Help with a New Mobile Phone

[PCH]

Hi Guys,

I've had the same tatty old mobile phone for decades and finally decided to get into the 21st Century.

We'll be going overseas to Italy for a hols in a few weeks, and thought that rather than take the usual laptop, these days people do this sort of stuff on phones.

So, we got a couple of Samsung SPH-i325 phones. These things have full micro qwerty keyboard and allegedly are able to access email and the internet.

But, we haven't a clue about how these things actually connect to the internet. We have adsl at home, but do I need some sort of extra account to do the email/browsing thing with the new phones. Will the presumably older sims that are in our current steam powered phones be ok?

Can anyone throw any light on what's required please?

All suggestions gratefully received :thumbsup:

[supernova1965]

I am not 100% sure but they probably connect using Wireless tech and you might find there is going to be wireless hotspots to connect to especially over seas I could be wrong but I don't think I am

[Visionoz]

Hi Paul

The phones gotta be equipped with SIMs that are on the 3G networks if you want internet access

The term "wireless internet" can be quite confusing/misleading to ordinary folks - you can get wireless internet connection via your telco carrier eg; Telstra, 3, VodaFone, Optus etc - so you get an mobile internet by using your new phone to connect to the web directly using the phone's WAN (wide area network) capability thru the telco's 3G network - this type of connection costs you air time (basically a mobile call) - ie whatever the going rate your telco charges for mobile calls, so if you're downloading large amounts of data then expect a big bill :(

On the other hand your new phone probably would also have wireless LAN (local area connection) connectivity and this allows you to wirelessly connect to a LAN network (of course that network has to have a wireless access point for you to connect to it!) and from within that LAN consequently connect to the internet (ie assuming that the LAN is already connected via ADSL landline to the internet) - An example of a wireless LAN type connection would be the freebie wireless connection at most McDonalds - you can use your phone's LAN connectivity to connect to their wireless hotspot access point and then you can surf the internet - this LAN connection does not cost you air time = FOC :)

In Europe there are lots of places where wireless LAN hotspots are available to use FOC if you patronise the business and therefore you can use your phone's wireless LAN connectivity to connect to the hotspot access point and hence gain access to the internet - in case you have to pay, that's fine too because you are only paying the business for the rates they charge for a timed block which you choose and not using your phone's WAN connection to get online (if using WAN overseas it means that you have to get "roaming" enabled on your mobile service and essentially it means that you are actually making a mobile phone call = very, very expensive!)

Sorry that this is a bit long-winded but I did it for clarity

HTH
Cheers
Bill

[Octane]

Be very, very careful accessing the Internet over your phone's 3G network whilst overseas.

It is not uncommon for people to come back home and find a $5,000 mobile phone bill. You already get pounded for using data at home, but, doing it abroad is even worse.

H

[PCH]

Hi Warren, Bill and H,

thanks so much for the replies so quickly guys. H, yep - that seems to tie in with what Bill has suggested. Bill, thanks so much for your detailed reply. I appreciate the detail and am currently working on actually understanding it :lol:

No offence meant there, - I just mean I am not all that familiar with many of these concepts. I guess I have some reading up to do, - but what I can tell is that I'll probably limit myself to the wireless hotspots such as at McDonalds etc.

That being the case Bill (or anyone), what sort of selections should I be looking for in the phone. Also, is the 3G sim Bill mentions something that I can get from the Optus/Telstra shop? Is a number change inevitable? Is a cost involved?

Sorry to have so many questions, but since I've bought them, I may as well try to fire them up :D

Cheers,

[MrB]

Number change, no.
Cost? yes.. you will need to sign up to a new contract.

One thing to consider if you will be spending some considerable time overseas... neither Telstra or Optus have networks overseas, so you will be roaming onto someone elses... like Orange or O2 or .... 3
This is more expensive... and if someone calls you... YOU pay for it.

We have 3 in Australia, I'm with them for this reason:
3 has networks in the UK (nice for me.. Scotland in a few weeks) and... nice for you.. Italy
With 3... in Uk and Italy(and a few other places) you are in a 'Like Home Zone'.. that means you pay the same for your phone calls and text messages as you would on their network in Australia.. and, even better, if anyone calls you.. it's free... which means caller pays.
Data(Email/internet) however is not covered by 'Like Home' so is charged at $0.50/MB... so yes.. hunt down those WiFi hotspots!

Another thing worth considering, if you are away for some time, is getting prepaid from an Italian provider, (I went with Alice when I was there) and text everyone your new temporary mobile number.

[Roobi]

Also be careful when you do come into a wi-fi hotspot and want to connect to the internet. Some phones make it so that if you go straight to your internet browser from the phone, you automatically use WAN. Make sure you select your conectivity to select the wi-fi hotspot before you open up your phone internet browser. Not sure if this is all phones, but i know that i got stung when i changed phones.