Gift phone to be used in Russia?

[viking]

I want to buy an inexpensive mobile phone that can be used in Russia, Belarus specifically. I know that the only phones here that use a sim card are from ATT. Can anyone recommend a decent phone that will use the technology over there? My ATT Nokia VU works great there, but that is a bit expensive for this gift. Also do I need a phone that will use all the different frequencies over the their GSM network? Advice? I want to buy it here as it seems to be less expensive than over there.

[Rina_G]

It seems to me it's cheeper for you  to buy phone in belarus or Russia/
simcard easy to bye russian - it works in Belarus too
Mobil operate - Beeline, Megafon, MTS - all have FSU rowming

[Phil dAmore]

Buy one there.  You can get a basic Nokia for around 1,000 rubles or so, less if you buy used and it will have Russian language support, something that is not found in even the highest-level U.S. phones  


All of the phones in Europe use the GSM (SIM) system and many carriers are giving away cards now to draw in subscribers.  You get a local phone number with no roaming charges and the cost of operation will be WAY cheaper because as it is with most of the rest of the world (except the U.S. and Canada) incoming calls no matter where they originate from are free.