Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - iPhone in NZ?

We're going to be visiting NZ for a month in March 2010. We need to stay in touch with family (daughter having our first grandchild around then and older parents) and are trying to figure out the best way to be able to make semi-regular contact. I've got a Skype account and intend to use it to make and receive calls.

The ideal would be using my iPhone, mostly because I have apps that locate wineries, golf courses and other activities and sights. The GPS function would be really helpful for mapping routes too. Is there a way to do this without spending a huge amount of money or hacking my iPhone?

I should say I have no NZ experience, I just spotted the thread and thought this might help:

With your reference to cost and hacking your iphone, it sounds like you are contemplating sticking a local sim card into the phone as a cost solution.

[This can often be a sensible approach for visitors, if you have an unlocked mobile phone.]

All I would point out is that what is 'normal' usage for an iphone user, is simply non-stop eating of data when compared to a non-iphone user.

As a result, even if your iphone was unlocked (which it almost certainly is not) you would probably want/need a local sim with plenty of cheap data - and this is generally rare for pay-as-you-go.

Therefore, due to your phone almost certainly being network locked to your networks sim cards, I think you may need to discount the local sim idea.

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However, assuming your home phone network does not block your account from roaming, then you will certainly be able to use your iphone as a phone and you can then - on occasion - turn data on as well.

Although I would make a point of going into settings and turning data on/off immediately before/after you need it. To make sure data is totally off when not in use - so you can leave happily leave the phone on as a phone, in case of urgent incoming call.

You will also be able to use any wireless hotspots (wifi networks) that you find as well (such as for skype etc).

Certainly I would not try to use any chat systems over the mobile data network, I'd wait until you have found a hotspot.

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What you could research, are the costs of short term (1 week / month) subscriptions to any paid access wireless access point wifi networks, and if they have any hotspots near where you will be.

Also, it could easily be worth you while spending more if necessary for hotels with wireless internet access included (or finding out their rates in advance)...

Again, no NZ experience, you people from some countries expect wifi access to be high speed and free, and in other countries this is very much not the case. And, even if it were the case, you would not want to find yourself in an exception to rule property if the exception is not to your favour.

Actually, I don't expect there to be free wireless access everywhere. I live in Alaska and finally got wireless Internet at my home yesterday. I have no idea what the situation is in NZ, though I have a feeling it's similar to Alaska. But it never hurts to ask.

I took my iPhone last month to NZ. Kept it on airplane mode (and turned off roaming), but turned on wifi. There was some free wifi, but at many other places/hotels you could pay for an access number to give you 30-60 minutes of use. Wasn't bad $. Did it a few times to check email and web searches.

I don't think you can use any of the GPS functions on wifi, but am not sure.

I was not charged a cent for using it in this manner. If you take it off airplane mode and it begins to roam you can have astronomical charges.

We needed a phone as my friend had a work interview the date of which he could not change. We rented a cell phone from Cellhire (ordered from their website). It was a phone with a sim card specific to NZ (you couldn't use it in the US). Was delivered a few days before leaving the US.

It had free incoming calls, but we would have been charged for making any calls (which we didn't). However, even those charges would have been much less than what iPhone will hit you with.

No problems, worked great (we used in Rotorua and reception was excellent). We thought was very reasonable pricing. Was good to have as an emergency number in case family needed to contact us. If you need more information pm me.

It's possible, and very easy, to unlock the iphone so you can use a local sim card.

Seems like you have three options, first, use a local SIM card, data may not be available. Have to unlock the iphone.

Second, use your normal SIM card and make sure ATT has "world roaming" or something like that activated. Phone calls and data will be very expensive (when not using skype,) but this is the easiest solution if you don't plan on needing to make phone calls.

Third get another, cheap, unlocked phone to use with a local sim card. You will still be able to use your iphone for gps, skype etc. For gps, you can get maps saved by browsing around where you will be located while using a wifi connection.

