All you need to know about using smart phones, when you travel

All you need to know about using smart phones, when you travel -

On the first Tuesday of each month, Dave Dean of too many AC adapter gives us tips and advice about tech and gear. He is our resident expert to try new products and to see what so you do not work with the gear at the end, the breaks and a laptop with viruses filled! This month's article is about how to get the best cell phone for when you are traveling.

As a travel tech writer, I get asked smartphones when we travel. The minute we overseas with our phones head, we are met with an overwhelming and confusing jargon, expensive roaming agreements, conflicting advice and work-free transition. Trying to discuss the nuances of GSM frequency bands or iPhone unlock codes with a mobile provider in a dusty Cambodian city is not my idea of ​​fun, and I doubt that it is up to you either.

Because we all want our smartphone to work, when we are on the road, I have put together this guide cover everything you need to know to get your phone up and running, one way or another, if you the road is. It is detailed, but not too complicated, and you money, time and a lot of frustration (and has at the end of additional resources).

Will My Phone work abroad?

The first thing to consider is whether your phone work physically abroad. Different countries and cell companies use different technologies and frequencies, and the phone with them must be compatible to work. The most common cellular technology is GSM, and it is widely used in many parts of the world. CDMA is less common, but it is used by Verizon and Sprint in the United States, and a few support elsewhere -., If your phone CDMA only supported, it is highly unlikely to work internationally

self if you have a GSM phone to do, you still need, however, to ensure that it supports the frequencies used in your goals. For the way to make calls, send texts and receive, and 3G data in many parts of the world, look for the words "Quad Band" or the specific bands 850/00/1800/100 MHz in the technical data. If your phone supports all four, you will not have many problems during the trip. On this page are the exact details GSM frequency for almost every country.

But do not fret, as mobile phones are built these days to work in several countries, so there is a 99% chance your phone work abroad. have found

Once you that, it's the next hurdle:.? Unlocking

What is an unlocked phone and why should I care

when it comes to travel, you will be a lot of talk hear about unlocked phones, which is not much if you do not know what they are and if you have one.

if you got a free or discounted phone signed by a service contract, there is a chance, it is network locked (this is especially true for Americans). This means that your phone company prevented from your phone that other than a private network can be used for anything. In a particularly shady move, some companies in the US even lock mobile phone that you the full price for if you paid specifically bought the unlocked version.

With a locked phone, you are late in paying your cell company roaming tariffs stuck from the minute you land in your destination until you get back home.

Locked phones are common when you. From the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and less in Europe and Asia, where the payment of the are full price for unlocked devices is typical If you are not sure if your phone is locked, ask your cell company.

An unlocked phone is a phone that can be used anywhere in the world. You can replace the SIM card, as you travel around the world and set in local SIM cards as you go.

If roaming really that bad?

Yes, almost always. Your existing cellular plan usually does not apply abroad, and you will usually send much higher rates every time you are invited to make a call, use a text or phone data. Not every company is to its customers to gouge, but stories of people, home to a bill of several thousand dollars for a short trip abroad are by no means uncommon

There are a few with a few exceptions -. T-Mobile in the US includes free SMS (slow) data in more than 0 countries within the dialing plan, and three in the UK expanded your calls, text and data packet to other countries 16 years. If you are not with carriers such as this, then roaming option is best for the left side with corporate expense accounts, as well as the "special" international packages expensive and poor value.

How do I turn my phone?

The good news is that it is often possible, your phone is unlocked to receive; The bad news is that it is not always easy or cheap.

The first step is always to your Cell ask businesses. Policies vary widely, but cell companies in the US, at least to unlock legally after one year prepaid phones and contract phones require, after they have been paid. This page has a good breakdown of the policy in different countries, but even if you are not officially authorized, it is always worth asking.

If you refuse to unlock your phone carrier, you can always try to find the appropriate release code itself. Companies like unlocking based sell such codes for a few dollars. You are not working for any device, guaranteed, but the company says it is your money going back if there is a problem.

