Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
Which phone?
What's the latest on an inexpensive phone to use in Baja? Recommendations?
Iflyfish
|
|
|
Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
AT&T has the following monthly plan for telephone only in Mexico and Canada:
http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/affo...
AT&T Canada and Mexico Travel Minutes*
Monthly packages for making and receiving calls while in Mexico and Canada.
Monthly Charge Included Minutes Per-Minute Overage
$30/month 80 minutes ($.38/min.) $0.50 Per-Minute Overage
$60/month 200 minutes ($.30/min.) $0.50 Per-Minute Overage
$120/month 500 minutes ($.24/min.) $0.50 Per-Minute Overage
Iflyfish
|
|
|
Leo
Senior Nomad
Posts: 518
Registered: 9-23-2004
Location: Todos Santos
Member Is Offline
Mood: could be better
|
|
Telcel, cheapest phone 20 dollars and fill her up with 500 pesos, you get 400 free so a balance of 900 which can last you 2 to 3 months depending on
use. Avoid long distance, use Skype. With this system you don't pay when your not here and non used pesos are now carried over when you fill her up
again.
The grass is always greener....
and so, there is always a better spot in Baja
|
|
|
Riom
Nomad
Posts: 492
Registered: 12-17-2004
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Iflyfish
What's the latest on an inexpensive phone to use in Baja? Recommendations?
|
Do you mean a physical phone (the Blu T172 is a great little phone for the money), or a phone account?
Assuming it's the latter, it depends on who you call most, and who calls you most.
If you are part-time in Mexico and your life revolves around the US, calling there and being called by people there as a domestic call for them, the
AT&T prepaid Go-Phone is hard to beat (25c/min incoming and outgoing in both US and Mexico, has a US number).
Running costs for low users (< 33 min/month) work out around $8.35/mo ($25 recharge within each 90 days). In general, the coverage area is the
same as Telcel (as it roams on the Telcel towers).
The Go-Phone is not really suitable for full-time use in Mexico as they may turn it off if too high a percentage of calls are from Mexico over several
months. It's also awkward giving the US number to delivery people and neighbours in Mexico, as it's an international call for them.
So for a mobile phone for just Mexico, get a Telcel Amigo prepaid phone from any local retailer in the area where you spend most time (so it has the
right area code/lada). Comes with a small amount of starter airtime, needs a minimum of 100 pesos added within each 60 days to keep active (so under
$4/month).
Call costs (especially international) can vary by the type of tariff chosen, I'm out of touch with those so somebody can jump in with what their
tariff is called and how much it charges.
Incoming calls are free, but it can be expensive to call a Mexico mobile from some countries and carriers, look into doing your own call forwarding
setup if you need people to reach your Mexican phone via a US number (can be under 10c/min).
This all assumes you need to make calls while away from the internet. If not, you'll get various recommendations for Skype, Magic Jack, ObiTalk, etc,
plenty of choice of VoIP carrier to get cheap or free calls. Again not that useful for being called locally in Mexico.
Some of my old articles on this subject:
Using a US cellphone in San Felipe
Check your Telcel Amigo account online
Adding money to your Telcel Amigo phone
Rob
|
|
|
Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
Great info, thanks a bunch.
I will be down for about three months and calls will be in country, Baja and Mainland. I use Skype internationally and it is GREAT!!
Iflyfish
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
