Whats the best USA sim card deal at the moment?

[file51]

If you can wait till you get to the USA, it's a lot cheaper. You can pickup a T-Mobile SIM free of charge from SIMple Mobile/T-Mobile for $40/month pre-paid.

Keep in mind, you won't get true 4G/LTE with any AU handset as the frequencies and channels in use in the USA are different.

You can also choose AT&T if you're planning on keeping your service for repeat trips; a $100 recharge on AT&T ensures your service remains active for 12 months, and it's $60/month when you are there for unlimited calling and texting (including to AU numbers) and 2GB of data (I've never managed to go anywhere near that even in AU on LTE).

If the $40/month you refer to is the similar to the $30 or $50 plan listed on the T-Mobile website
then that would not suffice unfortunately.

One of the main reasons for this trip is a trade show I attend, and I can easily burn through 2-3GB
of data on those few days (uploading photos, showing graphic intensive presentations on my iPad, etc etc).

So it would need to be a true unlimited plan with no throttling after hitting a certain data point.

I have seen the AT&T plan, but the 2GB of data doesn't work in my situation

(my data use is shared between phone, and tethering of iPad and laptop, when on the road)

Regarding battery life, sadly one gets used to always carrying a charger, cable and as a fail safe,
a Sony CPV3BC portable charger

 

[Rebekkap]

Keep in mind, you won't get true 4G/LTE with any AU handset as the frequencies and channels in use in the USA are different.

.

That's not quite true. It's true that the frequencies used in Australia are different, but the bands each phone can use vary. An Australian iPhone 5 can get LTE on sprint and verizon, for example, but not other US networks.

 

[file51]

Keep in mind, you won't get true 4G/LTE with any AU handset as the frequencies and channels in use in the USA are different.

So what speed (based on T-Mobile or AT&T for example) can be expected...

A super fast 3G connection, or does it register on the phone as 4G, but connection speed is
a slowed down 4G (but faster than 3G)

 

[Jason7]

So what speed (based on T-Mobile or AT&T for example) can be expected...

A super fast 3G connection, or does it register on the phone as 4G, but connection speed is
a slowed down 4G (but faster than 3G)

T-Mobile have been refarming it's 1900mhz frequency (supported by the iphone 5 aus model) which originally ran on 2G to 3G HSPA+. They've been marketing there 3G HSPA+ as 4G so i guess you can call it a super fast 3G connection. The re-farming began well over a year ago and finished in December last year. I'm sure there might still be patches of 2G/Edge.

 

[drewbles]

That's not quite true. It's true that the frequencies used in Australia are different, but the bands each phone can use vary. An Australian iPhone 5 can get LTE on sprint and verizon, for example, but not other US networks.

You can't get a service using Sprint/Verizon unless you actually buy a handset from them though. They are legacy CDMA carriers, and as such, they don't just 'sell SIM's' to people You have to 'activate' a Verizon device. GSM/UMTS providers do not roam with them either.

There are actually two A1429 iPhones, a GSM and a CDMA one.

I believe the actual bands that Verizon and Sprint used are only available on the CDMA A1429, and not the GSM models.

So what speed (based on T-Mobile or AT&T for example) can be expected...

A super fast 3G connection, or does it register on the phone as 4G, but connection speed is
a slowed down 4G (but faster than 3G)

Try closer to 2G speeds on 4G or 3G on AT&T. It's nowhere near as good as Telstra's 3G speeds.

T-Mobile have been refarming it's 1900mhz frequency (supported by the iphone 5 aus model) which originally ran on 2G to 3G HSPA+. They've been marketing there 3G HSPA+ as 4G so i guess you can call it a super fast 3G connection. The re-farming began well over a year ago and finished in December last year. I'm sure there might still be patches of 2G/Edge.

This just means you get better 3G coverage. 4G = LTE in most the world, in the USA they market HSPDA plus as 4G and 4G as LTE.

This is why you see 4G on your Australian phone running on an LTE network here, and 4G on an HSDPA network in the USA (if you look at the US based phones they'll say LTE). It's misleading, and you can blame AT&T for that one; they convinced Apple to do this on their handsets. Pre iOS 7, iPhones here in Australia said LTE for 4G, now they say 4G. Go to the USA with same phone? Says 4G.

 

[Rebekkap]

You can't get a service using Sprint/Verizon unless you actually buy a handset from them though. They are legacy CDMA carriers, and as such, they don't just 'sell SIM's' to people You have to 'activate' a Verizon device. GSM/UMTS providers do not roam with them either.

There are actually two A1429 iPhones, a GSM and a CDMA one.

I believe the actual bands that Verizon and Sprint used are only available on the CDMA A1429, and not the GSM models.


