Canadian iPhone use in the US while on tour
- Thread starter Schneller
- Start date
While in US I had a prepaid ATT sim card for voice and for data I purchased a Mi-Fi hotspot device and a PAYG data plan which everybody in the group was able to share.
The plan I chose for voice was the $2/day unlimited US nationalwide outgoing and unlimited incoming, for canadian cand overseas calls I used my long distance provider (call select) with a US access number and payed decent rates 2-3 cents/minute, the access point being US was part of the unlimited thingy. $2 is paid only for the days the phone was used, aka first call = $2, all the subsequent calls that day = $0.
For the data I opted for the Verizon 1GB plan, valid for 30 days, $50.
The plan I chose for voice was the $2/day unlimited US nationalwide outgoing and unlimited incoming, for canadian cand overseas calls I used my long distance provider (call select) with a US access number and payed decent rates 2-3 cents/minute, the access point being US was part of the unlimited thingy. $2 is paid only for the days the phone was used, aka first call = $2, all the subsequent calls that day = $0.
For the data I opted for the Verizon 1GB plan, valid for 30 days, $50.
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Yes Mifi hotspot is a way around the dearth of sim data for the smart phones as they are killing tethering. I ended up doing the same for Europe getting hotspot USB modem as well as the 20 euro for 2 GB which I thought was okay. Got it for both phone and hotspot.
Ongoing battle.
If you can get around the nav needs then yeah cheapest is to use what you come across. Nearly all accommodations feature wireless and lots of food places including importantly McDs.
Ongoing battle.
If you can get around the nav needs then yeah cheapest is to use what you come across. Nearly all accommodations feature wireless and lots of food places including importantly McDs.
Buy the SIM card for $20. (your phone needs to be unlocked).
If you want unlimited talk & text only, it's about $10 for 3 days. Add a buck a day if you want data.
Works perfect. Even a 'technical dolt', such as myself can use it.
Call or text from the USA to Canada or the USA all you want - no extra charges for anything.
http://www.roammobility.com/sim-card
Motorcycle Mike
Well-known member
I'm considering this for next time I am in the States: http://www.roammobility.com/plans
and calling and texting solves the data issue how?? Don't do much of either travelling...do use data lots.
http://www.roammobility.com/plans
the trouble with this is you have to have a mobile wifi as afaik they do not offer for smart phones.
weasels the lot of them.
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Read post #7 again (and again as required) until you come across the part about data costing a dollar a day.
Motorcycle Mike
Well-known member
What is different about a smartphone sim? Honest question.
My Samsung, although very old, uses a regular sim card; the new samsungs use the micro-sim, or so I am lead to believe. Roam Mobile has what they call a repluggable sim (standard or micro) and a nano sim. In another section they talk about data speeds one can expect with a iphone, a blackberry, aws or non-aws phone.
Presuming you have an iphone 5, according to the website it is supported: http://www.roammobility.com/support/roam-mobility-nano-sim-card-iphone-5-other-devices.html
$4 a day and no mention on the caps. $120 a month
Data only
How much data will you be needing?
2GB
$59.95 and
this one might be okay but still not cheap
How many days will you be traveling to the US?
1
day
3
days
7
days
14
days
30
days
$89.95
+ you get 3 GB data
Then $30 for the sim itself including shipping
Even Europe is cheaper. 20 euro for 2 gB for 30 days including the sim but no tethering
Data only
How much data will you be needing?
2GB
$59.95 and
this one might be okay but still not cheap
How many days will you be traveling to the US?
1
day
3
days
7
days
14
days
30
days
$89.95
+ you get 3 GB data
Then $30 for the sim itself including shipping
Even Europe is cheaper. 20 euro for 2 gB for 30 days including the sim but no tethering
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Motorcycle Mike
Well-known member
Actually, I won't be using roam mobile; not after checking this:http://www.roammobility.com/coverage/
I am planning to do a northern Michigan/south of Superior and over to North Dakota and then South Dakota run in September, and none of those areas have any coverage until I were to get to Duluth or Minneapolis.
I am planning to do a northern Michigan/south of Superior and over to North Dakota and then South Dakota run in September, and none of those areas have any coverage until I were to get to Duluth or Minneapolis.
Where'd you get this from?
I paid $20 - no tax.
Check kijiji.
Data schmata. I can't see well enough to text / use the friggen phone for interneting.
I take a tablet & if there's free wi - fi where ever I'm staying, I'll use it to log onto gtam ;-).
Not often anyone hits the US for over a week anyway. Roam works out better for me. I go to Nevada often. I use the phone. Since I was dinged over $135 for ONE phone call (before I knew what roaming charges were), ya can't beat it.
Motorcycle Mike
Well-known member
For me, I only need text and call capability -- hell, I don't even have a data plan here.
I need phone capability in case of an emergency and text to let the wife know I am still alive. From Macdoc's other thread http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforu...US-sim-phone-nav-info-healthcare-CAA-coverage he mentions the T-mobile pay per day.
Checking into it, I think the T-mobile pay as I go would be good enough. $10 for the SIM and $10 of credit and I should have what I need for the time there. The reason I wouldn't just use my current provider and roam is because I just use Petro Mobility pay as you go here... and they don't offer roaming in the states.
How is T-mobile's functional coverage? I already looked at the map, but for my planned route along the south of Superior and into the Dakotas, how much connectivity can I really expect from them?
I need phone capability in case of an emergency and text to let the wife know I am still alive. From Macdoc's other thread http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforu...US-sim-phone-nav-info-healthcare-CAA-coverage he mentions the T-mobile pay per day.
Checking into it, I think the T-mobile pay as I go would be good enough. $10 for the SIM and $10 of credit and I should have what I need for the time there. The reason I wouldn't just use my current provider and roam is because I just use Petro Mobility pay as you go here... and they don't offer roaming in the states.
How is T-mobile's functional coverage? I already looked at the map, but for my planned route along the south of Superior and into the Dakotas, how much connectivity can I really expect from them?
This this this. God have mercy on your wallet. It's all to easy to run up a four-figure bill. Seen it many times (seen six-figure bills, too.... now THAT'S scary). When I go across the border myself I turn all data off, though I had a crap phone previously.
Got a fancypants phone recently and since it's internationally unlocked I'd be looking at other options, such as what's listed here (though I may still just turn all data off, since I do like to keep using my phone#).
Might also be worth your while to do a little research on Red Flag Deals, which is great for stuff like this.
There is no difference between the SIM in a dumb phone, smart phone, super phone, tablet, laptop, etc except for maybe the profile (ie microSIM). As long as your devices are unlocked you can swap them all around all you want.
Whether you can get a prepaid plan with data is a different story.
Also, I don't know about iPhones but for Android there are a whole pile of tethering apps that will work even if tethering isn't supposed to work on your plan. Not that I've tried many of them.
Whether you can get a prepaid plan with data is a different story.
Also, I don't know about iPhones but for Android there are a whole pile of tethering apps that will work even if tethering isn't supposed to work on your plan. Not that I've tried many of them.
