phone is not a GSM phone, then it probably can’t be unlocked; indeed, the whole idea of locking/unlocking phones doesn’t really apply to non GSM phones, because your phone number and account is tied to your phone, not to the movable/replaceable SIM chip that is inside it.

Which companies have GSM in the USA?

There are two main companies that offer GSM service in the USA. AT&T and Cingular are now merged into one company, and the second company is T-Mobile.

If your service is with, eg, Sprint, Nextel, Verizon, or just about any other US wireless company, then you do not have GSM service and your phone can’t be unlocked.

I don’t have a GSM phone, but will be traveling internationally so need one. Can I just buy an unlocked phone without signing up for service?

Yes, there are several ways to buy an unlocked phone without needing to sign up for a year or two of service that you mightn’t need. You can simply buy a used GSM phone on eBay or somewhere like that, but this is not without potential problems inherent in buying any used electronic equipment.

If you do buy a used phone this way, check to confirm it truly is unlocked (to be kind to sellers, many sellers don’t understand exactly what locking is and so incorrectly describe their phones as unlocked) and check it will support the frequency bands used in the countries you’re likely to visit. Also consider buying a new battery, because batteries do wear out.

You can also buy new unlocked phones. Telestial have a broad range of new unlocked phones. And, ahem, we now sell the very nice tri-band Motorola V66 ourselves, too.

How do I unlock my phone

There are two ways that a phone can be unlocked.

If you are lucky, you have a phone that can be unlocked simply by keying a secret code into it. The code is usually a unique number only for that particular phone, based on its serial number (what is called its IMEI) and the service provider who locked it. We can sell you this secret code for most models of Nokia phones and some other types of phones, too. It costs only $5 and is easy for you to enter into your phone.

Other types of phone need their ‘firmware’ - their operating system software - to be rewritten to remove the lock. This requires connecting the phone via a special data cable to a special programming unit. We provide this service for various models of Motorola, Siemens, and Sony Ericsson phones, plus the Treo 600 phone/PDA.

How do I know that my phone has been successfully unlocked

Usually, after entering the unlock codes, the phone will say something that sounds sort of encouraging.

Do the test in the question two above. Borrow a SIM from a friend who has an account with a different wireless service provider and see if it works in your phone or not. If it works, then your phone is already unlocked, but if it creates some sort of error message and doesn’t work, then your phone is still locked.

I’ve unlocked my phone, but when I turn it on, it still shows the name of the previous wireless service

This logo (called a ’splash screen’) has been programmed into your phone by the company that sold it to you. It doesn’t mean anything about which company now provides you phone service.

Unlocking your phone removes the electronic restriction that prevents your phone from working with other SIMs from other wireless services. It doesn’t change your splash screen.

The good news is you can get rid of the splash screen without needing to unlock your phone. See if you can find in your phone’s manual how to change the splash screen, or consider calling the phone manufacturer and have them walk you through it.

Which countries will my unlocked phone work in

(See the next question as well).

GSM service is offered in 207 countries.

Check this website to see if the country you are interested in has GSM service, and, if it does, what frequency the GSM service(s) operate on.

How do I know if my phone will work internationally

US GSM cell phones work on 1900 MHz (and sometimes also 850 MHz). Most other countries have GSM networks on 900 or 1800 MHz.

Check on the website of your cell phone manufacturer to see which frequencies your model phone supports. Here are sites for the most common phones (let me know if your phone isn’t included, and I’ll then add it to the list) :

Nokia USA (also has toll free customer support at 888 665-4228)

Motorola

Siemens

Sony/Ericsson

Ericsson

Samsung

LG

NEC

Kyocera

Alcatel

How/where can I get a SIM that will work internationally

Well, the easiest way to get a SIM that works in a foreign country is in the foreign country itself!

But, oftentimes, this is actually not the easiest way to get a foreign SIM. When you’re traveling, you don’t want to have to find a cell phone store, and try and sort out what you need, perhaps in a different language, and potentially have things go wrong.

For this reason, many people choose to buy a pre-paid SIM for the country or countries they’ll be traveling to before they leave home. Several companies will sell them to you; we recommend Telestial because we’ve dealt with them ourselves, we know them, and find them helpful, honest, responsive and reliable. They have a wide range of SIMs and fair prices.

If you buy the SIM before you leave, you have a chance to make sure you understand how it works, and will also know its phone number, which you can then conveniently give to people so they know how to contact you.

Do I need any credit checks or anything to get a foreign SIM

Probably not. Most people buy a SIM that works on a prepaid type account basis. That means you pay money into your phone account, and then use it up as you make calls. When it is used up, the account stops working until you pay more money into the account again (either by credit card over the phone, or by purchasing a ‘top-up’ card that transfers money into your phone account.

Because the wireless service provider isn’t extending you any credit, you don’t need to pass any credit checks, and you don’t need to have any sort of proof of fixed address in the foreign country or anything. Most of the time you just buy the prepaid account and SIM without any need for any paperwork at all, put the SIM in the phone, perhaps dial a number to activate it, and it is instantly then working.

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