Using cellphones in Colombia

[Hioctane]

Ok, so I'm doing my looking for smart phones; Galaxy, Iphone, Nexus, ect. Clearly my biggest fear is that I'll get a phone and it will not work down in Colombia and by the time I do get down there I will be too late or too far gone from the window of return when I get back if purchased at some Chinese Computer store or Ebay.

My question: Other than the seller saying it's unlocked is there a way to tell (use Iphone as it is the most common IMO) if an Iphone is unlocked? Will there be a "tell" or is it enough that I can plug in my Claro / ect Colombian sim card and it will read it?

Thanks for all the hand holding on this one guys. I'm sure my baby level of info on smart phones international will be of use to the next guy. Which is why we all post here! Gracias!

If you put in a foreign SIM and it is locked, it will usually say "Invalid SIM." To further test you can buy a prepaid SIM from a different US carrier and see if it works.

[Bbrocs]

Ok, so I'm doing my looking for smart phones; Galaxy, Iphone, Nexus, ect. Clearly my biggest fear is that I'll get a phone and it will not work down in Colombia and by the time I do get down there I will be too late or too far gone from the window of return when I get back if purchased at some Chinese Computer store or Ebay.

My question: Other than the seller saying it's unlocked is there a way to tell (use Iphone as it is the most common IMO) if an Iphone is unlocked? Will there be a "tell" or is it enough that I can plug in my Claro / ect Colombian sim card and it will read it?

Thanks for all the hand holding on this one guys. I'm sure my baby level of info on smart phones international will be of use to the next guy. Which is why we all post here! Gracias!

Hi slam, here is what I know from dealing with clients and helping them. I take them over to Santa Fe Mall, and let them choose which carrier, lately we just been helping them with Claro. Claro's main office is on first floor. All these fancy phones are quad band and should work unlocked in Medellin. Worst case is we had to do two things go up to the third floor and have a pro unlock it even more then what was stated from the ebay ad. For galaxy we had to call Samsung to get a unlock code once. One time the phone had a bad IMEI and was impossible to unlock. Client sent it back. We go to santa fe because of that unlock store on the third floor so we can get it all done one stop shop. For the newer Iphone they sometimes need to cut the chip down to fit. The client needs to register the phone with the carrier so come with your Identification. When we walk into Claro they put a working chip into the phone to see if it works before we buy a prepaid chip with data for the new phone. If it works we proceed if it doesn't we take them upstairs to see if it can be unlocked further. I had unlocked phones not being unlocked fully before. Hope this helps, the store that unlocks phones is right next to a bank of Banco Colombia ATM's. Hope this helps.

[SlamCity7777]

Ebay is your best bet. Smartphones are cheap these days. You can get a blackberry 8320 for around $50. A samsung galaxy s2 will run you around $100-150. You don't need brand new. Used is just fine. Just make sure it's unlocked and is GSM (most are quad band these days).

Ok, so I'm doing my looking for smart phones; Galaxy, Iphone, Nexus, ect. Clearly my biggest fear is that I'll get a phone and it will not work down in Colombia and by the time I do get down there I will be too late or too far gone from the window of return when I get back if purchased at some Chinese Computer store or Ebay.

My question: Other than the seller saying it's unlocked is there a way to tell (use Iphone as it is the most common IMO) if an Iphone is unlocked? Will there be a "tell" or is it enough that I can plug in my Claro / ect Colombian sim card and it will read it?

Thanks for all the hand holding on this one guys. I'm sure my baby level of info on smart phones international will be of use to the next guy. Which is why we all post here! Gracias!

[Fred Gold]

I came across this android phone. Cheap. No 4G, just 3G unlocked, less than 100usd.

http://www.rakuten.com/prod/motorola...224088584.html

FYI for others. The advantage of a quad phone is that it works in any country that supports GSM. Most locked phones can be unlocked. If a phone is not unlocked it will not work in other countries (or with a provider it wasn't designed for)

As the previos post stated

Voice: 850/900/1800/1900

Voice and data bands are different. Good luck.

[JPF]

When I asked if it was Quad band, I received a confusing explanation. Does it have to be quad band, in order for it to be used through, South America, or the Caribbean?

The Nexus 4 is quad band.

Voice: 850/900/1800/1900

Data: 850/900/1700/1900/2100 HSPA+ 42.

It doesn't have to be quad band it just needs to work with the frequencies of the carrier you are interested in. Quad band is shortcut to indicate it should work with most carriers.

In Colombia, Claro and Movistar use 850; TIGO uses 1900. You can see that the Nexus 4 will work with all three.

Find the carrier you are interested in the following to see the frequencies they use:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...f_the_Americas

The Nexus 4 is discontinued from google but you could still buy on on the secondary market. The Nexus 5 should be out soon and should have at least as many bands; hopefully LTE, too.

[Hioctane]

Funny thing this is the only topic here in the Colombia chain that is organized! Yeah man I already have a junk phone for my international travel and want to upgrade. Where is a good resource for a cheaper / older model Iphone or even newer black berry that will serve me in GSM countries (Colombia is GSM correct?)?

Ebay?

Ebay is your best bet. Smartphones are cheap these days. You can get a blackberry 8320 for around $50. A samsung galaxy s2 will run you around $100-150. You don't need brand new. Used is just fine. Just make sure it's unlocked and is GSM (most are quad band these days).

