question about european cell phones

[TJN23]

I have a Siemens C60 phone purchased at a Vodafone store in Spain. It has GPRS technology and it´s a triband phone. It sends and receives normal SMS messages like many of our phones do. It also carries a SIM card.

I like it and would like to bring it back to the USA and use it...Vodafone told me I would have to unlock the phone when I am ready to come back to the USA and then maybe I can use it.

Can anyone confirm this?

TIA

Tim

 

[ajayjuneja]

Yes you can. You need a GSM service like T-mobile or Cingular / ATT.

<-- I use a Sony Ericcson P800 both here and Germany, just swap the sims.

 

[ajayjuneja]

you do need to unlock the phone though....

 

[dabuddha]

What frequency does it use?

 

[TJN23]

ok so i unlock the phone, keep my existing SIM card

when i get back to the states, a GSM service like ATandT/Cingular gives me a new SIM card?

not sure what frequency it uses

 

[Ikonomi]

If it's a European phone, it's probably 900/1800/1900. In the US, we use GSM 850 (also known as GSM 800 or cellular) and GSM 1900 (PCS). If you want to use the phone here, it should work, provided you pick the right carrier and you live in the right area.

For example, some carriers (like Cingular) use a combination of 850 and 1900 in some markets to provide coverage. Some markets are all 850, and some are 1900. A company which started out building GSM towers and did not overly their older analog or TDMA coverage with GSM (like T-Mobile) should be all PCS, and should provide a network that's good for your phone.

Additionally, in most markets, you should be able to roam freely on another carrier's 1900 MHz network if your provider doesn't have coverage. But don't hold me to that -- there could be an unforseen problem registering your handset in an area where coverage in your frequency band doesn't exist. I really don't know.

Bottom line is, you can use your phone fine in the US if you unlock it and pick a 1900 MHz provider like T-Mobile. You'd be better off with 850/1900, but only if you expect to be traveling a lot or roaming on other networks in your home area.

Edit: And you should be able to use the GPRS, too.

 

[DaWhim]

IIRC, only carriers in the US lock their phones. the rest of world don't. we always want to get something for free.

you can go with tmobile, they are all 1900 band.

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

If locking in the US means locking it to a specific network, then that happens in the UK too.

 

[txxxx]

Originally posted by: DaWhim
IIRC, only carriers in the US lock their phones. the rest of world don't. we always want to get something for free.

you can go with tmobile, they are all 1900 band.

Sorry, but UK carriers lock phones too, and I'd imagine its the same with other phones.

 

[knyghtbyte]

If you take a PAYG (Pay As You Go topup system) phone it will be locked in the UK, if you take out a contract phone in chain shops then it will be locked to that network, but if you go to a specialist one off shop and take out a contract then they can usually supply you unlocked phones. This i know as i have a Siemens SL55 (coolest phone u ever seen) which T-Mobile didnt support themselves, but i got it from a shop that had unlocked versions and mine works on all networks. Technically any Triband phone should work on any carrier in the UK, Europe and USA plus some other countries. And there are plenty of places that will happily unlock the phones for you.

edit: if a tri-band phone is older than a technology currently being used by the carrier tho of course it wont work. but modern tri-bands can normally be switched to different styles of carrier technology. At least so my bloke working for BT (British Telecom) tells me.