Buying a Mobile Phone for Both Thailand & USA

[durian explorer]

I need a phone that will work well both in Thailand and the U.S. I'd appreciate any feedback or advice regarding my questions and my assumptions. More context:

 

My current US phone service is with Verizon Wireless. They operate on CDMA, not GSM, so I think I would have to buy a Verizon phone to work on both; in any case, I believe this guarantees that any phone I buy in Thailand will not work with VZW in the US, right?

One logical conclusion would be for me to buy a phone from VZW in the US that would work globally.  I prefer not to do this because: 1) it would greatly limit my choices and increase the price, and 2) my previous VZW phone (now busted) did not permit Mobile Hotspot use on non-US carriers, which was really irritating.

 

Since Verizon Wireless (and Sprint) are CDMA carriers and AT&T and TMobile are GSM carriers, I'm thinking of switching to one of the latter, probably AT&T because it's larger than TMobile and likely to have better coverage (?).  AT&T has their GoPhone prepaid service (https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/plans/planconfigurator.html?tab=gophone&plan=basic), and a chat agent informed that I could easily switch from full coverage to virtually no coverage and back at will using their web site (for when I leave and enter the US).  This is in contrast to Verizon, who allowed me to reduce my rate to "snowbird" status, but only for a few months, then I had to resume a full charge plan. Also, AT&T checked and said I could carry over my old mobile phone number to their service.

 

Finding a phone whose bands and frequencies will work well with a given US phone service is time consuming and confusing – I found this for the AT&T bands/frequencies: https://www.frequencycheck.com/carriers/at-t-united-states, and I can look up a given phone's specs (e.g. http://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_r9s_plus-8394.php) to compare them, but I'm not very knowledgeable about which overlaps or absences are meaningful, and it would take quite a long time to do this for every available model.  So, if anyone has any information about which phones available here in Thailand do work well with AT&T in the US, would you please share that information?

 

Thanks!

 

[ballbreaker]

Google search....phone that works on verizon and gsm networks

Sent from my SM-G750F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[gentlemanjackdarby]

4 hours ago, Keith Bennett said:

I need a phone that will work well both in Thailand and the U.S. I'd appreciate any feedback or advice regarding my questions and my assumptions. More context:

 

My current US phone service is with Verizon Wireless. They operate on CDMA, not GSM, so I think I would have to buy a Verizon phone to work on both; in any case, I believe this guarantees that any phone I buy in Thailand will not work with VZW in the US, right?

One logical conclusion would be for me to buy a phone from VZW in the US that would work globally.  I prefer not to do this because: 1) it would greatly limit my choices and increase the price, and 2) my previous VZW phone (now busted) did not permit Mobile Hotspot use on non-US carriers, which was really irritating.

 

Since Verizon Wireless (and Sprint) are CDMA carriers and AT&T and TMobile are GSM carriers, I'm thinking of switching to one of the latter, probably AT&T because it's larger than TMobile and likely to have better coverage (?).  AT&T has their GoPhone prepaid service (https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/plans/planconfigurator.html?tab=gophone&plan=basic), and a chat agent informed that I could easily switch from full coverage to virtually no coverage and back at will using their web site (for when I leave and enter the US).  This is in contrast to Verizon, who allowed me to reduce my rate to "snowbird" status, but only for a few months, then I had to resume a full charge plan. Also, AT&T checked and said I could carry over my old mobile phone number to their service.

 

Finding a phone whose bands and frequencies will work well with a given US phone service is time consuming and confusing – I found this for the AT&T bands/frequencies: https://www.frequencycheck.com/carriers/at-t-united-states, and I can look up a given phone's specs (e.g. http://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_r9s_plus-8394.php) to compare them, but I'm not very knowledgeable about which overlaps or absences are meaningful, and it would take quite a long time to do this for every available model.  So, if anyone has any information about which phones available here in Thailand do work well with AT&T in the US, would you please share that information?

 

Thanks!

 

Because GSM and CDMA are fundamentally different, it's not really possible to buy a phone that works on both systems.

 

The nice thing about GSM phones is that they work via a SIM card which contains the pieces that makes the cellular services work, eg; the phone network, phone number, etc. and is swappable from phone to phone. With GSM phones, their is no "activation" of the phone as there is when using CDMA; one simply swaps the SIM card from the "old" phone to the "new" phone and one is good to go. 

 

My understanding from a Verizon rep is that some of their phones, ie; their more expensive models, have a spot for a SIM card and Verizon can activate the SIM slot if one is going outside the U.S.

 

Because pretty much everywhere else in the world uses GSM and **NOT** CDMA, it's not possible to buy a Verizon phone (CDMA) for both the U.S. and Thailand.

 

My recommendation for anyone who is thinking globally and living in the U.S. is to use T-Mobile.

 

T-Mobile is the U.S. arm of Deutsche Telecom, the German cellular giant and T-Mobile has a presence in damn near every country in the world, which is important because T-Mobile offers their U.S. customers unlimited DATA on their networks in other countries while visiting. It's not necessarily 4G /LTE - most of the time it's 3G.

