Can anyone tell me whether you could use a standard SIM card (like a prepaid card from 7-11) to get service on an Internet-equipped mobile phone?
They have some on ebay Taiwan that are under NT$5k…wondering if this might be a good solution for mobile internet access if I get to visit this fall for a couple of weeks.
One that is listed is this one: NEW i-mate JAMin Pocket PC Phone - WiFi 2MP Camera Bluetooth QuadBand EDGE
I don’t know much more about them, though, and I’ve never used an integrated phone/PDA device before. My main concern is not getting the device to work but the question of whether or not a special data subscription is required (as would be thecase in the US). I’d like to be able to pop a prepaid card in there and be on my way. This would be intended primarily as a fairly temporary solution for less than a month.
Ironlady: I use to have this phone, now I upgraded to one fromt he same company but with a keyboard. The Internet access with these phones come from GPRS and that is separate plan/fee. I can’t see why you couldn’t activate this with a prepaid card, it will just make your credits tock off more quickly. The phone works well with GPRS. I could set it to check my email every 10 minutes and leave a copy on the server and just download the headers and subject and part of the email if it is longer so that I could first see if I wanted to read it or download the rest. Not the easiest thing to use to reply with, that is why I purchased the one with a keyboard. I think better for you would be to bring your laptop, if you have one, and sign up for temporary internet service. Now they have coverage all over the city, so the worst case scenario is that you would have to walk down the street to a park bench or sit in front of the closest MRT. The best case scenario would service in the place you sleep at night. It is very cheap too.
Aren’t you a translator? Why not check out the website of the prepaid card provider or make a SKYPE OUT call to their customer service line to ask them.
Can anyone tell me whether you could use a standard SIM card (like a prepaid card from 7-11) to get service on an Internet-equipped mobile phone?
They have some on ebay Taiwan that are under NT$5k…wondering if this might be a good solution for mobile internet access if I get to visit this fall for a couple of weeks.
One that is listed is this one: NEW i-mate JAMin Pocket PC Phone - WiFi 2MP Camera Bluetooth QuadBand EDGE
I don’t know much more about them, though, and I’ve never used an integrated phone/PDA device before. My main concern is not getting the device to work but the question of whether or not a special data subscription is required (as would be thecase in the US). I’d like to be able to pop a prepaid card in there and be on my way. This would be intended primarily as a fairly temporary solution for less than a month.[/quote]You still use Palm PDAs, don’t you? Why not get a Treo 650? They’re brilliant! Very easy and intuitive to use, and lots of functions. Yes, more expensive than an “i-mate JAMin Pocket PC Phone”, but probably a lot better put together. Still, if you only want it for a month, I can see why you’d go for the cheaper option.
As to your question about pre-paid cards: basically no. It is like the States I think – you need to pay extra for data access, and I’m not sure whether they’d be flexible enough to let you get this extra service with a regular pre-paid card. Worth a try, though, I suppose.
I’m not sure whether there are any pre-paid cards that offer data access as standard. I don’t imagine so.
Why not contact one of the cellphone companies? They’d be able to tell you.
[quote=“KenTaiwan98”]Which company offers TReo’s in Taiwan? FET? Taiwan Mobile?
Kenneth[/quote]I don’t think you can get them as part of a phone contract if that’s what you mean. You buy the phone, then put your existing SIM in. Pdaking.com.tw has reasonable prices and does a cash on delivery service.
Problem is, I wouldn’t be able to use a Treo back in the US without considerable expense (and anyway if it’s unlocked, no one will touch that phone in the US). I was hoping to get some sort of fairly cheap (even only relatively expensive) solution for a couple of weeks in Taiwan to let me have more mobility while still being able to do regular short jobs (like 300-400 words, no more) daily and keep on basic e-mail. I was trying to avoid schlogging a notebook computer around. I wanted to try a couple of weeks without feeling like a total techno-geek never more than six inches from my laptop. (Not to mention that if I’m traveling and wanting to go fairly inexpensively, it’s sometimes difficult to find places to sleep where you’d want it to be known you had a notebook computer with you.)
Well Ironlady, you can get the GPRS data service for about NT$400/month for unlimited downloads/uploads. It is an add-on service to regular contracts. I can’t see why you couldn’t get this with a temporary pre-paid service. You can also try pay as you go for the data, but just pay attention. I remember it adds up fast.
That phone you metion the I-Mate Jamin, is actually a very expensive phone, more expensive than a TREO. The price you found is extremely good. I have one just siting around the house that I haven’t gotten around to selling yet. Cost about NT$20,000 originally, I might sell it for you what you are looking for. It is just sitting around. They are actually great phones that use Microsoft OS and Synch perfectly with your PC, bluetooth and more.