Try closer to 2G speeds on 4G or 3G on AT&T. It's nowhere near as good as Telstra's 3G speeds.


This just means you get better 3G coverage. 4G = LTE in most the world, in the USA they market HSPDA plus as 4G and 4G as LTE.

This is why you see 4G on your Australian phone running on an LTE network here, and 4G on an HSDPA network in the USA (if you look at the US based phones they'll say LTE). It's misleading, and you can blame AT&T for that one; they convinced Apple to do this on their handsets. Pre iOS 7, iPhones here in Australia said LTE for 4G, now they say 4G. Go to the USA with same phone? Says 4G.

I don't think that's quite true. I think you can bring your own device to Verizon, see the first FAQ in their FAQs:Wireless Service Checklist FAQs | Verizon Wireless

There are also resellers of both networks (although a lot of them don't allow BYOD) List of United States mobile virtual network operators - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[drewbles]

I don't think that's quite true. I think you can bring your own device to Verizon, see the first FAQ in their FAQs:Wireless Service Checklist FAQs | Verizon Wireless

There are also resellers of both networks (although a lot of them don't allow BYOD) List of United States mobile virtual network operators - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

To the best of my knowledge, Verizon won't supply you a SIM unless the device is vetted by them (and on post paid only).

I'm very aware of MVNO's; I work for one

 

[Willie]

I am currently in the US and am using a prepaid sim from www.ultra.me
I am paying $59/month for unlimited US calls, unlimited global text, 4GB data @ 4G speed and 1000 minutes to 70 countries! Ultra Mobile

This is a very good deal for me as the counties I need to call are all included!

This is all per month.. I kid you not! There are a number of plans starting at $19/month - they all have the 1000 minutes for international calls.

Only con for some would be that they use the TMobile network so outside of the big cities coverage can be thin on the ground.

Customer service is A1

OOh Roo

Willie

 

[pblackm]

Willie - What handset are you using? My understanding is that the USA 4G - LTE bands are not supported on Australian handsets (I have a Nokia 925).

 

[raleyoz]

Willie - What handset are you using? My understanding is that the USA 4G - LTE bands are not supported on Australian handsets (I have a Nokia 925).

That is incorrect , they work fine, I use mine just swap Sims.

 

[pblackm]

That is incorrect , they work fine, I use mine just swap Sims.

Thanks raleyoz!

 

[Willie]

Willie - What handset are you using? My understanding is that the USA 4G - LTE bands are not supported on Australian handsets (I have a Nokia 925).

iPhone 5s

Worked fine for me indeed!

Ooh ROo

Willie

 

[MrHyde]

I've left this very late now, so hope someone can provide some tips.

I am flying to Tampa tomorrow morning for one week on United going MEL-SYD-LAX-IAH-TPA arriving at TPA at 10:30 PM. Is there anyplace along the way (LAX or IAH) where I can buy a SIM card at the airport. I require something to last me one week - minimal calls / text and about 500MB of data will suffice.

 

[raleyoz]

Sorry can't remember , not to many phone stores in airport in USA I have been too

 

[serfty]

Short notice but you can pick a telstra prepaid sim for 30 dollars at the airport in australia.

Activate it and before leaving purchase a 29 dollar roaming data pack using most of the 30 dollar credit you get with the sim .

That will give you up to 100 Mb for 30 days - fine if you just check emails, browse AFF etc. - or at least until you can source a sim in the USA.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Do any AFF'ers know of any outlets in DFW that sell pre-paid sim cards for use in the USA?

 

[bass_ke]

Can anyone confirm how the HTC one M8 plays with American networks?

 

[Baysider]

Do any AFF'ers know of any outlets in DFW that sell pre-paid sim cards for use in the USA?

You'll need to find a fully fledged T-Mobile or AT&T store. Unless its changed the mall kiosks don't carry SIM cards.

 

[SeatBackForward]

You'll need to find a fully fledged T-Mobile or AT&T store. Unless its changed the mall kiosks don't carry SIM cards.

Oh well. Had six hrs to kill in DFW, maybe i should see whats outside the airport?

 

[albatross710]

Oh well. Had six hrs to kill in DFW, maybe i should see whats outside the airport?

Last time when I was shopping for pre-paid SIM the USA networks are not really that interested in that market. The USA telcos really want locked phones on locked networks with contract and give their users very limited flexibility.

I know I have a T-Mobile but the pack they offered was only 2G speeds. I'll be back there in two weeks and hopefully can just resurface the same sim and get operational through an online recharge. It's been seven months since I used the SIM, hopefully it will still be active.

Please let us know about availability close to DFW. I'll be entering through LAX, but the intel is always good to have.

Alby