Sim Card In The Us/ What Kind Of Mobile

[MisterMan]

Hi All,

I will be going to the US and I would like to have a US number for the 3 weeks I am there.

Last time I was there I could not get a sim card and needed the contract.

But now I am wondering: Can i just get a sim and will my trusty nokia 6020 work there?

What kind of system compatibility do I need on a phone?

Been nearly 4 years since I been there. Thanks for the help!

[theoldgit]

Last time I was there, 18 months ago, I couldn't get a SIM in fact I couldn't find a phone that allowed you to take the SIM out.

Virgin Mobile do sell a pay as you phone, I think the minimum top up is $20.

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/phones/catalog.do

[mmcsusnret]

Depending on the time before you depart, you can buy a sim on line and have it mailed here. Upon arrival in the US pop it in and activate. Several companies available. Phone needs to be a Quad-band. Or some airports (ATL, DFW, LAX for sure) have shops that sell sims but the choice is limited. Last April I bought one from Yackie (yackiemoblile,com) about $35 with some included minutes. The customer service seemed kind of shaky, but once I got that sorted out, I was pleased with the service. The shop where you purchase it should do the activation, but I didn't (and I guess the clerk didn't either) so it took about 2 days to get sorted out. The 1 800 numbers for customer service is only open during normal business hours. I never was able to access the online helpdesk as you need to register before they will answer any questions but the registration site was not working. When I got through to the 1 800 number, the person I spoke to was helpful and said that they would notify all retailers to activate the card. I also bought an extra $25 of time. The rates to Thailand were cheap. I called my wife 2 or more times each day and talked about 20-30 minutes each day and still had money left when I returned to Thailand. Each time you make a call it tells you how much remaining $ you have. I'll use them again.

I just checked online the card is $49.99 and includes 300 minutes. The website looks better (and more user friendly) than before.

[Groongthep]

Both AT&T and T-Mobile sell pay-as-you-go SIM cards in the US. If your Nokia 6020 is an unlocked tri-band or quad-band phone (which I believe it is) then you should have no problem. It's probably best you go to a company owned AT&T or T-Mobile shop or perhaps a Radio Shack as most small retailers (like 7-11) will either not know what you're asking for or will try to sell you a new phone with the card which you don't need.

[MisterMan]

Oh thanks for all the great info!! Much appreciated.

[gosompoi]

I spend 50/50 time in Thailand and USA. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and BOOST offer pay as you go. T-Mobile GSM is cheapest telephone and voicemail pay as you go plan.

[sbk]

ebay --cheap sim cards usually with some time on them too.

[Spee]

Both AT&T and T-Mobile sell pay-as-you-go SIM cards in the US. If your Nokia 6020 is an unlocked tri-band or quad-band phone (which I believe it is) then you should have no problem. It's probably best you go to a company owned AT&T or T-Mobile shop or perhaps a Radio Shack as most small retailers (like 7-11) will either not know what you're asking for or will try to sell you a new phone with the card which you don't need.

Agree. I believe T-Mobile charges about $10 for the SIM and about 10 minutes of airtime and then you can buy minutes, typically in increments of $25, $50, $100, etc. With T-Mobile, $50 will get you about 450 minutes. But international calls are charged an arm and a leg, about $1 a minute. You can find a T-Mobile store using their website store locator.

For international calls, I would suggest going to a Walgreen's or other drug store or gas station and buying an international calling card. It's still a bit pricey but much better than the alternative. They have $10 and $25 cards. The $25 card will get you a little over 4 hours to Thailand. There may be better alternatives, but I use these myself and can at least say for sure what they are.

If your phone is locked, there is a relatively inexpensive alternative. Places like Radio Shack and Walmart sell "cheapie" no frills phones with a SIM for about $20 and then you can buy minutes.

[MisterMan]

Hi Thank you so much! This helps me to plan ahead. Will start with Ebay I think .. (add it to my list of all the other things I will order on ebay and half.com to bring back).

For Intl I will use mobilecaller.com My friends use it to call me now. very very cheap and normally the connection is good!

Also any liqueur store has cheap phone cards .........

Thanks again !!