FuzziPhones

Do you have a GSM Phone Carrier?

2009-11-27T06:28:00.003-05:00

* AT&T
* T-Mobile
* TracFone Wireless
•Includes NET10 and Straight Talk

What is GSM?

2009-11-27T06:26:00.006-05:00

What is GSM?
GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) is an open, digital cellular technology used for transmitting mobile voice and data services.

What does GSM offer?
GSM supports voice calls and data transfer speeds of up to 9.6 kbit/s, together with the transmission of SMS (Short Message Service).

GSM operates in the 900MHz and 1.8GHz bands in Europe and the 1.9GHz and 850MHz bands in the US. The 850MHz band is also used for GSM and 3G in Australia, Canada and many South American countries. By having harmonised spectrum across most of the globe, GSM’s international roaming capability allows users to access the same services when travelling abroad as at home. This gives consumers seamless and same number connectivity in more than 218 countries.

Terrestrial GSM networks now cover more than 80% of the world’s population. GSM satellite roaming has also extended service access to areas where terrestrial coverage is not available.

Unlocked Cell Phones:

2009-11-27T06:25:00.004-05:00

Unlocked Cell Phones: Any of the world phones here at FUZZIIMAGE ELECTRONICS are network unlocked and without service agreement. These unlocked phones can be used on all GSM frequencies in the US, Europe and Asia... You can also use these international cell phones (world phones) in the US with any North American GSM carrier and abroad with European/Asian/Latin American GSM carriers either in "international roaming" with your US carrier or using local prepaid minutes..

Unlocked cell phones are a byproduct of GSM, the standard developed in Europe during the early eighties and exported worldwide in the last 20 years. The assumption behind these phones as that SIM cards from different providers can be inserted in these handsets without causing network issues or handset locks. Therefore a world phone can be used with a variety of providers and is very useful to the world traveler. Practically every country now has at least one GSM operator so all you have to do is to pickup a prepaid SIM card in the country where you arrive and insert it in your cell phone. Although the local reseller (be it a newspaper stand or authorized dealer) will apply a markup that can be as high as 10%, it's actually worth it. Local prepaid rates are much lower than internationally roaming fees applied by a US carrier. The SIM card will be associated to a local wireless number which you will use to place and receive calls. So by having a local cell phone number, you'll be reachable by all your local contacts who may instead frown upon calling you to an american numers (and at what cost !). One advice: do not stock up on prepaid minutes if you do not travel frequently to that country: often minutes have an expiration and you might find out that your credit has expired the next time you arrive ....

GSM or CDMA

2009-11-27T04:26:00.007-05:00

When you buy and sign up for a new wireless carrier plan you will usually get a mobile phone at reduced rate or free with their contract. The cell phones that is available with its carrier contracts are what is known as a "LOCKED" mobile phone. All wireless carriers such as Verizon Cell Phones, T-Mobile, AT&T, US Cellular, Ntelos, Cricket, Alltel, Sprint and others lock their cell phones so that you can't use it on another network. CDMA cell phones such as Verizon can be unlocked but only to be used on another CDMA network, however GSM are the more popular to be unlocked as they can be used with any GSM SIM card even overseas. When we refer to a phone as "LOCKED" this simply means that they would only work with the specific Carrier that it is locked to, even when the mobile phone is de-activated you can only re-activate it on that specific Carriers network. The person who purchases this type of locked mobile phone will be eligible to use just that particular device on the specific carrier network it was subscribed to and if the person needs to change the carrier service then they would have to change the mobile phone too.

This gives the need to purchase an unlocked mobile device that would work with any carrier (GSM to GSM Carriers). When you have purchased a GSM unlocked cell phone, you only have to change the GSM SIM card in order to change the carrier service. Then the mobile phone would instantly access the new network service. These unlocked cell phones give you the freedom of changing your network service whenever you want. CDMA Cell phones live Verizon Mobile Phones can also be unlocked but are more commonly left locked as those customers choosing a CDMA provider usually do so because they only want that provider, for instance most Verizon Cell Phones customers do not switch since they specifically chose Verizon because of the fact Verizon uses a CDMA network and perhaps the CDMA network works best in that particular customers area.

