BajaNomad

Can I put my US ATT sim card in a Mexican phone?

philodog - 1-20-2023 at 07:32 AM

I just broke my phone. Can I just buy a Mex cellphone at Walmart and put my US sim card in it to keep my current phone number? Thanks!

AKgringo - 1-20-2023 at 08:20 AM

I just did that, but it was at a US store. ATT has been increasing their coverage in Mexico, but for most of Baja, I connect with Telcel, so you might be able to use a phone from a MX Walmart.

Hopefully, the sales people will be able to answer your question. A year or two before they went out of business, the local Kmart here in Grass Valley was selling Tecel phones that used ATT towers.

[Edited on 1-20-2023 by AKgringo]

pauldavidmena - 1-20-2023 at 08:26 AM

Quote: Originally posted by philodog  
I just broke my phone. Can I just buy a Mex cellphone at Walmart and put my US sim card in it to keep my current phone number? Thanks!


I've done the opposite, putting a Telcel SIM card into an unlocked HTC One a few years back. I have to think that the cellphone options at Walmart would include the usual suspects like Samsung, Motorola, etc., and that they don't really care where the SIM card comes from, but I'm seeing conflicting claims on the Internet (as you're undoubtedly experiencing as well).

surabi - 1-20-2023 at 08:36 AM

You should be able to put any SIM card in any unlocked phone.

JZ - 1-20-2023 at 03:29 PM

The phone needs to be "Unlocked." Meaning it isn't tied to a specific carrier.

Telcel store should be able to do this for you.

If not, there are a lot of YouTube videos showing you how to do it.


advrider - 1-20-2023 at 11:39 PM

Wondering the same thing. Verizon charges $10 a day in Mexico, it adds up. AT&T is free, but they don't have as good of coverage in the Sierras. Would love the best of both worlds, Mexico sim card?

Almost - 1-20-2023 at 11:51 PM

A Mx sim card is easy and cost effective. Oxxo, TelCel, MexTel etc sell them. We use the amigo plan about $340p. Easy to recharge online and choice of different plans. We use Ding.com to recharge. The caveat is that you now have a mx phone # and will have to alert your contacts with your new #, or use your mx sim as a hotspot for your homeland phone.

surabi - 1-21-2023 at 12:11 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Almost  
A Mx sim card is easy and cost effective. Oxxo, TelCel, MexTel etc sell them. We use the amigo plan about $340p. Easy to recharge online and choice of different plans. We use Ding.com to recharge. The caveat is that you now have a mx phone # and will have to alert your contacts with your new #, or use your mx sim as a hotspot for your homeland phone.


You pay 340 for what? And why do you recharge through a third party that obviously charges you a fee? You can walk into any OXO, Kiosko, Telcel store, etc, and for 200 pesos get a month's worth of free calling and texting and 3gb of data, plus free social media.

Almost - 1-21-2023 at 07:44 AM

Why? Because it's something that was introduced to me when I first needed a plan for Baja that also covered the us and Canada. I can't just stroll down to the tienda with my latte and avocado toast and recharge.
Online, I can recharge whenever I want, I can review packages and change as I see fit, I can top up someone else's plan if needed. It's easy and convenient for me.
A question was asked, I offered my $0.02 trying to be helpful. Use what you want, pay what you want and have a nice margarita today.
Here's a link for more information:

https://www.ding.com/community/benefits-of-the-sin-limite-te...

[Edited on 1-21-2023 by Almost]

philodog - 1-21-2023 at 07:50 AM

FYI I went to the La Paz Soriana phone store, bought an $80 3g phone, the lady at the counter set it all up for me and it works fine. Still have my old phone number and internet speed isn't too bad.

surabi - 1-21-2023 at 11:41 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Almost  
Why? Because it's something that was introduced to me when I first needed a plan for Baja that also covered the us and Canada. I can't just stroll down to the tienda with my latte and avocado toast and recharge.
Online, I can recharge whenever I want, I can review packages and change as I see fit, I can top up someone else's plan if needed. It's easy and convenient for me.
A question was asked, I offered my $0.02 trying to be helpful. Use what you want, pay what you want and have a nice margarita today.
Here's a link for more information:

https://www.ding.com/community/benefits-of-the-sin-limite-te...

[Edited on 1-21-2023 by Almost]


Of course, if you want to spend an extra $84 US/year to recharge through a 3rd party app, just because that's how you first did it, by all means continue to do that. But you can just as easily recharge online through the Telcel app and save 140 pesos/month.

SinLimites is not a "plan". In Telcel speak, a plan is something you sign up for and it's an ongoing contract for which you are automatically charged each month. SinLimites is what they call a "paquete" and it's pay as you go. And you can choose any amount at any time. That isn't something unique to your "ding". That "ding" is the sound of them raking in 70% more than what SinLimites actually costs.



[Edited on 1-21-2023 by surabi]

pacsur - 1-22-2023 at 06:15 AM

As others have stated, you can use any gsm sim in an unlocked phone.
I buy used unlocked iPhones on eBay for under $200usd and use telcel prepago, I add $200p every 60 days, if you do this your unused credit will be rolled over and then added to your new deposit.
I also got tired of buying gps units so I bought another iPhone with low memory storage for under $100usd, I only use whatsapp, phone, and Gaia gps for trail riding on it.
You can also convert back and forth to an amigo plan for travels to the USA or Canada if needed.

pacificobob - 1-22-2023 at 08:07 AM

I had a Telcel amigo plan but found i couldn't recharge while outside Mex using an American credit card. It never occurred to me to use a third party pay service.
I would like to get another Mexican phone to use the Bancomer a d CFE apps

Whiskey Witch - 1-22-2023 at 12:09 PM

I have used USA SIMM chips in android phones that I have purchased at Telcel stores. I don't believe locked phones are even sold down here.

RFClark - 3-15-2023 at 08:35 AM

Currently T Mobile has the best deal for Baja Sur and the US. $40US a month with service wherever Telcel works. 10Gb of data. Unlimited calls in Mexico, US and Canada.

surabi - 3-15-2023 at 01:28 PM

Quote: Originally posted by RFClark  
Currently T Mobile has the best deal for Baja Sur and the US. $40US a month with service wherever Telcel works. 10Gb of data. Unlimited calls in Mexico, US and Canada.


Cheaper to use Mex. Telcel SIM, SinLimites. 200 pesos/mo.for unlimited calling, texting, and social media, with 3Gb data. If you need more data, $500 pesos on "Amigo Internet", which only works for data, gives you another 5Gb or more, depending on whether thry are having one of their "ofertas". At one point, I got double the Gbs, i.e. 10 for the 500 pesos.

[Edited on 3-15-2023 by surabi]

JZ - 3-15-2023 at 02:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by surabi  
Quote: Originally posted by RFClark  
Currently T Mobile has the best deal for Baja Sur and the US. $40US a month with service wherever Telcel works. 10Gb of data. Unlimited calls in Mexico, US and Canada.


Cheaper to use Mex. Telcel SIM, SinLimites. 200 pesos/mo.for unlimited calling, texting, and social media, with 3Gb data. If you need more data, $500 pesos on "Amigo Internet", which only works for data, gives you another 5Gb or more, depending on whether thry are having one of their "ofertas". At one point, I got double the Gbs, i.e. 10 for the 500 pesos.

[Edited on 3-15-2023 by surabi]


People want to keep their US number.

BajaBlanca - 3-17-2023 at 03:27 AM

I recommend getting a phone with slots for two sim cards.