Ethelred_the_Unready

I pay AT&T $173 a month for my wife and I's iPhones. The plan allows 800 minutes, unlimited texting and for some reason, I still have unlimited data, even though I get texts from AT&T warning me that I've exceeded a certain amount of usage as it seems that the days of unlimited data usage are coming to an end.

More expensive than the UK? Definitely, although I don't know the plans over there these days. I do know that my brother has a similar plan for his Samsung Galaxy and pays almost half of what I pay here.

Bluegrass Lass

My husband and I both are on Boost Mobile plans. I have an Android and he has a BB. Both of us have unlimited data/text/minutes. We pay about $115/mo total.

Ash UK/US

Seems like the price here is pretty much double what you would pay over there, my sister has an Iphone and pay less than I do and gets a whole lot more

WEBlue

On a visit to the States, my daughter (living in the UK) got a super-basic GoPhone from AT&T for $15 at Target. You can buy the top-up cards all around here in southern New England at supermarkets, etc. The minutes do roll over if you're careful not to let them expire.

As someone mentioned, it's important to ask people which networks work best where you are, though. Coverage can be spotty or non-existant otherwise, whiich is a waste of your money . . .even for a dead cheap phone.

dunroving

That's the biggest hassle, as essentially I'm looking for a phone that I can use on business/conference trips (anything from 1 to 4 trips a year). I was thinking I could just get a new SIM if I find I can't get reception - can you do that with a bog standard phone? Sort of misses the point though, as I wouldn;t be able to give people my number before I leave ... and on this next trip (Austin TX then San Francisco), I could end up buying two SIMs on one trip!

Here (UK), coverage for the big players essentially works in every major city but my recollection is that some providers in the US have huge areas of no coverage (huge as in almost a whole state). Is it still that way?

S Folinsky

Any "quad band" GSM phone should work in the US. Make sure it is unlocked or jailbroken. That said, some things to consider:

The business model for mobile service in the US has historically differed from that in Europe and there is still a legacy from that. Of particular note on the voice parts of the service, the US model was for "air time." So, if one has a limit of minutes, this counts both incoming and outgoing calls. Before you scream blood murder, do note that the US does not, repeat not, charge any caller extra for calling TO a mobile. [There seems to be a spread of unlimited "mobile to mobile" service. I have unlimited anyways].

Also, note that the UK is geographically quite small compared to the US. This has an influence on matters.

As noted above, any unlocked quad band GSM phone can obtain service in the US. That said, a large percentage of mobile service in the US is on the CDMA system rather than GSM -- no SIM's for that. As a general rule, on the national carriers, AT&T and T-Mobile are the ones that use GSM. Verizon does not use CDMA. [There may be exceptions].

The US has full portability on telephone numbers, so once you get a phone number, you can keep it if you should change carriers.

Also, on the business models, it is common for the handsets to be heavily subsidized by the carriers but in exchange you get tied into a contract for a year or two. [My BlackBerry contract with AT&T expires next November].

The various carriers have different flavors of net-works. They vary in the degree to which they have upgraded.

It has been my observation that the SIM cards are only available on line or at the stores/kiosks of the carriers.

Figure out what you NEED and shop accordingly. Do note that the plethora of options drives most people nuts.

GeoffM

On this matter the US can be pretty quick. In the UK you have the hassle of extracting a MAC code from the original supplier, where extracting teeth would be less painful and easier, then sending that to the new carrier. Here all I needed was the account number and PIN of my old carrier and it was done in the new carrier's store while I waited. Though admittedly it took more like 12 hours for incoming calls to transfer rather than the minutes it supposedly usually takes, but outgoing caller ID and messages in/out were transferred in minutes.

Kar98

This should read:

AT&T and T-Mobile are the ones that use GSM. Verizon does not, they use CDMA.

Southy_SWFC

Worth noting that the $30 TMobile deal mentioned earlier can only be used on certain TMobile phones that were bought in Walmart and nothing else.

411

My favourite is Walmart verizon prepaid $14.99 preloaded with $10 calling minutes (otherwise $25.00 from radio shack). Unlimited calls for just $2 each day you use it The salesman even offered to give me a refund when I was done with the minutes and heading back to the UK!

Guindalf

Depends if you like spam with your phone!

ChocolateBabz

I have a prepaid POS (Piece of Succotash) but as I hardly ever use it, it will do. Hubby has an iPhone through work (paid for).

The dude whinged and moaned like it was an olympic sport and wore us down to shadows of our former selves to get an iPhone. We eventually caved and bought an iPhone 4s 16gb with virgin mobile on their pre-paid plan. The phone was about $700 after taxes and what not but he gets 300mins and unlimited text and data for $30 per month. We should save around $700 over 2 years and since he never uses his phone to, you know, phone anyone it was the best deal for us.

TimNiceBut

The 100 minutes/unlimited text/unlimited data one? That's not the case if you just get the SIM from T-Mobile. I use that exact tariff with an unlocked ex-O2 iPhone that's not been anywhere near a Walmart.

Trixie_b

Be warned, you will pay for INCOMING calls and texts in the US.

Actually, that's the deal, but it's more noticable when you have a pay-as-you-go plan.

HumphreyC

Was wondering this. Anyone know why Canadians and Americans tend to pay the most for cell phone usage ? Off the top of my head I would say the sheer geographical size of the countries (and therefore the network) might have something to do with it. However the next most expensive on the list is Spain so that doesn't really add up.