Who knows a little something about international phones?

[gmichael]

My wife is planning a trip back to the Philippines. She wants to have a cell phone that will work their as well as here. Here is the phone and service she is looking at. Does anyone know of a better phone and plan that won't break the bank?

phone: http://www.myworldphone.com/k1.html
Service: http://www.myworldphone.com/prepaidsim.html

Thanks for everyone's help in advance

 

[Tarub]

As far as I know only the 2 major wireless carrier here in the US use GSM freq w/c is Cingular (now AT&t) and Tmobile.
I was there last year and I have a Cingular carrier. I can receive a text message but I can text back to anybody, here in the US or there in the Philippines. What I did is I bought a SIM card there w/c is cheap and a prepaid wireless phone card (from GLOBE)and load it on my 3 band phone. Make sure the setup on your cellphone is on AUTO freq. I think it is cheaper that way than using US wireless carrier while she is there. Just make sure you have a tri or quad band wireless phone.
And when she gets back here just put back the original SIM card and she can use it again here in the US.
MikeC can chime in on this.
Your wife is from Cagayan huh? Are you not going with her and have fun on a nice beach there? skuba, jet ski, para gliding....

 

[jneutron]

My wife is planning a trip back to the Philippines. She wants to have a cell phone that will work their as well as here. Here is the phone and service she is looking at. Does anyone know of a better phone and plan that won't break the bank?

phone: http://www.myworldphone.com/k1.html
Service: http://www.myworldphone.com/prepaidsim.html

Thanks for everyone's help in advance

When I went to Beijing, I used one from "Mobal".

Their website shows which countries it worked in, Japan seems to be on a different standard entirely, don't know bout Phillippines.

They bill only for calls made, no monthly or yearly service charge, phone was about 50 dollars IIRC.

Downside is, to call the phone from NY, you had to dial an international number in England, so the local person is paying for an international call AND the person in the other country is also paying by the minute.

Calls from China were only billed to the mobal phone, the person in the states didn't also pay.

Twas 2 years ago, I'm sure the plans have changed.

Cheers, John

 

[mike c]

i agree with Tarub, just about any GSM sim phone with multi bands can be used here. Nokia comes to mind. and I echo the GLOBE prepaid simcard ... that's about 2 USD. prepaid cards have denominations in 2 USD, 5 USD, 10 USD and 20 USD.