SIM Card Recommendations
Oct 16, 2012 | 1:48 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,739
SIM Card Recommendations
I am seeking recommendations for SIM cards for next week's trip to Rio:
1) a pre-paid SIM card with voice/text/data for an unlocked iPhone 4S for 2 week usage
2) a contract SIM card with voice/text/data for an unlocked iPhone 4S
3) both a pre-paid and a contract data-only SIM card for a Huawei E355 Unlocked GSM 3G 4G HSPA+ 21.6 Mobile Broadband Hotspot Router Modem
Which carrier works better? Oi, Tim, Claro, or Vivo? Also, in case there's little or no difference in the quality of service, which one is cheaper?
-tia ^
1) a pre-paid SIM card with voice/text/data for an unlocked iPhone 4S for 2 week usage
2) a contract SIM card with voice/text/data for an unlocked iPhone 4S
3) both a pre-paid and a contract data-only SIM card for a Huawei E355 Unlocked GSM 3G 4G HSPA+ 21.6 Mobile Broadband Hotspot Router Modem
Which carrier works better? Oi, Tim, Claro, or Vivo? Also, in case there's little or no difference in the quality of service, which one is cheaper?
-tia ^
Oct 16, 2012 | 2:20 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,667
The principal challenge might be finding a store that will activate any chip you buy, without valid Brazilian ID (CPF). Try Lojas Americanas; I read someone was successful in getting some help there.
If you're just there for a short time, I'd use a phone card at an orelhao for local calls, and Skype for calls home from an internet cafe (plenty of them) or a hotel computer.
If you're just there for a short time, I'd use a phone card at an orelhao for local calls, and Skype for calls home from an internet cafe (plenty of them) or a hotel computer.
Oct 16, 2012 | 7:07 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: DUS
Posts: 199
I suggest to not use Tim. I'm using a Tim Sim Card in my iPhone and sometimes there is no (internet) connection at all and it takes quite a while (up to 30 minutes) to reconnect.
Most of the times without any problems but once in a while I step out of the metro and have no signal for half an hour. Extremly annoying.
Most of the times without any problems but once in a while I step out of the metro and have no signal for half an hour. Extremly annoying.
Oct 21, 2012 | 12:31 am
#6
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,305
Ola Amigo !
Since you have a CPF, there should not be a problem.
RIO: = Oi, or Claro are best there. We also purchased ours at Lojas AM, which took all of 13 minutes to buy, and activate.
The Skype suggestion works well, too.
Which one is cheaper ? Hah ! Even a single Coxinha cost these days.
You're in Brasil my friend, the new economic Superpower with European prices !
Since you have a CPF, there should not be a problem.
RIO: = Oi, or Claro are best there. We also purchased ours at Lojas AM, which took all of 13 minutes to buy, and activate.
The Skype suggestion works well, too.
Which one is cheaper ? Hah ! Even a single Coxinha cost these days.
You're in Brasil my friend, the new economic Superpower with European prices !
Oct 21, 2012 | 3:42 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,739
side of the 50% of college graduates who can't get a job here in the US. The past 5 months since her graduation spent looking for a job are starting to wear on her. So, the plan is for her to go live in Rio, enroll in a graduate program in the "International Relations" school at PUC, and look for a job while preparing for the admissions test in late November.
Oct 28, 2012 | 2:34 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: BMI Diamon Club
Posts: 322
In the past I always activated Sim cards with my passport number... if you've got a CPF, more straightforward. Or just ask a mate to register it with theirs
Will you be making many voice calls? If so, the network that other people use may determine what you buy, as it is incredibly expensive to call other networks.
I got the impression Tim was dominating in Brazil, but perhaps that's not the case
Can anyone recommend a data plan that doesn't suck? With Tim, 50 cents per day gets you 10mb of data, then it slows down to a snails pace. With Vivo, you pay 10 reais a month and get 200mb (?!). Do Oi or Claro offer anything better?
Will you be making many voice calls? If so, the network that other people use may determine what you buy, as it is incredibly expensive to call other networks.
