# Which Mobile Phone Sim?



## DPETRIE

Hello,

We are due to move out to New Zealand from the UK later on this year. We both currently have Apple iPhones which we have been on the o2 network.

If we get our phones unlocked before we arrive - what is the best pay as you go sim card to get for usage in New Zealand ready to go as soon as we arrive? Also can we get one prior arrival and where from? lane:

Thanks


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## anski

DPETRIE said:


> Hello,
> 
> We are due to move out to New Zealand from the UK later on this year. We both currently have Apple iPhones which we have been on the o2 network.
> 
> If we get our phones unlocked before we arrive - what is the best pay as you go sim card to get for usage in New Zealand ready to go as soon as we arrive? Also can we get one prior arrival and where from? lane:
> 
> Thanks


Having tried Vodaphone in the past I switched to 2 degrees 18 months ago & have been saving money ever since.

Not sure if you can buy before you arrive but the starter Sim pack is available at Auckland Airport, so you could buy them on arrival.

All their infomation is on their website: 2degrees - Prepay & Pay Monthly mobile phone plans - 2degrees


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## escapedtonz

DPETRIE said:


> Hello,
> 
> We are due to move out to New Zealand from the UK later on this year. We both currently have Apple iPhones which we have been on the o2 network.
> 
> If we get our phones unlocked before we arrive - what is the best pay as you go sim card to get for usage in New Zealand ready to go as soon as we arrive? Also can we get one prior arrival and where from? lane:
> 
> Thanks


Hi,

You haven't much choice as there's only the 3 providers but 2degrees by far the cheapest.
You can buy 2degrees Pay As U Go SIM cards from NZ whilst still in the UK (we did) and have them posted to you. You can pay by credit card or Paypal.
Meant we already had the numbers to give family & friends.
I registered both NZ SIM cards whilst still in the UK after our iPhones unlocked just so I knew they would work straight away.

Be careful paying for iPhone unlocking. It's a complete rip off.
All you get is the instructions to do it via iTunes and pay £25 for something that should be free. I'm sure you don't need an unlocking code or anything like that.

I might even still have the instructions somewhere but only do it when you have the new SIM cards as it completes the process and always do a full back up of each phone to your pc before attempting it.


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## toadsurfer

I started on 2 degrees when I first arrived as they are indeed the cheapest. Sadly their coverage is hopeless outside the cities. 

As you have an iPhone you will want the best 3G coverage and that is telecom. 

Unless you never leave Auckland I really would say just get a Telecom prepaid sim. I've been on all the networks out here and they have by far the best coverage and 3G speeds in real use. Shane really as I wanted 2 degrees to be good as I like supporting the smaller competition!


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## jsharbuck

We have iPhones and use Telcomm and even when I call back to the US, rates are not bad. Most times we use FaceTime which is free between other IPhones worlswide


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## anski

toadsurfer said:


> I started on 2 degrees when I first arrived as they are indeed the cheapest. Sadly their coverage is hopeless outside the cities.
> 
> As you have an iPhone you will want the best 3G coverage and that is telecom.
> 
> Unless you never leave Auckland I really would say just get a Telecom prepaid sim. I've been on all the networks out here and they have by far the best coverage and 3G speeds in real use. Shane really as I wanted 2 degrees to be good as I like supporting the smaller competition!


My 2 degrees works just as well in Napier as it did in Auckland. However if driving in remote areas where there are no cell phone towers it is just as hopeless for coverage with Vodaphone & Telecom as it is with 2 degrees.


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## Liam(at)Large

Between Vodafone (not Vodaphone), 2degrees and Telecom (not Telcomm) -- I have all three on iPhone -- the former two are both lacking in coverage nationwide, including Auckland... As I sit here with all three side by side in the bedroom, Telecom has all but one bar, Vodafone has one bar (won't dial out) and 2degrees none. Really the best, and additionally fastest, coverage is Telecom... it's not the cheapest.


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## toadsurfer

My girlfriend has 2degrees. She refuses to get telecom as otherwise she'd always have signal and I could find out where she is all the time.


