Phone Advice

[Webhead]

I'm on EE, which is basically Orange and T-Mobile. Not unlocked. D@mn.

You're on iPhone? Will your current service provider unlock it for you before you travel? Have you called them to see if they will do it? Because they might. And that will save you a lot of headaches.

[Webhead]

The devil is in the details. If I'm reading AT&T's plans correctly, the data rate on the $45 plan is throttled back after 2 GB, while the $60 plan offers only 2.5 GB of data, but doesn't throttle back the bandwidth. Kind of a quality versus quantity issue, I suppose. Honestly, don't you wonder how the bean counters come up with these plans?

I'm gonna go with CeeBee's first suggestion and say go with the Straight Talk SIM, if it works with your phone. Anyway, it's a temporary situation, not a marriage.

If you were getting off a long flight from across the ocean, ready to go party it up in the U.S. and enjoy a great vacation,... which would you rather do: Walk over to the cellular location at the airport and get your cell phone situation setup and done in just a few minutes? Or go try to find a nearby Walmart? And this is in New York mind you.

However, if the phone is only compatible with ST, then everything I'm saying is moot because there's really no choice.

As for the plans, yeah it's really lame that they introduce 4G/LTE while at the same time removing the unlimited plans and throttling at 2GB. That makes zero sense. That's like offering a Toyota Yaris and saying you can drive it as much as you want and then in a few years we'll upgrade you to a Ferrari but you can't drive more than 20 miles per month in it. So stupid.

Personally I feel pretty lucky because I'm locked into the unlimited iPhone plan I had since the beginning. So I don't have to worry about going over ever. So that's the pro. And when Wifi is a problem, it's nice to have that blazing fast speed on the phone as a backup. The con though is that I can't tether my iPad to my phone (because that would require updating my plan) and even though I'm unlimited, I still get throttled at 2GB. And that won't be changing anytime soon. Gee thanks greedy communications conglomerate!

But I digress....

[CeeBee]

I'm gonna go with CeeBee's first suggestion and say go with the Straight Talk SIM, if it works with your phone

I am currently on ST, have been with them for 6 mo now. Absolutely no difference from AT&T except braindead customer service if you ever have to deal with them (for a burner number there should be no need). Actually after I "switched" my number to ST the voicemail kept the old messages, both for me & my wife. iPhone doesn't have visual voicemail on ST but meh... overall we are paying $30 less/mo while having unlimited vs wife going over the data plan every other month and me being dinged for every text message.
Re. unlocked phone, around here most providers will unlock the phone if you have been with them at least X months and you tell them that you are traveling abroad (I've had at least 5 phones unlocked). If everything fails there are plenty of places where one can buy a prepaid phone for next to nothing.

[Webhead]

Can check the phone compatibility (with ST) here by entering your IMEI number: http://www.byopfinder.com/byopfinder...ullscreen=true

Alternatively, here's instructions on how to determine if your phone is compatible with an AT&T SIM: http://www.att.com/esupport/article....id=ClSZe0aTtGy

[CeeBee]

If you were getting off a long flight from across the ocean, ready to go party it up in the U.S. and enjoy a great vacation,... which would you rather do: Walk over to the cellular location at the airport and get your cell phone situation setup and done in just a few minutes? Or go try to find a nearby Walmart?

The cellular location is a vending machine that sells overpriced SIMS with low minutes. But to be fair there is a choice for the lube when being reamed. Think to the tune of $0.50/min... much like the $3 bottle of water in the airport.
Another choice is Net10 BYOP sold at BestBuy which is essentially the same as Straight Talk and few other names - each branded and almost exclusively sold at a different major retailer.

[Overdrv]

I'm sure someone in the USA could send him the sim before hand so he can change the Sim on the Plane.

[slgrieb]

I'm sure someone in the USA could send him the sim before hand so he can change the Sim on the Plane.

That's about the best idea yet, in conjunction with the ST SIM.

[Larommi]

Set the phone to Wifi calls and not worry about carriers. There is free WiFi everywhere.

[Gazzak]

Set the phone to Wifi calls and not worry about carriers. There is free WiFi everywhere.

That's the other option Larommi. My friends seem to be more worried about finding their way around NYC without satnav more than calls.

[Webhead]

Set the phone to Wifi calls and not worry about carriers. There is free WiFi everywhere.

Oh wow,... great idea! It's always the simplest ideas that are right in front of me that I never even think about. Heck, there's probably a coffee shop or something with wifi on every corner in NYC. This is perfect.