# Cell Phone Service



## Nannetteph (Aug 13, 2015)

I'm leaving in 8 days. I'm wondering what kind of cell phone service to use. Here in the U. S. I'm with AT&T. Do they have similar service in the Philippines? Or, is it like a GO PHONE, pay as needed? I had my iPhone unlocked so I can use it there.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Nannetteph said:


> I'm leaving in 8 days. I'm wondering what kind of cell phone service to use. Here in the U. S. I'm with AT&T. Do they have similar service in the Philippines? Or, is it like a GO PHONE, pay as needed? I had my iPhone unlocked so I can use it there.


phils is on a diff freq than usa so i hope it works. i have a phone that works anywhere in the world. you can get a monthly program or pay as you go. This aint Kansas Toto.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

There are several different cell providers. Smart, Sun, Globe, and PLDT. Easiest is a pre-paid "load" whenever needed. Most all small stores will sell you call and text time or you can buy reload cards at any 7-11 store.
If your phone is unlocked, then you should be able to buy a SIM card most anywhere here and it should work. If not, cell phones can be had for very little or even the most modern and expensive is also available.



Jet Lag


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

I also have AT&T in the US, lol, switched to their Go Phone plan for when I'm there visiting. Over here I have a Globe prepaid SIM and top it up a couple of times a month. Usually about 1000-1500 pesos a month total, if I'm not making any calls, and that includes mobile data. I have an HTC One M8 and it works really well here.

Many options for mobile data, an example is 3MB for 30 days is 500 pesos ($11) and includes free Facebook (I don't use) and Spotify. If you run out just buy more. After using the plans here for awhile I kind of liked the pay as you use, and switched to the Go Phone plan in the US. My Globe SIM seems to get better reception than my girlfriends SMART or SUN, at least here in the Visayas.


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

Most US cell phone providers use GSM (including AT&T) and will work in the Philippines. I unlock (called “open line” in the Philippines) in the USA to make sure it still worked. Verizon and Sprint use CDMA which will NOT work in the Philippines. They have NO SIM card.


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

I travel all around the world and I have found that everywhere it has always worked the best for me to leave my good US Phone at home and just pick up an nice but inexpensive local phone and service. Here in the Philippines, you can get a nice phone and a loaded prepaid service that can be renewed or re-loaded anywhere with No problems.

Getting my US phone service to always work in each different country or spending so much time trying to figure out how to get my phone to work in each different country was a hassle...so buying a cheap local phone and local service has been awesome for me and I have never had any issues.


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## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

Cebu Citizen said:


> I travel all around the world and I have found that everywhere it has always worked the best for me to leave my good US Phone at home and just pick up an nice but inexpensive local phone and service. Here in the Philippines, you can get a nice phone and a loaded prepaid service that can be renewed or re-loaded anywhere with No problems.
> 
> Getting my US phone service to always work in each different country or spending so much time trying to figure out how to get my phone to work in each different country was a hassle...so buying a cheap local phone and local service has been awesome for me and I have never had any issues.


I also travel a lot and whilst there is a lot of truth in what you say, it can be very inconvenient using a new number every time. Plus not having all of your contacts and social media ready to hand. I usually go for a combination of both scenarios, I buy a new SIM for a cheap phone for local use, whilst keeping my iPhone active via roaming for all incoming calls, emails, messages, social media etc.


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

Agreed. When I did have my US AT&T coverage and added the travel options for data, roaming, etc, I have to admit it worked very well. Anywhere I went - Phils, Thailand, etc - I had coverage, call capability, mobile data, and messaging. It was amazing. Better and cheaper than Verizon had been on prior trips. That said, it still remained expensive, especially with global options, and once I moved here I downgraded that plan to the Go Phone and bought local sims for the countries I visit here. On my local Globe prepaid I get text messages fine from the US, so the only hassle is notifying folks back home to contact via text or email.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Memory card*



hogrider said:


> I also travel a lot and whilst there is a lot of truth in what you say, it can be very inconvenient using a new number every time. Plus not having all of your contacts and social media ready to hand. I usually go for a combination of both scenarios, I buy a new SIM for a cheap phone for local use, whilst keeping my iPhone active via roaming for all incoming calls, emails, messages, social media etc.


