Where to buy New or Cheap Cell Phones in Rio
[QUOTE=Bravo;2543578]One of my buddies had his phone stolen Saturday in the DR and when he called it, the person demanded 1,000 dollars to get it back. [/QUOTE]Ouch! Those f'ing crazy Carioca extortionists MFs! Yeah, lesson learnt.
[QUOTE=Bravo;2543578] Can someone recommend a good phone that they use when traveling to Brasil? Something I can purchase a chip for and get local service while keeping my personal phone in the safe at the hotel? (I am searching Amazon but not really sure what to look for).[/QUOTE]I use and old Samsung S3, I bought off Ebay (I think) back in the day for $40, with cracked screen, that (funny enough) I got fixed in Rio at the Mercado Popular Uruguaiana, in centro. Still works!
If you or your friend are still in need of a 2nd phone, you could try buying a new / used phone at the Mercado Popular Uruguaiana (Uruguaiana train station in Centro) Or from more reputable sellers, dealers and repair services at the Electronics Mall (2-3 story building) at the other Rua Uruguaiana, right by the Carioca train station exit.
A 3rd option, would be to navigate [URL]OLX.com[/URL] (Brazilian Ebay equivalent) and get a old or newer phone on the cheap.