Can we unlock a locked Orange cell -phone
May 27th, 2008, 09:36 AM
#22
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Sagems are difficult to unlock. Quite a number of them can't be unlocked "illegally" at all. There are several disussions about international SIM cards here. I'd buy a cheap (900/1800 Mhz) unlocked dual band phone on ebay or some easy unlockable one like any Motorola.
May 27th, 2008, 09:52 AM
#23
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Those guys are the source for your Sagem needs. You have to decide, if it's worth it.
http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=526394
http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=526394
May 27th, 2008, 10:07 AM
#24
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You have to be careful with French sim cards...unlike the British ones their validity is not dependent on use.
When you top up an Orange FR PAYG sim, you top it up with time and money...at the end of the specified time those thieves steal your remaining credit and the sim card itself remains valid for a further six months during which time you can receive calls while in France and top it up...after the six months, they take the number back and you have to buy a new sim card.
Thus if you top up with a €10 voucher, you get that amount of credit for calls and 15 days to use it...at the end of the 15 days, any remaining credit is stolen from you and you then have six months either to top it up again or you lose the credit. For a €15 top up, I think it's one month....for €25 it's two months then you lose the remaining credit.
Most UK sim cards require a billable activity every 180 days or so to maintain validity.....
When you top up an Orange FR PAYG sim, you top it up with time and money...at the end of the specified time those thieves steal your remaining credit and the sim card itself remains valid for a further six months during which time you can receive calls while in France and top it up...after the six months, they take the number back and you have to buy a new sim card.
Thus if you top up with a €10 voucher, you get that amount of credit for calls and 15 days to use it...at the end of the 15 days, any remaining credit is stolen from you and you then have six months either to top it up again or you lose the credit. For a €15 top up, I think it's one month....for €25 it's two months then you lose the remaining credit.
Most UK sim cards require a billable activity every 180 days or so to maintain validity.....
May 27th, 2008, 10:20 AM
#25
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Well, the French SIMs aren't any better then US Sim's from T-Mobile or AT&T where the validity is one month, too. That's really a shame, but then when you buy on ebay, the SIM and credit for US cards cost less than the credit on that card allone.
So whenever I go to the US, it's a new SIM and a new number.
So whenever I go to the US, it's a new SIM and a new number.
May 27th, 2008, 11:40 AM
#27
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"World phone" is just a name, nothing more. You need a common GSM dualband (900/1800) phone which is unlocked. Ebay is a good source, you can try www.ebay.co.uk and www.ebay.de too. They have GOOD offers.
I'd buy an "international" http://www.yackiemobile.com/ card. It costs $49 with a credit of $49. Enough for a few trips.
If you're willing to deal with a german company, right now www.solomo.de is hard to beat! The card costs 20€ and comes with a 10€ calling credit. It has a very good sound quality, a german mobile number and calls are 0.10€ incoming in many (most) places of the world and 0.29€ outgoing. Cheaper if you are in Germany.
I'd buy an "international" http://www.yackiemobile.com/ card. It costs $49 with a credit of $49. Enough for a few trips.
If you're willing to deal with a german company, right now www.solomo.de is hard to beat! The card costs 20€ and comes with a 10€ calling credit. It has a very good sound quality, a german mobile number and calls are 0.10€ incoming in many (most) places of the world and 0.29€ outgoing. Cheaper if you are in Germany.
May 27th, 2008, 12:04 PM
#28
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OK- Please be patient with me. I'm just trying to understand. Both Seamus and XYZ123 suggetsted a tri or quad band, but Logo999 says that a dual band is OK. The phone will be used in Western Europe for the most part, but may follow our kids to Latin America or Asia. What bands do we need?
I looked at the site Logo999 suggested. It looks as if we get the International SIM card and use their number, incoming calls are free. Is that right?
When we were last in Italy and France, we bought calling cards at local tabacs. Calls to the US were extremely inexpensive. Can we use such cards with the International SIM card?
Again, thanks. I know this has been discussed before, but the Fodor search engine is not the easiest to use.
-M
I looked at the site Logo999 suggested. It looks as if we get the International SIM card and use their number, incoming calls are free. Is that right?
When we were last in Italy and France, we bought calling cards at local tabacs. Calls to the US were extremely inexpensive. Can we use such cards with the International SIM card?
Again, thanks. I know this has been discussed before, but the Fodor search engine is not the easiest to use.
-M
May 27th, 2008, 12:09 PM
#29
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>incoming calls are free.
