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SFandH
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Cell phones in Baja
OK, I'll admit it, I'm an old retired guy who stopped using cellphones back in the Crackberry days when work required me to carry one around. I don't
like telephones and communicate with email or FB messenger. I intentionally don't know anything about smart phones.
But, almost all Internet authentication systems now assume you have a SMS capable phone to receive authentication codes. OK, I give up, I'll move into
the 21st century and get a smartphone, Android, I don't iAnything. I want a US number, not a Mex number.
So.....since I spend 1/2 of my time in BCS, what's your opinion of the best carrier to get. I can easily live with low data rates. Like I said, my
main use will be text based. Little audio, video, photos, etc.
T-mobile? AT&T? What?
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JZ
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AT&T. Get a Samsung S22 Galaxy Ultra. The Galaxy Z Flip3 is really cool too. My wife has the flip and loves it. The camera on Ultra is off the
charts good. That's my go to.
iPhones are for women and children, avoid them at all cost.
[Edited on 6-2-2022 by JZ]
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SFandH
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Quote: Originally posted by JZ  | AT&T. Get a Samsung S22 Galaxy Ultra. The Galaxy Z Flip3 is really cool too. My wife has the flip and loves it. The camera on Ultra is off the
charts good. That's my go to.
iPhones are for women and children, avoid them at all cost.
[Edited on 6-2-2022 by JZ] |
Since I don't have a phone, do I just go to an AT&T store and walk out with a phone that works? There's one near me.
I feel like an idiot for not knowing about these things.
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JZ
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| Quote: Originally posted by SFandH |
Since I don't have a phone, do I just go to an AT&T store and walk out with a phone that works? There's one near me.
I feel like an idiot for not knowing about these things.
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Yes, you can buy the phone and sign up for a contract at the AT&T store. They will do a credit check. I think the bar is pretty low.
There are lots of AT&T promo's for free or discounted phones when you start a new service contract.
Make sure they put you on the North America plan which gives you free use of the phone anywhere in NA.
[Edited on 6-2-2022 by JZ]
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SFandH
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OK, sounds like a plan, thanks.
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Don Pisto
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just buy an iphone SE it'll do anything you need.
[Edited on 6-2-2022 by Don Pisto]
there's only two things in life but I forget what they are........
John Hiatt
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AKgringo
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I had an old ATT pre-paid plan for ten cent/min that ceased working when 3G went out the window. The local ATT sales and service center told me that
there were no phones that I could transfer my plan (and phone number) to, so I would have to pick a contract and start over with a new number.
Instead of starting over, I went to a Target store and bought a Motorola Android phone that was set up for ATT pre-paid. I only paid about fifty
bucks for it, and was able to take it back to the same ATT store that had nothing to sell me, and had them put in a new sim card that continued my old
plan.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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SFandH
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Apple products are forbidden by the Open Sourcerer. It's a religious thing.
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: Originally posted by SFandH | OK, I'll admit it, I'm an old retired guy who stopped using cellphones back in the Crackberry days when work required me to carry one around. I don't
like telephones and communicate with email or FB messenger. I intentionally don't know anything about smart phones.
But, almost all Internet authentication systems now assume you have a SMS capable phone to receive authentication codes. OK, I give up, I'll move into
the 21st century and get a smartphone, Android, I don't iAnything. I want a US number, not a Mex number.
So.....since I spend 1/2 of my time in BCS, what's your opinion of the best carrier to get. I can easily live with low data rates. Like I said, my
main use will be text based. Little audio, video, photos, etc.
