The Cell Phone Mysteries, What Are Dual Band, Tri Band And Quad Band Cell Phones And Where Will They Work? ( Part 2)
The world of the mobile phone is a confusing one these days and few things can be as frustrating for people wondering how to start a cell phone business than trying to work out which GSM band will work where and whether they need phones with multiple cell phone bands. Here’s a quick look at GSM frequencies and how they work on cell phones. This is part two of a two-part blog series.
Curious about where different GSM frequencies will work? Here’s a GSM map to show which GSM frequency works where and to help you make sure that your cell phone is compatable with your region.
Interested in learning the background behind GSM and seeing how the GSM standart actually came about? Check out part one of this blog.
Why do GSM phones have more than one band?
GSM Phones come with more than one band so that they will work in more than one country as there is more than one GSM frequency and they are not universally transmitted.
As a result, wholesale cellphone manufacturers make GSM and GPRS phones with multiple cell phone bands so that they can work in multiple countries. Most cell phones work on two, three or even four bands. Quad band phones are the most flexible as they can be used all over the world and are often called international phones as a result.
How are multiple band phones defined and where will they work?
Multiple band phones are usually defined by how many GSM frequencies they can operate on and usually come in four different categories, dual band, tri band and quad band. If thinking about how to start a cell phone business it is important to remember the different type of bands as it could mean the difference between your customer getting a high performance phone that they’re happy with and can and them getting a shiny and costly paperweight.
dual band phones like the Small Swivel Screen Cell Phone and Elegant Flip Cell Phone come in all shapes and sizes and will be more economical than similar phones which work on four GSM frequencies.
Dual band phone works with two GSM frequencies and, depending on where the phone is made will probably work for the frequencies 900MHz and 1800MHz. These phones are usually less expensive than other types of cell phone and it can be a good way to get a cheap cell phone that will still send SMS, MMS and act as a WAP cell phone.
Tri band phones like the tri band cellphone watch are a safer option for people wondering how to start a cell phone business online as they are more likely to cover the cell phone frequencies used by most people around the world.
The tri band phone runs on three frequencies and can be used in most countries. This unlocked GSM cell phone is a cheaper option than the quad band phone but safer than a dual band phone.
quad band phones like the quad band touchscreen cell phone and the quad band mobile phone make great phones to start with if you’re looking to start a mobile phone business as they’re going to work all over the world.
Quad band phones, or international phones as they are sometimes called, use four bands and can be used anywhere in the world. If you are looking to start a mobile phone business and you wonder what is an unlocked phone guaranteed to sell well and give you the least trouble with customers it will probably be this type of cellphone.
What Are The GSM Frequencies?
Almost all of the world works on the frequencies 850Mhz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900Mhz and in some rare circumstances 400MHz although there are some other frequencies in other locations.
Thankfully too areas where each frequencies work is fairly easy to define in the very general sense (although it always pays to check). So when you’re looking for what areas a cellular phone will work in you should be able to follow a rough guide.
So which areas use GSM 900 and 1800 MHZ signals and which areas use the GSM 850Mhz and 1900MHz frequencies can usually be broken into two groups.
Phones like this colorfun cell phone will work on the 900MHz and 1800MHz GSM Frequencies.
If you are traveling in with your cell phone in Oceania, Africa, Europe, Asia (except for Japan and Korea), the Middle East, Brazil and the Baltic region and looking for roaming networks then mobile network coverage will be either 900MHz, 1800MHz or 900MHz and 1800MHz.
If you are looking for a GSM world phone that will work in the US or South America then you’re better sticking with a wireless cell phone that’ll work on the 850Mhz and 1900MHz bands.
Will different frequencies work in different areas?
With the majority of the GSM world being broken into two main groups (those that take Most of the GSM world is roughly broken up into four main frequencies 900MHz and/or 1800MHz and 850Mhz and/or 1900MHz most unlocked GSM phones will work on one, two or three of the GSM frequencies around the world giving you some level of international roaming on an unlocked phone.
However, you possibly won’t get any joy if for example you take a dual band phone designed for Europe and Asia and then try to use that bluetooth phone in the US.
How can I check if a phone will work in a particular area?
There are two ways to check if a phone will work in a particular area; the first is to get the phone band, which can usually be found on the product description.
If you’re working through how to start a cell phone business and considering phones to stock, it doesn’t matter if you’re thinking about a multimedia mobile, WAP phone or GSM watch phone, the process should be the same. If you are sourcing cell phones from a wholesale supplier or wholesale dropship vendor put the ball into their court. They should have that information on their website or product advertising material for the unlocked cell phone.
Once you’ve got the GSM frequency the GSM phone worked on you can make sure it will work in your area.
If you are looking for a cellphone for yourself this could be as easy as calling your local service provider, or looking it up on sites like GSMworld dot com or worldtimezones dot com.
If you are wondering how to start a cell phone business then your best course of action is to list the frequencies on the description for the GSM cell phone, along with the phone’s other features (like if it is a music phone or it has a good cell phone camera) and tell the person who wants to buy unlocked cell phones from you which parts of the world it will probably work in.
So it looks like cell phone bands and GSM frequencies aren’t that scary after. It’s just a case of knowing where to look and ensuring you’ve got the right phone for the right location.
Want to learn more about how to start a cell phone business in particular or GSM frequencies in general? Check out these great resources:
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