Unlocked Smart Phones

[dennis45]

Originally Posted by Ottawa

You could also look at Roam Mobility Talk, Text and Data for Canadians Roaming in the US - Roam Mobility

Interesting, I assume you use this and find the coverage good? I see there is a dealer in Calgary who is also a cell repair company that unlocks phones. I will drop in there and quiz them.
Providers like Telus, Rogers etc. have a real biased opinion when you ask about unlocked phones. Hmmm, wonder why?
Thanks for the tip,

[wirelessenab]

Originally Posted by wildtoad

Might want to looking to cost of tethering with a smart phone. Don't know about other carriers but ATT charges extra to tether with an iPhone.

Verizon lost a lawsuit over the Summer and so you can tether for free. For some reason you cannot use the basic Verizon hotspot but there are lots of others. I have an Android phone and use FoxFi which is free and works fine.

[caissiel]

I have a VirginMobile acccount for the second winter and its been great at 35 per month and 300 min talk and unlimited data and text. Tether is an additional 10$. .10$ per minutes to Canada calls and no charge LD in US.

[Jack1234]

Originally Posted by caissiel

I have a VirginMobile acccount for the second winter and its been great at 35 per month and 300 min talk and unlimited data and text. Tether is an additional 10$. .10$ per minutes to Canada calls and no charge LD in US.

This sounds very good.....how is the coverage....are you in a fixed location or do you move around?

[Jack1234]

Originally Posted by caissiel

I have a VirginMobile acccount for the second winter and its been great at 35 per month and 300 min talk and unlimited data and text. Tether is an additional 10$. .10$ per minutes to Canada calls and no charge LD in US.

Hang-on...you are confusing me! It is my understanding that Virgin Mobile in CANADA is owned by Bell and uses their GSM network while Virgin Mobile USA is owned by Sprint and uses their CDMA network.

How are you using the same phone in both countries?

[rogerkk]

Does anyone here have experience using the SVTP or similar APPs to get around a separate hot spot fee with some carriers? The APPs seem to be device dependent.

[smiller]

Originally Posted by wirelessenab

Verizon lost a lawsuit over the Summer and so you can tether for free.

Uhh, well kinda. Verizon recently changed their sole data offering to their 'Share Everything' plan (making the tethering issue moot) and jacked up the price. Nothing in the cellular world is ever free.

[Jack1234]

Originally Posted by dennis45

This is for all you Cell Phone Teckno Geeks.

I am planning to purchase a Smart Phone. My plan is to buy an unlocked phone that I can activate here in Canada and then when we travel to the US, I will activate it with a US carrier while we are south and of course back to the CDN carrier when we return North.
I want to use it to tether a lap top, I Pad and PC. and avoid having to purchase a 2nd device like MyFi etc. for internet connection.

Am I on the right track with using the SP for internet tether?
:

Dennis..... Not sure if you are still interested, but thanks for your post as it gave me the motivation I needed to review my current cellular plan and make some changes.

1) I currently use T-Mobile for my iPhone and my new plan is "pay-as-you-go" @ $30p/mo. This gives me 1500min (voice & text) and unlimited 3G data.

2) Purchases a T-Mobile "hot-spot" for $125 and a "pay-as-you-go" @$30 p/mo. This gives us 3.5G of 4G data and the ability to tether 5 devices. (iPad, computer & iPhone) This device can also be used back in Canada.

Total package is $60p/mo ....which is way less than we pay Bell, Telus or Rogers when we are in Canada.

[firedoc]

What about Tmobile coverage. We are full timers and move maybe 3-4 times a year- workcamping. Many of our positions are somewhat remote. We currently have AT&T on iphone3 (3G). Which allows us to get to the Internet on the phone. While that is handy I really hate the small screen experience all the time and would rather use a PC. Because of that we also have a Verizon MiFi (3g)which allows us to connect the computer to internet. We almost always have some connectivity with both AT&T and Verizon BUT aTT costs us $160/mo and Verizon $35/mo for 3 G. We have never run over the 3G. This is for 2 phones. Our AT&T contract has long expired so wondering if we can save some money and still have decent service.

[Jack1234]

Originally Posted by firedoc

What about Tmobile coverage. We are full timers and move maybe 3-4 times a year- workcamping. Many of our positions are somewhat remote. We currently have AT&T on iphone3 (3G). Which allows us to get to the Internet on the phone. While that is handy I really hate the small screen experience all the time and would rather use a PC. Because of that we also have a Verizon MiFi (3g)which allows us to connect the computer to internet. We almost always have some connectivity with both AT&T and Verizon BUT aTT costs us $160/mo and Verizon $35/mo for 3 G. We have never run over the 3G. This is for 2 phones. Our AT&T contract has long expired so wondering if we can save some money and still have decent service.

I'm not crazy about T-Mobile coverage, but we really have very little choice, since the last time I looked, the only other GSM option for our iPhone was AT&T and they wouldn't sell me a "pay-as-you-go" plan. (This may have changed since I last looked). We are seldom more than a couple of weeks in any location, so if we do not get coverage it isn't the end of the world. Suggest you go to the T-Mobile website and see if their coverage would work for you?

I know one thing.... If I was paying $160 p/mo for phone service...I'd find a new solution in a hurry!

[Libero]

I have a reasonable amount of experience with international roaming plans having traveled to more tha 80 countries and for more than 20 years I have not been without cell or satellite phone coverage wherever I went.

At one time I had 7 cell phones and one Satellite phone activated at the same time. I scaled that back considerably after I got unlocked phones and local simm cards became readily available.) Before there were data plans or even digital networks, I used an analogue modem on cell service just as we did with our landline phones. Very slow speed, sometimes as low as 300 baud but I was able to use email. I had my analogue phones cloned several times which was a problem back then. I don't travel much outside North America now but I still remain connected with what works the best. (Still miss the satellite phone at times but that would be a bit over the top $$ wise for personal use only but it worked fine except from polar regions .)

Oh how far technology has taken us. There are so many options now. I use unlocked phones, and local simm cards to getWe have scaled back to 4 phones, and 3 tablets and 6 computers. and one stand alone wifi hotspot.

[Libero]

Oops my previous post got away from me in draft form before I completed it - problem with my big fingers on a tablet.

Bottom line based on my experience, best option is to get an unlocked phone and use local simm cards and tether to the best plan available for your area of operation.

My wife had an I phone but we ditched it and got Android - a far better choice for us. I ditched my Blackberry for Android also simply because sufficient apps were not available for blackberry. I like having an external sd slot and to slip in another battery as required. Just can't do that with Iphones. There are far more android devices out there than iPhone.

But I guess it comes down to personal choice and there are a lot of very happy apple users so whatever works best for you is likely the way to go.

[Wayne M]

I have read that CDMA phones are not UNLOCKABLE, and GSM are.

Read Here


Edited: Some More Inormation

Unlocking cell phones is NOT illegal.

[Libero]

Your research findings are correct. CDMA phones do not have SIMM cards. Different technology. The same applies to phones working with AMPS (Analogue phone systems) - don't know if there are any AMPS networks around anymore. In general, AMPS and CDMA phones are tied to a specific carrier and unlocking, if even possible, would be of little value.