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For those who keep asking about renting or where to buy a phone for Europe, Overstock has an unlocked, quad-band GSM for $55
http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/Motorola-L7-Black-GSM-Unlocked-Phone-Refurbished/3245973/product.html?token=146939-146939200911069511329-1-7d3891&track=emailcusts&cid=146939&fp=f
Pick up your sim card in any country and you're ready to go. No, this isn't an ad
dave
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Cheap Unlocked Phone
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cheap phones can also be purchased on ebay.com.
or in the country where you arrive.. in Spain for 19-29 euros, the pack has sim card, phone and 15-25 euros calling time on them. They are called "packs".
I assume they exist elsewhere.
>>or in the country where you arrive.. in Spain for 19-29 euros, the pack has sim card, phone and 15-25 euros calling time on them. They are called "packs".<<
Are they unlocked? The phone my daughter bought in Spain wasn't.
If you have TMobile and have been a customer for a certain amount of time, they will unlock your phone.
If you want to use them in another country, you must call the server BEFORE you leave for another country and your server opens your line so it can be used abroad.. if that is what "unlocked" means.
Unfortunately, perhaps this is not explained to people when they buy them.
Everyone I know that has bought one has not had a problem.
But I am curious, so I might try to find out directly from the servers about in which cases that is as you say.
Unlocked means you can use any sim card you want. You are not tied to one company. I am pretty happy with TMobile right now, but if I find a better deal somewhere else I can just use a different sim card, or like when we went to Europe we used local sim cards.
"Unlocked" simply means a type of phone that uses a SIM card that is not linked to any specific network. You may have a quad-band phone, but if it is locked to a specific network, then you can only use that network's plans, which can mean things like substantial roaming charges.
As an example, I've got an Irish Vodafone pre-paid, but because I have not purchased over 120 euros worth of time, they will not unlock it. I can use it anywhere, but I have to pay Vodafone IE's rates.
I have an unlocked tri-band T-Mobile Samsung that I can use any SIM card in and be able to get some very good rates, same with an old quad-band blackberry.
I bought a $50 Telestial phone a couple of years ago, and it has worked well during 3 trips to France. I "think" it is unlocked; I have never tried to use a different SIM card from the one that came with it. I just add minutes by calling their customer svc. It's not cheap to use but it's fine for necessary phone calls.
I also have the Telestial phone. There is no charge for incoming calls in Italy and France. So when I am in both countries, my husband calls me way too much. I don't know if the Sim card can be changed. I have never tried. I think the local card would give much better rates.
In that case.. I am not sure these phones are unlocked. Excuse any confusion I might have caused. But they CAN be used in most any country. But paying the roaming charges, of course.
Free incoming calls in country where purchased.
Any phone you buy from shops that do not sell contracts such as dell, overstock, etc., will be unlocked. If you are buying on ebay just make sure it's unlocked. Amazon, tiger direct, and even bestbuy are all major stores that carry unlocked phones.
mrcamp - that's not accurate. All of those places sell both locked and unlocked phones. If not clearly stated, the buyer needs to specifically ask before completing the purchase.