Cost Of Surfing With Smartphone?

[THAIPHUKET]

An Iphone user told me that surfing the web outside the reach of a hotspot with a smartphone is more expensive than normal telephone calls. Pre-paids are very quickly eaten up

Can you give more info?

( I remember when I got my first cell phone I flew to Hungary. Never having heard of roaming fees I even had my sms system set to CONFIRM MESSAGE READ plus I happily took calls from family . The bill nearly bankrupted me.

I am trying to avoid such foot traps)

[lomatopo]

Pricing for mobile broadband data plans varies quite a bit here, ranging approximately from 2 baht/MB to 10+ baht/MB.

Most people would subscribe to a pre-paid, recurring, monthly data plan, layered on top of any current voice plan. After 30 days that data plan would automatically be renewed and the charge deducted from your current balance.

[jackbox]

Plans are only eaten up quickly if you have a plan based on a number of hours. You need to get a plan based on volume of data used. Then the amount of time you are connected to the network, which is almost always for a smartphone, doesn't matter. If you are in Bangkok, the two best options are I-Kool 3G (an MVNO of TOT3G) prepaid sim which can be topped up for as little as 50 baht a month, or get one of TrueMove's volume based add-ons. Otherwise, check out the volume based plans from all carriers as you will only get Edge outside of Bangkok unless you are in Chiang Mai and then you can get 3G from AIS.

Edited May 21, 2011 by jackbox

[lomatopo]

Plans are only eaten up quickly if you have a plan based on a number of hours. You need to get a plan based on volume of data used.

Correct, hence I quoted per MB plans and not per Minute or per Hour plan pricing.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Plans are only eaten up quickly if you have a plan based on a number of hours. You need to get a plan based on volume of data used. Then the amount of time you are connected to the network, which is almost always for a smartphone, doesn't matter. If you are in Bangkok, the two best options are I-Kool 3G (an MVNO of TOT3G) prepaid sim which can be topped up for as little as 50 baht a month, or get one of TrueMove's volume based add-ons. Otherwise, check out the volume based plans from all carriers as you will only get Edge outside of Bangkok unless you are in Chiang Mai and then you can get 3G from AIS.

3G is much more widely available than you suggest, so your suggestion of an EDGE package purchase for use outside Bangkok may be misleading.

[lomatopo]

Pricing for mobile broadband data plans varies quite a bit here, ranging approximately from 2 baht/MB to 10+ baht/MB.

Most people would subscribe to a pre-paid, recurring, monthly data plan, layered on top of any current voice plan. After 30 days that data plan would automatically be renewed and the charge deducted from your current balance.

I slipped a digit on these estimates, and forgot to factor in potentially bundled 2G and even WiFi. so an accurate range would be 15 satang/MB to 1.25 baht/MB with some sweet-spots in the 0.35 ~ 0.45 baht/MB range. Sorry about that.

[THAIPHUKET]

Now I need a certified whatever who translates this into a sensible action :-))

I am in Chaing Mai, means my only option is AIS, correct?

Dont mind if only this one choice but what kind of contract should I take.

Note= I am lazy fellow, dont see myself counting something.

On the other hand I believe I will continue my lap top at home sitting wirelessly in the garden.

But why does the Iphone user say his prepaid card is working perfectly, may be he is using only the hot spot option??

I am sorry, I am slow .... I got it= 3G is needed only for surfing without internet access.

If that is true I need G3 only on travel. A minute ago I bought the HTC Desire Z at Amazone Germany for 13400 THB incl everything.

Delivery Monday, hours before I arrive. I will have my new toy.

But what then , will need G3 in Germany for sure , however for 4 weeks only.

Shop for a prepaid?? I know that normal moblie prepaid are not that easy to get.

[lomatopo]

Your posts are somewhat disjointed and very hard to follow but I think this is a good summary?...

You are in Thailand now, you are going to Germany very soon, you will be in Germany for ~ 30 days, then return to Chiang Mai for the foreseeable future. You currently have an older Nokia phone with a TOT GSM voice SIM. You have purchased an unlocked HTC Desire Z in Germany. You want to be able to use this new phone, to make voice calls and internet access (via WiFi, and via 2G:(GSM data) GPRS/EDGE (slower speeds) and where available, 3G (faster speeds) in both Germany, and in Chiang Mai when you return. You don't seem to know how much data you will require.

In Germany there are several pre-paid voice/data service providers which might meet your requirements: Vodafone CallYa, Tchibo Mobil, Adi Talk.

When you return to Thailand you can access the internet with your HTC Desire Z via WiFi, or via 2G:(GSM data) GPRS/EDGE and where available, 3G. In Chiang Mai (not sure about the coverage exactly but it seems to cover most of the city based on comments here on TV, you should probably check on your exact location), you could get an AIS/One-2-Call pre-paid SIM for voice and data. First you'd buy a Super 3G Net SIM, then add money to it, then choose a calling plan then add a data plan; the 350 baht/month plan looks interesting.

Edited May 22, 2011 by lomatopo

[THAIPHUKET]

Thank you Lomatopo for bringing the pieces together. I did, however, split the sub-subjects on purpose. Certain readers might be interested in smart phone like the HTC Desire Z others in coverage/ cost questions. I had hoped to get more targeted replies, Mau be good or not.

Well, I bought the DesireZ in Germany and can say this thing is a lot smarter than I. 292 pages of instruction manual, that says it all.

I like it as a challenge to my brain, a tool of help under limited circumstances, I am flabbergasted by it's abilities, e.g. GPS much faster than my big Gramin for motorbiking. Much info, don't need to know that there are numerous funeral homes in the direct vicinity, that can wait until later.

It's a brainy toy, do I need it? Not really but I may learn to become more dependent on it.

[KRS1]

You may want to look at the packages by True also, after the 3G time is used up on the higher level packages you can still use EDGE for an unlimited amount of time in contrast with the AIS packages.

Although the top package by AIS offers 5gb of 3 G, opposed to 3gb of 3G with True for about the same price. Actual phone calls with AIS are twice as much as others though.

im on the internet for about 3-4 hours a day, and for around the past 5 days have downloaded 525 mb of data, browsing Thaivisa and a few other sites and checking 6 email accounts daily twice a day. This is mainly with EDGE and only connect with 3G when EDGE connection is slow because of my 99 baht package of 30 hours EDGE/ 3 hours 3G.

It boils down to what you need to connect to the internet for,i connect mainly with EDGE because its fast enough for my purposes, and ends up being cheaper than a 950 baht package that i dont really need.

but if you need youtube videos, mp3 downloads and GPS tracking then a big 3G package would be the way to go.

[lomatopo]

You may want to look at the packages by True also, after the 3G time is used up on the higher level packages you can still use EDGE for an unlimited amount of time in contrast with the AIS packages.

His phone does NOT support True 3G (850 Mhz), hence it was not recommended.

[THAIPHUKET]

I use it up now , naively so, with my 1-2-call sim card.( would hate to change my phone number) Charges are not much out of the ordinary. Don't do downloads except emails, It's not meant to replace my laptop. It's a fallback position for emails when traveling then I don't want to look for hotspots , it is then that I activate the mobile connection for internet connection. This feature can be very handy.

I find a hotel anywhere, get ratings from tripadvisor and off I go. Freedom of spontaneity. HRS.com often requires Visa Card only if arrival is after 18.00h

Question= I am extremely cautious with giving out Visa Card data via Internet.

Is a data transfer via mobile , i.e. telephone connection any safer?

If it is indeed that small insurance cost for a safe payment transaction would make it worthwhile to activate mobile connection. ( and shut down internet for the time of the payment transfer)