US iPhone while traveling in Europe

[backspaces]

I'm about to travel to Europe in a couple of months. I'm also just about to buy an iPhone. But it occurred to me that I couldn't use the phone there, right?

I currently use a Treo and TMobile, and I've no problems -- the phone is unlocked and has euro-roaming enabled. So use a euro-sim for local calls (pay as you go .. very nice indeed), yet have my US number sim for times I want folks from home to be able to contact me. This has worked really well.

But as far as I can tell, I can't do this on iPhone. The best I can do is euro-roaming and I'm not even sure that's possible due to Apple's requirements on their carriers.

You'd presume this would all "just work" after all it is a *mobile* phone, right?

Does anyone know the details about using a US iPhone in europe while traveling?

Thanks

-- Owen

 

[Conan]

Euro-roaming should work. If the iPhones release in Europe, maybe you could get a Sim card from a carrier there that is supported with the phone and just plug it in yours..maybe not sure. But Europe roaming is probably your best bet atm. Some people have used the iPhone in thailand so Europe should work.

Edit: Looked into it and ATT makes service agreements with other carriers around the world to provide for service in that country so those carriers are treated as ATT. If you want to look at the rates go to http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/international-roaming.jsp

 

[iPhobos]

The iPhone will work in Europe. But AT&T asks you to call them in order to activate international roaming as a security feature. While you do that you should ask what the pricing is going to be for the data and for voice and text messages so you don't go broke while you are on vacation or traveling.

 

[Sleeper]

I think the problem is that he can just pop a Euro SIM into the shell of another phone and run of a PAYG network. You can't do this with the iPhone - all you can use is AT&T's expensive roaming plan.

 

[JnC]

Does anyone know the details about using a US iPhone in europe while traveling?

Yes. And the short answer is, unless you absolutely know what to do, don't do it.

Here is an excellent article that outlines the pitfalls and some workarounds.

 

[brittt1]

I think the problem is that he can just pop a Euro SIM into the shell of another phone and run of a PAYG network. You can't do this with the iPhone - all you can use is AT&T's expensive roaming plan.

I use AT&T roaming when i am in Europe with no problems, I pay their $5 extra a month Internation plan, which basically cuts the price of the per min charge. My company pick up the tab anyway but i think its like 99 cents a min with that plan..Otherwise i think its a buck fiftyish, per min...

 

[backspaces]

I use AT&T roaming when i am in Europe with no problems, I pay their $5 extra a month Internation plan, which basically cuts the price of the per min charge. My company pick up the tab anyway but i think its like 99 cents a min with that plan..Otherwise i think its a buck fiftyish, per min...

Oops! The T-Mobile euro-roaming does NOT require an additional "plan" .. it simply is enabled via a phone call to T-Mobile support.

Same for unlocking: they will give you an unlock code if you have a trip to europe and have one of their locked phones. I've done it in the past. If your phone is less than N months into the plan, where I believe N=9, they have to get some sort of approval, but, again .. no problem.

Damn I'm going to miss T-Mobile.

 

[backspaces]

I think the problem is that he can just pop a Euro SIM into the shell of another phone and run of a PAYG network. You can't do this with the iPhone - all you can use is AT&T's expensive roaming plan.

Ouch! Yes, this is what I was hoping to do. *ALL* GSM phones have this capability in my experience, although they do have to be multi-band to work in the target country.

I'm surprised ATT hasn't addressed this problem. GSM after all is popular because it is so widely available, and as I mentioned before, it *is* a *mobile* phone, right?

 

[iphondal]

iPhone in Europe

I'm sure its the same for both Canadians and Americans - I was able to get my iPhone unlocked and purchased a SIM card locally from www.roamsimple.com was a great idea - they offer a global sim card for both voice and data and it worked! Let me repeat....it really worked. Savings were good and i was able to use the same sim throughout my all my travels in Western Europe - but you have to have an unlocked phone to use this service...