Will be heading to Canada (Quebec City) next month for a short vacation. My wife has the XT1053 which I learned here is SIM-unlocked. Wondering if we can get an inexpensive ($25 or less) prepaid SIM that will allow talk & text to the US. I have looked on the Rogers Wireless site and they have prepaid plans but I don't see a SIM that comes pre-loaded with a fixed number of minutes or texts. Does such a thing exist?
There are probably better options in the USA for getting an international micro SIM card for travellers to Canada.
I am in the reverse position, a Canadian vacationing in NY. I bought a micro SIM from a Canadian company (Roam Mobility) that specializes in US talk/data plans for travellers. I'm sure there is an equivalent in the US.
Assuming you can find a 7-Eleven once you're in Canada, SpeakOut wireless sound like they'd be a good choice:
http://www.speakout7eleven.ca/prepaid-cell-phone-rates
Alternatively, look at the flanker brands of the big carriers:
http://fido.ca
http://koodomobile.com/
http://www.virginmobile.ca/
Related
I have 3 quick questions please.
1) I have a UK Diamond from Orange. I am going to the US next month. Will I be able to use my phone with an American SIM card?
2) and if so, which one? My phone is unlocked.
3) any good tarrifs to recommend? (on pay as you go, as I'm only staying for 2 weeks).
Thanks a lot.
I am going to bump this because I have exactly the same set up and want to know the answer please for when I visit New Jersey in the new year
as long as it's unlocked it should work.
att charges 25 cents a minute on a pay as you go plan. And i think t-mobile is around the same.
Thanks for that info - that is a lot cheaper than using a UK SIM card on roaming in the USA. How much does it cost to buy a pay as you go SIM and are they easy to find?
e3esxt02 said:
as long as it's unlocked it should work.
att charges 25 cents a minute on a pay as you go plan. And i think t-mobile is around the same.
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thanks a lot...
peterc10 said:
Thanks for that info - that is a lot cheaper than using a UK SIM card on roaming in the USA. How much does it cost to buy a pay as you go SIM and are they easy to find?
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they should be easy to find... However, you (and I) have to consider that in the US you pay to receive calls as well.. (right? correct me if I'm wrong)
You have to pay to receive calls when roaming, i.e. using a UK SIM in the USA. I do not know if you have to pay to receive calls when using a US SIM in the USA. Can someone living in the USA answer that please?
Can you only buy these SIMs in phone shops in the US. Or do supermarkets and other general stores sell them , as they do in the Uk and many other countries? And how much does the SIM itself cost please?
Yes, you pay as much when receiving calls in the US by the use of US Sim. More details on AT&T Pay-As-You-Go can be found at http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/go-phones/pyg-plans-phones.jsp?_requestid=16571. Similar can be found at T-Mobile website, at http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/Cell-Phone-Plans.aspx?catgroup=prepaid-cell-phone-plan, where the rate depends on the number of minutes you purchase. The difference lies in the charge per minute as well as the period that you can keep/roll-over the unused minutes. For short-term visit, obviously, the charge per minute is more important. You can find the various phone cards (including AT&T's) in most grocery stores, such as food stores, Wal-Mart, Sears, etc. You chose the minutes, insert the sim with included minutes, and you call a number to activate the number.
There are international roaming SIMs that are tailored to the country (including the US of course) you will be visiting with the calling-back-home plan at a much cheper rate. Calling from China back home to the US, for example, the rate is $0.38/min as compared to 1.89/min on AT&T International Roaming. Type "International SIM" on google search to find all these deals.
Welcome and have a nice trip to the US
I'm going to Germany for a month and am interested in getting a prepaid sim card for my N1. I've never done this before and am curious whether its worth it. I would like to use my phone for both voice and data, but I'd be fine with only one of these features. Do prepaid sim cards in Europe include both voice and data plans? Can anyone recommend a place to purchase a reasonably priced prepaid sim card? Also, do I need to ask T-mobile to unlock my phone in order to use a foreign sim card?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Prepaid in Germany
actually I don't have a nexus one yet but it is sold with plans on all networks, so I'd guess you can take any prepaid card.
There is a commom provider who sell a starterset in some supermarkets (e.g. Norma, Mediamarkt, Saturn, dm-drogeriemarkt, Kaufland, Budnikowsky, Real... according to their website ). It's name is blau.de or blauworld.de.
I'm not sure how it actually is done with these startersets, but usally you buy the simcard for ~10€ and it already has 10€ credit.
If you only want to use voice in Germany than you'd choose blau.de ( voice 0.09€ per minute in germany and data: 0.24€ per MB)
blauworld is cheaper if you want to make international calls, but more expensive for data and inner-german calls.
If your credit is used, you can buy vouchers to top it up in supermarkets and mostly every gas station.
