What makes a smartphone a GLOBAL smartphone? Is a GLOBAL phone just a phone with a sim card?

[magentawave]

Specifically what is it that makes a smartphone a global phone? Is it just a smartphone with a sim card so you can swap out the sim card while traveling? Does that mean any smartphone with a sim card is a global phone?

Thank you.

 

[matttye]

It's a phone that works on most of the different frequency bands around the world.

Have you ever heard of tri band, quad band or penta band? Phones used to only work on one band, then two, then three, four and now five. They can therefore be used around the world.

 

[magentawave]

So when I start looking for a new phone I will need to ask if it is a "five band" phone?

Thank you

 

[WoodenAnts]

The best thing to do is to research the carrier you wish to use overseas, say if you are traveling to Australia, reseach Australian mobile carriers. Once you do that, you will find that you may choose Optus to be your carrier in Ausyland. Once you have decieded that, google Optus network frequencies, and you will find numbers like 800/900/2100 etc. Now check those numbers against the phone specs. Most middle ranger phones are quad-band now, and should work for you, at the bare minimum you will get 2G which is slow for web browsing, but fast enough to send and recieve calls and texts. But what is said above is true, penta band phones will often do what you need, without all the tech work and research.

Also, be sure to check out dual sin android phones! this can often save you effort and time when traveling, by having the ability to check two sim cards, and the phone will use the best choice for the area.