Verizon phone for use in Europe - how to avoid high data fees
JC Dill
since we have 7 other members of our family with this phone (so he has a
built-in support system).
He's going to be visiting Eastern Europe (Poland, Italy, Jordan are all
on the schedule) in September for a few weeks. Is there anything he
should know about using a Droid with a pre-paid SIM purchased in Europe?
For instance, can you disable the web and email applications when you
use one of those SIMs (or have a plan where the application simply
doesn't work) so you don't accidentally rack up outrageous data fees?
Or is it up to the user to remember and make sure they don't
accidentally activate data-consuming applications?
Or should he just forget about using the Droid in Eastern Europe and buy
a cheap phone and SIM when he gets there?
jc
Dennis Ferguson
I guess I'd want to start by asking which Droid has a SIM slot?
I've seen rumors of a Droid <something> World Edition being
released in the fall, but too late for a September trip. Is
there another one?
Dennis Ferguson
Jeffrey Kaplan
> My dad needs a new Verizon phone, and he's looking at getting a Droid
> since we have 7 other members of our family with this phone (so he has a
> built-in support system).
>
> He's going to be visiting Eastern Europe (Poland, Italy, Jordan are all
> on the schedule) in September for a few weeks. Is there anything he
> should know about using a Droid with a pre-paid SIM purchased in Europe?
First, is a Verizon Droid a world phone? If not, then you cannot use a
SIM in it at all and it probably cannot be used in most of Europe. From
what I can find on Verizon Wireless' site, none of the Droids are world
phones.
Second, if it is then it will already have a Vodaphone SIM installed,
and it will be locked to that preset Vodaphone account (Verizon
Wireless is partly owned by Vodaphone).
> Or should he just forget about using the Droid in Eastern Europe and buy
> a cheap phone and SIM when he gets there?
Yes.
--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
Double ROT13 encoded for your protection
Peter's Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord, #155.
If I know of any heroes in the land, I will not under any circumstance
kill their mentors, teachers, and/or best friends.
SMS
> My dad needs a new Verizon phone, and he's looking at getting a Droid
> since we have 7 other members of our family with this phone (so he has a
> built-in support system).
>
> He's going to be visiting Eastern Europe (Poland, Italy, Jordan are all
> on the schedule) in September for a few weeks. Is there anything he
> should know about using a Droid with a pre-paid SIM purchased in Europe?
> For instance, can you disable the web and email applications when you
> use one of those SIMs (or have a plan where the application simply
> doesn't work) so you don't accidentally rack up outrageous data fees? Or
> is it up to the user to remember and make sure they don't accidentally
> activate data-consuming applications?
Which Droid model from Verizon also supports GSM 900/1800? I didn't
think there was such a Droid. If there is one, you'd have to get Verizon
to unlock it for you, otherwise they'd have to sell you the SIM card for
international roaming (Vodafone where available) and the prices would be
very high per minute.
A few prepaid GSM phones sold by AT&T and T-Mobile at very good prices
are quad-band, but most are not quad band. Ensure that whatever you buy
can be unlocked by an unlocking service before you buy it, or the
international SIM card won't work.
Some quad band prepaid phones:
AT&T Samsung A177
AT&T LG Prime
T-Mobile Samsung t369
Or search for "quad unlocked" on craigslist.
To avoid purchasing a SIM card in each country he might want to look
into one of the worldwide SIM cards. The per minute rate is usually a
bit more than country specific cards, but you don't have to keep getting
a new number. Many of them have "free" incoming calls (possible because
of the bizarre "caller pays" system in Europe--it's not free, because
the caller is paying a hefty per minute fee to call the mobile phone).
Look at "http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/international.html"
"http://www.travelsim.co.uk/" seems good. I've used MaxRoam in the past
and it was fine and you get a U.S. number to call from. But you can just
as easily set up a Google Voice number that forwards to the mobile phone.
Jordan is in Asia, BTW.
Janet Wilder
AFAIK, the only global smart phone is the Blackberry Tour. There are no
Global Android phones. I have already looked into this.
Might I make another suggestion?
If the trip will be no longer than 3 weeks, Verizon has a global phone
rental program which is quite reasonable. They will ship your dad the
global phone (not a smart phone so no worries there) which will be using
his current phone number. That means that folks from home can call him
just like they always do.
The phone comes with a package to return it to Verizon. I know people
who have used this service and love it. With a global or GSM Verizon
phone there are no charges unless you make or receive phone calls or
text messages. "International dialing" is a free add on to the account.
No charge for the capability. I have had "International dialing" on my
phone bill for 4 years and never paid a cent for it.
There are two plans for minutes used billing. One requires a $5 payment
for the month (they will prorate it) and will give you a cheaper rate in
many countries. The discounted minute rates are like 99 cents as opposed
to $1.29 without the $5 per month deal. Some countries don't have the
deals. Your dad will have to decide for himself.
My global phone and probably the rentals, came with a prepaid phone card
to get in touch with Vodaphone if I needed assistance and lots of good
information about how to use the phone.
Whenever I made a trip out of the US,whether it was to a place with CDMA
or GSM, I let them know in advance and VZW send me emails with all the
dialing information and fees.
Have him call VZW and ask for the International Desk. They will help him.
--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.
badgolferman
Very useful information. Thank you!
JC Dill
> If the trip will be no longer than 3 weeks, Verizon has a global phone
> rental program which is quite reasonable. They will ship your dad the
> global phone (not a smart phone so no worries there) which will be using
> his current phone number. That means that folks from home can call him
> just like they always do.
>
> The phone comes with a package to return it to Verizon. I know people
> who have used this service and love it. With a global or GSM Verizon
> phone there are no charges unless you make or receive phone calls or
> text messages. "International dialing" is a free add on to the account.
> No charge for the capability. I have had "International dialing" on my
> phone bill for 4 years and never paid a cent for it.
>
> There are two plans for minutes used billing. One requires a $5 payment
> for the month (they will prorate it) and will give you a cheaper rate in
> many countries. The discounted minute rates are like 99 cents as opposed
> to $1.29 without the $5 per month deal. Some countries don't have the
> deals. Your dad will have to decide for himself.
>
> My global phone and probably the rentals, came with a prepaid phone card
> to get in touch with Vodaphone if I needed assistance and lots of good
> information about how to use the phone.
>
> Whenever I made a trip out of the US,whether it was to a place with CDMA
> or GSM, I let them know in advance and VZW send me emails with all the
> dialing information and fees.
>
> Have him call VZW and ask for the International Desk. They will help him.
Janet, this is excellent advice. Thanks SO much!
jc
Jeffrey Kaplan
> AFAIK, the only global smart phone is the Blackberry Tour. There are no
> Global Android phones. I have already looked into this.
According to Verizon Wireless' web site, the following smartphones are
all global:
Blackberry:
Storm 2 9550 (my current phone)
Bold 9650 (with or without camera)
Tour 9630
Windows Mobile:
HTC Imagio
LG Fathom
HTC Ozone
Samsung Saga
--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol
Peter's Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord, #161.
I will occasionally vary my daily routine and not live my life in a
rut. For example, I will not always take a swig of wine or ring a
giant gong before finishing off my enemy.
Tony Multari
forget, landline phones in the US are also "caller pays".
"SMS" <scharf...@geemail.com> wrote in message
news:4c6d8267$0$22090$742e...@news.sonic.net...
George
mobile phone than they do a landline.
SMS
> On 8/19/2010 12:06 PM, JC Dill wrote:
>> My dad needs a new Verizon phone, and he's looking at getting a Droid
>> since we have 7 other members of our family with this phone (so he has a
>> built-in support system).
>>
>> He's going to be visiting Eastern Europe (Poland, Italy, Jordan are all
>> on the schedule) in September for a few weeks. Is there anything he
>> should know about using a Droid with a pre-paid SIM purchased in Europe?