The best way to store a separate telephone and specialized unlocking places to go and someone to unlock your phone for you. You can find shops unlock all over the world (mainly in Southeast Asia).

My phone is unlocked. What now?

Once you have unlocked a phone, you can simply buy a local SIM card in your destination. The price, approach and difficulty varies, but you will usually pay between $ 10 and $ 50 / month for a reasonable amount of calls, texts and data at the end. Daily and weekly plans are sometimes available when you are in a country for a shorter period.

This is an inexpensive way to keep telephone and data service connected while on the go. The disadvantage is that every time, need to change SIM cards, you are changing countries, so that you can carry with you a batch of SIM cards around the world at the end (if I remembered to all the places it may I have been!).

What if my phone does not work, or I can not unlock?

if your phone does not go abroad to work, or you can 't get it unlocked, you have a few options:

• Only Wi-Fi use - the smartphone is still a connection via Wi-Fi only in order, so replace with call Skype or Google Voice, SMS with WhatsApp, and to use download a number of offline travel apps when They are a signal off. You will be surprised how well this approach can work, and no notifications all the time is always very refreshing
• buy a budget smartphone -. While many there is waste at the bottom of the smartphone market, there are a few decent phones for travelers under 0 $. My current favorite is the Motorola Moto G - you want to buy a microSD card for some additional memory, but other than that, it's a pretty fast smartphone with a battery that lasts all day and a 5 "screen you actually use want to do: overseas to access the "Global" version for maximum compatibility you still need to buy local SIM cards to put into it
• a telephone rent - you can telephones to... rent the airports and to buy just by different companies before you leave the house, but I would just keep it for a short trip to a particular country, where my usual phone did not work. for something different than that, it is cheaper, a new
• rent a mobile hotspot buy -. Portable Hotspots are small devices that create a wireless network and share a mobile data connection on them - you can usually connect 5 or 10 devices to the network that you are creating. You can rent at an inflated daily for short trips or weekly rate, or you can purchase an unlocked Hotspot and keep a local SIM card in this, as if it were a telephone. The smartphone will treat this like any other Wi-Fi network
• , a tablet with cellular functions Use -. If you already have a 3G / 4G tablet, there is a chance, it was unlocked when you bought. If so, you can use them when you travel instead of a phone - just buy a data only SIM locally, and use Skype and WhatsApp on your phone and SMS requirements. You can also place the tablet as a hotspot, use the connection between the other devices to share
• Buy a disposable cell phone -. If you are a long time in a country and everything you need are calls, texts and perhaps some light web browsing, just buy the cheapest prepaid cell phone, which you can find on the local mobile storage. Sure, there is likely to be complete nonsense, but you can often get these phones with a little credit for much of anything, and they will do the job for a while. The advantage? They are really not when you drop it in the hostel toilet. When it does to the length of your trip survive it happen only to someone else when you leave.

How can you say, your smartphone work abroad without coming home to a huge bill, is not always an easy task. You need to do some footwork - to a minimum, you need to know where you plan to go to it have the exact specifications of the phone, and the details of your contract. Expect to spend some time talking with your cell company, no matter how painful it is likely. I'm sorry.

With a little time, money and effort to the front, but you know exactly what your options are if you are on the road and can for most eventualities prepare. Do your research, avoid the rip-offs, have the right equipment with you, and you will still be able to have a cost associated with travel to the smartphone in hand.

MORE -> a complete guide to travel tech

MORE -> Which is better: a smartphone, laptop or tablet

Dave runs too many adapters, a website dedicated to travelers technology. An outsider, as long as he can remember, he was in IT for 15 years. Now based out of a backpack long Dave writes about traveling and Tech from anywhere with halfway decent internet and great views. You can also use it on the life of a find in long-term travelers conversation What to do Dave?

Share this post