Hi Folks,
The phone "officially" registered on my contract with Orange UK is an old 2G one for it has a 2G SIM. I'm looking to get a Touch HD which will need a 3G SIM.
Unfortunately, I'm told that Orange won't just give out shiny new 3G SIMs.
The obvious way to wheedle a 3G SIM out of Orange would be to simply "upgrade" to a cheap 3G phone - But because of the ancient tariff I'm on ("Everyday 50"), my local Orange shop wouldn't entertain ANY kind of upgrade, even though I am "out of contract", unless I change to a more expensive tariff !
Any ideas anyone ? "Dog ate my SIM"? Threaten to leave ?
Thanks in advance.
- Steve
If you go in somewhere like phones4u and tell them the contract you already have, they will often try to match it, sometimes by giving you a lump sum refund so that the monthly price is brought down to what you want.
jez83uk said:
If you go in somewhere like phones4u and tell them the contract you already have, they will often try to match it, sometimes by giving you a lump sum refund so that the monthly price is brought down to what you want.
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That's an idea - but the plan I'm on at the moment suits me very well and is very cheap indeed (which is undoubtedly why they are not keen on giving me an upgrade phone). I can't see anyone easily matching it long-term.
I wonder if all SIMs used by orange are now 3G compatible, or would I really need to specifically get a 3G phone to get a 3G SIM?
Have you thought about going for one of the SIM only tariffs? That way you get the new SIM, the old number can be ported across and you get a lower monthly cost.
Just done it with Vodafone for their cheapest tariff and its costing me £10 for 75 mins and 500 texts on top of which i have added the £7.50 Mobile Internet. And the SIM i have is HSPDA compatible.
Oh, and one other possible plus, while it is a contract there is no long term tie in, its a rolling 30 day commitment.
i have a uk vodafone desire, its custom with aosp roms and us unlocked.
I am going to new York for a week and i need to get a pre pay sim, mainly just for data, i don't care about calls and texts as i just want access to email and Skype to call home.
I have looked at some of the sites, but i dont know which one to get, can anyone recommend one?
I have a truphone simcard here.
which i need to pay£10 to get the membership this will give me local rates in uk or usa no matter where i am then i can buy a USA number for £5 and then buy some credit maybe £10 may do.... so that's £25 about $50, so i guess thats the bench mark. The desire is quad band so should work over there.
Did you take your trip already?
Your UK Desire doesn't have any 3G bands for the USA, so you'll be stuck with 2G/EDGE. T-Mobile USA has a $1.49/day data pass that is "unlimited". They throttle after 30 MB daily usage, but the speed reduction only shows up in 3G mode. You won't get 3G so you won't notice. It'll just be slow all the time...
If you want faster than EDGE you'll need a separate device.
Missed it. As been already. Bought a samsung fakeberry while I was there. Expensed the topups. Was just for email, for 5days.
But thanks I will look at t. Mobile next time. I bought at&t..... they suck. With the new job I will be going NYC regularly.
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iamdarren said:
Missed it. As been already. Bought a samsung fakeberry while I was there. Expensed the topups. Was just for email, for 5days.
But thanks I will look at t. Mobile next time. I bought at&t..... they suck. With the new job I will be going NYC regularly.
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Okay, well if you will be visiting the USA regularly, you may want to consider buying in the US a phone with T-Mobile US compatible 3G frequencies. Most of the T-Mo US phones also have UMTS 2100 for the UK, so you'll get 3G back home.
Be warned, T-Mo US is pretty choppy too, but you get a better deal for data than AT&T.
Another option as long as we're talking new hardware - you could buy a prepaid MiFi device from Virgin Mobile USA (CDMA carrier, runs on Sprint's network) and purchase data for that. Use the wifi on your phone to tap into that instead of data roaming; and you can also run your laptop/tablet/etc on it. It won't do you much good anywhere outside the USA, but for some this is a viable option.
