My mom moved to Mexico recently, and I have had a hard time contacting her via phone. She's staying with relatives of her boyfriend, but it seems like she's not able to use their phone to make international calls. I'd like to get her a mobile phone that she can use to call me and her other kids (or anybody else), but I'm a bit overwhelmed by what I'm finding with google - a lot of which seems targeted to making international calls from the US to other countries or just seems spammy.
What is a good way to buy a phone here and send it to Mexico?
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posted by jeoc
on May 1, 2013 -
5 answers
We're driving from NY to Montreal for a short 5-day trip, and we'll need to be able to make a few calls and/or send and receive texts while on the road. I've found a bunch of older answers to very similar questions (
for example) but surely things are better by now? What are my cheap prepaid (I assume) options for a short trip to Canada? Is there a simple way to pick up a prepaid SIM card over the border and use it for the trip?
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posted by RedOrGreen
on Apr 15, 2013 -
7 answers
I have a Fancy Cousin who uses Virgin Mobile pre-paid, and my Fancy Cousin would like to get a new Android phone during this weekend's sales. A few questions:
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posted by Greg Nog
on Nov 23, 2012 -
12 answers
How strongly should I feel about hanging on to my grandfathered AT&T unlimited data plan?
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posted by escabeche
on Nov 4, 2012 -
17 answers
Currently, I have a Virgin Mobile PAYG smartphone. I'd like to get a phone on my family's Sprint plan instead (for the same monthly price as Virgin, I can get unlimited whatever). However, Sprint says they can't port my phone number because Virgin is a reseller of theirs. I've heard that you can port your number to Google Voice for a small fee, and then have Sprint port the number to a Sprint phone, but this advice was found on a forum somewhere and no one backed up the claim that it actually worked. Would it work? Have you done this? I'd really like to keep my phone number, and before I risk losing it, I'd like to know. Thanks.
posted by bluefly
on May 7, 2012 -
6 answers
Upgrading my phone: I'm debating a Droid 4, but I'm a bit nervous about the mediocre reviews of the camera. Will a third-party camera app improve the photo quality?
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posted by soleiluna
on Apr 5, 2012 -
12 answers
Can I, a man whose clothes comes from Marks & Spencer (US: think JC Penney), get away with having a pink mobile phone?
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posted by ambrosen
on Mar 15, 2012 -
57 answers
Prompted by this article about
India's “missed call” mobile ecosystem: Other than the U.S., are there any countries in which the recipient of a call pays/uses minutes to receive calls on a mobile phone? What is the history of this unusual billing structure (assuming it is unusual)?
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posted by caek
on Dec 20, 2011 -
15 answers
Can/do cell phone re-sellers (for the big four) offer better deals on PLANs or are they only authorized to offer better deals on PHONEs.
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posted by n-palmer
on Nov 16, 2011 -
3 answers
My wife and I are visiting Paris over the week of US Thanksgiving - can you help us figure out the best way to get cell phone service and data while we're there?
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posted by SNWidget
on Oct 28, 2011 -
10 answers
My cousin is moving to Dublin to go to medical school in two weeks. When he gets there, he wants to sign up for a mobile phone plan. He intends to get an iPhone 4 (not negotiable), and cannot wait until the 5 is announced for prices to drop. But which carrier does he go with?
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posted by jeather
on Aug 18, 2011 -
8 answers
The only un-awesome thing about my new apartment near Tempe, AZ is that neither I nor my roommates are receiving any signal strength on our cell phones due to the low mountains surrounding our location. We all have differerent providers (T-Mobile, Verizon, & AT&T) and not a lot of money. Please help me find a cellular signal booster that doesn't cost an arm and a leg or more than $100. I don't even know how to begin.
posted by _paegan_
on Aug 5, 2011 -
13 answers
My wife is traveling to India later this month. She'll be in the mountains, where there are few landlines, but from her experience last time there is sufficient (if spotty) cell phone service. Wikitravel
says: "Fully loaded prepaid starter kits are available for around Rs. 500 or less" (plus more details). Does anyone have experience buying a pre-paid mobile phone like this in India? Can she do it at the Delhi airport? Is it a hassle, or is it worth it?
posted by Plutor
on Jun 12, 2011 -
9 answers
What should I look out for if I want to purchase a smartphone from eBay for activation on Sprint's network?
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posted by odinsdream
on Apr 12, 2011 -
5 answers
Assuming that the radiation from cellphones is somewhat dangerous, will a product like a chip that absorbs EMR like this one (http://www.radiguard.com.au/the-solution.html) be useful?
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posted by orangekit
on Apr 5, 2011 -
26 answers
Help me identify a mystery component from the board of one of two damaged/crippled Nokia 6820 phones and determine if it's possible for me to get one working Frankenphone out of the two.
