Tri-Band
Typically, a phone that supports a specific technology in three different radio frequency bands.
For example, some phones support tri-band WCDMA (3G), where the three bands are 850, 1700, and 1900 (all American bands.) Another example of tri-band WCDMA would be 850/1900/2100 (2100 is primarily a European/Asian band.)
Before 3G, tri-band meant a GSM phone that supported three of the four major GSM frequency bands, and would therefore work in most parts of the world, making it a "world phone". (Of the four major GSM frequency bands, 850 and 1900 are the two bands used in North America. 900 and 1800 are the most common bands in other parts of the world.)
See: Band
GSM phones that supported fewer bands (dual-band) were generally not "world phones".
Tri-band GSM phones were eventually replaced by quad-band GSM phones, once newer antenna and radio technology made it easy and affordable for nearly all GSM phones to be quad-band.
See: Dual-Band
See: Quad-Band
Last updated Oct 20, 2017 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
