Pre-Departure: Cell Phone
The Pre-Departure series are a collection of posts about the steps I’m taking to prepare to go abroad as well as useful general information and resources.
It’s no secret that I am addicted to my smartphone. Not only do I use it everyday, but I regularly push it to it’s limits (usually managing to break something). So, when I’m abroad I want a cell phone that can take the abuse, and allow me to do all the things I normally do with my phone. After doing a little research it seems like there are basically 4 options for getting cell phone service abroad. Some are cheaper than others, but only a few have affordable smartphone options.
- If you already own a global phone, unlock it, and bring it with you to get service
- Buy a prepaid global phone from a company like STA Travel
- Buy a phone when you arrive
- Buy an unlocked global phone and get service for it when you arrive.
Take note that none of these options involve using service from your home provider. There’s a good chance that after a few months abroad with your home country mobile service, your cell phone bill will rival your tuition bill. All of these options have pros and cons and unfortunately if you’re not careful you might be left with an unusable phone or a monstrous bill.
You Already Own a Global Phone
I own a Verizon Droid X2 which unfortunately is not a global phone. Most Verizon phones aren’t. They use a technology called CDMA, which can be found in some countries (like the US and South Korea), but most carriers around the world use a technology called GSM. All GSM phones use a SIM card, which stores information about your phone’s identity and its relation to a service provider. By swapping out a SIM card from your normal provider with a provider abroad you can get cell phone services at local rates. This will also give you a new local phone number. If your cell phone uses a SIM card then there’s a good chance you can use it abroad, although it’s best to check with your home provider first.
SIM Card – Wikipedia
Unfortunately in most cases it’s not that easy to simply swap out a SIM card in a phone you already own. Most, if not all, mobile service providers lock down the phones they sell so that the phone will only function on their network with the SIM card they give you. This applies to regular as well as smartphones. If you take a locked cell phone abroad and try to put in a new SIM card your phone will simply stop working. The reason cell phone providers do this makes sense in a way, but it makes me feel like I don’t really own my own phone. Carriers sell phones at huge discounts by subsidizing the cost of the phone. They do this because the revenue they get from you being locked into a two year contract is larger than the cost of the subsidy. They ensure that you’ll stay on the contract for the full two years by charging an early termination fee and by locking the phone so that it can’t be taken to any other network. There are ways to get it unlocked however. In some situations the carrier will unlock it, and sometimes you can buy an unlock code. Resources on this are below.
Links to some US Carrier unlock policies
AT&T to begin unlocking off-contract iPhones this Sunday, April 8th (update)
Verizon – Unlocking Droid 2 Global
T-Mobile – SIM Subsidy Unlock Code
Other resources
NY Times – Guidelines for Using a Cellphone Abroad
Buy a Prepaid Global Phone
At first glace this is probably the most affordable option if you don’t want a smartphone. You can buy a global phone with international service for as low as $30. Many of the phones are unlocked (I think all, but I can’t be sure about that), and some even come with two SIM card slots, which could come in handy if you’re travelling between countries a lot. The calling, texting, and data rates are a bit steep compared to local services and can vary by country, but they are definitely cheaper than the international roaming rates offered by your home carrier. If your not going to be in once spot very long their standard SIM card is great, but if you’re going to be in one spot for any period of time it might be worth it to get a local SIM. The reason I didn’t go with this option is because the full retail price for the smartphones they were offering was a little too steep for what they were offering. However if you want a regular phone with added global features like a quad band radio (can be used on more providers), or dual SIM card slots this might be a good option for you.
Buy a Phone When You Arrive
I used this option when I studied abroad in Australia. As soon as I arrived I headed over to a local mall with a bunch of other exchange students and bought prepaid cell phones from a local provider. The only downside was that the phone I bought was locked, so if I was doing any significant country hopping I would have needed to find a way to unlock that phone as well as get a new SIM card. I’m not buying a smartphone in Budapest for similar reasons. It will most likely be locked to the Hungarian carrier and I’d also be locked into a contract. Not to mention the default language would be Hungarian. Although I could easily change that, I’d just be easier overall to secure a phone before I leave.
