Going to US with IPhone

[drewbles]

I'm currently facing a similar issue with Europe, specifically Suisse /Italy/ Greece.
Truckloads of info about, but mostly not including nitty gritty details like calls to Aus and calls to the sim from Aus.
Any guidance/ opinions ?

Have a look here: Communication & Internet

£2/day Vodafone UK is probably the best option you have, 25mb in some countries per day, 2mb in others. More info over in that part of the forum.

 

[flyingsyd]

This is also useful:
- Home - Prepaid Wireless Internet Access
- http://paygsimwithdata.wikia.com/

 

[danmate]

Hey, just to add more confusion. I was recently in the US and had an AT&T prepaid sim which is $25 and due to the fact that they don't sell many the staff often fumble round to get it set up so be prepared to waste lots of time. They also inform me that you CANNOT get data on a pre-paid plan from AT&T. If you're prepared to not use the iPhone then easier to just buy a cheap local phone from Radio Shack (like Tandy) or bestbuy etc

 

[tgh]

I have found it very difficult buying a local sim in Central Europe.
Had a huge issue a few years back working in Aachen and crossing the borders of france germany and belgium.
Competing telco's and little country to country compatibility.
Who wants to wast half a day sorting through all that chaff??

So a multi country sim seems to way to go.
Tru Global Roaming seems pretty good so far.

 

[flyingsyd]

Hey, just to add more confusion. I was recently in the US and had an AT&T prepaid sim which is $25 and due to the fact that they don't sell many the staff often fumble round to get it set up so be prepared to waste lots of time. They also inform me that you CANNOT get data on a pre-paid plan from AT&T. If you're prepared to not use the iPhone then easier to just buy a cheap local phone from Radio Shack (like Tandy) or bestbuy etc

You sometimes get this from the smaller AT&T stores. Officially, the GoPhone SIM is free if you buy it from an AT&T company store provided you add some air time with it in the store. You just need to have enough $ credit on it to add a data plan to it via the GoPhone web site after your GoPhone SIM is activated. You'll also need to change the APN settings on your iPhone. Full instructions are here:
USA - Pay as you go sim with data Wiki

 

[drewbles]

Hey, just to add more confusion. I was recently in the US and had an AT&T prepaid sim which is $25 and due to the fact that they don't sell many the staff often fumble round to get it set up so be prepared to waste lots of time. They also inform me that you CANNOT get data on a pre-paid plan from AT&T. If you're prepared to not use the iPhone then easier to just buy a cheap local phone from Radio Shack (like Tandy) or bestbuy etc

They told you a fib:

HOW TO: A guide for Australians using their iPhone 3G’s data services on AT&T in the USA. — perfectdarkmike

You can use pre-paid data no problems, but you don't tell them

 

[neon_crossing]

Check out Mr. Simcard www.mrsimcard.com +1-703-953-2272 | +44.7520763500 used them last year and I can't work out how I ever could travel without an iPhone ever again.

I am telling you now make sure you order a sim-card before you go, I went to the USA in 2009 thinking I could easily waltz into any old servo/phone store and get a pre-paid sim but alot do not work on iPhones because the vast majority of iphones in the USA are locked on plans.

I am going back next month and will be investing in another card from www.mrsimcard.com

 

[drewbles]

Check out Mr. Simcard [url]www.mrsimcard.com +1-703-953-2272 | +44.7520763500[/URL] used them last year and I can't work out how I ever could travel without an iPhone ever again.

I am telling you now make sure you order a sim-card before you go, I went to the USA in 2009 thinking I could easily waltz into any old servo/phone store and get a pre-paid sim but alot do not work on iPhones because the vast majority of iphones in the USA are locked on plans.

I am going back next month and will be investing in another card from www.mrsimcard.com

These guys are just selling you the AT&T SIM card. Saves you having to dig around on eBay to find it at least!

It's pretty steep pricing though, at $59.99 for a SIM card with 500mb. You should be able to get a SIM for a lot less, and put $25 on it for that (especially seeing as they charge $11.18 shipping *and* another $3 for a micro SIM).

