HOT NEW!!! Motorola’s Cliq is a social butterfly
Unspoken rules govern cell phone etiquette
HOT NEW!!! Motorola’s Cliq is a social butterfly
Unspoken rules govern cell phone etiquette
Fortunately, AT&T offers international data roaming packages that, while still expensive, significantly undercut the pay-as-you-go rate. Consider buying one before you leave if you plan to use your iPhone, BlackBerry, or other smartphone for e-mail and Web browsing. The packages range in price from $25 for 20MB to $200 for 200MB — and even if you exceed your allotment, the overage rate of half a cent per kilobyte is still cheaper than the usual rate of 1.95 cents.
iPhone users who want to keep an eye on data usage while roaming should go to Settings/General/Usage and look under Cellular Network Data. Do this when you first arrive at your overseas destination, and you can reset all the statistics to start tracking your use from then on. (Better yet, try it out before you go to get an idea of what your typical monthly data consumption looks like.)
Also bear in mind that you don't have to incur roaming charges if you simply leave your handset at home. (Sprint and Verizon Wireless customers who don't have dual-radio phones must do this anyway, as those carriers' CDMA/EvDO networks are incompatible with the GSM/GPRS networks most other countries use.) If you need a phone, buy a cheap prepaid phone in the country you're visiting. It will certainly save you money on both voice and data — but remember, you won't be reachable on your usual cell phone.
The fine print
When was the last time you really looked closely at your phone bill? This is a good way to see whether your phone usage is in line with your plan. You might find, for example, that you're not even close to using the number of minutes you've paid for. And while you're at it, look carefully for all the little charges at the end to make sure you're not paying for something you never wanted. Case in point: A few years ago a lot of people complained about unsolicited roadside assistance service charges. Who knows what other charges may be lurking now?