>> For instance, can you disable the web and email applications when you
>> use one of those SIMs (or have a plan where the application simply
>> doesn't work) so you don't accidentally rack up outrageous data fees? Or
>> is it up to the user to remember and make sure they don't accidentally
>> activate data-consuming applications?
>>
>> Or should he just forget about using the Droid in Eastern Europe and buy
>> a cheap phone and SIM when he gets there?
>>
>> jc
>
> AFAIK, the only global smart phone is the Blackberry Tour. There are no
> Global Android phones. I have already looked into this.
>
> Might I make another suggestion?
>
> If the trip will be no longer than 3 weeks, Verizon has a global phone
> rental program which is quite reasonable. They will ship your dad the
> global phone (not a smart phone so no worries there) which will be using
> his current phone number. That means that folks from home can call him
> just like they always do.
That's certainly the easiest solution, but it's also a very expensive
solution. The advantage is that you keep your regular cell phone number.
Forwarding your Verizon cell phone number to a U.S. MaxRoam number gives
you the same advantage of people being able to reach you on your regular
Verizon number. You do end up using Verizon cell minutes, but presumably
that's not a big issue.
Janet Wilder
I checked into renting a phone and it was cheaper than buying a phone in
Europe (especially if you are traveling to several countries) and
cheaper than renting one of those Internet phones. I don't understand
why you think it's so expensive.
> Forwarding your Verizon cell phone number to a U.S. MaxRoam number gives
> you the same advantage of people being able to reach you on your regular
> Verizon number. You do end up using Verizon cell minutes, but presumably
> that's not a big issue.
Larry
@news.astraweb.com:
> I checked into renting a phone and it was cheaper than buying a phone in
> Europe (especially if you are traveling to several countries) and
> cheaper than renting one of those Internet phones. I don't understand
> why you think it's so expensive.
>
>
I wonder if he really NEEDS to have instant communications in Europe, or
could he be just as well off and reduce his costs considerably using Skype
to Skype with an American Skype station acting as a secretary taking the
calls and forwarding them to him on Skype texting Skype will store until he
checks in online from any wifi he can access, anywhere on the planet.
He can call the callers back on Skype from Europe for pennies/minute on
Skype Out....and even TAKE phone calls back in his hotel on wifi or
Ethernet from his own Skype In US phone number, which is very feasible as
Europe is 5-6 hours ahead of US time. If he's in business at home, why
would he need an expensive sellphone to take calls at 10AM in Paris which
is 5AM in NewYork and 2AM in Californicate? He'll be back at his hotel to
TAKE calls to his US Skype number plugged into the hotel internet by NOON
Eastern US time. Just tell US business to call his Skype In number AFTER
LUNCH all afternoon and he'll be fine.
I've played Skype Secretary for several yachtie friends sailing to exotic
repair places for them. Works great! ("Yachting" means repairing boat
systems in exotic places.)
--
http://www.energyradio.jo/ English hiphop station in Ammon, Jordan?!
Larry
SMS
<snip>
>> That's certainly the easiest solution, but it's also a very expensive
>> solution. The advantage is that you keep your regular cell phone number.
>
>
> I checked into renting a phone and it was cheaper than buying a phone in
> Europe (especially if you are traveling to several countries) and
> cheaper than renting one of those Internet phones. I don't understand
> why you think it's so expensive.
Buying an unlocked phone and international SIM would cost about $40
(including about $6 of credit on the SIM)--see
"http://www.maxroam.com/Shop/Product/List.aspx". Of course you can buy
any quad band unlocked phone in the U.S., new or used, and save a bit,
but that's not necessary.
If you're going to make more than just a few calls then that initial
cost of the phone will soon be made up by the much lower per minute cost
versus international roaming on Verizon (or on any other U.S. carrier
for that matter). And of course you still have the phone for the next
trip, or to sell, lend to friends and relatives, whatever. If you don't
want to keep the SIM card active then you can just buy another SIM card
for the next trip.
It's a matter of paying $0.99-1.29 per minute to Verizon, or 1/10th to
1/2 of that to a global SIM company. Remember that most global SIMs have
a free or very low per minute cost for incoming calls because of caller
pays, but I'm pretty sure Verizon will be charging you the full price
for every minute.
Personally, what I'd do (and what I have done actually) is find the best
deal on an international SIM card and buy an unlocked quad band phone
either on craigslist, or a prepaid AT&T or T-Mobile quad band phone that
can be unlocked. Then set up a local number that forwards to the
international SIM number, using something like Google Voice. If for
whatever reason you change SIM cards during the trip, i.e. using a local
SIM in a country you're staying in for a while, then you can just change
the forwarding number on Google Voice.
What is the price Verizon charges for the rental of the international
phone? They don't mention it on their web site. Absolutely it's easier
to just use Verizon's international phone rental program if the cost is
not a big concern, but paying over $1 a minute just seems outrageous.
JC Dill
> He can call the callers back on Skype
Using what device? He's not taking a computer with him. He's going
with his daughter (my sister) - how will he reach her if they become
separated during the day?
This isn't about needing instant communications back to the US for
business purposes. It's about having the functionality and usefulness
of a cell phone while traveling in an area where his current cell phone
service won't work.
jc
Larry
@speranza.aioe.org:
Holy Shit! I'm sorry! I assumed from you post on Usenet that everyone
carries an even minimal computer with them on such a trip.
I was just trying to get out of him having to spend a vast fortune for a
simple phone call. My Bad.....
SMS
> Janet Wilder<kellie...@yahoo.com> wrote in news:4c6e055a$0$5978$c3e8da3
> @news.astraweb.com:
>
>> I checked into renting a phone and it was cheaper than buying a phone in
>> Europe (especially if you are traveling to several countries) and
>> cheaper than renting one of those Internet phones. I don't understand
>> why you think it's so expensive.
>>
>>
>
> I wonder if he really NEEDS to have instant communications in Europe,
<snip>
Larry, having a cell phone in a foreign country can be very useful. It
actually isn't very expensive either. With local SIM cards it's not more
costly that a lot of prepaid in the U.S., and even with international
SIM cards it's still not outrageous.
It only becomes really expensive when you do international roaming on
your U.S. carrier. Doubly so when people in the country you're visiting
have to call your U.S. number to reach you locally!
When I go to Asia, I bring my Verizon phone, but only use it for roaming
for as long as it takes me to get a prepaid SIM card in a GSM phone. For
Europe, where they forgot to install CDMA (except for data) I've only
used international SIM cards that work in most every country in the world.
But if you're in a country for a long time, and need to make long calls
home from your hotel, then a VOIP solution like Skype is a good idea to
have along, though it's probably better just to have those people that
you know you're going to contact install Google Talk or Google Video Chat.
Don't worry, other than Canada, you can't use PagePlus (though there was
one report of it working in China).
You need to widen your horizons beyond South Carolina. Take a trip to
Asia, i.e. China or Taiwan. Food is wonderful and very cheap, and they
have both CDMA and GSM networks. No Waffle House though.
JC Dill
> JC Dill <jcdill...@gmail.com> wrote in news:i4m47p$d8o$1
> @speranza.aioe.org:
>
>> Larry wrote:
>>
>>> He can call the callers back on Skype
>> Using what device? He's not taking a computer with him. He's going
>> with his daughter (my sister) - how will he reach her if they become
>> separated during the day?
>>
>> This isn't about needing instant communications back to the US for
>> business purposes. It's about having the functionality and usefulness
>> of a cell phone while traveling in an area where his current cell phone
>> service won't work.
>>
>> jc
>>
>
> Holy Shit! I'm sorry! I assumed from you post on Usenet that everyone
> carries an even minimal computer with them on such a trip.
Even if he did take a computer, it still won't function as a phone in
the circumstances I outlined above. I don't know many tourists who haul
a computer around with them as they go sight-seeing.
