Sprint Nextel World Phones

As mentioned previously, Sprint Nextel offers two distinct networks despite being part of the same company. Like Verizon, Sprint uses CDMA so its worldwide roaming coverage with the technology phone is limited. Using a CDMA handset, you can roam to many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean along with Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, China and Taiwan, South Korea, India, Israel, Thailand and a few U.S. territories. You'll pay roaming fees, and depending on the phone you use, you'll have to pay both a one-time activation fee and a monthly charge for the service.

Alternately, Sprint sells and leases GSM phones for travel to other countries, and it has a dual-mode GSM/CDMA phone with the Samsung IP-830w. Travelers to Japan, however, are restricted to renting a WCDMA phone. Sprint does some allow some data usage and all text and multimedia messaging are billed as data services.

As for Nextel users, iDEN roaming is limited to Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Israel. Alternatively, Nextel's Motorola i930 is a dual-mode iDEN/GSM for voice calling in about 100 countries. And with either of the above methods, you can use the carrier's Direct Connect push-to-talk service in Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and you'll only be charged for calls you initiate. Keep in mind that the i930 is a smart phone so if you'd rather not buy a new handsets you can to rent a GSM-only phone for the duration of your trip. With all phones you will need to activate international service. Messaging and data services and pricing will depend on the phone you choose so see Nextel for more information.

Service in: 26 countries and four U.S. territories with a CDMA phone; more than 100 countries with a CDMA/GSM phone. With an iDEN phone, service in 9 countries and one U.S. territory.
International roaming activation fee: $36 one-time fee; $6 per month *
Standard roaming rate: 50 cents to $1.50 per minute *
Long-distance charges: None
Internet usage: 2 cents per kilobyte
Text messages: Billed as data service
Multimedia messages: Billed as data service

Green areas indicate where you can use a Sprint world phone abroad (CDMA-only handsets have a much smaller roaming area). For a complete list of rates and coverage, visit Sprint's Web site.

World phones include:

Samsung IP-830w

Verizon Wireless World Phones

Verizon may offer a vast network in the United States, but because it's a CDMA carrier, its coverage abroad is much less extensive than that of Cingular or T-Mobile. Using a Verizon CDMA handset, you can roam to China and Taiwan, Israel, India, New Zealand, Thailand, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, South Korea, and a few Caribbean islands, though a software upgrade may be required for some countries. Coverage is available on some cruise ships as well. You'll pay a standard per-minute roaming charge plus any other costs set by the national carrier that handles your call. Also, you'll need to activate international dialing before you leave.

If you're a Verizon customer hoping to travel beyond the aforementioned countries, you have a couple of options. You can rent a GSM phone (calls will be forwarded from your normal Verizon handset), but a specific phone is required for Japan. Alternatively, you can buy a Verizon dual-mode phone. The RIM BlackBerry 8830 operates on both GSM and CDMA networks. Stateside calls operate on Verizon's CDMA network and count toward your normal calling plan, while calls made overseas switch to GSM using the included SIM card. Either way, you'll pay for roaming costs.

Service in: 17 countries and four U.S. territories with a CDMA phone; more than 140 countries with a CDMA/GSM phone
International roaming activation fee: None
Standard roaming rate: 69 cents to $4.99 per minute *
Long-distance charges: None
Internet usage: See Verizon for details
Text messages: 50 cents per sent message; 5 cents per received message*
Multimedia messages: Not available

Green areas indicate where you can use a Verizon world phone abroad (CDMA-only handsets have a much smaller roaming area). For a complete list of rates and coverage, visit Verizon's Web site.

World phones include:

RIM BlackBerry 8830

Global Phone Info

To get service in most countries, GSM is still the best choice for globe-trotters (remember, it's the standard in Europe). But not just any GSM phone will do the trick. Of the four GSM bands--850, 900, 1800, and 1900--only 850 and 1900 are used in United States. Europe, on the other hand, only uses 900 and 1800. So in order to have a true world phone that will work in the most countries possible, make sure your phone is triband (GSM 900/1800/1900) or quadband (GSM 850/900/1800/1900). Your handset's bands are readily available from your carrier or the handset's manufacturer. If you don't have a compatible phone, you can rent one from your carrier.

