Can anyone help me decide which phone to get?

[trmnta82]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a new phone. It will be my first smartphone and I have already decided that I want a Windows Phone. However, I find all the specs really confusing and since I live in Canada there's really no store to go to because they hardly have any devices, at least not any of the new ones...

Like I said, I live in Canada. I'm with Fido and would like to stay with Fido, so I need a phone that will work on that network. Also, I travel to Europe a lot, so I need a phone that will work there as well. I have a plan and SIM-card with a European company as well (Tele2). Do I understand it right that most phones will work both places for calls and texts but data might not work or be slow? How slow are we talking if that's the case? You'd think in this day and age with such an international community that they'd make stuff like this compatible...

I will also need a phone that can do internet sharing/tethering.

As far as camera and storage, I don't really have the need for anything fancy. I have an iPod for my music, I just want to be able to play some games and download a few news apps.

I was really interested in the Lumia 800 since i've always loved Nokia, but I hear they have a lot of issues. That wouldn't scare me if I could just go to the store and buy it, but I don't really want to buy a possibly problematic phone on eBay...

Any suggestions and/or advice?

Thanks

ps. Obviously, I want an unlocked phone and no contracts (in case I didn't make that clear)

 

[power5]

I think you need a mango native device for tethering.

Have not heard of any 800 problems.

Just make sure its listed as a world phone and you will be able to switch your sim cards and have the phone work.

You may be better off picking up the phone in europe. Or at least stopping by a store and handling them there. If you can not find a good store in canada.

 

[trmnta82]

Thanks for the reply...

But if I buy the phone in Europe, how do I know if it will work in Canada? Since I live here, it would be more important that it works here rather than there (if there is no way I can get both). All the hdspa, hdspa+, wcdma s**t really confuse me...

Btw, there are multiple threads about Lumia 800 problems in the Lumia 800 forum, as well as in Nokia's own forum.

 

[sin_nombre773]

U can buy any unlocked GSM phone, just make sure that it has the bands supported by ur carrier. If it does not then u will only get EDGE speeds at best which is capable of 768k at the most. U'll also get 3G when u travel if the bands match up as well.

 

[power5]

You do not want CDMA. They are usually locked to specific carrier frequency bands. I was recommending that you just handle phones in europe then you can buy online.

 

[jfa1]

Thanks for the reply...

But if I buy the phone in Europe, how do I know if it will work in Canada? Since I live here, it would be more important that it works here rather than there (if there is no way I can get both). All the hdspa, hdspa+, wcdma s**t really confuse me...

Btw, there are multiple threads about Lumia 800 problems in the Lumia 800 forum, as well as in Nokia's own forum.

European gsm 3g is not the same as Canada and US 3G frequencies. You really want something for either ATT or TMo US frequencies otherwise you'll be edge and sloooooow!

 

[trmnta82]

You do not want CDMA. They are usually locked to specific carrier frequency bands. I was recommending that you just handle phones in europe then you can buy online.

I know that. But W-CDMA is not the same as CDMA, apparently... It's just really hard when the people that sell the phones just seem to randomly list frequency bands. I've found phones on websites with the same model number but different networks listed. It's just really confusing...

 

[trmnta82]

So basically I'll need a phone that has:

GSM 850/1900 (Canada) + 900/1800 (Europe)
UMTS 850/1700 (Canada) + 2100 (Europe)

Does anyone know any Windows Phone with Mango that would have this except the Nokia?

Searching for "world phone" with Windows just shows old Windows Mobiles... Anyone ever travelled between Europe and Canada (or the US) with their phone?

 

[sin_nombre773]

So basically I'll need a phone that has:

GSM 850/1900 (Canada) + 900/1800 (Europe)
UMTS 850/1700 (Canada) + 2100 (Europe)

Does anyone know any Windows Phone with Mango that would have this except the Nokia?

Searching for "world phone" with Windows just shows old Windows Mobiles... Anyone ever travelled between Europe and Canada (or the US) with their phone?

looks like the phones for T-mobile USA such as the HTC radar and HD7 will work because some of the bands for 3G UMTS are the same.