 

I've been a T-Mobile customer for as long as I've had a cell phone and I've never had trouble with coverage in the U.S. - I live in the U.S. Great Lakes region and have no trouble at home and I've used their service in New York City area, San Francisco area, and Tuscon, AZ as well as travelling to and from those areas.

 

Generally when one owns a GSM phone and goes to Thailand, normal practice is to remove the U.S. SIM upon arrival, buy a local Thailand SIM (that will have all the pieces that make Thailand cellular service work, such as cellular network configuration, local Thailand phone number, etc.) and load (pre-paid minutes, texts, data, etc.), and install the Thailand SIM into the phone and start using it.

 

As far as GSM frequencies go, the beauty of the GSM standard is that the same groups of ***VOICE*** frequencies are used worldwide so, unless one has a very old ANALOG GSM phone, any recent GSM phone , no matter where one bought it, will have the proper ***VOICE*** frequencies built in. Of course, one must still have a local SIM card and load for the local cell company of one's choice. 

 

***DATA*** frequencies, such as 4G /LTE are a different story - most phones from larger manufacturers have ***SOME*** overlap of data frequencies throughout the world so, more likely than not, one will have 3G data service in most countries, although possibly not 4G / LTE  everywhere.

 

My recommendation would be to buy an ***UNLOCKED*** GSM phone from someone like ASUS, Huawei (Honor), OnePlus, or Google (Nexus) and, if you're so inclined, buy a dual-SIM model. With a dual SIM model, one can keep the U.S. SIM installed (but ensure roaming is OFF when outside the U.S. unless you HAVE to have it because it's expensive) and have a local SIM (much less expensive than roaming) installed at the same time.

 

The other advantage of buying ***UNLOCKED*** GSM phones is that because they come from the manufacturer unlocked, they don't have all the pesky bloatware, spyware, and annoyances that come pre-installed when one buys a phone from a cellular provider. It is possible to get a phone that one bought from a cellular company unlocked, but all the software and annoyances are still there.

 

OnePlus and Google (Nexus) sell from their own webstores; ASUS and Huawei (Honor) can be bought from their webstores or Amazon.com

 

I personally like the OnePlus 3T, but it's somewhat pricey compared to their earlier offering - that is offered with North America, Asia / Europe, and China data frequencies. Obviously, for someone living in the U.S., the North America model would be the correct choice. The NextPlus website clearly and simply shows the frequencies for each model and one can see the overlap in data frequencies among the various regions.

 

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe is also a nice phone and, because ASUS has a world-wide focus, the U.S. model has a lot of data frequencies.

 

I just noticed that you're in Thailand - I'd expect that phones from ASUS and Huawei (Honor) would be readily available there with probably more choices than what is available in the U.S.

 

Also, T-Mobile has the simplest and best pre-paid plan: USD 3 per month for 30 minutes of talk or 30 texts (or combination, in essence USD 0.10 per minute or text) to keep a line active; if one needs more, they make it easy to buy just what one needs.

 

And regarding your old U.S. phone number - U.S. law requires that both landline and cellular phone numbers are portable, ie; assuming it's one's own number, numbers can be moved from landline to cellular service (but not necessarily from cellular to landline) and from cellular carrier to cellular carrier. It takes a little while and requires a bit of patience, but it's easily done.

 

 

 

[Jeffrey346]

5 hours ago, gentlemanjackdarby said:

Because GSM and CDMA are fundamentally different, it's not really possible to buy a phone that works on both systems.

 

 

Not true.. There are phones available with dual radios [GSM & CDMA]  One popular model is the iPhone 7.

 

 

Cellular and Wireless

Model A1660* 
Model A1661*

FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30) 
TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41) 
TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A) 
CDMA EV-DO Rev. A  (800, 1900, 2100 MHz) 
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz) 
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

[tonray]

In USA now with my Vivo y51l. Does not work here as it does not support USA frequencies. Tried T-Mobile and Att Sims.. Both got very sporadic connections to 2G very unstable and nothing else.  

http://willmyphonework.net/

[chicowoodduck]

I have an old Samsung Galaxy 4 that has two SIM card slot.....just pop in a new Go Phone SIM card in the USA and I am off and calling.....woo, woo,....???

[tonray]

I think a good rule of thumb is if the brand is available in both places it will be compatible.. Vivo for example not sold in USA. Samsung sold everywhere so likely to work both places 

[sghanchey]

I've never had any problem using my Samsung Galaxy S-5 that I bought here with my T-Mobile SIM card in the U.S. I have a pre-paid plan with T-Mobile that allows me to pay a minimum monthly fee ($1.50, I think) to keep the number active, and then pay for actual use while I am in the U.S. I top up the account with $25 before I go, and rarely use that much in a 2-3 week trip. The S-5 works with Wifi there and here, and Wifi is increasingly available in public places in the U.S., so I don't use too much data. I've found T-Mobile coverage everywhere I've gone in the U.S. In Thailand, I have both AIS and True, and use a Samsung A-7 here for the dual SIM capability. 

