Got a uk Vodafone 925 - going to USA will it work?

[WPCentral Question]

Right I have a UK 925 and will be traveling to the USA and Canada for a month, Can I get a local sim that will give me 3g/4g ?

Has anyone unlocked this phone without the help of the carrier yet?

Im planning on just using data IE viiber/skype and whatsapp..... Also will the hotspot work, as a major thing is my teenagers and wifes phone working on some of the long drives we will be having.

Or would I just be better buying a mifi/hotspot from a Walmart or something?

Thanks Folks

 

[xandros9]

I can't speak for Canada, don't live there, not familiar with the wireless situation there.

So I pulled up the specifications of the 925 you have.

2G bands - GSM 850/900/1800/1900

3G - UMTS 850/900/1900/2100

4G: (Do know that here in the US, 3.5G was passed off as 4G by carriers (called fauxG by some), look for LTE, not just 4G if you want true 4G.)
LTE 1800/2600/900/800

Now the carriers in the US use different bands, so what works on one might not on another. The four major US carriers are Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint.
Sprint and Verizon are out of the question, they are inherently incompatible.

Assuming I'm reading this chart on Wikipedia right (I COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG), you would get 2G, 3G but no LTE on AT&T.
On T-Mobile, 2G looks like its a go, 3G too, but no LTE either.

Also know there are various smaller (often prepaid) carriers, such as Straight Talk, goPhone that piggyback on one of the other networks (or is a subsidiary) and can potentially offer much better deals, especially considering your visit is probably temporary.

If you can't go through the carrier for an unlock (I'd try it first), a third-party like cellunlocker.net will likely be able to help. The unlocking situation in the US is a trainwreck at times, so you're likely to have a much easier time, being outside the US of A.

Hotspot is an unknown for me, probably not, as carriers have tight rein on that and typically charge extra.
If I were you, I'd pick up a prepaid hotspot or something along those lines. Less work for your phone too.