Going abroad with an iPhone on contract - what are my options?

Legacy_user

Got an iPhone 3G on Three contract. Going travelling for a few months.

Would like to bring phone so I can connect to free wifi hotspots. Airplane mode does not allow wifi use. Sim must be in phone to use wifi.

Is there any way to avoid roaming charges and still use wifi?

latecomer

Get a PAYG sim?

Are you still within your contract minimum period?

grumbler

Have a look at this thread: Charges Abroad

mrochester

candyflossing wrote: »

Got an iPhone 3G on Three contract. Going travelling for a few months.

Would like to bring phone so I can connect to free wifi hotspots. Airplane mode does not allow wifi use. Sim must be in phone to use wifi.

Is there any way to avoid roaming charges and still use wifi?

Airplane mode does allow wifi use. Turn on airplane mode, then turn wifi on again.

smartphone

Not sure about the 3GS, but certainly the 4 and 4S have the option to disable Data roaming, so the only roaming charges you would have to worry about would be calls and texts. I do this all the time when travelling abroad. It's in Settings > General > Network.

J_B

candyflossing wrote: »

Got an iPhone 3G on Three contract. Going travelling for a few months.

Would like to bring phone so I can connect to free wifi hotspots. Airplane mode does not allow wifi use. Sim must be in phone to use wifi.

Is there any way to avoid roaming charges and still use wifi?

Answering your question - just turn off data roaming as mentioned above 'settings' - 'general' - 'data roaming' and then set it to OFF

Now asking another question .... Are you going to 'terminate' your contract or have you considered switching it to 'Three Zero'? (if it's still available?)

madtrekker

Do you mean you don't want to use it as a phone at all (i.e effectively turn it into an iPod touch?).
If so, this definitely works, or at least it did a year or so ago. My husband used my old iphone without a sim in for some time until he got his own iPhone and it had all the functions of an ipod touch. He used wifi without problems. There was no SIM card in. In the top left of the screen, rather than display the network, it just said "no SIM".

Buzby

Just done this in the Canaries - Airplane mode, turn Wifi on, and no problems whatsoever. Have fun!

NFH

Get a local SIM:

http://www.prepaidgsm.net

http://prepaidwithdata.wikia.com/wiki/Prepaid_SIM_with_data

System

latecomer wrote: »

Get a PAYG sim?

Are you still within your contract minimum period?

Yes. Think the phone is locked to Three so will order some sims and see if that works thanks.

System

J_B wrote: »

Answering your question - just turn off data roaming as mentioned above 'settings' - 'general' - 'data roaming' and then set it to OFF

Now asking another question .... Are you going to 'terminate' your contract or have you considered switching it to 'Three Zero'? (if it's still available?)

No idea what three zero is? Will likely keep contract as it costs the same to terminate as to see it through. Still have almost 2 years to go.