World GSM Network

2009-11-27T03:54:00.002-05:00

Afghanistan (GSM 900/1800)
Albania (GSM 900/1800)
Algeria (GSM 900/1800)
American Samoa (GSM 1900)
Andorra (GSM 900)
Angola (GSM 900)
Antigua & Barbuda (GSM 1900)
Argentina (GSM 900/1900)
Armenia (GSM 900)
Aruba (GSM 900/1800/1900)
Australia (GSM 900/1800/3G)
Azerbaijan (GSM 900)
Bahrain (GSM 900)
Bangladesh (GSM 900)
Belarus (GSM 900)
Belgium (GSM 900/1800)
Belize (GSM 1900)
Benin (GSM 900)
Bermuda (GSM 1900)
Bolivia (GSM 1900)
Bosnia Herzegovina (GSM 900)
Botswana (GSM 900)
Brazil(GSM 1800)
Brunei Darussalam (GSM 900)
Bulgaria (GSM 900/1800)
Burkina Faso (GSM 900)
Burundi (GSM 900)
Cambodia (GSM 900)
Cameroon (GSM 900)
Canada (GSM 850/1900)
Cape Verde (GSM 900)
Central African Republic (GSM 900)
Chad (GSM 900)
Chile (GSM 1900)
China (GSM 900)
Congo (GSM 900)
Congo (GSM 900/1800)
Costa Rica (GSM 1800/3G)
Cote d'Ivoire (GSM 900)
Croatia (GSM 900)
Cuba (GSM 900)
Cyprus (GSM 900)
Malta (GSM 900/1800)
Czech Republic (GSM 900/1800)
Denmark (GSM 900/1800)
Dominican Republic (GSM 1900)
Egypt (GSM 900)
El Salvador (GSM 900/1900)
Equatorial Guinea (GSM 900/1800)
Estonia (GSM 900/1800)
Ethiopia (GSM 900)
Faroe Islands (GSM 900)
Fiji (GSM 900)
Finland (GSM 900/1800)
France (GSM 900/1800)
French Polynesia (GSM 900)
French West Indies (GSM 900/1800)
Gabon, Republic of (GSM 900)
Gambia (GSM 900)
Georgia (GSM 900/1800)
Germany (GSM 900/1800/3G)

Ghana (GSM 900)
Gibraltar (GSM 900)
Greece (GSM 900/1800)
Greenland (GSM 900)
Grenada (GSM 900/1900)
Guam (USA) (GSM 1900)
Guernsey (GSM 900)
Guinea (GSM 900)
Hong Kong (GSM 900/1800)
Hungary (GSM 900/1800)
Iceland (GSM 900/1800)
India (GSM 900/1800)
Indonesia (GSM 900/1800)
Iran (GSM 900)
Ireland (GSM 900/1800)
Isle of Man (GSM 900/1800)
Israel (GSM 900/1800/3G)
Italy (GSM 900/1800/3G)
Jamaica (GSM 900)
Japan(GSM 3G)
Jersey (GSM 900)
Jordan (GSM 900)
Kazakhstan (GSM 900)
Kenya (GSM 900)
Kuwait (GSM 900/1800)
Kyrgyz Republic (GSM 900)
Lao (GSM 900)
Latvia (GSM 900/1800)
Lebanon (GSM 900/1800)
Lesoth (GSM 900)
Liberia Sudan (GSM 900)
Libya (GSM 900)
Liechtenstein (GSM 900/1800)
Lithuania (GSM 900/1800)
Luxembourg (GSM 900/1800)
Macau (GSM 900/1800)
Macedonia (GSM 900)
Madagascar (GSM 900/1800)
Malawi (GSM 900)
Malaysia (GSM 900/1800)
Maldives (GSM 900/1800)
Mali (GSM 900)
Malta (GSM 900/1800)
Mauritania (GSM 900)
Mauritius (GSM 900)
Mexico (GSM 1900)
Micronesia (GSM 900)
Republic (GSM 900)
Monaco (GSM 900)
Mongolia (GSM 900/1800)
Morocco (GSM 900)
Mozambique (GSM 900/1800)
Myanmar (GSM 900)
Namibia (GSM 900/1800)
Nepal (GSM 900)
Netherlands (GSM 9001800)
Netherlands Antilles (GSM 900/1900)
New Caledonia (GSM 900)
New Zealand (GSM 900)
Niger (GSM 900)
Nigeria (GSM 900/1800)

