Prepaid SIMs in the USA (2013) - Mix of TNZ and VF phones

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Dingbatt

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#115022 11-Mar-2013 12:57

We are travelling the the USA in April visiting LA, LV and SF (two weeks). The family has a mixture of Telecom (HTC One X) and 3 Vodafone NZ smart phones (HTC Desire X). To avoid roaming I am looking at getting a bunch of prepaid SIMs in the US. Only the One X really needs data. Is this possible on one network there? And, if so what is the best way to go about it?
I am aware of this being asked previously, a search bringing up the following threads
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=11&topicid=274
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=11&topicid=7127257
but they are at least a couple of years old.

I found an outfit called ready sim
http://www.readysim.com/

has anyone had any experience using them?

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#778175 11-Mar-2013 20:10

I am not sure if it will work with your phones but I am planning on putting my phone and ipad on AT&T prepaid while I am there.

I haven't really decided which plans I will be going on yet, but probably their $65 package for my iphone and $30 for the ipad.

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/plans/prepaidplans.html

https://buyasession.att.com/sbd/Common/ShopRatePlans.action

not the cheapest way to go but the easiest as there is an AT&T store close to where I am staying.

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#778181 11-Mar-2013 20:24

Tmobile is who I use with my VF phones.

ajw

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#778198 11-Mar-2013 21:06

Try this MVNO a 100% owned subsidiary of TMobile US.

https://gosmartmobile.com/

Regs

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Snowflake

#778859 12-Mar-2013 22:14

TMobile use different frequencies - 1700 from memory, so 3G/data might be a problem with them.

ATT use 850, so are best compatibility for telecom customers i believe.

your telecom phone should be fine on ATT as both use 850, not sure about the vodafone desire x - the nz vf site only lists gsm frequencies, not 3G/HSPa frequencies, which isnt very helpful.

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old3eyes

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#778922 13-Mar-2013 08:51

Regs: TMobile use different frequencies - 1700 from memory, so 3G/data might be a problem with them.

ATT use 850, so are best compatibility for telecom customers i believe.

your telecom phone should be fine on ATT as both use 850, not sure about the vodafone desire x - the nz vf site only lists gsm frequencies, not 3G/HSPa frequencies, which isnt very helpful.

T-Mo also uses 1900 band they got from the aborted AT&T merger so most late model fones will work on this band..

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lchiu7

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#782359 15-Mar-2013 15:46

Sounds like the OP is going to need AT&T if he wants data on his Telecom One V. I am also heading out soon and as usual will be using TMO with their $30/month 100 minutes/unlimited text/unlimited data plan.

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Dingbatt

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#782601 16-Mar-2013 09:46

lchiu7: Sounds like the OP is going to need AT&T if he wants data on his Telecom One V. I am also heading out soon and as usual will be using TMO with their $30/month 100 minutes/unlimited text/unlimited data plan.

One X, which works on both VF and TNZ here. So would TMo work?

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lchiu7

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#782608 16-Mar-2013 10:07

Dingbatt:
lchiu7: Sounds like the OP is going to need AT&T if he wants data on his Telecom One V. I am also heading out soon and as usual will be using TMO with their $30/month 100 minutes/unlimited text/unlimited data plan.

One X, which works on both VF and TNZ here. So would TMo work?

Should do. I have successfully used the Nexus One, Nexus S and GN on TMO. As another poster said, 1900 is supported also. However using a Telecom phone is a disaster. My daughter used a HTC Sensation (Telecom) for a while when her Nexus S was being repaired and all she could get was Edge she said.

In fact I just got off the line with TMO having ordered a SIM for free to be shipped to the hotel where I will be staying. It will have a few minutes on it and when I activate it I can purchase the $30 plan.

Tried to order the SIM online but kept getting CC authorisation errors even though my CC is a US one and I am using a US billing address. But the CSR had no problem. Strange.

