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Need a cell for Caribbean and the states.

Cptn PantsCptn Pants Registered User regular
edited May 2008 in Help / Advice Forum
Hey so my Girlfriend is going to a Vet school in the Caribbean, St Kitt's to be specific, and she needs to get a cell phone that she can take there and still be able to use here. Verizon is a no-go so does anyone know any phones that she can use? Many thanks!

Cptn Pants on

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    EggyToastEggyToast Jersey CityRegistered User regular
    edited April 2008
    I'm pretty sure that AT&T and T-Mobile use 3G, and that their phones are capable of simply swapping the sim chip in/out depending on your country. That would mean getting a sim in the carribean, though, which may equal double payments. However, I would hope that AT&T or t-mobile have some international plans, which may be the way to go.

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    Cptn PantsCptn Pants Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Ok so yea, AT&T does offer a plan for St. Kitt but it's almost $2/min which is just ungodly. I suppose i'll have to get her an unlocked phone to use here and there and only talk to her via skype or something like that. This is sort of a sad development :-/

    Anyone else got any ideas?

    Cptn Pants on
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    TahnkaTahnka Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    I have a blackberry 8830 that is capable of this, using Verizon. The 8830 can run on the Verizon 1xEV network in the states, and then I added a sim card that makes the phone work on GSM. The blackberry will automatically use the 1xEV when it's available, and switch over to the sim card whenever it roams. This isn't cheap though. I pay $50 a month for the 1xEV, and another $50 a month for the GSM chip. Also add $50.00 a month for unlimited data and tethering. It's a bit costly, but the functionality is awesome.

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    corcorigancorcorigan Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Can't you just get a cheap phone there, a cheap pay-as-you-go sim there, and then an international calling card?

    I mean phones cost what? $20 now?

    corcorigan on
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    Cptn PantsCptn Pants Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Yea, prepaid phones are pretty cheep now. It's pretty cheep but a lot of phones are locked, how do i go about unlocking them or getting an unlocked phone. Can anyone recommend me a few websites or anything, thanks!!

    Cptn Pants on
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    DocDoc Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited May 2008
    Cptn Pants wrote: »
    Yea, prepaid phones are pretty cheep now. It's pretty cheep but a lot of phones are locked, how do i go about unlocking them or getting an unlocked phone. Can anyone recommend me a few websites or anything, thanks!!

    As long as it isn't an iPhone, most companies will give you the unlock code if you tell them what you are doing with it.

    Does she currently have a phone at all?

    Doc on
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    Cptn PantsCptn Pants Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Right now she has Verizon, so no SIM card. Her contract is up in like 3 weeks and she was looking to movie away from them since they suck anyway. She was looking at going with At&t, but at almost 2 bucks a minute to use it there it would be really expensive plus she's be paying for monthly service that she won't even be able to use. I think I am going to get her an unlocked phone so she can use it here and there with prepaid sims... i just dont know where i can get unlocked phones lol.

    Cptn Pants on
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    corcorigancorcorigan Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Buy one there? Seriously, you can buy phones anywhere. They're commodities.

    corcorigan on
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    Cptn PantsCptn Pants Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    They are commodities here in first world counties, the Caribbean is 3rd world lol, i have this vision in my mind of donkeys dragging taxies around like in old footage of cuba. I've been there, i don't know what they have :P I suppose i can have her buy on there, though. Good point.

    Cptn Pants on
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    corcorigancorcorigan Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Cptn Pants wrote: »
    They are commodities here in first world counties, the Caribbean is 3rd world lol, i have this vision in my mind of donkeys dragging taxies around like in old footage of cuba. I've been there, i don't know what they have :P I suppose i can have her buy on there, though. Good point.

    Seriously, I have bought phones in little Indian villages (although trying to get working sim cards was an entirely different matter, ye gods). It'll be fine. Of course I might well turn out to be completely wrong, but I'd be amazed if you found anywhere beyond a certain size you couldn't get a mobile.

    You can always just buy an unlocked one at home direct from Nokia or whoever. Even without subsidies they are very cheap. Just make sure it works at the same frequencies they use in the Caribbean. You Americans use some funny mobile systems, so might need a small amount of research...

    corcorigan on
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    japanjapan Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    I had my phone unlocked by a guy with a cart of mobile phones and a laptop in Nairobi. The third world literally runs on mobile phones. I seriously doubt you'd have any trouble obtaining a phone, SIM or getting a phone unlocked in the Caribbean.

    japan on
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    Cptn PantsCptn Pants Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Good to hear, I was rather worried that i would only be able to talk to her when she came home at the end of the semester. Many thanks everyone!!

    Cptn Pants on
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