I'll soon be taking a three week trip equally split between the USA and Canada. Like most people on this forum, I'm going to want data access from my GSM smartphone for the duration, especially Google Navigation. Of course using my Orange UK contract SIM is out of the question because I don't intend to remortgage my house. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good SIM which will allow reasonable data changes across both countries?
In the past I've used T-Mobile for USA-only trips, but it appears the charge $10 a Mb in Canada which is out of the question. AT&T appear to be similar. The best deal from the Canadian networks in the USA appears to be $1 a Mb which is also too much. Is the only solution really to get two SIM cards?
I know their are many specialist roaming SIMs available, but I haven't come across any which cover this combination well. Any insights would be welcome.
Hi everyone
I bought my SGS 4G during my last US vacation.
Coming back to visit (10 days on August), I'd like to buy a prepaid SIM card with unlimited 3G/4G with a local line just for this stay.
I saw s SIM card for 50$ in the T-Mobile site.
How can I do that, if I'm not at the states at the moment?
What alternatives do I have?
I searched the web and couldn't find a clear, easy & cheap solution.
It has to work with my lovely SGS 4G.
Thanks in advance!
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA
itzik
Your best bet is most likely gonna be to just get the plan once you arrive in the states. Tmob stores are all over the place so unless your flying into Podunk, Kentucky(no offense to people from the great state of Kentucky) you should be able to find a store within a few miles of the airport. Hope you figure it out and you have a blast in the States.
Just out of curiosity where will you be? Here in NYC t-mobile stores are everywhere & may be in the airport itself.
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Hi guys
Last year in NYC 2 different AT&T stores didn't want to sell me a SIM card as I'm a tourist with no social security number. This year my starting point is Miami.
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I would contact a store close to where you will be staying in Miami. Tell them whats going on and they will probably be more than happy to help you. Also Walmart sells T-mo stuff so they might be able to help you. IIRC you can save a tiny bit buying from walmart.
Another option is use the Straight Talk sim card program. Its five bucks cheaper and the same service. Im not totally sure of the data connection. Im looking into the type of data connection you get. I know Normal straight talk phones have the same coverage as att,verizon and t-mo. Ill update once I can get a straight answer.
Great, 10x, I'll make some research on the mobile stores around my staying area i.e south beach.
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It would be best to wait until you're in the states. You will have no problem getting a prepaid SIM activated from T-Mobile (I am an Event Rep for them). I'm not sure if they offer it in Florida but if you don't really need many minutesthey offer unlimited 4g (throttled after 5gb) & messaging with 100 minutes for $30. I sell a lot of that plan during conventions here in Denver.
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Talked to a Straight talk rep the byod sims operate 3g service. So if the T-Mo $30 plan doesnt have enough minutes for ya that is a option.
Hi eb13
That plan sounds like just what I need. Is it limited to a period of time? I found a T-mo store in Miami but it has low ratings.. and probably they won't offer this plan. I'll try contacting them on Monday.
Thanks.
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itzik2sh said:
Hi eb13
That plan sounds like just what I need. Is it limited to a period of time? I found a T-mo store in Miami but it has low ratings.. and probably they won't offer this plan. I'll try contacting them on Monday.
Thanks.
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Click to expand...
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The t-mo 30 dollar plan is good for 30 days.
This from the t-mo site.
*First 5GB at up to 4G speeds. New activations only. Available exclusively in-store at Walmart, on Walmart.com, and T-Mobile.com.
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I would goto walmart and get it. Normally they are slightly cheaper.
eollie said:
The t-mo 30 dollar plan is good for 30 days.
This from the t-mo site.
I would goto walmart and get it. Normally they are slightly cheaper.