> I was just trying to get out of him having to spend a vast fortune for a
> simple phone call. My Bad.....
What "vast fortune" are you talking about? In all the various options
the total cost will be well under $100 for a several week trip. I'm
paying more than $100 per month for Verizon for my Droid. (Admittedly I
use it more than he will be using his phone on the trip.) Given the
entire cost of the trip to Europe, this will be a small expense in the
grand scheme of things.
Just admit you didn't think this thru very well, instead of digging
yourself into a deeper hole.
jc
Todd Allcock
The rental cellphone with $1/minute calls seems a reasonable solution for
short trips to me, if immediate acess to service is needed. For more
leisurely, cheaper communication, a good old-fashioned calling card can
easily take the place of VoIP/Skype if those aren't available/handy.
While local prepaid options are certainly cheaper per minute, for short
trips they rarely pay off, IMO, unless you'll be using a lot of minutes.
when I visit in Cancun, the local cellphone stores want $20-50US for SIMs
(or a phone with a SIM), so I just use my regular service (at
$1.49/minute!) very sparingly, and used Skype (on my smartphone) via the
free WiFi at the hotel. In three trips to Cancun I've used less than 10
cellular minutes, and maybe a half-dozen texts (with T-Mo, international
texts are $0.35- much cheaper than the $1-$1.50 a voice minute costs!)
Justin
Payphones are disappearing though, how do you propose using a calling
card when you can't find a phone?
Sure, you may be able to use skype from your hotel room, but if the time
difference is such that the middle of the day is the best time to call
home do you really want to run back to the hotel ?
SMS
<snip>
> While local prepaid options are certainly cheaper per minute, for short
> trips they rarely pay off, IMO, unless you'll be using a lot of minutes.
> when I visit in Cancun, the local cellphone stores want $20-50US for SIMs
> (or a phone with a SIM), so I just use my regular service (at
> $1.49/minute!) very sparingly, and used Skype (on my smartphone) via the
> free WiFi at the hotel. In three trips to Cancun I've used less than 10
> cellular minutes, and maybe a half-dozen texts (with T-Mo, international
> texts are $0.35- much cheaper than the $1-$1.50 a voice minute costs!)
Cancun is not a great example because Mexico charges abnormally high
rates thanks to Carlos Slim.
In Europe and Asia I've found that it takes very few calls to make the
prepaid option cheaper than the Verizon loaner program ($10 initial cost
$1.29 or $0.99 per minute). One of the reasons is that the global SIM
cards typically charge nothing or very little for incoming calls while
Verizon is charging the same for incoming or outgoing.
In any case, based on previous threads, cost is probably not a big issue
in this case, and the Verizon loaner program is no doubt the simplest
solution.
bj
news:i4mg7e$bej$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
>
> Payphones are disappearing though, how do you propose using a calling
> card when you can't find a phone?
>
Don't they have phones at places like central post offices anymore?
or maybe train stations?
(ask about it at the tourist office -- surely they haven't disappeared too!)
I remember making a few calls from such places, but it's been eons since I
went to Europe. No, it's not *convenient* but if you're only making a call
or two along the way it'll do. Anyway, we *used* to manage!
(we also did things like send postcards, & got mail at Poste Restante --
does that still exist?)
I guess it depends on "how important is it to make the call?"
bj
Janet Wilder
> JC Dill<jcdill...@gmail.com> wrote in news:i4m47p$d8o$1
> Holy Shit! I'm sorry! I assumed from you post on Usenet that everyone
> carries an even minimal computer with them on such a trip.
>
> I was just trying to get out of him having to spend a vast fortune for a
> simple phone call. My Bad.....
>
If I had taken the suggestion of some of the folks here or on other
groups to buy a phone in London, I would have been up the proverbial
creek. First, I would have had to find a place to buy a phone, which is
not easy for senior citizens traveling with a group. The SIM card is not
always good from one country to another, so I would have had to go
looking for another card in Hungary and another in Germany. I was on a
vacation, not a phone hunt. I'm sure that those of you who travel for
business or are independent travelers can go buy phones in foreign
countries, but not all of us are that intrepid.
I had my global phone and my netbook with me in Europe when my husband
got sick and wound up in a hospital in Palermo, Sicily. Prior to that we
had been in Europe 5 weeks and I only checked messages two or three times.
When he took ill, the netbook was only helpful for translating what I
wanted to tell the Italian-speaking doctors. I copied the Google
translation onto sheets of paper.
The phone proved its value when his doctors back in Texas were able to
communicate with me so I could pass information to the doctors in Italy.
The Italian docs had never seen an insulin pump and messed up the
settings. Thank goodness his endo from home was able to call me on my
cell and give me the numbers to reprogram it. I also needed the phone to
communicate with the (nasty) travel insurance company so we could get
home once he was discharged from the hospital. I had a whopping phone
bill, but I submitted it to the travel insurance and they paid it.
When we travel we don't expect people at home to call us just to
chitchat. We don't expect to call them, either. Our phone is there to
help us in emergencies. If the neighbor watching the house needs
information, she has my regular cell phone number and doesn't have to
play games trying to reach me through methods she doesn't even understand.
I completely comprehend why this gentleman needs his cell phone and not
some gizmo-driven method of communication. If he can do the rental, that
would work fine. If not, perhaps he can buy an inexpensive golbal phone
at the VZW store (they have a VZW branded one that's free with a 1 year
contract, so it can't cost that much) and have them switch him over to
that phone while keeping his own number and saving some $$$ on the smart
phone charges.
George
You are trying to reason with a conspiracy nut who thinks everything
should be free (for him). So making a normal rational decision to pay
for something because it makes the most sense just doesn't work for him.
JC Dill
> "Justin" <nos...@insightbb.com> wrote in message
> news:i4mg7e$bej$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
>>
>> Payphones are disappearing though, how do you propose using a calling
>> card when you can't find a phone?
>>
>
> Don't they have phones at places like central post offices anymore?
> or maybe train stations?
Look around where you are. Do YOU see pay phones at the central post
office? (I don't.) Do you see pay phones at the train station. Maybe.
It's getting very hard to find pay phones in San Francisco, a major
worldwide tourist destination. I see no reason to think that the
situation is very different in other major tourist destinations.
> (ask about it at the tourist office -- surely they haven't disappeared
> too!)
>
> I remember making a few calls from such places, but it's been eons since I
> went to Europe. No, it's not *convenient* but if you're only making a call
> or two along the way it'll do. Anyway, we *used* to manage!
It may work OK if you are only making calls, but if you need to receive
one (while you are out and about) then you are SOL. For my father's
peace of mind, he wants to be able to call my sister, and to receive
calls from her as well. They might place or receive only a handful of
calls on his phone while on this trip, but it's worth it for the peace
of mind for him to have a phone on him.
jc
Justin
Sure, we used to send postcards, we still can and do. As for making a call or two, uh no.
Try travelling overseas to a timezone 15 hours different from your own
and see how often your spouse would like to hear from you.
SMS
> On 8/20/2010 10:35 AM, Larry wrote:
>> JC Dill<jcdill...@gmail.com> wrote in news:i4m47p$d8o$1
>
>> Holy Shit! I'm sorry! I assumed from you post on Usenet that everyone
>> carries an even minimal computer with them on such a trip.
>>
>> I was just trying to get out of him having to spend a vast fortune for a
>> simple phone call. My Bad.....
>>
>
> If I had taken the suggestion of some of the folks here or on other
> groups to buy a phone in London, I would have been up the proverbial
> creek.
That's why it was suggested to buy both the phone and an international
SIM card before leaving on a trip. But there's nothing wrong with
Verizon's global service with the loaner phone, it just has a much
higher per-minute charges.
Justin
Yep, when I travel to Australia I get a phone mailed to me and a prepaid
SIM
SMS
> Sure, we used to send postcards, we still can and do. As for making a call or two, uh no.
