merlin3008

I'm going to be in Paris for four days next week. My wife and I would like to have our iphone on us in the event of an emergency back home. Since it's limited use and really only a few days, I don't see the need to get a local SIM and French number. Has anyone else on here with an iphone through AT&T used the international roaming option? Anything I should look out for? Of course we need to disable facebook content download and email attachment download so as not to use up the data allowance quickly.

Thanks!

star_world

Yes - the data packages are reasonably good value (certainly compared with what this used to cost) and I've used the 120Mb and 300Mb options in the past:

http://www.att.com/att/global/afford...packages/?data

You can monitor roaming data usage on the phone, unless you're using it very heavily the 120Mb option may be fine - worst case it will just add another 120Mb for $30 if you exceed this.

I never made any changes to the settings on my phone other than disabling app updates over cellular when using packages like this.

merlin3008

Great thanks. I'll do that. Do you know how I can monitor data usage on the phone?

Need

http://www.wikihow.com/Check-Data-Usage-on-an-iPhone

You may also want to get an International calling package. I don't think you could turn on Cellular data without also turning on the Cellular phone on the iPhone? So you might be getting incoming call and accidentally answer it and cost you like $4 a minute (I don't really know how much it costs without international package).

merlin3008

[QUOTE=Need;22754661]http://www.wikihow.com/Check-Data-Usage-on-an-iPhone

QUOTE]

Ahhhh duh. I should have figured that one out on my own. I guess I have to turn on the cellular roam feature in that menu as well??

Dubai Stu

I use an app called Data Usage which is helpful. When my wife and I text abroad, we also text to our email addresses and shut off the option in Settings/Messages called "Send as SMS." That option says if you don't have a good data signal send the message as an SMS. With these options engaged, you aren't going to make any mistakes. If you have problems, you can also text their phone number.

The ATT data packages for roaming are per phone and not shared. If you go over your data pack with ATT, you automatically buy a new data pack for the next level.

klevin99

We just got back from asia with intl roaming and data on my wife's IPhone (and my android). Her phone sucked up data like you would not believe. Ultimately, we turned off notices for a bunch of apps, since they were regularly checking. Never did figure out for sure where the drain was, but something used up close to 250 MB of data, and it was map or internet. Surely her email did not use that much? i used mine regularly for email, maps and web browsing and used less data than she did.

Just beware and monitor. The excess cost for her phone was not that bad, an extra $60 beyond the 30 we planned for, but it was unexpected.

Finally, on my Nexus 5, it's easy to see what app is using how much data. Can't find out how to do that under IOS. Is there a way?

star_world

Same level, not next level IME.