What is an unlocked phone?
Apr 24th, 2007, 03:44 PM
#21
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Just to add to the confusion - European carriers sell cheap, no-frills Europe-only phones that aren't advertised. We bought a Siemens A57 with £5 on the SIM for £20 from Virgin Mobile. Their in-country rates aren't bad, for a prepaid service.
Whether it can be unlocked (so I could use a www.smobil.de SIM in Germany, for example) remains unknown.
Whether it can be unlocked (so I could use a www.smobil.de SIM in Germany, for example) remains unknown.
Apr 24th, 2007, 03:48 PM
#22
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If you buy on ebay, I suggest you look for a quadband and that you buy only from sellers with high ratings and lots of sales. An alternative is to go to the site
http://www.store.motorola.com/mot/en...irect/motorola,
and buy one of their unlocked gsm phones. The last time I looked they were selling two good quadbands, a v190 and a v235, for about $100 plus shipping.
http://www.store.motorola.com/mot/en...irect/motorola,
and buy one of their unlocked gsm phones. The last time I looked they were selling two good quadbands, a v190 and a v235, for about $100 plus shipping.
Apr 24th, 2007, 04:39 PM
#23
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If you use a GSM carrier in the U.S., you probably already have a quad-band phone. If you plan to sign up with Cingular or T-Mobile, they will supply you with a quad-band phone. If you only want cellular service in Europe, you don't need a quad-band phone.
A quad-band phone for $100 won't do anything for you that a $40 dual-band European model won't.
Why buy more electronics than you need?
A quad-band phone for $100 won't do anything for you that a $40 dual-band European model won't.
Why buy more electronics than you need?
Apr 24th, 2007, 05:26 PM
#24
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xyz123,
You are right - I think I like the mobal alternative best. Just $49 plus the usage cost. Not sure how much the fee/minute is in Ireland, but considering we need the phone for emergencies only, that would do.
Plus, we can use the phone again next time we're in Europe
Thank you all, I think we're set now.
You are right - I think I like the mobal alternative best. Just $49 plus the usage cost. Not sure how much the fee/minute is in Ireland, but considering we need the phone for emergencies only, that would do.
Plus, we can use the phone again next time we're in Europe
Thank you all, I think we're set now.
Apr 24th, 2007, 07:43 PM
#28
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Please let me exhaust this neverending subject with another question, do not kill me...
If I get the unlock code from Cingular and buy a SIM in Italy will I still have my regular cell phone number while I am using the purchased SIM? Or will I have an Italian number? Honest to God this all my my head explode, LOL.
If I get the unlock code from Cingular and buy a SIM in Italy will I still have my regular cell phone number while I am using the purchased SIM? Or will I have an Italian number? Honest to God this all my my head explode, LOL.
Apr 24th, 2007, 09:03 PM
#30
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There is something to be said though for buying the phone ahead of time and not spending your travel time phone shopping.
Do you count the cost of the time you spent hunting down a store in the purchsae price of the phone?
My mom tried to buy one in Rome but we were not near any malls, the one place we found charged more like 70E and we were supposed to come back there the next day to get it. So we passed on that.
Do you count the cost of the time you spent hunting down a store in the purchsae price of the phone?
My mom tried to buy one in Rome but we were not near any malls, the one place we found charged more like 70E and we were supposed to come back there the next day to get it. So we passed on that.
Apr 24th, 2007, 09:20 PM
#31
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Salive...
For the most part (and I know it's a generalization) in most of the large cities in Europe (Rome might be an exception) there are mobile phone stores on every corner or at the airport and I doubt extremely the amount of time taken up, in most cases, would be enough to kill your holiday.
There are advantages, of course, in getting the unlocked phone before hand or having your own Cingular phone unlocked....buying a sim pack is very straight forward although I do understand language can be a problem from time to time in some places (ah the value of some of the international cards which you can buy online all of which come with English language voice menus and English language instructions)....but then again as we say to each hir or her own (said in all due respect of course).
For the most part (and I know it's a generalization) in most of the large cities in Europe (Rome might be an exception) there are mobile phone stores on every corner or at the airport and I doubt extremely the amount of time taken up, in most cases, would be enough to kill your holiday.
