Mobile Phones NZ
Apr 22nd 2003, 9:17 am
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: scotland
Posts: 32
Mobile Phones NZ
I'm looking at buy a phone here in the UK before i fly to nz, can anyone adivse on coverage and if it is adviasble or not to wait until i get there. As i have looked at the Nokia 5210 here is £99.00 and in NZ is £160 for phone only. I believe i would need to buy a tri-band to use it out with NZ but ordinary uk mobile should work internally in nz with a nz sim card. HELP
Apr 22nd 2003, 9:07 pm
#2
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Joined: Nov 2001
Location: Nelson, New Zealand
Posts: 343
Re: Mobile Phones NZ
Originally posted by gowie
I'm looking at buy a phone here in the UK before i fly to nz, can anyone adivse on coverage and if it is adviasble or not to wait until i get there. As i have looked at the Nokia 5210 here is £99.00 and in NZ is £160 for phone only. I believe i would need to buy a tri-band to use it out with NZ but ordinary uk mobile should work internally in nz with a nz sim card. HELP
I'm looking at buy a phone here in the UK before i fly to nz, can anyone adivse on coverage and if it is adviasble or not to wait until i get there. As i have looked at the Nokia 5210 here is £99.00 and in NZ is £160 for phone only. I believe i would need to buy a tri-band to use it out with NZ but ordinary uk mobile should work internally in nz with a nz sim card. HELP
I took my own 8310 (and lost it!!)and bought a NZ sim card ($35) they copied all the numbers from my UK sim to the new one.
You have 2 networks out there, Telecom & Vodafone. I used Vodafone as it gave more national coverage.
Basically, take your own phone & by a new sim card, easy!!
I called inside NZ & back home on it & they also give you different pay as you go plans to suit you.
Don't be tempted to hire one at the airport, get to town & find a Vodafone shop!
Good luck!
Apr 24th 2003, 1:28 pm
#3
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Auckland, NZ
Posts: 604
Re: Mobile Phones NZ
Originally posted by garrisondamn
You have 2 networks out there, Telecom & Vodafone.
You have 2 networks out there, Telecom & Vodafone.
Yes there are 2 networks in NZ, Vodafone & Telecom NZ, however Telecom phones don't have SIM card slots (the subscriber details are hard programmed into the phone, rather like the old UK analogue mobile system). If you're with Telecom, it makes moving handsets around difficult as Telecom have to reprogram them, and of course they don't work in the UK/europe. A shame, as Telecom's 027 network is CDMA, technically more advanced than GSM & Telecom's call charges are cheaper than Vodafone. Still, you pays your money & makes your choice...
If you do bring your UK mobile over, depending on whom you bought it from you may need to get it unlocked. If you bought it from Vodafone in the UK, you won't need to do anything as Vodafone don't lock their phones. I know Orange most definitely DO lock their phones, not sure about O2. Mobile phone shops will be able to unlock it for you & usually charge about 10quid to do this. For certain models you can even get them unlocked over the net.
Russ
