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View Full Version : International cell phones in the US, how do they work?

etain
May 15th, 2008, 05:35 PM
I've never had a cell phone in the US and bought my first one abroad. It uses a sim card. Can I take it back to the US and use it or should I just sell it here?
evil_FUX
May 15th, 2008, 06:00 PM
This should help: http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html

but best bet is to scope out a provider in the US and see what bands they cover and then cross reference that with what your phone uses.
awong
May 15th, 2008, 08:43 PM
works on att or tmobile depending on frequency, better on tmobile if it only is 1900/1800/900. If it has 850 then it ok on att depending on your area.

I have a softbank 920sh and vodafone 903sh working on att :D
etain
May 15th, 2008, 08:48 PM
OK, looks like there's two versions of my phone.

GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
GSM 850 / 1800 / 1900 - US version

I have no idea which one I have, but it looks like either one is compatible. Do I just bring the phone to a tmobile or att place and they'll give me a new sim card for it?
awong
May 15th, 2008, 11:59 PM
who is your current providor and what is the phone model?
etain
May 16th, 2008, 12:56 AM
It's a Nokia 3120, which I know is old as shit. I don't really have a provider per se. Where I am I buy cell phone cards that have a certain amount of money/minutes on them. When I run out of money/minutes I just buy a new card.
awong
May 16th, 2008, 01:25 AM
oh ok, but it would have been cheaper just to get the north american 3120 vs the overseas model based on it working better being that it was made for the us
etain
May 16th, 2008, 02:06 AM
oh ok, but it would have been cheaper just to get the north american 3120 vs the overseas model based on it working better being that it was made for the us

I could very well have the North American model. I don't know which model was shipped here for the purpose of sale. But either way is it just a matter of getting a new sim card once I'm in the US?