> Try travelling overseas to a timezone 15 hours different from your own
> and see how often your spouse would like to hear from you.
LOL, maybe _your_ spouse doesn't want to wake up to talk to you!
One service I've used a lot overseas is OneSuite (calling card) because
they have local toll free access numbers in many Asian and European
countries. Never had any problem finding a pay phone in hotels or
convention centers. It's much cheaper than international roaming on a
U.S. cellular carrier, but it's not all that much cheaper than using a
local SIM card on a GSM cell phone.
ps56k
"JC Dill" <jcdill...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:i4joak$u5m$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
> My dad needs a new Verizon phone, and he's looking at getting a Droid
> since we have 7 other members of our family with this phone (so he has a
> built-in support system).
>
> He's going to be visiting Eastern Europe (Poland, Italy, Jordan are all on
> the schedule) in September for a few weeks. Is there anything he should
> know about using a Droid with a pre-paid SIM purchased in Europe? For
> instance, can you disable the web and email applications when you use one
> of those SIMs (or have a plan where the application simply doesn't work)
> so you don't accidentally rack up outrageous data fees? Or is it up to the
> user to remember and make sure they don't accidentally activate
> data-consuming applications?
>
> Or should he just forget about using the Droid in Eastern Europe and buy a
> cheap phone and SIM when he gets there?
>
you need some techy homework -
SIM cards are only mostly used on GSM network phones - ATT & TMobile
also - the USA freqs for GSM are different then in Europe -
SO - you have a zero chance of a VZ phone working over there...
We just came back from Germany,
and used our unlocked Blackberry Bold World phone - from ATT or TMobile -
with our son using his simple prepaid phone from Germany.
ps56k
"ps56k" <pschuman_...@interserv.com> wrote in message
news:i4nglh$6tq$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
You need to have a phone
with both the USA support via Verizon CDMA,
along with the world support via GSM
http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/cell-phones/compare/?name1=BlackBerry%20Bold%20for%20Verizon%20Wireless
Had not seen a phone with this extreme mix of CDMA and GSM
Todd Allcock
How often do you call family on vacation anyway, other than to briefly
touch base? You'll be at your hotel in the morning and evening (local
time)- surely one of those two times will support a call home given the
time zone differences. For short calls, you can eat the buck a minute if
needed.
There will always be exceptions- in some countries local SIMs are cheap
and easy to find, but frankly if I have a week or two to spend in Europe,
I wouldn't be wasting much of that time tracking down local wireless
telephone options to save a few bucks, unless there's some pressing need
to make a lot of calls back home.
SMS
<snip>
> There will always be exceptions- in some countries local SIMs are cheap
> and easy to find, but frankly if I have a week or two to spend in Europe,
> I wouldn't be wasting much of that time tracking down local wireless
> telephone options to save a few bucks, unless there's some pressing need
> to make a lot of calls back home.
I agree. I want to have it all set up before I leave on a trip, unless
I'm familiar with the country in question and know exactly where to go
to buy what I need.
Fortunately, the international SIMs are sold and shipped to U.S.
customers. You can even test it to make sure it's okay, since it works
in the U.S. as well, as long as you have a quad band phone and not just
a 900/1800 phone.
Jeffrey Kaplan
> you need some techy homework -
So do you.
> SIM cards are only mostly used on GSM network phones - ATT & TMobile
> also - the USA freqs for GSM are different then in Europe -
>
> SO - you have a zero chance of a VZ phone working over there...
Funny, my Verizon phone will work in Europe. Verizon has about a
half-dozen World Phones in the smartphone category, and they should
have others in the feature-phone category.
--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
Double ROT13 encoded for your protection
"In terms of timetables, as quickly as possible - whatever that
means." - George W. Bush, March 2005 re: passing Social Security
legislation
Justin
There's vacation, then there's visiting family in hospital or even work
trips.
SMS
> Previously on alt.cellular.verizon, ps56k said:
>
>> you need some techy homework -
>
> So do you.
>
>> also - the USA freqs for GSM are different then in Europe -
>>
>> SO - you have a zero chance of a VZ phone working over there...
>
> Funny, my Verizon phone will work in Europe. Verizon has about a
> half-dozen World Phones in the smartphone category, and they should
> have others in the feature-phone category.
That's true, but unfortunately no Droid's are world phones yet.
SMS
> Todd Allcock wrote on [Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:51:24 -0600]:
<snip>
>> How often do you call family on vacation anyway, other than to briefly
>> touch base? You'll be at your hotel in the morning and evening (local
>
> There's vacation, then there's visiting family in hospital or even work
> trips.
>
I do more in-country calling on the cell phone when in other countries
than I do calling home. For calling home I'll use OneSuite's local
access numbers or have family call me at the hotel using OneSuite which
is even cheaper. Google Voice is more problematic at a hotel because of
how it works.
In Asia I tend to go to one country per trip, so a prepaid SIM card with
a local number is a better choice, and I know where to go to get it.
Taiwan made it more difficult by stopping sales at 7-11, but now someone
told me that they are allowing such sales again (they were worried about
criminality with prepaid phones).
Janet Wilder
> "JC Dill"<jcdill...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:i4joak$u5m$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
>> My dad needs a new Verizon phone, and he's looking at getting a Droid
>> since we have 7 other members of our family with this phone (so he has a
>> built-in support system).
>>
>> He's going to be visiting Eastern Europe (Poland, Italy, Jordan are all on
>> the schedule) in September for a few weeks. Is there anything he should
>> know about using a Droid with a pre-paid SIM purchased in Europe? For
>> instance, can you disable the web and email applications when you use one
>> of those SIMs (or have a plan where the application simply doesn't work)
>> so you don't accidentally rack up outrageous data fees? Or is it up to the
>> user to remember and make sure they don't accidentally activate
>> data-consuming applications?
>>
>> Or should he just forget about using the Droid in Eastern Europe and buy a
>> cheap phone and SIM when he gets there?
>>
>
> you need some techy homework -
> also - the USA freqs for GSM are different then in Europe -
>
> SO - you have a zero chance of a VZ phone working over there...
My VZW Global phone worked just fine.
> We just came back from Germany,
> and used our unlocked Blackberry Bold World phone - from ATT or TMobile -
> with our son using his simple prepaid phone from Germany.
My VZW global phone worked perfectly in Germany. No cost at all except
for the two times I checked voice mail for about $3 total
Janet Wilder
> Previously on alt.cellular.verizon, ps56k said:
>
>> you need some techy homework -
>
> So do you.
>
>> also - the USA freqs for GSM are different then in Europe -
>>
>> SO - you have a zero chance of a VZ phone working over there...
>
> Funny, my Verizon phone will work in Europe. Verizon has about a
> half-dozen World Phones in the smartphone category, and they should
> have others in the feature-phone category.
>
Mine did, too. and I posted about it several times on this very thread.
Some people like to spout but don't like to read. <vbg>
Dennis Ferguson
> If I had taken the suggestion of some of the folks here or on other
> groups to buy a phone in London, I would have been up the proverbial
> creek. First, I would have had to find a place to buy a phone, which is
> not easy for senior citizens traveling with a group. The SIM card is not
> always good from one country to another, so I would have had to go
> looking for another card in Hungary and another in Germany. I was on a
> vacation, not a phone hunt. I'm sure that those of you who travel for
> business or are independent travelers can go buy phones in foreign
> countries, but not all of us are that intrepid.
Actually prepaid SIM cards from EU countries generally roam in other
EU countries. My UK SIM, which is nothing special, roams in the EU for
about 50 cents/minute outgoing and about 20 cents/minute incoming, and
I suspect a Euro-billed SIM might be cheaper than that. The big problem
with them is topping them up when you've left the country the SIM belongs
to since they won't generally let you use a foreign card for
not-in-person top ups. I go to the UK enough that I opened a bank
account there to get a local card.
