U.S. sim card?

[Sue M]

Getting the new iPhone 5 so the plan is to unlock my 3GS I phone and use it for travel. Which US carrier has the best no contract pay as you go rate for this?

 

[disneybound08]

This is a great idea! Can't wait to hear some responses to this question.

 

[MaMudduck]

I've been using AT&T prepaid sim cards for years...Never had any problems with coverage anywhere in the U.S., and you can get them in all the major stores: Walmart, BestBuy, Target, in mall stands, and of course at the AT&T stores directly.
I usually go to the AT&T store directly, because I find that the at&t are less busy than the box stores, I can review all they prepaid options plans, get them to do everything to the phone (simply putting the sim card in the phone, basic stuff, just stuff I'd rather let them do ) then I walk out of the store with a working, ready to go, phone in my hand

I'm sure all the "major" carriers are the pretty much the same now, and prices are roughly the same. Years ago, it was more like what we had in Canada, when Bell didn't use sim card in any of their phones, and only Rogers did. It was the same with At&t (having sims) & Sprint didn't....but that's all before all carriers had smartphones & iPhones (<the olden days..)

 

[Sue M]

Thanks! Do they have a voice, data & texting pay as you go? Would you mind saying what your cost has been?
Im so looking forward to being able to use my WDW app, Lines without worrying about data roaming!! Last trip only MK had wifi.

Of course, prob, now that I can unlock my iPhone, all the parks will have wifi the moment I get a US data plan! Just like 6 mos after I bought a T-Mobile internet stick for my laptop, all resorts got wifi

Last trip I had to buy a Telus US unlimited text plan for my phone for $40. The $20 plan wasn't adequate.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

T-Mobile is your only option if you want pay by the day. There is more information in the sticky above.

 

[MaMudduck]

Thanks! Do they have a voice, data & texting pay as you go? Would you mind saying what your cost has been?
Im so looking forward to being able to use my WDW app, Lines without worrying about data roaming!! Last trip only MK had wifi.

Yes, most defiantly talk/text/data. Here's the link: att prepaid plans- look towards the bottom after the monthly plans

I have the $2 per day of use- Unlimited calls/unlimited text/VM.(so there are no roaming fees anywhere in the US) I bought a $100 prepaid card because it doesn't expire for 1yr. I didn't use data on my last trip, but I see that's extra per MB and also calling to Canada is extra for "long distance" which is .10 per minute BUT nothing if they call you (incoming calls)!

Looks like T-Mobile has more plans to choose from: T-Mobile Plans

so if your going for 1 week, use the phone each day with 30min calling Canada you'll need a card for approx. $35 (7days x $2+ 30min x.10x 7days) less long distance/ more data adjust accordingly. As maddysdaddy said there a pinned thread at the top of this board with lots more info.

 

[Sue M]

Hmmmm, thanks. I may get the $100 sim card, I go to Florida 2 weeks in January and 3 or so weeks in August. May be worth it? And i have a calling card for Canada.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't become a victim of Telus/Bell/Shaw by using their calling cards to phone home.

If you have a US sim card in your phone, you DO NOT NEED TO PAY TO CALL CANADA.

Once you have your US number, pop onto your computer, go to the Google Voice website, and within 2 minutes you'll have your very own GV phone number. When you go to call Canada through GV, it routes your call through a local number, so you are not paying any long distance charges - all you are doing is using minutes under your US plan (which are likely unlimited).

 

[MaMudduck]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't become a victim of Telus/Bell/Shaw by using their calling cards to phone home.

If you have a US sim card in your phone, you DO NOT NEED TO PAY TO CALL CANADA.

Once you have your US number, pop onto your computer, go to the Google Voice website, and within 2 minutes you'll have your very own GV phone number. When you go to call Canada through GV, it routes your call through a local number, so you are not paying any long distance charges - all you are doing is using minutes under your US plan (which are likely unlimited).

OUTSTANDING idea!!!!!! Thank you

 

[Sue M]

And here i though $0.4/minute was pretty good. Never heard of Google Voice.

 

[stefanospops]

We actually bring a Magic Jack down with us. Since we are DVC members we get free Internet with our rooms. I just unplug the hotel phone and plug it into my Magic Jack and you get free North America calling. It's not like I will be calling anyone from the parks anyways, just from the room so it works out perfect for us. I even have a 407 phone number so I can feel like I am at Disney year round!

 

[newdeal]

Just so you know ATT will disable your sim and give away your number in like 6 weeks or something rediculous like that if you havent used your account. So basically if you use ATT you need to get a new card every single time you go

 

[MaMudduck]

Just so you know ATT will disable your sim and give away your number in like 6 weeks or something rediculous like that if you havent used your account. So basically if you use ATT you need to get a new card every single time you go

it depends on how much time you buy, $25 expires in 30 days, etc.etc.etc....$100 expires in one year if you don't reload. But yes they do expire and you have to get a new one each time if it does expire, but for me that's not an issue (getting a new one each time) I just buy only the dollar amounts I'm going to use within the expiry time.

 

[Sue M]

For me the only hassle would be forwarding a new phone # to friends and family who will be in touch with me while I'm there. A new phone # each time will be somewhat of a pain, because I do have friends and family in Florida.

But, I think the savings in $$$ will outweigh the nuisance of having to e mail everyone with a new phone # each visit.

Last visit, no mater how I told everyone to just text me, because I wasn't getting a U.S. voice roaming pkg, they still phoned! My plan had been to just use texting, and phone who I needed when in hotel room. But the best made plans......

 

[Maddysdaddy]

For me the only hassle would be forwarding a new phone # to friends and family who will be in touch with me while I'm there. A new phone # each time will be somewhat of a pain, because I do have friends and family in Florida.

But, I think the savings in $$$ will outweigh the nuisance of having to e mail everyone with a new phone # each visit.

Last visit, no mater how I told everyone to just text me, because I wasn't getting a U.S. voice roaming pkg, they still phoned! My plan had been to just use texting, and phone who I needed when in hotel room. But the best made plans......

If you sign up got Google Voice, it's your number forever, no matter how many sim cards you go through. Just give that number out and you don't have to worry about a new number every trip.

 

[crampe]

Roam mobility offers SIM cards for Canadians to travel to the US. You buy the card and select the days you want. Unlimited talk and text to Canada. You can add data as well.

They use the t-mobile network so in order to get full speed your device must be compatible. You cannot get 3G for a Rogers unlocked device. You cannot get 3G for an iPhone either.

They are working with RIM to allow blackberries.

All in all its good value.

 

[cyberjyd]

My wife and I both used a T-mobile pay as you go sim cards on our Nexus S phones from Telus. We got our sims from eBay and were able to test it at home as they were already activated with a couple of dollars already on the sim. We had no problems using a Canadian Credit card to add more money to the plan when we got to Orlando. It did work but we could not get 3G. Data connection was super slow but it did the job for us. Something to do with Canadian carriers using a different radio band on their phones than T-mobile. The nice thing about each having a sim was that we could text and call each other without worrying about roaming fees. I'm going to look at getting AT&T sims for our next trip in February.