Phone for both Cingular (Atlanta, USA) and Virgin Mobile (London, UK)

03-12-2006, 04:20 PM

Greetings,

Can someone tell me positively what flavors of GSM (or whatever) are used by
these 2 carriers? I'd like to be able to swap back and forth between them
as I travel by changing SIM cards. Right now I have 2 phones. The American
one is a Samsung x427m.

Thanks!

03-12-2006, 08:20 PM

I believe as long as you have a quad band phone that's not locked to
a carrier you're fine.

"mc" <look@www.ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
news:IZ1Rf.6115$HV2.4316@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
> Greetings,
>
> Can someone tell me positively what flavors of GSM (or whatever) are used
> by these 2 carriers? I'd like to be able to swap back and forth between
> them as I travel by changing SIM cards. Right now I have 2 phones. The
> American one is a Samsung x427m.
>
> Thanks!
>
>

03-12-2006, 09:10 PM

Is triband sufficient?

"RobR" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:Fx5Rf.995$Vb.747@trndny01...
>I believe as long as you have a quad band phone that's not locked to
> a carrier you're fine.
>
> "mc" <look@www.ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
> news:IZ1Rf.6115$HV2.4316@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
>> Greetings,
>>
>> Can someone tell me positively what flavors of GSM (or whatever) are used
>> by these 2 carriers? I'd like to be able to swap back and forth between
>> them as I travel by changing SIM cards. Right now I have 2 phones. The
>> American one is a Samsung x427m.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>>
>
>

03-13-2006, 06:22 AM

I know that Cingular in Atlanta uses 850 MHz quite heavily. A phone with
only 900 MHz and no 850 MHz will perform poorly on Cingular in Atlanta.

"mc" <look@www.ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
news:IZ1Rf.6115$HV2.4316@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
> Greetings,
>
> Can someone tell me positively what flavors of GSM (or whatever) are used
by
> these 2 carriers? I'd like to be able to swap back and forth between them
> as I travel by changing SIM cards. Right now I have 2 phones. The
American
> one is a Samsung x427m.
>
> Thanks!
>
>

03-13-2006, 08:45 PM

"mc" <look@www.ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
news:Ed6Rf.6151$HV2.1838@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
> Is triband sufficient?
>

Tri-band will do the job. Just make sure the phone is unlocked. I do exactly
what you do with a quad band phone (V400) with Cingular and Virgin pre-paid.
As bonus the Virgin pre-paid also roams in the USA.

03-13-2006, 10:24 PM

"Austinman" <no.spam@thisaddress.com> wrote in message
news:f%qRf.23941$%X2.5189@tornado.texas.rr.com...
>
> "mc" <look@www.ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
> news:Ed6Rf.6151$HV2.1838@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
>> Is triband sufficient?
>>
>
> Tri-band will do the job. Just make sure the phone is unlocked. I do
> exactly what you do with a quad band phone (V400) with Cingular and Virgin
> pre-paid. As bonus the Virgin pre-paid also roams in the USA.

Which band does it do it on?

03-13-2006, 11:37 PM

850/1900 = USA/N. America
900/1800 = UK & rest of world

> "Austinman" <no.spam@thisaddress.com> wrote in message
> news:f%qRf.23941$%X2.5189@tornado.texas.rr.com...
>>
>> "mc" <look@www.ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
>> news:Ed6Rf.6151$HV2.1838@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
>>> Is triband sufficient?
>>>
>>
>> Tri-band will do the job. Just make sure the phone is unlocked. I do
>> exactly what you do with a quad band phone (V400) with Cingular and
>> Virgin pre-paid. As bonus the Virgin pre-paid also roams in the USA.
>
> Which band does it do it on?

03-14-2006, 12:32 PM

"jay" <ja@alltel.net> wrote in message
news:7ee4f$44157289$97d59489$10768@ALLTEL.NET...
>I know that Cingular in Atlanta uses 850 MHz quite heavily. A phone with
> only 900 MHz and no 850 MHz will perform poorly on Cingular in Atlanta.
>

Or not at all. To OP get a quad band phone. I recommend a Razr V3 or V3I.

