Cheapest worldwide phone?

[Deleted User]

I'm looking for a phone I can use abroad, particularly in Japan where they use W-CDMA instead of GPRS like we do. Phones like the Nokia N73 support W-CDMA but are expensive and hard to unlock.

Can anyone recommend a good, cheap phone that supports W-CDMA? Preferably with a basic camera but it's not essential. It needs to be either unlocked or easily unlockable so I can use a foreign sim.

Otherwise the only option is to rent one when I get there but it's expensive.

Sid_Harper

renting in japan is not expensive - try Global Rent A Phone when you come out into the airport foyer after security...

...I love the way it comes up as "GuRoBuRoRenTaFuOn" on my statement

Microstar_2

I got a cheap old Motorola 3G phone (A32 or something was the model number). Cost me about £25 off ebay (unlocked). Worked fine in Japan, HK, Switzerland, Germany etc. Its a bit bulky but does the job,

redux

other secondhand 3g phones - e.g. I have Motorola c975 & Nokia 7600

From what I've read, unless hiring, it seems virtually impossible for foreigners to get a prepaid Japanese SIM though, so if you take your own phone you might instead go for one of the global roaming SIMs

rjm2k1

Can't give you advice on a particular phone but if you are looking for an unlocked phone the best place to go seems to be CPW since hardly any of theirs are locked. Just double check with them before you buy that the one you want will not be locked.