Getting a US phone contract?
#16
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
You can pay $15 extra a month with T-Mobile and get unlimited international mobile and landline calls as well. Thats enough of a reason to go with them.
#17
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 265
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
Also with t mobile it's much better for roaming as you get unlimited data and texting in 120 countries which means you could get a google voice US number essentially you got a free number overseas to make/receive calls to/from home.
#18
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 46
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
If one has top buy a new cell phone the Google Nexus 5 is a great unlocked phone and a bargain.
#19
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Joined: Jun 2014
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Re: Getting a US phone contract?
Thanks for all the advice everyone!
I have a decent smartphone (Xperia Z) which I can bring over, so it looks like a T-Mobile pre pay may be the forwards, at least for the first few months while we find our feet.
- Mark this sounds like a great option, do you know where I could find a bit more info on it?
I have a decent smartphone (Xperia Z) which I can bring over, so it looks like a T-Mobile pre pay may be the forwards, at least for the first few months while we find our feet.
- Mark this sounds like a great option, do you know where I could find a bit more info on it?
#20
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,154
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
Thanks for all the advice everyone!
I have a decent smartphone (Xperia Z) which I can bring over, so it looks like a T-Mobile pre pay may be the forwards, at least for the first few months while we find our feet.
- Mark this sounds like a great option, do you know where I could find a bit more info on it?
I have a decent smartphone (Xperia Z) which I can bring over, so it looks like a T-Mobile pre pay may be the forwards, at least for the first few months while we find our feet.
- Mark this sounds like a great option, do you know where I could find a bit more info on it?
#21
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 46
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
Also before you sign with any carrier check their website for coverage maps to ensure you have good coverage where you spend most of your time.
#22
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Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 147
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
I'm using this. $50 a month for loads of US minutes and data, plus $15 extra to get unlimited calls home to UK loved ones etc. They are literally amazed they don't need to worry about how long I call them for. They just call me for a couple of rings if they want me to call them back for some reason.
It's a good deal, even if the coverage is not great everywhere I go to.
Tip. If like me you retain a UK mobile account also, then work out how to access your voicemail from your second country. So I let calls on my uk number go to voicemail then call my voicemail from my t-mob US line (uses the unlimited mins) to pickup their voice message. Great
#23
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
I do have both - but int'l calls are not free with either and both numbers are US numbers (which is what I need)...but maybe you're not saying calls to or from UK are free, are you?
#24
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 85
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
Take your existing uk handset and get a AT&T pay and go SIM st start you off. That's what I did. I was up and running within a few hours of arriving
#25
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Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 147
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
Ditto with the T-Mobile I mentioned above. I landed, grabbed my luggage and through customs then picked up hire car and asked the TomTom to get me to the T-Mobile shop I'd previously found on the internet. Within 20 mins of arrival at the shop I could make a call home
#26
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 138
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
I am pretty sure I know the answer but just to be certain. An unlocked iPhone 5s purchased in the UK will be compatible with all US carrier options?
#27
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 85
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
Yes that is the phone my wife has. No issues what so ever.
#28
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,154
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
Your British phone will also be lacking many of the LTE bands ATT & T-mobile use which means you will be stuck on HSPA+ a lot of the time. Given T-Mobile is converting large parts of their network from 2G straight to LTE, and missing out HSPA+, should be something you bear in mind.
So basically, yes it'll work within reason, but you should be purchasing a North American model when an appropriate opportunity arises.
#29
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Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 3
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
More for the benefit of anyone else stumbling across this post, I ended up taking the advice of others and buying a US cell phone over here (Nexus 5 in the end).
We'd brought over 3 decent smartphones from the UK and none of them would work here thanks to different LTE bands, to check if your phone will work you can go to the manufacturers website and check which bands the phone has.
At the moment I'm on the $60 deal from T-Mobile which gives 3GB of data, plus for an extra $15 get unlimited calls back to the UK. $75 feels crazily expensive for what I'm getting so will hopefully move to another provider like Cricket pretty soon.
We'd brought over 3 decent smartphones from the UK and none of them would work here thanks to different LTE bands, to check if your phone will work you can go to the manufacturers website and check which bands the phone has.
At the moment I'm on the $60 deal from T-Mobile which gives 3GB of data, plus for an extra $15 get unlimited calls back to the UK. $75 feels crazily expensive for what I'm getting so will hopefully move to another provider like Cricket pretty soon.
#30
Re: Getting a US phone contract?
Make sure that Cricket covers everywhere where you want to be able to use your phone because Cricket network coverage is very patchy.