[likeke]

Buy an unlocked phone in Thailand, and a SIM card and you are in business for Thailand. When you return to your home country buy a SIM card for your number there. You can also buy an unlocked International phone on Amazon.

[onekoolguy]

1 hour ago, sghanchey said:

I've never had any problem using my Samsung Galaxy S-5 that I bought here with my T-Mobile SIM card in the U.S. I have a pre-paid plan with T-Mobile that allows me to pay a minimum monthly fee ($1.50, I think) to keep the number active, and then pay for actual use while I am in the U.S. I top up the account with $25 before I go, and rarely use that much in a 2-3 week trip. The S-5 works with Wifi there and here, and Wifi is increasingly available in public places in the U.S., so I don't use too much data. I've found T-Mobile coverage everywhere I've gone in the U.S. In Thailand, I have both AIS and True, and use a Samsung A-7 here for the dual SIM capability. 

The big disadvantage of not buying a t mobile phone in the usa is that you don't get the free wifi calling which is built in to their phones. T mobile is best for travelers!

I use it here as most calls are on "line" anyway. Or text. I have a seperate thai phone but hardly ever use it!

 

[ToddinChonburi]

If your Verizon phone has a global setting then you can put a Thai Sim card in and it will work just fine.  I have a Motorola Razor HD.  Just switch back to Verizon Sim when you land in America.  

 

You will have to use the +66 to make calls in Thailand.        

 

I use AIS  1 2 call prepaid

[SiSePuede419]

22 hours ago, ballbreaker said:

Google search....phone that works on verizon and gsm networks

Sent from my SM-G750F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

UnPossible in AmeriDUH! ?

[gentlemanjackdarby]

11 hours ago, Jeffrey346 said:

Not true.. There are phones available with dual radios [GSM & CDMA]  One popular model is the iPhone 7.

 

 

Cellular and Wireless

Model A1660* 
Model A1661*

FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30) 
TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41) 
TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A) 
CDMA EV-DO Rev. A  (800, 1900, 2100 MHz) 
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz) 
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

Yes, that's correct.

 

However, the OP implied in his original post and I inferred from what he wrote that he would prefer to not have his choice of devices limited and that he is, from what he wrote, somewhat price conscious.

 

I'm neither an Apple hater nor an Apple fanboy but I think it's fair to say that Apple products are premium products with a price tag to match - a great choice if one is willing to pay a premium price for premium hardware and has no interest in exploring or dealing with, for lack of a better term, the "flexibilities" of Android.

 

I also inferred from the OP's original post that he's not a cell phone expert and it doesn't appear that he wishes to become one; as well, I don't want to see the thread degenerate into a discussion of cell phone hardware minutiae because there are a lot of great sites that one can turn to if one is so inclined BUT, in the interest of complete disclosure and to try to ensure that readers of this thread don't come away with the misunderstanding that ALL Apple iPhone 7 models are both CDMA and GSM capable, according to Apple's site, iPhone 7 models A1778 and A1784 are GSM ONLY; that is, they will not work with Verizon and Sprint.

 

In my original post, I also stated "My understanding from a Verizon rep is that some of their phones, ie; their more expensive models, have a spot for a SIM card and Verizon can activate the SIM slot if one is going outside the U.S." I chose to leave it at that believing that those who prefers Verizon as their carrier, if so inclined, would explore their options with Verizon.

 

My intention in my original post was to give a relatively succinct explanation of the issues that, because of the U.S. having two cellular network standards combined with ***most*** people buying their phones from cellular service providers instead of hardware retailers, make it confusing, difficult, and expensive for ***most*** U.S.cell phone users to use their phone abroad. As well, I hoped to give those interested some guidelines on the easiest, least expensive, and most streamlined way of "going global" with cell phones. It was not my intention to discuss individual phone models and their variants in detail.  

[Ulic]

18 hours ago, gentlemanjackdarby said:

Because GSM and CDMA are fundamentally different, it's not really possible to buy a phone that works on both systems.

 

The nice thing about GSM phones is that they work via a SIM card which contains the pieces that makes the cellular services work, eg; the phone network, phone number, etc. and is swappable from phone to phone. With GSM phones, their is no "activation" of the phone as there is when using CDMA; one simply swaps the SIM card from the "old" phone to the "new" phone and one is good to go. 

 

My understanding from a Verizon rep is that some of their phones, ie; their more expensive models, have a spot for a SIM card and Verizon can activate the SIM slot if one is going outside the U.S.

 

Because pretty much everywhere else in the world uses GSM and **NOT** CDMA, it's not possible to buy a Verizon phone (CDMA) for both the U.S. and Thailand.

 

My recommendation for anyone who is thinking globally and living in the U.S. is to use T-Mobile.

