Post by olaf on Feb 25, 2008 13:30:13 GMT -5
Much has been written about excessive AT&T bills upon returning from overseas
(unfortunately Apple & AT&T offer no low cost solution to use my iPhone overseas):
mailbox.allthingsd.com/20070719/using-the-iphone-overseas-for-data-purposes/
discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1029360
After reading all this advice, to keep costs down in Europe, I plan to:
1. Remove the AT&T SIM and use my iPhone in only WIFI mode: this avoids outrageous costs. Too Bad
due to both data and voice roaming (some report over $3000 for 10 days)
2. Bring my old TMobile Blackberry phone with a UK SIM (buy either there or here):
www.britishsims.com/compare_all.html
Note: nearly all US Phones (CDMA) won't work in UK, but TMobile phones work fine.
Note: all incoming calls are FREE (even from the US) and outgoing are only 15p (a fraction
of any plan offered by AT&T)
3. Use Skype on my MacBook with earphones (Jajah looks cool, but AT&T SIM must be inserted, which drives costs Sky High)
4. Set my Packet8 VOIP to place all my office and home calls at NOCOST as recorded messages to my email which I can listen to at my convenience anywhere, anytime.
5. Disable my $20/mo US data roaming fee when I'm overseas as I can't use it.
6. Use my Airport Express to create my own WIFI wherever Ethernet is available.
7. Use my European office phone for the bulk of my calls and Cell-to-Cell calls (with UK SIMS in each) in our "non-smart" TMobile phones to call my wife.
A common misconception: Just leave the AT&T SIM in and put iPhone in Airplane mode with Data Roaming turned off. Problem is, when you switch from airplane mode to WIFI, or just
turning it on after its been off, causes the iPhone to look for cell towers before you can switch to WIFI. In that small time, with your AT&T SIM card in, AT&T will identify you and many report outrageous charges accrue as saved-up downloads and voicemail are initiated and charged to you. Based on actual reports on the above links, I would not trust just turning off international data roaming. Removing the SIM and calling AT&T to disable data roaming fees insure no bogus charges. Apple goofed with the default of causing the iPhone to go for the cell towers before going to WIFI, which makes the iPhone for phone purposes unreasonably costly to use overseas.
As you can see, I've thought a lot about this, and I'd appreciate any further suggestions and comments on my low-cost European phone solution. Olaf@cox.net
(unfortunately Apple & AT&T offer no low cost solution to use my iPhone overseas):
mailbox.allthingsd.com/20070719/using-the-iphone-overseas-for-data-purposes/
discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1029360
After reading all this advice, to keep costs down in Europe, I plan to:
1. Remove the AT&T SIM and use my iPhone in only WIFI mode: this avoids outrageous costs. Too Bad
due to both data and voice roaming (some report over $3000 for 10 days)
2. Bring my old TMobile Blackberry phone with a UK SIM (buy either there or here):
www.britishsims.com/compare_all.html
Note: nearly all US Phones (CDMA) won't work in UK, but TMobile phones work fine.
Note: all incoming calls are FREE (even from the US) and outgoing are only 15p (a fraction
of any plan offered by AT&T)
3. Use Skype on my MacBook with earphones (Jajah looks cool, but AT&T SIM must be inserted, which drives costs Sky High)
4. Set my Packet8 VOIP to place all my office and home calls at NOCOST as recorded messages to my email which I can listen to at my convenience anywhere, anytime.
5. Disable my $20/mo US data roaming fee when I'm overseas as I can't use it.
6. Use my Airport Express to create my own WIFI wherever Ethernet is available.
7. Use my European office phone for the bulk of my calls and Cell-to-Cell calls (with UK SIMS in each) in our "non-smart" TMobile phones to call my wife.
A common misconception: Just leave the AT&T SIM in and put iPhone in Airplane mode with Data Roaming turned off. Problem is, when you switch from airplane mode to WIFI, or just
turning it on after its been off, causes the iPhone to look for cell towers before you can switch to WIFI. In that small time, with your AT&T SIM card in, AT&T will identify you and many report outrageous charges accrue as saved-up downloads and voicemail are initiated and charged to you. Based on actual reports on the above links, I would not trust just turning off international data roaming. Removing the SIM and calling AT&T to disable data roaming fees insure no bogus charges. Apple goofed with the default of causing the iPhone to go for the cell towers before going to WIFI, which makes the iPhone for phone purposes unreasonably costly to use overseas.
As you can see, I've thought a lot about this, and I'd appreciate any further suggestions and comments on my low-cost European phone solution. Olaf@cox.net