AT & T Global Phones

As a GSM carrier, AT&T (formerly Cingular Wireless) offers a comprehensive global network. You generally can roam from Canada down through Argentina; throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia; and in various African countries. Coverage is also available in Japan and South Korea, but you must have a phone that operates on the 3G band of 2100Mhz. AT&T sells compatible handsets, or you can rent a phone equipped for those countries' networks. Coverage also extends to some cruise ships. AT&T sticks you with per-minute roaming charges, and you'll have to get your international roaming activated, but you're not liable for any long-distance charges. The carrier offers a selection of compatible phones, and if you manage to unlock your mobile, you can use a prepaid SIM card.

Frequent travelers can sign up for the AT&T World Traveler plan, which gives you a discount on most roaming rates in 190 countries for $5.99 per month. For travel closer to home, AT&T Canada offers a standard 59-cent-per-minute roaming rate for $3.99 per month, while AT&T Mexico offers the same rate for $4.99 per month. On the data side, the Unlimited BlackBerry International plan lets you receive unlimited e-mail for $69.99 per month. International data plans vary for Cingular Pocket PC, Palm, and Symbian devices, and you may be charged a $36 activation fee.

Service in: More than 190 countries with an AT&T phone
International roaming activation fee: None
Standard roaming rate: 59 cents to $3.49 per minute *
Long-distance charges: None
Internet usage: 2 cents per kilobyte
Text messages: 50 cents per sent message; 10 cents per received message
Multimedia messages: $1.30 per sent message; 25 cents per received message

* Varies by country and by international roaming plan.

The green areas indicate where you can use an AT&T world phone abroad. For a complete list of rates and coverage, visit AT&T's Web site.

AT & T World Phones

Sony Ericsson W810i LGC500

Samsung BlackJack

Motorola Razr V3

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.

Nextel i265

The Nextel i265 is the perfect cell phone for one that is always on the go and needs a tool to help balance their personal and professional lives. This moderatley priced easy to use phone comes equipped with a speakerphone for safe, hands-free conversation, GPS-Enable solutions such as audible turn-by-turn directions and Multimedia Messaging for instant text, audio, picture messaging.

The Nextel i265 features:
* Assignable ringtones
* 65k color display
* Built-in speakerphone for hands-free calling
* Direct Connect® for use with Nextel Direct Connect®
* Voice activated dialing

Included Accessories:
* Slim lithium ion battery
* Rapid compact wall charger


Nextel i265 - Full Details and User Reviews

Nextel i670

The Nextel i670 is an all action -no nonsense cell phone. The i670 comes equipped with a 65K color display screen that is vibrant with enhanced clarity that allows you to customize your screen with downloadable wallpapers and adjustable color palettes. Also one can send multimedia messages that can contain text, pictures and audio recordings.

Additional features include:
* Built-in speakerphone for hands-free calling
* Applications & Games
* Voice Record
* Wallpaper with Randomizer Feature
* Direct Talk (Off-Network Direct Connect®)

Included Accessories:
* Lithium ion battery
* Compact wall charger


Nextel i670 - Full Details and User Reviews

Nextel i560 Black

Introducing the Nextel i560, this rugged clamshell is designed with durability. The i560 has an internal color display, external display, downloadable Java Applications for Business Solutions, nationwide Group Connect Direct Connect®, and Direct Talk.

Some of it's many features include:
* Durable Design- Adheres to Military Standard for Dust, Shock, and Vibration.
* 600 Contact Entries - Store up to seven numbers for each contact
* GPS enabled, Direct Send , Speakerphone
* Rubber Grip
* Voice Activated Dialing

Included Accessories:
* Lithium ion battery
* Compact wall charger
* Holster

Nextel i560 Black - Full Details and User Reviews

Motorola Q9c (Sprint PCS)

The Motorola Q9c Smartphone offered by Sprint PCS is the sequel to the Motorola Q. The Q9c comes equipped with an advanced operating system, Windows Mobile 6 and larger easier to use buttons on the QWERTY keyboard. This savvy smartphone comes in a thin form and upscale design showing off it's chrome trim surrounding.

The Motorola Q9c also includes DocsToGo app that allows one to edit attachments and files and supports third party Wi-Fi SDIO cards enabling this device to work on Wi-Fi networks. Key features include EV-DO high-speed data, Bluetooth (with stereo), and a 1.3-megapixel. Other features include a side scroll wheel, broadband-speed downloads, voice dialing and a full HTML browser to get your work done anywhere. This device can also provide entertainment such as
online videos, music and games.

Additional features includes:
* Web Browser: Pocket Internet Explorer
* GPS Enabled: Includes Sprint Navigation on the device
* Sprint Broadband
* Outlook® Mobile (Inbox, Contacts, Calendar and Tasks)
* EV-DO high-speed data
* MiniSD card slot
* QWERTY text keyboard
* Windows Media Player
* Full-Duplex Speaker Phone

Included Accessories:
* Lithium ion battery
* Compact wall charger
* USB data cable

Motorola Q9c - Full Details and User Reviews