Verizon iPhone 5 options in France/Italy

[JoeM845]

I am considering a non-Verizon service while on a 2 week trip to provide for little to moderate levels of voice and data. I am trying to determine what I need to do and what impact it has on my phone. I have never swapped SIMs and am having little luck searching for answers to these basic questions. I would appreciate information or a link to some sort of "SIM Swapping for Dummies".

1) Do I need to do anything other than swap SIMs and a one-time activation of the new service?

2) Do I get a new "local" phone number with the new SIM?

3) The iPhone is also being used for email and texts. What happens when I swap SIMs?

4) Any recommendations for phone/text/data service providers in France & Italy? I would prefer not to have to do SIM surgery.

5) My assumption is that the two options are the Verizon Global Service and a SIM swap. Is there a better option?

Thanks

 

[dictoresno]

1.) nothing else to do other than drop in the new SIM and go. the phone will automatically (well should) download the new carrier info for sms and data.

2.) yes, you will/should get a local number with the SIM. thats usually what happens.

3.) what do you mean? sms and data (email) will go through the plan with whichever SIM card is installed. as long as the SIM includes data and sms, you will be charged accordingly by whichever one you are using.

4.) i think Orange in france and TIM in italy both have the iphone 5, so you should be able to get nano SIMs from them for prepaid. if not, buy a $5 SIM cutter on amazon and bring it with you in case. this is what i did for when i goto iceland.

5.) there are only 3 options. buy a prepaid local SIM and their respective plans, use your verizon SIM and pay lot for roaming overseas or just use wifi only while abroad. that will be your cheapest option, but you will be locked down to only being able to use your device in wifi areas.

google search. tripadvisor usually has cell phone roaming travel tips for situations like this. they tell you whats the most common carriers people use, how much and where to get them.

 

[JoeM845]

3.) what do you mean? sms and data (email) will go through the plan with whichever SIM card is installed. as long as the SIM includes data and sms, you will be charged accordingly by whichever one you are using.

What will happen to texts sent to the Verizon number? My guess is that they will pile up until I swap the Verizon SIM back in. Will the sender have any idea this is happening?

What will happen to the existing email setup and emails sent to the existing address? My guess is that the emails will be received, that the SIM will only impact the path that the data takes.

Once I have activated the phone with the European SIM, can I switch back and forth by just changing SIMs?

I take it from your recommendation of the SIM cutter only that it is not necessary to also sand down a micro to nano thickness.

Thanks for you help. I had tried a number of searches without finding useful information.

 

[dictoresno]

What will happen to texts sent to the Verizon number? My guess is that they will pile up until I swap the Verizon SIM back in. Will the sender have any idea this is happening?

they will be in limbo. the network will attempt delivery for a few days until ultimately failing after however many attempts the network makes. this may vary by carrier. the original sender may get a fail to deliver message, but i doubt it. but basically, yes, its just like when someone sends you a text and your phone is off. it will pile up until your SIM registers back on the network, then will finally deliver if it can. the original sender will have no idea, and assume you are either not responding or the phone is off.

What will happen to the existing email setup and emails sent to the existing address? My guess is that the emails will be received, that the SIM will only impact the path that the data takes.

correct, the SIM will only impact how/where it gets the data from. your verizon SIM, prepaid SIM or by wifi makes no difference to the email. all that matters is it has some form of access to data. email will be delivered regardless of which method of data its currently using. as long as you have some kind of connection, you will get uninterrupted email.

Once I have activated the phone with the European SIM, can I switch back and forth by just changing SIMs?

yes, pop in your verizon SIM and you will be on your way. once the phone registers back on the verizon network, it should automatically update your carrier settings. i have swapped out my verizon SIM with an old at&t one just to verify the phone was unlocked, and once i put my verizon SIM back in, i was back in business in seconds. thats the joy of SIM cards

I take it from your recommendation of the SIM cutter only that it is not necessary to also sand down a micro to nano thickness.

i doubt it. the at&t SIM i used to test my iphone 5's unlock status was an old micro card that was cut down by hand using a template that i found online and printed out. it fit perfectly into the nano tray and had zero interference in regards to the thickness of the card. so i highly doubt sanding will be necessary. however, the edges may pose a different issue. SIM cutters are very cheap and as such, cheaply made. they operate in the same manner as a hole puncher. so sometimes they may not cut perfect, but extremely close, way more than by cutting yourself by hand. but be prepared to touch it up by hand if needed, as it may leave a small burr or rough edge. for $5-10, its good insurance in case you cant find a nano card. like i said, i picked one up for when i goto iceland. they will come with adapters for micro to nano and reverse adapters to convert the nano into a micro and regular SIM, should you need to. just make sure you buy the correct cutter. here is a link to the one i bought.....

http://www.amazon.com/QQ-Tech-Cutte...id=1367044403&sr=8-1&keywords=nano+sim+cutter

Thanks for you help. I had tried a number of searches without finding useful information.

youre very welcome.