LOGO
General Discussion Undecided where to post - do it here.

Reply to Thread New Thread
Old 02-08-2010, 08:20 PM   #1
Obgrfbke

Join Date
Nov 2005
Posts
457
Senior Member
Default Mobile internet browsing in the US for a Uk guy. iPhone
Off to Florida for a proper theme park style dream holiday for 2 weeks soon (yay etc etc). I am doing all the usual research before going. A major worry I have is the VERY scary stories about insane mobile charges abroad for web usage.

I know, I could just turn the bugger off, or only use for an odd (expensive) text. But frankly I really want to make full use of my iPhone and it's ability to navigate etc while away. However I'm on orange and it seems there are insane prices with this stuff, like £8 per MB or so.

What I want to know is there any way to lessen the cost? Or possibly find a way around it? It seems at the moment even thinking about using a UK smartphone in the us to web browse is insanity.
Obgrfbke is offline


Old 02-08-2010, 08:42 PM   #2
kjsdiuwe

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
508
Senior Member
Default
You could try getting a US SIM at AT&T. No idea how much that would cost but I would assume you would have to pay for a month (~$90 for an iphone). I don't know if they will do PAYG for this type of thing. I would get on AT&T's website and do a live chat and ask them.
kjsdiuwe is offline


Old 02-08-2010, 09:37 PM   #3
t78VPkdO

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
444
Senior Member
Default
Or just try to stick to open WIFI hotspots? Surely there will be WIFI in the hotel or nearby café?
t78VPkdO is offline


Old 02-08-2010, 09:41 PM   #4
ptmQqoxw

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
544
Senior Member
Default
Or just try to stick to open WIFI hotspots? Surely there will be WIFI in the hotel or nearby café?
Does the GPS use a connection though? I can use only the GPS chip in my phone when abroad to avoid data charges but not sure if this applies to the iPhone?
ptmQqoxw is offline


Old 02-08-2010, 09:53 PM   #5
EmpokemyMok

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
503
Senior Member
Default
Does the GPS use a connection though? I can use only the GPS chip in my phone when abroad to avoid data charges but not sure if this applies to the iPhone?
Depending on the GPS software used, most will need to pull map data from the data network.
EmpokemyMok is offline


Old 02-08-2010, 09:59 PM   #6
kjsdiuwe

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
508
Senior Member
Default
Or just try to stick to open WIFI hotspots? Surely there will be WIFI in the hotel or nearby café?
Like mutelight said, you need a data connection for map data and you won't get WiFi on the road. Maybe the TomTom app downloads the full maps?
kjsdiuwe is offline


Old 02-08-2010, 10:08 PM   #7
ptmQqoxw

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
544
Senior Member
Default
Depending on the GPS software used, most will need to pull map data from the data network.
Yep. I preload maps before I travel abroad but sometimes a triangulation server is used based on your cell location. It was more this I was thinking about.
ptmQqoxw is offline


Old 02-08-2010, 10:38 PM   #8
EmpokemyMok

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
503
Senior Member
Default
Yep. I preload maps before I travel abroad but sometimes a triangulation server is used based on your cell location. It was more this I was thinking about.
The phone will use AGPS relying on not only satellite but will use WiFi networks as well as cell tower distances. (as most smartphones) I am not sure if the phone will use any data over the actual data network or if it will just monitor control channels from them to base the triangulation.
EmpokemyMok is offline


Old 02-08-2010, 10:57 PM   #9
ZZipZZipe

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
482
Senior Member
Default
Same thing happened to me in Cyprus....I had to rely on Wifi hotspots.

Cell data was 5 euro per mb for roaming.
ZZipZZipe is offline


Old 02-08-2010, 11:59 PM   #10
b3JOkwXL

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
497
Senior Member
Default
I've just had a rather unpleasant data roaming bill for going to Poland for a few days so I know exactly where you are coming from. I'm going to Vegas / California in November and getting a US sim card for about 10 dollars and putting some credit on it - this information is from my mate who went last year and did this.
b3JOkwXL is offline


Old 02-09-2010, 12:02 AM   #11
VEGLAS - SPB

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
524
Senior Member
Default
You could try getting a US SIM at AT&T. No idea how much that would cost but I would assume you would have to pay for a month (~$90 for an iphone). I don't know if they will do PAYG for this type of thing. I would get on AT&T's website and do a live chat and ask them.
Apparently AT&T do a 100MB for $19.99 on their Pay As You Go service. You'd have to use a false address when you first register the SIM though as that's usually how they set up the area code.
VEGLAS - SPB is offline


Old 03-08-2010, 10:59 PM   #12
Obgrfbke

Join Date
Nov 2005
Posts
457
Senior Member
Default
Apparently AT&T do a 100MB for $19.99 on their Pay As You Go service. You'd have to use a false address when you first register the SIM though as that's usually how they set up the area code.
Are there any decent sites I can visit to check this option out?