I agree with all the rest of that, though. If you aren't staying in
any one country for a while, or just want a phone for emergencies, it
is way too much trouble to buy phone service locally. Even when I
have local service I also carry a post-paid AT&T SIM for emergencies,
so I don't end up running out of credit or something when I really
need to make a call.
Dennis Ferguson
SMS
> Actually prepaid SIM cards from EU countries generally roam in other
> EU countries. My UK SIM, which is nothing special, roams in the EU for
> about 50 cents/minute outgoing and about 20 cents/minute incoming, and
> I suspect a Euro-billed SIM might be cheaper than that. The big problem
> with them is topping them up when you've left the country the SIM belongs
> to since they won't generally let you use a foreign card for
> not-in-person top ups. I go to the UK enough that I opened a bank
> account there to get a local card.
The international SIM cards like MaxRoam (based in the UK) certainly let
you use credit cards from any country, no matter where you are.
Dennis Ferguson
That's very true, though MaxRoam has other disadvantages.
That SIM+phone package you recommended comes with one of their new
SIMs, with an Isle of Man or Channel Islands number, which can cost
as much as $1.50/minute (or maybe $3.50/minute, their price list is
confusing) to call direct to the US from the EU. And even if you get
it set for call back dialing (which by itself is confusing to most people)
thier price list says it costs $0.65 or $1/minute to call the US direct.
It is cheaper if you use a European dial-through, but that plus call
back calling is getting really complicated. They don't charge much
for incoming calls, certainly, but the cheapest ways to call the UK
often charge a premium for IoM numbers so the cost of that call is
just being transfered to the caller.
I have a MaxRoam Classic SIM, but use it just to solve one particular
problem. My wife travels to Costa Rica semi-regularly, and there is
no way to buy local prepaid service there, so she uses the MaxRoam
SIM when she's there. She refuses to use it anywhere else, however,
since she has an intense dislike for call back dialing.
Dennis Ferguson
JC Dill
> I checked into renting a phone and it was cheaper than buying a phone in
> Europe (especially if you are traveling to several countries) and
> cheaper than renting one of those Internet phones. I don't understand
> why you think it's so expensive.
I called Verizon today to get details.
The phone is free, but they only offer it for up to 3 weeks. He's going
to be in Europe for 5 weeks - 2 weeks with my sister along then 3 weeks
on his own. :-( They are going to discuss if he can live without a
cell phone for the first 2 weeks (using her phone, but then he won't
have a phone to call her if they get separated) and then activate the
phone after 2 weeks so he gets 3 weeks use out of it.
There are 2 fees. $9.99 to have the phone sent to him (2-day delivery,
free return shipping) and $4.99 fee that gets a lower per-minute rate
and pays for itself if you use ~10 minutes airtime. With that fee the
rate is $2.29 per minute in Poland, $1.29 in Italy. Text messages are
50¢ to send, 5¢ to receive.
The big advantage is that the phone uses his same phone number. (I
think this is part of why the per-minute rate is so high - essentially
he will be making a "long distance" call to make local calls when he's
in Poland or Italy.)
jc
Janet Wilder
That was the problem I had with my first trip to Europe. I know that VZW
has an inexpensive global phone that is a "stupid phone" I tried to look
for it on their web site, but the site seems to be down. It's the
computer witching hour (midnight) where I am.
I know that I saw a VZW branded global phone at the store about 6
months ago. If the phone costs $35 it will be worth it.
SMS
On my Maxroam SIM I have a U.S. number. Did they stop doing this? They
gave you one extra number at no extra cost.
Dennis Ferguson
> On 21/08/10 6:18 PM, Dennis Ferguson wrote:
>> It is cheaper if you use a European dial-through, but that plus call
>> back calling is getting really complicated. They don't charge much
>> for incoming calls, certainly, but the cheapest ways to call the UK
>> often charge a premium for IoM numbers so the cost of that call is
>> just being transfered to the caller.
> On my Maxroam SIM I have a U.S. number. Did they stop doing this? They
> gave you one extra number at no extra cost.
I think they charge about $4/month for an extra number now, I think
free inbound US numbers went away sometime after they changed from
the Israeli to the Belgian carrier. The Belgian SIMs generally have
much better voice call rates than the Manx SIMs they like to sell now.
If you have a SIM with a free US number you should take care not to let
it expire.
Dennis Ferguson
Dennis Ferguson
> There are 2 fees. $9.99 to have the phone sent to him (2-day delivery,
> free return shipping) and $4.99 fee that gets a lower per-minute rate
> and pays for itself if you use ~10 minutes airtime. With that fee the
> rate is $2.29 per minute in Poland, $1.29 in Italy. Text messages are
> 50¢ to send, 5¢ to receive.
Actually the rate in Italy is $0.99 with the $4.99 fee, $1.29 without
it. Why Poland is so much even with the fee is a mystery.
> The big advantage is that the phone uses his same phone number. (I
> think this is part of why the per-minute rate is so high - essentially
> he will be making a "long distance" call to make local calls when he's
> in Poland or Italy.)
Don't believe that those prices have anything to do with direct costs;
those prices are high because one or the other of the phone companies
involved (and it is probably Verizon) is charging very high margins.
Note that the SIM card Verizon supplies is a Vodafone SIM (I forget
whether it is Vodafone UK or NL, Verizon just forwards calls to your
US number to the overseas SIM). If you buy a Vodafone SIM in the
UK it costs no more than about 20 cents/minute for an incoming call and
50 cents/minute for an outgoing call, billed by the second, in both Poland
and Italy; those prices are regulated by the EU. The difference between
the prices for a Vodafone SIM from Vodafone and a Vodafone SIM from Verizon
is being pocketed by either Vodafone or Verizon, the roaming carrier
won't know who you got the SIM from.
Dennis Ferguson
SMS
This one sounds better than the current MaxRoam,
"http://www.travelsim.co.uk"
"Free" incoming calls cost $0.23/minute if you call the U.S. access
number, which probably still a better deal than calling the the Isle of
Man number.
Janet Wilder
Look for a used Verizon Wireless "Escapade" It's a little flip phone
that's quadband. If anyone in your family is going to do a lot of global
travel, it's worth it to have it on hand.
Janet Wilder
> To the OP:
>
> Look for a used Verizon Wireless "Escapade" It's a little flip phone
> that's quadband. If anyone in your family is going to do a lot of global
> travel, it's worth it to have it on hand.
Hate replying to myself, but here's a page on ebay with the MOTO Z6 I
have. I can personally attest to it working.
Dennis Ferguson
> On 22/08/10 11:36 AM, Dennis Ferguson wrote:
>> On 2010-08-22, SMS<scharf...@geemail.com> wrote:
>>> On my Maxroam SIM I have a U.S. number. Did they stop doing this? They
>>> gave you one extra number at no extra cost.
>>
>> I think they charge about $4/month for an extra number now, I think
>> free inbound US numbers went away sometime after they changed from
>> the Israeli to the Belgian carrier. The Belgian SIMs generally have
>> much better voice call rates than the Manx SIMs they like to sell now.
>>
>> If you have a SIM with a free US number you should take care not to let
>> it expire.
>
> "http://www.travelsim.co.uk"
>
> "Free" incoming calls cost $0.23/minute if you call the U.S. access
> number, which probably still a better deal than calling the the Isle of
> Man number.
I guess so, though I looked and have a couple of small problems
with it:
- How can they spell it "coveridge"?
- I'm not fond of this part in their terms:
Fair usage policy
The use of the Travel Sim card is expected to be a fair balance between
free incoming calls and chargeable outgoing calls. Excessive use or high
call duration of free incoming calls and/or free call forwarding will
constitute abuse. Users that have more than 10 times usage for free
inbound calling than outbound calling will be will be given a warning via
email and/or sms text message. If the misuse continues. We will disconnect
your Travel Sim card and close your account.
