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Travelling to New Zealand for a week. What are my prepaid options for my iPhone 6?

K

Kendo

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Apr 4, 2011
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I am visiting New Zealand for a week in late August and my wife and I would like to bring our iPhone 6. We don't need to make any calls or texts but need data so we can use Google Maps and the Internet during our stay. We'll stick with Wi-Fi when at our hotel but I would like 2GB of data while we are on the road (1GB would be the absolute minimum).

I found a 2GB plan with 120 mins and 200 texts for $49 from Vodafone. Is this our best bet? Is Vodafone the AT&T and Verizon of New Zealand?

http://www.vodafone.co.nz/travel-sim/
 
Kendo said:
I am visiting New Zealand for a week in late August and my wife and I would like to bring our iPhone 6. We don't need to make any calls or texts but need data so we can use Google Maps and the Internet during our stay. We'll stick with Wi-Fi when at our hotel but I would like 2GB of data while we are on the road (1GB would be the absolute minimum).

I found a 2GB plan with 120 mins and 200 texts for $49 from Vodafone. Is this our best bet? Is Vodafone the AT&T and Verizon of New Zealand?

http://www.vodafone.co.nz/travel-sim/
Click to expand...

We've got a number of carriers in New Zealand, Spark and Vodafone being the biggest two followed by 2degrees and Skinny. Spark and Vodafone both have their own networks and basically represent your AT&T and Verizon, I'd tend to say Spark are faster and a little cheaper than Vodafone but I don't keep up to date hugely––both networks have pretty much nationwide coverage. 2degrees launched a few years ago as the cheap, new, exciting network (maybe how you'd look at T-Mobile recently) but their prices aren't as competitive as they once were and their network is still being built out (they initially only had networks in major metropolitan areas and transitioned customers over to Vodafone's network but I think they've improved). Finally we have Skinny which is just a subsidiary of Spark (and the newest network, they launched in the last two years) but positions itself as the cheaper, cooler network and because they're using Spark's network it's about as good as you can get.

Take a look at the carrier's respective websites and figure out what's cheapest.

TL;DR: Skinny is probably your best bet.
 
It depends on where you go, I am on Vodafone 4G and was on Spark 4G before that, only because different work places have a preferred carrier. If you going out of the main cities I suggest you get on Spark or Vodafone instead of 2dgrees/skinny. I've had friends visit and buy their prepaid packs only to claim how horrible the coverage is. I went to lunch with them in a rural area and I had 3-4 bars and they had none. All of us on the same version of the iPhone.
 
I went to NZ on March with a tom tom and my iPhone4. the tom tom didn't work but I had instal maps.me and download the NZ maps. you don't meed data to use It :)
much easier solution IMO and we drove the 10 days and never lost. I'm still doing everything that I need with my sexy iphone 4. 8gb :D
 
I went to NZ in March and went to Spark. I have the 6+ and told them I needed two GB data and they put the SIM card in. it was 29$ NZ..about 22 U.S.
 
I used spark when I went there in feb. Used an iPhone 5. I think Vodafone had better coverage though, friend used it.
 
By the way, get it at the airport, I got mine from Auckland, if you're lwmding at Christchurch, no issues too.
 
Ev0d3vil said:
I used spark when I went there in feb. Used an iPhone 5. I think Vodafone had better coverage though, friend used it.
Click to expand...
No...Spark most definitely has better coverage. Vodafone has a larger 4G network but Spark has a bigger footprint overall.
 
Whereabout in NZ? I can only comment on Auckland since I live here and I've visited a few parts of Wellington so I can tell you about that too.
 
I agree Sparks has better coverage, Vodafone has a lot of old tech so even if you get a signal it might be useless 2G or GPRS. On Spark you know if you get a signal you are getting a 3G/4G connection.
 
koruki said:
I agree Sparks has better coverage, Vodafone has a lot of old tech so even if you get a signal it might be useless 2G or GPRS. On Spark you know if you get a signal you are getting a 3G/4G connection.
Click to expand...
Not quite. Vodafone only uses 2G for really rural areas. They were also the first carrier to roll out 4G here AND have the largest 4G footprint.
 
TechGod said:
No...Spark most definitely has better coverage. Vodafone has a larger 4G network but Spark has a bigger footprint overall.
Click to expand...

By the way spark LTE does not work with iPhone 5? I don't get LTE with my 5 when I was there.
 
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