Mandana

I've got a great mobile already - bought it just before knowing we were coming out here (Sony Ericsson K800i) and it's (almost) fully compatible with the bluetooth in the car, so was thinking about keeping it and getting a US SIM to go in it, then putting my UK SIM in an old phone (when the container arrives) for the odd call/text from back home.

Any suggestions or tips on which company to deal with? Or can you point me in the direction of a previous post as I've not been able to find any.

Many TIA

shorrock

I have a Sony K750i, I use a T-Mobile pay as you go sim, since T-Mobile use GSM.

Buying the T-Mobile sim (US$40) for pay as you go is more expensive than buying a cheap T-Mobile Pay as you go phone (U$25). SO I suggest you buy a phone and swap the sims.

Mandana

Thanks for replying Shorrock.

I've looked at getting a cheap phone as the prices didn't stack up (as you said), but they were locked. Do you know of any that aren't?

snowbunny

You can buy unlocked phones -- have a look on eBay. But you can often get a very discounted phone if you sign a contract for service vs pay-as-you-go.

I've used most of the major phone companies and like Cingular the best. They use GSM which means that if you buy a tri- or quad-band phone, it will work in the UK if someone needs to call your US number. However, it's cheaper to switch out your American SIM with one bought over there if you'll be there any length of time. (T-Mobile is the only US company AFAIK that does GSM.)

Mobile phone technology is one area where we lag Europe in a big way. This is because the population density in Europe makes it cheaper and easier to provide coverage to the masses. That and the kids are better at texting.

penguinsix

T-Mobile has a 6 month unlock policy. You get the phone and then call customer service after 6 months and they give you an unlock code. I think you can do one phone a year or something like that.

Cingular/ATT doesn't have an unlock policy.

Verizon is CDMA so any phone you bring from the UK is likely not going to work. Even if you bring a CDMA from places that use CDMA (like China) you can have problems as Verizon doesn't use CDMA SIMS but instead hardwires it into the phone.

by the way--only another two weeks until the IPhone comes out.

wtkp0u

I have a k750i that I got in the UK. Bought an activated T-Mobile pay as you go SIM off eBay for about $10 including 150 mins, plugged it into the Sony than called TMO help line and had them issue me a number in my local area code - tell them you moved (can take up to 24hrs but in fact my phone beeped less than an hour later).

Cingular or TMO are your only choices if you want to put a US SIM in your own phone. Buy $100 on TMO and the minutes don't expire at year end.

fatbrit

As others have mentioned, you've got a choice of T-Mobile or Cingular/AT&T.

One thing that may frustrate you is the lack of understanding of the term "sim card" over here. Don't be surprised if you get blank looks when mentioning it.

Also, there are two sorts of retail outlets: corporate ones and third party one. Your likely to draw blanks in the latter as they will only want to sell you a package with phone/plan/contract together. So set it up using a corporate store -- or do it directly on the phone.

Bob

you can buy ATT and T-Mobile sim cards on their own.

BritGuyTN

depending on your area, getting cingular with your phone may be a non-starter - they started to migrate a lot of their 900mhz band network (compatible with tri-band) to 850 mhz, not compatiuble with uk triband (your phone) - only quad band in january 2006, so my old phones have essentially become bricks.

t-mobile still uses 900 mhz so they would be fine, except for the fact they have the smallest network and apparently worst service reception (according to people I know who have had them)

my last two phones have been the se w810 and the new nokia e65, both quad band and have no issues...

unlocking your phone is a piece of piss anyway - should not cost more that 20 bucks http://www.davinciteam.com/

penguinsix

BritGuy's reply reminded me of something:

There are basically four bands for GSM service (if I remember right)--four frequencys. Most carriers use more than one, such as 900mhz and 1800, so if you get a tri band phone you are likely to be covered by say O2 in the UK and T-Mobile in the US. However, I've actually seen it happen where someone buys a phone for one GSM frequency only to get somewhere else and have a SIM card for a carrier that works on another (and not get a signal).

Quad band phones solve this, or you can look at the charts and ensure that your phone handles your different carriers.

http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/index.shtml

One other note about T-Mobile. I have them because of the unlocking policy (their signal reception is as crappy as Cingular, out where I live). However, T-Mobile's website offers a very detailed map that shows pretty much EVERY cell tower they use and the signal strength in different areas (not one of those general 'this state this state and this state maps' but a hyper-detailed road by road map). It's a nice feature and worth investigating (on their web site) if you are considering them.

As people have pointed out, the US is really huge, and in many parts if you go more than a few miles off the main roads (Interstates) into some small towns your phone just gives up. Look at the maps and you'll see vast areas of no coverage still today.

BritGuyTN

yep, my tri band phones that had been working great for year became bricks in nashville overnight

still fine in colorade and oregon?!!?!

Mandana

Sorry guys .. how rude of me. Thanks for all your help and advice. My OH is much more clued up on the US side of things and I wanted to get a heads-up so I knew at least a little bit more before we go and get my phone sorted this weekend.

Now I know my phone definitely works with my bluetooth in the car, I'll be keeping it for sure (the camera is great too, as are the rest of the functions) and as much as my OH is a gadget lover, I'm not as devout as him, so I don't see the need to go out and get the iPhone the day it launches! (he would though lol)

Thanks again for your posts. I'm much the wiser now!

Patrick Hasler

The only company I have found so far that works almost everywhere is Verizon ...... Cingular works in 80% of places .... Nextel doesn't work in most of NH, nearly all of ME and most of VT.
I have travelled form one end of this vast country to the other, north to south and east to west, the only time I lost Verizon signal was on Route 78 in OR, but then I didn't se a sign of life for 3 hours, not even a telegraph pole or a vehicle....... I remeber thinking 'If I beak down allong here I am dead'

Bob

Verizon is really sketchy in Maine too...well almost all of them are...US Celluar is the big one out there, but that's pants outside of the main hot spots, which verizon use.

angelman

tmobile all the way if you can..especially if you want prepay which you probably will unless you want to put down a hefty deposit or you have isntant good credit. If your other half though insists on say verizon because all her family is verizon assuming she is USC then you may be screwed.
I use tmobile though and my wife is on verizon. If youre prepay youre not going to get internet though.
Watch out for cingular prepay because they charge you an extra daily usage fee (I think its $1) even if you just send or recieve one text.. rip off.
tmobile is great here in LA at least, no problems with reception. To add minutes you just go to their tzones website or call them from the phone, no need to use stupid cards.
I use about $50/month which is fine for me. If youre a heavy user then of course it will get much more expensive. After the first $100 or so of credits you get more minutes for your money, works out around 10cents/minute.
When you add up all the ripoff surcharges, taxes, bogus fees etc. and the 2 year lock period for most cell phone plans it really doesnt work out too bad I think, especially if you call people on all different networks.
I have the k750i.. bought on ebay from france. Sony erricsson phones rule.. even if they are quite rare here still.