The memory cards will hold your contacts and no problem switching phones. The trouble with the re-loadable cards are they have odd or unusual phone numbers and run unwanted advertising, it drains your load or the customer must find ways to save the load with wacky advertising, what a pain, you can get a stateside looking phone number with a Telecom provider here and you won't need to load it, some Internet providers do this along with a land line, real handy and efficient,  these cards aren't sold at the grocery store. 

Signs you are getting a lack luster phone service when you purchase your SIM card with the phone, in emergency such as storms these cards won't work, the positive is that they make for a great back up or a temporary phone service for those that only visit here but if your going to live here, I couldn't imagine a more irritating form of communication,  especially when you run out of load on important phone calls, most of the Philippine cell phones come with multiple SIM card slots and I'd buy a cell phone with at least two SIM card spots.

Wife wanted to use these re-loadable SIM cards again so she added this option for my son's cell phone...ugh... lesson's learned again, it turned out to be a total waste of time and money.


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## UltraFJ40 (May 20, 2014)

Nanette, what phone do you have? We can check Phone Arena for the compatible frequencies. If it operates on those, AND it's unlocked (carrier) then you'll be good just adding a Philippine SIM card.

Please post up and I will personally check it frequency capabilities but you'll have to ensure with your local AT&T office that it is unlocked for international use.

No sense in speculating what is, could or might be. 

Manufacturer
Carrier (AT&T)
and model number is all that's needed.


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## galactic (Dec 2, 2014)

If you have a Quad Band phone that is not locked to a US provider then switching SIM cards won't be an issue once you arrive.


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## redggie (Jan 15, 2016)

Nannetteph said:


> I'm leaving in 8 days. I'm wondering what kind of cell phone service to use. Here in the U. S. I'm with AT&T. Do they have similar service in the Philippines? Or, is it like a GO PHONE, pay as needed? I had my iPhone unlocked so I can use it there.


That should work. I had my iphone unlocked as well by calling AT&T customer service before i travelled to manila. When you get to manila, just buy a prepaid sim card and you are all set. Getting a post paid subscription is another story.


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

I did have knowledge of this from my work before I retired but I discovered things have changed. Back then a quad band phone was considered a world phone because of its use mostly in Japan. The USA and most of the world used triband and the Philippines used dual band. The triband and quad band phones, as long as GMS and not CDMA, would work in the Philippines. 
Now some USA companies are switching to quad band and some Philippine phones are now triband. I have a galaxy S6 and a MyPhone Vortex both phones work in USA and the Philippines. I live in the Philippines now but visit the USA several times a year. Every trip there I get a sim from AT&T for my Vortex. I do agree that if visiting the Philippines the best is to buy a cheap cell phone and get a sim.


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## Donwarner87 (Jan 18, 2016)

I have my Verizon phone and have a Globe SIM card. Just text and talk, but I was able to purchase a Globe WiFi and I have internet anywhere I go. If I room out of load for my WiFi I just transfer load from my cell SIM to the pocket WiFi. Basically if you have a SIM card slot on your U.S. phone it will work here.


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

Donwarner87 said:


> I have my Verizon phone and have a Globe SIM card. Just text and talk, but I was able to purchase a Globe WiFi and I have internet anywhere I go. If I room out of load for my WiFi I just transfer load from my cell SIM to the pocket WiFi. Basically if you have a SIM card slot on your U.S. phone it will work here.


You are right; I heard that Verizon is selling some or all phones now that are CDMA and GSM. Things have changed since I retired! Do you use a Verizon SIM in the USA or is Verizon still using no SIM? My brother and mother did some traveling out of the USA more than 10 years ago. His Verizon phone would not work but my mother’s AT&T would, that is past. I still think if only visiting the Philippines buy a cheap phone and a SIM and use you US phone only for internet access. If one does unlock (open line) their phone best to do it in the USA to make sure it still work.


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## Donwarner87 (Jan 18, 2016)

Before I left the U.S. I called Verizon and they informed me that all their phones are no longer locked. I just removed my SIM and replaced it with the new SIM here in the Philippines. All of the phones from Verizon use SIM from my understanding. I found this to be the case in Europe and Central America. I kept my Verizon SIM and use it to dial 611 to pay my children's phone bill from abroad. It's a free call on a roaming international network. How this helps.


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