I want a smartphone which has a big screen [old] and is across 3G and Telstra so that when the 4g comes In I can still use it. specs seem not to allow this?
- Network Band : GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, 3G 900 (Optus YesG/Vodafone), 3G 2100
- Recommended Networks : Optus 2G, Vodafone 2G, Telstra 2G, Optus 3G 900, Optus 3G 2100, Vodafone 3G 900, Vodafone/Three 3G 2100
- Sim Size : Dual SIM
- 3G : Yes
- Next G Compatible : No
- Telstra/Optus 4G Compatible : No
Confusing to newbie [me] it seems that this does not do telstra next G? but does 2100? and 850mhz? newbie i thought if it does 850/2100 it does next g telstra and that 2100 is the way to go if I want 3g only so far? and only much later move to 4g if ever.
I'm not sure which phone you're looking at, but here's the deal with carrier frequencies:
Almost all mobile phones currently sold are currently capable of accessing the old GSM (also known as '2G' or 'digital') network. This network is fine for voice calls and SMS, but data is very slow. These are listed in phone descriptions as GSM 850, GSM 900 etc. All of the Australian networks use similar frequencies for GSM, and most phones can work on any of these bands - so you can safely ignore them, they are not really relevant.
Most newer phones can also access the 3G networks. These often operate on the same frequencies as the GSM networks, but are entirely separate networks. The 3G network can be used for both voice calls and high speed data, and it's the important one for a good smartphone experience.
Here's the essential part - your phone needs to be able to send and receive on the correct bands. Many phones can only use 2 or 3 of them, and you need the right ones for your network. If you want to have full compatibility with all of the Australian 3G networks, your phone MUST have both the 3G 850 (Telstra NextG) and 3G 900 (Optus/Vodafone) bands.
(Bear in mind that 3G bands are sometimes referred to as 'WCDMA' or 'UMTS' so you might see them appear as UMTS 850 etc.)
Finally, the relatively new 4G networks are entirely separate again. The 4G network currently only allows very high speed data, but 4G phones can also access the 2G and 3G networks for voice calls. Both Optus and Telstra use the LTE 1800 band for 4G networks.
I hope that clears up any confusion.