BruceR has a gently used silver V3 for sale.
...
bamp
>
>
> "mc" <look@www.ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
> news:IZ1Rf.6115$HV2.4316@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
>> Greetings,
>>
>> Can someone tell me positively what flavors of GSM (or whatever) are used
> by
>> these 2 carriers? I'd like to be able to swap back and forth between
>> them
>> as I travel by changing SIM cards. Right now I have 2 phones. The
> American
>> one is a Samsung x427m.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>>
>
>

03-15-2006, 07:26 AM

I have a Motorola V220. Of course, I got no help from Cingular getting
it unlocked but I did find an independent cell phone store in Houston
who did it for ten bucks. I travel in Europe a lot and have sim cards
for the various countries with pay as you go plans.
I use 02 in the UK. Doesn't matter too much which company. It will
work fine.

03-15-2006, 09:49 PM

"mc" <look@www.ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
news:9psRf.1134$k82.138@bignews3.bellsouth.net...
>
> "Austinman" <no.spam@thisaddress.com> wrote in message
> news:f%qRf.23941$%X2.5189@tornado.texas.rr.com...
>>
>> "mc" <look@www.ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
>> news:Ed6Rf.6151$HV2.1838@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
>>> Is triband sufficient?
>>>
>>
>> Tri-band will do the job. Just make sure the phone is unlocked. I do
>> exactly what you do with a quad band phone (V400) with Cingular and
>> Virgin pre-paid. As bonus the Virgin pre-paid also roams in the USA.
>
> Which band does it do it on?
>
>
UK is 900 and 1800MHz
US is 850 and 1900MHz

So whilst a tri-band phone will do the job, you will get better coverage
with a quad band.

03-15-2006, 09:58 PM

>>> Tri-band will do the job. Just make sure the phone is unlocked. I do
>>> exactly what you do with a quad band phone (V400) with Cingular and
>>> Virgin pre-paid. As bonus the Virgin pre-paid also roams in the USA.
>>
>> Which band does it do it on?
>>
> UK is 900 and 1800MHz
> US is 850 and 1900MHz
>
> So whilst a tri-band phone will do the job, you will get better coverage
> with a quad band.

The people at Virgin Mobile have told me that their UK network is GSM 1800
only, so I have nothing to gain from the fourth band (900 MHz).

03-16-2006, 10:57 AM

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <Tc6Sf.2842$k82.1904@bignews3.bellsouth.net> on Wed, 15 Mar 2006 23:58:29
-0500, "mc" <look@www.ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote:

>>>> Tri-band will do the job. Just make sure the phone is unlocked. I do
>>>> exactly what you do with a quad band phone (V400) with Cingular and
>>>> Virgin pre-paid. As bonus the Virgin pre-paid also roams in the USA.
>>>
>>> Which band does it do it on?
>>>
>> UK is 900 and 1800MHz
>> US is 850 and 1900MHz
>>
>> So whilst a tri-band phone will do the job, you will get better coverage
>> with a quad band.
>
>The people at Virgin Mobile have told me that their UK network is GSM 1800
>only, so I have nothing to gain from the fourth band (900 MHz).

You *might* get the benefit of roaming on 900 if in a place with no 1800
coverage.

--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

03-16-2006, 10:58 AM

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <1142432800.588674.290710@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups .com> on 15 Mar 2006
06:26:40 -0800, "Kenster" <kensterfly@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>I have a Motorola V220. Of course, I got no help from Cingular getting
>it unlocked ...

Then you must not have tried very hard -- Cingular will unlock on reasonable
request.

--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

03-16-2006, 06:05 PM

"John Navas" <spamfilter0@navasgroup.com> wrote in message
news:iHhSf.571260$qk4.560886@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In <1142432800.588674.290710@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups .com> on 15 Mar 2006
> 06:26:40 -0800, "Kenster" <kensterfly@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>>I have a Motorola V220. Of course, I got no help from Cingular getting
>>it unlocked ...
>
> Then you must not have tried very hard -- Cingular will unlock on
> reasonable
> request.

I don't know about his situation, but Cingular told me they would only do so
if I had had the phone at least 90 days. Since I was wanting to get a new
world phone and immediately get it unlocked, that didn't do me any good.