hi phatzoo!
get tri-band phone. check this site. www.samstores.com and www.welectronics.com they both located in chicago and all the phone they sell is brand new and unlocked.

Hi all,

new to the site, and definitely new to the GSM concept, as i've been a sprint user for the past 5 years!

i'm moving to London for a year this fall, and am researching my options. So far, the best bet seems to buy a phone from here (much cheaper!) and use a local SIM card from there. My plan is to get the SIM from there and buy a 'recharge' card so i can keep a permanent # for the year. Question is: where can i find FAIR PRICED unlocked GSM phones without signing up for a plan (i checked amazon, and T mobile). Or...is it better to buy a locked GSM phone, and then have it unlocked by some of the websites that offer that service?

Also, would you recommend a dual-band, or tri-band?

...or if anyone has any suggestions about this, since i'm still researching my options!

thanks so much!