Type of phone

[MickAlla]

What type of phone do i need to get an account?

[geopublic]

@MickAlla  Do you have a budget? Are you going to use it for calling, texting and data?

[computergeek541]

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@GR wrote:

@MickAlla  any phone from Canada which is unlocked or locked to telus /Koodo will most likely work! If you have a phone in mind you can check it at willmyphonework.net 

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Not quite any phone from Canada will work. I have one sitting in my desk that won't work at Public Mobile. Most current ones do.

[Korth]

Any phone sold by Telus/Koodo/Public, Bell/Virgin/Lucky, or Rogers/Fido/Chatr will support compatible radio hardware. Any phone sold by Shaw/Freedom will support compatible radio hardware - it's technically possible it only supports (Freedom-exclusive) Band 66, but this seems very unlikely. Any unlocked retail phone sold in Canada will also support compatible radio hardware. Unless the phones are too old (like maybe at least 5 years old, 2G-era stuff, which probably has no battery life left anyhow).

Most (if not all) phones purchased in USA will also support compatible radio hardware. Phones sold in foreign markets (purchased from Alibaba, Amazon, or eBay) might be hit-or-miss, best to confirm specs before purchase.

Most used devices will also work, unless they're just too old and obsolete (no longer compatible with any network in Canada).

The phone must be unlocked (not carrier-locked) to work on Public, although Telus-locked and Koodo-locked phones usually work.

The phone cannot he blacklisted - reported as lost/stolen/etc - on any of the GSM registries. 

[popping]

It will be easier if MickAlla sticks around to provide additional info after asking the question.

[stonechucker]

I've copied this from a Howard's Forum Post.  More detail for you.  This message is from a 2009 post at Howard's Forum, by our own @sheytoon .   Hope you don't mind me copying it here.

Telus uses the following bands for LTE: 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 17, 29 (DL only), but it really depends on your location.

Some bands are available more than others. Where are you located?

Band 4 (AWS) is the most widely deployed. It is referred to as 2100 internally by Telus staff, but it is called 1700 by people on these forums. This is done to avoid confusion with Band 1 (2100 MHz).

3G operates on 850 and 1900 (bands 5 and 2), but recently this spectrum is being re-farmed for LTE, so depending on your location, you may have it for LTE as well.

The device you listed could only work on Band 7 (2600) LTE if available in your area.

Hope that helps.

[cellphoneuser1]

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@MickAlla wrote:

What type of phone do i need to get an account?

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From @Dunkman 's message, you must have HSPA for phone calls. LTE is optional.

[Dunkman · Accepted solution]

@MickAlla 

If you are more tech savy, 

Public Mobile uses the following frequency bands:

• 4G LTE and LTE Advanced: 700 MHz, 850 MHz, 1900 MHz and 2100 MHz downlink and 1700 MHz uplink (AWS).
• HSPA: 850 MHz, 1900 MHz (UMTS).

[GR]

@MickAlla  any phone from Canada which is unlocked or locked to telus /Koodo will most likely work! If you have a phone in mind you can check it at willmyphonework.net