There are advantages, of course, in getting the unlocked phone before hand or having your own Cingular phone unlocked....buying a sim pack is very straight forward although I do understand language can be a problem from time to time in some places (ah the value of some of the international cards which you can buy online all of which come with English language voice menus and English language instructions)....but then again as we say to each hir or her own (said in all due respect of course).
Apr 25th, 2007, 03:58 AM
#32
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An 'unlocked' GSM phone can be used on more than one network; but you have to have a SIM for each network.
A SIM is a notched I/C Card (only 1-way to insert it in your GSM phone). It has your phone # and maintains your credit balance. Take the back (battery cover) off and look for the (about 3/8" x 3/4"
removeable SIM. You can slide it out and replace it.
I have a T-Mobile quadband worldphone: T-Mobile provided unlock instructions for it... I haven't used it in Europe yet, but I have changed out a 'SIM' card. Alternative:
Buy an Eircom Phone Card for use in the Irish Republic Pay Phones. I have bought them at a NewsStand at Shannon; once I had to wait until I got to Galway and bought one at a convenience store. The Eircom Phone Card has an I/C on the card: you don't have to call an 800-number; it works just like money
A SIM is a notched I/C Card (only 1-way to insert it in your GSM phone). It has your phone # and maintains your credit balance. Take the back (battery cover) off and look for the (about 3/8" x 3/4"
removeable SIM. You can slide it out and replace it.I have a T-Mobile quadband worldphone: T-Mobile provided unlock instructions for it... I haven't used it in Europe yet, but I have changed out a 'SIM' card. Alternative:
Buy an Eircom Phone Card for use in the Irish Republic Pay Phones. I have bought them at a NewsStand at Shannon; once I had to wait until I got to Galway and bought one at a convenience store. The Eircom Phone Card has an I/C on the card: you don't have to call an 800-number; it works just like money
Apr 25th, 2007, 04:43 AM
#33
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so it doesn't matter which SIM card you purchase for an unlocked Cingulair quad band phone (to avoid the exhorbitant costs of using the original SIM card?) Just go to any cell phone store in Europe to get one?
Do I have this straight? It certainly sounds easy.
Do I have this straight? It certainly sounds easy.
Apr 25th, 2007, 04:45 AM
#34
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How do you "top off" to get more time? Go back to the store? Make a call?
Do European cell phone stores call it a SIM card or, imagining I get the person who doesn't speak English, are there other words for SIM card in French, Italian, etc?
Do European cell phone stores call it a SIM card or, imagining I get the person who doesn't speak English, are there other words for SIM card in French, Italian, etc?
Apr 25th, 2007, 05:55 AM
#35
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Kwern..
Topping up can be done in many ways and is country and company specific. With some carriers, especially the international ones, you can top up on line.
In the UK, most of the providers when you buy a prepaid package (which includes the sim card and some time) give you a top up card which looks like a credit card. Being in the UK means, of course, language is no problem. So in this case, you go into any mobile phone store, most chemists, most gas stations with the card and bravely announce, "I should like to top up with £5" and the merchants runs the card through their credit card terminal and then asks for £5 (or you can give them your credit card) and voila done. In other circumstances, France comes to mind you go to a tabac and say, "Recharge pour Orange pour dix (or vingt or trente) euro s'il vous plait, they will give you a slip, you dial the number on the slip (it's 22r for Orange FR, you enter the 14 digit number and voila it's done). For some you can top up online although in many circumstances they only take home team credit cards..namely while you can top up a Virgin Mobile UK sim card by going to their web site, you wont' be able to use your US credit card as part of the process asks for a postal code and is keyed to only accept British postal codes....same thing as in France in Italy.....
In most tourist spots, of course, most merchants speak enough English to be able to make sales. I doubt you will have all that much difficulty in going into a mobile phone store to make your needs known.
As to which is best, well there is a great variety of practices and if saving money is your prime requisite, that might require a little bit of research on www.prepaidgsm.net.