 

T-Mobile is the U.S. arm of Deutsche Telecom, the German cellular giant and T-Mobile has a presence in damn near every country in the world, which is important because T-Mobile offers their U.S. customers unlimited DATA on their networks in other countries while visiting. It's not necessarily 4G /LTE - most of the time it's 3G.

 

I've been a T-Mobile customer for as long as I've had a cell phone and I've never had trouble with coverage in the U.S. - I live in the U.S. Great Lakes region and have no trouble at home and I've used their service in New York City area, San Francisco area, and Tuscon, AZ as well as travelling to and from those areas.

 

Generally when one owns a GSM phone and goes to Thailand, normal practice is to remove the U.S. SIM upon arrival, buy a local Thailand SIM (that will have all the pieces that make Thailand cellular service work, such as cellular network configuration, local Thailand phone number, etc.) and load (pre-paid minutes, texts, data, etc.), and install the Thailand SIM into the phone and start using it.

 

As far as GSM frequencies go, the beauty of the GSM standard is that the same groups of ***VOICE*** frequencies are used worldwide so, unless one has a very old ANALOG GSM phone, any recent GSM phone , no matter where one bought it, will have the proper ***VOICE*** frequencies built in. Of course, one must still have a local SIM card and load for the local cell company of one's choice. 

 

***DATA*** frequencies, such as 4G /LTE are a different story - most phones from larger manufacturers have ***SOME*** overlap of data frequencies throughout the world so, more likely than not, one will have 3G data service in most countries, although possibly not 4G / LTE  everywhere.

 

My recommendation would be to buy an ***UNLOCKED*** GSM phone from someone like ASUS, Huawei (Honor), OnePlus, or Google (Nexus) and, if you're so inclined, buy a dual-SIM model. With a dual SIM model, one can keep the U.S. SIM installed (but ensure roaming is OFF when outside the U.S. unless you HAVE to have it because it's expensive) and have a local SIM (much less expensive than roaming) installed at the same time.

 

The other advantage of buying ***UNLOCKED*** GSM phones is that because they come from the manufacturer unlocked, they don't have all the pesky bloatware, spyware, and annoyances that come pre-installed when one buys a phone from a cellular provider. It is possible to get a phone that one bought from a cellular company unlocked, but all the software and annoyances are still there.

 

OnePlus and Google (Nexus) sell from their own webstores; ASUS and Huawei (Honor) can be bought from their webstores or Amazon.com

 

I personally like the OnePlus 3T, but it's somewhat pricey compared to their earlier offering - that is offered with North America, Asia / Europe, and China data frequencies. Obviously, for someone living in the U.S., the North America model would be the correct choice. The NextPlus website clearly and simply shows the frequencies for each model and one can see the overlap in data frequencies among the various regions.

 

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe is also a nice phone and, because ASUS has a world-wide focus, the U.S. model has a lot of data frequencies.

 

I just noticed that you're in Thailand - I'd expect that phones from ASUS and Huawei (Honor) would be readily available there with probably more choices than what is available in the U.S.

 

Also, T-Mobile has the simplest and best pre-paid plan: USD 3 per month for 30 minutes of talk or 30 texts (or combination, in essence USD 0.10 per minute or text) to keep a line active; if one needs more, they make it easy to buy just what one needs.

 

And regarding your old U.S. phone number - U.S. law requires that both landline and cellular phone numbers are portable, ie; assuming it's one's own number, numbers can be moved from landline to cellular service (but not necessarily from cellular to landline) and from cellular carrier to cellular carrier. It takes a little while and requires a bit of patience, but it's easily done.

 

 

 

I used my Verizon Blackberry in Thailand and all throughout Asia. No Issues.

Now using a Samsung Note 3, once again no issues.

[ericthai]

My wife uses her iphone 6? 7? not sure which one. It works both places.  However we are on T-mobile which gives us free data worldwide so she uses he phone to make calls through facebook or whatsapp.  If we dial direct it's something like $0.20 a minute. i have an HTC one 9 and it works both in the USA and Thailand. 

[Jeffrey346]

11 hours ago, gentlemanjackdarby said:

Yes, that's correct.

 

However, the OP implied in his original post and I inferred from what he wrote that he would prefer to not have his choice of devices limited and that he is, from what he wrote, somewhat price conscious.

 

I'm neither an Apple hater nor an Apple fanboy but I think it's fair to say that Apple products are premium products with a price tag to match - a great choice if one is willing to pay a premium price for premium hardware and has no interest in exploring or dealing with, for lack of a better term, the "flexibilities" of Android.

 

I also inferred from the OP's original post that he's not a cell phone expert and it doesn't appear that he wishes to become one; as well, I don't want to see the thread degenerate into a discussion of cell phone hardware minutiae because there are a lot of great sites that one can turn to if one is so inclined BUT, in the interest of complete disclosure and to try to ensure that readers of this thread don't come away with the misunderstanding that ALL Apple iPhone 7 models are both CDMA and GSM capable, according to Apple's site, iPhone 7 models A1778 and A1784 are GSM ONLY; that is, they will not work with Verizon and Sprint.