I'll also be heading down to NZ, so I found the information posted here helpful.

Phone calls and data will be very expensive (when not using skype,)

Data will still be very expensive for the OP when making Skype calls or when using Google Maps and some other location based services.

Not sure about NZ, but last year I had to go to Melbourne AU for a week. I took my iPhone (you have to call ATT in advance and make sure International Roaming is turned on) - and before you leave, on the iPhone, go to Preferences > General > Network and turn Data Roaming OFF. In this way, the Phone is still functional but you won't get charged for Data.

Buy a cheap unlocked Phone here in the US. You can get them online for less than $50 - that was a year ago so maybe even cheaper now. Then, when you land in NZ, buy a prepaid SIM card. I bought one for $35 that had 60 prepaid minutes on it, with unlimited free incoming calls. You can also order those online and get them delivered to you before you leave (although the phone won't work till you land -- but at least you can then give people your number).

This way, in emergency, your iPhone works and you can receive and make calls (at something like 1.30 a minute). Texting works too -- I think .25 for incoming messages and .50 for outgoing. If you find WiFi access, you can use Skype on the iPhone -- if not, you can use the cheap phone with the prepaid SIM cards to make and receive calls.

Enjoy the trip!

:) Mordy

I don't have any experience with NZ but my recommendation is to use your Skype account and don't fool around with hacking your iPhone.

We spend 17 days in Australia and used our Skype account to call back to the US with no problems. We were abe to find free wifi at many of the lower priced hotels/hostels or at internet cafes. If your daughter has a web cam on her computer, you will be able to see your new grandchild via Skype.

Onedog

Thank you all for the excellent advice. I knew I could count on FlyerTalkers!

Data will still be very expensive for the OP when making Skype calls or when using Google Maps and some other location based services.

Skype calls can't be made on the iPhone over the Mobile phone network. You can only use Wi-Fi.

I believe you can use the chat function of Skype over GSM though.


Evan :->

I brought my iPhone with me to France and paid up-front for the 50 megabyte data plan. $59.99. Spent 10 days, checked email fairly often, used the GPS from time to time, and had a difficult time using up all 50 megabytes (went on a "data splurge" the last day:D).

Before I went I reset the data use accumulate to see how much I actually used in a given period of time, under normal conditions.

Your mileage may vary, but it may very well be possible to use your iPhone in a normal (but non-voice) fashion without spending too much.

I brought my iPhone with me to France and paid up-front for the 50 megabyte data plan. $59.99. Spent 10 days, checked email fairly often, used the GPS from time to time, and had a difficult time using up all 50 megabytes (went on a "data splurge" the last day:D).

Before I went I reset the data use accumulate to see how much I actually used in a given period of time, under normal conditions.

Your mileage may vary, but it may very well be possible to use your iPhone in a normal (but non-voice) fashion without spending too much.

Have had a friend who had the opposite experience with the iphone in SE Asia and Australia... :eek: Granted he was there a month or two... but too much email and FT :p

Have had a friend who had the opposite experience with the iphone in SE Asia and Australia... :eek: Granted he was there a month or two... but too much email and FT :p
Not sure who you're talking about, but I was in a similar situation. :p

I was in Southeast Asia Sept 12-Oct 11 and Australia from then through Nov 17.

For my very first billing cycle (Aug 18-Sept 17), I had the 20MB plan and didn't use very much, as we were mostly in Singapore (which has free wifi across much of the city, although it's annoying to have to log in each time you walk 150 feet and connect to a new access point).

For my second billing cycle (Sept 18-Oct 17), I was on the 50MB package and used most of it, though that usage was concentrated in Malaysia and Thailand (as Cambodia and Vietnam are not on the discounted roaming plan--and, in fact, I don't think I could even connect in those places).

