[anon(1492514)]

I use my Vodafone Storm2 in England and have done for about 7 months now. I have a �40 per month contract with unlimited text messages, 600 minutes, unlimited emails, unlimited internet.

However, I am going to the States for a six week internship from July 5th and want to take my BlackBerry. If I do nothing and use it over there, I could potentially rack up near to �15 extra per day! I obviously do not want to do that.

What would all of you suggest?

Can I unlock my BlackBerry here and then pick up a SIM when I get over to the States? If so could I send emails, texts and make calls without being charged? How would I go about getting such a SIM and what would I want to look for?

Thank you.

[rafiks]

I guess you can Unlock it and just get a prepaid sim here.

You can take a look at Tmobile or Att for the charging. One thing is for sure, It's not gonna be free.

[ST79]

Call vodafone and ask for the unlock code. Tell that you are going to america for 2 months and you need the code. They *will* give it for free, I think.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[CellUnlock.net]

I use my Vodafone Storm2 in England and have done for about 7 months now. I have a �40 per month contract with unlimited text messages, 600 minutes, unlimited emails, unlimited internet.

However, I am going to the States for a six week internship from July 5th and want to take my BlackBerry. If I do nothing and use it over there, I could potentially rack up near to �15 extra per day! I obviously do not want to do that.

What would all of you suggest?

Can I unlock my BlackBerry here and then pick up a SIM when I get over to the States? If so could I send emails, texts and make calls without being charged? How would I go about getting such a SIM and what would I want to look for?

Thank you.

Yes you can, as mentioned above, try calling Voda first to try and get the code for free. They should give you the code, if not we will be more than happy to help you.

[anon(1492514)]

So if I unlock my phone I can take it to the States and then buy a SIM that will last me for my 2 month stay in the States.

Can I buy a SIM for an upfront fee that would subsequently give me free texts, internet, email, BBM and so on?

What sort of cost are we talking about here for 2 months?

x

[CellUnlock.net]

So if I unlock my phone I can take it to the States and then buy a SIM that will last me for my 2 month stay in the States.

Can I buy a SIM for an upfront fee that would subsequently give me free texts, internet, email, BBM and so on?

What sort of cost are we talking about here for 2 months?

x

Yes correct. There are different options/plans. You can check with T-Mobile, they have some good plans. Usually $50/$70 per month can get you voice/sms/data unlimited.

[Branta]

Yes you can, as mentioned above, try calling Voda first to try and get the code for free.

I believe a lot of Voda UK berries are shipped unlocked. It might be worth talking him through the process to check the SIM lock status of his phone.

[phil1995]

I work for a british company and I enquired about a sim only option at the local AT&T store. They informed me that I could get a card for free, and the unlimited data plan was reasonable, just cant remember the exact figure.

It looks like you will have to do it at a retail store, as the links on the website show now sims available.

Here is a link to another forum with a lengthy discussion about this.

AT&T Sim-Only?

USA SIM card

It appears that any literature you find from AT&T says a 2 year contact is required, but that apparently is not the case.

[CellUnlock.net]

I believe a lot of Voda UK berries are shipped unlocked. It might be worth talking him through the process to check the SIM lock status of his phone.

Absolutely, you can always check by going to Options/Advanced Options/SIM card and then type the letter "mepd" without the quotes. If Network says Disabled that means your phone is unlocked. Active would mean the phone is locked.

Usually Voda UK sells 9700 still locked, and not only that they have new locks on them

[Pete6]

I go to the US about 4 times a year for 2 - 3 weeks each time. My son lives over there.

I have an old 8100 that I use when I'm there. I ask my son to get me an AT&T SIM since I do not have a US Social Security Number which is now required to obtain a SIM card.

At first I went with a Go Phone which was a crap phone with a $SIM card.

Now we just get the card. I put $25 on it and get charged $1 for my first use of the phone (phone call, SMS) each day. If I don;t use the phone that day, I do not get charged.

In the BlackBerry I can use data but at $2/Mb (yes, 2$/Mb). However this is far better than the O2 US rate of UKP6/Mb.

T-Mobile do a prepaid BlackBerry service but you have to buy a phoe with the deal. Boost Mobile (CDMA) also have a $60/month BlackBerry BIS but again you have to buy a phone.

There is also this Mr. Simcard - Spend A Little - Save A Lot! Prepaid Blackberry, USA. but I only know what is on their website.

AT&T seem to have the best deal so far.

You also need to check carrier coverage in your target area. The US is worse than the UK and some areas have zero signal on a per carrier basis.

[anon(1492514)]

Wow, thanks for all the information guys.

Unfortunately at present my BlackBerry Storm2 has had to be sent away because it died and it's been one week as of today, so I am hoping it will be returned to me next week at the store.

Once I get hold of it, I will then check the SIM lock status on the phone and, if need be, call up Vodafone UK and ask for them to unlock the phone.

So, hypothetically, once I have my unlocked BB and I can still, and will, use my current Vodafone contract until I leave for the States. When I arrive at the States, I can take my BB in to any retail store (T-Mobile, AT&T, Boost Mobile, etc.) and enquire into purchasing a 2-month unlimited plan (text, call, email, internet) SIM card? I do have a US Social Security Number (I have both US and UK passports), so does that help?

I am going to be working in Charlotte, North Carolina:

Charotte North Carolina Transamerica - Google Maps

Does anyone have any suggestions to the best carrier for that area? Is there any way to find out from England?

Many thanks for all your help.

[Pete6]

Wow, thanks for all the information guys.