 

In my original post, I also stated "My understanding from a Verizon rep is that some of their phones, ie; their more expensive models, have a spot for a SIM card and Verizon can activate the SIM slot if one is going outside the U.S." I chose to leave it at that believing that those who prefers Verizon as their carrier, if so inclined, would explore their options with Verizon.

 

My intention in my original post was to give a relatively succinct explanation of the issues that, because of the U.S. having two cellular network standards combined with ***most*** people buying their phones from cellular service providers instead of hardware retailers, make it confusing, difficult, and expensive for ***most*** U.S.cell phone users to use their phone abroad. As well, I hoped to give those interested some guidelines on the easiest, least expensive, and most streamlined way of "going global" with cell phones. It was not my intention to discuss individual phone models and their variants in detail.  

You are 100% correct. My point was there are options. Some of the mid-range Samsung phones have dual radios. Here is a list of the top 10 but here are others. Just do a Google search..

 

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Top-10-CDMA-GSM-Dual-SIM-Mobiles-/10000000205161060/g.html

[RichCor]

On 3/22/2017 at 8:30 PM, Keith Bennett said:

My current US phone service is with Verizon Wireless. They operate on CDMA, not GSM, so I think I would have to buy a Verizon phone to work on both; in any case, I believe this guarantees that any phone I buy in Thailand will not work with VZW in the US, right?

 

I'm a little confused by the statement the OP is looking for a CDMA phone.

 

FierceWireless

Verizon (NYSE: VZ) confirmed to FierceWireless that it is currently planning to shut down its CDMA 1X network by Dec. 31, 2019. ... Verizon is also refarming its 3G, CDMA EV-DO spectrum for its LTE network.

... Verizon is working to transition its voice calling services onto its LTE network via Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology.  ...Verizon said in April that fully 92 percent of its wireless traffic traveled over its LTE network. Verizon is also refarming its 3G, CDMA EV-DO spectrum for its LTE network.

 

 

For those playing along at home, LTE (Long-Term Evolution) is a standard for high-speed wireless communication for mobile phones and data terminals, based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA technologies.

 

The issue is no longer about CDMA/EV-DO vs GSM/HSPA, today an international world phone needs to have the LTE band coverage to match whatever service provider you plan to use.  And while most of the US Carriers rely on one specific LTE band, their carrier-sold phones may also take advantage of other LTE bands to provide area specific service coverage -- so some carrier research should be needed to verify what bands are necessary for a given coverage area.

[hawker9000]

I have an iphone purchased through Verizon.  Here in Thailand I just pull out the Verizon sim and put in a DTAC sim. 'Works fine.

[elgenon]

I have an iPhone and use ATT Go Phone in the US. You don't need to do anything on their website just change sims in Thailand. Easy Smeasy. I bought the phone in Thailand just so I wouldn't have to get it unlocked to use in Thailand. But you could buy in the US and get it unlocked in Thailand. If you are a long time customer of ATT they will unlock your phone for free.

[hawker9000]

Verizon's phones aren't locked (or at least their iphones aren't). Not sure about T-Mobile and the others. But it is a question you want to ask before signing up.

 

[wabear]

I'm not sure how much traveling you will do.

 

1) Do you need a smart phone in Thailand or will something like the Nokia Dual Sim 3310 be enough phone for  you without having to recharge every day?

 

2) If you MUST be in contact while traveling, AT&Ts service has an option for automatic and immediate connection most anywhere in the world. Step off the plane and you will have bars and and be able to make and make phone calls, and send and receive text messages. It's not cheap, so train people to text when you travel :) Combine that with a local SIM and phone number in Thailand and you have the best of both. Note: checking your ATT VM does require calling up US so be careful about that.

 

3) Will you be using your phone as a camera much of the time? Maybe check out a new or used iPhone 6s.

 

4) You are traveling, the least of your expenses is  your phone. It's not the end of the world if you get a nice traveling phone.

[SiSePuede419]

Here's my solution...

 

Where are you going to spend most of your time?  That's where your SIM card will be.

 

Alternatively, get a Google Phone number when you are in America.  You can accept phone calls anywhere in the world FREE using Hangouts app.  Even on your phone with a Thai SIM card.

 

They won't know your location.  When you make a Google Hangouts call, your number will appear as if it were in America. ?

[Sekingco]

Why do you need the same phone for USA and Thailand? I pay $100 a year for a cell phone in USA. Keeps my number for 12 months and gives me 400 minutes X 3 = 1200 minutes a year. Minutes roll over to the next year. I'm only in USA a few months a year, nice to keep the same number. 

[durian explorer]

Thanks for the helpful responses (but not the others! ) .  To clarify/respond:

My former phone was a Samsung Note 3 purchased from Verizon Wireless.  It worked on their CDMA system but was unlocked and was GSM-capable, so I used it internationally without any problem, except that the phone did not permit mobile hotspot sharing on non-Verizon networks (!).  After dropping the phone which broke the glass, the phone is now not working at all.  I brought it to several repair places (including Samsung in Chiang Mai) and was told that it could only be repaired in the US. So I bought an inexpensive Asus phone here in Thailand that works fine; but I don't think it has the network band support necessary to run TMobile or AT&T in the US.