I guess there a different cards available in these shops, this is just one I know and have good experience with.
so hopefully i could help and you'll enjoy staying in germany
[EDIT]
dict.leo.org/
^^ this translator might come in handy while your in Germany you can listen to the pronounciation and they have a android app
Hi guys,
I'll be going to the UK in August, and spain/france/netherlands/czech republic for a little bit too. T-Mobile offers a discounted international plan, but that's AFAIK only for voice minutes. What I really need is text and data plan, but I don't know if T-Mobile can do that at a reasonable price. I have no problems with getting a temporary phone number, so I suppose I'd be open to getting a pre-paid monthly sim card while in Europe, but does anyone know if those support data plans? I can't imagine traveling through Europe without Maps/all the resources my N1.
niiiick said:
Hi guys,
I'll be going to the UK in August, and spain/france/netherlands/czech republic for a little bit too. T-Mobile offers a discounted international plan, but that's AFAIK only for voice minutes. What I really need is text and data plan, but I don't know if T-Mobile can do that at a reasonable price. I have no problems with getting a temporary phone number, so I suppose I'd be open to getting a pre-paid monthly sim card while in Europe, but does anyone know if those support data plans? I can't imagine traveling through Europe without Maps/all the resources my N1.
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Click to collapse
in czech republic you can buy "twist internet" prepair card for unlimited internet access .. it cost 850czk which is about 40$ ... but t-mobile isn't very good with 3g coverage, so you propably ends with gprs/edge
houmles said:
in czech republic you can buy "twist internet" prepair card for unlimited internet access .. it cost 850czk which is about 40$ ... but t-mobile isn't very good with 3g coverage, so you propably ends with gprs/edge
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the answer. Unfortunately, the Czech Republic is the last part of Europe i plan to be in. I specifically need a solution that I can buy in the UK that would ideally work throughout the rest of Europe. Do they even exist?
Just find yourself a prepaid SIM down there. I don't know what carriers work throughout Europe, but do some searching and see what carriers work for that. Find one, buy a prepaid SIM, enjoy. It's a lot cheaper than buying international plans from T-Mobile or AT&T.
(I've never done this myself, but I definitely hear it's the way to go.)
I am heading to Houston in a couple weeks and I am looking for advice/recommendations on who I should get a pre-paid sim card with. (Just as an FYI for those across the pond....we Canadians are raped by our telecoms anytime we roam.)
My phone: i9000m
Running 2.3.3 (not that it matters...)
Rooted
Sim Unlocked. (I am with Bell...and I recently unlocked it....I confirmed it was unlocked with a Telus SIM Card.)
From what I read on the i9000 wiki page, the Bell SGS looks like it would work on AT&T and possibly T-mobile (only missing the 850 mHz band.)
Q1: Which networks "should" my phone work on?
Q2: Has anybody successfully gotten a pre-paid SIM in the US?
Q3: Any advice on who has the best plan? (I want data and cheap calling to Canada. The new T-Mobile/Walmart plan for $30 looks really good and it becomes available the day I fly in.)
Thanks for the help!!!
[A] SIM Card & Plan I used
Well, since nobody answered my question before I left, I guess it is up to me to leave an answer for those who follow.
Q1) Which networks in the USA should my Bell I-9000m work with?
A1) The following thread gave a good in-depth answer:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-972575.html
Short Answer: AT&T is fully compatible (3g access for data). T-mobile will only give you "EDGE" speeds for the data.
Q2) Has anybody successfully gotten a pre-paid SIM in the US?
A2) Yes. I got a AT&T pre-paid SIM and used it for a week.
Q3) Any advice on the best plan?
A3) As I was only able to confirm that my phone would fully work with AT&T, they're the provider I went with. I purchased the following:
$2 Daily Unlimited Plan
$25 / 500mb data plan
$10 for 250 minutes to Canada
According to the AT&T literature, with the above plan you get charge $2 on the days you use your phone. Don't use the phone (voice), then no charge for that day. What I found was that I was only charged when I answered incoming calls from the US or Canada. When I only made outgoing calls to Canada, there was no $2 charge.
I managed to burn through 475 mb of data while I was in Houston. A lot of my data was used running Google Navigator. (For whatever reason, my GPS worked great on the I-10, but couldn't never keep a signal while travelling to Galveston.)
A word of caution, the clowns at AT&T will be of little help to you. Don't purchase a pre-paid SIM until you've confirmed that an AT&T pre-paid SIM will work in your phone. They cannot refund your money, after you've made the purchase. The AT&T store should have an "Android Go-Phone" on their display floor that has a functioning pre-paid SIM inside of it. Ask the AT&T monkey to remove that SIM and let you try it in your phone.....let them know that only once you confirm it works in your phone that you'll purchase a SIM card.
One final tip....this comes from the link I posted above.....there is enough room behind the SGS battery to store a SIM card. This serves as a very handy place to keep your base country SIM safe, while you're using a new SIM.
Modified_Grays said:
Well, since nobody answered my question before I left, I guess it is up to me to leave an answer for those who follow.
Q1) Which networks in the USA should my Bell I-9000m work with?
