Cell phone question: possibility of using Japanese phone here with Verizon (it's a worldwide phone)

[AndrewR]

I have a nice Audiovox phone that I used in Japan for a couple years -- camera phone, worldwide usage (tri-band?), neat gadgets like a flashlight and mirror, and a decent capability to play ringtones (my current Samsung SUCKS, I just learned).

Anyway, I think it may be locked in some way, but does anyone know if it's possible, even for a fee, to use this phone with Verizon if I took it in, or is it highly unlikely? I have plenty of time to worry about it (military deployment), but I was curious after my recent ringtone fiasco. It's certainly a better phone than what I'm using so it's something I'd like to at least find out about.

Any place I can look to read about this kind of stuff? Not even sure where to start.

 

[DeviousTrap]

Good chance that it's not possible.

Most (if not all of Asia) uses GSM phones. Tri-band means it works on 3 different GSM frequencies. Verizon uses CDMA and it won't work. In the US the GSM providers are Cingular and T-Mobile.

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: DeviousTrap
Good chance that it's not possible.

Most (if not all of Asia) uses GSM phones. Tri-band means it works on 3 different GSM frequencies. Verizon uses CDMA and it won't work. In the US the GSM providers are Cingular and T-Mobile.

Well, it's called a Global Passport phone, and I used it in Japan, South Korea, China, and here in the States. I have no idea what networks I was using -- just had to set the roaming to the particular country I was in at the time. That was awesome because it turned out to be essential several times.

Going to see if I can find the phone on the net.

 

[NutBucket]

Can't do it, PERIOD.

Verizon won't activate a phone it didn't sell.

FYI: China/Korea = CDMA

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Can't do it, PERIOD.

Verizon won't activate a phone it didn't sell.

FYI: China/Korea = CDMA

Damn them.

Anyway, looks like it's a 3G phone. Here's a brief information page, most everything else I've found is in Japanese: SANYO A1303SA

 

[andylawcc]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
FYI: China/Korea = CDMA

China has GSM 1800 too...

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Can't do it, PERIOD.

Verizon won't activate a phone it didn't sell.

FYI: China/Korea = CDMA

not true, i know many koreans that have brought phones over from korea and had them activated by Verizon Wireless.

 

[AndrewR]

Hmm, Verizon's page says it will activate a phone not purchased from them, but they don't guarantee performance, blah, blah, blah. I've ALREADY bought a phone from them, for a grand sum of $20, but they still got me already. Might be worth looking into.

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Can't do it, PERIOD.

Verizon won't activate a phone it didn't sell.

FYI: China/Korea = CDMA

not true, i know many koreans that have brought phones over from korea and had them activated by Verizon Wireless.

Yeah, and this phone is CDMA -- says so right under the battery. Ok, now I'm getting excited about using this phone again. It's really a nice piece of equipment, and the scary thing is that it's nearly three years old! The stuff over there is so much better than what we have in the States. The best part is that the phone was FREE! They had already activated the phones so they were trying to get them out the door to stop paying fees on them, or something like that.

I just took it out, and it beats my current Samsung hands down.

 

[andylawcc]

Originally posted by: DeviousTrap
Good chance that it's not possible.

agreed

Most (if not all of Asia) uses GSM phones.

Japanese used a proprietory frequency, called JPS or something like that. GSM doesn't work there at all; but the new 3G is compatiable worldwide.

Tri-band means it works on 3 different GSM frequencies.

Tri-band sometimes can be misleading; some phone's triband means 1900 (US's), 1800 and 900. For some, its 1800, 900, and 850 (US's frequency but used as an auxillary bandwidth for Cingular). THat means, this tri-band phone won't work well in the States since 1900 is the predominant bandwidth in US.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: AndrewR

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Can't do it, PERIOD.

Verizon won't activate a phone it didn't sell.

FYI: China/Korea = CDMA

not true, i know many koreans that have brought phones over from korea and had them activated by Verizon Wireless.

Yeah, and this phone is CDMA -- says so right under the battery. Ok, now I'm getting excited about using this phone again. It's really a nice piece of equipment, and the scary thing is that it's nearly three years old! The stuff over there is so much better than what we have in the States. The best part is that the phone was FREE! They had already activated the phones so they were trying to get them out the door to stop paying fees on them, or something like that.

I just took it out, and it beats my current Samsung hands down.

you mean the american samsungs.

samsung has some GREAT phones in Korea they just don't market here.

Korea has both G3 (gsm variant) and CDMA2000 (CDMA).

the CDMA2000 phones from Korea work with Verizon and mb sprint (haven't tried just guessing because Sprint is also CDMA).

 

[NutBucket]

Sprint for sure won't activate a phone they didn't sell. I guess half the turn off for me is its almost a given you won't have data services....just voice and possibly SMS.

The good samsungs are slowly coming....A900 for Sprint is a nice start.

 

[DaWhim]

don't even think about it. verizon thinks they are the sh!t, all they do is make sure you can heard the other party. Can you hear me now? other functions? forget it.

 

[geckojohn]

THat looks like a sprint phone

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: AndrewR

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Can't do it, PERIOD.

Verizon won't activate a phone it didn't sell.

FYI: China/Korea = CDMA

not true, i know many koreans that have brought phones over from korea and had them activated by Verizon Wireless.

Yeah, and this phone is CDMA -- says so right under the battery. Ok, now I'm getting excited about using this phone again. It's really a nice piece of equipment, and the scary thing is that it's nearly three years old! The stuff over there is so much better than what we have in the States. The best part is that the phone was FREE! They had already activated the phones so they were trying to get them out the door to stop paying fees on them, or something like that.

I just took it out, and it beats my current Samsung hands down.

you mean the american samsungs.

samsung has some GREAT phones in Korea they just don't market here.

Korea has both G3 (gsm variant) and CDMA2000 (CDMA).

the CDMA2000 phones from Korea work with Verizon and mb sprint (haven't tried just guessing because Sprint is also CDMA).

This one is CDMA2000, according to what I read. All this stuff confuses me -- I just want to talk with the damn thing and play a ringtone that sounds like music.

just voice and possibly SMS

I only use the first one anyway. I can't take the phone into work with me so most of the time it's sitting in my truck or at home.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: geckojohn
THat looks like a sprint phone

It does but it doesn't have the specs of one. The sanyo megapixel phones have much more features than this one. But, the OP does state it is a few years old.

 

[TheGizmo]

www.howardforums.com will be of help to you..

i think you need to force the PRL into the phone using a datacable, and try to activate the esn through the esn changer on their website... check out www.howardforums.com in the verizon wireless section.