Mobilkanal Phone Guide

Australia is a straightforward place to buy a phone in many ways: prices include tax and consumer protections are strong. But there are a couple of local rules that catch people out, especially with imported phones. Some phones can be blocked from the networks altogether, and others simply do not get good coverage once you leave the city. This guide covers what is specific to buying a phone in Australia. 1. Make sure the phone can call Triple Zero With 3G switched off across the country, calls now travel over 4G using VoLTE. Australian networks are required to make sure phones on their networks can reach emergency services on 000, and phones that cannot do this over 4G can be blocked. This mostly affects older phones and some imported models that were never tested for Australian networks. Before you buy, especially second-hand or from overseas, check that the phone is supported for VoLTE and emergency calling on the network you plan to use. Each network publishes a way to check you...

Buying a phone in the United States works differently from most other countries. The price on the shelf is not the price you pay, the biggest "discounts" are tied to staying with one carrier for years, and a phone bought from a carrier may not work on another network straight away. This guide explains what is specific to the US market and what to check before you pay. 1. Sales tax is added at checkout US prices are shown before tax. Sales tax is added when you pay, and the rate depends on the state, and often the city or county, you buy in. A handful of states have no statewide sales tax at all. When you compare a US price with a price from the UK, Europe or India, where tax is already included, add the local sales tax first or the comparison will be off. 2. Understand bill credits before you sign up Many of the headline phone deals from carriers are paid as monthly bill credits over 24 or 36 months, not as an upfront discount. You pay for the phone in instalments, and...

India is one of the biggest smartphone markets in the world, and it has its own rules of the game. The same model name can hide a different chip or battery here, the network you use decides which 5G bands matter, and the paperwork you get at checkout matters later when you need warranty service or want to resell. This guide walks through what is different about buying a phone in India and the checks worth doing before you pay. 1. Start with your network, not the phone Four operators serve most of the country: Jio, Airtel, Vi (Vodafone Idea) and the state-owned BSNL. Jio and Airtel began rolling out 5G in October 2022 and now cover most large cities, but they built their networks differently: Jio runs standalone 5G, mainly on the n78 (3.5 GHz) band, with n28 (700 MHz) added for wider coverage and better indoor signal. Airtel runs non-standalone 5G, which leans on its 4G network, with n78 as the main 5G band. Vi has started 5G in selected cities, so coverage depends heavily on...