I got the impression Tim was dominating in Brazil, but perhaps that's not the case
Can anyone recommend a data plan that doesn't suck? With Tim, 50 cents per day gets you 10mb of data, then it slows down to a snails pace. With Vivo, you pay 10 reais a month and get 200mb (?!). Do Oi or Claro offer anything better?
Oct 28, 2012 | 2:36 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: BMI Diamon Club
Posts: 322
is it common to sell those little iphone sim cards in Brazil? Just in the stores and not 'bancas' I guess?
In the UK a newsagent would chop a sim card down to iphone size for you, but not sure how common those choppers are here
In the UK a newsagent would chop a sim card down to iphone size for you, but not sure how common those choppers are here
Oct 31, 2012 | 7:17 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: world
Programs: all
Posts: 1,422
those ch0ppers cost about 4 dollars on amazon
Nov 2, 2012 | 9:15 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,739
Claro was a waste of time and money for their data SIM, and them expletive expletive expletive would not give me a refund. Claro's 3G on the iPhone sucks big time.
I got a Vivo data SIM yesterday afternoon for R$49 for 500MB for the month and finally got it working this morning (not within the 2 hours they said it would take). Vivo's 3G service is working fine so far, and after all the hassle I am finally happy!
I got a Vivo data SIM yesterday afternoon for R$49 for 500MB for the month and finally got it working this morning (not within the 2 hours they said it would take). Vivo's 3G service is working fine so far, and after all the hassle I am finally happy!
Oct 12, 2013 | 1:09 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: world
Programs: all
Posts: 1,422
Have u used this roaming sim in brazil or making a generic recommendation? This roaming sim charges 25 euros a mb in brazil. And that is for gprs not even edge forget anything higher
Call rates are like a dollar a minute. Insane to use this
Much better getting a local sim. If you buy a vivo sim you can add 200 mb for about 10 reals so less than. 5 dollars. Most of the time they end up giving you much more than that.
Call rates are like a dollar a minute. Insane to use this
Much better getting a local sim. If you buy a vivo sim you can add 200 mb for about 10 reals so less than. 5 dollars. Most of the time they end up giving you much more than that.
Oct 12, 2013 | 8:34 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,305
Today in the German press, Deutsche Telekom ( parent company of T-Mobile ) announced that there would be FREE ROAMING for subscribers beginning in November, 2013.
Note that initially this will be in 30-50 countries ( not listed as yet ) and has happened as a " result of consensus and agreement of rules and regulations shared in the EU." The article also mentioned Europe, Asia, North, and South America.
More specifics ? None, unfortunately. Brasil ? Not as yet. But worth looking into.
That would save me at least 275 CHF per month when travelling abroad.
Note that initially this will be in 30-50 countries ( not listed as yet ) and has happened as a " result of consensus and agreement of rules and regulations shared in the EU." The article also mentioned Europe, Asia, North, and South America.
More specifics ? None, unfortunately. Brasil ? Not as yet. But worth looking into.
That would save me at least 275 CHF per month when travelling abroad.
Oct 15, 2013 | 7:05 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: world
Programs: all
Posts: 1,422
Today in the German press, Deutsche Telekom ( parent company of T-Mobile ) announced that there would be FREE ROAMING for subscribers beginning in November, 2013.
Note that initially this will be in 30-50 countries ( not listed as yet ) and has happened as a " result of consensus and agreement of rules and regulations shared in the EU." The article also mentioned Europe, Asia, North, and South America.
More specifics ? None, unfortunately. Brasil ? Not as yet. But worth looking into.
That would save me at least 275 CHF per month when travelling abroad.
Note that initially this will be in 30-50 countries ( not listed as yet ) and has happened as a " result of consensus and agreement of rules and regulations shared in the EU." The article also mentioned Europe, Asia, North, and South America.
More specifics ? None, unfortunately. Brasil ? Not as yet. But worth looking into.
That would save me at least 275 CHF per month when travelling abroad.
tmobile usa has the same deal...brasil is included in free international roaming.. however i bet data internationally will be edge unless you get the paid roaming plan