will an unlocked phone work with any service provider?

hey guys.. im new to this forum and i was jw.. im lookin to buy new cell fone on ebay to replace my current boring one (cingular).. i was wondering.. if the phone is marked as "unlocked", but is usually designed for a company like verizon, will it still work if i try to use it with cingular?

---

› See More: will an unlocked phone work with any service provider?

An unlocked GSM handset that has both the 850mhz and 1900mhz bands will work for Cingular. A CDMA phone (like Verizon), or one that lacks the above GSM bands, will not work for you. Furthermore, do you want to be able to use text and data on your new phone? If so, make sure Cingular will be able to help you configure the settings, or you might end up being able to use voice services only. Look at the following link to see if your desired model is listed, or call Cingular for more info on MediaNet settings.

Cingular | Web Tutorials

i understand the whole...tutorial thing, but how does that enable texting....it just tells you how to go through the menus. if u bought an unlocked phone and texting didnt work, do u have to bring the phone to cignular and have them enable it, or what? i understand what u mean about similar phones from other carriers though