Mobile phones that will work worldwide

There are (essentially) two types of mobile phone networks out there in the world GSM, and CDMA.  For the purposes of this note, CDMA is Verizon and Sprint, while GSM is Everyone Else In The World, or at least, The Parts That dieswaytoofast Cares About Right Now.

As you might guess, I'm going to ignore Verizon and Sprint...

Within GSM, we have both "3G" and "4G" services.  Again, lets ignore the point that what everyone claims to be "4G" service is actually not 4G service (theoretically), but what the heck, its faster than "3G", and thats good enough, right?  Basically, from now on, "3G" means "slower speed", and "4G" means "higher speed".


Anyhow, all these services run on frequencies that are all across the board. To over simplify this, we have the following (all frequencies in MHz)

• 3G Service
• North America (Canada, Mexico, USA) - 850 & 1900
• Most of Central & South America - 850
• The remaining countries in the Americas - Bizarro random combinations of 850 & 900 &1800 & 1900
• Most of Europe - 1800
• Most of the rest of the world - 900 & 1800

• 4G Service
• USA - 850 & 1900 (AT&T) or 1700 & 1900(see note) & 2100 (T-Mobile. )
• Canada - 1700 or 850 & 1900 (too many carriers to list)
• Mexico - 850 & 1900
• Europe - 2100 (mostly) or 900/2100 (some edge cases, like Armenia &Slovenia)
• Asia - 2100 (mostly) or 850/2100 (Philippines), or 900/2100 (edge cases in Hong Kong)
• Africa - 2100
• Australia & New Zealand - 850 & 900 & 2100 (In all possible combinations, depressingly)
• Japan - 800 & 1700

The bottom line? If you want a GSM phone that you can use worldwide, you need to support the following frequencies

• 3G Service : 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
• 4G Service : 800 / 850 / 900 /1700 / 1900 / 2100

The bottom line to the bottom line?   

3G is a piece of cake, most phones support all of the four frequencies above.

4G, unfortunately is a bit of a problem. Ain't no such phone that supports all of the above 4G frequencies.  What you do get is the following

• iPhone 4 & 4S  -  800 / 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100, i.e
• Service everywhere except places that need 1700.   
• ergo, No 4G service on T-Mobile (USA), Wind/Mobile/Mobilicity/Videotron (Canada) and in Chile
• Samsung Nexus Prime (European Version)  -  850 / 900 / 1700/ 1900 / 2100, i.e.  
• 4G service everywhere in the world except places that need 800.  
• ergo, No 4G service in Japan
• Nokia N8 (European Version)  -  850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100, i.e.  
• 4G service everywhere in the world except places that need 800.  
• ergo, No 4G service in Japan

* Need to go to Japan and dont care about T-Mobile (USA), or Wind/Mobile/Mobilicity/Videotron (Canada)?  the iPhone 4/4S is your only option.   (unless you live in some parts of Nevada, Pacific Northwest, or California, in which case you can still use T-Mobile.  See Update at the bottom)

* Don't need to go to Japan, and do care about T-Mobile (USA) or Wind/Mobile/Mobilicity/Videotron (Canada)? The Samsung Nexus Prime (European version) is your only choice.

* Need both Japan and T-Mobile?  Tough luck...


The N8?  Really?  You need to ask? To quote Tracy Ulmann, go home...

 

Update: T-Mobile just turned on 1900 in "select" areas (Nevada, Pacific Northwest, California)

Update2 : A good roundup of US bands here