What phone for West Africa?

November 9, 2015 9:07 AM

I'm travelling to West Africa soon. I need to make calls from the airport as soon as I've landed. I could choose a cheap sim-free phone with a global sim, or a more expensive dual sim phone*. My questions are, firstly has anyone done this and what sim/phone combination would they recommend? Secondly, given that the dual-sim phone runs on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 is it likely I would be able to use my usual 3G sim in this phone while still in the UK? Websites tell me 3G Band 2 uses 1900 MHz (PCS), is this equivalent to GSM 1900?

Presumably I can put any 2G sim in the Travel Genie phone, or the Nokia phone, that I need, including a local one once I get to where I'm going.

* at less than half price, as it seems to be discontinued.

posted by glasseyes to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

Where exactly in West Africa.? If you have an unlocked (not tied to any carrier) GSM phone, you should be able to purchase a SIM from any of the major GSM carriers in the sub region.
posted by ramix at 10:10 AM on November 9, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Yes, this is correct, but I need to phone after I get out of baggage claims and customs before I get out of the airport. Murtala Mohamed airport doesn't have anywhere to buy a phone card or credit in the building, instead there are touts selling you the use of their phone. I'd like to avoid this by landing with an activated phone and credit, or the possibility to activate the sim as soon as I've landed.

So I'm wondering if people have tips about the best global sim, or any info about the dual-sim phone. If I can use the dual-sim phone with my current sim then I only need one phone for the trip even after I get back to Heathrow.
posted by glasseyes at 10:35 AM on November 9, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: First of all, dual-sim capability is actually quite a common feature in many parts of the world. If you want to buy a basic phone with dual-sim capability, you shouldn't have to pay much for it. Secondly, I've heard good things about Piranha Mobile as a global travel sim solution. Thirdly, quad-band GSM should be fine to connect to any 2G GSM network anywhere in the world - however, your UK provider may be 3G/4G only. Finally, you might want to look on Flyertalk - there's a dedicated 'travel technology' forum with a lot of discussion of these types of topics.
posted by kickingtheground at 1:09 PM on November 9, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: While I've never been to West Africa, I've done this for a few other countries before.

First, I would say that it's not necessary to have another phone (unless yours is locked to your carrier or has an incompatible SIM size). Most modern phones can handle SIM hot-swapping with minimal fuss, maybe a reboot at the most for smartphones.

Use a site like GSMArena to check on your phone's supported radio bands. There are also good sites for checking carriers' bands.

Second, if you want to get a dual-sim or unlocked phone, they are generally pretty cheap. A barebones dual SIM LG phone is about $20 and it supports all the world GSM bands.
posted by redct at 2:38 PM on November 9, 2015

Best answer: I lived in Nigeria until this spring. The specific phone you bring isn't relevant -- any unlocked GSM phone should work. In order to get a Nigerian SIM you will need to register at a kiosk or store in-country with your passport so that will have to wait regardless. I would find a UK provider whose SIM will roam in Nigeria, use that for your first phone calls in the airport, and get a SIM from a Nigerian provider in-country. I recommend Etisalat, which has stores all over Lagos. Just leave an hour or so to buy and register a new SIM, and after that you'll be all set.
posted by eugenen at 12:30 AM on November 10, 2015

Response by poster: Thanks everyone, this is helpful.
posted by glasseyes at 2:23 AM on November 10, 2015