An interesting subject. I recently bought a Nokia 6103 to replace a lost mobile and my service provider o2 sent me a new SIM card with an outstanding credit balance. I can make phone calls and send text messages, BUT o2 say that the 6103 is not one of their range and they cannot activate GPRS for me (needed for media messaging and accessing the internet). So the message is - make sure that whatever phone you buy is compatible with your intended service provider, or it may not do do all the things you are hoping for. Good luck.