If I buy a sim free phone and then move overseas does that mean I can then just but a sim card?

[notfarmingatthemo]

Looking at buying a phone in the near future for my dd, but we may move over seas so If I go for a unlocked or simfree they seam to be the same will it work in another country with a new sim?

yes. Unless its Japan or another country where our phones don't work at all.

There are different standards and different frequencies in different parts of the world. Most phones these days will be at least tri-band and will work in most countries, but not all, so you would have to check the suitability of the phone for the particular country you are visiting.

Should do. I've bought sim cards for my unlocked phone when abroad as it works out cheaper to make calls than paying roaming charges.

Be aware that in the UK phones use GSM, but in USA (and perhaps Canada) some networkd use CDMA, so it possibly depends on where you go, and which network you use too.

GSMarena shows (for the vast majority of phones) the frequency bands the phone can handle. UK uses 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz.

Think most of Europe same [back when Orange and one2one GSM phones came out, the networks/phones were popular with some business travellers as Germany, for example, already had cells using 1800 MHz, which Orange/T-Mob still use].

anyone know about New Zealand

From *> CNet geekzone.co.nz

A bit more hunting around and I see

a) Vodafone has bought TelstraClear in NZ (so one less network)

b) Telecom CDMA mobile network to be switched off at the end of July
Posted on 11-Jul-2012 14:23

The countdown is on for people on Telecom?s older CDMA network to switch mobile networks. Telecom announced over a year ago that the CDMA network would be closing on 31 July 2012.

(There is a small chance other networks use CDMA but UK uses GSM so you might not need anything else - overseas "PAYG" phones are sometimes much more costly because they are often "unlocked" and the customer doesn't get the benefit of a network-paid subsidy. In UK, getting a phone on Orange, etc, may mean it is heavily discounted at sale, but you are tied to the firm for their [costly] PAYG rates, 30p etc per minute for calls is not uncommon, and up to 50p to call another network in some cases, while Asda charges only 10p for landline or mobile calls.)

New Zealand seems to use the same GSM 900 and GSM 1800 bands as the UK. I don't expect any difficulties with my mobile in NZ. I will be getting NZ Telecom PAYG SIMs so I won't pay astronomical roaming charges.