# Sim card and best/cheapest phone network



## Guest (Aug 21, 2012)

ok sooo I got my phone unlocked so I can put a sim in it when I get to dubai. I understand I cant get a good phone plan until I have a residence visa but I can get some sort of sim card right? is it very expensive?


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Look on du and etisilat for prepaid plans. When you arrive at the airport, you will be able to buy a sims. If you know the package you want, and you buy credit, you can sign up for the prepaid plan by just sending an sms. My suggestion is to have what plan you want to subscribe to, wrote down. 

Highly suggest to download an app that you can save your gps coordinates for the places you go to. Will make it easier to find your way back once you have a vehicle.


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## lonni (May 23, 2012)

Good plan to get your phone unblocked as I didn't and had an awful experience getting it unblocked but that's another story!

I have just been here 3 weeks, I bought a PAYG sim with Etisilate but it's very random if people get my text messages or not, more so with the UK. Some do and some don't.

I would like to know if DU is more reliable as I am getting conflicting advise from friends and colleagues... I will be signing up for a data package also as it kills my credit if I use 3G at the moment. 

Thank you


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## ECP124 (Aug 20, 2012)

I have the same questions about cell phone plans once in Dubai. I am very in love with my iPhone and would hate to have to leave it behind. I had heard there may be some places in Dubai that I could go to and they can jail break my phone. Is this a good plan or not? Also I have fallen in love with being able to access the Internet on my phone and being able to text and call a great deal, is there a lot of dependable wi-fi in Dubai or should I plan on having to get a lot of Internet use from the phone company? I am going over there to be a flight attendant for emirates so in reality I may not need a great deal of cell time unless they have a really great international plan? I know this is a lot questions but I feel very lost when it comes to this type of thing, I have looked up both the company's online and I am aware of prices, I guess what I am looking for is more of opinions from people who have already gone through the process or what others are planning to do/ what works/ what does not. I am pretty dependent on my phone so I really would like to be able to keep it....


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## lonni (May 23, 2012)

If you're still in your home Country, I would get it unblocked there as I had a very stressful and unnerving experience by answering an add on Dubizzle and being directed some guys house that turned out to be in the desert, or so it felt! After unlocking/jail breaking you may need to sync it with your PC afterwards as the guy that unblocked mine didn't tell me it would delete EVERYTHING and reset it to factory settings, I lost all my contacts etc and was told the only way to get them back would be to sync my phone with the laptop I had originally set it up with (which was in a skip in the UK) so then I had to go and buy an Apple Mac to sort it all out! (I could have bought a cheaper one but wanted all Apple products so they talk to each other and I don't get brain ache!)

Regarding jail break, loads of people love it because you can get loads of apps for free etc BUT if anything goes wrong with your phone, Apple are likely to refuse to fix it as in their eyes, the phone has been tampered with and they don't agree with it, as they obviously like apps to be paid for! I can't get it off mine now but mine is in a very sad state so will need a new one soon anyway!

Re the sim, I am still in a quandary whether to change from Etisilate to Du or not... I bought a PAYG sim (no data) to get me through but am going to go on one of their plans. I believe from speaking to people here that most expats go with Du but have no idea whether or not they are better.

I enquired at a phone shop re getting a plan and they were happy to do this with just a passport as I am still awaiting my ID card etc. You do seem to have to have every single piece of evidence of your existence to do anything, I even had to show my passport for a PAYG sim! 

Anyway, not sure if this has been of help or not but good luck!


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

Just wanted to add, that jail-breaking of iphones is no longer considered 'illegal'. About a year ago, there was a court ruling out in the States that upheld the view that the mobile phone once bought is the customer/purchaser's property, ergo they can jail-break if they want to and not loose their warranty. More details here: U.S. Declares iPhone Jailbreaking Legal, Over Apple?s Objections | Threat Level | Wired.com
The rest of the above post is bang-on-target.


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

ECP124 said:


> I have the same questions about cell phone plans once in Dubai. I am very in love with my iPhone and would hate to have to leave it behind. I had heard there may be some places in Dubai that I could go to and they can jail break my phone. Is this a good plan or not? Also I have fallen in love with being able to access the Internet on my phone and being able to text and call a great deal, is there a lot of dependable wi-fi in Dubai or should I plan on having to get a lot of Internet use from the phone company? I am going over there to be a flight attendant for emirates so in reality I may not need a great deal of cell time unless they have a really great international plan? I know this is a lot questions but I feel very lost when it comes to this type of thing, I have looked up both the company's online and I am aware of prices, I guess what I am looking for is more of opinions from people who have already gone through the process or what others are planning to do/ what works/ what does not. I am pretty dependent on my phone so I really would like to be able to keep it....


AT&T will unlock your iPhone if you have been a customer for a while, just ask. 

Be sure to put Skype on the phone before you leave, I use it a lot for International calls from here. I also use a Magic Jack as lot from home to call the US.

The prepaid plans are OK even with data here, not as cheap as the US but are OK. WiFi is hit or miss, doesn't seem to be as many places as US although it is around.


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

I have a magic jack, but couldn't get the thing to work, is there anything special that i need to tweak to get it to work here?


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Du lets it just work. Etisilat it wont just work... 

At least this is what I have found. I have du in disovery ghetto, and it works there fine.


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

saraswat said:


> I have a magic jack, but couldn't get the thing to work, is there anything special that i need to tweak to get it to work here?


I have Du and need "the thing that shall not be mentioned". PM sent.


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

Cool, thanks for the info will definitely be trying it out... Oh the savings!!!!


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## ECP124 (Aug 20, 2012)

Thank you all for the information,I had no clue it was not illegal to jailbreak phones anymore! I will have to look into this before i leave


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

ECP124 said:


> Thank you all for the information,I had no clue it was not illegal to jailbreak phones anymore! I will have to look into this before i leave


Be sure you understand the difference between "unlock" and "jailbreak".

From your posts I doubt you need it jailbroke, just unlocked.


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