[jaxs]

im new, so i first want to say, Hello =)

well i need a new handset, as my second-hand basic flip (replacement for my stolen cell) is finally dying. im searching round cause im terribly uninterested in Bell Mobility's limited selection.
after reading lots of threads ive learned a fair amount (thanks, u guys are great), esp that i need a CDMA phone.

however im still unclear.. if u r not purchasing directly thru the provider how do u tell which phones are compatible and which r not?
ie: i like some Nokia models but apparently they make both GSM and CDMA.
also, if i find a phone in the US, ie: a Kyocera, can i use it with Bell in Canada?

i hope that makes sense and isnt a lame ditz question .. either way id really appreciate some help, thnks

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[Shrocat]

Bell Mobility is CDMA, which means that you are limited to what they have to offer. What that means is that carriers have the phones locked to their own networks, and cannot be unlocked to work on another carrier's network. If you want a different phone, move to a different carrier. And if you want to buy a phone from a U.S. source you will need to move to a GSM carrier, which are Rogers and Fido.
CDMA phones are locked permanently to a carrier and user. GSM phones use sim cards which are locked to the carrier and phone number. While the phones that the GSM carriers sell are locked to them they can be unlocked and used on other GSM carriers simply by putting your sim card in it.

[jaxs]

Bell Mobility is CDMA, which means that you are limited to what they have to offer. What that means is that carriers have the phones locked to their own networks, and cannot be unlocked to work on another carrier's network. If you want a different phone, move to a different carrier. And if you want to buy a phone from a U.S. source you will need to move to a GSM carrier, which are Rogers and Fido.
CDMA phones are locked permanently to a carrier and user. GSM phones use sim cards which are locked to the carrier and phone number. While the phones that the GSM carriers sell are locked to them they can be unlocked and used on other GSM carriers simply by putting your sim card in it.

thx for reply,
i understand what uve explained, but the problem is not that i want a phone that my carrier doesnt support; its that im not sure how to identify which phones are supported by my carrier except for the ones from their website/stores.
im sUre there must be other CDMA manufactured cell models that Bell supports, because i was lucky enough to have one before (however that was second-hand off ebay). when i found that handset, a Bell rep helped me over the phone to make sure it wasnt stolen and that it was CDMA and we reprogrammed it for me.
but isnt there a way to know what type of technology the phone is as u r browsing them? or perhaps lists of CDMA/GSM handsets?

[Shrocat]

The only phones that will work on a cdma carrier is the phones that they supply.
You do not have the option of buying another phone and using it on the carrier's
network. It isn't a matter of what phones they support. It is a matter of what phones a made to work on their network. And they sell those themselves.

[jaxs]

ok =(
thx much