I did have a large stash of AT&T SIM cards here at one stage, but alas, they're all gone (we no longer sell them as we have our own product in the USA).

 

[Cairnsexpat]

I was in USA a few weeks back. Took iP4 and a TravelSIM, prepaid. It worked great at home on test runs but was useless in US. Instructions were to connect to T-Mobile network. I got a strong signal in SFO but txts wouldn't send unless I used the TravelSIM menu. Got no coverage at all in my week in Myrtle Beach SC. Waste of time/money. I heard you can pick up a cheap prepaid SIM in USA which may work better. No prob with the phone itself in USA.

 

[neon_crossing]

These guys are just selling you the AT&T SIM card. Saves you having to dig around on eBay to find it at least!

It's pretty steep pricing though, at $59.99 for a SIM card with 500mb. You should be able to get a SIM for a lot less, and put $25 on it for that (especially seeing as they charge $11.18 shipping *and* another $3 for a micro SIM).

I did have a large stash of AT&T SIM cards here at one stage, but alas, they're all gone (we no longer sell them as we have our own product in the USA).

I see the advantage of not having to do anything when i enter the US, not enter a store and try to explain what I want, I get off the plane, turn on my phone and I am away.

 

[Dougo]

I was in USA a few weeks back. Took iP4 and a TravelSIM, prepaid. It worked great at home on test runs but was useless in US. Instructions were to connect to T-Mobile network. I got a strong signal in SFO but txts wouldn't send unless I used the TravelSIM menu. Got no coverage at all in my week in Myrtle Beach SC. Waste of time/money. I heard you can pick up a cheap prepaid SIM in USA which may work better. No prob with the phone itself in USA.

I bought a TravelSim here before heading to Europe in Sept 2008 and I found it very frustrating to use - it wasn't as simple as the instruction books said and like Cairnsexpat, worked well at home but not O/S.

In the States in 2009, I bought a TRAC phone from K-Mart - just a basic model without data but the credit only lasted for a month or so. It was OK if you wanted phone calls in the States but that was about it.

 

[tgh]

The more work I do on this the muddier it all becomes.
Tru doesn't ring er true at all.. dodgy website won't take credit cards ,no reviews much, but what else is there.
Concept is good.. local phone number so folks don't get shafted if they ring you .. and direct dial instead of hoping for a call back

Travel Sim doesn't sound much better.

Welcome to a shaky world of promises over substance

 

[Princess Fiona]

The more work I do on this the muddier it all becomes.
Tru doesn't ring er true at all.. dodgy website won't take credit cards ,no reviews much, but what else is there.
Concept is good.. local phone number so folks don't get shafted if they ring you .. and direct dial instead of hoping for a call back

Travel Sim doesn't sound much better.

Welcome to a shaky world of promises over substance

I have a PassportUS sim purchased from Telestial.com.au.
Set up before travel to US, worked perfectly well MIA, LAX and all points in between. Also worked well in UK.
I used minimal data on it but I think you can pre-purchase data.
The card can also be topped up online.
Don't think they have a micro-sim so would need to cut it down for iPhone 4.

 

[drewbles]

I have a PassportUS sim purchased from Telestial.com.au.
Set up before travel to US, worked perfectly well MIA, LAX and all points in between. Also worked well in UK.
I used minimal data on it but I think you can pre-purchase data.
The card can also be topped up online.
Don't think they have a micro-sim so would need to cut it down for iPhone 4.

Glad to hear it worked for you

Rumour has it they do actually have Micro SIM's available. By Rumour, I mean they do *looks on desk*

Any serious data use, you're better off on AT&T or T-Mobile though. The pre-paid rates are high (even i'll admit that).

 

[tgh]

Re: Going to US with IPhone.. update on tribulations with tru

Just wanted to update on my tribulations with buying a card from tru.
I followed up with a phone call and was very impressed with the Professionalism.
They couldn't have been more helpful ... very impressive service
All sorted , card is in the mail.