Post: #1

I'm wondering whether I should buy an unlocked phone in my home country (Germany), bring it over there and buy a prepaid sim-card when I'm there; or whether I should travel completely without any phone and buy a new one immediately once I arrived...

For additional info:
- this is my first time in the Philippines and SEA
- I plan to travel later this year, around november
- right now the only phone I have is very old, and locked forever, i.e. in need of replacement
- I'm looking for a cheap option but it should have some kind of gps - so I wont get lost when there buying used is also ok.
- I would, of course, also need a card, so if buying a package is the cheapest way I'd go with that...


So, for those of you who are Philippine-experienced, what would you recommend?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Post: #2

Bring your own phone (unlocked). Get a smartphone. Go to a mall in the Philippines and get a pre-paid Globe SIM with data and text. http://www.globe.com.ph/

There is a "trick" where you need to send a text to a number every day to keep getting free text messages. Something like text UALLPLUS25 to 8888.

There is plenty of info here on the Phils, so make sure to check the threads.

Post: #3

You really want a smartphone here. Loadable sim cards are available and loadable everywhere.

There are monthly "plans", but they aren't really worth it. You can use mobile data but having it on all day will eat up your load. Wifi is pretty common in most decent size cities so you can get your fix in there.

Post: #4

If u get a Globe sim card, i suggest u subscribe to unlimited sms to all network for 500 pesos for one month

Send GOUNLI500 to 8888

Post: #5

I used Smart in PI, which seemed to be the most popular with girls. There are reasonable data plans available such as UNLI Surf 300 which gets you unlimited data for 7 days for 300PHP, so pretty cheap! I found Smart coverage to be fairly good, though some say Globe is better.

You will find that some girls will ask you which operator you're using because it costs them more to text a Globe phone if they have Smart, for example. Some are so hard up that they will decline to text you if you're on a different operator. Plus they may bother you for 'load' transfers.

Post: #6

If you're anything like Fisto, you better get the soap on a rope version so you don't lose it.

Post: #7

(07-20-2013 07:06 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  If you're anything like Fisto, you better get the soap on a rope version so you don't lose it.

Haha great!

@Everyone Thanks, I'll take a closer look at that Globe option.

Post: #8

(07-22-2013 09:47 AM)rhr Wrote:  [quote='RioNomad' pid='494244' dateline='1374321961']
If you're anything like Fisto, you better get the soap on a rope version so you don't lose it.

Haha great!

@Everyone Thanks, I'll take a closer look at that Globe option.
[/quote

The subject of knock off phones in SEA came up in this other thread:

/thread-20433-page-62.html

and in that regard, there may be some options to get a knock off phone, so long as some of the features and functionality still exists in the knock off

Post: #9

I used Smart in the Phils. Worked perfectly everywhere. You can buy credit (it's called "load") at pretty much every kiosk or stand at the street. If I remember well, it's 2 pesos per text which is very cheap.

Post: #10

Edit ( I could not see my previous post).

Neil, I post this again b/c I was referring to knock off phones in SEA coming up in another thread:

/thread-20433-page-62.html

and in that regard, there may be some options to get a knock off phone in the Phils, so long as some of the features and functionality still exists in the knock off. And, i guess you Neil are saying, once a person gets the knock off phone, if that is the way they chose to do it, then it becomes pretty easy to load minutes.. and would those plans to which you refer apply to texting, phone and surfing the web?