Phone related questions - Europe
 

I'll be visiting England and Italy this fall and would love some feedback on phones. I am considering buying a new phone ... I have been disappointed in my two iPhones....the iPhone 7 doesn't take good enough photos for me. I have a friend who just took a Samsung to France and it didn't work for long distance calls. Has anyone had any experience with the Google Pixel? Can one use it for international calls? Thanks!

The fact your friends phone didn't work has nothing to do with the make and model, and everything to do with whether she was using her own provider or a local SIM.

Why not keep your iPhone to make calls, and buy a separate camera to take photos? Something like the Canon G7X would do nicely.

"The fact your friends phone didn't work has nothing to do with the make and model, and everything to do with whether she was using her own provider or a local SIM."

I respectfully disagree. One needs to carefully research the bands and frequencies one's particular phone is capable of operating on and compare that with the carrier one is trying to use.

US phones do not necessarily match up perfectly with European frequencies in some or many cases.

You can get this kind of important info here:

https://www.frequencycheck.com

I've found it much faster and easier to wait until I get here and buy one here. The camera is horrible, but the phone works just fine. I stumbled upon Orange Holiday sim (in the Paris baggage check) and while it's not great, I like that it lets me keep the same number and same sim all through Europe and it lets me call the US just fine. I bought a phone that includes email and maps and have figured out that I'm essentially paying $45/month for 2 hours of talk and 10 GB of data use.

It's true that some American cell phones won't work well in Europe or at all. However, this is probably true mostly of flip phones. Relatively newer American smart phones - especially iPhones - should work at least somewhat (certainly to make calls).

Even the cheap, older Android phone I used in 2015 (cheap and old even then!) worked in Europe - but it worked only as a 2G "edge" phone for data (very slow), because it didn't have all the frequencies needed to use 3G or 4G bands, like it could in the US. But for voice calls it worked fine. I was using T-Mobile US at the time for free data roaming and 20 cent/minute calls, too. However, neither of my two older T-Mobile GSM flip phones would work in Europe - well, one (the older one) worked there after I hacked it! (You can't hack most flip phones to work that way - special case.)

Last year I bought the international version of the Moto E (Android) that I was already using at home. I knew this one had the right frequencies to work as a 4G phone in Europe and it worked great. I'm taking it again this year.

As I like to point out to all Americans traveling to Europe: you can use the Google Hangouts app on your smart phone to make FREE calls home to the US (even to landlines) when you travel. It's easy to install and you can try it at home before you leave. OK - it's free on WiFi. If you are using your mobile data, then it's not quite free, unless you have free unlimited data too...

Most modern phones work anywhere in the world. The fact OP says her friend could not make long distance calls would suggest the provider is the source of the problem, not the phone.

I strongly second Andrew's endorsement of Google Hangouts. There should be plenty of opportunity to use WiFi (for example from your hotel) to use it to call or video chat back home for free.

I will be heading for France and UK in a month with a European version of the LG G3 (D855} that I somehow scored on eBay from Israel for $10 shipped. It should be a great phone there, but the US version not so much.

You can find euro phones on eBay if you try and shipping sometimes isn't that expensive.

As I have mentioned in other recent cell phone threads, I just bought a Dutch Vodafone SIM on eBay for $7 USD shipped (took two weeks to get to me in the US), then topped it up online to add 20 Euros. This SIM is supposed to have unlimited roaming in the EU, and I should be able to get 3GB of data for a month (longer than I need) for 20 Euros already added. I have already activated the SIM at home and it should be ready to use - I'll find out in about a week!

My plan is to use 3 Freedompop GSM global SIMs for data. That should give me 2gb of data, if they work. I tried them last summer and they worked in Copenhagen, but not in Budapest.

My backup in France would be to buy a SIM from Free (which isn't, but offers unlimited 4glte data for a month for 20 euro) or Lyca.

Travelinfeet- are you referring to a phone or just sim in your us phone? That is pretty good. I couldn't figure out which SIM cards would work in all the European countries, and regretted that when my cell phone bill came;)

FYI, any American with a US T-Mobile or Sprint cell phone plan already gets free international data roaming (2G data but surprisingly fast enough) and texting when traveling in Europe. Calls are 20 cents/minute (or free to the US if you use Google Hangouts). I used T-Mobile this way on my last two trips to Europe and it worked great - but it is too expensive for me anymore (or not worth the extra expense, anyway). Of course, the phone itself still must support European frequencies as described above, even if you have Sprint or T-Mobile. Sprint phones work on CDMA technology in the US and need to be able to roam on GSM in Europe.

