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brewer
Nomad
Posts: 419
Registered: 1-4-2011
Location: BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Grateful
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Cell activation for Baja iphone
Has anyone had any luck using their iphone with Verizon? I tried on mine and had no service, San Felipe, Mexicali. I've gone through the procedures
to set it up. I think Verizon has very little cell coverage in Baja.
So I was thinking of getting a cheap phone and buying prepaid minutes from Carlos Slim, Telcel. Has anyone gone that route.
By the way, we would only want to use the phone for emergencies,
Thanks.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Verizon
If you go to Verizon's service map for Mexico, you will see very little Verizon coverage. A Verizon rep told me they have "service bubbles" at the
major cruise ports. Otherwise you will be off-network roaming.
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
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take it back. ATT is the best.
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dasubergeek
Senior Nomad
Posts: 694
Registered: 8-17-2013
Member Is Offline
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It drives me insane. My iPhone is perfectly capable of roaming on GSM. It does it, say, in France. But no, not in Mexico, where there's a tiny tiny
bit of CDMA coverage. So your friends with AT&T and T-Mobile will be blazing down the information superhighway while you're stopped at the toll
booth asking, "Hay Wi-Fi?"
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5900
Registered: 7-18-2011
Member Is Offline
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ATT X2
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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I've used T-Mobile with my iPhone for the past 18 months. Free international data is very nice. It works with TelCel or moviestar services.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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Howard
Super Nomad
Posts: 2353
Registered: 11-13-2007
Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
Member Is Offline
Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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ATT X 3
I have the Viva Mexico plan. I do not know if they still offer it.
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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BAJA.DESERT.RAT
Senior Nomad
Posts: 980
Registered: 11-5-2009
Location: BAJA SUR
Member Is Offline
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Hola brewer,
while in baja, i've had a telcel cheapie, $ 50.00 U.S. for years and just buying minutes when i ran out. i think you will find out how handy it is to
have.
also, if you're driving, 066 is the 911 number of baja. so, it worked out for me when i had a flat and needed service in a somewhat desolate area but
within phone range.
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT
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mojo_norte
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 2-14-2006
Member Is Offline
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Last winter I got a cheapo Telcel phone at OXXO for around 200 Pesos - came with some airtime .
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dasubergeek
Senior Nomad
Posts: 694
Registered: 8-17-2013
Member Is Offline
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That's what I do, too. I started out with the 301$ special Nokia from Sanborns and eventually upgraded to a cheapie Samsung smartphone for something
like 1000$ (pesos). When I need airtime, I just walk into an OXXO.
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mrfatboy
Nomad
Posts: 478
Registered: 4-17-2008
Member Is Offline
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If you have an unlocked Verizon iPhone 4s, 5, or 5s just pop in a Mexican sim (telcel, lusat, moviestar) and your are good to go.
Popping in an Att pay as you go sim and roam in Mexico on telcel should work also. Not sure how cost efficient it is tho.
[Edited on 8-21-2014 by mrfatboy]
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zzzxxx
Newbie
Posts: 11
Registered: 2-22-2011
Member Is Offline
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FYI, all Verizon 5s iPhones are unlocked. If you have a Verizon iPhone 5s, all you have to do is buy a MX SIM card, pop out the verizon SIM card, and
slid in the MX card. When Verizon bid on new bands with the FCC, one of the stipulations was that their GSM phones would be unlocked. This is not
true for ATT, etc. iPhones.
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zzzxxx
Newbie
Posts: 11
Registered: 2-22-2011
Member Is Offline
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Purchasing a MX sim card is much cheaper than turning on MX service through Verizon. MUCH cheaper....
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BajaWarrior
Super Nomad
Posts: 2307
Registered: 9-27-2006
Location: Mission Bay, San Diego. Playa Hermosa, San Felipe.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Anxious to get south
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Brewer, we use a the "Go Phone" plan through AT&T. You can get the phone at WalMart and charge time to it on line. Had it for years now, works
everywhere there is service in Baja.
We use Verizon normally for U.S. service.
Haven't had a bad trip yet....
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brewer
Nomad
Posts: 419
Registered: 1-4-2011
Location: BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Grateful
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My wife picked up a cheap phone at OXXO, $30. It came with 100 minutes. Telcel. Just for emergencies really.
We are helping Carlos Slim get richer.
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Mula
Super Nomad
Posts: 1655
Registered: 8-16-2011
Location: San Nicolas y Lopez Mateos
Member Is Offline
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We've had a Verizon for years with the Mexico plan - for $88 USD per month that only worked when we were in Ensendad, La Paz, Cabos, etc.
Just got an AT&T go phone in the states and it works all over here in Baja. $30 USD for 80 minutes per month. We are JAZZED!!!!
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5900
Registered: 7-18-2011
Member Is Offline
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My son has a phone thru a random carrier and when we're in Mexico it works and there's no additional fees. I'll ask my wife what carrier it is and
post here later. $20/month.
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5900
Registered: 7-18-2011
Member Is Offline
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Republic Wireless is the company we have my son's phone thru. You buy the phone, then pay $20/month for unlimited talk/text/data. NO CONTRACT. It
uses wifi for calling when you have a wifi signal to cut down on network usage. Anyway, it's a USA plan but when we go to Mexico he uses it. The
first time it scared the crap outta me because I thought we'd get nailed with roaming fees. Got the bill - nothing extra. He can make calls and text
at NO EXTRA CHARGE. He hasn't tried the data (like internet browsing) when we're not on wifi in Baja yet. Will advise.
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Terry28
Senior Nomad
Posts: 825
Registered: 8-25-2007
Location: S.Calif mtns.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Thirsty
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Dude! Thanks for that info. I will check them out..If I can get a deal like that I will be a happy guy...Gracias
Mexico!! Where two can live as cheaply as one.....but it costs twice as much.....
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Locations??
Where in Baja has your son used this phone??
| Quote: | Originally posted by Ateo
Republic Wireless is the company we have my son's phone thru. You buy the phone, then pay $20/month for unlimited talk/text/data. NO CONTRACT. It
uses wifi for calling when you have a wifi signal to cut down on network usage. Anyway, it's a USA plan but when we go to Mexico he uses it. The
first time it scared the crap outta me because I thought we'd get nailed with roaming fees. Got the bill - nothing extra. He can make calls and text
at NO EXTRA CHARGE. He hasn't tried the data (like internet browsing) when we're not on wifi in Baja yet. Will advise. |
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