A1) The following thread gave a good in-depth answer:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-972575.html
Short Answer: AT&T is fully compatible (3g access for data). T-mobile will only give you "EDGE" speeds for the data.
Q2) Has anybody successfully gotten a pre-paid SIM in the US?
A2) Yes. I got a AT&T pre-paid SIM and used it for a week.
Q3) Any advice on the best plan?
A3) As I was only able to confirm that my phone would fully work with AT&T, they're the provider I went with. I purchased the following:
$2 Daily Unlimited Plan
$25 / 500mb data plan
$10 for 250 minutes to Canada
According to the AT&T literature, with the above plan you get charge $2 on the days you use your phone. Don't use the phone (voice), then no charge for that day. What I found was that I was only charged when I answered incoming calls from the US or Canada. When I only made outgoing calls to Canada, there was no $2 charge.
I managed to burn through 475 mb of data while I was in Houston. A lot of my data was used running Google Navigator. (For whatever reason, my GPS worked great on the I-10, but couldn't never keep a signal while travelling to Galveston.)
A word of caution, the clowns at AT&T will be of little help to you. Don't purchase a pre-paid SIM until you've confirmed that an AT&T pre-paid SIM will work in your phone. They cannot refund your money, after you've made the purchase. The AT&T store should have an "Android Go-Phone" on their display floor that has a functioning pre-paid SIM inside of it. Ask the AT&T monkey to remove that SIM and let you try it in your phone.....let them know that only once you confirm it works in your phone that you'll purchase a SIM card.
One final tip....this comes from the link I posted above.....there is enough room behind the SGS battery to store a SIM card. This serves as a very handy place to keep your base country SIM safe, while you're using a new SIM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for taking the time. The info you provide is great. I do travel to the states on occasion and its good to know info. I like the idea of the SIM storage beneath the battery
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Modified_Grays said:
Well, since nobody answered my question before I left, I guess it is up to me to leave an answer for those who follow.
Q1) Which networks in the USA should my Bell I-9000m work with?
A1) The following thread gave a good in-depth answer:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-972575.html
Short Answer: AT&T is fully compatible (3g access for data). T-mobile will only give you "EDGE" speeds for the data.
Q2) Has anybody successfully gotten a pre-paid SIM in the US?
A2) Yes. I got a AT&T pre-paid SIM and used it for a week.
Q3) Any advice on the best plan?
A3) As I was only able to confirm that my phone would fully work with AT&T, they're the provider I went with. I purchased the following:
$2 Daily Unlimited Plan
$25 / 500mb data plan
$10 for 250 minutes to Canada
According to the AT&T literature, with the above plan you get charge $2 on the days you use your phone. Don't use the phone (voice), then no charge for that day. What I found was that I was only charged when I answered incoming calls from the US or Canada. When I only made outgoing calls to Canada, there was no $2 charge.
I managed to burn through 475 mb of data while I was in Houston. A lot of my data was used running Google Navigator. (For whatever reason, my GPS worked great on the I-10, but couldn't never keep a signal while travelling to Galveston.)
A word of caution, the clowns at AT&T will be of little help to you. Don't purchase a pre-paid SIM until you've confirmed that an AT&T pre-paid SIM will work in your phone. They cannot refund your money, after you've made the purchase. The AT&T store should have an "Android Go-Phone" on their display floor that has a functioning pre-paid SIM inside of it. Ask the AT&T monkey to remove that SIM and let you try it in your phone.....let them know that only once you confirm it works in your phone that you'll purchase a SIM card.
One final tip....this comes from the link I posted above.....there is enough room behind the SGS battery to store a SIM card. This serves as a very handy place to keep your base country SIM safe, while you're using a new SIM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for posting this info. It will come in useful as I plan on taking my SGS (bell i9000m) to California next month.
All,
Planning to travel to Asia in 2 months (Hong Kong then Thailand). Was wondering is it easier just to pick up a SIM card in the airport or in the country when I land or buy one of those International SIM card company ie ONESIMCARD http://www.onesimcard.com/ or (gulp) buy a International roaming package from AT&T. My most important is occasional phone(rare) most important is Data ie maps, search, emails etc....
I have a Dev Edition HTC One btw and with At&t as my carrier.
You're better off getting a local SIM especially since you'll be using data. You can usually get a very good rate on unlimited data (where I live, a prepaid, unlimited LTE plan runs you about 25 USD for a whole month but it might be a bit pricier in Hong Kong). Not sure if they'll offer SIM cards with unlimited data at the airport though so your best bet is to head to a local carrier store upon arrival and get your data SIM there.
bem809 said:
You're better off getting a local SIM especially since you'll be using data. You can usually get a very good rate on unlimited data (where I live, a prepaid, unlimited LTE plan runs you about 25 USD for a whole month but it might be a bit pricier in Hong Kong). Not sure if they'll offer SIM cards with unlimited data at the airport though so your best bet is to head to a local carrier store upon arrival and get your data SIM there.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply....I think I will go that route and get a local SIM.
Thanks again.