I do wonder if someone who had trouble making "long distance calls" in Europe knew to add the international prefix (+1 to call the US) when in Europe? My Android Dialer app has an "assisted dialing" option that, when turned on, automatically adds this prefix, so I didn't have to change any numbers in my contacts or anything just to add the +1.

The prefix is a good point. 9/10 of any problems I had involved a mistake that way. But it wouldn't effect calling home so I'm not sure that would be the case.

Mostly likely, they had roaming turned off. Lots of people don't understand what their settings do to begin with.

"Lots of people don't understand what their settings do to begin with."

If we are talking about the op's Samsung...

We don't know what model Samsung (was it a Galaxy S1 or S7}?
Was it GSM or CDMA?
What SIM card was tried?
Was the APN set correctly?

...too many unknowns to speculate on.
It can be complicated.

Wow! That is a load of information to work through and try to understand. Thank you all. One caveat....I wouldn't be upset about leaving my iPhone at home. I have really struggled with the picture quality. In response to a question above, I had considered just buying a camera and getting a cheap temporary phone. It all seems complicated. I think I have WAY too many great options.....

Susan, I'm not sure you need a temporary phone. Your iPhone may work just fine in Europe. Whether or not you buy a better camera seems like a different question. You're going to need both a camera and a phone in that case, anyway. I guess you could try to buy a phone with a better camera. Not sure I would do that just for a trip to Europe.

You can certainly buy a cheap phone once you get over there if need be, if you can't get your iPhone working for some reason. But a little research first might help.

First: which service do you use your iPhone on now? I assume not Sprint or T-Mobile. If Verizon, you may need to change a few settings in the phone to work in Europe. If AT&T, you may not need to do anything, because AT&T already uses GSM for calling, the same type of cell phone technology used in Europe. Verizon and Sprint (CDMA) probably require changing a few settings for Europe.

There are surely guides online and on YouTube showing you how to change your iPhone settings (if need be) to work in Europe. Try doing a web search for a few.

You can install Google Hangouts right now and try it out - no need to wait until you go overseas to do that. Hangouts will work the same way whether you are in the US or overseas. At least you'll be able to call the US for free using WiFi, if nothing else.

Like Andrew says, your iPhone 7 should be coaxed to work there. (Even the sprint or verizon ones should work). Whether you like the pictures is another matter.But why buy a cheap phone when you already have a good one? My daughter hasn't complained about hers.

You may have to do a bit of homework but it will be well worth it. I bought a Chinese android phone on ebay for less than $150 which has a great 13 mp camera and all the frequencies both for North America and Europe. It has dual sim card capability and works perfectly.

Next sim cards. I assume you are going to England first. English sim cards are the easiest for Americans to deal with because the price is right (free, can't beat that) and with a small top up (£10) there are some awesome plans available. Unlike the Dutch Vodafone site above, which is not a bad deal but, you can read their web site (Vodafone.co.uk) for the various offering as it is in English, a language very close to yours unlike Vodafone NL which is in Dutch to see some of their add ons and extras which are awesome. Or you can wait till you get to England and pop into a mobile phone shop (Carphone Warehouse) and they can explain the plans and set the phone up for you.

Intra European roaming is ending completely in the middle of June but some companies have already put into place plans so your English sim card will work in Italy. The only draw back is calls outside Europe will be very expensive. You can always buy an Italian sim card (descriptions are on this board), pop it into the other slot on the cheap Chinese android phone and voila. There are other considerations, of course, but it's a start to do a little homework on ebay and you tube to see what's available.

First of all, iPhone has one of the best cameras in cell phones. There are professionals who use iPhone to make videos or photos on it. For instance, look at the photos and videos taken by this guy in his iPhone reviews, as well as his other work:

http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-7-...-review-rwanda

But the problem is that phone cameras have tiny sensors and limited optics. Smart phones compensate for some of this through software the processing that it does for you in the background.

I carry a full frame DSLR, which is around 2 pounds with lens and battery, when I travel. It occupies a lot of luggage space and you feel the weight and bulk of it after a long day. But it has a sensor which is 40 times the size of an iPhone camera sensor:

http://cameraimagesensor.com/size/#242,24,a

So pictures are sharper and clearer, especially in low light or indoors without a flash.

But I use my iPhone 6S Plus when I travel as well, to take panos, to record videos (it has optical image stabilization so videos, time lapse and slow motion videos are all smooth, not shaky).

If you couldn't get good photos from an iPhone, you're unlikely to get satisfactory photos from other smart phones, because they will have the same sensor and optical limitations.

The OP has an iPhone *7*. It works in Europe, for everything, as long as your service provider (Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, whatever) allows it to.

Call your service provider, or do live chat online, and ask what you need to do and how much it will cost.