Using TMobile when I return to the US is appealing, but it would have to be a TMobile phone, because wifi calling would probably not work on non-TMobile phones, and I would want wifi calling since TMobile's network coverage is not that great.  AT&T supports wifi calling, but only on postpaid plans and with their phones; I would want to use a prepaid plan.

I was told by an AT&T rep that transferring my phone number from Verizon Wireless to AT&T could be done instantly at their store. I presume this would also be true of TMobile.

I expect to be in Thailand more than in the US during the next couple of years, so a productive phone is more important in Thailand than in the US. Still, I would want a good smartphone for both. (For me, good means >= 32 GB memory, reasonable speed, high resolution display, good battery life, current OS.)

I am open to buying a high priced phone if it saves me a lot of pain, but was hoping to avoid it, not only to save money in the short run, but in the long run if I lose or break it; and for it not to be a thief magnet.

I do not want to rely on US phone service outside of the US. I almost always buy a SIM card in the country in which I'm staying, because I expect to use the phone more for local calls and messaging (incoming and outgoing) than those to/from the US.

Having separate phones for US and outside-US use is an option I am also considering.

Google Voice is an interesting idea, but I wouldn't want to rely on it exclusively – I would like to be accessible even without Internet access.

 

Edited March 25, 2017 by Keith Bennett
formatting

[Foozool]

Always buy GSM unlocke phone. It will work everywhere.

[bangkokbanjo]

I have a verizon galaxy 7. It works in thailand with a simm card from dtac. My understanding is that all 4g lte phones will work globally

Sent from my SM-G920V using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[gentlemanjackdarby]

On 3/25/2017 at 9:35 AM, Keith Bennett said:

Thanks for the helpful responses (but not the others! ) .  To clarify/respond:

My former phone was a Samsung Note 3 purchased from Verizon Wireless.  It worked on their CDMA system but was unlocked and was GSM-capable, so I used it internationally without any problem, except that the phone did not permit mobile hotspot sharing on non-Verizon networks (!).  After dropping the phone which broke the glass, the phone is now not working at all.  I brought it to several repair places (including Samsung in Chiang Mai) and was told that it could only be repaired in the US. So I bought an inexpensive Asus phone here in Thailand that works fine; but I don't think it has the network band support necessary to run TMobile or AT&T in the US.

Mobile hotspot sharing is a function of both the phone and the cell network. For example, if one had a Google Nexus 5 bought from Google, meaning it's unlocked and the Android OS is "stock" in the sense that it hasn't been modified by the cellular service provider, it will allow mobile hotspot on any GSM network on which it is used PROVIDED that cell service provider allows mobile hotspot. Most of the time this is a given. However, even though the Android is "stock", the cell service provider can still "see" how much data is coming from devices connected to the mobile hotspot and CAN limit that data. For example, I am with T-Mobile and my hotspot data is limited to 1 GB per month. 

 

On 3/25/2017 at 9:35 AM, Keith Bennett said:

Using TMobile when I return to the US is appealing, but it would have to be a TMobile phone, because wifi calling would probably not work on non-TMobile phones, and I would want wifi calling since TMobile's network coverage is not that great.  AT&T supports wifi calling, but only on postpaid plans and with their phones; I would want to use a prepaid plan.

If the phone is an unlocked GSM phone that was purchased from somewhere other than a cellular service provider, it will have relatively "stock" Android and, unless it's from some off-the-wall manufacturer, it will allow wi-fi calling regardless of the cell network. It is POSSIBLE that the administrator of a specific wi-fi network is preventing wi-fi calling (or connections from undesired devices), but that's something that I would expect is relatively rare - it's also easily checked by connecting to another wi-fi network.

 

On 3/25/2017 at 9:35 AM, Keith Bennett said:

I was told by an AT&T rep that transferring my phone number from Verizon Wireless to AT&T could be done instantly at their store. I presume this would also be true of TMobile.

I expect to be in Thailand more than in the US during the next couple of years, so a productive phone is more important in Thailand than in the US. Still, I would want a good smartphone for both. (For me, good means >= 32 GB memory, reasonable speed, high resolution display, good battery life, current OS.)

I'd recommend looking phones from manufacturers such as OnePlus, Google Nexus, Asus, and Huawei (Honor) -  GSM and unlocked from the retailer. Google Nexus will always have the "stock" (vanilla) Android and updates are always rolled out first and fastest from Google to their phones. Also, these manufacturers' phones aren't the sexy "flagship" phones (with prices to match) but mid- to upper-range performers with mid-range pricing.

On 3/25/2017 at 9:35 AM, Keith Bennett said:

I am open to buying a high priced phone if it saves me a lot of pain, but was hoping to avoid it, not only to save money in the short run, but in the long run if I lose or break it; and for it not to be a thief magnet.

