Phones that work in the US/Europe/Asia

[bigmal]

I'm off to the US/Europe and Asia later this year and want to use my phone, but not my Aust provider (avoiding large bills!!)

I have a Nokia N73 which states that it has "Quadband EGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 190 MHz".

Not sure what this means, but will I be able to buy a prepaid cheapish SIM card in these areas and insert in my phone and will I then be able to make and receive local/national calls?

If so does anyone know where to get a SIM at LAX?

Any help would be great.

 

[Cynicor]

Quadband GSM means your phone is compatible with every GSM network in use around the globe. The only problems you might face are if your phone is carrier locked, or in Japan (primarily CDMA), though I believe the N73 also does 3G. Usually a Tri-band phone, at a minimum, is required for use in the USA and dual-band phones will suffice for most of Europe.

End result- you should just be able to buy a sim in most countries and use it for local/national and even nternational calls. My dad has a Singaporean prepaid SIM which he uses as his main phone contact while in SE Asia.

Jon

 

[cssaus]

I have a Nokia N73 which states that it has "Quadband EGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 190 MHz".

Up until the other week I had been travelling the world with the Nokia N73 including the USA and it worked perfectly for me. Just changed it for the N81.

As CYNICOR has stated, you only need a tri-band in order to use your mobile phone in the US. Downside I found (apart from the high international roaming charges) is that there really isn't much of a 3G coverage in the United States.

You might want to do some research into the purchase of pre-paid SIMs as I thought there was now a much more stringent ID checking when buying one because of the attraction to criminal and terrorist types.

 

[sparoy]

The only problems you might face are if your phone is carrier locked, or in Japan (primarily CDMA), though I believe the N73 also does 3G. Jon

I used my Quadband imate JasJam in Tokyo/Narita with no problem. I did not go to other parts of Japan though.

 

[Evan]

I used my Quadband imate JasJam in Tokyo/Narita with no problem. I did not go to other parts of Japan though.

JasJam is i believe Quad-band, but not as you may think, a lot of phone companys have been to say quad band and they are correct but the phones are 900 / 1800 / 1900 GSM and 2100 UMTS (3G), not a quad band GSM.

Anyway Japan with 2100 UMTS is the one that stop most people, nearly every other country in the world has some GSM providers.

E

 

[NM]

And you don't necessarily need a tri-band GSM phone to work in the USA. I have a Nokia 8890 with is only dual band, but operates on 900MHz and 1900MHz, so works in Aus and US.

GSM coverage in the USA is a lot better than it was 5 years ago. Cingular have pretty good coverage in most metro areas now.

 

[Reggie]

I seem to remember hearing/reading that the phones that work on Telstra's next G will also work on the GSM networks. Can anyone here confirm this? Also will the Next G phones work on the GSM networks in the US as well?

 

[littl_flier]

I seem to remember hearing/reading that the phones that work on Telstra's next G will also work on the GSM networks. Can anyone here confirm this? Also will the Next G phones work on the GSM networks in the US as well?

Telstra's Next G network certainly roamed onto the GSM networks in the US and Canada when "3G" reception wasn't available. eg. New York. I didn't change the sim cards though.

 

[rwatts]

I seem to remember hearing/reading that the phones that work on Telstra's next G will also work on the GSM networks. Can anyone here confirm this? Also will the Next G phones work on the GSM networks in the US as well?

My new work phone (A Telstra branded ZTE F153 - no camera, no bluetooth) is Next G but will fall back to GSM. Specs say GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz.

Richard.

 

[NYCguy]

Until recently I had a plain old Motorola V3 'Razr', which worked everywhere I took it. They now cost next-to-nothing these days, and you could do worse.

As for the pre-paid SIM thing, an Australian friend recently visited us in NYC and couldn't find one for less than US$45, which she got all indignant about - apparently she was able to get one for 7 quid in London. If you aren't going to be making too many phone-calls, then it might be cheaper (in the US, at least) just to bite the bullet and cop the international roaming charges.

 

[serfty]

There's also plenty of international 'phone card' options or things like Telstra "Telecard" (That one's not exactly cheap, but certainly far less than Mobile Roaming charges & you get additional FF points ~4:$1)

 

[Maca44]

When I purchased a Cingular sim just outside Seattle last trip, the card cost US$35 but then they hit me with a US$45 activation fee. I had no choice if I wanted a phone, but when I got to Vancouver BC there was no cingular coverage, only Rodgers, so had to get another sim card which was cheaper. You learn things all the time when you travel.

 

[JohnK]

I seem to remember hearing/reading that the phones that work on Telstra's next G will also work on the GSM networks. Can anyone here confirm this? Also will the Next G phones work on the GSM networks in the US as well?

I had no problems roaming US, Europe and Asia on Telstra'ss Next G network.

I recently bought a sim for <A$2 in Thailand. I am able to roam using this sim but did not check out the roaming call charges. It has got to be better than Telstra's roaming call charges.

 

[Zorro]

I have been told that CDMA is required for New York - is this still the case? If so where is the best place to purchase a pre paid CDMA phone and approx cost.

 

[serfty]

I have been told that CDMA is required for New York - is this still the case? If so where is the best place to purchase a pre paid CDMA phone and approx cost.

My standard tri-band 3G 'phone worked quite well in NYC last year.