# How can I know if a smartphone purchased at Best Buy will work in Ecuador or Colombia? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 2015, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-know-if-a-smartphone-purchased-at-best-buy-will-work-in-ecuador-or-colombia/720644 "2015-05-23T10:27:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Clarence01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@Clarence01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clarence01)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-know-if-a-smartphone-purchased-at-best-buy-will-work-in-ecuador-or-colombia/720644/1 "2015-05-23T10:27:49Z")
How can I know if a smartphone purchased at Best Buy will work in Ecuador or Colombia? ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-know-if-a-smartphone-purchased-at-best-buy-will-work-in-ecuador-or-colombia/720644/2 "2015-05-23T12:07:22Z")
You want a phone that supports \*\*GSM \*\*- the worldwide standard. They will all have a slot for a SIM card. You can buy them (the SIM card) at most airports in South America. Or the world. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-know-if-a-smartphone-purchased-at-best-buy-will-work-in-ecuador-or-colombia/720644/3 "2015-05-23T12:21:13Z")
to add: I don’t know what Best Buy sells nowadays. I used to sell phones from Wal-mart. If there’s a choice, you want what’s called a “Tri-band” - 900/1800/1900MHz. Likely most are. The two phones (Samsung) I’ve bought in Russia in the last 5 years both are tri-band. And they work in the USA (lousy T-mob). ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-know-if-a-smartphone-purchased-at-best-buy-will-work-in-ecuador-or-colombia/720644/4 "2015-05-23T14:00:00Z")
(not sure if this terminology has crossed the pond) I always buy a phone that’s ‘unlocked’ or ‘sim free’, not tied to any one network, so I can use it overseas. Most decent phones can connect anywhere around the world, for example the **HTC Desire 820** can connect to 2G/ 2.5G – GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz 3G/3.5G – WCDMA: 850/900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps 4G - LTE: Bands 3,7,8, 20. Now I have no idea what all that means but it certainly is connectable, very cool and probably my next phone. Or, if you’re unable to find a phone that definitely works in Ecuador or Colombia, buy a cheap one out there. You might be able to use it when you come back, too. Probably best to go on an [Expat](http://www.expatforum.com/expats/) [Forum](http://britishexpats.com/) and ask expats in those countries for advice. Even if I _had_ been to either their network systems could’ve changed since. ---
**Author:** ![Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Last_Glacial_Maximum)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-know-if-a-smartphone-purchased-at-best-buy-will-work-in-ecuador-or-colombia/720644/5 "2015-05-23T23:15:52Z")
fwiw Clarence, My wife and kids were in Ecuador last Summer, and they only had simple Samsung touch screen phones. I just called Verizon and made sure they would work in Ecuador and they did. Also, it WAS much cheaper for my family to just text me as opposed to calling. The Verizon rate per minute between Ecuador/USA was prohibitive !:eek: . ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-know-if-a-smartphone-purchased-at-best-buy-will-work-in-ecuador-or-colombia/720644/6 "2015-05-24T02:05:44Z")
> [@Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](#): > > fwiw Clarence, > > Also, it WAS much cheaper for my family to just text me as opposed to calling. The Verizon rate per minute between Ecuador/USA was prohibitive !:eek: > > . There are lots of ways around that - wifi calling, Skype, a carrier that allows you either cheap international roaming (like T-Mobile) or lets you buy a package of roaming minutes…