I do not want to rely on US phone service outside of the US. I almost always buy a SIM card in the country in which I'm staying, because I expect to use the phone more for local calls and messaging (incoming and outgoing) than those to/from the US.

Very wise!

On 3/25/2017 at 9:35 AM, Keith Bennett said:

Having separate phones for US and outside-US use is an option I am also considering.

Google Voice is an interesting idea, but I wouldn't want to rely on it exclusively – I would like to be accessible even without Internet access.

Google Voice is the smartest thing one can do - it gives one's contacts one number to reach you regardless of cellular or landline number changes. When outside the U.S., so long as one has a Windows PC (or better yet, a Chromebook) or access to one, a headset, and wi-fi, one can talk to the U.S. reliably and for free. And, if one uses one's GV number with one's bank(s), dealing with them is a whole lot easier, especially when it come to the one-time PINS, (SMS verification codes) that are becoming popular with most banks.

On 3/25/2017 at 9:35 AM, Keith Bennett said:

 

 

[durian explorer]

1 hour ago, gentlemanjackdarby said:

Mobile hotspot sharing is a function of both the phone and the cell network. For example, if one had a Google Nexus 5 bought from Google, meaning it's unlocked and the Android OS is "stock" in the sense that it hasn't been modified by the cellular service provider, it will allow mobile hotspot on any GSM network on which it is used PROVIDED that cell service provider allows mobile hotspot. Most of the time this is a given. However, even though the Android is "stock", the cell service provider can still "see" how much data is coming from devices connected to the mobile hotspot and CAN limit that data. For example, I am with T-Mobile and my hotspot data is limited to 1 GB per month. 

 

The thing is, several Verizon reps said that the hotspot should work on foreign networks and couldn't for the life of them figure out why it wasn't.  They said they knew of many other Verizon phones that did do this.

 

1 hour ago, gentlemanjackdarby said:

 

If the phone is an unlocked GSM phone that was purchased from somewhere other than a cellular service provider, it will have relatively "stock" Android and, unless it's from some off-the-wall manufacturer, it will allow wi-fi calling regardless of the cell network. It is POSSIBLE that the administrator of a specific wi-fi network is preventing wi-fi calling (or connections from undesired devices), but that's something that I would expect is relatively rare - it's also easily checked by connecting to another wi-fi network.

 

I'd recommend looking phones from manufacturers such as OnePlus, Google Nexus, Asus, and Huawei (Honor) -  GSM and unlocked from the retailer. Google Nexus will always have the "stock" (vanilla) Android and updates are always rolled out first and fastest from Google to their phones. Also, these manufacturers' phones aren't the sexy "flagship" phones (with prices to match) but mid- to upper-range performers with mid-range pricing.

 

I'd like to consider a Google phone, but would want to examine one in person before buying it.  Is that possible?  I think you have to just order it online on faith.

 

 

1 hour ago, gentlemanjackdarby said:

Very wise!

Google Voice is the smartest thing one can do - it gives one's contacts one number to reach you regardless of cellular or landline number changes. When outside the U.S., so long as one has a Windows PC (or better yet, a Chromebook) or access to one, a headset, and wi-fi, one can talk to the U.S. reliably and for free. And, if one uses one's GV number with one's bank(s), dealing with them is a whole lot easier, especially when it come to the one-time PINS, (SMS verification codes) that are becoming popular with most banks.

 

 

This intrigues me...I played with Google Voice a few years ago but didn't take it seriously.  I had an issue recently that it would have helped with -- the credit card attached to my Uber account expired, and I couldn't log in to Uber from Thailand because they required 2 factor authentication.  Neither worked for me; 1) text message didn't work because I had suspended my US mobile phone, and 2) email didn't work because Uber refuses to send these emails to Thailand.  So I had to open a new Uber account using a different email address.

 

I have had a Google Voice account since 2010, and just logged in to get a phone number.  I keep on getting the error described at https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/voice/3Dr8NcKDXVM/BcOq5VTdBQAJ.

 

I cannot link my US phone number because it's a VOIP (Vonage) phone number. I tried using my Thai mobile number, but it refuses to link a Thai number.  I'm sitting in Suvarnabhumi Airport waiting for my flights back to the US, so when I get there, I'll get a mobile phone working and use that.

 

Thanks for all your help!

 

 

 

 

[gentlemanjackdarby]

1 hour ago, Keith Bennett said:

 

The thing is, several Verizon reps said that the hotspot should work on foreign networks and couldn't for the life of them figure out why it wasn't.  They said they knew of many other Verizon phones that did do this.

 

 

I'd like to consider a Google phone, but would want to examine one in person before buying it.  Is that possible?  I think you have to just order it online on faith.

 

 

 

This intrigues me...I played with Google Voice a few years ago but didn't take it seriously.  I had an issue recently that it would have helped with -- the credit card attached to my Uber account expired, and I couldn't log in to Uber from Thailand because they required 2 factor authentication.  Neither worked for me; 1) text message didn't work because I had suspended my US mobile phone, and 2) email didn't work because Uber refuses to send these emails to Thailand.  So I had to open a new Uber account using a different email address.

