Buying a CDMA/GSM Phone for Ireland & U.S.

[BrianL]

Hi, hope someone can help me out here.

I'm currently a Verizon user here in the U.S. I'm planning on moving to Dublin, Ireland next year (July 2007) to live for a year and was researching GSM phones for when I get out there. To help keep costs down I'm looking to buy a phone that is CDMA/GSM compatible so I can use it here, then when I leave for Ireland I can simply cancel my Verizon service, take my phone with me, and start using pre-paid SIMS in Ireland. I've researched Verizon's offerings for world phones, and the pickings are slim, not to mention that their phones are all locked, making them useless to me since I couldn't use local pre-paid SIMS.

So, basically I'm looking to see what my best course of action would be. I've been told there is no problem with buying a phone from an outside source and getting it to work with my current Verizon plan (as long as the phone is CDMA it is alright). I'm not looking for anything crazy features on the phone, just basic calling, text messaging, and perhaps a camera.

With all this said, I'm looking to buy a phone sooner than later because my current phone is about at the end of its life expectancy. Are there any suggested sites to browse for CDMA/GSM phones? Should I get a quad-band phone, or is a tri-band phone adequate? Are there any major details I'm leaving out that should be considered?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Brian

[Scrumhalf]

I think you are trying too hard. First of all, CDMA/GSM phone are pretty rare commodities. Plus, you only need to do that if you wish to retain your Verizon account and use the same phone both on the Verizon CDMA network and the overseas GSM network. You have however indicated that you intend to cancel you Verizon service when you move to Ireland.

My recommendation is for you to choose between the following two options:

1. Pick up an unlocked quad band GSM phone off ebay. You can get good phones for well under $100 (like the Motorola V557, V551, V6xx, etc.). You can then use this phone with any provider in Ireland when you land there, and when you return, you can use it here on a GSM carrier if you choose to go that way.

2. Wait until you get to Ireland and get an phone and service there.

You should skip trying to get a CDMA/GSM dual phone unless you have a very strong need to do so - which you don't seem to based on what you are describing.

[Andy]

I agree with scrumhalf. Stop trying to find a CDMA/GSM phone since you are intending on canceling your Verizon service anyways. Keep whatever phone you have with Verizon right now, go on ebay or try to get an unlocked phone from somehwere. It doesn't have to be quad band or even tri-band if you are only planning on using it in Europe. It can be just a dual band 900/1800 handset that is unlocked. They are not that expensive depending on what model you are looking to get and then when you arrive there just pop in a prepaid sim card.

[BrianL]

Thanks for your quick replies and input. I am going to cancel my Verizon service when I leave for Ireland, but I was planning on starting another contract with them when I returned, so that's one of the reasons I was looking towards CDMA/GSM, so I could avoid purchasing multiple phones. You're probably right that I'm trying too hard. I'm just trying to cover all bases and research all options to keep costs down when the easier way is probably the best way.

As I mentioned, my current phone is almost done for. It stopped turning on last week and Verizon said it couldn't be fixed, but it miraculously came back to life a few days later. I'm not going to take my chances with it, being that it's almost 2 years old, so I'm in the market now for a phone. Based on your suggestions, I'm thinking I should buy a phone off Ebay to use until I leave for Ireland (and to use when I get back), and buy an unlocked GSM phone right before I leave to use in Ireland. Does this sound about right?

Brian

[Scrumhalf]

Actually, I don't know too much about buying Verizon phones off ebay and having them activated for your current use - maybe some of the Verizon users would give you inputs on that.

And since you don't intend to come back to the US and switch to a GSM carriers, as Andy indicates above, technically you don't need to get a quad band phone - you only need to overseas bands - 900MHz and 1800MHz. You should check out prices on ebay on both quad band and foreign band phones (I am not sure how common these are since I have never looked for them).

You might also see if Shoresguy, our resident Europe specialist, can comment on phone prices in Europe, i.e. would it be cheaper for you to simply pick up a 900/1800 phone once you are in Ireland instead of getting a quad band here since you don't intend to use it on a GSM carrier when you return.

[Andy]

If your current VZW phone has given up I wouldn't buy a new phone from VZW because then you'd have to extend your contract, which is osmething you don't want, so just get a phone from somehwere else- maybe a friend or ebay. Then also get an unlocked GSM phone on ebay(like I said, you can get something cheap, doesn't have to be quad-band). When you get back home and want to sign up with Verizon again, I would go ahead and get a brand new phone with them then for promotional pricing and not hang on to the phone you got on ebay or whatever now. If you are signing a new contract, get another phone for free or cheap- if you don't want it for yourself, sell it on the web and make some money off it.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Scrumhalf

Actually, I don't know too much about buying Verizon phones off ebay and having them activated for your current use - maybe some of the Verizon users would give you inputs on that.

