Travel Technology - American cell phones -- limited

I really wish my cell worked overseas. Sure I could rent a cell phone from Verizon which is good in Europe but that's a real pain to do. When friends of ours visit from Dusseldorf, for example, their cell phones certainly work in New York. Why can't we have the same technology?

I really wish my cell worked overseas. Sure I could rent a cell phone from Verizon which is good in Europe but that's a real pain to do. When friends of ours visit from Dusseldorf, for example, their cell phones certainly work in New York. Why can't we have the same technology?

You can. Go search Travel Technology for unlocked GSM cell phones. Get one, then you can buy a SIM card at your destination.

In the US, the GSM carriers (which is used in much of the rest of the world) are T-Mobile and Cingular. You need to make sure you have a tri- or quad- band phone.

We do have the same technology. You just didn't do enough research when you chose Verizon. :p

Been using my Cingular phone & U.S. number in Europe for at least five years now... :)

You can buy an unlocked GSM phone direct from either Motorola or Nokia without a plan, and then buy a prepaid SIM card that you refill with minutes. Go to these web pages and buy a quad band phone: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 mhz.

http://www.store.motorola.com/mot/en/US/adirect/motorola?cmd=catDisplayStyle&catKey=601130

http://www.nokiausa.com/A4409002

If you are into Palm Treo's, you can also get unlocked GSM's either directly from Palm or aftermarket sellers like Buy.com, both of which offer miles from links like www.mponlinemall.com.

Who knows why carriers like Verizon, U.S. Cellular and Sprint exist anyway? :)

We do have the same technology. You just didn't do enough research when you chose Verizon. :p

Verizon have multiband phones that work pretty much everywhere other than Japan. I used to have one, but can't remember the make/model, as my company moved to Cingular last year.

You can buy an unlocked GSM phone direct from either Motorola or Nokia without a plan, and then buy a prepaid SIM card that you refill with minutes. Go to these web pages and buy a quad band phone: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 mhz.

http://www.store.motorola.com/mot/en/US/adirect/motorola?cmd=catDisplayStyle&catKey=601130

http://www.nokiausa.com/A4409002I travel maybe once or twice per year to Europe for pleasure. I cannot absorb such a high cost for a phone especially since I'm not working right now. :cool:

get a cheap unlocked motorola phone for $25-50 bucks on ebay. look up "unlocked gsm" and you'll get probably around 3000 hits.

anyone who buys an unlocked phone through a company directly needs to have their head checked.

I travel maybe once or twice per year to Europe for pleasure. I cannot absorb such a high cost for a phone especially since I'm not working right now. :cool:

Multiband phones are available from the main carriers without paying a lot of money. In many cases they are not unlocked (so you can't use a local SIM), so you'll have to pay quite a high price for the calls while you are overseas, but they have all the same deals (ie minimal cost with 2 year contract) as any other phone.

If while overseas you only use the cellphone for initial contact, and call back on a landline, then the high cost of the calls shouldn't be a problem.

Everything you need to know to get the cheapest cellular service/equipment while travelling in Europe:
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/

My TMobile phone has worked everywhere I've been except Tokyo. I only use it overseas when I really need it, so the costs ($1-1.50/minute) haven't added up to much.

My TMobile phone has worked everywhere I've been except Tokyo. I only use it overseas when I really need it, so the costs ($1-1.50/minute) haven't added up to much.

I'd rather pay 40 cents out/ free in.

I'd rather pay 40 cents out/ free in.

How? Local SIM?

Who knows why carriers like Verizon, U.S. Cellular and Sprint exist anyway? :)

The CDMA carriers are far more built out for high-speed data in the U.S. than Cingular or T-Mobile. I regularly get 500-700 kbps with Sprint in a bunch of different U.S. markets.

If you live in the U.S. and take occasional trips abroad, then Sprint as your primary carrier plus a cheap unlocked GSM handset seems like the best combination. If you travel extensively abroad or want the best data performance abroad, then you probably need a different solution. But I wouldn't want to jump into Cingular's inferior performance in the U.S. just because I take a few trips abroad each year.

