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cell phones
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ishiii



Joined: 08 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2003 3:49 pm    Post subject: cell phones Reply with quote

Hey people.
Looking at getting a cell phone here in busan. I have found quite a few that have an english language option. Samsung motorala.
Does any one know if these phones can be taken back to Canada, and work?
If I can take it home then ill get a nice one, if not ill just go after the cheapest phone i can find.

Thanks much
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wormholes101



Joined: 11 Mar 2003

PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2003 11:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Korean cell-phones don't have Sim-cards and they won't even roam as far as I'm aware... They usually run on a CDMA system while most of the other countries in the world use GMS.

I doubt whether your phone will work when u go back to Canada but I could be wrong...

...anyone know for sure?


Last edited by wormholes101 on Thu May 22, 2003 3:41 pm; edited 1 time in total
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ishiii



Joined: 08 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Thu May 22, 2003 3:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the reply

Does any one have first hand experiance when it comes to this?
Thanks
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itchy



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Busan

PostPosted: Thu May 22, 2003 4:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

***

Last edited by itchy on Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:00 pm; edited 1 time in total
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mokpochica



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Location: Ann Arbor, MI

PostPosted: Thu May 22, 2003 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

itchy's experience would also be true for a Korean phone. I've heard that you could change some chip or component of the phone to make it work, but it's not worth it because of the expense.
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hellofaniceguy



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: On your computer screen!

PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2003 1:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Been there, done that. It won't work. Korea uses a different system. And vice versa. You will waste your money.
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ishiii



Joined: 08 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2003 6:58 am    Post subject: :( Reply with quote

thanks all
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merrilee



Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: South Korea

PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2003 1:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

similary question- if you're a foreigner and want a cell phone plan, do you have to pay the whole year in advance? Some of the teaching contracts I've been offered supply a cell phone but no landline. What do you think of this?
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napoleon8



Joined: 18 May 2003

PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2003 9:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What about the States? Will a cell phone that I buy in Korea work in the U.S.? I have seen Motorola phones here and I thought maybe they would work.
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jurassic5



Joined: 02 Apr 2003
Location: PA

PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2003 9:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Korea's cell phone system is CDMA. Korea uses a 800 and 1700mhz CDMA network. In the USA, Verizon is the only network that uses 800mhz. If one is to buy a phone in Korea and use it in the USA, you would have to get it rechipped and reprogrammed. There are some shops in K-towns that do this. For some more info, here is a link of some one who did this to his Korean Samsung phone.

Link

P.S. i guess the only other way to do do this, is keep your 011 account in Korea and then just pay the roaming charges that you incur in the USA. expensive, but another possible way to use a Korean cell phone. (btw, 011 has roaming agreements with Verizon, to allow Korean visitors to the USA to use Verizon's network.)
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Emma Clare



Joined: 24 May 2003
Location: Anseong, sung, song.

PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2003 12:46 pm    Post subject: Oh heck! Reply with quote

I have just forked out for a tri-band handset that is SIM free and open to all networks (Sony Ericsson T68i). I was told by Carphone Warehouse (UK) that I could then go out to Korea and use a Korean chip in my phone. Only, I've just read on here that they don't have SIM cards out in SK. Is this right?! I'm sure I read that they use GSM 900 and 1800 out there!

In that case, I guess I'll have to purchase yet another bloomin' phone when I get out there. Grrrrrr...
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jurassic5



Joined: 02 Apr 2003
Location: PA

PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2003 2:07 pm    Post subject: Re: Oh heck! Reply with quote

Emma Clare wrote:
I have just forked out for a tri-band handset that is SIM free and open to all networks (Sony Ericsson T68i). I was told by Carphone Warehouse (UK) that I could then go out to Korea and use a Korean chip in my phone. Only, I've just read on here that they don't have SIM cards out in SK. Is this right?! I'm sure I read that they use GSM 900 and 1800 out there!

In that case, I guess I'll have to purchase yet another bloomin' phone when I get out there. Grrrrrr...


emma, from what i know, korea is all CDMA. all the major phone companies are CDMA there, i am unaware of any GSM carriers in Korea. I would take it back to the dealer and get your money back. I guess they do tell the truth when they say "you could go to korea and use a Korean sim card."....it's just that there are no Korean sim cards available. Smile
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Emma Clare



Joined: 24 May 2003
Location: Anseong, sung, song.

PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2003 4:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nuts!

I actually purchased it privately through an online auction. Never mind, I guess I can still use it for the 4 months or so that I'm here!

Hang on! Couldn't I just get a UK chip and then somehow connect to networks out in SK? Sorry if I seem totally dense here!
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Emma Clare



Joined: 24 May 2003
Location: Anseong, sung, song.

PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2003 10:11 am    Post subject: All is not lost.... Reply with quote

Have spoken to a very nice person on here who assures me that Tri-band phones use satellite comms and that their Tri-band handset works perfectly fine using a BTcellnet SIM card out there.

Ta!
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jurassic5



Joined: 02 Apr 2003
Location: PA

PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2003 10:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

well thats good to hear....all i found from SK is the ability to use your SIM card in a special CDMA phone.

here's the link for the info from SK.

http://www.sktelecom.com/english/products_services/roaming_service/inbound_roaming/index.html
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