mobile phone in USA

filcord · 17th April 2007, 13:05

I am visiting the US and Canada. I need to be accessible by my family in case of emergencies, esp as my old parents are home. I was advised to buy a sim-card there under a cheap scheme, and use my GSM phone. I have a quad-band phone.
Any suggestions?

sizoo · 17th April 2007, 13:19

I Used Cingular, The Best!!

Covers Most Of The Urban Us Area. You Can Get The 'pay As You Go' For 15$ Only Valid For 30 Days. Get The Connection From Terminal 3 At The Jfk, In Just 5 Mins You Are Ready To Call....

mclarenracer · 17th April 2007, 20:15

for US use cingular and for Canada use fido

cheap_deal · 17th April 2007, 21:46

fido and rogers are good for canada, on prepaid rogers would cover more area especially in smaller towns. fido is good and slightly cheaper and works best in the cities.

vivekiny2k · 17th April 2007, 23:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by filcord

I am visiting the US and Canada.

I switched from T-mobile to cingular and it's network is not as great as T-mobile.
you get different prepaid options in both, see which one suits you.

verizon is best but it's on CDMA.

filcord · 18th April 2007, 08:06

I'm looking to buy a pre-paid GSM card in the US that will be usable in Canada.

Rehaan · 18th April 2007, 09:08

American prepaid cellphone plans are fairly backward... be prepared to pay for outgoing AND incoming... also RECEIVING text messages etc etc

With Tmobile i know they charge more to use it in Canada / Mexico...

Pick based on where you are going to be most, and who (Tmob / Cingular) has the best coverage in that area (i think they have coverage maps on their site somewhere...atleast Tmob does.

Also, i would probably just buy a diff sim card in canada (ie assuming cingular also has elevated rates for canada)

cya
R

mclarenracer · 18th April 2007, 09:13

it will cost you a lot to use prepaid from US in canada, right now rate are near 20cents a min.

raajks · 18th April 2007, 11:10

Verizon has good voice clarity. If you are visiting US and Canada, Apart from using your Verizon you can use Gtalk, Yahoo or MSN to make calls to India or if your folks in India have broadband....they can call you on your cell phone (Verizon sim).. it is lot cheaper to call your phone in the US..rather than you calling them.

tsk1979 · 18th April 2007, 13:44

Take Cingular. Verizon has lot of "fine print" which is so fine when that you will miss it, and it will haunt you in the bills.
All providers have this fine print, but Verizon has the finest.

Anupam · 23rd December 2008, 16:02

Hi, any one travelling to US and in need of a local number there can get in touch with me, I have AT&T prepaid samsung phone (Flip with camera) which I bought on my last visit and don't need it no more and can sell ..

please PM for details

Anupam · 23rd December 2008, 16:04

btw..in this phone..at&t to at&t calls are free, and rental is pretty cheap, i found it useful

SirAlec · 23rd December 2008, 17:06

how about these various sim available here itself. like matrix etc.

I havn't personally used it, though.

Rocky_Balboa · 5th January 2009, 17:36

I got a AT&T prepaid last week, calls within the AT&T network are free however texting isnt - 'Pay as You Go' plan.
AT&T's coverage is unbeatable and didnt find any other operator come close.

filcord · 5th January 2009, 17:56

Suddenly saw this thread was bumped up.
I explored Matrix before leaving India, but some nagging voice in me told me not to go ahead. I was not happy giving them unlimited rights over my credit card. Any feedback from Matrix users?
In the US, my niece got me a sim from the neighbourhood mobile store, AT&T valid for 30 days, free incoming for 10 min per day, 20 $ outgoing calls, all for 20$. I think she got a discount or something since the manager was her boyfriend. Anyway it worked fine on my cellphone for the two weeks I was in the US, and I think I still had abt 3$ left on the card.

