Phone and other Electronics

[Tashinwdw]

Hi just wanted to confirm something...

My daughter wants to buy a phone while over in the US but I am sure that once she is back here she will not be able to use that phone with australian carriers. (I know the electric charger will be different) Is that correct?

Also my other DD wants to buy a Laptop while there. Besides the charger will that be ok?

My BIL gave my son a phone he got in Dubai and it works fine but I was not sure how it works with electronics from the US.

Thanks

 

[losfp]

Definitely check to make sure that the phone you are getting is paid outright, and not on a contract. Also check the individual model to make sure that it can exist with the mobile networks where you are. As long as the phone works with the frequencies used by the Aussie carriers (check this page http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/mobile_phone_frequencies ), and the phone is not locked to a USA network, you should be ok. Most of the electronics chargers out there nowadays will happily work anywhere - check the side for the requirements... USA power is 110/60 and ours is 240/50 and a lot of them have something like 100-240v, 50-60Hz, which means it will accept either.

Laptops same sort of deal but because you don't have to worry about the frequencies or locking, all you need to check is that the charger will work with 240/50

 

[Sugarglider]

that link from losfp is great.

Personally, I would hesitate on buying a phone in the US - the chargers tend to be multi-voltage these days - or my samsung cable has a USB plug I charge through my computer and can buy a range of plugs for different countries.
But as losfp points out the US phones operate mostly on different frequencies than Australia (or on a completely different system - CDMA - which doesn't operate here). I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 and find that it didn't work at full speed over there - I assumed that I would get 4G over there but no ... cause my phone was built to tune to different frequencies. I worked but wasn't as good as the phone can achieve.
I know plenty of people who have laptops purchased in the USA - again with variable voltage power cables - and those have worked fine.

 

[PrincessInOz]

We've bought phones from the US in the past and they have worked for us in Australia. But then, we've made sure that they were unlocked and had the appropriate 850/1900/2100 bands before we purchased them. And that was in the past. With the 3G/4G technology, you'll want to be sure you have handsets tuned in to operate at the appropriate band widths.

Having said that. The only reason I would buy a phone from the US is for a smart phone....and only if the price was right. With a higher exchange rate, the savings is less significant. But really, with some of the smart phones being so flaky, I'd rather pay the extra dollars and having the comfort of being able to walk into a store for the warranty should anything go wrong.

 

[orion2185]

Just make sure you check the model of iPhone you are buying.
I'm American that recently just moved to Australia and have looked into this quite a bit.


FYI if your looking for a new iPhone with LTE (4g) capabilities....apple USA does NOT sell a us model that will work in Australia on a 4g network
Yes everything will still function and work in Aus...you just won't get the fast 4g speed if your network offers it
Not a huge deal...but to some who want access to the fastest network speed...it will matter

As apple USA only sells one model of an "unlocked" contract free LTE capable iPhone
Which does not work on Australia LTE networks.

You can check what iPhone models work where on LTE networks at the link below
http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

Side note new iPhones are to be released in the coming months. Just know from past experience apple USA does not sell the unlocked contract free phones until many months or a year after they have been on the market. As their deals with USA phone networks has prevented them to do so in the past.
But you never know...apple might release the new phone and sell a contract free unlocked phone want first release. Just make sure it's unlocked before you buy

 

[zanzibar138]

I'm not sure about the logistics of it all, but I have never bought any high end electronics overseas just because of the warranty thing. As PIO says, if anything goes wrong, I want to be able to walk into a store and get it fixed. Warranty issues can be hard enough to get sorted out as it is, without having to deal with overseas companies.

I probably stick to the safe side far more than is necessary though

 

[ssour]

I would head over having a really good knowledge of the prices available here. I know Apple products aren't usually worth the trouble, the saving is minimal if anything. If Apple products are what they're after they do have a duty free shop at Sydney Airport (can't comment on other airports). Only a slim saving but Apple products aren't normally discounted so better than nothing. Purchasing these will also likely take up all of their duty free allowance. I know many people bend the truth on their declarations when they come back to Oz but of you're not comfortable doing that you may be up for paying GST anyway.

 

[Tashinwdw]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I will definetly get her to research her options and take the information with her to ensure that if she does purchase one there it is the correct one.

She doesnt spend that much time on the internet on her phone (yes a strange 15 year old - dd14 puts her to shame) so having it a bit slow might not be a problem for her but then again it might change in the next few years.