Is it easier to unlock my phone and have it activated with a local provider in another country or to buy a local pay and talk phone?
I'll be traveling around Poland for six weeks and I want to keep in touch with friends and the people I'll meet during my stay.
I the SIM card with the phone I currently own now, which is a samsung galaxy ace. I'm not on a contract, the phone I own is a pre-paid smart phone.
In either case, I plan to use pre-paid during my trip and purchase text messageing packages.
Best Answer
You have three things to consider:
- The possibility and expenses of roaming (using your home cell contract abroad).
- The possibility and inconveniences of using a local SIM in your home phone
- The costs of buying a new phone.
When you go abroad, the easiest, but the most expensive is to simply use your home phone there. This requires you to have roaming enabled on your contract. Contact your provider to ask and also make sure to ask about the costs. It can be VERY expensive.
The next easiest will be to buy a local foreign SIM card and use it in your existing phone. That requires your existing phone to be unlocked for this (also ask your phone provider or simply try someone else's phone card from a different provider). This has the advantage that you do not need to have another phone but the disadvantage that you will not be reachable on the home SIM since your phone won't ring in case someone calls your home phone number.
The most complicated way would be to get a new phone and get a foreign SIM card for it. The advantage is that you are always reachable. This would make sense if you have another unlocked old phone to use or if you can get one cheaply of eBay or such.
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Can I unlock my phone in another country?
Using foreign SIM cards is the cheapest and most hassle-free solution. In order to use a foreign SIM card in your phone, you'll need to get your phone "unlocked" by your mobile carrier. Make sure to call ahead as sometimes it can take a few weeks for the request to go through.Can you unlock a phone from a provider?
Some Android phones from the carrier can be unlocked through their Settings menus once eligibility requirements are met. Others, such as the Google Pixel and older Samsung devices, can use Device Unlock apps from T-Mobile. However, these methods are not compatible with all phones.Can I unlock my phone myself?
The simplest way to unlock your device is to ring your provider and ask for a Network Unlock Code (NUC). Most will provide you with one and some even do it for free once your contract is up. Once you're provided with the code you should be able to enter it into your phone to remove the lock.Can you unlock a locked phone carrier?
Unlocking your cell phone lets you switch carriers without buying a new device. All carriers are required to let you do this, as long as you've paid off the phone. Many smartphones can work with any U.S. carrier. You can check your phone's compatibility.How To Unlock Region Lock Samsung All Models Free Method 2020
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Answer 2
as long as your carrier at home has a roaming agreement with a carrier in Poland (check their website) all you'd need to do is turn the phone on and it will find that network and connect automatically (of course if your plan does not allow for international use you'll need to upgrade it).
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Anete Lusina, Quang Nguyen Vinh, Quang Nguyen Vinh, Quang Nguyen Vinh