Want to look into simply buying a pay and go simm now for american use. Ideally I buy a simm, stick it in in america, and can use my iphone as normal within the US. Not bothered about calls/texts back home. Just mainly want 3g, data and call/text ability.
Obgrfbke is offline


Old 03-08-2010, 11:46 PM   #13
Eeaquzyh

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
428
Senior Member
Default
could always just buy an ipad when you first arrive and use that for everything. there is no contract required to use it, but you would have to fork out for the ipad. but then you have an ipad!!???? [surrender]

the american sim card would probably be the best way to go. you could always unlock youre iphone and activate it on atnt for the month and just cancel it before you leave saying your not happy with the service. I know verizon gives you the 30 day thing so I assume atnt does it too.
Eeaquzyh is offline


Old 03-09-2010, 12:21 AM   #14
VEGLAS - SPB

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
524
Senior Member
Default
Are there any decent sites I can visit to check this option out?
Not so sure about it now, the $19.99 plan seems to be mentioned on forums but I can't find it on AT&T's site. There it says data is 1 cent per KB. I did the math, it adds up to data rape. America is notoriously shitty for pay as you go data. In fact it's pretty crappy for pay as you go altogether. I think AT&T is the only carrier which even does data and at $10 a MB that's a joke. I'm on T-Mobile pay as you go and I'd love to have a data plan available. I only need to use data one week in four and would mostly be for email but that's not happening. They have a sidekick plan I can keep going for about an hour before they figure out which phone I have but that's about it.
VEGLAS - SPB is offline


Old 03-09-2010, 12:52 AM   #15
Impariclainna

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
469
Senior Member
Default
With at&t you can not put a prepaid sim in a contract device. I tried to do that with my old blackberry pearl and when i called them they told me no. (i called a few times to make sure I didn't get a dumbass rep)


You're probably better off just buying a cheapo virgin mobile phone or something like that and getting the payg service.
With virgin mobile you get unlimited text and data + 300 minutes for $25. You really can't beat that.
Impariclainna is offline


Old 03-09-2010, 01:22 AM   #16
kjsdiuwe

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
508
Senior Member
Default
With at&t you can not put a prepaid sim in a contract device. I tried to do that with my old blackberry pearl and when i called them they told me no. (i called a few times to make sure I didn't get a dumbass rep)


You're probably better off just buying a cheapo virgin mobile phone or something like that and getting the payg service.
With virgin mobile you get unlimited text and data + 300 minutes for $25. You really can't beat that.
Did you actually try it? It should work fine. I used to put my iPhone sim in an old crappy phone when I went ice fishing so I wouldn't have to worry about dropping an expensive phone in the lake.
kjsdiuwe is offline


Old 03-09-2010, 02:47 AM   #17
VEGLAS - SPB

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
524
Senior Member
Default
You're probably better off just buying a cheapo virgin mobile phone or something like that and getting the payg service.
With virgin mobile you get unlimited text and data + 300 minutes for $25. You really can't beat that.
**** if that's a proper data connection, I want it. I'm going to go get a PoS phone this afternoon and swap out the SIM card to see if this works in my G1.
VEGLAS - SPB is offline


Old 03-09-2010, 02:59 AM   #18
PrareeLor

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
400
Senior Member
Default
**** if that's a proper data connection, I want it. I'm going to go get a PoS phone this afternoon and swap out the SIM card to see if this works in my G1.
I very much doubt that "unlimited" data really is unlimited.
PrareeLor is offline


Old 03-09-2010, 03:02 AM   #19
kjsdiuwe

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
508
Senior Member
Default
I very much doubt that "unlimited" data really is unlimited.
Of course it's unlimited...unless you use too much.
kjsdiuwe is offline


Old 03-09-2010, 03:08 AM   #20
VEGLAS - SPB

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
524
Senior Member
Default
I very much doubt that "unlimited" data really is unlimited.
I'm not really wanting to do all that much. Mostly check email while I'm on call. I just wondered if it was some kind of walled garden.
VEGLAS - SPB is offline



Reply to Thread New Thread

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 

All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:24 AM.
Copyright ©2000 - 2012, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2
Design & Developed by Amodity.com
Copyright© Amodity