Smartphones coverage?

rvogel · 02-13-05, 08:53 PM

Do smartphones like the treo 650 have world coverage or do you have to be in that companies coverage area? I am also wondering what does GSM tri-band/quad-band mean?

Gigi · 02-13-05, 08:56 PM

Moved to Smartphones forum.

Typically, GSM phones are locked to a particular phone carrier. In order to use it with other carriers in different parts of the work, you need to have it unlocked.

rvogel · 02-13-05, 09:01 PM

So if the treo had sprint coverage it could only be used in their coverage areas?

Gigi · 02-13-05, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by rvogel

So if the treo had sprint coverage it could only be used in their coverage areas?

Yes, unless you get it unlocked.

cursor · 02-13-05, 09:07 PM

Sprint does not use GSM. So no Sprint phone will do what you want from them. The phone would never be compatible with most world networks. In most countries (well, at least most countries in Europe), they use GSM. That's what Cingular & T-Mobile use. So in theory, you tell them you're going to Europe and they unlock the phone for you so that you can use a European SIM.

Gigi · 02-13-05, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by cursor

Sprint does not use GSM. So no Sprint phone will do what you want from them. The phone would never be compatible with most world networks. In most countries (well, at least most countries in Europe), they use GSM. That's what Cingular & T-Mobile use. So in theory, you tell them you're going to Europe and they unlock the phone for you so that you can use a European SIM.

Good thing you were around to clarify that! I am not familiar with U.S. carriers.

cursor · 02-13-05, 09:26 PM

Handspring makes different versions of this phone in the US market. They make one for Sprint (CDMA, I think they are), and one for Tmobile and Cingular (GSM). From trolling the HowardForums, I think that some Canadian providers use CDMA also...

Howard2k · 02-13-05, 09:33 PM

And of course, North American GSM had to be different than the rest of the world. That's why we have dual/tri/quad band phones.

If you plan on taking the phone out of NA then you need to look at it closely.

Verizon in the US and Telus and Bell in Canada use CDMA.

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