World phones...

[atlharry]

To all of those people disappointed that the DROID isn't a world phone...

Everyone makes this out to be a big issue in the battle between DROID and iPhone. Seriously?! How many people will use it in Europe and Asia? And of those people, do you really know how much it costs to international roam with AT&T?

I traveled to South Korea last year for a few months and decided that renting a phone for a couple hundred dollars a month would be cheaper than spending $2.29 a minute for roaming with my WORLD PHONE! That's on TOP of whatever plan you were on.

I just can't see this as being an advantage... and if it is... it's only for the small percentage of rich rich people (or business travelers with a large expense account).

Sorry, I just felt like rambling...

 

[xliderider]

If a world phone is unlocked from the carrier, then a prepaid sim card can often be purchased from a local carrier in the international country.

 

[BeefyBeefo]

If a world phone is unlocked from the carrier, then a prepaid sim card can often be purchased from a local carrier in the international country.

Bingo.

 

[atlharry]

got it! now it makes sense! had me scratching my head for awhile....

 

[dean.collins]

got it! now it makes sense! had me scratching my head for awhile....

Yep, first thinkg i do when i land is buy a local sim card (lol my australian sim card gets topped up once every year or so when i go home (I'm an aussie but live in NY) so have had the same number for 5 years....even get voicemails for it via email.


point being is moving to verizon with a cdma phone that only works in the USA was a big deal....but i love the speed of verizon compared to att.

 

[Donkey Hodie]

It'd be nice if all the carriers worldwide would unit around a common 3G (and especially 4G) standard but it's unlikely to happen. Witness the ongoing pissing contest between AT&T and Verizon over who has the better coverage - as long as coverage is a differentiator that they can make money on they'll continue to be different.

Back on topic: I have a cheap, unlocked GSM phone (motorola) that I use when I travel internationally. A local prepaid SIM card means I can make calls for a few cents a minute and beats the heck out of paying a US carrier $1.45 a minute to call the restaurant across the street. The only downside is that I can't tell people what my number will be in advance but I usually just send an email from a hot spot as soon as I land and get a SIM card.

 

[jettie1767]

Does Verizon still rent out global phones for the occassional traveller? I was told that I just call an 800 number and pay the $9.99 shipping fee. Includes a return label so my cost is the $9.99 plus the cost of calls I make. But, someone also told me that this has been discontinued?

 

[jrarrowsmith]

My wife and I are very tempted to get the DROID. But, we are pleased with aspects of my experience with a Blackberry 8830 Word Edition. Unlimited international data for managing exchange email and for web access, along with rare (and we know expensive) phone calls and texts is convenient and it really does work pretty much everywhere (except Ethiopia which only does voice and text on the 8830).

I have surfed around a fair bit and have not found a more comprehensive discussion of this issue. So if anyone has some information or pointers to links on these questions, we would be grateful:
1) We know about the Motorola Droid equivalent in Europe which supposedly is both CDMA and GSM capable. Does that mean that all the Motorola Droids are built with the same hardware and the GSM is just turned off in the software for Verizon?
2) Why is there no global/world phone capability for the Motorola droid? Is it because of a strategic Verizon decision not to offend RIM/Blackberry and their support for the worldphone capabilities?
3) If one added a foreign sim card to the Droid (let's say an Italian TIM or a Vodaphone),
a) does the Droid have to be unlocked?
b) what can the OS do with it? Does it recognize the other service and function like a regular phone? Can it do data?
c) Are there any apps in the works that might do a nice job of integration with data services on the foreign SIM?
4) Are there any rumors that Verizon will go global in the style of the Blackberries any time soon? We might be able to wait 6 months, but not too much longer.

Thanks for any detailed information!
ramon

 

[xliderider]

My wife and I are very tempted to get the DROID. But, we are pleased with aspects of my experience with a Blackberry 8830 Word Edition. Unlimited international data for managing exchange email and for web access, along with rare (and we know expensive) phone calls and texts is convenient and it really does work pretty much everywhere (except Ethiopia which only does voice and text on the 8830).

I have surfed around a fair bit and have not found a more comprehensive discussion of this issue. So if anyone has some information or pointers to links on these questions, we would be grateful:
1) We know about the Motorola Droid equivalent in Europe which supposedly is both CDMA and GSM capable. Does that mean that all the Motorola Droids are built with the same hardware and the GSM is just turned off in the software for Verizon?
2) Why is there no global/world phone capability for the Motorola droid? Is it because of a strategic Verizon decision not to offend RIM/Blackberry and their support for the worldphone capabilities?
3) If one added a foreign sim card to the Droid (let's say an Italian TIM or a Vodaphone),
a) does the Droid have to be unlocked?
b) what can the OS do with it? Does it recognize the other service and function like a regular phone? Can it do data?
c) Are there any apps in the works that might do a nice job of integration with data services on the foreign SIM?
4) Are there any rumors that Verizon will go global in the style of the Blackberries any time soon? We might be able to wait 6 months, but not too much longer.

Thanks for any detailed information!
ramon

1 & 3) The Droid equivalent in Europe is the Milestone which is a GSM only phone. The Droid is a CDMA only phone. There is no CDMA/GSM "Droid" phone out there.

Therefore, unlocking the Droid does not apply, no GSM radio, no sim card slot, etc.

2) I highly doubt that "offendeing" RIM was a concern to Google/Motorola/Verizon when the decision to make the Droid CDMA only was made.