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## Song_Si

Mobile coverage maps from the three major providers:

telecom
vodafone
2degrees

these also have links to the various plans available

Also see thread: *Any preference on cell phone companies?*


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## kiwigser

*Telecomm frequencies*

Iphones will work fine on Telecomm, but for other users, a lot of phones from abroad or bought from 2 degrees or Vodafone do not work with Telecomm. It operates nationwide in the 850 MHz frequency, with 2100 MHz infill 
Have a look here:

Phone compatibility - Our Network - Mobile - Telecom NZ Ltd


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## escapedtonz

DPETRIE said:


> Hello,
> 
> We are due to move out to New Zealand from the UK later on this year. We both currently have Apple iPhones which we have been on the o2 network.
> 
> If we get our phones unlocked before we arrive - what is the best pay as you go sim card to get for usage in New Zealand ready to go as soon as we arrive? Also can we get one prior arrival and where from? lane:
> 
> Thanks


Before we all confuse the heck out of you, why don't you look at each provider, choose your likely Pay As You Go tariff and work out how much you would likely spend per month.

You have to consider where you are likely to be living for the mobile signal and who you are going to be ringing, texting, how much Internet you need (this is a big decision here as data packages are very poor compared with UK).

I'd expect the most costly calls will be back home. This is by far the most expensive with Telecom or Vodafone. On 2degrees it is 22c a minute which is also cheaper than our landline which is approx 30c a minute. The other two providers are 40c + a minute.
Instead of this you need to Skype or FaceTime to eliminate this cost.

You can purchase any of the 3 providers, Pay As You Go SIM cards from UK if you find the right website to order.


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## jsharbuck

iPhone's bought in the states have to be unlocked. Our carrier AT&T stated that our phones would work as we bought them new right before we left the States. Getting here Telcom told us that we would have to ask AT&T to unlock them which they refused unless we extended our contract for another 2 yrs. the Telcom sales rep gave us the name of a company that would unlock the phones so they could be used here. Paid $75 each and now they work here.


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## escapedtonz

Finally found our instructions to unlock iPhones :-

Complete rip off if you pay for this, luckily we didn't ever get invoiced. In a nut shell, most carriers and phone shops will charge $70 for this service that takes a few minutes!!!

Note, these instructions consider our then UK sim provider Orange Telecom but don't think it matters if you substitute your own provider in place of it.

Here we go :

****Please note there is no code required to unlock your iphone/ipad****
****Please make sure a back up is taken of your iphone/ipad*****
****Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed on your pc****


1) With the phone off - Insert a non-Orange 3G micro SIM card (eg the one you have got from an NZ carrier). This must be a network provider who supplies sim's for the iphone/ipad.
2) Switch ON the handset and connect to iTunes. Make a complete back up of the device to your computer and note where this backup file can be found.
3) Use the “restore” option within iTunes
4) The handset should then display: USB cable and iTunes icon.
5) Disconnect from USB then re-connect
6) Synchronise device with iTunes
7) Once synchronised a message will appear on iTunes stating “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked”
8) Follow on screen set up instructions to enable new carrier settings.

Your handset should now be successfully unlocked.

Should this not show, please keep other network 3G sim in the iphone and restore the iphone via iTunes making sure all data is backed up first.
You can also get some self help tips, please put the following into Google and search; support.apple.com/kb/TS3198

If your “restore” option is not shown when device is synchronised with iTunes, you must place the Orange sim back into the iphone/ipad and update the software, "restore" and then follow the unlock procedure again with the other network sim inserted.