Norway (GSM 900/1800)
Oman, Sultanate of (GSM 900)
Pakistan (GSM 900)
Palestinian Authority (GSM 900)
Panama, Republic of (GSM 900)
Papua New Guinea (GSM 900)
Paraguay (GSM 1900)
Peru (GSM 1900)
Philippines (GSM 900/1800)
Poland (GSM 900/1800)
Portugal (GSM 900/1800/3G)
Qatar (GSM 900)
Reunion (La) (GSM 900/1800)
Romania (GSM 900/1800)
Russia (GSM 900/1800)
Rwanda (GSM 900)
Sao Tome and Principe (GSM 900)
Satellite(GSM Satellite)
Saudi Arabia (GSM 900)
Senegal (GSM 900)
Seychelles (GSM 900)
Sierra Leone (GSM 900)
Singapore (GSM 900/1800)
Slovak Republic (GSM 900/1800)
Slovenia (GSM 900/1800)
Somalia (GSM 900/1800)
South Africa (GSM 900/1800)
South Korea (GSM 3G)
Spain (GSM 900/1800)
Sri Lanka (GSM 900)
Sudan (GSM 900)
Suriname (GSM 900)
Swaziland (GSM 900)
Sweden (GSM 900/1800/3G)
Switzerland (GSM 900/1800)
Syria (GSM 900/1800)
Taiwan (GSM 900/1800)
Tajikistan (GSM 900/1800)
Tanzania (GSM 900/1800/400)
Thailand (GSM 900/1800/1900/3G)
Togo (GSM 900)
Tonga (GSM 900)
Trinidad and Tobago (GSM 1800)
Tunisia (GSM 900)
Turkey (GSM 900/1800)
Turkmenistan (GSM 900)
Uganda (GSM 900/1800)
Ukraine (GSM 900/1800)
United Arab Emirates (GSM 900)
United Kingdom (GSM 900/1800/3G)
USA (GSM 850/1900)
Uzbekistan (GSM 900/1800)
Vanuatu (GSM 900)
Venezuela (GSM 900/1800)
Vietnam (GSM 900)
Virgin Islands (USA) (GSM 900/1800)
Yemen (GSM 900)
Yugoslavia (GSM 900/1800)
Zambia (GSM 900)
Zimbabwe (GSM 900)

Why Prepaid

2009-11-27T03:53:00.009-05:00

When prepay or "pay as you go" cellular services were first introduced in Europe, towards the end of 1995, Western European Cellular penetration was just below 6%. It has since climbed above 74%. No one disputes the enormous contribution which "contract free", "commitment free" prepaid cellular services have made to this growth. The fact that over 64% of all cellular users in Western Europe are now connected to prepay plans, is a tangible demonstration of prepay cellular"s impact. Prepaid cellular service lets you to stay connected without any monthly, contractual obligations therefore allowing more flexibility regarding when you will use your phone. It also prevents over usage and therefore is more "worry free" than subscription service. While 64% of all European cell phone users have opted for prepaid cellular service, it is especially convenient for foreigners visiting those markets - whether they intend to stay for one week or six months.

While contract-based cell phone plans are the norm in the United States, plans to pay as you go for prepaid service have been popular throughout Europe.

But they’ve also gained steam in the U.S. The allure of being liberated from a long-term contract – and not having to pay the typical $150 or $200 penalty to terminate early – is attractive enough for some pay as you goers.

While many contract-based plans take into account changing habits (i.e. with “flexible” plans and “rollover” features), the draw to using 100 minutes in one month and 1,000 the next while fairly paying for the difference is the kicker for other pay-as-you-go people.

Some even engage pay-as-you-go pricing to avoid credit issues often associated with contracts. Pricing is becoming attractive, too, such as $49.99 with Virgin Mobile for unlimited minutes with no contract.

But what’s the real difference between the two pricing models in an apples-to-apples comparison? What would 400 minutes a month cost in both scenarios? Which one is cheaper?

Let’s explore that very question. For the purposes of this analysis, we highlight two popular pay-as-you-go companies: Virgin Mobile (which caters to a younger and often more fickle demographic) and Verizon Wireless.

While Verizon Wireless is more known for its contract-based plans, its pay-as-you-go plans are directly competitive with Virgin Mobile’s non-contract plans. It’s time to jump into the numbers. These figures are current as of publication of this article on May 30, 2008.