For example, some on this board are very fond of Virgin Mobile in the UK and they're okay...except for the fact they charge 20p/minute to call the USA if that's one of your prime concerns. Far better might be Mobile World which only charges 5p/minute to call the USA but you would have to know about it. Vodafone UK charges over £1 to call the USA but then again you can get a calling card, dial the local London number pay their domestic prices and then complete the call with the calling card. This also is a way around very high French rates to call the USA and other foreign countries on their mobiles. Some companies, such as Orange UK block access to these numbers.
The one thing you will get with any gsm prepaid sim package in Europe is free reception of calls in the country of the sim card...once you leave that country, unless it is an international card such as United Mobile, o9, or an Isle of Man card, you pay to receive calls. Hopefully the eu regulation will go through and by syummer this price could be as low as 0,15€ but don't hold your breath that the European politicians will stick to this.
Long winded, as usual from me, but I hope I answered your question.
Topping up can be done in many ways and is country and company specific. With some carriers, especially the international ones, you can top up on line.
In the UK, most of the providers when you buy a prepaid package (which includes the sim card and some time) give you a top up card which looks like a credit card. Being in the UK means, of course, language is no problem. So in this case, you go into any mobile phone store, most chemists, most gas stations with the card and bravely announce, "I should like to top up with £5" and the merchants runs the card through their credit card terminal and then asks for £5 (or you can give them your credit card) and voila done. In other circumstances, France comes to mind you go to a tabac and say, "Recharge pour Orange pour dix (or vingt or trente) euro s'il vous plait, they will give you a slip, you dial the number on the slip (it's 22r for Orange FR, you enter the 14 digit number and voila it's done). For some you can top up online although in many circumstances they only take home team credit cards..namely while you can top up a Virgin Mobile UK sim card by going to their web site, you wont' be able to use your US credit card as part of the process asks for a postal code and is keyed to only accept British postal codes....same thing as in France in Italy.....
In most tourist spots, of course, most merchants speak enough English to be able to make sales. I doubt you will have all that much difficulty in going into a mobile phone store to make your needs known.
As to which is best, well there is a great variety of practices and if saving money is your prime requisite, that might require a little bit of research on www.prepaidgsm.net.
For example, some on this board are very fond of Virgin Mobile in the UK and they're okay...except for the fact they charge 20p/minute to call the USA if that's one of your prime concerns. Far better might be Mobile World which only charges 5p/minute to call the USA but you would have to know about it. Vodafone UK charges over £1 to call the USA but then again you can get a calling card, dial the local London number pay their domestic prices and then complete the call with the calling card. This also is a way around very high French rates to call the USA and other foreign countries on their mobiles. Some companies, such as Orange UK block access to these numbers.
The one thing you will get with any gsm prepaid sim package in Europe is free reception of calls in the country of the sim card...once you leave that country, unless it is an international card such as United Mobile, o9, or an Isle of Man card, you pay to receive calls. Hopefully the eu regulation will go through and by syummer this price could be as low as 0,15€ but don't hold your breath that the European politicians will stick to this.
Long winded, as usual from me, but I hope I answered your question.
Apr 25th, 2007, 07:42 AM
#38
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xyz, here's the secret:
Always "Preview my reply" before posting, and you will be able to back up your browser later to where the "Edit" choice is offered. Hit that button and you can reconstruct the post to your heart's content, even days later (if you pull up the thread out of your browser's History).
<i>n.b.</i> Backing up to the "Post a reply" box doesn't work - you have to "Edit" to get to the right place.
Yes, there are cheaper ways of talking to the U.S., but the convenience of just walking into a store and walking out with something that doesn't cost a dollar a minute is priceless.
Always "Preview my reply" before posting, and you will be able to back up your browser later to where the "Edit" choice is offered. Hit that button and you can reconstruct the post to your heart's content, even days later (if you pull up the thread out of your browser's History).
<i>n.b.</i> Backing up to the "Post a reply" box doesn't work - you have to "Edit" to get to the right place.
Yes, there are cheaper ways of talking to the U.S., but the convenience of just walking into a store and walking out with something that doesn't cost a dollar a minute is priceless.
