Q: What does "Unlocked" mean?

A: When you purchase a phone domestically from a service provider such as Cingular or T-mobile, the phone is going to be "locked" into their service. This means that the phone will reject other SIM cards from other providers. At WirelessToysOnline,  we offer a solution, we provide unlocked phones direct from the manufacture that are compatible with any GSM provider, any where in the world.

Q: What does GSM mean?

A: GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) is simply put the standard network used by the vast majority of the cellular world. There are four major frequencies used in GSM, 850/900/1800/1900MHz these frequencies are broken up regionally, for example Europe uses 900/1800 MHZ where the Americas use 850/1900Mhz. The GSM "open" style system allows for unparalleled freedom for communication while traveling internationally, something the domestic market has yet embrace.

Q: How do I know if my service provider uses GSM service?

A: The two largest GSM service providers in the US are AT&T Cingular and T-Mobile.  There are a few regional carriers in the US also like SunCom and Cellular One.  Please contact your service provider to verfiy.

Q: What if I have Verizon or Sprint?

A: Unfortunately, these providers use CDMA technology which is not compatible with GSM. Therefore it is not possible to use any of the unlocked GSM phones on our site.

Other regional providers who also use CDMA technology and are not compatible with GSM are Alltel, Metro PCS and Cricket.

Q: How will an Unlocked GSM phone benefit me?

Providing freedom and options! The domestic market is set-up in a way where the providers have the upper hand, with an unlocked phone the consumer gains the advantage. The use of an unlocked phone carries supreme advantage for international travelers, they are able to use their phone with their domestic provider and concurrently while traveling internationally use the local service via prepaid SIM cards at the country you are visiting (this generally saves the consumer around a whole dollar per minute) Basically, unlocked phones give you options, something domestic providers would rather not supply.

Q: What does Quadband and Triband mean?

As you can imagine these refer to the amount of bands (frequencies) the phone is compatible with. A Quad-band phone carries all the major GSM frequencies (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) so it will have complete compatibility on any GSM Network. Tri-band lacks one frequency this would be either the 850Mhz or the 900Mhz, this would be more suited for regional use, such as a phone that is to be only used while traveling in Europe you may want a Tri-band with 900/1800/1900Mhz as you will have full compatibility in that region and limited domestic service. On the flip side, if you were using the phone primarily domestically you may look for a Tri-band with 850/1800/1900Mhz, which is much harder to find than the Tri-band European frequency primary phones. As you may have deducted, a Quad-band is the safest bet for unlimited compatibility.

IMPORTANT: Please note if you are looking to purchase a tri-band phone, please contact your local service provider to verify frequency compatibility in your area.  An example is AT&T Cingular uses 850Mhz in certain areas.  Purchasing a tri-band phone without 850Mhz will give you limited or no service in your area.

Q: What do I need to do to setup service?

A: If you already have service with GSM provider you can simply transfer the SIM card to your new phone; once you power it on, it is ready to call. (If you save your contacts to the SIM card, your address book will also transfer to the new phone. "Save address book to SIM" is an option on most phones.) If you need to setup new service you can visit a Cingular or T-Mobile store, purchase a SIM card, and sign up for their prepaid or monthly plan.

Q: Will mobile internet service work on these phones?

A: Absolutely, but you will have to manually input the settings into your unlocked GSM phone.  Below are the settings for AT&T Cingular and T-Mobile.  If you have a different GSM provider, please "google" for these settings.

Please note that if you purchase an unlocked GSM phone, your service provider may not offer you support if the same model is not carried by them.

GPRS Settings:
Primary IP address:

 216.155.165.050
Port: 8080
Secondary IP address:

 Blank
APN name: 

 wap.voicestream.com 

Data bearer:

 GPRS
Profile name:

 GPRS
Username:

 Blank

Bearer: 

Data
Home page: 

 http://wap.myvoicestream.com/

MMS Settings:
WAP GW IP: 216.155.165.050
APN: wap.voicestream.com
Messaging Server: http://216.155.174.84/servlets/mms
Data Mode: Connection Oriented

 

GPRS Settings:
Settings Name: Cingular Wireless Internet Express
Home Page: http://device:home or http://device.home
Session Mode: Permanent
Connection Security: On
APN: wap.cingular (lower case)
PDP_Type: IP
Gateway IP Address: 66.209.11.61
Port: 9201
Authentication Type: Secure
Login Type: Automatic
User Name: mailto:WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM       (All upper case)
Password: CINGULAR1                                          (All upper case)

MMS Settings:
Service Name: MMS
Server Name (mmsc): http://mmsc.cingular.com
Web Session Name: MMS

 

Q: What about video calling?

A: Although many of the latest phones advertise video calling capability, at this time video calling is not possible in the US. This feature will probably not be available until early 2007.

Q: Are all your phones brand new or refurbished?

A: All of our products are brand-new factory unlocked phones. We have developed strong relationships with many of the manufactures directly, as well as the worlds most respected vendors, thus we are able to ensure that the product you receive will be of the most supreme quality. For the safety of our clients, we do not deal in refurbished phones at all nor do we restock returned items.

There are many sites out there selling refurbished phones as new but sometimes it is nearly impossible to tell.  An easy way to tell right away is to check if the phone has an IMIE number located behind the battery.  If it does, verify if it matches the IMIE on the retail box.

Q: Does the phone come with a sim card?

A: No.  Just insert your current sim card and you are good to go.

Q: Do these phones come with a warranty?

A: All of our phones include a one year manufacturer's warranty. Please note that if your phone breaks down after our DOA/Defective period you will have to go thru the manufacturer for warranty covered issues.

The vast majority of unlocked phones being sold on our site were never meant to be used in the US. Because of this, the manufacturer may require you to ship your product to their overseas repair center.

If an unlocked phone comes with a US warranty, it will clearly be stated on the product page.