The third billing cycle (Oct 18-Nov 17), I upped the package to the 200MB plan, since we were road tripping across half of Australia. While I was somewhat careful with my data usage (not just randomly using the Internet when I'm bored, like I normally do), I found that just normal usage with Google Maps, pulling up Wikitravel and Wikipedia pages, and pulling up the odd Web site to look something up chewed through the 200MB in about three weeks. I was following my data usage on the AT&T Web site and noticed that not as much data usage was posting as my iPhone was recording that it had transmitted (i.e. if a Google Maps session reported that I had used 5MB, I'd see maybe 4MB or so post to AT&T), so the last week, I took a chance that I had some extra room (between the less usage getting reported and the fact that roaming usage takes a few days to post and so would be in my next billing cycle). I overshot the 200MB (the roaming usage posted faster than I'd hoped) and received overage charges of $162.63. Ouch.

Then things got interesting. I returned home for couple of weeks. Because I arrived home on the first day of my new billing cycle, the 200MB plan was left on and prorated for one day, which allowed me 6.67MB of data usage. I turned the international data roaming off for those couple of weeks, but then in mid-December, I was headed to France for four days. So right before leaving for France, I called and added the 50MB data package prorated through the end of the month. With the 7 days left on my billing cycle, that would have allowed me 11.67MB of data, which, combined with the prorated 6.67MB left over from earlier, would have allowed me 18.33MB of data--enough for four days, right?

Well, two days later, I realized it wasn't, so I upped my package to the 100MB plan. That, prorated over the 6 days left in the billing cycle, would have allowed me an extra 20MB, which, added to the 6.67MB and the one day of 50MB (1.67MB), was 28.33MB.

But even that wasn't enough. I guess that history essay I wrote on my iPhone overnight in the hotel lobby and emailed to my professor took up too much data usage, so in a last-minute panic (literally--I mean 10 minutes before boarding the plane at ORY to head back to EWR), I called and switched to the 200MB package with 5 days left in the billing cycle. 5 days of 200MB is 33.33MB, which, when added to the leftover 6.67MB, three days of 50MB (5MB) and two days of 100MB (6.67MB), totaled 51.67MB. Surely I hadn't used that much! (Perhaps I forgot to reset my data usage counter--I remember having to do mental gymnastics to figure out how much I had used, too.)

Well, haha. I actually ended up with 78MB of data. So, guess what--I got slammed with $587.05 in data roaming charges. (Actually, I now think the system doesn't prorate the data usage in aggregate but rather assigns a charge to it based on what package was in effect at the time, because I was actually only charged for about 29MB of data overage.)

Having an $880 cell phone bill just about gave me a heart attack.

Fortunately, an AT&T customer care representative was able to go into the bill (even after the bill had posted) and remove all of the weird prorated data packages and just throw the 200MB plan on there. (I think she was OK with that because she thought that perhaps when I had upped my plan to the 200MB package at the end of the month, I had wanted it prorated...and I wasn't going to argue with her. ;) I could have done the 100MB plan and saved $80, but I figured I'd cut my losses and take what she was offering me. I didn't want to confuse her any more than my prorated data packages had already, either.)

So, the moral of the story: pick a package and stick with it. And pick a package bigger than you think you'll need.

Anyway, back to more on-topic things brought up in this thread:

1) When I was traveling, the iPhone 3G could not, at that time, be SIM unlocked. The original one could be jailbroken AND could be SIM unlocked, but the 3G (and, I assume, the 3GS) could only be jailbroken and NOT SIM unlocked. In other words, no matter what, it ONLY recognized an AT&T SIM card. (I tried semi-official methods, too, utilizing a high-level contact I have within corporate AT&T who is friends with some high-level techs at AT&T Mobility, and they all confirmed there is no way to SIM-unlock the 3G--kind of disappointing, as when my two year contract is up, that means I'm STILL stuck to AT&T, even if I move overseas.)

However, this is no longer the case. There are now, apparently, some SIM unlock solutions for the 3G. (I do not know about the 3G S.)

