(no subject)

[moominmolly]

Does anyone have experience with getting a GSM phone? It's time to replace my cell phone, and a couple of the ones I'm ogling are GSM. I've been really happy with AT&T, so far, but what will going to a GSM phone mean for my coverage, etc? I am clueless in this area.

Comments

[obra.livejournal.com]

Are you more curious about GSM coverage ore about the phones themselves? GSM means that, so long as your phone isn't 'SIM locked', you'll be able to pick up a prepay SIM card when travelling internationally. As long as you get a phone that handles the 900 or 1800 GSM bands.

Are you thinking of ATT GSM or T-Mobile GSM? Both have online coverage maps

[alanj]

In remote areas, I think gsm coverage is much worse than cdma. Encountered big patches of cdma-but-no-gsm on the cross-country trip. In urban areas, my experience is that it's slightly worse, but my experience is only from using the hiptop, and it's possible that the hiptop doesn't have the best antenna in the world, in which case comparing nokia 6100 on cdma to hiptop on gsm might be unfair to the gsm network. I don't know whether the network or the phone is the issue. I've been using tmobile and sometimes roaming on at&t. Despite coverage issues, I still can't recommend the hiptop highly enough. Coolest thing ever, imho. (Writing this comment on it while waiting for the check at a restaurant. :) )

[ultraferret.livejournal.com]

Be very careful about this transition. Whether your would be happy with it is totally dependant on how much you travel outside major metropolitan areas. (Especially if you stick with AT&T) - Their GSM operating area is tiny compared to their TDMA coverage area. Look very carefully at the online map of their GSM coverage and compare it to the online map for the TDMA old system.....You will see that there are ALOT of large geographic areas that they support on the old system that have NO COVERAGE with the new GSM system.

[tla]

First I will echo what others have been saying: GSM just doesn't exist in rural parts of this country. That said, very little of the interstate system counts as "rural", and I've had fine coverage in towns where my family lives, like Jackson AL and Bastrop TX. There is no coverage north of Concord NH until you get to Canada, nor on the east side of Mount Rainier.

In comparison with Sprint, which has its own kind of digital network, I've found that in the Boston-DC corridor, there are plenty of places on the highway where there is GSM coverage and no Sprint coverage.

When I was on AT&T I had a phone that could do analog roaming, so I didn't notice lack of coverage in rural areas, so I can't make a better comparison.

[fengshui.livejournal.com]

I like my GSM phone (Handspring Visorphone, a module for my palmpilot), but as other people have mentioned, rural support stinks. And since most GSM phones don't even have analog circuitry in them, if you can't get digital, you're dead. However, if you're in a major metropolitan area, they work great. A friend of mine switched to the AT&T GSM network and likes it a lot. The whole AT&T network will be GSM eventually, so you're just deciding whether you want to switch now or later.

The GSM phones are a lot cooler too. :)

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

The whole AT&T network will be GSM eventually, so you're just deciding whether you want to switch now or later.

Yeah, but it still feels like something to *decide*, you know? I don't go to Maine as often as I used to, though, so I'm leaning towards GSM and keeping an old phone around to switch to when I go on road trips to tiny places.

Thanks for the input. I think, given that I get a digital signal in my urban home, I'm probably going to go GSM.

[zmook.livejournal.com]

As they say, rural GSM coverage kind of bites. On the other hand, if you expect to be travelling to Europe, it r0x0rs. You even get coverage in subway systems.

Except, beware. If world coverage is what you want, you need an UNLOCKED tri-band 900/1800/1900 Mhz for overseas plus North America.

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

You even get coverage in subway systems.

!!!

I must have this.

[obra.livejournal.com]

Actually, for a bit of a radius around Park St, you get T-Mobile GSM on the T, on both the red and green lines.

[niqui.livejournal.com]

i have gsm (a sony-ericsson t68i -- great phone, btw) and it's pretty nifty. until i leave chicago. :-)

it was really cool to be able to call and receive calls when i was in england, without having to do anything at all other than tell at&t to turn on international roaming for me.

[pseydtonne.livejournal.com]

Maggie & I share a GSM cel plan through T-Mobile. I'd never had a cel phone before, so I don't have a lot to compare. I will say the signal quality in Boston is excellent except within the Fells. I driving home one night and lost reception for the one block between the Stone Zoo and JJ Grimby's along Pond St.

I like the low power consumption, the blinky light, the great sound quality, and that we went all the way to Pittsburgh and were still not roaming. Also, you get better rates with GSM networks because the signals take up less bandwidth.

CDMA is going away. Come to the shiny side of the force.

-my ring tone is the CGNU Fight Song, Ps/d