My experience with CDMA phones and Claro...
was that they indicated they are no longer activating CDMA phones, are slowly phasing out the ones they have on their network, and I was directed to VIVA. Don't know where you are, but I think it matters little as VIVA does not have the coverage area of Claro.
Orange is strictly GSM (think Sim chip). Not sure about Tricom (used to be CDMA), but I had such bad experiences with their service, or lack thereof, and coverage area, that I could not/would not recommend them.
GSM now seems to be the favored network in the DR, but that could change if Apple does start making a CDMA Iphone for Verizon (rumor has it that the CDMA Iphone for Verizon will be out in late January 2011 and that 50% of GSM Iphone customers at ATT/Tmobile could defect to Verizon (Verizon has far better coverage).
Unless and until that happens, the most popular phones these days, at least the dealers in the DR I ship phones to, continue to be the any versions of the Iphone and the Blackberry's.
For the foreseeable future, I will echo what has been said many times here before. Buy a quad band GSM phone and gift/sell the CDMA ones.
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
Ok I just brought back a LG VX8300 flip phone from the US (my mom's old phone). It does not appear to have a sim card slot. It is still possible to use it here with claro? I know it has to be unlocked.
Thanks
Bob K