Weighs ~370 g; thickness ~17 mm; runs Android 14
  • Price: ~£221 (~AU$420) – well under budget



DOOGEE S200X​


  • Why it fits: Rugged design; Android 14; large 10,800 mAh battery; dual SIM support
  • Estimates: Has 20 GB RAM; dimensions/weight unknown but comparable to DOOGEE S118 (thick ~17 mm, heav y but may be near your 375 g limit)
  • Price: ~£342 (~AU$650)



AGM G2 Guardian 5G​


  • Rugged, dual‑SIM 5G; 12 GB RAM; high durability credentials
  • Price ~£1,100 (~AU$1,980) – too expensive, but included for comparison



🛠 Other strong contenders (no product data available but worth considering):​



Both are on sale in Australia via Rugged Phone Store, and well within your AU$1,000 budget.
 
So who knew there was a rugged phone store in Australia - the previous was chapgpt this one is copilot

🔹 DOOGEE S Cyber​

  • Price: ~£160 (well under A$1000)
  • OS: Android 14
  • RAM: 20GB (8GB + 12GB virtual)
  • Battery: 10,800mAh
  • 5G: Yes
  • SIM: Dual SIM
  • Rugged: IP68/IP69K rated
  • Weight: ~375g
  • Thickness: Not explicitly listed, but rugged phones tend to push the upper limit
This one’s a powerhouse for the price, with a massive battery, solid camera setup, and all the rugged credentials you'd want.
 
VPS said:
Ok I may be bored at work and asked copilot and chat gpt

Here are some rugged Android phones under AU$1,000 (~£500) that match your specs (5G, Android 14, thick ≤17 mm, ≤375 g, ≥12 GB RAM, ≥8,000 mAh battery, rugged, dual SIM/eSIM):




Blackview BV9300 Pro​


  • Why it fits: Rugged IP68/IP69K design, MIL‑STD‑810H; 12 GB RAM; chunk of battery (likely 8,800 mAh like related BV8000/8100 models) alibaba.com+11reddit.com+11bestproductsaustralia.com+11
  • Estimates: Weighs ~370 g; thickness ~17 mm; runs Android 14
  • Price: ~£221 (~AU$420) – well under budget



DOOGEE S200X​


  • Why it fits: Rugged design; Android 14; large 10,800 mAh battery; dual SIM support
  • Estimates: Has 20 GB RAM; dimensions/weight unknown but comparable to DOOGEE S118 (thick ~17 mm, heav y but may be near your 375 g limit)
  • Price: ~£342 (~AU$650)



AGM G2 Guardian 5G​


  • Rugged, dual‑SIM 5G; 12 GB RAM; high durability credentials
  • Price ~£1,100 (~AU$1,980) – too expensive, but included for comparison



🛠 Other strong contenders (no product data available but worth considering):​



Both are on sale in Australia via Rugged Phone Store, and well within your AU$1,000 budget.
Click to expand...
Many thanks - some of those haven't come up in my searches so I will take a look at them!
 
RSD said:
Many thanks - some of those haven't come up in my searches so I will take a look at them!
Click to expand...
Just looked at Rugged phone store - only an email and a 1800 number and no address so that always concerns me
 

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