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iPhone in LONDON

S

SwaGGeReR

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 12, 2010
9
0
I currently live in the US but will be going to London for six (6) weeks. I have an iPhone 4 on ATT. I'll probably use the phone to call/text friends/family, with occasional data usage to check email, web browsing, maps, etc. I will have wifi access at the place I'll be living at.

What do you recommend I do (Use ATT's International Roaming, buy a new SIM card, etc.)?
 
SwaGGeReR said:
I currently live in the US but will be going to London for six (6) weeks. I have an iPhone 4 on ATT. I'll probably use the phone to call/text friends/family, with occasional data usage to check email, web browsing, maps, etc. I will have wifi access at the place I'll be living at.

What do you recommend I do (Use ATT's International Roaming, buy a new SIM card, etc.)?
Click to expand...

Locked or unlocked iPhone 4?
 
Make sure your iPhone is unlocked. This is easily done by the carrier in the UK but I'm not sure how easy it is in the States.

As soon as you land, go and visit an O2 store (locations here: http://o2.asymmetry.co.uk/ )

And ask for an iPhone Pay as you Go Text and Web Simcard. Details here: http://www.o2.co.uk/tariffs/payandgo

The simcard is free, but you have to topup a minimum of £10. This will give you 300 free UK texts and 500MB web browsing.

You can also ask for the international favorites bolton for an additional sum. This offers some great deals if you want to phone home: https://if.o2.co.uk/templates/home.aspx
 
Its probably reasonable to keep your American plan and use their international roaming packages if you dont think its worth the effort. I'm not sure which is cheaper and by how much, but its pretty affordable.

Here are the details:

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/

Voice: 1.39 per min (or 5.99 per month + .99c per min.)
Data: .0195 per KB
Text: 50c per message.

Tell Katy B I said hi :)
 
Last edited:
I'm in the same situation... I think I'm going to go with the Gevey SIM turbo as that is the only option if your phone is not unlocked.
 
There is Wi-Fi all over the place- you can purchase a card from BT, or others, that allows access to the spots. I found the coverage, of BT, and free to pretty good.
 
Griffter said:
Make sure your iPhone is unlocked. This is easily done by the carrier in the UK but I'm not sure how easy it is in the States.

As soon as you land, go and visit an O2 store (locations here: http://o2.asymmetry.co.uk/ )

And ask for an iPhone Pay as you Go Text and Web Simcard. Details here: http://www.o2.co.uk/tariffs/payandgo

The simcard is free, but you have to topup a minimum of £10. This will give you 300 free UK texts and 500MB web browsing.

You can also ask for the international favorites bolton for an additional sum. This offers some great deals if you want to phone home: https://if.o2.co.uk/templates/home.aspx
Click to expand...

Rubbish price. You can do much better. For example Three do 100 mins, 3,000 text and 500mb for the same price.
 
TheOriginalKi said:
Rubbish price. You can do much better. For example Three do 100 mins, 3,000 text and 500mb for the same price.
Click to expand...

But what he suggested is your get a £10 top up PLUS those rewards. What you're suggesting costs £10 out right, so it depends what he's looking for.

You could order a GiffGaff sim to the place where you're staying and buy a £10 goodybag (basically a 1 month contract). You'll get 250 mins, unlimited texts and (true) unlimited internet. Not to mention more than 50% smaller costs for texts (4p) or calls (8p) compared to the other major networks in the UK, if you choose not to buy a goodybag.

Of course this all depends on whether or not you're unlocked.
 
I'm not currently unlocked, but I can if I need to. The GiffGaff deal sounds pretty nice. As I understand, I simply order a free SIM card and purchase a 10GBP goody bag in order to have 250 mins, unlmtd txt and web. So the total cost is 10GBP? <--That sounds extremely cheap?? I'm currently paying upwards of $100USD/month for 5GB data, 400ish mins and very limited txt...
 
thunderbunny said:
But O2 coverage and speed is better than 3.

I managed to clock up £88 of phone use in just 7 days in the US last week.
Click to expand...

3 has MUCH better 3G coverage than O2, (hence the name '3'), and you're in London so you're not going to notice much difference in signal, (although if you want to be pedantic, 3's coverage is about the same or better than O2 from my experience).
 
sou1 so1di3r said:
I'm in the same situation... I think I'm going to go with the Gevey SIM turbo as that is the only option if your phone is not unlocked.
Click to expand...

And this is why evil carriers lock phones -- so you give them your kidney's worth in roaming fees. Thank goodness for the guys at applenberry :)
 
Not true at all. O2 have been able to use part of their 2G network for 3G, 3 haven't got a 2G network. Being called 3 is of no significance. In terms of speed see the recent OFCOM findings.
 
SwaGGeReR said:
I'm not currently unlocked, but I can if I need to. The GiffGaff deal sounds pretty nice. As I understand, I simply order a free SIM card and purchase a 10GBP goody bag in order to have 250 mins, unlmtd txt and web. So the total cost is 10GBP? <--That sounds extremely cheap?? I'm currently paying upwards of $100USD/month for 5GB data, 400ish mins and very limited txt...
Click to expand...

You are comparing the most expensive USA carrier with a cheap virtual carrier in London. When you look at AT&T from an outsider's perspective, it is extremely expensive!
 
SwaGGeReR said:
I'm not currently unlocked, but I can if I need to. The GiffGaff deal sounds pretty nice. As I understand, I simply order a free SIM card and purchase a 10GBP goody bag in order to have 250 mins, unlmtd txt and web. So the total cost is 10GBP? <--That sounds extremely cheap?? I'm currently paying upwards of $100USD/month for 5GB data, 400ish mins and very limited txt...
Click to expand...

GiffGaff is quite good, I have a SIM in another phone. Uses O2 network. Wouldn't sign up permanently as don't trust how long they'll survive, but for a short time at the mo I think they'd be a good choice.
 
thunderbunny said:
But O2 coverage and speed is better than 3.

I managed to clock up £88 of phone use in just 7 days in the US last week.
Click to expand...

3 has MUCH better 3G coverage than O2, (hence the name '3'), and you're in London so you're not going to notice much difference in signal, (although if you want to be pedantic, 3's coverage is about the same or better than O2 from my experience).
 
Speaking as a Londoner who has tried both O2 and Three in a variety of places... I can safely say that Three has significantly better coverage. However O2 are the only company that provides visual voicemail (and the reason that I'm still with them!).

Adam
 
Just a word on Visual voicemail. I'm with T-Mobile which obviously doesn't support that in the UK but for people not on O2 I suggest you try a free app called HulloMail which is fantastic and diverts all voicemail to there service giving you visual voicemail. Plus it uses your free minutes to access it unlike T-Mobiles which charges every time I want to access it.
 
I'd go with three. For £15 on a pay as you go addon. You can get 3000 texts, 300 minutes and All you can eat data + You can tether. Also Texts are really cheap to the states and so are calls. So 3 would be the best for you.
 
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