UK and US mobile conundrum
 

Hi,
I have done some searches but cannot find an answer to this one, hope someone can help?!

I have just moved to Santa Clara, CA. i have an unlocked iPhone 4 - previously on contract with Vodafone but now unlocked and on PAYG. I need to keep my UK number so intend to try and maintain the sim and payg status with regular texts. I need a US mobile for voice and data, but nothing like the entry levels for contract in US from what I can see. Probably less than 100 mins pm, data not sure, probably not much as can use wifi.

AT&T seem to have best coverage where I am according my UK phone. What should I do??

Can I do a swop and put a US Go Phone microsim in my UK iPhone, then put my UK Vodafone microsim in another cheapo US phone just for maintenance? (Cheapie phone may require me to get ano full size sim from Vodafone I guess (via my mail redirect).

All suggestions appreciated, the no. options are getting confusing!...

Re: UK and US mobile conundrum
 

I think everything you've just said makes sense - you can get a sim for your UK phone and a phone for your UK sim, if you go into a T-Mobile store you can get both in one place and check compatibility before purchasing.

There are also mini-sim to regular sim converters available for a buck or two at most of those independent phone shops.

Re: UK and US mobile conundrum
 

T-Mobile has (or at least had) an online and walmart only tariff with 100 minutes but unlimited text and 5GB of high speed data for $30/month. Downside is that depending on your location, you might not be able to get 3G with a UK iPhone. I've used this tariff with my UK 3GS without any problems apart from the 2G reception.

Another alternative is to get a Walmart Straighttalk SIM for AT&T, for $45/month you get unlimited text + talk and 2-ish GB of 3G data. They use frequencies that will work with a UK iPhone and you pay less to get the same wonderful AT&T customer no-service. Just make sure you get the SIM for AT&T and not the one for T-Mobile.

I'm not sure if this is still the case but for the longest time AT&T would not allow you to go PAYG on their network with an iPhone, they insisted on a contract. Not sure if that's still the case but it's probably a good idea to not mention to them that the SIM will end up in an iPhone.

Re: UK and US mobile conundrum
 

Thanks for pointers. I will get down the Walmart and see what's there, try a little gentle investigation in the AT&T store. It's still quite surprising though that payg here in US seems only to be month to month and your credit runs out at end of month like contract minutes would, so it's not really payg at all is it...!

Re: UK and US mobile conundrum
 

There are some that offer something more akin to the UK PAYG but you have to top up quite a lot to make sure the minutes don't expire. However the only plans like that that I have seen either have no data or are very expensive when it comes to using data.

Keep in mind that you also have to "pay" to get receive calls here, so you tend to use up more minutes here that you did in the UK.

Re: UK and US mobile conundrum
 

Don't payg mins last a whole 12 months. They do in america. My mate has english phone when he comes over am not sure what he does with it though he only comes over at christmas but he always has the same phone. It's orange. He takes into the shop though, I don't know what they do with it. It's a really old phone he has though like 2001 no colour screen it serves the purpose.

Re: UK and US mobile conundrum
 

When calculating your need for minutes, do keep in mind that US plans charge for airtime used, whether the call was incoming or outgoing. You may require more time than you think.

Re: UK and US mobile conundrum
 

Airvoice Wireless (AT&T MVNO). $40 for unlimited text / mins / 1GB data. Done.

Ignore the advice re straight talk (abysmal service with lots of hidden caveats). TMobile are great, as long as you have 4G coverage, for the majority of the time you'll be on Edge the moment you leave the strip.

Re: UK and US mobile conundrum
 

Take a look at Net10. At least you don't lose your minutes with them.