7. Network support
When it comes to network support or connectivity there are two basic concerns to consider.
First, does the smartphone you’re looking at support the latest generation mobile networking standard? The latest standard is 4G LTE or just LTE, which provides a dramatic increase in connection speeds compared to the previous one, the 3G standard. While 3G speeds may be perfectly adequate for you, especially if you’re buying on a budget, having LTE is nice if you’re spending more.
Second, does it support both GSM and CDMA or just one of them? These are standards for radio systems used for mobile networking, and different carriers use either one of them. If your phone supports only CDMA you can’t switch it to a network using GSM and vice versa. Furthermore, most carriers in Europe use GSM whereas most US carriers use CDMA so this presents a concern if you want to avoid roaming charges when travelling by switching to a local network.
Go for a GSM phone on a GSM network (like T-Mobile) if you plan on travelling overseas. If you want both technologies supported look for a dual-mode phone, supporting both GSM and CDMA. And if you want to be able to use two different GSM or CDMA networks at the same time you should look for dual-sim phones.
Note that requiring support for both technologies, especially if you add dual-sim requirement, may significantly limit your choices. If all you need is more flexibility and the ability to use networks outside of the US then GSM will be your best bet.
Photo by Kārlis Dambrāns
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