Another advantage with a GSM phone is that if you have an unlocked phone, you can often buy a prepaid SIM card in the country where you're traveling. Available in per-minute increments, they are sold in varying amounts in convenience stores and phone shops. With a prepaid SIM card, you'll get a local number for your phone, which will help you avoid costly charges from your carrier (see below), which is particularly useful if you're calling within the country or region. But there's a trade-off. The main disadvantage is that because you've swapped out your normal SIM card, phone calls to your U.S. number will not go through. Also, calls back to the United States can be expensive.

Be advised that just because GSM is used in your destination and you have the correct phone, that doesn't mean your cell phone will operate without a hitch. To begin with, you'll need to have your phone activated for international roaming, so check with your carrier. Also, your carrier must have a roaming agreement with a carrier in each country on your itinerary. Though that won't be a problem for most travelers, roaming agreements vary by carrier, so it's absolutely essential that you check beforehand. And remember that as is the case in the United States, the quality of service will fluctuate as you move around. The same thing goes for CDMA users. Though you may find a CDMA network in your chosen country, make sure that your carrier has a relationship with a local operator and that your phone is activated for worldwide use.

Another issue to remember is that international calls do not come cheap; satellite calls from a cruise ship, for instance, will break the bank. But otherwise, roaming charges of $1 to $3 per minute are standard. And depending on the carrier and country, you might incur long-distance charges as well. Text messaging is always a cheaper option, but don't forget that messages can cost more than at home. And finally, you may have to pay a service charge to activate international dialing. In the following pages, we list exactly where the major U.S. carriers have roaming agreements, which phones they offer, and how much your calls will set you back.

Finally, when using your phone abroad, remember these additional points:

* Calls to voicemail and the operator will incur all applicable fees, but calls to your carrier's customer service are typically free.
* The method for making local calls in each country will vary, so make sure you know how to do so. Also, remember that emergency-dial numbers will be different from 911.
* Make sure you know how the folks back home and your friends abroad can reach you.
* When in a foreign country, you will have to use the appropriate country and area codes for calls back to the States or a third country.
* Your phone should automatically search for and select a network in each country, but you may have to do this yourself through your phone's menus. You also can try turning your phone off and on again.
* Free mobile-to-mobile minutes on the same carrier usually are not offered outside the United States.
* When roaming, the name of the local carrier will appear on your phone's display.
* Roaming charges will show up on your normal wireless bill, though they may take several weeks to do so.
* Not all data features will work the same way when you're abroad.
* Don't forget an electrical-plug converter for your charger.

International Roaming Tips

Bringing along a mobile phone when traveling is a huge convenience. You can keep in touch with your family, friends, clients, send photos, make calls, send sms or call for emergency. But not all cell phones will work abroad, and not all carriers offer roaming in every country. Before you make or receive transborder calls, you'll need to find out if you can do it, where you can do it, and how much it will cost. In the pages that follow, we'll answer all those questions to help get you on your way.

The first step in understanding world phones is to know the difference between two main ingredients in the cell phone alphabet soup: GSM and CDMA (see our cell phone buying guide for more information). In short, GSM and CDMA are the main cell phone networks in use in the world today. GSM, or Global System for Mobile Communications, is the predominant global technology and is used in Europe (where it's the standard), Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as much of Asia and the Middle East. In the United States, AT&T (formerly Cingular Wireless) and T-Mobile operate GSM networks.

CDMA, which stands for Code Division Multiple Access, has less worldwide coverage than GSM, so your choices will be more limited. One of its biggest markets is the United States, where it used by Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and a number of smaller carriers like Alltel and US Cellular.

Outside of the States, you can find CDMA networks in Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, China, Taiwan, South Korea, parts of the Caribbean and Latin America, and a handful of other countries. The United States also has a third network called iDEN, but it's exclusive to Nextel and is present in very few nations.