Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
Mar 1st 2005, 8:13 pm
#1
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Thread Starter
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Location: Canberra formerly St Neots
Posts: 57
Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
I'm a mobile phone novice (I've a virgin pay as you go brick thats several years old) and would like to know if it is worth buying a phone in duty free (I'll be stopping in Bangkok airport) on my way to Oz or should I just wait and buy one when I get to Canberra?
I dont want a fancy phone and dont know what pitfalls there are buying in a differnet country to Oz or whether Bangkok is not a good place to buy a phone!
Do most people go PAYG now? and would I just have to buy a SIM card in Oz and then get phone calls back to the UK for approx 30c/min as other threads have quoted?
Any advice appreciated
Steve
I dont want a fancy phone and dont know what pitfalls there are buying in a differnet country to Oz or whether Bangkok is not a good place to buy a phone!
Do most people go PAYG now? and would I just have to buy a SIM card in Oz and then get phone calls back to the UK for approx 30c/min as other threads have quoted?
Any advice appreciated
Steve
Mar 2nd 2005, 12:25 am
#2
(It's not my real name)
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Ilukapool. WA
Posts: 12,467
Re: Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
I thought about getting a mobo in Singapore but realised that it's loads cheaper to get a PAYG one in Australia.
The PAYG models arnen't necessarily the latest super duper ones but my Nokia 3315 cost $89.
The PAYG models arnen't necessarily the latest super duper ones but my Nokia 3315 cost $89.
Mar 2nd 2005, 12:35 am
#3
someone's had 'Alex'...
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Vic Park, WA
Posts: 270
Re: Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
Originally Posted by renth
I thought about getting a mobo in Singapore but realised that it's loads cheaper to get a PAYG one in Australia.
The PAYG models aren't necessarily the latest super duper ones but my Nokia 3315 cost $89.
The PAYG models aren't necessarily the latest super duper ones but my Nokia 3315 cost $89.
Mar 2nd 2005, 12:36 am
#4
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Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Ilukapool. WA
Posts: 12,467
Re: Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
Originally Posted by 4lex
Disagree. I bought a new, unlocked 6100 in Singapore for S$80 off contract - that's about A$62 - plus I can use it on any network. A 6100 in Aus will cost around A$200.
I did a bit of reseach before I got to Singapore and concluded it wasn't worth it. I didn't bother going in to any of the shops.
I stand corrected!
Mar 2nd 2005, 1:05 am
#5
someone's had 'Alex'...
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Vic Park, WA
Posts: 270
Re: Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
Originally Posted by renth
Wow, well done.
I did a bit of reseach before I got to Singapore and concluded it wasn't worth it. I didn't bother going in to any of the shops.
I stand corrected!
I did a bit of reseach before I got to Singapore and concluded it wasn't worth it. I didn't bother going in to any of the shops.
I stand corrected!
Mar 2nd 2005, 8:08 am
#6
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Joined: Jul 2004
Location: Brisbane, Qld
Posts: 1,155
Re: Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
Originally Posted by Sungold
I'm a mobile phone novice (I've a virgin pay as you go brick thats several years old) and would like to know if it is worth buying a phone in duty free (I'll be stopping in Bangkok airport) on my way to Oz or should I just wait and buy one when I get to Canberra?
I dont want a fancy phone and dont know what pitfalls there are buying in a differnet country to Oz or whether Bangkok is not a good place to buy a phone!
Do most people go PAYG now? and would I just have to buy a SIM card in Oz and then get phone calls back to the UK for approx 30c/min as other threads have quoted?
Any advice appreciated
Steve
I dont want a fancy phone and dont know what pitfalls there are buying in a differnet country to Oz or whether Bangkok is not a good place to buy a phone!
Do most people go PAYG now? and would I just have to buy a SIM card in Oz and then get phone calls back to the UK for approx 30c/min as other threads have quoted?
Any advice appreciated
Steve
If you do buy one abroad you need to make sure the phone is unlocked so that it is compatible with Oz sim cards
Mar 2nd 2005, 8:34 am
#7
Superfreak!!
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Thornlie, Perth, W.A.
Posts: 1,177
Re: Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
Can you get a decent cheap mobo in Kuala Lumpur that`s good for Oz?
Mar 4th 2005, 9:06 am
#8
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Location: Brisbane, Qld
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Re: Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
Originally Posted by Stormz
Can you get a decent cheap mobo in Kuala Lumpur that`s good for Oz?
Mar 4th 2005, 9:49 am
#9
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Re: Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
Long shot question...
I have a Motorola V3 from Orange. Does this work down under or do I have to get it unlocked?
Cheers
Gav
I have a Motorola V3 from Orange. Does this work down under or do I have to get it unlocked?
Cheers
Gav
Mar 4th 2005, 10:07 am
#10
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Re: Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
Originally Posted by gavstrad
Long shot question...
I have a Motorola V3 from Orange. Does this work down under or do I have to get it unlocked?
Cheers
Gav
I have a Motorola V3 from Orange. Does this work down under or do I have to get it unlocked?
Cheers
Gav
We recently got the V3's on O2. The reason we chose O2 was on advice from CarphoneWarehouse that O2 contract phones are always unlocked. We tried our Vodafone sims in the phones and were able to confirm this.
Mar 4th 2005, 10:27 am
#11
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Joined: May 2003
Location: Alloha snack bar
Posts: 24,246
Re: Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
I have an unlocked Sony Eriksson K700i on T-Mobile. SE assure me that It will work in Oz. I might get a new Smartphone enroute in Singapore as well.
Mar 4th 2005, 10:51 am
#12
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Re: Is it worth buying mobile phone en route to Oz?
Originally Posted by spottydog
As far as I know Orange lock their phones. The best thing would be to borrow a friends Sim card (who is not on Orange) and try it in your phone. If it works and you can call out then your phone is unlocked and will be fine in Oz if it doesn't work then you will need to get it unlocked for it to work on anything other than Orange UK.
We recently got the V3's on O2. The reason we chose O2 was on advice from CarphoneWarehouse that O2 contract phones are always unlocked. We tried our Vodafone sims in the phones and were able to confirm this.
We recently got the V3's on O2. The reason we chose O2 was on advice from CarphoneWarehouse that O2 contract phones are always unlocked. We tried our Vodafone sims in the phones and were able to confirm this.
