iPhonesin Jamaica

Hey all - soon come back to Nergril. Can't wait. Last time down, we had our iPhone 5 with us. US Verizon rip off in a big way. Pretty much only used phone when we had wifi. I have since upgraded to an iPhone 6, but have my old iphone 5 still. I heard that you could go to digicell? and get a sim card to use on the island. Would be very helpful to me as I also sail my boat to Canada every summer and get similarly screwed by Verizon. Thought I'd use my iPhone 5 on the island since it's just sitting here collecting dust :) Any help?

If it's a Verizon I phone it's most likely incompatible with the GSM system used in Jamaica.

Does it have a slot for a SIM card and is it unlocked?

cap

It has a removable sim card. No idea if it is unlocked. Probably not as it's a verizon phone. Gonna see what I can do about that. Have to go to apple store tomorrow. Since contract with verizon is complete, I believe they have to unlock it.

Good news. Verizon will unlock it and all you need to do is buy a Digicel SIM (500Ja) and put some credit on it. After that it's cheap for both voice and data.

If you need help just PM me.

Cap

Switch to T-Mobile and enjoy free texting and data while in Jamaica (and 100+ other countries), not to mention huge savings on your monthly bill and no overage charges.

Double check with Verizon but I was told that all Verizon iPhone 5's and 6's shipped unlocked. Last trip I used my 5 and this time I'm using my 6 and my wife is using her 5c. Haven't had any problems. The data plan is nice for non wifi spots.

I planned on taking my ATT iPhone 4 on our next trip to use with wifi. Is it locked? (I'm not too tech savy) It would sure be handy to get the new sim card.

I believe all AT&T phones are locked, (until you unlock them). If you call their customer service (or customer service online chat), they will walk you through the unlocking process. It's not exactly an intuitive process, but its not that difficult either. I'm an IT professional, and I kind of fumbled through the process with the tech on the phone. You might be able to just bring it to an AT&T store and have them unlock it, but not sure if there is a charge. Flipadelphia mentioned that there is a third party online service that will unlock it for $20.

I unlocked an old AT&T blackberry curve about 2 years ago, that we still use on trips to JA. As I said, I just chatted with the AT&T support tech online and they walked me through the process. Some of the steps ask you to enter codes and then press weird key combinations, and it can be tricky to tell if the command is successful. Other wise, I think it is something that you can do on your own.

I have Verizon and have contacted them about using my phone while in Negril, they have set it to global for that time. Why is it a rip off? Thanks for any info!

Cole, It's still going to be very costly to roam your Verizon phone while in JA even when they tell you it's ok. I know because I have to take my work phone (BB) with me and I see the bill when I get home. My work pays it but it's about 300$ for a 7 day stay and that's using it very little... I have an old iPhone I take with me and stop at the Digicel in the circle then use wifi for data.. Much cheaper.

Ok.. I see, this is something they neglected to tell me when I contacted them. I was told it would be $25 for the data and then they would charge for per text or call. I guess I need to keep reading, this is all new to me!

Using a local sim and data plan is much cheaper than Verizon's global calling. And if you keep the sim topped off every couple months you can use it in future visits as well.

I spoke to Verizon a few day's ago. All 4G phones are shipped out unlocked. For Iphones go to Settings; Cellular, Roaming and turn International CDMA Off. Take sim out(use a pin to pop it out) turn off and replace with Digicel SIM.

Yep, exactly what they told me as well.

After further review seems that is correct. My old iPhone 5's are unlocked as are my current 6's. I don't plan on using the 6 down there - rather not have on the beach etc. and generally don't want to mess with my phone as it's too important at home. Went to apple store today to get a new battery for the 5 - it was free - so both 5's are good to go. I'll grab a couple sim cards in the circle so my wife and I have full cell service on the island for the 10 glorious days we will be in Negril again. I truly cannot wait. Last year we stayed on the cliffs - 1/2 at Catcha gardens- the other 1/2 at Seastar - recommend both. This time we are staying 1/2 on the beach - new to us - at the Three House - and the rest at Catcha - just love the cliffs. Anyway = just love the place. Soon come.