T-mobile? AT&T? What? |
iphones are more user-friendly. get one of the older models (cheaper). the new models are more expensive and have bells/whistles it sounds like you
do not need. jizzy is a samsung fan-boy and gives you biased advice.
dont buy latest/greatest model, you always pay more,... an older model is always cheaper, and perfectly adequate.
look at t-mobile, a bit cheaper than at&t.
when in store, ask for plan that covers mexico (they will have multiple plans that cover mexico, they will explain them)
talk to your neighbors in usa and find out what service has good reception in your neighborhood.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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SFandH
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| Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666 |
iphones are more user-friendly. get one of the older models (cheaper). the new models are more expensive and have bells/whistles it sounds like you
do not need. jizzy is a samsung fan-boy and gives you biased advice.
dont buy latest/greatest model, you always pay more,... an older model is always cheaper, and perfectly adequate.
look at t-mobile, a bit cheaper than at&t.
when in store, ask for plan that covers mexico (they will have multiple plans that cover mexico, they will explain them)
talk to your neighbors in usa and find out what service has good reception in your neighborhood.
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I'm not too concerned about cost. My main concern is that it will work in Mulege. I need a US number because US financial institutions will not send
SMS authentication codes to a Mexican phone number. That's all I really need it for.
Authentication procedures have become a nightmare lately. Has anybody ran across the ID.me authentication process, it's a chore. They want to do a
video conference with me while I hold my ID, like a passport, up to the camera while they see my face. Freaking nuts.
[Edited on 6-2-2022 by SFandH]
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AKgringo
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In most of Baja, my ATT phone roams on Telcel, but in the La Paz area I was on ATT Mex, with no roaming penalty.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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JZ
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| Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666 |
dont buy latest/greatest model, you always pay more,... an older model is always cheaper, and perfectly adequate.
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Signing up for new service he will get a huge discount on a new phone.
Post a pic of your iPhone 5 please.
[Edited on 6-2-2022 by JZ]
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Ateo
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Hey SF&H,
I had to do that ID.me thingy recently so I could make an estimated tax payment.....took a while!
Good luck in Mulege and I've been happy with AT&T in Mex and just go get a cheap iPhone SE.
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JZ
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I'd definitely go with T-Mobile over Verizon.
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RFClark
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SF&H
Tmoble works in Mulege. I’m not sure AT&T will. Make sure you have wifi calling too.
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JZ
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I've used AT&T in Mulege for more than 15 years. It works great there.
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John Harper
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| Quote: Originally posted by SFandH |
Has anybody ran across the ID.me authentication process, it's a chore. They want to do a video conference with me while I hold my ID, like a passport,
up to the camera while they see my face. Freaking nuts. |
Yes, I did it for my IRS account. My phone did not take the picture, so I had to have an in person video call as you say.
It was not that difficult. You can do it. Took just a couple minutes.
John
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pacificobob
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I have used AT&T in Mexico for years. The data service is painfully slow.
The call and text function is ok.
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BajaBlanca
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We got new Samsungs right before moving to Turkey (now renamed Turkiye) and Les thought about tossing it under a bus!
Take a deep breath. It eventually makes sense but there can be a steep learning curve.
The cameras take fantastic photos with newer models.
Just in case you one day might consider it: our phones hold two SIM cards. So, I have my Mexican one for whatsapp and my Turkish one for here. Les
has my American SIM and his Turkish one in his. When I call someone, I have it set up so that it asks me which SIM I prefer to use.
And if anything goes haywire, I hand my cell phone to the closest teen, explain the problem and they hand it back, FIXED, within minutes.
Best of luck! Blanca
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Don Pisto
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| Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca | We got new Samsungs right before moving to Turkey (now renamed Turkiye) and Les thought about tossing it under a bus!
Take a deep breath. It eventually makes sense but there can be a steep learning curve.
The cameras take fantastic photos with newer models.
Just in case you one day might consider it: our phones hold two SIM cards. So, I have my Mexican one for whatsapp and my Turkish one for here. Les
has my American SIM and his Turkish one in his. When I call someone, I have it set up so that it asks me which SIM I prefer to use.
And if anything goes haywire, I hand my cell phone to the closest teen, explain the problem and they hand it back, FIXED, within minutes.
Best of luck! Blanca |
okay im pretty phone illiterate....whats the deal with the mexican sim for whatsapp? I thought this app was entirely internet driven?
there's only two things in life but I forget what they are........
John Hiatt
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