world phone?

A "world phone" sounds like one of two things. Either a GSM cell phone with tri or quad bands which would allow it to function in most countries around the world with the appropriate SIM card. The alternate and less likely scenario is that the "world phone" is a satellite phone which doesn't need a SIM, but functions off of the same (or similar) satellites that GPS systems use. This is unlikely as these are quite a bit more expensive to buy and to use.

Ask them to tell you exactly what brand of phone they are offering and do some research online. Good luck in your travels.

Sara, the term "world phone" seems to be commonly used to denote a GSM phone handset (regardless of manufacturer) that will operate in both North America as well as Europe and the rest of the world. Any quad-band GSM phone can normally be used, although it's important that the handset be "SIM unlocked". Cell networks often "lock" the handsets so they'll only accept a SIM card from their network (this tends to prevent customers from switching to another network). Handsets can usually be unlocked fairly easily, depending on model.

It would help to know the model and specifications of the phones you're looking at? Note that quad-band, unlocked GSM Phones are also listed on E-Bay. One point to mention is that if you buy a phone that was configured for a certain network, you may have difficulty with some advanced features (such as web browsing) as the URL's and other parameters of the phone will have been programmed for that network. However, if you're just making voice calls or using text, it should work fine.

Good luck!

Sara, get the make/model of the phone and look at the specs. As Ken and Eric said, if its a quad phone, you'll have no problem.

I have a Blackberry "World Phone" from Verizon. All I need for Europe are the specialized SIM cards that go into a small housing on the back of the phone.