I'd go for a Nokia over an Ericsson, absolutely.

However, if you plan on using an American cell phone plan, I'd purchase the phone from the States. They have more or less the same models here, but the model numbers are different.

The thing is, I am not sure that America utilizes the GSM network. I think it's called something else, a slightly different technology. I think it utilizes the 1900 frequency, so at least roaming would work.

Also keep in mind that there are some US carriers and plans that insist you use their phones, in which the SIM cards are attached to the phone in a manner that they cannot be removed by the consumer. Therefore once you leave that carrier/plan behind, the phone is useless. It's not like in Europe where you buy the phone for like 300 dollars and then pick and drop carriers and plans at will.

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