[Touch Pro2, Tilt 2 Windows Mobile General] skyler17:
So basically I got fed-up with seeing so many questions about TP2 models and their supported frequencies.

I'm an American so most of this information is geared towards helping other Americans- but it may also be of use to people in other parts of the world.

If you aren't a big tech-wiz, READ THIS before you buy your Touch Pro 2.

Here is the low down:

There are two different prominent cell phone technology standards in the world today: GSM and CDMA.

Most of the world runs their 3G cellular networks on GSM. However some carriers such as Verizon, Sprint, Bell, and Telus work on CDMA.

GSM= Sim Card

CDMA= No sim card

-Note however that CDMA "world phones" have sim cards because they also include GSM tuners.

Here are the Mobile Telecommunications Standards that matter to you:

GENERATIONS:

1st Generation (1G):

~don't worry about it, only primitive cell phones operated on this standard.

2nd Generation (2G):

~here we go this is GSM!!! This is what matters

~this is also where current CDMA networks really started rolling out.

2.5G:

~EDGE, this is the GSM that you use if you aren't on 3G. EDGE is important, memorize the name!!!

3rd Generation 3G):

~now we are talking, UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). In Europe UMTS may also be called "W-CDMA" although it is GSM (sim cards!!!) This is 3G that the Iphone was named after. It is GSM.

~EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized), this is the 3G of CDMA. this has revisions such as EVDO rev "A" or "B" that can be considered 3.5G

3.5G:

~HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access)= HSDPA/HSUPA. The "D" in HSDPA stands for downlink, the additional "U" in HSUPA stands for uplink.

~ EV-DO revisions.

4G:

~LTE, blazing mobile broadband. This is GSM and what most of the world is migrating to, EVEN CDMA carriers.

~WiMAX. No sim card, because it is not a GSM technology. Think of it like Wi-Fi on steroids. Compare it to LTE like we can compare HSPA to EV-DO today. Understand WiMAX now?

Whew, now that we have all the standards explained, lets talk about what this means.....

DON'T BUY a phone and expect to get 3G on it UNLESS it SPECIFICALLY states that you can get 3G for your carrier on it.

Some common hints:

"European Version"= 3G for many carriers in Europe, EDGE everywhere else, nothing at all for CDMA.

"World Phone"= a CDMA phone that is also capable of GSM. Only capable of 3G (EV-DO) on the carrier that the phone is branded for. Will work on EDGE everywhere else for GSM carriers.

"US Version"= a GSM phone that works on AT&T's 3G network but NOT T-mobiles.

~~Phones that you buy from your carrier will work on your carrier's 3G bands. (Unless your carrier doesn't have 3G yet in your area)

JUST BECAUSE A PHONE SUPPORTS THE SAME BAND DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU CAN GET 3G ON IT.

MANY 3G BANDS ARE SHARED, BUT ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. This means that even though carriers such as T-Mobile and AT&T share bands, the phones that support 3G on each are not interchangeable with carriers. EDGE, on the other hand, works interchangeably.

Lastly, 3G support and other wireless standard compatibilities have nothing to do with the software of your phone. You will never find a magic ROM that will enable 3G on a carrier that does not support the phone. It is all HARDWARE DEPENDENT.

Questions?

Also if you need more information, read the posts after this one. There are lots of smart people on xda-developers. I'm sure some will write additional information, clarify, or even correct something that I wrote.