I travel maybe once or twice per year to Europe for pleasure. I cannot absorb such a high cost for a phone especially since I'm not working right now. :cool:

You can get a TMobile phone and service for less than Verizon.

I may be too late to order the phone on ebay for this trip (leaving Tues) but I can do it for my trip one month from now to IBZ. I've never used ebay. How trustworty and reliable are the sellers? I know they are rated but can't those ratings be fake??

I may be too late to order the phone on ebay for this trip (leaving Tues) but I can do it for my trip one month from now to IBZ. I've never used ebay. How trustworty and reliable are the sellers? I know they are rated but can't those ratings be fake??

I think most are quite reliable if they have good ratings. Ive bought several phones from ebay. But, realistically there is always a risk.

Im not sure how cheap you are looking for but here is a new phone, 900, 1800, 1900 band that will work in Europe and on TMobile in the US (some on Cingular also) for about $90 new. I have bought several phones from this place.

http://www.mobilebee.com/nokia-3120a.html

I think most are quite reliable if they have good ratings. Ive bought several phones from ebay. But, realistically there is always a risk.

I've bought phones on eBay, too, but that was a while ago. Isn't the risk generally greater for the more expensive and trendier or "hot" phones? If you're just looking to buy a basic inexpensive unlocked world phone, I doubt the risk is that high.

Once you get the phone, of course, you'll need to get a SIM... but there's an extensive thread on that already, toward the top of the page.

I may be too late to order the phone on ebay for this trip (leaving Tues) but I can do it for my trip one month from now to IBZ. I've never used ebay. How trustworty and reliable are the sellers? I know they are rated but can't those ratings be fake??

When you get to Ibiza, head to any of the Expert shops on the island (there are a few, you can find them in the yellow pages under Electrodomèstics). They're similar to Circuit City, only smaller. This week they have a nice Motorola dual-band (won't work in the US) for 85€ or a Nokia quad-band (will work in the US) for 99€. They're both unlocked, new in the box, and will work great. At the same store you can pick up an Orange prepay SIM card for 18€ that includes 18€ of credit. Remember incoming calls are free in Spain so you can always make quick one-minute calls and have them call you back.

http://www.catalogoexpert.com/aspCatalogo.aspx?cen=3&cat=26&grd=fam;20;0

You can get a phone for $49 from Telestial (http://www.telestial.com/). It comes with a $20 airtime credit on the SIM. Plug'n'play.

Who knows why carriers like Verizon, U.S. Cellular and Sprint exist anyway? :)

Because of service issues with the other carriers. Lack of service, dropped calls, and miserable customer service.

I'm sure the other carriers do this as well, but T-mobile will give you an unlock code for your phone if you've had the phone for 90 days and the account is in good standing. I unlocked my t-mobile blackberry for when I travel overseas. Just call their 800 number and ask for a code.

Go on ebay search for unlocked gsm quad band. Find a phone you like at a price you are willing to pay. Then check the sellers ratings and if things look good buy it. Charge it up and take it with you. Once you get in country go buy a pre paid SIM out it in your phone and start talking. You may need to activate it (follow the supplied instructions), and also check the website to see if there are any special dialing codes. I just got back from 10 days in singapore I got a SIM card from the local 7-11 from Singtel. I visited the singtel site and learned of 019 dialing and saved a ton of money. I put $20 on the card and never used even that calling the US multiple times a day.

I may be too late to order the phone on ebay for this trip (leaving Tues) but I can do it for my trip one month from now to IBZ. I've never used ebay. How trustworty and reliable are the sellers? I know they are rated but can't those ratings be fake??

I have purchased several unlocked phones on ebay with no problems. Yes, a feedback rating of say, 20, can be faked. A feedback rating of 200 or 2000 is difficult bordering on impossible.

Who knows why carriers like Verizon, U.S. Cellular and Sprint exist anyway? :)

I think it's because if you can get service in your area they offer the most competitive rates. Here in Boston, Verizon has the best network but I get decent reception at home on Sprint. They also offer the absolute lowest monthly cost for the features I need compared to the GSM carriers.

