Sony Ericsson T637
Coverage areas with the 637
I am a new Cingular customer and signed on with just one of their cheap phones but considering doing a trade to one with Bluetooth like this phone. I see it's a tri band phone but being unfamiliar with the new Cingular/ATT system thought they used different GSM frequencies, but I may be mistaken. Can someone help educate me a bit? What if anything am I losing by going with a phone like the 637 instead of the ones a lot more expensive like the Motorolas that are quad band? How often and where might a quad band phone be useful? Right now I can get this phone with rebate for only $40 so it looks like a good deal, but don't want to cut myself short.
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I don't feel like explaining the whole MHz thing, but I'll tell you this much. I just signed up with Cingular, I got the T637, works great, no complaints. I live in Chicago.
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Okay, here's an explanation.
GSM 900/1800 is used only in Europe and Asia along with other parts of the world. Phones with quad band are made for people who travel outside of the country.
GSM 800/850/1900 is used only on the Americas.
Having a quad-band phone that uses 800/850/900/1800/1900 in America won't do anything more for you than using a phone with only 800/850/1900. Unless you travel outside of the Americas, the 900/1800 frequencies will be completely useless to you.
GSM 900/1800 is used only in Europe and Asia along with other parts of the world. Phones with quad band are made for people who travel outside of the country.
GSM 800/850/1900 is used only on the Americas.
Having a quad-band phone that uses 800/850/900/1800/1900 in America won't do anything more for you than using a phone with only 800/850/1900. Unless you travel outside of the Americas, the 900/1800 frequencies will be completely useless to you.
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Hope this helps
Okay so here is the story with frequencies in North America. The two main GSM bands that are run by GSM carriers in the USA and Canada are the 850/1900 mhz bands. You have a phone with those two bands in North America and you're set.
The exception to that is TMobile which runs the 900/1900 mhz bands. But since you are with Cingular chances are you will never pick up a TMobile tower anyway. I have yet to hear it happen.
As far as the other bands go you have an international band with the T637 of 1800 which most major tourist contries around the world have one or more carriers running the 1800mhz band. So really all you are losing is the 900mhz band for international roaming. So your decision really comes down ...
(continues)
Okay so here is the story with frequencies in North America. The two main GSM bands that are run by GSM carriers in the USA and Canada are the 850/1900 mhz bands. You have a phone with those two bands in North America and you're set.
The exception to that is TMobile which runs the 900/1900 mhz bands. But since you are with Cingular chances are you will never pick up a TMobile tower anyway. I have yet to hear it happen.
As far as the other bands go you have an international band with the T637 of 1800 which most major tourist contries around the world have one or more carriers running the 1800mhz band. So really all you are losing is the 900mhz band for international roaming. So your decision really comes down ...
(continues)
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