Travel Sim reserves the right to monitor usage, apply call charges and/or
withdraw the Travel Sim card from service and will not be liable for
reimbursement or compensation of call credit or refund of the purchase
price under this Fair Usage Policy
I had a Celtrek SIM for my Costa Rica problem which worked very well
until they just shut down the service one day and kept the account
balance under a term in their Terms & Conditions which looked kind of
like the above. The big phone companies may also rob you, but at
least they generally limit themselves to taking only what they told
you they'd take up front. I'm now a bit suspicious of small resellers
of this service, and I guess that would include a company with no
listed address using a domain name which belongs to an individual who
never got around to fixing the spelling of "coveridge".
Just paying Verizon what they are asking for the service isn't an
irrational choice.
Dennis Ferguson
SMS
> Note that the SIM card Verizon supplies is a Vodafone SIM (I forget
> whether it is Vodafone UK or NL, Verizon just forwards calls to your
> US number to the overseas SIM). If you buy a Vodafone SIM in the
> UK it costs no more than about 20 cents/minute for an incoming call and
> 50 cents/minute for an outgoing call, billed by the second, in both Poland
> and Italy; those prices are regulated by the EU. The difference between
> the prices for a Vodafone SIM from Vodafone and a Vodafone SIM from Verizon
> is being pocketed by either Vodafone or Verizon, the roaming carrier
> won't know who you got the SIM from.
This is true.
And regardless of whether the O.P. gets a lower cost Vodaphone SIM with
a new number, Verizon's more expensive SIM with the Verizon U.S. number,
or an international SIM with a new number, they should purchase a
quad-band (or 900/1800 MHz) unlocked GSM phone for use outside North
America. These phones are quite inexpensive and widely available both
new and used.
One advantage of the Verizon SIM is that you'll receive calls from
people calling your U.S. Verizon number, but a) there are reasons you
might not actually want this, and b) there are better ways to achieve this.
If you sign up for Google Voice (free) you can forward your Verizon
phone number to Google Voice, then have Google Voice forward to whatever
number you choose, international or U.S.. Google Voice will take voice
mail messages and convert them to a text e-mail, and you can choose when
and if to respond to them; this also makes the time difference less of
an issue. You don't want to be spending $1.29 a minute to check your
voice mail!
Justin
truth!
"The following messages will be deleted from your mailbox"
Come on, I am calling for NEW voice mail, not for your minute wasting
crap.
SMS
They do that on purpose so you use more minutes.
BTW, some of the back door voice mail numbers for Verizon still work, as
does slydial ("http://www.slydial.com/"). You can always call your voice
mail from a landline phone when traveling using OneSuite or other
system. Google Voice voice mail is nice because it produces a text
message, even if the message can become rather cryptic in the voice to
text conversion process.
When I travel outside the U.S. I don't forward my cell phone, I change
my outgoing message to leave a U.S. number that forwards to my cell
phone. This minimizes the number of calls since non-important calls can
wait for a callback or can be handled by e-mail.
IMVAIO, the reason for carrying a phone while on a trip is more for
intra-country calls to set up appointments, make travel arrangements, or
for being able to be contacted in emergencies. Social calls can wait.
While Europe forgot to install CDMA, in most of Asia my Verizon CDMA
phone works just fine, and I try to buy a prepaid SIM when I arrive to
avoid that $1.29 roaming.
SMS
> I had a Celtrek SIM for my Costa Rica problem which worked very well
> until they just shut down the service one day and kept the account
> balance under a term in their Terms& Conditions which looked kind of
> like the above. The big phone companies may also rob you, but at
> least they generally limit themselves to taking only what they told
> you they'd take up front. I'm now a bit suspicious of small resellers
> of this service, and I guess that would include a company with no
> listed address using a domain name which belongs to an individual who
> never got around to fixing the spelling of "coveridge".
You're right, those global SIM companies don't have the best reputation
in terms of longevity. I once ordered a SIM from GeoSim, and before I
even got the SIM card they had some issue with their network providers
and briefly stopped their service, though they soon restored it. I was
never charged, and that's when I went with Maxroam.
> Just paying Verizon what they are asking for the service isn't an
> irrational choice.
This is true. But no matter what, you still need a GSM phone to use with
Verizon. They'll lend you one, but not for long trips. Then once you own
the GSM phone, it's painful (for me anyway) to be paying 3x to 10x the
per minute charge.
Justin
Will the LTE transitions help with these issues?
SMS
Yes, but we'll all be dead by then.
Richard B. Gilbert
LTE will *probably* help but it's not likely to happen next week or even
next year. There are a large number of people who own and use cellular
phones. All of these people are not going to drop their phones in the
trash and rush out to buy the latest high-tech toy. LTE will probably
be running side by side with CDMA and GSM for several years. I'd guess
that the minimum change-over period might be something between four and
eight years.
I don't think you can even *start* the count-down until there is
substantial LTE infrastructure in place.
I'm not sure how they are going to sell LTE. I'm a Verizon Wireless
customer. What I have does what I need. I'm certainly not going to
rush out and buy an LTE capable phone until I absolutely have to!
Mike S.
In article <slrni72rh8.6...@akit-ferguson.com>,
eKit has a UK IOM roaming SIM (several different plans, different
per-minute costs) with dual IMEI. This gives you both a UK number
(standard EU "roaming SIM" arrangement with callback) and a US number
(direct dial) on the same card. You choose which IMEI is active at the
time of phone power-up by using custom SIM unlock codes (1xxxx = UK, 2xxxx
- US). The ability to make outgoing calls de-activates after a weke on
non-use, and the number itself is de-assigned after 5 months of non-use;
both can be instantly reactivated in the field by simply booting up the UK
side, entering a short code, and restarting the phone. I've used this on
several European trips and it works very well.
Richard B. Gilbert
> My dad needs a new Verizon phone, and he's looking at getting a Droid
> since we have 7 other members of our family with this phone (so he has a
> built-in support system).
>
> He's going to be visiting Eastern Europe (Poland, Italy, Jordan are all
> on the schedule) in September for a few weeks. Is there anything he
> should know about using a Droid with a pre-paid SIM purchased in Europe?
> For instance, can you disable the web and email applications when you
> use one of those SIMs (or have a plan where the application simply
> doesn't work) so you don't accidentally rack up outrageous data fees? Or
> is it up to the user to remember and make sure they don't accidentally
> activate data-consuming applications?
>
> Or should he just forget about using the Droid in Eastern Europe and buy
> a cheap phone and SIM when he gets there?
>
A Verizon phone will NOT work in most (all???) European countries!
Verizon uses a technology called "CDMA" which is used in the U.S. and a
very few other places; Japan?, Korea? AFAIK that's about all.
Most of the world uses technology called "GSM".
Your best bet might be to talk to your Travel Agent. He should know, or
know how to find out, what sort of Cell Phone service is available in
the places you plan to visit. He might also be able to help you find a
rental phone that will be compatible with the rest of the world.
Diamond Dave
<rgilb...@comcast.net> wrote:
>A Verizon phone will NOT work in most (all???) European countries!
>Verizon uses a technology called "CDMA" which is used in the U.S. and a
>very few other places; Japan?, Korea? AFAIK that's about all.
>
>Most of the world uses technology called "GSM".
>
>Your best bet might be to talk to your Travel Agent. He should know, or
>know how to find out, what sort of Cell Phone service is available in
>the places you plan to visit. He might also be able to help you find a
>rental phone that will be compatible with the rest of the world.
A Verizon phone *WILL* work if it is dual CDMA/GSM like the Droid 2
Global.
Janet Wilder
Be very careful of smart phones in Europe. Even if they are dual mode
and can operate on GSM, there are steep charges for data usage. VZW used
to offer a plan for unlimited data but stopped a month ago. Before I
would take a smart phone to Europe, I'd check into the data charges.