17th April 2007, 13:05	#1
filcord BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: goa Posts: 996 Thanked: 67 Times	mobile phone in USA I am visiting the US and Canada. I need to be accessible by my family in case of emergencies, esp as my old parents are home. I was advised to buy a sim-card there under a cheap scheme, and use my GSM phone. I have a quad-band phone. Any suggestions?
	() Thanks

17th April 2007, 13:19	#2
sizoo BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Ludhiana PB / Houston TX Posts: 38 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	I Used Cingular, The Best!! Covers Most Of The Urban Us Area. You Can Get The 'pay As You Go' For 15$ Only Valid For 30 Days. Get The Connection From Terminal 3 At The Jfk, In Just 5 Mins You Are Ready To Call....
	() Thanks

17th April 2007, 20:15	#3
mclarenracer BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 115 Thanked: 11 Times	for US use cingular and for Canada use fido
	() Thanks

17th April 2007, 21:46	#4
cheap_deal BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: unknown Posts: 465 Thanked: 8 Times	fido and rogers are good for canada, on prepaid rogers would cover more area especially in smaller towns. fido is good and slightly cheaper and works best in the cities.
	() Thanks

18th April 2007, 08:06	#6
filcord BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: goa Posts: 996 Thanked: 67 Times	I'm looking to buy a pre-paid GSM card in the US that will be usable in Canada.
	() Thanks

18th April 2007, 09:08	#7
Rehaan Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 24,046 Thanked: 34,076 Times	American prepaid cellphone plans are fairly backward... be prepared to pay for outgoing AND incoming... also RECEIVING text messages etc etc With Tmobile i know they charge more to use it in Canada / Mexico... Pick based on where you are going to be most, and who (Tmob / Cingular) has the best coverage in that area (i think they have coverage maps on their site somewhere...atleast Tmob does. Also, i would probably just buy a diff sim card in canada (ie assuming cingular also has elevated rates for canada) cya R
	() Thanks

18th April 2007, 09:13	#8
mclarenracer BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 115 Thanked: 11 Times	it will cost you a lot to use prepaid from US in canada, right now rate are near 20cents a min.
	() Thanks

18th April 2007, 11:10	#9
raajks BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: BLR Posts: 578 Thanked: 119 Times View My Garage	Verizon has good voice clarity. If you are visiting US and Canada, Apart from using your Verizon you can use Gtalk, Yahoo or MSN to make calls to India or if your folks in India have broadband....they can call you on your cell phone (Verizon sim).. it is lot cheaper to call your phone in the US..rather than you calling them.
	() Thanks

18th April 2007, 13:44	#10
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Take Cingular. Verizon has lot of "fine print" which is so fine when that you will miss it, and it will haunt you in the bills. All providers have this fine print, but Verizon has the finest.
	() Thanks

23rd December 2008, 16:02	#11
Anupam BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Pune - India Posts: 265 Thanked: 39 Times View My Garage	Hi, any one travelling to US and in need of a local number there can get in touch with me, I have AT&T prepaid samsung phone (Flip with camera) which I bought on my last visit and don't need it no more and can sell .. please PM for details
	() Thanks

23rd December 2008, 16:04	#12
Anupam BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Pune - India Posts: 265 Thanked: 39 Times View My Garage	btw..in this phone..at&t to at&t calls are free, and rental is pretty cheap, i found it useful
	() Thanks

23rd December 2008, 17:06	#13
SirAlec Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: zxc Posts: 3,393 Thanked: 726 Times	how about these various sim available here itself. like matrix etc. I havn't personally used it, though.
	() Thanks

5th January 2009, 17:36	#14
Rocky_Balboa BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Namma Bengalooru Posts: 676 Thanked: 358 Times View My Garage	I got a AT&T prepaid last week, calls within the AT&T network are free however texting isnt - 'Pay as You Go' plan. AT&T's coverage is unbeatable and didnt find any other operator come close.
	() Thanks

5th January 2009, 17:56	#15
filcord BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: goa Posts: 996 Thanked: 67 Times	Suddenly saw this thread was bumped up. I explored Matrix before leaving India, but some nagging voice in me told me not to go ahead. I was not happy giving them unlimited rights over my credit card. Any feedback from Matrix users? In the US, my niece got me a sim from the neighbourhood mobile store, AT&T valid for 30 days, free incoming for 10 min per day, 20 $ outgoing calls, all for 20$. I think she got a discount or something since the manager was her boyfriend. Anyway it worked fine on my cellphone for the two weeks I was in the US, and I think I still had abt 3$ left on the card.
	() Thanks