iPhones in the US

[aussiegirls]

Hi all

Well, I am still procrastinating about my spur of the moment trip - which I suppose won't be so spur of the moment anymore. But anyway I was wondering how, those of you who have iPhones, use them in the USA.

If we go I don't want to come home to a million $$$$ phone bill. Last time I went I just had a normal 3G phone that I had Virgin put onto international roaming, so I could still make a few calls if I needed to, and could be contacted if necessary, but it didn't cost anything unless I actually used it. But I don't think it will be the same with the iPhone, is that right?

If I get it put onto international roaming am I going to be constantly charged for it trying to connect to networks all day long? If I turn off the data roaming, will that fix the problem? And if so, will I still be able to use it with Wifi?

Can anyone that has taken their iPhone please advise me how you did it and if it was not ridiculously expensive.

Thanks guys

xxx

 

[Anne_Aus]

I would suggest just buying a prepaid sim for the iphone over in the US

 

[aussietravellers]

Make sure that you have data roaming off. We had prepaid disposable phones and also had our iphones. Our friends didn't have the local phones so to communicate with them it was via sms. My phone bill was enormous. $750 for that month to be exact, each sms was $1.70 to $1.90, crazy. It was two calls home and then sms's. HUGE bill!

Also, with the iphones, the reception we found to be attorcious! My son was down in the games room at BC and I was up in the room. I was trying to call him but there wasn't any service. I then walked through the hotel to get to the games room and he didn't have range at all in the games room and outside the hotel. i didn't seem to have a problem in New York but I didn't use the phone there, it was only at WDW.

There is some good info here about travelling with the iphone in the USA and getting a prepaid sim for it your iphone http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1296230 and http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1370900

 

[miss.potatohead]

Just as long as you have the data turned off you shouldn't be charged for anything you didn't consciously do (ie apps that will automatically update, emails that come through etc).

 

[Tara2004]

I ordered 2 AT&T sim cards off ebay for our iPhones. I rang AT&T and they said they would activate the sims for us prior to leaving for the US. I also rang telstra and they will unlock them for us so we can use AT&T sim in it. Bottom line is we will have 2 iPhones ready to rock the moment we land in LA. Yes you can use international roaming but you can't have DATA cause it costs to much. So we are using the AT&T sims cause I want DATA package so we can use internet (disney wifi is expensive ) and use all the cool apps for Disney like ride wait times etc.

The Sims only cost me inc postage $14 . Now I just have to pay AT&T for a 30 day data package.

 

[Toy Story]

Tara were your iphones still under contract with Telstra before you go them unlocked?

 

[aussietravellers]

Hi all

Well, I am still procrastinating about my spur of the moment trip - which I suppose won't be so spur of the moment anymore. But anyway I was wondering how, those of you who have iPhones, use them in the USA.

If we go I don't want to come home to a million $$$$ phone bill. Last time I went I just had a normal 3G phone that I had Virgin put onto international roaming, so I could still make a few calls if I needed to, and could be contacted if necessary, but it didn't cost anything unless I actually used it. But I don't think it will be the same with the iPhone, is that right?

If I get it put onto international roaming am I going to be constantly charged for it trying to connect to networks all day long? If I turn off the data roaming, will that fix the problem? And if so, will I still be able to use it with Wifi?

Can anyone that has taken their iPhone please advise me how you did it and if it was not ridiculously expensive.

Thanks guys

xxx

Just saw you are going to DL not WDW. Just a piece of info if you didn't know.. the wifi at DL resort hotels is free. You can use it when you are in the lobby of the three DL hotels, it works in the restaurants and it's also free in the rooms at the GCH, DLH and PPH. I even used the the free wifi at DL, on my iphone, sitting outside of PPH whilst waiting for the bus to South Coast Plaza. It's not free walking around the parks, just at the resorts, no passwords required either to connect so you don't have to be staying in the hotels to use it.

Wish it was free at WDW too, don't know why it's free at DL and not at WDW

 

[Tara2004]

Tara were your iphones still under contract with Telstra before you go them unlocked?

YES , but they said that is no problem.

 

[battymum]

My dd has been using her iphone non stop for three weeks. We bought a t-mobile sim before we left, it was 30 for the sim and we had to pay 60 for unlimited talk, text and data including international (calls to landlines only) it has worked a treat, although she says uploading a photo to facebook takes ages.
Actually it has worked too well, i have had to onfiscate it from her a couple of times.