Every time you turn on the phone it's going to be updating data like
email, etc.
I have a Moto stupid phone that is "global" and has a GSM chip. I'll be
going to Russia later this year and will switch service from my Android
phone over to the Moto. I'll miss my Droid something awful.
BTW, if you are traveling to Europe for less than 21 days, VZW has a
rental program. They will send you a handset which will keep your
current number. You will only pay for calls in and calls out and I
guess texting if you want it. I believe the only charge is for shipping
and returning the phone and insurance.
Diamond Dave
<kellie...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Be very careful of smart phones in Europe. Even if they are dual mode
>and can operate on GSM, there are steep charges for data usage. VZW used
>to offer a plan for unlimited data but stopped a month ago. Before I
>would take a smart phone to Europe, I'd check into the data charges.
>Every time you turn on the phone it's going to be updating data like
>email, etc.
>
>I have a Moto stupid phone that is "global" and has a GSM chip. I'll be
>going to Russia later this year and will switch service from my Android
>phone over to the Moto. I'll miss my Droid something awful.
>
>BTW, if you are traveling to Europe for less than 21 days, VZW has a
>rental program. They will send you a handset which will keep your
>current number. You will only pay for calls in and calls out and I
>guess texting if you want it. I believe the only charge is for shipping
>and returning the phone and insurance.
If I were to go to Europe with my Droid 2 Global, I'd get a pre-paid
SIM to put in there - NOT the Vodaphone provided SIM.
Janet Wilder
many smartphone owners have come back from traveling (especially
cruising) with huge data charges.
Charles
<dmine45...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> If I were to go to Europe with my Droid 2 Global, I'd get a pre-paid
> SIM to put in there - NOT the Vodaphone provided SIM.
Is it unlocked?
--
Charles
Richard B. Gilbert
> My dad needs a new Verizon phone, and he's looking at getting a Droid
> since we have 7 other members of our family with this phone (so he has a
> built-in support system).
>
> He's going to be visiting Eastern Europe (Poland, Italy, Jordan are all
> on the schedule) in September for a few weeks. Is there anything he
> should know about using a Droid with a pre-paid SIM purchased in Europe?
A Verizon Wireless phone will NOT WORK in most parts of Europe.
Verizon Wireless uses a technology called Code Division Multiple Access
or CDMA. CDMA is also used in Japan and Korea.
Most other cell phone providers use a technology called Global System
for Mobile Communications or GSM.
The two systems are NOT compatible with each other.
I have never heard of a "dual mode" phone; it's GSM or CDMA but NOT both.
Charging your phone may be a problem! You will probably need to
purchase adapters that will allow use to use the weird and wonderful
electric outlets you may encounter. Some countries use different
voltages and different frequencies. Voltages of 210 and a frequency of
50 cycles are common. Consult your travel agent; he should be able to
advise you as to what sort of electrical power is available in in each
place you plan to visit.
<snip>
Charles
Gilbert <rgilb...@comcast.net> wrote:
> I have never heard of a "dual mode" phone; it's GSM or CDMA but NOT both.
Phones that have GSM and CDMA exist. And from Verizon Wireless. Maybe
you better shut up.
--
Charles
Todd Allcock
> A Verizon Wireless phone will NOT WORK in most parts of Europe.
>
> Verizon Wireless uses a technology called Code Division Multiple Access
> or CDMA. CDMA is also used in Japan and Korea.
>
> Most other cell phone providers use a technology called Global System
> for Mobile Communications or GSM.
>
> The two systems are NOT compatible with each other.
>
> I have never heard of a "dual mode" phone; it's GSM or CDMA but NOT both.
>
Actually you have heard of them. The last time you said just that above
in this NG, it was pointed out to you that such dual-mode phones existed,
and that Verizon itself sold them.
> Charging your phone may be a problem! You will probably need to
> purchase adapters that will allow use to use the weird and wonderful
> electric outlets you may encounter. Some countries use different
> voltages and different frequencies. Voltages of 210 and a frequency of
> 50 cycles are common. Consult your travel agent; he should be able to
> advise you as to what sort of electrical power is available in in each
> place you plan to visit.
>
> <snip>
Good advice... if this was 1995. Virtually every phone sold today
includes a charger that operates on both 110 and 220. At worst you'll
need a physical plug adapter to make the US "blade" prongs fit European
"post" outlets.
Virtually every phone today can be charged via USB as well, so a European
wall wart with USB output would work as well, presuming you brought your
USB charge/sync cable.
FWIW, by this time next year virtually every new phone on the planet will
have the same charge socket (micro-USB) to comply with new EU standards.
XS11E
> A Verizon Wireless phone will NOT WORK in most parts of Europe.
> I have never heard of a "dual mode" phone; it's GSM or CDMA but
> NOT both.
http://us.blackberry.com/smartphones/blackberrytour/#!phone-
specifications
I had one. R.I.M. doesn't mention it but the phone not only works on
GSM and CDMA networks (I used it on T-Mobile and Verizon) but it also
works as a chew toy for pit bulls which is why I no longer have the
phone. <sigh>
NOTE: The Tour is a fairly old Blackberry, there were earlier ones that
were CDMA and GSM.
> Charging your phone may be a problem! You will probably need to
> purchase adapters that will allow use to use the weird and
> wonderful electric outlets you may encounter.
Included with the phone.
Maybe you should check befor posting, OK?
--
XS11E, Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project:
http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/
Justin
> On 8/19/2010 1:06 PM, JC Dill wrote:
> I have never heard of a "dual mode" phone; it's GSM or CDMA but NOT both.
You haven't heard of much then.
There have been CDMA/GSM phones for YEARS on Verizon
Blackberry had one at least 5 years ago, there are currently droid global
phones that use CDMA in the USA and GSM overseas.
Richard B. Gilbert
> "Richard B. Gilbert"<rgilb...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> A Verizon Wireless phone will NOT WORK in most parts of Europe.
>> I have never heard of a "dual mode" phone; it's GSM or CDMA but
>> NOT both.
>
> http://us.blackberry.com/smartphones/blackberrytour/#!phone-
> specifications
>
> I had one. R.I.M. doesn't mention it but the phone not only works on
> GSM and CDMA networks (I used it on T-Mobile and Verizon) but it also
> works as a chew toy for pit bulls which is why I no longer have the
> phone.<sigh>
>
> NOTE: The Tour is a fairly old Blackberry, there were earlier ones that
> were CDMA and GSM.
>
>> Charging your phone may be a problem! You will probably need to
>> purchase adapters that will allow use to use the weird and
>> wonderful electric outlets you may encounter.
>
> Included with the phone.
>
> Maybe you should check befor posting, OK?
>
>
Just where would I check?????????
Justin
Verizon has a whole page for Global Ready phones, 17 devices on that
page. A couple of those are netbooks
Global Ready
Customers must activate pre–installed SIM Card and a Global Service plan or feature to enable roaming outside of the U.S. in GSM and UMTS Network.
International Roaming (CDMA) is available on all Verizon Wireless devices and does not require an activated SIM Card. (Global Data Plan or Feature is suggested)
GSM data capable in more than 205 countries, over 125 with 3G Speeds with a Global Data Plan or Feature and an active SIM Card
For Outside of the U.S. Services, Rates, Coverage, and Countries by Technology please visit www.verizonwireless.com/global
Janet Wilder
This bozo is answering a post from August!
BTW, I am the owner of one of those Verizon global phones and responded
to the OP months and months ago.
XS11E
> This bozo is answering a post from August!
That's our Richard B. Gilbert, "bozo" does fit but we love him because
he's entertaining, sometimes his information is helpful and I think he
means well....
Richard B. Gilbert
> Janet Wilder<kellie...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> This bozo is answering a post from August!
