MOBILE PHONES

[jo b]

Hi,

I have searched for mobile phones topics but it doesn't have the answer to my question.

We are going to NZ in 12 days. My mobile phone is a work one (in fact I have 4 but don't tell work that).

l want to take 2 with us, do I just put a new NZ network sim in. We are with Voda with work if I take it to a Voda shop over here will they need to now account details to get it 'unlocked'.

BTW what's unlocking.

Jo

[jubjub]

Unlocking is when your phone is hacked so it will accept any kind of sim card, if its a Nokia, its easy, you can do it yourself, you can pm me for web link.

I think someone posted here about having a Vodafone contract over there, so if you are staying with them, you may not need it unlocked, contact vodafine in that case to check if an NZ sim card will work.

[veronica]

if your phone is unlocked you can just buy a pay as you go sim card over here and it should work.

[StevieD]

Jo, all you have to do is contact VF and tell them you are going to NZ. If your phone is compatible with the network down there (i.e if it a more modern, tri-band phone, you should be ok.) If your phone is roaming enabled you will be o.k. If not, they will sort it out for you.

And REMEMBER, if someone calls YOU, YOU are the one who pays the bill for the outward leg from UK and the return leg from NZ!!! That's the way the cookie crumbles. Not many people realise this, so that is even more incentive to get them off the phone quickly!! The uk caller only pays for a normal uk mobile call!!!!

Good luck Jo!

Steve

[Miffy]

I'm taking my phone out with me, and then getting a new contract there.

I've been told that NZ phones are a bit behind ours (UK) in technology so
I'll just swap the sim card over to my current UK phone.

Then I'll e-bay the phone I got with the new NZ contract :-)

[AliJax]

Jo I've spoken to Vodafone NZ, you need to ring VF UK and ask them if your phone is locked to the UK VF network, if it is they should be able to provide you with the code to unlock it, if not then simply plug in a prepay card when you get here.

Vodafone Prepay sim cards (pay-as-you-go) are $35 and slot into any mobile.

[jonSE]

UK GSM phones work fine here it's the same system as the uk. Only the US has a different system where you need Triband Phones (Older US mobiles still have a dial for the number and a very long lead back to the socket in your home LOL!)

I am fairly certain that 3G phones (pictures etc.) are also on the same system as the Rest of World.

If you have a normal contract bills paid monthly depending upon usage and a phone supplied by your network provider or a pa as you go phone bought new in the UK it will probably be locked to the network. Unlocking Nokia phones can e done on various websites for free if you have the IMEI? number for your phone - normally on the box it came in (This wasn't a lot of use as our boxes are n a container on the high seas somewhere) I am told Orange charges £40 to unlock a phone. We paid $30 to unlock here. Poss market stalls in the UK do it for £10?

Then buy pays as you go sim when you get here. cheaper than the UK. Buy a phone card with a local access number for calling home (UK) should be about 4.5c per minute. Local calls are free here.

Jon
My parents in the think I am homesick. It's just cheaper to call them from here than it was with BT back in the UK.

[Karoline]

Buy a headset with microphone, hook it up to your PC and you can call from PC to landline phone for 1,7 eurocents (0.118521 GBP,0.308586 NZD) a minute. Sometimes the quality is not so good, but it's one of the cheapest options.
When your parents know, how to use a pc, you can even call for free!
See also www.skype.com

[Nic in NZ]

if you are with vodaphone in the uk its dead simple, you dont need to do anything with your uk phone ( you dont need to get it unlocked or anything) just go into any vodaphone shop in NZ and buy a prepaid conection put the sim card in and away you go. if you are another network in the uk its a different story, we were on orange in the uk so we sent our moblile home With my inlaws when they came over, so they can get it unlocked so we can put a vodaphone sim card in over here as its a good phone.

just a quick one with telecom moblies, if you are going to buy a new moblie when you get here and want to use it to get txts from the uk, telecom work on a different system and we never got the txts sent from the uk( which was a bit of a pain) so we ended up getting a vodaphone.

Sorry for the rambling but thought you might like to know

Nic

[jensf]

HI
does anybody know how the prices compare of mobile phones in NZ to the UK, lets say on a pay as you go basis.
I am currently considering of buying a new mobile phone but have not decided yet if I should wait until we are in NZ.

Cheers

Jens