Overseas SIM card on Vodafone handset

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phnovice

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

# 18147 29-Dec-2007 21:27

Hi there everyone,

I am visiting Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan for a couple of months, and I will need to use my phone while I am there. But roaming sounds like an expensive option, so I would like to use my handset on local prepaid SIM cards over there.

I hear there are fairly cheap prepaid SIM cards available in some of my destinations, but I am not sure if my handset would let me use those local SIM cards.

Some say I would need to get my handset unlocked but some say I wouldn't need to, and I am all confused. I don't even know if my handset is locked to VFNZ at all.

My handset is Sharp 770SH purchased from NZ Vodafone (it could have been Dicksmith actually).

Can anyone please tell me if my handset would work on those overseas SIM cards without having to do something (unlock etc? I am not sure) to my phone before I go? And if whatever needs be done to my phone for me to do overseas-SIM-carding, would it be safe for my phone at all?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Cheers.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
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Geekzone

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# 102208 29-Dec-2007 21:29

Vodafone NZ does not currently lock handsets, so it should work just fine - providing there is the right band available.

My technology disclosure | Digital Transformation | Enterprise Content Management | Customer Relationship Management | Data Insights, Business Intelligence and Advanced Analytics

phnovice

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

# 102212 29-Dec-2007 21:41

Hi freitasm,

Wow, many thanks for your super fast answer!

Glad to know my phone is overseas sim capable.

Can I please also ask what you mean by "right brand"? Do you mean I would need to get a SIM from "Vodafone HK" or "Vodafone Taiwan"?

Many thanks in advance.

freitasm

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# 102213 29-Dec-2007 21:50

It's "band" not "brand"...

Band as in if the phone you have is tri-band or quad-band and if it uses the same band as the operator you're planning to use while overseas.

My technology disclosure | Digital Transformation | Enterprise Content Management | Customer Relationship Management | Data Insights, Business Intelligence and Advanced Analytics

phnovice

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

# 102214 29-Dec-2007 22:17

How embarassing! My eyes must have been off for some reason.

Anyways, thanks a lot for your help.

Now I can get my mate over there to find a right sim card for me!

johnr

19282 posts

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# 102220 29-Dec-2007 23:15

You will need a 3G (WCDMA) handset for Japan they do not have ANY GSM networks

ninjabear

460 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

# 102225 29-Dec-2007 23:52

cphong kong uses the same frequency as my so no problem. I bought my nokia n82 and sell imported mobiles so not a worry . I would recommend however purchasing a sim card from a operator network called peoples in hong kong as their talktime is cheap and you get 10% credit if you top up $20nz.

By the way its called smartone not vodafone hong kong.

The network 3 is the most expensive

ninjabear

460 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

# 102226 29-Dec-2007 23:59

Typo in the previous post.Hong kong uses the same network frequency band as new zealand so not a problem
Have fun in hong kong and bring me back a playstation 3:)

phnovice

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

# 102327 30-Dec-2007 20:17

>>johnr and ninjabear,

I think my phone is 3G capable so my stay in japan will hopefully be ok.

I will definitely keep "Peoples" in mind and stay away if i can from 3 in HK.

I am glad that I posted my question here.

Many thanks, guys.

jesseycy

294 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 102923 4-Jan-2008 16:18

Some advice for you for that region....

First of all, make sure you bring a roaming-capable sim card into Japan. They don't sell "Prepaid sim cards", important point to remember! Unless you're a Japanese "long term resident", or you get a Japanese friend to buy one for you... :) But even then, better be safe and bring a card in.

Secondly then, in Hong Kong, haha, contrary to Ninjabear's advice, I do find a "prepay plan" by "3" to be quite good. http://dualband.three.com.hk/website/template?pageid=d21200&lang=eng

It costs HK$0.25 (NZ$0.05) per min to call.... Local, China, Australia landline, and ah yes, NZ landline.... Pretty handy, and it's cheaper than to call from Hong Kong to New Zealand rather than in New Zealand then... (ah yes, does feel abit ripped off being here)

phnovice

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

# 103331 7-Jan-2008 14:04

>>jesseycy

Many thanks for your advice. I had look at the website you mentioned and I think their pricing is reasonable too.

I checked the website of Softbank Japan (formerly known as Vodafone Japan) and they apparently offer SIM card rental service at Tokyo airport. But like you said, I will bring my SIM card just in case though.

Would you happen to know much about cell phone services in Taiwan? I managed to find Taiwan Mobile's English website and they seem to be one of the largest network carriers with affordable pricing. But I suppose there may be other carriers too...

Cheers.

jesseycy

294 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 103476 7-Jan-2008 23:07

Sorry, haha, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan would be my expertise... :)

ninjabear

460 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

# 105893 21-Jan-2008 02:44

jesseycy:
Some advice for you for that region....

First of all, make sure you bring a roaming-capable sim card into Japan. They don't sell "Prepaid sim cards", important point to remember! Unless you're a Japanese "long term resident", or you get a Japanese friend to buy one for you... :) But even then, better be safe and bring a card in.

Secondly then, in Hong Kong, haha, contrary to Ninjabear's advice, I do find a "prepay plan" by "3" to be quite good. http://dualband.three.com.hk/website/template?pageid=d21200&lang=eng

It costs HK$0.25 (NZ$0.05) per min to call.... Local, China, Australia landline, and ah yes, NZ landline.... Pretty handy, and it's cheaper than to call from Hong Kong to New Zealand rather than in New Zealand then... (ah yes, does feel abit ripped off being here)

it says no idd charge but you haven't added the cost of $0.25 + the rate of calling to Nz perminute..

ninjabear

460 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

# 105894 21-Jan-2008 02:46

I doubt you'll be able to find an accurate price of the costs online as the plans in hong kong changes quite a bit not like vodafone nz where they haven't changed their data plans for the past 6 years or so.

Gees it was way back in 2001 when it was 3mb for $10