>
> That's our Richard B. Gilbert, "bozo" does fit but we love him because
> he's entertaining, sometimes his information is helpful and I think he
> means well....
>
>
Sorry if I replied to a very old post. I didn't think to look at the
date. My newsreader presented the post I responded to as a new post.
XS11E
> Sorry if I replied to a very old post. I didn't think to look at
> the date. My newsreader presented the post I responded to as a
> new post.
You'll be forgiven if you send me money! <G>
Justin
You still replied with false information before even doing minimal research
... like usual
Todd Allcock
For starters you could check your RAZR's charger. Even at its age I'd
lay even money it works at both 110 and 220 volts- I've got some Nokia
chargers even older that do.
Janet Wilder
will make you feel better. You can buy a whole kit with transformer and
different plugs at Target or WalMart.
Janet Wilder
Apology accepted. Yo are no longer a bozo.
BTW, what newsreader are you using. I want to avoid it if I ever change mine
XS11E
> BTW, what newsreader are you using. I want to avoid it if I ever
> change mine
You can't, his headers show T'Burp 3.19, same as yours. ;-)
Richard B. Gilbert
> On 3/31/2011 6:29 PM, Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
>> On 3/31/2011 6:10 PM, XS11E wrote:
>>> Janet Wilder<kellie...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> This bozo is answering a post from August!
>>>
>>> That's our Richard B. Gilbert, "bozo" does fit but we love him because
>>> he's entertaining, sometimes his information is helpful and I think he
>>> means well....
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Sorry if I replied to a very old post. I didn't think to look at the
>> date. My newsreader presented the post I responded to as a new post.
>
> Apology accepted. Yo are no longer a bozo.
>
> BTW, what newsreader are you using. I want to avoid it if I ever change
> mine
>
Mozilla Thunderbird.
Janet Wilder
> Janet Wilder<kellie...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>> BTW, what newsreader are you using. I want to avoid it if I ever
>> change mine
>
> You can't, his headers show T'Burp 3.19, same as yours. ;-)
>
>
>
Oh. Then maybe it's his news server that is sending him old posts. TB
doesn't do that to me.
SMS
> For starters you could check your RAZR's charger. Even at its age I'd
> lay even money it works at both 110 and 220 volts- I've got some Nokia
> chargers even older that do.
I have never seen a 120V only cell phone charger. Given the way that a
low power switching regulator works there would be no upside in a 120V
only charger. A plug adapter is all that's needed. For under $4 you can
buy a universal adapter.
<http://www.dealextreme.com/p/universal-world-travel-ac-adapter-18126>
Well "universal" is a bit misleading, probably it's only really useful
on Earth.
SMS
> You still replied with false information before even doing minimal research
> ... like usual
Par for the course. At least he didn't advise the poster to consult
their travel agent as to whether or not the phone charger would work.
Mike S.
In article <4d966cf3$0$10597$742e...@news.sonic.net>,
Got a whole buncha old Nokia transformer-based chargers that are 120V
only.
Richard B. Gilbert
> since we have 7 other members of our family with this phone (so he has a
> built-in support system).
>
> He's going to be visiting Eastern Europe (Poland, Italy, Jordan are all
> on the schedule) in September for a few weeks. Is there anything he
> should know about using a Droid with a pre-paid SIM purchased in Europe?
> use one of those SIMs (or have a plan where the application simply
> doesn't work) so you don't accidentally rack up outrageous data fees? Or
> is it up to the user to remember and make sure they don't accidentally
> activate data-consuming applications?
>
> Or should he just forget about using the Droid in Eastern Europe and buy
> a cheap phone and SIM when he gets there?
>
> jc
Check with your travel agent if you use one! Verizon uses a signaling
protocol in the U.S. called CDMA which is also used in Japan and maybe
Korea. Other countries use other technology that's incompatible with CDMA.
Your travel agent should know or know how to find out, which
technologies are in use in the countries you plan to visit. Ask him!
Depending on the answer, you can buy or maybe rent a phone or phones
that work where you are going. You will also find that that other
countries use different voltages, different outlets, 50 cycles per
second rather than 60, etc, etc.
At some time in the next thousand years we may standardize voltages,
frequencies, outlets, etc, etc. But don't hold your breath!
nos...@127.0.1.1
In article <g4CdnXnhwdT7YRvS...@giganews.com>,
Somehow I'm sure the original poster, Mr. JC Dill, has sorted it all out
long ago.
tycho
<nos...@127.0.1.1> wrote in message news:jm9agu$3ij$1...@reader1.panix.com...
2 years old. Some strange glitch...
Todd Allcock
Justin
Richard B. Gilbert
There are still travel agents which suggests that some people still use
them!
Janet Wilder
> There are still travel agents which suggests that some people still use
> them!
>
gives me lots of on board credit. Pays for a few bottles of wine. :-)
Richard B. Gilbert
> On 8/8/2012 6:07 PM, Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
>
>> There are still travel agents which suggests that some people still use
>> them!
>>
>
> I book my own cruises then turn the bookings over to a travel agent who
> gives me lots of on board credit. Pays for a few bottles of wine. :-)
>
it's about ten years since I traveled anywhere by air. That was
scripted by my then employers travel office! PHL to ATL and return.
I'm happy to pay a travel agent to take care of the details. All I have
to do is to check my luggage and get to the right gate on time.
If I did a lot of traveling by air at my expense, It might be worth my
while to become my own travel agent.
YMMV!
Douglas C. Neidermeyer
simple clerical task for you?
You could easily do it yourself with just a few mouse clicks at any of
the major travel websites.
--
The more is given, the less the people will work for themselves and the
less they work, the more their poverty will increase.
--Leo Tolstoy
Richard B. Gilbert
> On 8/11/12 10:28 AM, Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
>> On 8/9/2012 9:34 AM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>>> On 8/8/2012 6:07 PM, Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
>>>
>>>> There are still travel agents which suggests that some people still use
>>>> them!
>>>>
>>>
>>> I book my own cruises then turn the bookings over to a travel agent who
>>> gives me lots of on board credit. Pays for a few bottles of wine. :-)
>>>
>>
>> You are a seasoned traveler and don't need much, or any, help. I think
>> it's about ten years since I traveled anywhere by air. That was
>> scripted by my then employers travel office! PHL to ATL and return.
>>
>> I'm happy to pay a travel agent to take care of the details. All I have
>> to do is to check my luggage and get to the right gate on time.
>>
>> If I did a lot of traveling by air at my expense, It might be worth my
>> while to become my own travel agent.
>>
>> YMMV!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> I'm curious-- why are you "happy to pay" someone to perform a brief,
> simple clerical task for you?
>
> You could easily do it yourself with just a few mouse clicks at any of
> the major travel websites.
>
>
I am an infrequent air traveler, like once every ten years. I have no
idea what the "major travel websites" are or how to find them. I'm not
planning to go anywhere any time soon!
IF I do want to go somewhere and IF I recall this conversation, I'll
ask! Be patient. It may be ten or twenty years until I need the info.
Douglas C. Neidermeyer
Richard B. Gilbert
occasions.
From my point of view, a post from many years ago shows up in what
appears to be a new post. The only way I know of avoiding the problem
is to check the date.
Normally, the date of a message would be the last LAST thing I would
look at! IF I looked at the date at all.
Justin
> On 4/13/2012 10:53 AM, tycho wrote:
>> <nos...@127.0.1.1> wrote in message news:jm9agu$3ij$1...@reader1.panix.com...
>>>
>>
>> 2 years old. Some strange glitch...
>>
>>
> Thank you very much! I've run into similar situations on two or three
> occasions.
>
> From my point of view, a post from many years ago shows up in what
> appears to be a new post. The only way I know of avoiding the problem
> is to check the date.
>
> Normally, the date of a message would be the last LAST thing I would
> look at! IF I looked at the date at all.
This one you're replying to is a year old