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International Travel

ee99ee

ee99ee

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 9, 2006
270
3
I'll be in Brazil for about a month in June. During this time, I would like to use my iPhone but only on Wifi. I do NOT want to use Edge as the fees would be outrageous!

Is there a way to turn off the phone part of the iPhone but leave wifi on? I'm just fearful of unexpected usage fees, especially international fees.

-Chris
 
download boss prefs if your phone is jailbroken. If not, I assume you are going to use your own native service provider just call them before you go and tell them to turn it off.
 
It's not jailbroken. I want the phone off while I'm there, I will not be using a local provider at all.

-Chris
 
On your iPhone just go to Settings -> General -> Network and turn off data roaming if it's enabled.

Edit: Thought you were just talking about data - not sure how you'd go about switching off voice but keeping WiFi, sorry!
 
I am going to Australia for 3 weeks in two weeks and I'm looking into the same idea as you. I'd love to keep the wifi capabilities and not worry about having the 'phone' features. I think calling at&t is the best option...
 
zainjetha said:
just take the sim card out.. simple...
Click to expand...

So, to minimize charges - the best option is to disable international roaming (this will eliminate all possibilities of data roaming charges, right?) and then take the SIM card out if I only want to use wifi (basically making it an ipod touch).

Do i run any risks of hurting the phone by doing this? Thanks for all the help on this guys, much appreciated.
 
skubish said:
Are you sure the iPhone will work without the sim card? My guess is no.
Click to expand...

an iphone works without the sim card inserted. i use both my unlocked/jailbroken and at&t locked iphones without a sim card installed all the time. as long as the iphone has already been activated, it will work without a sim card...
 
r6girl said:
an iphone works without the sim card inserted. i use both my unlocked/jailbroken and at&t locked iphones without a sim card installed all the time. as long as the iphone has already been activated, it will work without a sim card...
Click to expand...

Then I agree. Just take the SIM out.
 
It seems to work without a SIM card in, but I heard there were issues if the iphone was reset without the SIM card in. If that happens, you'd have to reactivate? I'm not sure if that's true, but seems pretty tough to do from overseas!
 
I'm heading over to Europe this summer. I plan to turn off data roaming and set the phone to forward all calls to my home phone#. If I had an emergency, I'd want to be able to call out, but I don't want to receive calls at the higher rate. I will tell people who need to contact me to text me, because that shows up as free. If I need to text back, that showed up at .50 a text, which is better than the 1.29 per minute call price.

I've set up with my parents, who don't text, so they can text me with email and I will be able to text to their email. I'm not sure how much wi fi access I will have, so wanted a way to communicate if needed.
 
Yep, as the person stated above. Removing the SIM works great. I do this every time I am out of the country. Your carrier text in the upper left will just say No Sim.

I really hope some of the places I visit that have iPhones now will offer PAYG Sims. Then, I would no longer have to carry my Razor and my iPhone when I travel.

And, just as an aside, if you are going somewhere with a carrier that offers SIM cards just buy pay as you go. I use them with my unlocked Razor all the time.
 
docwoz said:
this will eliminate all possibilities of data roaming charges, right?
Click to expand...

Wrong.

I recently went to the Channel Isles, and joined onto the network JT-Wave. I had data roaming turned off, however the iphone would still use EDGE, and my phone bill was aroun £80.

Either its a foreign country and EDGE should not have worked, or its not a foreign country and i shouldnt have been charged... One of the two!

Anyway, I wouldnt rely on the "data roaming" on/off switch.
 
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