SIMGuide: A Kemplar Guide To SIM-based Phones

Step 1. Buying the Phone
The first thing you want to do is to equip yourself with the finest little tri-band you can find. That is, if you are going to be doing quite a bit of traveling (and thus using your cellphone as an address book, calendar, alarm clock, entertainment device, and occassionally as a phone) then you're going to want to go ahead and get one that will fulfill all of your needs.

Fortunately, today's tri-band phones, such as the i-Mate PDA2K and the i-Mate Smartphone, are equipped with just about everything except a washer/dryer combo. There are many different options, and your biggest concern will likely revolve most around size (as for some the smallest phone is not necessarily the most practical. There's nothing like losing your phone amongst the shirts and socks in your luggage to demonstrate this truism most accutely.)

You will need to make sure it comes as follows:
:: It must be GSM1900/1800/900 compatible. That is, it must actually be a tri-band.
:: It must be capable of using SIM cards. (Though it would be hard to find one that doesn't use SIM cards.)
:: Unlocked. Very important. If whomever sold it to you leaves it "locked" into one SIM card, then it won't be able to be changed out for another service.

Step 2. Buying a Phone Plan for the U.S. (NOTE: If you don't plan on using your tri-band phone as your "stay at home cellphone" then skip to Step 3.)
So you've got your spiffy little tri-band phone. It's as small as you'd hoped, and can easily fit in your inner ear without any extra utility. Now you need a phone plan here in the States. Fortunately for you, what was once a long and arduous journey for tri-band users is now a fairly simple routine.

Find a phone company that works for you. AT&T Wireless, Cingular, T-Mobile, etc. If you already have a cellphone service provider (and you like them) go ahead and see if they are offering one of those new "pay as you go" plans that are all the rage. (You may have noticed AT&T's rather annoying mLife commercials.) Plans such as these usually work with SIM card equipped cellphones, like your own tri-band.

GSM phones, tri-band or otherwise, will not work with CDMA-only carriers such as Verizon Wireless and Sprint.

Spend some time argueing. Whichever plan you go to is going to want to sell you a Nokia, Samsung, Sanyo, or the like that only works in the U.S. Be strong and to the point. Tell them you have a tri-band phone that can eat their Nokias and you'd like to use it while in the States. "If you can't provide me with a SIM card alone, than I will go ahead and sign up with [insert name of regional rival here.]" The teenager behind the counter (or on the other end of the line) will usually give in.

Once you have your SIM-card based plan (which should also come with a SIM card), you need only insert the SIM card into your tri-band phone and follow the activation instructions that the telephone company provided you.

Commence amazing your American friends and family with your super cool and super small tri-band. If they ask you where you got it, please refer them to Kemplar.com

Step 3. Buying a Phone Plan for Your Trip.
Ok. So now your phone works in the U.S. What about when you board that airplane and begin crossing the Atlantic? Well, there are two things you can do here: a.) roam on the European networks using your U.S. plan (they'll have partners like Orange abroad who will be glad to charge you $8.00 a minute to use their network) or b.) get yourself a SIM card for the country you're visting. The latter is both easy and cheap. The former is a constant source of frustration.

So, how does one go about getting a SIM card for use in...Italy, for example? Well, its pretty simple. You could buy an Italian SIM card hear in the U.S. before you leave (from us, for example), or you could wait until you get to Roma Termini to begin tracking down a local cellphone shop. (One on every corner like the CircleK here in the States.)

Wherever you choose to buy the SIM card package, what you'll get will be the same:

:: The SIM card itself.
:: A national cellphone number. (In Italy it would look something like 33-3555-5555.) This will be your phone number for the remainder of your stay in that country.
:: A PIN number and PUK number. These are simple numbers that you use to activate and secure your account. Don't lose them and don't give them away. Treat them like the PIN number for your debit card. They are there to protect you.
:: Some $40 or so worth of minutes on your SIM card. Cost per a minute is pretty cheap in Europe, and incoming calls are free on nearly every plan. Still, if you are making quite a bit of calls (especially to the U.S.) you will run out of minutes quite quickly. To "recharge" your phone minutes, simply find your local ATM and you will find a set of instructions to add money to your SIM card. The ATM willl process it, the telephone company will send a little text message to you phone, you may have to call a number to confirm the new minutes, and presto! you're done.

Once you decide to leave Italy (though why one would ever leave I don't know), you can simply take out your Italian SIM card and replace it with your U.S. card.


F.A.Q. (from our clients):

What plan should I use in Italy (or other European countries)?

Good question. Many countries have quite a few options now, whereas in the past (when most of the telecom industries were nationalized) one had little choice but the national plan.

Many different people will give you many different opinions. The safest bet, however, is still usually the national plan for that country (TIM, or Telecom Italia, in Italy.) These plans will offer the largest coverage area, whereas other companies may be more regional. Such companies will drain your minutes quick with "roaming" charges for leaving the region.

Will I still be able to access my old address book when I change SIM cards?

This depends on the phone. Most SIM cards are capable of holding up to 64k of information, and most tri-band cellphones hold plenty of info themselves.

We'd recommend saving most info to the phone, however (which will require either setting your phone to save only to itself, or setting it to ask you where you'd like to save new information.) What you may want to do is save only local and/or regional info/contacts on the SIM card.

Once the SIM cards have been switched out, will my American friends still be able to conact me at my old U.S. number?

No. You will need to give them your new phone number. Or don't (after all, you're on vacation.)