calling under a moonlit sky.. oh brazil

March 3, 2010 9:00 AM

will i be able to use an android-phone in brazil?

i'm in the process of buying a new smartphone, likely an android, on verizon for use here in the US. however i'm planning on going to brazil in august for at least 6 months; i want to be able to use my phone there in some capacity. so, my questions:

1. is there any kind of 3G network in brazil on which i can use the full 3g capacities of my phone? I've heard of TIM but i'm not sure if its the same network as verizon
2. if i cant use the 3g internet, can i at least use wireless internet there? i assume so, in this instance its like a wireless, correct?
3. can i use my phone there, or things like truephone?

any personal stories or links in english would be appreciated! i get confused by the multiple standards across different countries....

posted by yonation to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

Brazil is a GSM country, so you need to be looking at phones that work on the 850, 900 and 1800Mhz bands. In the US, T-Mobile and AT&T use GSM technology. Not all phones work on all frequencies, but a lot of smart phones have pretty broad coverage. The iPhone, for example, works on the following:

UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
posted by Oktober at 9:13 AM on March 3, 2010

Response by poster: Oktober, can you just clarify (or others as well) the process? If I had a GSM phone, I would be able to go to Brasil, purchase a SIM and put it in my android, and it would give me internet access? or is there an unlocking etc procedure?
posted by yonation at 9:15 AM on March 3, 2010

It depends on the phone, the carrier, your contract, etc. In general yes, an android phone will work, but may need to be unlocked, and depending on which frequencies it supports (based on the carrier) you may or may not have 3g access.
posted by blue_beetle at 9:17 AM on March 3, 2010

You would have to unlock the phone first, which after a certain period of time T-Mobile will do for you over the phone if you tell them you are going to be spending time abroad.

Whether your smart phone's features would actually work on a Brazilian network beyond just making calls is questionable.
posted by BobbyDigital at 9:17 AM on March 3, 2010

Wifi should work without a problem, but 3g and making phone calls would be a little bit trickier.

When I arrived in Brazil with my Verizon phone, I received a text message with instructions on how to make calls back to the US, but wasn't able to get it to work; I just ended up using the internet for communication back home, or local Brazilian phones for phone calls.

Is there a reason you don't want to buy a cheap phone for use in Brazil and put your Droid in wifi-only mode (or in cold storage) while you're away?
posted by jozxyqk at 9:26 AM on March 3, 2010

Response by poster: there's no reason i can't store my phone, per se; its more that i like the idea of being frugal and practical about my purchases: if i wouldn't get an android phone, i was thinking of getting a netbook and waiting until i return to get the 4th or 5th gen of smartphones that will be out in 2011...
posted by yonation at 9:31 AM on March 3, 2010