Incoming calls are free in many countries only, if the caller dials an icelandic number, but you get a local US number at NO extra charge. When you're called under that number, you pay $0.29 per minute in many countries. With solomo, you pay 0.10€ for incoming per minute, but your callers have to dial a German mobile number.
Incoming calls are free in many countries only, if the caller dials an icelandic number, but you get a local US number at NO extra charge. When you're called under that number, you pay $0.29 per minute in many countries. With solomo, you pay 0.10€ for incoming per minute, but your callers have to dial a German mobile number.
May 27th, 2008, 12:13 PM
#30
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Dual band (900/1800) is what is used in most countries of the planet, except in north america and some south or central american countries.
The world uses a different standard than the US (are you surprised?)
There is no need to use calling cards with your mobile.
The world uses a different standard than the US (are you surprised?)
There is no need to use calling cards with your mobile.
May 27th, 2008, 12:17 PM
#31
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http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm-map-worldtimezone.gif
Pink is a common "European" dual-band (900/1800) country, orange is "american standard"
Pink is a common "European" dual-band (900/1800) country, orange is "american standard"
May 27th, 2008, 12:23 PM
#33
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Some phones can do 3 or 4 bands (tri or quad- band). Look at the bottom of the picture, each number is called a "band", so you have 4 bands altogether. But nobody would need 850 or 1900 in Europe or Asia, because it isn't used there.
May 27th, 2008, 12:40 PM
#34
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So, logo999, if I understand you -someone calling you in Italy from Italy, has to pay a fee because he has called an out of country number? So, let's say a restaurant or hotel calls you to confirm a reservation, they get charged a fee? Is that right?
When we have used calling cards, the price to the US was in the range of about 2-3 cents a minute- quite a bit cheaper than the ones quoted on both the number Italian SIM card and the International SIM card.
Again, thanks.
When we have used calling cards, the price to the US was in the range of about 2-3 cents a minute- quite a bit cheaper than the ones quoted on both the number Italian SIM card and the International SIM card.
Again, thanks.
May 27th, 2008, 12:43 PM
#35
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A dual band 900/1800 phone will work only in Europe. For best flexibility you really want to have a quad band phone that will work just about everywhere (except maybe Japan).
There are seemingly endless ways to handle mobile phone service as one travels, with a distinct trade off between ease/simplicity of use and cost.
If you travel infrequently, want the phone only for emergency use, and are with a GSM service in the US (AT&T, T-Mobile) with at least a triband phone, simply contact your carrier and ask them to activate international roaming.
Ask if they offer any sort of discount package for international roaming, and see if it is worth it to sign up for such a plan (e.g., AT&T is 5.99/month and reduces rate .30/minute. If you will make more than 20 minutes of calls it is worth considering.)
There are seemingly endless ways to handle mobile phone service as one travels, with a distinct trade off between ease/simplicity of use and cost.
If you travel infrequently, want the phone only for emergency use, and are with a GSM service in the US (AT&T, T-Mobile) with at least a triband phone, simply contact your carrier and ask them to activate international roaming.
Ask if they offer any sort of discount package for international roaming, and see if it is worth it to sign up for such a plan (e.g., AT&T is 5.99/month and reduces rate .30/minute. If you will make more than 20 minutes of calls it is worth considering.)
May 27th, 2008, 12:46 PM
#36
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>has to pay a fee because he has called an out of country number?
Calls aren't free in Italy, so yes, they either have to call a US number or an Icelandic number
.
And yes, mobiles are a lot more expensive than using common landlines. You pay for the convenience.
Calls aren't free in Italy, so yes, they either have to call a US number or an Icelandic number
.And yes, mobiles are a lot more expensive than using common landlines. You pay for the convenience.
May 27th, 2008, 12:48 PM
#37
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>will work only in Europe
NO, it works in EVERY area coloured purple in this map!
Which is about everywhere on planet earth with a few exceptions ;-)
http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm-map-worldtimezone.gif
NO, it works in EVERY area coloured purple in this map!
Which is about everywhere on planet earth with a few exceptions ;-)
http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm-map-worldtimezone.gif
May 27th, 2008, 01:02 PM
#38
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May 27th, 2008, 02:11 PM
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Well I muddled my way through the solomo web site....really I did thanks to some translation help from yahoo...however when it came time to try to have the sim card sent to me, apparently the only countries they will send sim cards are Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, Holland, Poland, Switzerland, Spain, Czech Republic, Austria...no England, no USA, no English speaking countries.
Oh well.
Oh well.