Virgin Mobile pay-as-you-go pricing with roll-forward minutes:

$20 a month, 200 anytime minutes, 10 cents per minute
$30 a month, 400 anytime minutes, 7.5 cents per minute
$50 a month, 1,000 anytime minutes, 5 cents per minute
Note: Texting costs $5 a month extra for 200 texts, $10 a month for 1,000 or $20 a month for unlimited

Verizon Wireless pay as you go with unlimited calling to same-carrier phones:

99-cent charge on days used, 10 cents per all minutes and texts
$1.99 charge on days used, unlimited night minutes, 5 cents per minute and per text
$2.99 charge on days used, unlimited night minutes, 2 cents per minute and per text

For comparison, below is a matrix of Virgin Mobile’s current contract-based plans.

Virgin Mobile contract-based plans:

$24.99 per month, 200 anytime minutes
$34.99 per month, 300 anytime minutes
$49.99 per month, 400 anytime minutes
$59.99 per month, 600 anytime minutes
Note: Texting costs $5 a month for 1,000 texts or $10 a month for unlimited

Now it’s time to calculate a couple example situations with these three payment scenarios. We’ll analyze 200 minutes per month and 400 minutes per month since all three appear in each situation. For the Verizon Wireless pay-as-you-go plan, I’ve made the assumption of 10 calling days used as an average figure.

200 minutes per month:

Virgin Mobile pay as you go: $20
Virgin Mobile contract plan: $24.99
Verizon Wireless pay as you go: $29.90 using 99-cent days, $29.90 using $1.99 days and $33.90 using $2.99 days

400 minutes per month:

Virgin Mobile pay as you go: $30
Virgin Mobile contract plan: $49.99
Verizon Wireless pay as you go: $49.90 using 99-cent days, $39.90 using $1.99 days and $37.90 using $2.99 days

While many variables can change this analysis, I’ve used typical and everyday scenarios so we can see a clear comparison.

Based on this analysis, we can conclude that the Virgin Mobile pay-as-you-go plan is the superior solution in all cases. Also, notice how the option with $2.99 charges on days used becomes a more cost-effective choice only when you use more minutes.

When it comes to paying as you go, Virgin Mobile is explicitly priced to be among the best in the mobile phone industry. That’s chief among the reasons why the Sprint reseller has such a high customer base electing for its flexible, no-contract route.

What is a SIM Card

2009-11-27T03:51:00.002-05:00

The SIM (Subscriber Identification Module or Subscriber Identity Module) card - a.k.a. "smart card" - holds all of a subscriber's personal information and phone settings. In essence, it is the subscriber's authorization to use the network. It also holds the phone number, personal security key and other data necessary for the handset to function. The card can be switched from phone to phone, letting the new phone receive all calls to the subscriber's number.

How does SIM cards work?

The SIM is inside each handset and functions as its digital brain. The authentication and encryption capabilities of the SIM prevent your phone from being stolen and your calls from being eavesdropped on. The SIM's digital memory, which stores information like your rate plan, phone number and service features, also allows you to easily personalize your service and contains user ID and billing information that can be switched between different phones. So, with your SIM card installed, you can make or receive calls personally even when you're using a borrowed phone. Upgrading your phone is as simple as slipping your SIM card into your new phone.

How To Unlock a GSM Phone

2009-11-26T20:53:00.016-05:00

Unlocking a GSM-based cell phone is easier than you think, and most carriers don’t mind that you do so. Being able to use your cell phone on any GSM-based carrier worldwide is a huge asset, so let’s take a closer look at how it’s done.

There’s two different types of mobile technology in use with carriers these days; CDMA and GSM. On a global scale, GSM is much more widely used than CDMA, but in the US, CDMA is still holding on strong. Both technologies refer to the method the handset is identified and connected to the wireless carrier. Every cell phone has a unique ESN, which is an identifier for routing data and phone calls from the carrier to the device. While CDMA involves that ESN being on the device itself, GSM uses what’s called a SIM card to carry the ESN of the subscriber. The SIM card is separate from the device, meaning the subscriber is only tied to the SIM card instead of being tied to the device itself as with CDMA.

The fact that a subscriber is only tied to the SIM card, means that any GSM-based device can be “unlocked” from the original carrier. When devices are sold through wireless carriers, the carrier locks the device to only be used on their specific network. “Unlocking” breaks that link to that specific network, and opens it up to be used on any carrier worldwide that uses GSM technology. Why would you want to do this? If you’ve purchased an expensive smart phone, or one you’d like to keep even though you’d like to switch carriers, you can unlock the device to be used on any carrier you prefer.

