Phone contracts in the USA

[montage]

Ok, so my phone is playing up, and my ipod is broken....so I have looked at combining the two and getting an iphone, or another smart phone. However, as of Early August, I will be studying in the USA until May/July .... which means getting a contract is complicated. So basically, I am looking at buying a phone here, which I can use in the USA as well with an American SIM/contract, the continue to use the phone back in the UK with a UK SIM card. I'm not interested in making international calls in either country- I'll use skype on the computer for that.

I've always used pay as you go, but considering contract where you get all the freebies such as unlimited internet etc.

Does anybody have any advice to offer on this matter? Very much appreciated

 

[Moodyman]

The benefits of UK contracts don't work in USA. The free texts, minutes and free mobile internet is only for UK use.

Also, your Pay & Go phone is likely to be locked to your UK network. Need to ask them to unlock it for it to work in the US. They may charge you a fee for this.

Edit: When buying phones look for ones that work on 1900 Mhz - or are labeled as tri-band.

 

[Norm]

Edit: When buying phones look for ones that work on 1900 Mhz - or are labeled as tri-band.

This bit is critical.

Don't get a contract, you'll get nothing when in the US other than bills, and you'll be charged through the nose (£1 per minute last time I was there, although that's about 4 years ago!) for making and taking calls.

Get another PAYG which works on 1900mhz and buy a SIM when you get out there. Peeps who call you will be paying for calls to a US mobile but you will be hammered for the costs otherwise.

IMO.

 

[Trembler49]

You want a dual SIM phone. SIM 1 is for the country you will be living in (the USA), SIM 2 is for your UK SIM. Drop your UK SIM down to a minimum contract as you won't use it much in the US.

Use the US SIM and get the best local (US) contract you can.

 

[montage]

Thanks for the advice all.
Tri band is definately a must.... does that cover South America or does that require quad band? (May go travelling afterwards)

Way out of my expertise with all this so thanks again

 

[vernon]

Have you considered talking to a phone company or two?

 

[Riding in Circles]

Don't buy a Verizon or Sprint phone in the USA as they are not sim based and therefore cannot be used with a sim if unlocked and brought to the uk, there is a lot of pay as go in the usa now as well, be aware that most US users pay to receive calls and texts as well, unlike the UK.

 

[Norm]

You want a dual SIM phone. SIM 1 is for the country you will be living in (the USA), SIM 2 is for your UK SIM. Drop your UK SIM down to a minimum contract as you won't use it much in the US.

I wouldn't go dual-SIM, partly because there are so few available that choice is limiting but also because swapping the SIM card on most phones is very easy.

I also think that the OP said he had no contract.

 

[Moodyman]

Thanks for the advice all.
Tri band is definately a must.... does that cover South America or does that require quad band? (May go travelling afterwards)

Way out of my expertise with all this so thanks again

You can use Tri-band in some South American countries but to be sure, get a quad band phone. Many mid-to high end phones are now quad band.

As said before, make sure your phone is unlocked. UK networks subsidise phones. Even if you pay £100 for a Pay & Go phone, you will only have paid a percentage of it's cost - the network will have subsidised the rest.

To recover this subsidy, they lock the phone to their network so you're restricted to using their SIM card.

You need to ask them for an unlock code which they will only provide after 12 months of purchase. And then, they'll charge you an admin fee for getting this code from the phone manufacturer.

 

[Tollers]

Take your UK phone or buy an unlocked old iphone off ebay. As Moody says make sure you get it unlocked before you leave UK (US pretty much never unlock phones).

Get a US pay as you go SIM. With no credit history you will not be given a contract unless you pay a hefty deposit for a year (it was $500 for me).

US mobile costs are expensive. The ads always used the word "only" followed by some scandalous number. Get used to paying to receive texts too.

 

[montage]

Thanks for all the help. I'm a bit concerned about buying a second hand one as there could be all sorts of faults with it, but I'm now looking at a HTC wildfire, and as many of you say, ensuring it is unlocked, then I'll get a PAYG sim card out there