Question for the techie Aussie Disboard ppl

[BigDisneyOE]

Okay DH wants to know some techincal stuff, I'm copying and pasting as I don't understand a word of it...

I have a tri-band phone, and want to buy 'pay as you go' phone / data access in the States. I'll need to buy a SIM and pre-pay access. Can anyone recommend the best provider and stores to buy these? Are there specialist stores for each telco or just generic electronics stores?

Basically he wants to load all the apps for DCL onto his phone and play with it all day at DCL so he can anticipate how long we have to stand in line for with the kids. Me, I plan on getting a disposable phone as I just want to be able to call him if I'm lost.

 

[BecBennett]

It *can* be done, but it can be a bit difficult.

Does your DH have an iphone or an android? I think T Mobile is the best one to use. There are several threads all over the interweb on how to do it with AT&T and an iphone, but I don't think it's as difficult as those threads make it seem any more...

Check the T Mobile website and I believe you should be able to find some sort of prepaid data and voice sim.

 

[BigDisneyOE]

Cool thanks Bec! He has an android aparently. He also says I'm a complete phone Luddite. Now he's waffling about iPad or something, I'll leave him to it - maybe I'll just stick with writing cellphone numbers in Vivid markers on the kids arms if they get lost and hope for the best.

 

[Andona]

I've spent hours researching this too!

If he's doing iPad then an AT & T sim is the way to go. Friends of ours went over recently and just bought one in an At & T store, purchased a 3Gb plan ( think it cost about $30) and they were able to access data on the iPad all over the east coast.

For the phone, his choice is AT & T or T-Mobile. ( they are the providers that are on a GSM network and offer sims - the other major Telcos in the USA use CDMA) If he's got an Android phone then he can go with either and get a prepaid phone and data plan. If you have an iPhone the AT & T option is possible but requires a bit of a fiddle with settings to get data. TMobile offer data but it will only be at 2G/Edge speeds as their 3G is not compatible with our phones ( different frequency)

I have an iPad and an iPhone so I'm going with AT & T for the iPad but I've decided to go with T Mobile for the phone. Ive read several reports of people using T Mobile that were successfully able to access the Disney Apps on their phone, even on 2G speeds.

Have read several reports of people buying sims from travelgear.com.au in advance of their trip, and being happy with the service. That appeals if you don't want to spend the time trying to find a telco shop once you are in the USA.

Good luck!
Andona

 

[australiankaren]

Tell him, and I am an expert in the field..so recount this word for word

"buy a pony instead".

 

[areweindisneyyet]

We use T Mobile for boh our phones at Christmas from travelgear. They have great information on their website explaining us tech for Aust phones. We had an android and an iPhone. Had them boh or king in Oz the morning we left so hit he ground running. Used line apps during 8 days in park and checked email, bu imetables, found restaurants. I purchased the $60 plan and at lax departure lounge received a text that I had used 80% of my monthly data allowance. This was in 3 weeks. Very happy

 

[ExcitedSam]

Do you have to do something special to the iPhone to get he t-mobile sim working?

A friend has just come back from the US and got a prepaid phone over there which she Will loan us, we just nave to top up credit. But would like t get something fory DH iPhone so we can use apps and more impotently find each other when separated!

 

[BigDisneyOE]

Thank you ladies, DH read everything and understood it - it's a big help for him as he'll need to get messages from his work when in the USA.

Thanks to Karen for the answer that I understood completely!!

 

[BecBennett]

Do you have to do something special to the iPhone to get he t-mobile sim working?

Make sure it's unlocked

 

[mareeld86]

I used T-mobile and it worked really well for the 9 weeks we were in the us! I would recommend them

 

[areweindisneyyet]

For the IPHONE I just followed the Travel Gear instructions, rang Telstra who are my provider a few days before and told them I was going to the US and needed the phone unlocked.

All good!

As I said, we put the US Sim cards in at home before we left for the airport and we received our welcome text from T Mobile in both.