Travel Technology - Audivox SMT 5600 on Cingular Network

Good evening,

I currently have a Verizon Samsung i600 and for many years maintained an AT&T account to have a GSM phone when I travel to Brazil (4 - 5 times per year) It was an expensive answer and worked.

Now with AT & T gone - SunCom had no international roaming capability so I closed out.

I am tempted to get the Cingular service with an Audiovox SMT 5600.

My questions are several:

1. Does anyone have key comments regarding the use of and Audiovox SMT 5600?

2. Does anyone have specific experience roaming in Brazil with Cingular as the US carrier and the SMT 5600? (Mainly Sao Paulo state and Rio de Janerio)

My concern is the SMT is only tri-band as opposed to the MPx220.

3. Does anyone feel really positve about the MPx220?

All reviews and research seem to indicate the MPx220 has some serious design and performance issues whereas the SMT 5600 seems real strong - the only weakness being tri versus quad band.

Looking for thoughts and alternatives - tired of multiple phones and accounts. Verizon really does not offer a good solution with the MS Smartphone software that I use for syncing calendar, contacts and other software applications on the phones pda side.

Good evening,

I currently have a Verizon Samsung i600 and for many years maintained an AT&T account to have a GSM phone when I travel to Brazil (4 - 5 times per year) It was an expensive answer and worked.

Now with AT & T gone - SunCom had no international roaming capability so I closed out.

I am tempted to get the Cingular service with an Audiovox SMT 5600.

My questions are several:

1. Does anyone have key comments regarding the use of and Audiovox SMT 5600?

2. Does anyone have specific experience roaming in Brazil with Cingular as the US carrier and the SMT 5600? (Mainly Sao Paulo state and Rio de Janerio)

My concern is the SMT is only tri-band as opposed to the MPx220.

3. Does anyone feel really positve about the MPx220?

All reviews and research seem to indicate the MPx220 has some serious design and performance issues whereas the SMT 5600 seems real strong - the only weakness being tri versus quad band.

Looking for thoughts and alternatives - tired of multiple phones and accounts. Verizon really does not offer a good solution with the MS Smartphone software that I use for syncing calendar, contacts and other software applications on the phones pda side.

After I lost my SE T637 in Tahoe last January, I replaced it with the 5600 since I could easily unlock it to work anywhere. It's been great (sans some issues down in EZE last weekend where SMS messages wedged until 5am one morning, and calls wouldn't come in. Both were network issues while roaming with my AT&T chip. I was too lazy to pick up a prepaid chip), and I generally don't have issues out of the country while limited to 1 band. I only use my phone internationally because I hate not having some way of communication while travelling, thus my usage isn't heavy.

I can't comment on usage in Brazil, only EZE.

I'd get the 5600, it's upgrade ready without need to add additional memory like the mpx220 (I have the new Windows Mobile 5.0 installed on my 5600) with some cool features coming soon: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/5/default.mspx

I hope the Motorola Q makes it to market...

Wireless,

Thanks for the information - it helps make a decision easy.

Regards,

PFKNC