 

[PrincessInOz]

YES , but they said that is no problem.

Get your iphone unlocked. If you are planning on using a data plan with your i-phone, you need to purchase a (micro) SIM with data included. You might need to reset the APNs to the ones for the US in order to access the internet.

If you've already bought the voice only SIM, then you might need to walk into an AT&T store and ask them to associate a data plan with your iphones. I believe it is possible...but not 100% sure. The consultant in the store might be able to help you set up the APNs.

The data plans will last for a month and I believe you can purchase them based on MB allowance e.g, 100 MB and 500 MB.

 

[areweindisneyyet]

My dd has been using her iphone non stop for three weeks. We bought a t-mobile sim before we left, it was 30 for the sim and we had to pay 60 for unlimited talk, text and data including international (calls to landlines only) it has worked a treat, although she says uploading a photo to facebook takes ages.
Actually it has worked too well, i have had to onfiscate it from her a couple of times.

Where did you purchase this from?

 

[kylieh]

My dd has been using her iphone non stop for three weeks. We bought a t-mobile sim before we left, it was 30 for the sim and we had to pay 60 for unlimited talk, text and data including international (calls to landlines only) it has worked a treat, although she says uploading a photo to facebook takes ages.
Actually it has worked too well, i have had to onfiscate it from her a couple of times.

Where did you purchase this from?

We got this one too! From http://www.travelgear.com.au/p/TMOB...id+mobile+phone+SIM+card+with+USD$3.34+credit

Best thing - DD rang her Nan almost each day, I could my folks, and SIL rang her DH each day. We made a few calls in the US, and also used Facebook, lines apps, etc. Order it at least two weeks before you go incase they don't have a lot of stock.

 

[areweindisneyyet]

We got this one too! From http://www.travelgear.com.au/p/TMOB...id+mobile+phone+SIM+card+with+USD$3.34+credit

Best thing - DD rang her Nan almost each day, I could my folks, and SIL rang her DH each day. We made a few calls in the US, and also used Facebook, lines apps, etc. Order it at least two weeks before you go incase they don't have a lot of stock.

Thanks Kylie. DH and I just looked at roaming so will definitely check this out. My business operates through my mobile so working out a plan of attack. The calls to landlines in oz sounds good since we will be there on Christmas Day.

 

[aussiegirls]

kylieh, can you tell me how these sims work? I see that they are $29, is that just for the sim without any credit? Do you then have to recharge them to make them work? Also, does my iPhone need to be unlocked to use this?

Thanks

xxx

 

[Mum from oz]

I am also interested in these and how they work.

 

[pad406]

Agree with PPs, if your using your home sim,ensure data roaming is turned off. If the phone is unlocked then it's a lot easier. Last year we got a sim card from mrsimcard.com. It was about $90 and included 15 days of unlimited calls and text and 100mb of data. Worked well. Just had to set the APN settings and away we went, you do need internet access to do this or you can download before you leave home and activate when you get there.

 

[battymum]

We got ours from travelgear.com.au, it was about $30 just for the sim, and you had to buy $60 worth pf credit, which they give you vouchers for with a code on them. We left it a bit late to order so paid extra for express post. So all up it cost around $100.
As soon as we landed in dfw, dd put the sim in, then you had to go through an automted process to put the codes in and i think the voice recognition software had trouble with her accent. All this was while we were trying to get off the plane and then get through immigration, after our 15hour flight, so there was quite a bit of tension between dd and myself at this point. (but i want to checkin on facebook, in case anything has happened in the last fifteen hours)

But when we eventually got to sit down and i went through the process it worked a treat.
One thing, you will get US number, so if you are running a business and you forward calls to it, you will be paying for that.

 

[Mum from oz]

Thanks for that Battymum. I think I will get one for me for mobile Facebooking and calls to friends and family at home and DP can just use his phone as normal with data roaming off like we did last time. How soon out should I order it? I was thinking early next year.

 

[Franrose]

We did the travelgear sims too, could not recommend the whole system more highly! I got the more expensive "all you can eat" SIM, DH got the $30 credit one so that he could ring me and I him, and he could call locally and have a little bit of internet. If he wanted more 'net or to call overseas, he just used my phone.

We set it up on the day before we left, I can't remember if we used voice recognition or what but we didn't have any trouble. I might have used the internet at home I think.