Wikipedia article of mobile network operators in Europe (Hungary specifically)
Buy an Unlocked Phone and Get Service
Galaxy Nexus running Jelly Bean from Google Play
If you’ve been reading my blog then you already know that this is the option I decided to go with. It’s easy, and sometimes cheap, to buy an unlocked phone on Amazon. Usually buying a phone direct from the manufacturer at full retail price can set you back $700 or more. Fortunately, Google subsides the Nexus line of Android products with no catch! (I’m sure Google is making money somehow, but I don’t have to sign a contract and the phone comes unlocked with no carrier branding on it whatsoever.) I was able to buy the Samsung Galaxy Nexus from Google Play for $350. No dealing with a carrier to unlock my phone, just pop in a SIM and go.
To start, I bought an Passport Plus SIM card from ekit, the same company that provides prepaid global cell phones. This is a prepaid SIM that has the same data rates as the prepaid phones. I wanted this SIM card so that I can have service while travelling. I plan on spending a little time in Zurich on my way to Budapest and it would be nice to be able to stay in contact. Once I arrive in Budapest I’ll buy a local SIM card and use that service. I’ll keep swapping in local SIM cards when I stay in a country for an extended period and go back to the ekit Passport SIM when I’m just travelling through.
ekit – The ekit homepage, don’t buy before you get an ISIC card, it comes with a free SIM!
Google Play Devices – The place to get the discounted Galaxy Nexus
Data for Smartphones
A smartphone isn’t worth the extra money if you don’t have a data connection to go with it, and unfortunately data is expensive…everywhere… The best rate offered by the Passport Plus SIM card is $0.49/MB and can go well above $10/MB. At last check I used, on average, about 3 GB a month. Even if I remove Netflix and Hulu, checking email and Facebook starts to add up. Even locally data can be expensive and will definitely have a cap. There’s not getting around this, but you can manage it. Newer android phones running 4.0 and higher have a feature that allow you to set warnings and caps to give you a heads up and help manage your data usage. I’m sure there are apps available for older Android and iOS devices. In addition being a college student I’m assuming free wifi will be readily available on a daily basis.
Having a smartphone might also save you costs calling home since you can use Skype, Google Talk, and other internet services to stay in contact with home. Make no mistake though, having a smartphone is almost certainly more expensive.
Other Stuff
I should mention that the method I used hasn’t been flawless. Text messaging is sporatic on my new phone, although the ekit tech support has been tremendously helpful. In addition, the ekit SIM cards don’t work like normal SIMs. In order to place a call you need to dial the number and then their service calls you back once the connection has been made. There is an app available from ekit to get around this, but it’s something to be aware of.
Finally, what to do with my old phone? I definitely want to keep my phone number. It what I have on the business cards I’ve been giving out for the last 4 years. To preserve my number I’m swapping out my smartphone with an old regular cell phone. I’ll only need to pay the basic rate of $10 a month to keep that line open and I can reactivate my smartphone when I’m home on breaks. Keeping my number active will also allow me to activate call forwarding and voicemail while I’m away.
The bottom line is that the best option for using a cell phone abroad depends largely on what your current phone and service is, how long you’ll be gone, as well as what you want to use your cell phone for (just calling or checking email and video chatting). I value constant connectivity, and hardware I control, so I put a little extra into getting that. You might value the cheapest possible option. To help, there are additional resources below as well as links to the other Pre-Departure articles.
Have questions? Did I miss something? Have a better way? Leave comments below.
NY Times – Tips for Using Your Cellphone Abroad
USA Today – How to Use Cell Phones Abroad
Phone Tips and Tricks when Relocating Abroad (Only skimmed this one, but it’s the only one that involves moving abroad for an extended period)
Pre-Departure Articles
- Voting!
- Cell Phone
