Simplest mobile phone for use in Europe, USA, and Australia?

May 18, 2013 3:53 AM

I currently have a Samsung Guru E1081T. It is a very simple phone, and I can use it in Australia and Europe. However, it does not work in the USA. What is the simplest phone that uses SIM cards that I can use in all three places? No smartphones please; battery life is the paramount consideration. I don't care about features, apart from phone and texting.
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

Best answer: I don't have a recommendation for you (except perhaps that Nokia phones generally have excellent spectrum coverage for price), but GSM Arena's phone finder should be able to help you as you can select the spectrums you want and filter that way.
posted by smoke at 4:00 AM on May 18, 2013

Best answer: Something beginner in Nokia GSM range. Something like, now pulled, Nokia 1100 - the legend.
Don't look elsewhere.
posted by amar at 5:12 AM on May 18, 2013

The motorrola Razr V3i, the old clam shell design, will do all you ask and is still available new in europe for about €40. Great battery life and spare baateries are dirt cheap. It also has man sized buttons and an intelligent functioning predictive text.
posted by BenPens at 5:45 AM on May 18, 2013

Best answer: The 1xxx Nokias with ultra-high battery life (like the new 105) are dual-band: 900/1800 or 850/1900, depending on which region it's aimed at. The Nokia 100, on the other hand, is quad-band.

(The 301 is quad-band, has decent battery life, and isn't quite a smartphone; it's also not available yet.)
posted by holgate at 6:25 AM on May 18, 2013

Response by poster: Actually, I was looking at the Nokia 301. I can buy it here in the Netherlands, but I notice there's a dual sim version. I can't find the dual sim version for sale, though - just the single sim. If anyone knows how I can get the 301 dual sim in the Netherlands, that info would be greatly appreciated.
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike at 8:28 AM on May 18, 2013

Response by poster: I got a Nokia 206 dual sim.
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike at 4:52 AM on May 30, 2013