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## Liam(at)Large

This does not unlock your iPhone. This is the restore process to SIM unlock the handset once the carrier has updated the IMEI in Apple's database. This process itself, will do nothing but waste your time without the IMEI being updated (which is what you are paying for). 



escapedtonz said:


> Finally found our instructions to unlock iPhones :-
> 
> Complete rip off if you pay for this, luckily we didn't ever get invoiced. In a nut shell, most carriers and phone shops will charge $70 for this service that takes a few minutes!!!
> 
> Note, these instructions consider our then UK sim provider Orange Telecom but don't think it matters if you substitute your own provider in place of it.
> 
> Here we go :


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## escapedtonz

Liam(at)Large said:


> This does not unlock your iPhone. This is the restore process to SIM unlock the handset once the carrier has updated the IMEI in Apple's database. This process itself, will do nothing but waste your time without the IMEI being updated (which is what you are paying for).


Orange as our UK carrier did not update either of our IMEI numbers in Apple's database to unlock the handset.
I agree this is another method which may be more permanent if one wanted to use the handset in many different countries.

I just used the restore process quoted on two handsets which worked without any issues and allowed both the UK SIM card and the NZ SIM card to work which gave us a solution for using our UK mobiles in NZ.

Maybe I will experience issues in the future if I need another SIM card from a different provider or if I visit another country and purchase a local sim card - only time will tell.

Hardly a waste of time if the process works, whether temporary or permanent at zero $'s.


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## Liam(at)Large

I worked for Apple in Canada and the US before moving to NZ, I *might* have a slight bit of knowledge about what I am talking about here.

The process you mentioned will *not* just work to unlock an iPhone unless the phones IMEIs are recorded for unlock in Apple's system, whether you buy them this way direct from Apple or have them carrier unlocked (or otherwise have the IMEI adjusted). Otherwise there is jailbreaking to software unlock (with subsequent issues).



escapedtonz said:


> Orange as our UK carrier did not update either of our IMEI numbers in Apple's database to unlock the handset.
> I agree this is another method which may be more permanent if one wanted to use the handset in many different countries.
> 
> I just used the restore process quoted on two handsets which worked without any issues and allowed both the UK SIM card and the NZ SIM card to work which gave us a solution for using our UK mobiles in NZ.
> 
> Maybe I will experience issues in the future if I need another SIM card from a different provider or if I visit another country and purchase a local sim card - only time will tell.
> 
> Hardly a waste of time if the process works, whether temporary or permanent at zero $'s.


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## topcat83

Liam(at)Large said:


> I worked for Apple in Canada and the US before moving to NZ, I *might* have a slight bit of knowledge about what I am talking about here.
> 
> The process you mentioned will *not* just work to unlock an iPhone unless the phones IMEIs are recorded for unlock in Apple's system, whether you buy them this way direct from Apple or have them carrier unlocked (or otherwise have the IMEI adjusted). Otherwise there is jailbreaking to software unlock (with subsequent issues).


Lol! Sounds like it worked for what EscapedtoNZ wanted to achieve though - namely to use his iphone in UK & NZ - so who are we to argue?


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## Liam(at)Large

topcat83 said:


> Lol! Sounds like it worked for what EscapedtoNZ wanted to achieve though - namely to use his iphone in UK & NZ - *so who are we to argue?*


Lol. Really?

It did not "work" for escapetonz; at least not as advertised.


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## topcat83

topcat83 said:


> Lol! Sounds like it worked for what EscapedtoNZ wanted to achieve though - namely to use his iphone in UK & NZ - so who are we to argue?


I'll repeat what I said - it achieved the result he wanted - therefore it 'worked'. 

Maybe we can bring this 'yes it did', 'no it didn't' conversation to an end. It seems that we're arguing for argument's sake.


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## chellebubbles

DPETRIE said:


> Hello,
> 
> We are due to move out to New Zealand from the UK later on this year. We both currently have Apple iPhones which we have been on the o2 network.
> 
> If we get our phones unlocked before we arrive - what is the best pay as you go sim card to get for usage in New Zealand ready to go as soon as we arrive? Also can we get one prior arrival and where from? lane:
> 
> Thanks


I would go with 2 degrees pay monthly, I have an I phone. Its £20 a month and will be sufficient until you know exactly what you require. I have just moved from Vodafone, who I found to be very unreliable and a waste of money. - 2degrees - $19 Combo Packs: $19 Data Combo and $19 Text Combo


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