Could you advise me please?
I need a new phone. A world phone that I can use in Ethiopia, Zambia and Kenya but also in London, Frankfurt, New York and at home.
Why is this so complicated?
There are only a few phones with international capability.
Narrowed down it is really just Black*berry (To*ur) or Black*berry (Bo*ld) or the Ap.ple ip.hone.
So my first questions are about the phones:
1. Do you prefer Black*berry or ip.hone?
2. Which keyboard is easier to use?
2. Which keyboard is easier to use?3. If you have wifi on your international phone does that eliminate long-distance roaming charges? Bo.ld has wifi. To.ur does not. I don't get the difference and why I need to think about it if you can get online either way.
4. I know you can download movies from itunes onto the iphone. Can you do the same with Black*berry? Is it difficult?
5. Can Black*berries text each other for free from overseas?
My second set of questions is about the carrier:1. Online it says that T-Mo.bile and A.T&T have cheaper per minute roaming overseas. But they don't have extensive coverage in the US. So am I looking at dropped calls?
2. Spri.nt and Ver.izon are our preferred carriers but have higher international roaming rates. Is there a way around this? Can Skype bypass roaming rates if you can Skype from the phone?
Finally I don't understand how the SIM card works overseas. If I buy a "local" SIM card in Addis Ababa for example will I then only be able to make and receive local calls on the phone or will I still be able to call back to the US?
I'm sorry. This is a really boring post for anyone not interested in phones. But I'm really hoping that some of you have either bought an international phone or used yours in Ethiopia and can help me out. And you'll benefit if you stalk the blog and want to see updates and photos in real time when I get there!! Either leave a comment or just email me if you have a lot of details. :)
~A
1. I have never had an iPhone, but I ♥ Blackberries.
ReplyDelete2. The Blackberry keyboard is way easier for me, but I type so fast that I make so many mistakes with my iTouch (same keyboard as iPhone). With the Blackberry-I can go fast and not make mistakes.
3. Not that I know of. My Blackberry (curve) can record videos, but only short ones. Nothing fancier.
4.I don't know, but I do know that in Ethiopia-my phone was unable to access WiFi because it just didn't exist (really).
5.I don't think so. But, it's super cheap (at least with T-Mobile)
and...
1. I have TMobile and I used to have Verizon and a local phone service here in HI as well. TMobile has way better service than anybody else on the island. I never drop calls with TMobile. The only reason I would consider leaving them is for an iPhone, but the iPhone's keyboard (and expense!) has kept me from doing it.
2. Dunno.
I don't know any of these answers. But in fear of your so called 'boring post' being over looked by comments I'm giving you one. (btw- It actually had me cracking up... appearently i'm easy to amuse these days)
ReplyDeleteI can only speak for using in England. Our friends that had Blackberries now have iphones and LOVE them so much more. Sadly I am waiting to get one when I move back to the States, China or India.... wherever we go next.
ReplyDeletewish this was sent from my own iphone.
haha