In the meantime, buy a camera that you like.

It's really pretty simple.

Thanks again to everyone for your comments, feedback and suggestions. Just to clarify I am thinking of leaving the iPhone home for a couple of reasons. First of all, I hear that TSA is taking phones away and copying information, contacts, etc. Please don't misunderstand, I have nothing ON my phone except my own photos, and my mom's phone number, but I am peeved that I would have to have to deal with that. . Secondly - although I know that the iPhone 7 is supposed to have one of the best cameras - mine just is not. (I do have Verizon FYI)

I see all of those billboards that show stunning pix and the caption is "Taken by an iPhone 7," but - my pictures just don't look any where near good. That's one reason why I think the suggestions to get a camera are a good idea.

The reason why I posted about the Google Pixel is that I want to be able to send emails, take pictures and call my family. But I think from reading all of the above information, it would probably just be best to get a digital camera and bring the iPhone. Thanks again to everyone.

Susan, all of this nonsense about TSA insisting you unlock your phone for them is just hyperbole. It's not happening routinely to travelers; it has probably happened a few times in a few rare cases - maybe someone got flagged as a terrorism suspect. And those very rare cases have generated an inordinate amount of publicity.

If it were happening more than rarely, we'd be hearing about it constantly. But I've never heard of it happening to ANYONE I know - and I know a lot of people who travel more than I do, who post on Facebook, who would be ranting about it if it happened to them.

I'm not a big Apple fan and wouldn't dream of buying an iPhone myself- but if you are having trouble taking decent pictures with it, I suggest you either don't know how to use it properly or that there is something wrong with it. It should be able to take very decent pictures, even if not quite billboard quality every time out. If you don't know how to use the iPhone 7 camera properly, I can't see a Pixel or any other phone doing much better.

Nothing wrong with buying/bringing a separate camera, though.

Hey Andrew - I hope you are right. I am seeing all of these stories about travelers who miss their flights when the TSA dudes take their phones and detain them (the phones.) Ugh. I am just going to bring it.

The pictures are DECENT. Just not great. My dad is a photographer so I like great. And if you are in Italy - the pix should be great. I think the idea of a separate camera is a good one.

Susan, the stories you have heard have been about customs and border agents - NOT TSA - searching phones. (Big difference, actually.) And they are not searching them in the United States proper - in the rare cases I have heard about, at least, they have been by customs agents inspecting phones of a few travelers entering the US from another country, before they have legally re-entered.

In other words, the only flight you'd risk missing - if this were really happening more than very, very rarely - would be a connection after returning to the US, not on the way to Europe or something. TSA operates in the United States, and they do not have any right to search your phone without a warrant. But before you re-enter the US in the legally murky area of an airport right before you pass through immigration and customs, it is claimed that you lose some constitutional rights you'd have in the US proper. I say "claimed" because I don't think this has been challenged in court yet.

Susan, every single person on every plane has a phone. You should have yours with you, for use in an urgent situation or an emergency. The stories you have read, while worrisome, are insufficient reason to abandon your phone.

The camera is neither here nor there--as you say, just bring a camera that takes pictures you're happy with.

If you want "great" pictures, a dedicated camera helps but you have to practice.

Not only taking pictures but post-processing them, learning to use programs like Adobe Lightroom.

As for restrictive border security, now there's talk that they want to extend the electronics ban not just from Middle Eastern countries but all countries. So no laptops or iPads in the cabin, you have to put them in checked luggage, where they're more likely to be stolen.

Just back from Italy. I bought the $10. per 24 hour period international plan that Verizon offers. I used it for both my iPhone and iPad (so essentially $20./day). A little expensive but I liked that my phone/iPad worked as it does here in the US.

carolsc

When I had T-Mobile on my last two trips to Europe, it was nice to have my Android phone work about the same as in the US - very simple. So I can understand why people might choose the ease of the Verizon or AT&T international roaming plans. If you don't mind the extra expense, they are great. But I'm far too frugal myself to pay $20 USD per day to use my devices on a trip!

And being a techy person myself, I actually kind of enjoy the challenge of making this stuff work. I'll be tickled if I can get away with spending about $30 USD on this Vodafone SIM for 2.5 weeks in Europe. I wonder how much longer it will be until international roaming is automatically included in all wireless plans, in the way that "long distance" within the US was once an extra cost but is now considered a routine part of any basic mobile phone service.

I am with Andrew. I am going to try to get by with 3 Freedompop GSMglobal SIMs (that work off 3UK). I have been using them for data in the US for the last year. If they don't work, or if my 17 year old daughter burns through that I will have to find something. But I don't expect to go much beyond $20 for the week.

Yes, it is a challenge...