I have purchased several unlocked phones on ebay with no problems. Yes, a feedback rating of say, 20, can be faked. A feedback rating of 200 or 2000 is difficult bordering on impossible.

I bought my unlocked GSM phone on Ebay. If you're not buying the "latest" hot item it's also less likely you'll run into a fraudulent seller.

And if you ARE a customer, you probably already have one.

There's no point in getting a quad-band phone, because although it will work in Europe, it won't work on Verizon, Sprint, Alltel...anything but T-Mo or ATT.

I'd pick up the Telestial deal and maybe buy local SIMs for longish stays in European countries.

I am about to sign up for new cell phone service here in US. T-Mobile has an offer for a free quadband phone with contract. Do I understand correctly (from reading other posts), that, after 90 days, T-Mobile will give me the code to unlock the phone, and then I can use it in France with a SIM card? I asked the phone rep, and she did not know the answer.

I am about to sign up for new cell phone service here in US. T-Mobile has an offer for a free quadband phone with contract. Do I understand correctly (from reading other posts), that, after 90 days, T-Mobile will give me the code to unlock the phone, and then I can use it in France with a SIM card? I asked the phone rep, and she did not know the answer.
That is correct. In fact, many people have found that it's unnecessary to wait 90 days.

If you're starting service with T-Mobile, you might want to look at this: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=748981

Thanks for your help. I think that is a great deal!

I have been using the Verizon World Edition Blackberry (8830 I think) for a few mos now and it waors seamlessly in the US, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France, India, S'pore, China and Hong Kong for sure. I know because I have used it there in the past few mos. Data and voice was truly seamless. Good luck.

Thanks for your help. I think that is a great deal!

Sounds good, but you will still have a 1 or 2 year contract.

We do have the same technology. You just didn't do enough research when you chose Verizon. :p

Initially GSM was not used in the U.S.

Initially GSM was not used in the U.S.

...until 1995. :rolleyes:

I live in the US.
I've heard about a new brand called WND Telecom that is manufacturing dual SIM mobile phones.
They are unlocked and can work in the US.
One of my friends went to UAE and bought one.
They are amazing.

...until 1995. :rolleyes:

I had a mobile phone in 1995, and I can tell you that the GSM phones
were not available in my local market in the north east.

We had limited choices Analog and then TDMA(AT&T in my area)
became popular. And I do not recall anybody selling any GSM service
through out most of the 90s.. until T-Mobile started it.. and AT&T
started a transition to GSM. (please correct me if I'm wrong)

No large company yet but smaller companies were doing GSM in the mid-90s in various areas. T-Mobile USA mainly came about by assembling these companies together (well, VoiceStream assembled them then Deutsche Telekom bought that and branded it T-Mobile). One that operated here before being assimilated into VoiceStream was called Aerial.

We had limited choices Analog and then TDMA(AT&T in my area) became popular. And I do not recall anybody selling any GSM service
through out most of the 90s.. until T-Mobile started it.. and AT&T started a transition to GSM. (please correct me if I'm wrong)AT&T was late to the game. There were a lot of regional GSM players in the US. Most have since been swallowed up. In the Northeast, we had Omnipoint. In the Midwest there was Aerial Communication. These were purchased in around 1999/2000 by Voicestream. They purchased a few other regional GSM carriers along the way as well, and in 2001 were themselves purchased by Deutsche Telecom. In 2002 they changed the company name to T-Mobile.

No large company yet but smaller companies were doing GSM in the mid-90s in various areas. T-Mobile USA mainly came about by assembling these companies together (well, VoiceStream assembled them then Deutsche Telekom bought that and branded it T-Mobile). One that operated here before being assimilated into VoiceStream was called Aerial.

You're correct.. I forgot the "VoiceStream" name. But I believe it came out with
the GSM service in late 1999 or 2000.

You're correct.. I forgot the "VoiceStream" name. But I believe it came out with
the GSM service in late 1999 or 2000.

I was roaming on Omnipoint in NYC in 1998, I think they started sometime in 1996.

I think they started sometime in 1996.That's correct :p

Sprint's original network in Washington DC was GSM.