How we check whether a phone works
A phone has to do three things to be useful on a network: connect, make calls, and keep making calls as networks change. We check each one using facts we can source, then apply the same rules to every phone.
The facts
- The phone: whether it supports 2G, which 4G bands it uses (for the version sold in your country), and whether it supports 4G calling (VoLTE). These come from manufacturer spec sheets first, then trusted spec databases.
- The network: whether its 2G network is still on, which 4G bands it uses, and whether it enables 4G calling on phones it didn't sell itself.
- Reports: manufacturer compatibility notes, network statements and credible user reports about a specific phone on a specific network.
We use AI to help pull facts out of spec sheets and pages, but a fact only goes on the site with a source link, and the verdict is worked out by fixed rules, not by AI.
The verdicts
- Works
- The phone can make calls over 4G on this network. It won't be affected when 2G is switched off.
- Works (on 2G)
- Calls and texts work today using the network's 2G service. When the network switches 2G off, this phone will need 4G calling to keep working.
- Not confirmed
- We can't confirm the phone makes calls on this network: usually because the network needs 4G calling and only enables it on phones it has approved, and we haven't confirmed this one. We'd rather say that than guess, so we don't recommend it for that network, and we don't ask you to check for us.
- Problems reported
- We've found credible reports of the phone not working on this network.
- Won't make calls
- Based on its specs, the phone can't make calls on this network.
When you pick your network, we only show phones that work on it ("Works" or "Works (on 2G)"). The others are left out, and we tell you how many.
Smaller networks
Smaller networks run on one of the big networks and share its masts, so 2G and 4G band checks follow the host. 4G calling can still differ between a smaller network and its host, so we track it separately where we can.