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I was wondering if anyone had any recent experience using their cell phone in Negril. I use AT&T and have an iPhone 4. I understand incoming texts are free but outgoing are 20 cents. How is the coverage and what were your int'l fees when you returned home?
Word of caution!!!!
I have at&t and i usually only use my personal cell when i have to in jamaica.....however last reach in april, i added world traveler plan for 5.99 and international text and thought i would be ok...........not
last month my jamaica bill was a whopping $718.!!!!!!
It was due to going over in text messages and minutes not sure how much per call and texts were because i was soooo pissed i just payed the bill....i don't wanna know
anyway lesson learned.....when in ja you are better off using a rented cell and purchasing your minutes with a phone card!
I was planning to add the international thing to my ATT phone too....but, maybe not!
I used my iphone only with wifi (used Skype and facetime), no extra charges. Skype was about $3 for unlimited calls to the US. Leave it on airplane mode and turn wifi back on.
WE get a loaner phone from our usual driver ............. he fills it with minutes for Jamaica calls only ............ very minimal charge .............. IF we find a need to call back to USA, he lets us use his personal phone ............ somehow they know how to call USA for darn near NOTHING ! ! !
Ah, the things AT&T will not tell you when you are traveling abroad - you might buy a "plan" but you are still not only paying for talk minutes but for phone and data roaming. I too have an IPhone 4 - when I turn it on airplane mode on my last leg of my trip it stays in that mode until I'm on US soil again.
I've always used my Jamaican cell phones for local and international calls. Digicel has a decent plan, actually more than decent - last year it was 1100JMD for 1000 minutes of talk time to the US. Its a monthly plan but for that money even if you are just staying a week or two its a very cheap way to phone home.
rastagirl777
Ah, the things AT&T will not tell you when you are traveling abroad - you might buy a "plan" but you are still not only paying for talk minutes but for phone and data roaming. I too have an IPhone 4 - when I turn it on airplane mode on my last leg of my trip it stays in that mode until I'm on US soil again.
rasta girl..does airplane mode also disable the data? just got my windows 7 phone today and learning about it yet. we also have a jamaican phone but wanted my smart phone for the delta app.
I don't know much about other smart phones - I know that on the IPhone if you put it on airplane mode it disables the GPS so it's not constantly trying to find its network. If you are at a place that has WiFi you can check your email, download apps and music, Skype - do all those things that you might normally do on the 3G network but its over WiFi...so no data costs or data roaming costs.
I'll go out on a limb here and say the Windows phones are set up in a similar fashion?
those minutes/credits are good to call the USA too -- there's probably just not enough credit in the loaner phone to do it - but regular ol' Digicel credit/minutes are good to call anywhere, local or international.Quote:
loaner phone from our usual driver ............. he fills it with minutes for Jamaica calls only ............
The unlimited monthly international plan isn't *necessary* to be able to call internationally-- it's just more economical if you plan to talk a LOT, or stay on-island for long term. (and it only works for international - it cannot call locally). Regular phonecards/credits work just as well; when i'm there just for a week i usually get a 500 J phone card - about half the cost of the monthly plan.
Yah - that's the monthly international plan ppl are speaking of -- your driver probably has that on his personal phone. And since it's good for unlimited calls, it's cheaper for him to just let you use that to call home - as opposed to buying additional 'regular' phonecards/credit to add to the phone he lends you.Quote:
........... somehow they know how to call USA for darn near NOTHING ! ! !
I have taken my various iPhones a few times. It's not airplane mode you want to be in, because that shuts off your wifi, too. International Data Roaming-->OFF is what you want to be on, unless you have an International Data Plan. That will allow you to access all wifi services still, and also make calls at $2 a minute, so probably not for everyday use, but you can still make calls and (I think) send and receive texts for a reasonable amount. The second you turn International Data Roaming on, you will start sucking all kinds of data and you'll pay for it when you get home.
You can leave it in airplane mode, then turn wifi back on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian@Chicago
But if it's in airplane mode, you can't use it to make $2 a minute phone calls.Quote:
Originally Posted by saeyedoc
I leave it in airplane mode and my WiFi works automatically? As far as the $2/minute phone calls, I'm assuming you are kidding about the need to do that? Cause, well...its outrageous. The other danger with JUST turning off data roaming is that your phone itself is still looking for the phone network and is in roaming mode. So your bill won't be $700, maybe just $500 depending on how many $2/minute calls you make. I just shut the whole thing down and turn it into a camera and hand held computing device.
personally, i'm not subjecting the delicate smartphone electronics to the heat, salt air and humidity.... nor do i want to be flashing phone-bling around, (those things are hot items), or have to worry about finding someone to watch my belongings, etc, when i'm in the water. I leave my home phone off and just store it in a suitcase til I leave, and use my local pre-paid Digicel, & the netbook w/ local free Wifi for e-mail & keeping in touch. Buying the local phone was cheap, adding credit is cheap, nobody wants to steal it, and if anything happens to it, it's simple (and again, cheap! hehe) - to replace. and of course no bills when i get home - !
My I-Thang and my laptop never leave my yard. I have the I-Thang because it is my phone in the US and while I'm traveling I do need to stay in touch with my office. Once on the plane in Miami the "thang" gets turned onto airplane mode and stays that way for the next three months.
I use my JA cell phone to make calls to the US as well as locally. I use my computer to check and respond to emails. If the "thang" comes out of my "home" purse - its rare. Hub uses his because I hog the computer :)