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Warning: IPhone Roaming Charges

JenBall
JenBall Posts: 26 Forumite
Hey all,

Just a warning to anyone with an Iphone who intends to use it abroad...

I spent a few days in Lisbon last month. Took my new Iphone and used it only very briefly to access the websites of a few tourist attractions etc. Also used it to check for emails every now and again. Just received my bill and found that the data costs for the 4 days came to over £160!!! :eek:

I was very careful and only turned on Data Roaming when necessary. I tried to use wi-fi whenever I could so I was staggered at the cost. I've used my old Windows Mobile phone abroad many times and the data costs were much, much lower - even in the US.

The problem with the Iphone is that - unlike Windows Mobile - you cant disable image downloading when web browsing. Nor can you opt to preview only the first few kilobytes of an email. So you end up using far, far more data than you need to.

Seems like a massive oversight on Apple's behalf (although the thought had crossed my mind that these features may have been omitted at the request of the mobile networks... a way to claw back some of the massive exclusivity fees they paid Apple for the privilege of selling the Iphone????)

Anyway, I've got my hands on a PAYG SIM for my Windows Mobile so will take that with me next time I go away. Going to have to carry around two mobiles until Apple get their act together.

Don't get me wrong though, the Iphone's absolutely amazing... until you go abroad.
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Comments

  • I think it was your web usage, i managed 4 days in Paris last month, turning on data roaming only to check my email and it was 3 euros.

    You know you can see how much data you have used under settings, usage?
  • JenBall
    JenBall Posts: 26 Forumite
    I do now!

    My main gripe is that you cant turn off image downloads when browsing. Plus, if you get a HTML email the Iphone tries to download all the content. So even light usage can mount up. I've heard there is a software upgrade available soon... hopefully that will solve the problem. Fingers crossed!
  • You can turn off "external" images in emails in 3.0, i'm not sure exactly what that means though.
  • mrcamp
    mrcamp Posts: 311 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    This is a known problem with the iphone. Just turning data on a lon means it will start to do all this downloading that uses up a lot of data. As posted all over the forms, the best thing is not to turn data on at all while roaming, or sign up for a data roaming package if usingthe iphone.
  • JenBall
    JenBall Posts: 26 Forumite
    Great. So I bought an iphone because of it's internet capabilities but I can't use it abroad. I can't even insert a foreign SIM as it's locked to O2 only. So whenever I'm traveling I'm going to have to lug around two phones. Used to be a firm believer that Apple were light years ahead of Windows. Obviously that doesn't apply to the Iphone :-(
  • veruccasalt
    veruccasalt Posts: 1,465 Forumite
    I wonder if you can use it with a AT and T SIM?

    I am tavelling to the US next month and was going to take a different phone and put an AT and T SIM in it. Now I'm wondering if I could put it into my iphone, as AT and T are the US supplier?
    “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.” Charles M Schulz
  • redux
    redux Posts: 22,976 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    You'd still have the issue that it will be network locked
  • JenBall
    JenBall Posts: 26 Forumite
    Yeh redux is right, I tried using local SIM in Greece last week. SIM blocked :-(
  • M4RKM
    M4RKM Posts: 5,132 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    JenBall, why didn't you pay £50 for an international data package with o2.

    I did back in October last year when i went to Gran Canaria, and paid £20, for 10mb of data (i think £50 gives you 50mb), and reset my usage as i turned the phone off in the UK, so I could easily track what I had used.

    The phone warns you about data usage abroad, you even get a text from o2 telling you how much it costs when you land in a foreign country, you just decided to use it, and ignore the warnings..

    £3 per MB in the EU, so at £160 you used about 53mb.

    So theoretically, had you paid up front for a £50 pack of data, you would have ended up spending only £59..

    It's all in the contract details, and on the website..

    sorry, no sympathy from me!
  • M4RKM
    M4RKM Posts: 5,132 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Oh, and as for unlocking the iPhone, officially there is no way, but wait til friday, and you might want to find some ultrasn0w

    M
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