Is it possible to replace parts or adjust the circuitry of a GSM cell phone (850/1900MHz) originally designed for the USA in order for it to be used overseas where the operating band is 900/1800MHz ? How prohibitive or complicated could it be for an average electronics technician?
If it's not a feasible process, are there at least good uses for parts taken out of the unconvertible phones for use in an almost similar phone model? (ex. Nokia 3290 parts for Nokia 3210)
Thanks for any information!
Anything is possible. With enough surgery, Michael Jackson could be made to look exactly like Paris Hilton. But that would be very easy compared with changing a GSM phone into TDMA, CDMA, GPRS, EV-DO, or UMTS. The frequency differences are almost trivial compared with the modulation and signal protocol differences. Forget it. It may be possible to salvage the case or battery for some other project. If you're really good with a soldering iron, you might get a mic and a couple of audio transducers.
Contact your local Cingular store or dealer
I do not think any conversion is necessary. GSM is meant for Global communication. I have a Motorola tri-band (v60i) that I bought in USA and am currently using in India without any modifications.
However, you may want to check for Instrument locking by US service providers. They have to provide you with instrument unlocking code and information; otherwise, the local SIM card will not operate in your instrument.
Had this problem with Cingular and Cingular refused to provide the information. Had to use Local Motorola service to unlock my instrument.
g. beat wrote:
Cingular informed me that the only phones in their inventory that conformed to *worldwide* GSM standards were the Motorola Razers.
jak
The display might be interchangeable. If anyone has an external display for a Moto' V551, I trashed mine last week. The internal display works fine and functionality is not affected.
jak
That could be now.
To be fair to Cingular, I bought the phone instrument in an open store and not through Cingular inventory. I however, subscribed to Cingular service because Cingular was the only GSM based service provider in USA on the west coast. When I left USA, Cingular shied away from giving me the passcode that unlocks the instrument.
I was specifically looking for tri-band GSM phone at that time. The store recommended Motorola V60i then. I am still using the same phone instrument.
jakdedert wrote:
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