Using a European (GSM) cell phone in the US
I have an HTC A9s. I could not find it on the US page of the manufacturer so I went to the UK page.
According to the specs, it does have the US frequencies:
Network4
2G/2.5G - GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
850/900/1800/1900 MHz
3G UMTS (#UL):
850/900/1900/2100 MHz
4G LTE (#UHL):
FDD: Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8,12, 17, 28
TDD: Bands 38, 40
4G LTE (#UL):
FDD: Bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20
Will I be able to use it in the US for calls and Internet?
Best Answer
In addition to the other answers:
Check the roaming charges for your provider/subscription. They can be extraordinarily high. The biggest issue is data, as your phone can use a lot of data without you even noticing or even doing anything actively on your phone (background updates of apps, e-mail...).
Providers often given data rates using units such as MB or even KB. 0.10 €/MB doesn't seem much, but when you use a few hundred MB per day, that easily adds up to hundreds. Some others will include calls and data for some destinations, but there may be a cap, or a threshold beyond which they start charging per MB.
If you decide you definitely want to be able to use voice & data while in the US:
- check that international roaming is enabled with your mobile provider. Some enable it by default, some don't. Some may require a deposit or something similar to enable it. It may vary depending on your contract.
- check for any relevant "add-ons" which may reduce your costs.
- check that your phone has roaming and/or data roaming enabled (the two settings may be in different places).
- monitor your usage.
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Quick Answer about "Using a European (GSM) cell phone in the US"
Can you use an EU phone in the US?
Unlocked handsets sold in Europe will likely work in the U.S., but only on GSM networks like T-Mobile, AT&T, Cricket Wireless and MetroPCS. CDMA carriers, including Verizon and Sprint, are mainly an anomaly on this side of the Atlantic \u2014 so overseas phones aren't built to support them.Will a international version cell phone work in the US?
Most international phones run off GSM technology. However, some devices are also known to have dual SIM's meaning they can read both GSM and CDMA technology. In the U.S., we have carriers that run off both GSM and CDMA, so your international phone should work on at least one network.Are European phones GSM?
SIM, GSM, and 5G Now GSM has conquered the world, and iPhones sold by AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Apple in the USA use the mobile phone technology found in Europe and most countries around the globe.Are GSM phones International?
Probably the most useful thing to know about the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) is that it is an international standard. If you travel in Europe and many other parts of the world, GSM is the only type of cellular service available.International sim card - Use your phone while traveling Europe
More answers regarding using a European (GSM) cell phone in the US
Answer 2
This is an excellent site I'd visited to figure out which SIM cards would work on my parents' Mi A1 phones in Canada - https://willmyphonework.net/.
If you are looking for roaming, it might be expensive. You are probably better off getting a US SIM (T-Mo, Ultra Mobile etc.) and using it for the duration of your stay. Your choice, of course, but just a suggestion.
Answer 3
yes your phone will work also in the US. Regarding internet: you should have the option for data roaming active, otherwise it will not connect to the data network.
Answer 4
Yes, GSM phones will work in the US, either on GSM carriers (at&t, T-Mobile) or their resellers (MetroPCS etc.) or MVNOs (Virgin Mobile, LycaMobile etc.)
To solve the dilemma of international roaming for call/text/data, get a dual-SIM GSM phone and install both a US and local SIM. These are common (OnePlus, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor etc.) Obviously, when you're in Europe, turn off data roaming on your US SIM (and restrict or disable bandwidth-hungry apps), and vice versa.
Btw T-Mobile postpaid allows cheap international roaming and free international texts in most foreign countries. As long as the T-Mobile postpaid account has been active domestically in the US for the preceding n [*] months, and the foreign usage does not exceed fraud threshold. [*] T-Mobile reps have quoted me numbers anything between 1-6 months.
Answer 5
Not all European GSM phones work in the US (regardless of the SIM card). In fact I tried to use one of my GSM flip phones (bought new in 2015) in New York and it just said "no network", it didn't even have the possibility for emergency calls.
Part of the relevant information is here on wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM_frequency_bands
Europe uses GSM 900 and 1800 ("dual band").
America (not only the US. Also Canada, South America, Central America) mostly uses GSM 850 and GSM 1900.
Smart phones are typically quad band phones. I assume the manufacturers don't want to bother with different models for different parts of the world, or nowadays, the possibility to use your smart phone everywhere is far more important than with "cheap" phones that could only text and phone - after all for these services you also need a decently priced plan, or might just be unavailable (time zone difference, vacation, …) or get a throw-away phone in the country you're visiting.
You already collected the relevant information about what GSM standards your phone can do, and in fact all relevant ones are covered.
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