iPhone 4 solution for visitor to the USA
 

I shall be traveling to the USA next week with my wife. We each have an unlocked European iPhone 4. We are looking into getting local USA SIM cards (obviously pre-paid) for our phones but it seems like quite a minefield. We currently also have two very simple T-Mobile phones from a previous trip which still have credit, and I guess we could use their SIMS in the iPhones instead (I have a SIM-microSIM cutter) but I have heard that T-mobile's data coverage for such iPhones is only at the EDGE speeds which are much slower than 3G. However, T-mobile have an attractive $2/day pre-paid plan which would suite us quite well.

I have tried looking into AT&T but cannot see whether they have any pre-paid rate for talk and data - their overall coverage seems much better than T-mobile and they don't have the EDGE speed problem (or so I am led to believe).

We shall be part of the time in Yellowstone, where I understand we will need Verizon CDMA phones. That means we shall have to get a couple of simple Verizon pre-paid phones. One thought that occurred to me was that if there are simple such phones for Verizon pre-pay which can create a mobile hotspot we could use them for talking and use the iPhones for data via wifi.

Does anyone know more?

Some people have signed up for ATT prepaid on a generic phone and sucessfully moved the SIM over ATT. I recommend purchasing a chip from a virtual network using the ATT network --Straight Talk (Walmart); H20 Mobile, etc. Straight Talk is $45 a month for unlimtied domestic talk, text, and data. It has the advantage of being widely available.

I was in Yellowstone last year. I had coverage on ATT outside the park, at Old Faithful, at the Village, and at Roosevelt. There is also some wifi at Canyon Village. I had some coverage in Grand Teaton. The coverage was perfect in Jackson Hole and Red Lodge. I also have a Verizon MiFi and don't think coverage think their coverage was perfect, but I don't swear to it. I know that when Verizon covers some place and ATT doesn't I put iPhone on Verizon via MiFi. I don't recall doing so, but don't want to swear to it.

Does anyone have any first-hand experience with the Straight Talk SIM? Do you have to choose either AT&T or T-Mo? Or does it roam on both? Do you really get 3G? Unlimited? On 850 Mhz for AT&T?

It seems like you have to purchase one of four SIMS:

Please choose the type of phone you have:

1. Phone is a CDMA (i.e. Verizon, Sprint, Metro PCS), TracFone, SafeLink, NET10, Straight Talk or BlackBerry
2. Unlocked GSM Phone (Phone must operate in 850 and 1900 MHz bands)
3. AT&T Compatible Phone
4. T-Mobile Compatible Phone


The SIM is $14.99, the plan is $45.

Not sure if SIM #2 (above) would also work on AT&T?

Some say there is a 2 GB limit, and if so, what happens after that threshold? 2G?

Not sure if you can let the plan lapse, then re-up some months later?

The Wal Mart on-line store merely has service cards, as far as I can determine, and no SIMs. I guess you can buy those in a regular Wal Mart?

If anyone has any first-hand experience using the Straight Talk SIM and service (on AT&T, specifically 850 Mhz 3G), please share.

I wonder if AT&T's ceding of 1900 Mhz to T-Mo impacts one's choices/performance?

Thanks for all the info. The european iPhone 4 I have is in category 2: Unlocked GSM Phone (definitely does 850/1900).

I see they have a website (http://www.straighttalk.com).
I get the impression from some bulletin boards that the AT&T connections give the best 3G speed. If I have an unlocked GSM Phone will the AT&T version work with it (category 3)?

Another question: On the Straight Talk website they say that international text messaging is only available with the Samsung Galaxy Precedent? (M828C) and LG Optimus Q? (L55C). Does that mean they have a way to block international text messaging from other models? Would that prevent me from sending international text messages?

One more: I currently have a very simple T-mobile pre-pay phone. Is there a way to transfer the number to the Straight Talk SIM?

Can anyone please correct me if I am mistaken.

The following AT&T plans seem to fit all of my requirements:
AT&T GoPhone $50 monthly unlimited
+$25 1G data package
+$10 International long distance package

Would I be able to get all this by just walking into an AT&T store in a mall?
Would they do a microSIM or should I bring my SIM cutter?

AT&T's policy is to not allow iPhones on prepaid plans. If you want AT&T, you will need to bring a non-iPhone to the store to activate. When you leave, you can cut the SIM and put it in your iPhone.

I can't personally vouch for them but I know a few people using this with iPhones: www.h2owirelessnow.com

Thanks for the reply.
Are you sure of this? On their webpage they write:
"Smartphone users must purchase a data package to use data services on eligible plans. Pay–per–use data is not available with Smartphones"
I am purchasing a data package.
I went through their terms and conditions and could not see anything about iPhones not being permitted.

It looks like they are also an MVNO for AT&T.


I admit I haven't stayed up to date on this topic but it used to be that you could not activate an AT&T pre-paid SIM in an iPhone as this was blocked by the IMEI. So you needed to activate the SIM in a non-iPhone, then once activated you can use it unrestricted in an iPhone, after making any necessary physical alterations.

Not true, I've picked up a prepaid microSIM from an AT&T store. The SIM itself is free, but if you want to use data, you have to buy a data plan.

tb

There is a lot of conflicting information out there. This guy demos how you can get voice, but not data on the ATT $50 GoPhone unlimited plan. Even using APN changer he couldn't get it to work.

An iPhone is not treated as a PDA or a smartphone by ATT. It is treated as a unique category. It doesn't make sense to me, but that is what they do.

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7Y5t...e_gdata_player


Sent from my iPad

FWIW, I unlocked my ATT iphone 3GS and swapped in a straighttalk sim card and have no problems at all. (Note that straighttalk sells a sim card that can be used on a locked ATT iphone, as well as one that works on an unlocked iphone).

I have no idea about the "block" on international texts, but I would think that imessaging between the phones would work even if there is such a block.