Last Mobal Phone Question, please dont kill me
 

OK, the phone was charging all night so I can use it as soon as I arrive in Europe on Sunday.

Is anything supposed to come onto the screen now? I have pushed all the buttons and nothing happens. Is this becuase the phone does not work in the US, not even a "welcome" screen? Or am I doing something wrong?

I am sorry to be such a dummy about this, I can hardly work my own cell phone and now I have two!

That doesn't sound good. You should get a display no matter what.

Are you certain the battery is charged? With the charger plugged in, do you see a red light on the phone?

Does the SIM they provided have to be installed..?

I don't get a welcome screen, but I do see the battery indicator lit on the right side of the screen.

Hold the ON button down for a few seconds, it's not a push down and it powers on, you have to give it second.

Hi vivi,

You have to hold the power switch (the black bar on the top of the phone) down for about 2 sec.

The screen should light up and you will see two hands clasping.

((I))

OK, my 14 year old neighbor got it turned on, I guess I will have to take him on the trip. Thank you so much for your patience regarding my cell phone stupidity.

I promise a huge trip report when I return.

Post the secret here so that the next person will know what to do.

Ira and Carol posted the secret: The bar has to be held down for several seconds, not just briefly pushed. If my neighbor or you guys hadn't tole me that I would have carried the phone thru Europe and cursed its uselessness.

Yes, but we didn't KNOW that, did we? See how that works?

On page 12 of the Nokia manual I got with my Mobal phone, it says that to turn on the phone, "Press and hold the [power] key for a second."

Excuse me, but I thought you had RTFM.

Ira: Do we need a phone? Does it make sense to buy a phone prior to leaving the USA? I was going to buy a telephone card at a magazine stand and check in with my e-mail periodically. If you think a telephone card (sim?) makes sense I really need to move on it...we leave next Sunday!

almans...

It's probably a little late to deal with here but you can certainly deal with it upon arrival in Europe...

Do you need a mobile phone? Well let me put it this way, you will find that just like in the US, pay phones are becoming scarcer and scarcer and scarcer due to the proliferation of mobile phones (it almost seems that every person I see in England and France older than 9 years old has a mobile phone)...many hotels still charge an arm and a leg even if you use a phone card (well maybe only an arm) from the room...you are out and meet somebody who suggests a nice restaurant; you consult your guide book and find the phone number of the restaurant...isn't it great to be able to call to make a reservation? I don't know if you're driving, I didn't read through the entire thread only your last post but I wouldn't dream of getting into a car in the year 2005 without a mobile phone if god forbid...somebody has to reach youfor god forbid who knows what..isn't it great to know you're instantly reachable 24/7?

It is like everything else...2005 technology has changed our entire outlook on things...I know since I have been using mobile phones in Europe I can't conceive what it was like without one.

My advice at this stage..wait till you arrive and go into a mobile phone store and buy the cheapest gsm phone they sell along with a prepaid sim. Then you can e mail your friends your mobile number, buy a local telephone card so that your calls back to North America are inexpensive (many mobile companies charge high rates to call out of the country) or read through some of the posts and make other decisions.

Dear xyz123,
Thank you! I will proceed with your advice. I will attempt to buy a telephone here and see if it is indeed possible to get a telephone going before we leave. You are correct - a telephone will make things easier.

Hi almans,

If you want a phone for emergencies only, I suggest the Mobal for $49.

If you plan to actually use the phone, I suggest that you get one on arrival, as xyz says.

Search for "mobile phone"on this forum for all you will ever need to know.

Dear All,
I ended up buying a phone from Telestial 1-858-274-2686 I even got a discount because I mentioned Fodor's. I will own the phone (my mother goes to Europe 2x/yr) - I got the SimCard (the telephone#for the phone) - I will be using the "Return Call" service which will cost about 47cents/min for outbound calls - calls coming in are free even from the USA. I will buy time in the Tabbacis (anywhere you buy a newspaper) and the in Italy cost will be about 16cents/min and to the USA (if I don't use the return call feature) will be about 60cents. They were most helpful! I did also look at a rental - this made more sense for my needs. I hope this helps.

If you used telestial, while it might seem convenient for you, you will be paying twice as much or three times as much as you need to. Their prices are obscenely high...it is far far far cheaper to get the sim after arrival (I know having the number can be important, but that's what e mail is for) and there are better call back services which charge in the vicinity of 30¢/minute but I never question if people want to spend more money for "convenience."