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Click to collapse
+1 Walmart and online arethe only points of sale for the $30 plan
Source: used to work cell phones in Walmart, then wireless advocates (staples/Costco) and TMobile
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
Hi Again
OK, so regarding the T-mobile 30$ plan I found this on T-mo site :
http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/monthly-4g-plans
and this one on Wallmart site :
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tmobile-30-Wireless-Airtime-Card/15443357?findingMethod=rr#ProductDetail
Few things still unclear to me :
1. If I buy it from T-mo, do I have to do it in advance and ask for delivery to the hotel or can I just instantly go and buy it from a local T-mo store I found 15 minutes walk from the Hotel ?
maybe I should order it online and just go pick it up from that store ?
2. Why do all stores in Miami get lousy reviews with "bad customer service", "no parking" and "no one speaks English there" ?
3. Wallmart centers are not near my staying place, so I could order it and get it shipped to the hotel I suppose, but here it says :
"The $30 Unlimited Web & Text with 100 min talk plan works only with T-Mobile Phones purchased from a Walmart store or from Walmart.com"
WTF ? I bought my phone in some local Manhattan store I don't even remember its name.
4. Even in Wallmart site I see I get the activation code via mail - but how would they know my IMEI number?
Regarding the Straight-Talk plans I found this one :
http://www.straighttalksim.com/shop.php
So what I understand from this is that it will cost me 60$ overall (which is twice the T-mo price).
I don't really need the unlimited talk, but mabe it's worth the price comparing to T-mobile service.
What do you advise ?
Thanks !!!
The $30 plan is suppose to be part of the byod(bring your own device) promotion so walmart should be willing to sell you the sim card. I would goto my local walmart and ask but I know each store will do things slightly different.
You also might be able to contact t-mobile and tell them what your wanting to do and ask what they suggest. They might be able to have the item shipped to the hotel in advance of your arrival and you pick it up at the desk when you sign in. What you are getting from them is the sim card it costs like 4 bucks and they refund that to you once you activate.
If you dont need the unlimited calling then I would stick to t-mo. In Miami area the 4g service should be super.
itzik2sh said:
Hi Again
OK, so regarding the T-mobile 30$ plan I found this on T-mo site :
http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/monthly-4g-plans
and this one on Wallmart site :
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tmobile-30-Wireless-Airtime-Card/15443357?findingMethod=rr#ProductDetail
Few things still unclear to me :
1. If I buy it from T-mo, do I have to do it in advance and ask for delivery to the hotel or can I just instantly go and buy it from a local T-mo store I found 15 minutes walk from the Hotel ?
maybe I should order it online and just go pick it up from that store ?
2. Why do all stores in Miami get lousy reviews with "bad customer service", "no parking" and "no one speaks English there" ?
3. Wallmart centers are not near my staying place, so I could order it and get it shipped to the hotel I suppose, but here it says :
"The $30 Unlimited Web & Text with 100 min talk plan works only with T-Mobile Phones purchased from a Walmart store or from Walmart.com"
WTF ? I bought my phone in some local Manhattan store I don't even remember its name.
4. Even in Wallmart site I see I get the activation code via mail - but how would they know my IMEI number?
Regarding the Straight-Talk plans I found this one :
http://www.straighttalksim.com/shop.php
So what I understand from this is that it will cost me 60$ overall (which is twice the T-mo price).
I don't really need the unlimited talk, but mabe it's worth the price comparing to T-mobile service.
What do you advise ?
Thanks !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. No you do not need to buy in advance. You can walk into any Tmo store and buy prepaid activation on site. Choose to activate yourself by phone and the $30 option is available to anyone who activate by phone.
2. Because people are jerks
3. disregard that, I sell these plans to people on a daily basis at numerous locations and in any phone. I have activated these for customers with unlocked iphones (not proud of that).
4. You provide your IMEI when activating buy it's only to make sure you're not going to use a phone that's been reported stolen from retail. (if a phone is stolen from a retail location the IMEI guess into a database)
I highly advise staying away from Straight Talk - just my opinion but there service on every level is less than respectable.
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Hi guys
Thanks for all the replies!
I'm probably taking the 30$ unlimited web plan and Skype pay as you go credit for the long distance. I think it's ideal for a 10 days period.
