GSM capabilities

[DaveInFL]

Does this mean that this phone will have a SIM card and when I travel outside the US I can just buy a SIM card in the country I travel to? If that's the case then fantastic

 

[oversteer325]

Yes, Sprint is great about unlocking their world phones without much hassle.

 

[IceDree]

& without taking to them ?
can you just insert any INT' SIM card (not at&t & t-mobile) & you are good to go ?

 

[Beach_Head]

Yes, it has GSM capabilities however I don't think it can be called a true world phone because it supports only 3 GSM bands (GSM 850/900/1900) and not 4 (GSM 850/900/1800/1900).

This information is from their website. I tried calling Sprint to verify but they couldn't give me an answer.

I hope its a quadband GSM device and not a triband GSM device so that it can truly be called a world phone...

 

[IceDree]

Yes, it has GSM capabilities however I don't think it can be called a true world phone because it supports only 3 GSM bands (GSM 850/900/1900) and not 4 (GSM 850/900/1900/2100).

This information is from their website. I tried calling Sprint to verify but they couldn't give me an answer.

I hope its a quadband GSM device and not a triband GSM device so that it can truly be called a world phone...

You know , allot of GSM phones have Tribands only , but to safe Quadband is always better (You know never know , the country u go to might use the 2100 frequencies)

Please keep us posted , if you got anything new

thanks

 

[Beach_Head]

Yes, but only quad-band GSM phones are true "world phones". And besides, all the other Android "world phones" of Motorola are quad-band GSM so I don't see why the Photon which they're marketing as a beast of a phone should only have tri-band GSM capabilities.

I'm trying to get more information. When I get confirmation, I'll post it here...

You know , allot of GSM phones have Tribands only , but to safe Quadband is always better (You know never know , the country u go to might use the 2100 frequencies)

Please keep us posted , if you got anything new

thanks

 

[DaveInFL]

Thanks for the update folks It's sounding good.

 

[coolqf]

The Motorola Atrix received an update that unlocks the boot loader; maybe we'll see something similar for the Photon.

 

[coolqf]

Yes, it has GSM capabilities however I don't think it can be called a true world phone because it supports only 3 GSM bands (GSM 850/900/1900) and not 4 (GSM 850/900/1800/1900).

This information is from their website. I tried calling Sprint to verify but they couldn't give me an answer.

I hope its a quadband GSM device and not a triband GSM device so that it can truly be called a world phone...

Can you post the link? The Motorola XPRT uses 4 bands, link: Android Smartphone - Motorola XPRT - Tech Specs - Motorola Mobility, Inc. USA

And even on Phone Arena, it lists that the Photon is a 4 band GSM phone.
Motorola PHOTON 4G specs - Phone Arena

Link please?

 

[statdoc]

Per GSMArena:
CDMA 800 / 1900
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900

 

[Beach_Head]

Here you go: Motorola Mobility, Inc. - Media Center - Fact Sheets - Motorola PHOTON

No other source can be as credible as Motorola themselves.

I'm really hoping that it is quad-band GSM and not tri-band GSM though...

Can you post the link? The Motorola XPRT uses 4 bands, link: Android Smartphone - Motorola XPRT - Tech Specs - Motorola Mobility, Inc. USA

And even on Phone Arena, it lists that the Photon is a 4 band GSM phone.
Motorola PHOTON 4G specs - Phone Arena

Link please?

 

[JayWill]

Here you go: Motorola Mobility, Inc. - Media Center - Fact Sheets - Motorola PHOTON

No other source can be as credible as Motorola themselves.

I'm really hoping that it is quad-band GSM and not tri-band GSM though...

Have you tired contacting Motorola? Maybe via Facebook or Twitter? I'd bet my lunch that it's a typo on their website (or at least an unintentional omission).

 

[Beach_Head]

Yup! I e-mailed Kristine Mulford and didn't get a reply. Not even the Sprint Rep that I spoke with had any idea or information about it.

I really do hope it is a typo, because even the newly released Droid 3 is quad-band GSM...

Have you tired contacting Motorola? Maybe via Facebook or Twitter? I'd bet my lunch that it's a typo on their website (or at least an unintentional omission).

 

[Patnet]

My interpretation of the specs (GPRS 12 and EDGE 12) means no 3G when using the GSM networks in Europe. This looks like a 2.5G phone rather than 3G. Can that be right? 2.5G is OK for e-mail and text-oriented web browsing, but not acceptable for media. Am I missing something?

 

[ljbad4life]

My interpretation of the specs (GPRS 12 and EDGE 12) means no 3G when using the GSM networks in Europe. This looks like a 2.5G phone rather than 3G. Can that be right? 2.5G is OK for e-mail and text-oriented web browsing, but not acceptable for media. Am I missing something?

wcdma is umts which is 3g for gsm networks. so 3g is in for international.

 

[Patnet]

Any updates on whether the SIM slot will be locked to a carrier?

 

[statdoc]

Any updates on whether the SIM slot will be locked to a carrier?

I have had world phones on Sprint (not Android, of course) for years, and never have had one that was locked.

 

[Patnet]

...world phones on Sprint (not Android, of course)...

Thanks. I've been reverse tethering my EVO 4G to a Cradlepoint Mi-Fi-like device, and then attaching the Cradlepoint to a data stick tn EU to take advantage of Android data features. What with a tablet too, and an unlocked GSM Palm phone for voice, the battery management alone has been a nightmare. I won't even start on what it's been like keeping track of the various SIM cards. The Photon may be the answer--I hope.

 

[coolqf]

I have had world phones on Sprint (not Android, of course) for years, and never have had one that was locked.

Same. I've had Sprint world phones and they come unlocked. Blackberry once sent a very small batch of locked (BB Tour) phones by mistake, but Sprint would unlock them once you called them. It was a silly mistake... The phone's SIM cards couldn't be used by ANY carrier.

 

[Alik R]

guys, just remember that in some countries in Asia such as Japan, South Korea and China, Sprint CDMA works just fine. if you ad even tri-band GSM to it, it does become a true world phone