tri-band phones from ... Nokia (8890)

The 8890 (which I've got) isn't tri-band, it's dual-band 900 and 1900. This means it works with US networks and some UK networks (Cellnet and Vodafone) but not with other (1800) UK networks. I believe all countries with 1800 networks have 900 networks too (it worked fine at Amersfoort).

It's a very nice phone, but the reception I got in the US recently was fairly poor compared with the v good reception I get in the UK. (I only got 2 out of 4 bars of signal in central New Orleans, and no reception at all at the youth hostel or airport. But perhaps the US network was just crap.)

I've seen the 8890 for £500 without contract. You typically can't just get it with-contract and ignore the contract, because you get a phone that's locked to a particular SIM (smartcard) precisely to stop people trying to save on the £500. Having said that, my 8890 from Cellphone Warehouse wasn't SIM-locked.

Peter