 

I have had a Google Voice account since 2010, and just logged in to get a phone number.  I keep on getting the error described at https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/voice/3Dr8NcKDXVM/BcOq5VTdBQAJ.

 

I cannot link my US phone number because it's a VOIP (Vonage) phone number. I tried using my Thai mobile number, but it refuses to link a Thai number.  I'm sitting in Suvarnabhumi Airport waiting for my flights back to the US, so when I get there, I'll get a mobile phone working and use that.

 

Thanks for all your help!

 

 

 

 

It's not my intention to seem disrespectful regarding Verizon reps, but their training and knowledge is geared toward selling Verizon service, the hardware that Verizon sells, or supporting service and hardware and it would be unrealistic to expect otherwise. In my experience, each cellular network implements certain things a little differently so it takes digging and experimenting to figure out how to accomplish things that, on the surface, should be so simple, like international text messaging (SMS).

 

As for playing with a Google Nexus phone, I'd suggest stopping in to a T-Mobile store - that's what I do every now and then. They have been carrying Google hardware (at a much higher price), although after it's first available on the Google Store. The build quality on the Nexus 5 and 6 is a disappointment from the Nexus 4, which was my first smartphone, but it's about on par with phones in it's price range.

 

I've never been disappointed buying a phone from an online store - quite a few times I've been pleasantly surprised. The manufacturers with which I have hands-on experience (Google (Nexus), OnePlus, Huawei (Honor) and Asus) all build solid phones. Of course, at the price range at which I buy phones (no flagships), I get what I pay for - no cutting-edge screens or cameras, all-metal construction, etc. but I don't want it to be a thief magnet or such a big investment that if I lose it, break it, etc. I'm out a lot of money. 

 

If you are interested in learning more about how two deal with one-time PINS in general and how they work with GV, I participated and wrote most of a very long thread on another forum for Philippines Expats (my screen name is the same over there and it's a "clean" forum, so my  posts show up in Google Search) that lays it out in excruciating detail - as you can tell, the subjects to which I can currently contribute coupled with my writing style are not really forum-friendly. As I don't want to run afoul of the mods by posting a link to another forum, I can always PM a link if you're interested.

 

As for your GV error, GV won't allow the use of a forwarding number (such as a landline or cell number already used by GV) to get a new one.

 

As well, as I recall, you're currently in Thailand - awhile back, Google changed things so that one must be in the U.S. to set up GV.

 

And GV will not allow the use of a Voice-Over-IP (VOIP) number to sign up for GV - it must be a cellular number from one of the U.S. cell carriers or a landline plain-old-telephone system (POTS) number to sign up, so that leaves out Vonage, Skype, and "calling apps" such as NextPlus, Viber, etc. since those system use, for lack of a better term, "virtual" phone numbers.

 

I'd recommend getting GV properly set up when you're in the U.S. first - the cheapest way I can think to get that done is to buy a cheap, unlocked, GSM phone and a pre-paid SIM card with minimal load which will have a new number for the GV verification. Once GV is set up and verified, you can "attach" any of your existing U.S. numbers, such as landlines and cell numbers, to the new GV number.

 

 

Edited March 27, 2017 by gentlemanjackdarby

[mtls2005]

You have quite a few application requirements (VoWIFi, VoLTE, hot-spot, OTP SMS, VoIP, roaming), and it's challenging to understand which service providers might be best in the U.S. Obviously, if you want to stick with Verizon post-paid then one of their "global" phone models would work fine in Thailand (not sure about the hot-spot app).

 

Many/most phone models have multiple variants, geared for specific markets. For example T-Mobile's AWS band (1700x2100) is typically only supported in U.S. variants.

 

How much time do you spend in the U.S.? Outside the U.S.?

 

Which providers in the U.S. meet all your requirements (coverage, application, data)?

 

Most Thai-based people can get by in the U.S. for visits using a global variant, and pre-paid services from T-Mo or AT&T or one of their many MVNOs. I'm in this category; I use T-Mobile pre-paid for visits to the U.S.

 

Some U.S.-based people can get by in Thailand with an unlocked GSM-capable phone which can accept a SIM, all others just roam. T-Mobile does offer some pretty good int'l roaming options, which include data.

 

It may be that only you can define all your requirements, see where they overlap, and then possibly find a single phone which meets all your requirements.

 

You can port-in/out any number; for example you could port out your Verizon number to Google Voice or to T-Mobile.

 

You do need to register for a 10-digits Google Voice number while in the U.S. with a U.S. phone number, although there are some work-arounds if outside the U.S.

 

IME, Google Voice does NOT work for all OTP-SMS verification; this is because some bulk SMS providers do not support non-mobile number termination.

 

There are a lot of changes coming for Google Voice and Hangouts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 2, 2017 by mtls2005