verizon vs. T-mobile? T-mobile abroad?

[alwayscurious]

Thanks largely to advice I got on this site last year, I have been using Verizon very happily. I got it mostly for travel, but have of course started using it more on nights and weekends at home in Manhattan. This year, I will be doing my usual travel (1 or 2 trips a month within US), but will also take 3-4 trips abroad (2-4 weeks each).

The rep in the cell phone store has been really pushing T-Mobile and I have to say that the extra minutes are enticing. Also he claims that this phone will work in just about every major city overseas (with roaming charges of course) whereas Verizon will not and insists that its a better plan, better customer service etc. Frankly, I'd like to have a cell phone overseas so that I can be contacted easily in case of emergency (the fewer numbers I give my folks, the better) , but don't necessarily want to pay for friends to call me just to chat.

The consensus seems to be that Verizon gets the best reception in NYC, but should I switch to T-Mobile given my upcoming overseas travel? Is this sales rep full of it?

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

[bumato]

Yes, you will be able to roam in Europe/Asia with a Tmobile triband phone and "World Class Rates" which means essentially at least 99c per minute for any kind of call (local, within country, overseas, incoming, checking voicemail, forwarded to voicemail, etc.).

Verizon offers an international program for $10/month, 1 year contract required, they will provide you a GSM SIM for $10 if you have a GSM phone. Then they will give you a forward code for your regular Verizon phone to forward your calls to your GSM phone. They are even more ridiculous than world cass at $1.49/minute but the only real advantage of this plan is that you get free incoming calls in the UK and Japan (for someone calling your US number) which, if you're in the UK or Japan for just a little while and receive 120 minutes of incoming calls, can pay for an entire year's subscription to the plan!


Q9: Do I pay for incoming calls received while I am in the United Kingdom and Japan?
A9: No. Incoming calls are FREE while you are in the UK and Japan.
FAQ Verizon overseas plan

[budney]

I have heard his in many threads on this forum. You may just want to buy a cheap unlocked GSM phone on eBay. Then when you are overseas you can buy a pre-pay SIM to put in your phone. I have heard the rates are better than T-Mobile's international roaming rates. IMO this is a better way to do it. As you will have better coverage in the US with Verizon, but have a GSM phone for your overseas trips.

[CellPhoneJunkie2]

T-Mobile does have a 14-day trial period. If the reception is good in your home (it's not bad in Manhattan at all, but only you will know whether it will work in your apartment), plus any other location you're likely to want to use your phone. I've heard people complain more about the outer boroughs (I've used it in Queens and Brklyn OK), and in Suffolk. I've used it in Nassau and southern Rockland, too. It all depends on where you're using it and the phone you choose. If you do decide to give them a try, go with the Samsung s105 or the Mot v60 (if you can still find one).

I've had good experience in Europe, and if you're use overseas is limited, T-Mobile is good in that they don't charge you to have international roaming on your line. You just pay for your use, which as someone else said, starts at 99 cents a minute in Western Europe for all your calls (incoming, back to the states, local, or anywhere else in the world, for that matter).

[Rasputin]

Originally posted by: budney
I have heard his in many threads on this forum. You may just want to buy a cheap unlocked GSM phone on eBay. Then when you are overseas you can buy a pre-pay SIM to put in your phone. I have heard the rates are better than T-Mobile's international roaming rates. IMO this is a better way to do it. As you will have better coverage in the US with Verizon, but have a GSM phone for your overseas trips.

That is what I have done, the prepaid is the way to go.

[Mooby]

I second what budney suggests, but make sure the phone you buy supports the frequency that the country you're going to uses. Best bet is to get a tri-band GSM phone that is unlocked.
Also, you might want to have your friends/family in the US pick up a cheap prepaid calling card to call you on. This will most likely be cheaper than just calling you using their regular long distance plan. My friend did this to call our other friend who's currently in Japan and it's much much cheaper for him to use the calling card.

[GoodmanR]

I would definatley say to switch. T-mobile youll be able to use the same phoen when overseas, Verizon you will not, although they will rent you one and forward your calls. T-mobile will also save you money over the verizon options. If you do not need the same number when you go overseas, I would do what others suggested and buy a prepaid sim in europe or wherever you may be travelling (if you would use the phone mostly for local calls when overseas). Most carriers in europe sell mostly prepaid so if thats where your going do it.....

Some places in south and central america your verizon phone will work...it depends on where..

but i would go t-mobile for international roaming.

[BW55]

For Central & South America, I take my T-Mobile GSM. There are many networks there that support analog, so the Verizon dual band may work, but you are at big risk for getting cloned, and even though there are a couple CDMA networks, theres no "SIM Card" in CDMA so Verizon will have to have an international agreement.

[Andy]

MY advice is to stay with Verizon for your trips within the U.S. and to get a European Sim Card.
If you get a European Sim Card, you won't have to pay for incomming calls in the country you bought the card, your family,friends will have to pay, so you don't have to worry. I have a Vodafone D2 Sim Card for Germany, a Swisscom(Vodafone) card for Switzerland and a Vodafone-Airtel card for Spain. For example, calls from Spain with my Airtel Sim Card are really cheap, even cheaper than T-Mobile's 99 cents. If you travel from country to country, you might still be in good shape with a European Sim card. Just decide in which country you are going to stay most, then compare rates, and get a Sim Card from that country. If you travel into other European countries you will have to pay for incomming calls(mostly less than 99 cents) and you will have to pay a little bit more for outgoing calls. I still think that a local Sim Card is your best guess.
T-Mobile does offer you more minutes for less money, but I'm much more satisfied with Verizon than with my T-Mobile.
Hope this helped.

[GoodmanR]

I really loved my T-Mobile and thought their customer service was underrated. I only switched because I travel too much and go to places where gsm is not avalible.


There are several things which would keep me away from getting a european SIM...mostly that it would be extremely expensive (more than with t-mobile) for you to call back home, which I assume you would be doing quite often. And if you want to recieve calls with an american number...you cant. unless you pay the forwarding charges

Also...its true that on an AMPS network in s. and central america you do hav ea high risk of being cloned. There are several countries which do operate CDMA and CDMA PCS networks where you would not have this issue..but nothing compares to the security of a SIM card..

[CIE]

I absolutely agree to what budney said! I bought once a prepaid SIM from CallinEurope (it's active during one year) and now when overseas I only rent a phone from the same company (but you may also buy it on eBay. ) This is a very good solution and the rates are surely better than T-Mobile's international roaming rates.

[Barciurek]

In most cases, European sim card will cost you less even to call US than 99 cents a minute.. sometimes a bit more..
But then people have to pay international call charges and you actually hjave to call them before to give them their number...

[DeathRider]

Verizon does offer a limited number of "World Edition" mobile phones, actually 2 moto phones (one w/camera, one w/o camera) and Blackberry 8830 WE.

Not sure what the global calling plan entails, guess you can "add/remove" it as necessary, but probably with always adjusting your contract ending date in the process.

Global Phone

[tmobileman]

Did anybody happen to notice that this thread is over 5 years old...lol

[Barciurek]

oh... woops. lol