And since you don't intend to come back to the US and switch to a GSM carriers, as Andy indicates above, technically you don't need to get a quad band phone - you only need to overseas bands - 900MHz and 1800MHz. You should check out prices on ebay on both quad band and foreign band phones (I am not sure how common these are since I have never looked for them).

You might also see if Shoresguy, our resident Europe specialist, can comment on phone prices in Europe, i.e. would it be cheaper for you to simply pick up a 900/1800 phone once you are in Ireland instead of getting a quad band here since you don't intend to use it on a GSM carrier when you return.

Any Verizon phone can be activated on the Verizon network as long as the ESN is cleared. As you pointed out, maybe it would be more economical for the OP to get something like a prepay kit/contract in Ireland with a phone itself. Buying a phone off ebay if you are going to get a prepay sim in Ireland anyways and don't plan on using GSM when you get back to the States may not be as cheap as just going to Ireland and getting a prepay pack with phone included. Of course the phone will be locked to that specific network, but if you are going to be using it in Ireland only and then using Verizon again once in the States this may be a better route to go through.

[BrianL]

Yeah, I think I'll just go the Ebay route then for a new phone for the U.S. and avoid Verizon selling me a new contract. But, I don't necessarily need to buy a Verizon phone off Ebay, any phone can be activated as long as it's CDMA, no?

As for buying a GSM phone for Ireland, I'd much rather prefer having the phone in hand before I leave for peace of mind, because once I get there I'll be busy setting up accomodations, employment, etc. I'd like to avoid spending my first day running around Dublin looking for phones. Just one less thing to worry about and I'll be connected right away. Plus, I'd like to stay with an unlocked phone in case I travel around Europe (which I'm sure I will). Buying prepaid SIMS seems easy enough. I can either buy one before I go or just get one in Dublin (or any other country for that matter) when I arrive. Is my thinking here on the right track?

Thanks again for all your help guys. I truly appreciate it.

Brian

[scotsboyuk]

@BrianL

The longets part of buying a PAYG phone in Ireland will probably be choosing which handset you like. The actual setup procedure, etc should take all of five minutes.

I would have recommended you take out a twelve month contract instead of using PAYG as a contract would probably be cheaper in the longrun, but unles you have lived in Ireland before you won't have a credit history there, which might make it difficult for you to get a contract.

Not all networks lock their handsets and some EU countries mandate that handsets must be unlocked; I'm not sure if Ireland is one of those countries. O2 tend snot to lock their handsets in the UK, the same might also be true for O2 in Ireland. Unless Ireland has a law agains tunlocking you can be reasonably sure that Vodafone will lock their handsets.

Vodafone might be a good choice for roaming though because of their Passport system. Vodafone Passport essentially allows you to make calls in a foriegn country a sif you were in your home country for a set fee charge don each call. If I am abroad and romaing on a Vodafone network then I pay 75p for each call, but the call is then charged as if I was back in the UK i.e. my free minutes are used if I have any left.

If you are only planning on short trips within Europe I would have said don't bother with getting a local SIM card, a few days romaing shouldn't cost you too much unless you plan on making lots of calls.

[ShoresGuy]

I'll keep it brief and to the point since the discussion about your CDMA part of the question is already being dealt with by Andy and Scrumhalf. Have a look at the following sites to see what phone prices are like for handsets that don't include any binding contract or prepaid offer. These are known as SIM-free and unlocked phones. Unlocked as you may know means that you can use any provider's SIM card in your GSM handset. A GSM 900/1800 handset will suffice for Ireland and for all Europe.

Prepaid SIM card options for Ireland (Vodafone/O2 tend to be better coveragewise than Meteor):

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/ireland.html
http://www.vodafone.ie/
http://www.o2.ie/

Phone Prices:

Prepaid: http://www.carphonewarehouse.ie/comm...Y&NODE_ID=5885

SIM-free/unlocked (just the phone):

Not available on their site at the moment

Be aware that 3 Ireland is not an option for you since they are a UMTS 2100-only (3GSM - 3rd Generation GSM) network.

Please be aware that buying a prepaid SIM is always cheaper once you have arrived in that country. You'll save yourself the shipping and handling fees that US-based companies normally charge for sending it to you before you leave for your destination.

Ask if you have more questions,

[ShoresGuy]

Originally Posted by scotsboyuk

f you are only planning on short trips within Europe I would have said don't bother with getting a local SIM card, a few days romaing shouldn't cost you too much unless you plan on making lots of calls.

He can't roam in Europe since he's still using a CDMA handset in the US. Getting a phone from Verizon doesn't make too much sense either since he'll be in Dublin for a year . Secondly, getting a contract can be more difficult in the beginning since he has to provide the provider with an established Irish address and a Irish bank connection. That can be done if he's been there for a couple weeks already since those two elements normally have to be in place before any European provider will allow you to sign a contract.

Perhaps a visit to a Vodafone shop or to Carphone Warehouse is the best course of action since they could provide more accurate advice.

[scotsboyuk]

SIM free handsets do tend to be a bit more pricey, but they at least guarantee you the ability to use different SIM cards.