Unfortunately at present my BlackBerry Storm2 has had to be sent away because it died and it's been one week as of today, so I am hoping it will be returned to me next week at the store.

Once I get hold of it, I will then check the SIM lock status on the phone and, if need be, call up Vodafone UK and ask for them to unlock the phone.

So, hypothetically, once I have my unlocked BB and I can still, and will, use my current Vodafone contract until I leave for the States. When I arrive at the States, I can take my BB in to any retail store (T-Mobile, AT&T, Boost Mobile, etc.) and enquire into purchasing a 2-month unlimited plan (text, call, email, internet) SIM card? I do have a US Social Security Number (I have both US and UK passports), so does that help?

I am going to be working in Charlotte, North Carolina:

Charotte North Carolina Transamerica - Google Maps

Does anyone have any suggestions to the best carrier for that area? Is there any way to find out from England?

Many thanks for all your help.

Charlotte, NC is where I go to visit my son.

Verizon has the best coverage but it is a CDMA carrier.
AT&T and T-Mobile work well enough in populated areas but T-Mobile seems maginally worse in outlying areas. You really need to check coverage maps for your precise area. Both carriers have maps on their websites.

You will most certainly not get a 2 month contract. They all want to sell you a 24 month contract. The US market is not nearly so competeitive as in the UK. However since the UK has less consumer money there are shorter term and more focussed deals to be had than in the US. At least that is what I have found.

A US Passport and a SSN will get you what you want.

I have searched and searched because I wanted a good deal for myself but maybe you will find something that I have not uncovered. The problem is that the big carriers dont have the kind of deals we want - at least not right now - and the small carriers (Boost, etc.) do not have the coverage.

[Laura Knotek]

Wow, thanks for all the information guys.

Unfortunately at present my BlackBerry Storm2 has had to be sent away because it died and it's been one week as of today, so I am hoping it will be returned to me next week at the store.

Once I get hold of it, I will then check the SIM lock status on the phone and, if need be, call up Vodafone UK and ask for them to unlock the phone.

So, hypothetically, once I have my unlocked BB and I can still, and will, use my current Vodafone contract until I leave for the States. When I arrive at the States, I can take my BB in to any retail store (T-Mobile, AT&T, Boost Mobile, etc.) and enquire into purchasing a 2-month unlimited plan (text, call, email, internet) SIM card? I do have a US Social Security Number (I have both US and UK passports), so does that help?

I am going to be working in Charlotte, North Carolina:

Charotte North Carolina Transamerica - Google Maps

Does anyone have any suggestions to the best carrier for that area? Is there any way to find out from England?

Many thanks for all your help.

Boost will not work. They are a CDMA carrier, not a GSM carrier.

[Pete6]

Boost will not work. They are a CDMA carrier, not a GSM carrier.

You are right. Boost is CDMA. It was you who put me on to Boost Mobile last month when I was in Charlotte, NC. I went to Best Buy and checked out their offer. The $60 / month deal is OK but even if you have your own CDMA phone, you have to buy one of theirs.

I was also concerned abotu Boost Mobile's coverage area.

It really comes down to using the two big GSM operators, AT&T or T-Mobile. Neither of which have particularly creative offers and neither of which has particularly great coverage outside of Charlotte City.

T-Mobile has a good offer but it comes with a phone attached and that makes it costs the same as Boost Mobile. Of course you could sell the phone.

AT&T will give you a SIM card and set you up with a Go Phone talk / SMS package. However as I said earlier, data is at a ridiculous $2 / Mb.

I use AT&T because it is the cheapest entry cost. I get a new SIM card and number each time I visit because the money you put on the phone only lasts 90 days unless you put $100 on the card whence it lasts 365 days and then, all the money just goes away.

Right now there is really no good solution for those visiting.

[phil1995]

Guess I am just misinformed, but I thought that if you had your own phone, you were not required to sign a long term contract to activate you service. I thought the point of the contract was to compensate for the discounted device price. Is it not just month to month if you have your own device?

[dannynixon]

Absolutely, you can always check by going to Options/Advanced Options/SIM card and then type the letter "mepd" without the quotes. If Network says Disabled that means your phone is unlocked. Active would mean the phone is locked.

Usually Voda UK sells 9700 still locked, and not only that they have new locks on them

That's interesting. Thanks for that. I'm on a t-mobile uk storm2 and mine has also been shipped unlocked. Good times...

[Pete6]

Guess I am just misinformed, but I thought that if you had your own phone, you were not required to sign a long term contract to activate you service. I thought the point of the contract was to compensate for the discounted device price. Is it not just month to month if you have your own device?

That was not waht I was told either at the AT&T store or on the phone to them (several times). I have called both T-Mobile and AT&T about htis and I have told them that I have my own phone(s) and the could care less.

They only want to sell contracts if you have a BlackBerry.

If you just want a SIM Card as a prepaid deal then they will give them to you. These are worth nothing until you call in to activate and put money onto the card.

[phil1995]

That was not waht I was told either at the AT&T store or on the phone to them (several times). I have called both T-Mobile and AT&T about htis and I have told them that I have my own phone(s) and the could care less.

They only want to sell contracts if you have a BlackBerry.

If you just want a SIM Card as a prepaid deal then they will give them to you. These are worth nothing until you call in to activate and put money onto the card.

That is ridiculous. If the government insists on regulating everything, why cant they actually regulate something that would help out the consumers. The mobile phone industry needs regulating. There is absolutely no reason you shouldn't be able to take any phone to any provider and get service on demand. That is pretty much how it is in the UK , if I am not mistaken.