A misconception is that unlocking devices is against the terms of your contract with your wireless carrier. In reality, the carrier doesn’t care whether or not you unlock your device, and will even supply information on how to unlock them (if you’re lucky). The carrier already has you locked into a one or two year contract anyway, so they’ll get their income from you no matter if you’re using their network services or not. If you’re not, your monthly fee is pure profit for them, so it’s actually better for the carrier if you unlock your phone and use it for another.

There are two ways to unlock a GSM-based cell phone; via entering a unique “unlock code” into your device, or by plugging into a computer and upgrading the firmware of the device to remove the lock. The method varies depending on the make and model of your phone, so the first step should be to gather some information about your device and carrier. Here’s what you need to find:

* Obviously, the make and model of your specific device. If you don’t know the model, look under the battery cover or the battery itself.
* The IMEI number. This number can also be found under the battery cover or battery itself, and can also be called up on the device by pressing “*#06#” – this doesn’t work with all devices though, so your best bet is under the battery labeled “IMEI.”
* Your “Provider/Carrier code.” This is the unique identifier for the carrier your currently using. This info isn’t usually readily available on your device, so you’ll have to do a quick Google search. Wikipedia also has a good resource for US carrier codes here.

Once you have this information, it’s time to move on to finding the appropriate unlock code (if available) for your specific credentials. Some carriers will divulge the unlock codes to subscribers who have been loyal for a certain period of time, so it’s worth your time to check with them first. If they do, it’s as easy as entering the code into the device, and it’s automatically unlocked. If your carrier isn’t so kind as to provide this information, you can still discover it using a variety of methods.

Depending on the make and model of your device, you can do a quick Google search for “unlock codes for **make & model of phone.” You can either download certain software pertaining to your specific make of device which allows you to input the credentials such as IMEI and carrier numbers to get a list of unlock codes, or you can directly purchase the unlock codes- although they’re sometimes pricey. Since there’s such a variance in the makes and models of cell phones being used today, let’s focus on the most popular ones and explain further how to unlock them.

The two primary makers of cell phones that are easily unlock-able are Nokia and Motorola. While the steps to unlock devices from other makers are most likely very similar to these, we’ll focus on how to unlock devices made only by Nokia and Motorola for example purposes. Since GSM has become so prolific in recent times, Nokia and Motorola are two of the most widely used brands of GSM-based cell phones available today.

Nokia devices can be unlocked using simple unlock codes. Depending on your model, you can download and use one of two programs available that will identify the appropriate unlock code for your phone. Nokia models are broken down into two categories in terms of unlocking; DCT3 and DCT4. Again, a quick Google search will help you determine which category your Nokia model falls under. You can download a program for DCT3 models here, and for DCT4 modelshere. After filling in the proper information such as IMEI number, carrier and carrier number, country and so on, the software will output the necessary codes. Input them into your device, and it’s unlocked. It’s important to remember to always remove your SIM card before inputting the unlock code.

Similarly, Motorola phones can make use of software found here to find the necessary unlock codes. The process is the same, it just uses a different software method. Alternatively, you may find that your device requires you to re-work your firmware using a data cable and similar software to the ones used with Nokia and Motorola. In this case, you may have to purchase a USB data cable. They’re relatively cheap, and Motorola usually uses a USB to miniUSB connector which are universally available.

If you’re device is capable of unlocking, which almost all GSM-based phones are, it’s a process of gathering the necessary information about your device and carrier, and searching for the next steps which will vary greatly depending on your phone. 9 times out of 10, it should be as simple as inputting an unlock code found via cheap and simple software, or plugging the device into a computer to unlock it automatically. Either way, it’s a relatively quick and painless procedure. When shopping for new phones, it’s also a good idea to shop online for “unlocked GSM cell phones” that will come unlocked from the factory. You won’t ever have to worry about unlocking it, and it can be used on any carrier worldwide.

Dual-band vs. Tri-band

2009-11-26T20:45:00.010-05:00

Dual-band - A dual-band phone operates at both the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum. Dual-band works in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and much of South America.

Tri-band - A tri-band phone operates on three frequency bands, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz, allowing you to use it in Europe, Africa, Asia, nearly all of North America, Australia and New Zealand.

Quad-band - A quad-band phone allows you to roam almost anywhere globally. It covers the 850 Mhz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz frequency ranges. Many countries in South America only have 850 MHz GSM service while both 1900 MHZ and 850 MHz GSM services are supported in the USA. 99% of all countries use the GSM standard. WE believe eventually GSM will be the only cell phone standard in the world.