[SlamCity7777]

I have seen some nice phones here for $250-$300 USD (Galaxy III, older IPhones, etc) but losing it in a cab, getting it stolen, etc, these are foreseeable risks.

I would say just get a Crackberry, one of these imitation Blackberrys from IPro or Ace or some other junk company. They will get the job done, email, Facebook, junky camera (Blackberrys also have bad ones) and of coruse calls and texts with a keypad. They run $30-$40 USD.

Funny thing this is the only topic here in the Colombia chain that is organized! Yeah man I already have a junk phone for my international travel and want to upgrade. Where is a good resource for a cheaper / older model Iphone or even newer black berry that will serve me in GSM countries (Colombia is GSM correct?)?

Ebay?

[Fred Gold]

While walking around in aby country, I use a cheat phone from ebay. I like this phone and for 23usd incl shipping, it works anywhere and if stolen. Eh.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOKIA-6555-A...item2583c80f7f

If not unlocked. ATT will give you unlock code. If you have a problem, PM me.

[Member #4244]

I have seen some nice phones here for $250-$300 USD (Galaxy III, older IPhones, etc) but losing it in a cab, getting it stolen, etc, these are foreseeable risks.

I would say just get a Crackberry, one of these imitation Blackberrys from IPro or Ace or some other junk company. They will get the job done, email, Facebook, junky camera (Blackberrys also have bad ones) and of coruse calls and texts with a keypad. They run $30-$40 USD.

[Boone]

I'd say just wait to your next full day and go to any mall and go get a sim card from one of the stores.

I do have a question. Who has an Iphone in the US and has it unlocked to use it in Colombia with a COL sim card? I've heard via articles, blogs, and message boards that you do not want a Verizon version because of various issues. So if I wanted an Iphone to use down there should I stick to ATT?

Also for other smart phones has anybody had issues with a Verizon version of a phone using it down in SA?

I'm just concerned that I will buy an android, blackberry, Iphone, ect here and then get skunked down there. $200ish gamble you know what I mean?

Thanks Smart phone informed amigos!

Verizon phones do not use sim cards and Verizon does not use the GSM system so they do not work in most countries.

[SlamCity7777]

At the airport, where is the 'best' place to purchase a SIM card for both voice and data. I will only be there for a week.

I'd say just wait to your next full day and go to any mall and go get a sim card from one of the stores.

I do have a question. Who has an Iphone in the US and has it unlocked to use it in Colombia with a COL sim card? I've heard via articles, blogs, and message boards that you do not want a Verizon version because of various issues. So if I wanted an Iphone to use down there should I stick to ATT?

Also for other smart phones has anybody had issues with a Verizon version of a phone using it down in SA?

I'm just concerned that I will buy an android, blackberry, Iphone, ect here and then get skunked down there. $200ish gamble you know what I mean?

Thanks Smart phone informed amigos!

[Fred Gold]

At the airport, where is the 'best' place to purchase a SIM card for both voice and data. I will only be there for a week.

[Miami Bob]

https://play.google.com/store/device...s_4_16gb&hl=en

as of sept 29, 2013 it appears that google is out of stock. the 8gig version is completely out[us$200]

i own the 16gig version and think it is worth the extra money. this phone does not take a storage card. the on board storage is it. it is nice to store some music; a game or two; some app's; and maybe a video. you cannot do that with the 8 gig verson loaded with software.

ebay is a good sourse of well priced nexus 4's if you shop. the 14 or 30 return right is worth a few dollars more. i got a factory refurb for about us$210 six months ago.

the nexus 4 has every 2g and 3g and gsm voice and text band used almost everywhere in the world available.

in the first world 4g is almost everywhere. in most of the third word it is not available.

the nexus four is not compatible with 4g. in the usa, it works well on t-mobile which has a fast 3g hspi which, in miami generally downloads at a min speed of 3 mgs+. sometimes i get over 10 mgs down. i have a t-mobile sim and activated it pre-paid for $50 for a month. i had a guest visit from argentina and activated the plan for their use while in miami for a few weeks.

this is not my principal usa phone, but a travel phone. if you live in the usa within an area where t-mobile has good

coverage it might be a viable alternative for someone on a buget. i like to use google maps and stream pandora for music in the car. in the area where i live, t-moble does not have good coverage outside of the urban areas ie not google maps actively working for 25% of a drive from miami to orlando and spotty voice and text coverage happens too often.

at&t pre-paid does not include fast 3g internet, but might be a good solution if usa data aside from wifi is not important.

[Gimmedub]

Quad band just means it works in Europe, North and Asia. I use my Nexus 4 in Colombia and Caribbean whenever I travel.

I love google tranlationeven though I can more than basic communication in Spanish. I love skype to communicate with folks in the USA and over seas and it works very well on the nexus 4.

I'm also looking at the, nexus 4. After speaking with the carrier, they suggested that because it was unlocked, I could use it anywhere. When I asked if it was Quad band, I received a confusing explanation. Does it have to be quad band, in order for it to be used through, South America, or the Caribbean?

[Mongerman69]

I love google tranlationeven though I can more than basic communication in Spanish. I love skype to communicate with folks in the USA and over seas and it works very well on the nexus 4.

I'm also looking at the, nexus 4. After speaking with the carrier, they suggested that because it was unlocked, I could use it anywhere. When I asked if it was Quad band, I received a confusing explanation. Does it have to be quad band, in order for it to be used through, South America, or the Caribbean?