But then you are, as mentioned, dealing with another obstacle: getting a prepaid card with a usable, affordable data allotment. Not many exist. When I was in Australia, Optus had just come out with a spendy (but more affordable--and with less limits--than the top iPhone data plan) prepaid 3G (HSDPA) card, which I could have put in my laptop and allowed me to reduce my iPhone plan (e.g. to 20MB, if only for emergency Google Mapping in cities)--or, had I been able to SIM unlock the iPhone, probably could have been used in the iPhone itself. However, they were sold out nationwide and were not forecasting receiving any more shipments from the manufacturer for three weeks--not terribly helpful to me. And that seemed to be a major innovation there--I don't know that such things are available in other countries such as NZ.

Anyway, no matter how you look at it, data is tough. Voice is actually easier. I grabbed an old unlocked GSM cell phone and put a prepaid Optus card in it after I arrived. With the turbo bonus promotion thingies that Optus always seems to run, I ended up spending less than 10 cents per minute to call the U.S. (it was actually cheaper to call direct to the U.S. than elsewhere in Australia [and certainly to Aussie mobiles], which made the calling card I had brought worthless!). I doubt you'll find quite as good a deal in NZ, though.

Which makes Skype, et al. look better. But watch out for two things: one, things are changing, but at the moment, there are no VoIP apps that allow you to talk over the cellular data network--you must be connected to a wireless access point. If these apps are updated soon (as most probably will be) to allow this, then you have to watch your data usage--even if you get the 200MB plan, talking via VoIP will chew through that data allotment like nothing else (plan for the maximum: a megabyte every 30 seconds). For a quick review of the various VoIP options available for the iPhone, check out my post (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/873579-voip-iphone-touch-post12619797.html)in Travel Technology.

As for GPS use, theoretically, you should be able to use it without connecting to the cellular network. It's not entirely clear whether the iPhone's A-GPS implementation actually offloads calculations to a location server (strange, given that the iPhone's processor is many times more powerful than one built in a typical handheld GPS unit) or simply uses the location server to speed up the location acquisition. If it's the former, then you'll never get a GPS fix without access to the network no matter how long you wait; if it's the latter, you should be able to get a fix if you wait 1-2 minutes. I actually never really played around with this to test, and my GPS is broken now (too many drops on hard floors, I guess :(), so I can't test it now. Many wifi hotspots are now mapped in the Skyhook location database, though, so you should be able to pinpoint your location pretty well walking through a city with lots of wifi hotspots (open ones, so you can actually connect and download the map data, of course--or follow alphaeagle's advice to scroll around and download the map data while connected to the Internet and then go set off where you want to go) without using the GPS or data roaming.

One other thing: be SURE you connect to the correct network when using a data package overseas! The roaming agreement is only with certain carriers, and the iPhone will not necessarily connect automatically to that preferred carrier (strangely). When roaming abroad, you'll see an extra setting appear in your iPhone's preferences that will allow you to force it to connect to a certain network--use this option if you're going to be using a data package, as connecting to another carrier will usually work but will then cost you lots of roaming fees!

The list of networks is available at http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/dataconnect-global.jsp (looks like the only partner carrier for the data package is Vodafone). Of course, this site is helpful, too:http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/affordable-world-packages.jsp

Sorry I got a little long-winded and not terribly clear there. It's late and I'm operating on 3 hours of sleep (I woke up about 23 hours ago), so my brain is kinda fried. Hope you're able to mine some helpful information out of this post! :D

Jackal...thanks for the very long, very thorough, overview of the trials and tribulations of trying to stay connected while traveling. I look forward to the day when its no longer a necessary to go into technological contortions just to stay in contact.

It seems like the best approach is to keep it simple. There are lots of wireless hotspots in New Zealand and we were planning to take a netbook (with Skype) with us anyway. The place we're staying in Fiji has paid wireless. It probably also makes sense to buy a phone and sims card when we get there so family can contact us if they need to.

Thanks again to everyone for the advice!