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Flashpacker Guide to Packing a Laptop Backpack With Travel Gadgets

By Kathleen Crislip, About.com

4 of 10

4 - GSM World Phones With Wifi (Skype on the Way)

Eten Glofiish and T-Mobile Dash or Excalibur Cell Phones

Eten Glofiish and Excalibur Cell Phones

Glofiish photo courtesy Eten and Dash photo courtesy T-Mobile
Understanding why US cell phone carriers sell so few unlocked quad band GSM phones is for the more cynical to speculate upon. We just know we can't have the cool Skype phone in the US. In the meantime, we do have a few options for unlocked GSM quad band cell phones (learn why the phone must be unlocked) and we've learned to love Skype itself... and we could marry a little Wyoming cell phone company which sells unlocked quad band GSM cell phones (learn about quad-band). Some ideas:

Unlocked Razr

Yep, we love the Motorola Razr. You can find it unlocked in stores (cheap as ebay, too). [

  • Compare Prices Buy Unlocked Razr

    Other Music GSM Cell Phones

    • Nokia 5300 Xpress Music
      • Compare Prices
    • HTC Excalibur (ensure it's unlocked!)
      • Compare Prices

    2008 Unlocked GSM Quad Band Cell Phones

    Look for features you'll love, like built-in GPS and decent camera. Take a look at the Blackberry Pearl options -- super spendy, but we're liking the phone...

      Compare Prices All the 2008 Unlocked GSM Quad Band Cell Phones

    Also called "Qtek 9100" and "HTC Wizard," the iMate KJAM Mini is a tech wizard's dream cell phone. Overseas use only for now, though.

    Compare Prices The E-Ten Glofish 700 literally rocks with an FM tuner... and GPS gizmo in a phone? Oh, man.

    With any unlocked GSM phone, you'll need a SIM card -- you can get a prepaid SIM for another country before you leave the US, but it's a slight pain (as opposed to buying SIM cards overseas, where you can pick up new SIM's as easily as you can buy phone cards in the US). Learn more about SIM cards:

    And the Wyoming cell phone company we love so? It's called Union Wireless, and we will be loyal forever... if it works for you, grab an unlocked GSM phone from them. You've got a world phone -- now let's find some pockets to put it in, as in gadget travel clothing.

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