The thing you should consider is how much travelling you will be doing. As I said before, the odd day trip to the UK or France is probably not worth the effort of using a different SIM card. If you are going to be spending weeks at a time in other European countries then a SIM free handset or local SIM cards might be a good option. Otherwise simply roaming using your Irish network's SIM card might not be a bad idea.

[BrianL]

So I take it that a "SIM-free phone" is the same as an "unlocked phone"?

As you both have mentioned, since I don't have any credit history in Ireland it would be tougher to get a contract when I arrive, so I may be better suited going the PAYG route. I wouldn't use the phone a lot, just calling and texting my girlfriend who is making the trip with me, receiving international calls from the U.S. (which I've read are free, which seems hard to believe), and calling and texting anybody else I meet up with while in Dublin.

I will be travelling around Europe, but for how long I will be in each country is an unknown at this point. Either way, I would like to have the flexibility of buying a sim card for whatever country I'm in, just in case. With my girlfriend being with me, it may be necessary in case we are not always together. So it looks like before I leave for Ireland I should buy an unlocked GSM 900/1800 phone and then buy a pre-paid SIM card once I arrive. Buying the SIM card is as easy as just going into a Vodafone/O2/Meteor phone shop, correct? I can just put the chip in the phone and activate it and the phone is ready to go??

[Andy]

Originally Posted by BrianL

So I take it that a "SIM-free phone" is the same as an "unlocked phone"?

As you both have mentioned, since I don't have any credit history in Ireland it would be tougher to get a contract when I arrive, so I may be better suited going the PAYG route. I wouldn't use the phone a lot, just calling and texting my girlfriend who is making the trip with me, receiving international calls from the U.S. (which I've read are free, which seems hard to believe), and calling and texting anybody else I meet up with while in Dublin.

I will be travelling around Europe, but for how long I will be in each country is an unknown at this point. Either way, I would like to have the flexibility of buying a sim card for whatever country I'm in, just in case. With my girlfriend being with me, it may be necessary in case we are not always together. So it looks like before I leave for Ireland I should buy an unlocked GSM 900/1800 phone and then buy a pre-paid SIM card once I arrive. Buying the SIM card is as easy as just going into a Vodafone/O2/Meteor phone shop, correct? I can just put the chip in the phone and activate it and the phone is ready to go??

In Europe the caller pays for calls placed to your phone, so all incoming calls while in your home country are free. If someone calls you from a landline or cellphone even if they are in Ireleand, they will pay a per-minute fee, hence they will cover all the charges, and the call is free to you.

Some European countries now require your passport to sign up even for PAYG service I believe so just make sure you have that with you. Other than that it's just as easy as going to the store, deciding which offer to take and plugging the SIM into your phone. Maybe you should compare pricing between carriers, some carriers in Europe now give you a bucket of mobile to mobile minutes, cheap calling to other mobiles of the same company, etc. This may be important since your girlfriend will be traveling with you but not always 'with you'
Andy

[scotsboyuk]

Originally Posted by BrianL

So I take it that a "SIM-free phone" is the same as an "unlocked phone"?

Unlocked and unbranded, just as nature (well the manufactutrer ) intended. SIM free handsets are not subsidised though so you will have to pay the full price, which can be anywhere from less than £100 to several hundred pounds.

As you both have mentioned, since I don't have any credit history in Ireland it would be tougher to get a contract when I arrive, so I may be better suited going the PAYG route. I wouldn't use the phone a lot, just calling and texting my girlfriend who is making the trip with me ...

Get used to texting a lot, not only is it cheaper than calling for short conversations, it is also ubiquitous. You will probably find that people say they will text you more than they will say they will call you.

... receiving international calls from the U.S. (which I've read are free, which seems hard to believe), and calling and texting anybody else I meet up with while in Dublin.

All incoming calls and texts are free. Calls whilst roaming are not free to receive, but texts are.

I will be travelling around Europe, but for how long I will be in each country is an unknown at this point. Either way, I would like to have the flexibility of buying a sim card for whatever country I'm in, just in case. With my girlfriend being with me, it may be necessary in case we are not always together. So it looks like before I leave for Ireland I should buy an unlocked GSM 900/1800 phone and then buy a pre-paid SIM card once I arrive. Buying the SIM card is as easy as just going into a Vodafone/O2/Meteor phone shop, correct? I can just put the chip in the phone and activate it and the phone is ready to go??

You should be able to pop into any mobile phone shop and buy a SIM card. It might be cheaper to buy a SIM card from an independent mobile phone shop rather than the networks.

Make sure that the SIM card you buy isn't a USIM if you don't have a 3G handset.

[telocke]

I have $250 range (tops) to spend and I need to have a decent phone from which I can send constant Twitters while I am on my visit to ireland later this year.

Has anyone done this before?

Any advise?

I know I need a phone and a SIM card I just need to know which international phone is best for Twittering in my budget range.

Love Lots .
T