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Hi everyone,
Excuse me for bringing back this topic, but I have a similar question regarding this topic. We're visiting California next week as an European tourist. I'm willing to buy the 30 days unlimited web prepaid deal from t mobile, however I saw that it is for 'US residents only'.
Do they check this? Do you have to provide a passport or something?
We only need Internet for 3 weeks so 30 days is sufficient, it's mainly for navigation purpose on my HTC Sensation.
Another question, is the sim a standard one or is it a micro sim?
Hope you can give us the answer! Can't wait for our visit!
Best regards,
Jasper from the Netherlands.
Dutchman86 said:
Hi everyone,
Excuse me for bringing back this topic, but I have a similar question regarding this topic. We're visiting California next week as an European tourist. I'm willing to buy the 30 days unlimited web prepaid deal from t mobile, however I saw that it is for 'US residents only'.
Do they check this? Do you have to provide a passport or something?
We only need Internet for 3 weeks so 30 days is sufficient, it's mainly for navigation purpose on my HTC Sensation.
Another question, is the sim a standard one or is it a micro sim?
Hope you can give us the answer! Can't wait for our visit!
Best regards,
Jasper from the Netherlands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No they do not check it. You do not need to provide a passport. However you may be required to present an ID. It varies. If you plan to get one at a T-Mobile store, you can request a standard one, or microsim. If for some reason you decide to buy it online, it'll come as a standard similar card.
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I have a Nexus 5 on Sprint right now. Their data and voice plans in Germany are kind of insane. I was thinking of getting a SIM overseas and throwing it into my Nexus 5.
Any recommendations on who to use as a carrier? What it might cost? and Anything special I might need to know about my Nexus 5?
I originally had it active on T-Mobile, but to move it to Sprint I had to factory reset. I am assuming I may need to do that overseas.
Also, I know T-Mobile has some insane plan for personnel using their post-paid plan, does anyone know if they have a sim setup for their pre-paid that includes the International data/voice calling?
I tried searching but didn't find anything that matched what I was looking for!
Thanks in advance!
(deleted)
---------- Post added at 08:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:08 PM ----------
BigKenW said:
I have a Nexus 5 on Sprint right now. Their data and voice plans in Germany are kind of insane. I was thinking of getting a SIM overseas and throwing it into my Nexus 5.
Any recommendations on who to use as a carrier? What it might cost? and Anything special I might need to know about my Nexus 5?
I originally had it active on T-Mobile, but to move it to Sprint I had to factory reset. I am assuming I may need to do that overseas.
Also, I know T-Mobile has some insane plan for personnel using their post-paid plan, does anyone know if they have a sim setup for their pre-paid that includes the International data/voice calling?
I tried searching but didn't find anything that matched what I was looking for!
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also on Sprint and you're right, their rates are skyhigh.
I spent most of my summer in Berlin last year as part of a study abroad program. Since I'm not sure where you are going I can't exactly recommend the best service for your area. However Telekom and O2 have very good service across Germany and across most of Europe. Without a German bank card (EC Karte) your options are kind of limited. You will only be able to have a prepaid plan. I went with O2 as they had great service in Berlin and they had a very inexpensive roaming plan for when I was in Poland. I went with the O2 Smart Loop plan. For about 40 Euros a month you can get 3GB of data, 100 minutes (0.09/min thereafter), and sms. Since I was using mostly data and was only going to make calls in an emergency this plan worked for me. Also in Germany you are not charged for incoming sms or calls, so anyone can call you and you are not billed, they are.
The N5 should work just fine on any network in Germany. I used an N4 last year (purchased it just for the trip and sold it to buy an N5) and had no issues. I did swap sims with several friends and I never had to reset my device. Just had to select the new apn and go from there. It was very simple.
In regards to T-Mo, they only allow the international text/data if you sign up for a post-paid Simple Choice Plan. The calls are a flat rate 0.20/min. Looking through their prepaid plans I can't find anything that allows international use. :/
That is great info. Thank you much!
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