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#808333 1-May-2013 03:57

So, an update. (In San Fran at moment) In the end I switched my Telecom PrePaid to the same $19 pay-monthly plan which gave me the $10/day data while in the US. Because of the ubiquitous wifi in the US, I have only had to use 3G data once since being here. That and the minimal calling and texting we have done has meant it just wasn't worth spending about $US120 to set up all 4 phones.
If I did do anything in the future, I would buy a $US15 throw away from Best Buy and put $US20 on it and keep the other phones as is.

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lchiu7

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#809353 1-May-2013 08:46

I just got back from the US about two weeks ago. I had already purchased a T-Mobile SIM card (it was free) and had it delivered to my hotel waiting for me.

I originally planned to use their $30/month for unlimited data/text/100 minutes but that's only available if you buy the plan from Walmart online and I had no time for that.

So I just signed up for $3/day (I was there for 8 days) for unlimited voice/data/text and that worked pretty well. The hotel I was in had free wifi but with 1500 conference attendees all using their phones and tablets, the wifi was lousy and I ended up tethering my phone most of the time. I also had Google Voice route all my calls to the TMO SIM number so folks at home just called my GV number to reach me and US folks didn't have to call a NZ number to reach me.

Had I stayed longer than 10 days I would have purchased the Walmart deal instead since 100 minutes of talk time would be plenty.

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#811197 4-May-2013 14:33

Seems like a perfectly workable plan if you are travelling on your own, and I will store it away for any future solo travel. The main thing that prevented me was everything was X4, and it ended up being a holiday expense too many. In some ways it brings home to me how well we are served (in some respects) by the three players we have in NZ.

Didn't have a Walmart near where we were staying but plenty of Best Buy stores and they had a range of prepay sims.

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#817306 14-May-2013 11:38

I have the following.

Iphone4 - at&t sim with $25 for unlimited txt national and international

With $25 - 1gb data add on

Ipad4 - t-mobile 3.5gb for $35

T-mob sim cost an extra $10

At&t sim cost $40 + tax as there was not a local at&t shop

Still good value

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#817324 14-May-2013 12:05

lchiu7: I just got back from the US about two weeks ago. I had already purchased a T-Mobile SIM card (it was free) and had it delivered to my hotel waiting for me.

I originally planned to use their $30/month for unlimited data/text/100 minutes but that's only available if you buy the plan from Walmart online and I had no time for that.

So I just signed up for $3/day (I was there for 8 days) for unlimited voice/data/text and that worked pretty well. The hotel I was in had free wifi but with 1500 conference attendees all using their phones and tablets, the wifi was lousy and I ended up tethering my phone most of the time. I also had Google Voice route all my calls to the TMO SIM number so folks at home just called my GV number to reach me and US folks didn't have to call a NZ number to reach me.

Had I stayed longer than 10 days I would have purchased the Walmart deal instead since 100 minutes of talk time would be plenty.

Where in the US were you? We're planning to have a week in NYC later this year, and the T-Mobile $3/day sounds like a good deal.

But I don't know what bands they use in NYC and I have heard T-Mobile will only be 2G in much of the US on the bands our phones use.

Do they have any device restrictions on the $3 deal? I know AT&T block 'smartphones' from all but their most expensive plans.

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dickytim

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#817332 14-May-2013 12:17

I have been to Vegas, LA, Tijuana and now Honolulu.

I have had t-mobile in LA and Honolulu and their coverage has been pretty good, all the way to San Diego.

No coverage in Tijuana.

They say 4G but the speeds are what we expereince at home on 3G (we are really lucky)

Best bit is the go on to the T-mobile website, they have a map there.

BTW the few times I have dropped to E (2G Edge) the speed is pretty acceptable for Apple maps etc to keep up and light browsing.

Good luck for your trip.

BTW AT&T are very un-helpful in providing prepaid data for Ipad's.

T-Mobile it wasn't a problem at all.

They were actually quite interested in what I was doing, when I showed the www.unlockit.com they were impressed!

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#817347 14-May-2013 12:31

The T-Mobile website says they use 1700/1900 together for UMTS - which means any phones sold for NZ/AU markets won't work on 3G

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