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posted by weston
on Apr 3, 2011 -
6 answers
I'm mostly happy with my
Nokia 2330 (weeklong battery life, ultraslim and light candybar, disappears in my pocket, holds up to light abuse), but am getting tired of the slow messaging. The inbox and other sections/menus take forever to load, and I seem to type faster than the phone's little processor can handle. If the messaging was speedier, it would be perfect. But it isn't, and I'd like to upgrade. What should I be looking at next? I'd like to keep the features I like, but have a speedier phone. I only text and (barely) call. I will be prepaid with AT&T or T-Mobile.
posted by Xere
on Jan 4, 2011 -
2 answers
I'm looking for a cheapish mobile phone that can do basic internet chores (facebook, email, basic web stuff). I can't afford a smartphone or the monthly contract that comes with them. I am in the UK. Do you have a phone in this category that you like/hate? What would you recommend? Extensive information about my personal needs and whims follows:
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posted by nowonmai
on Dec 30, 2010 -
7 answers
A world of mobile choices, and none of them fits. How can I find an affordable basic camera phone without a data plan that lets me back up its data?
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posted by Hardcore Poser
on Nov 28, 2010 -
17 answers
I'm thinking of buying a Samsung I5700 Galaxy Spica as my first Android phone. I'm a Nokia user whose e71 is feeling a bit tight and so I'd like a cheap way to get my Android toes wet.
I have a couple of questions though ...
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posted by chairish
on Jun 15, 2010 -
11 answers
Help me decide whether to buy a Nexus One. Unusual questions about switching service providers, SIMs, and international options inside.
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posted by Vorteks
on Mar 25, 2010 -
22 answers
So, apparently
I need to get a smartphone. I'm not 100% sure that I really "need" to, but browsing the web on the tiny screen of my
current phone is not a fun experience. I'm overwhelmed by the options available and need some guidance on my next steps choosing a
phone and the network provider for me and my wife.
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posted by Deathalicious
on Feb 11, 2010 -
33 answers
Ever since I was
pointed towards
Umbrella Today I've yet to be caught out in the rain without an umbrella. I'd quite like to find other free services that automatically send a text message alert. It can be about whatever, doesn't have to be weather related at all. I live in Providence, Rhode Island.
posted by Kattullus
on Jan 20, 2010 -
13 answers
I would like to buy a nice new cell phone with a physical keyboard to replace a broken G1. Please help me with any knowledge about the Droid or the Cliq or any other suggestions you may have!
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posted by Greg Nog
on Dec 2, 2009 -
19 answers
I'm an Australian who is holidaying in the US and Canada in December -- from Sunday! I have an iPhone and I would like to know whether I can use it for 3G data while I'm there.
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posted by robcorr
on Dec 2, 2009 -
8 answers
Could I have messed up my cellphone's reception when I replaced its casing? I recently replaced the casing on my phone: taking my phone apart, unscrewing lots of things, then putting the phone into a new case. I just followed online instructions; I don't have a lot of experience with these sorts of things. I can't remember when it started, but my phone seems to say "Emergency Calls Only" or "No Carrier" quite regularly now, and I never noticed it doing this in the past. Is there something I can do to fix it?
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posted by surenoproblem
on Nov 19, 2009 -
5 answers
I'm going to Vancouver next month. My Sprint phone won't be of any use to me there. When I went to Toronto last year, I was able to make exorbitantly expensive phone calls and I wasn't able to access the internet or use google maps.
I'd like to do all of those things economically.
I still have my old Treo 75?wx. Perhaps that could be of some use? Thank you.
posted by stuart_s
on Oct 6, 2009 -
5 answers
How many smart phones are there in Iowa? Seems a simple question, but I haven't found a source that even offers a good guess. My google-fu fails me. Help Me, Hivemind!
posted by davereed
on Aug 18, 2009 -
8 answers
I'm looking for a mobile browser (or similar solutions). But there's a catch. I want it for a laptop, not a phone.
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posted by Petrot
on Jul 14, 2009 -
11 answers
So I dropped my iPhone and the screen shattered. Now what? What should I buy and how does it affect my ATT contract?
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posted by decrescendo
on Jul 2, 2009 -
16 answers
What cellphone can I get to use with a prepaid plan that will work with iSync?
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posted by Cogito
on Jun 27, 2009 -
5 answers
I've noticed that mobile phones have a much easier time talking to each other than to most laptops/PCs. Is there any software out there that can make a PC behave like a mobile phone? For some reason I'm expecting mostly open-source, but anything is welcome.
posted by d7415
on May 14, 2009 -
12 answers
What applications/software for your mobile device did you find useful/essential for travelling?
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posted by zaebiz
on Mar 31, 2009 -
2 answers
I have an LG Renoir that I want to use in the gym as an MP3 player. How do i make it differentiate music from ringtones?
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posted by anonaccount
on Mar 25, 2009 -
1 answer
Which will work better for me for improving my cellphone coverage, a microcell unit or a booster?
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posted by RikiTikiTavi
on Mar 23, 2009 -
3 answers