GSM version to work in USA?

[Gus57]

I am currently living overseas and is using the GSM version of Treo650. I will be returning to the States by the end of this year and wanted to know if I can continue to use my phone in the States by subscribing to a phone company like Verizon, Cigullar....etc.

Or should I just sell it here and get one when i get to the States.

Thanks

Gus

[sox2004rome]

Hey Gus, yeah you should be able to use it over here. Its an unlocked treo right? If it is, all you have to do is throw in the sim card and you're good.

[Gus57]

Thanks for the reply.

I believe it is unlocked GSM. When I bought it, I had to get a SIM card from the telecommunication Co. I thought that Verizon and SIngular used the CDMA network. So, I will be able to get a sim card from either one of them and use it as i would have gotten a treo from the States..right?

Gus

[sox2004rome]

Yeah, you'll be fine. CDMA is on its way out. Every cell company that I know of that's worth anything is going GSM. I'm with Tmobile and I haven't had any problems with mine. I travel back and forth to europe a lot and all I do is switch sim cards. VIOLA! The wonders of technology.

[plunker]

I believe that verizon uses CDMA as well as sprint. The other carriers use the GSM technology. I do not believe that sprint is going to change or verizon from the cdma technology being the small companies that they are!

[maceyr]

Just to clarify.

Cingular and T-Mobile are GSM carriers and you can get the SIM from them and put them on your phone and get it working.

Sprint and Verizon are CDMA carriers and so they won't sell SIM cards since they operate on a completely different network.

[cspianolady]

Hi there,
I want to upgrade to the TREO 700. I have 3 issues:

1. I am a Mac user - so I will need the 700P
2. I currently use SPRINT and my husband uses VERIZON
3. I want the phone to be able to work also in Europe and Asia

Any tips to enable my global travels since Sprint adn Verizon do not use the SIMM cards?

Thanks Carol

[maceyr]

Your options are limited by what countries and carriers operate in CDMA AND you will be forced to pay for hefty roaming charges charged by your CDMA carriers while travelling. As far as I know, I don't think you can use your phone without paying for roaming charges.

My suggestion is to rent a phone that will work where you are travelling to. You may be able to rent from back home, or at the airport.

Perhaps, other members may offer better ideas.

[Stillrockin]

Sprint and Verizon are big in North America, with very robust networks. But GSM is more of a World Standard. I found it interesting that Nokia recently announced, they will no longer build phones for the CDMA Standard. The fact that it is a small part of the World market was only a tiny reasoning. If I remember what I read, it had to do mainly with Licensing. Certain Companies who owned rights to patents associated with CDMA kept raising prices, and Nokia determined, it was no longer worth it to them to build phones for that network because by the time they paid for licensing, there was nothing left for profits since CDMA was a very small percentage of their worldwide sales . . .

GSM will not be enough to be used in the States if the phone is not unlocked! Once unlocked, any GSM sim card will work in the phone from any GSM based carrier.

[Gus57]

Hi there,
I want to upgrade to the TREO 700. I have 3 issues:

1. I am a Mac user - so I will need the 700P
2. I currently use SPRINT and my husband uses VERIZON
3. I want the phone to be able to work also in Europe and Asia

Any tips to enable my global travels since Sprint adn Verizon do not use the SIMM cards?

Thanks Carol

Carol

The best thing I found when travelling abroad and not pay the roaming charges from the States is to get a cheap GSM phone while abroad that can take a sim card. The phones like a basic Nokia cost around $60. As for the SIM card, you can get these at the airport, post offices.... Just about all of the European, Asia, Middle east countries use the GSM network Except Japan, they have their own network. the GSM will not work there.

Hope this helps.

Gus57