Hello, I'm going over to London for a month long study abroad this coming June and July. I'm looking for a way to get mobile phone service in the UK & Ireland while I'm over for a fair price. Any ideas on what to do? I'm used to the iPhone and would prefer to bring an unlocked one over with me to use. Thanks!
Posted by
Bromley, Kent,, UK
1829 posts
Take a look at this site for some idea of what is available in the UK. http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/
Posted by
2081 posts
hi, i got mine from carphonewarehouse.co.uk. they are not the only game in town either, but i used their site to look at what were the going rates for that area. you can get an idea on how much you will need to spend too. if you look, they have inexpensive cell phones, nothing fancy. i paid about 60 USD for my slider phone with memory card and 10 BPS of time on Tmobile. one thing though. whereever and whichever you choose to buy, verify you can add minutes using whatever you are planning to use to pay for those minues. i tried to use my VISA on the Tmobile UK site and i can NOT add minutes. you can by cards to add minutes to your time, but i didnt at the time i was there. happy trails.
Posted by
Tuscaloosa, AL
1152 posts
You say you want to use your iPhone from home. The solution is simple: Buy a prepaid SIM card from one of the cell phone companies (T-Mobile, Orange, Vodafone, etc.). You can see what they offer by searching for them over the Internet. I've used T-Mobile U.K. for years. If your use is in the U.K. and Ireland, you'll have no trouble adding credit at shops and stores everywhere. Here is a link that shows you all the different companies: Prepaid GSM. It will let you jump to all the providers' web sites.
Posted by
NC, United States
970 posts
What Paul said. If you have a phone that can take a SIM, just buy one (a few dollars) and month's worth of pay-as-you-go service. Phone shops seem to occur every ten yards in London. You won't have any trouble. The shop should install the SIM, handle the setup, and send you on your way.
Posted by
San Francisco, CA, USA
97 posts
If you're an AT&T customer and your iPhone is out of contract, they'll unlock it for you. I have no idea what other carriers' policies are.
Posted by
Dallas
1022 posts
Three has the best deal on prepaid sims. £15 for 30 days of unlimited data + lots of phone minutes and texts. I had to visit a 3 store yesterday to get one as Carphone Warehouse near Harrods doesn't carry a 3 sim for 3GS iPhones. It's easy to top up.