Need solutions for international travel. Use Sprint currently.

[fuzzybabybunny]

I've got a Sprint Samsung Epic 4G but I plan on doing some international travel next year (2012, and I don't know where yet). I've never had to figure out the phone situation before.

I have a business to run so I'll need voice, text, and data for checking email.

Is it easier just to buy an unlocked GSM Android-based phone and do the SIM swapping thing from country to country? How do I go about unlocking a phone? Will I be able to keep my old number? Or do I just go for an international phone that can do both GSM and CDMA?

Any recommendations?

*sigh*

If the GSM providers in the US weren't so crappy I wouldn't be having such a hard time, heh.

[rrvo]

Using your US based phone overseas is normally going to run $2-2.50 per minute and your data charges are likely to be horrendous--call your provider and ask what their coverage and charges are in the countries you'll be visiting.

I've had better luck using an unlocked sim-card-based gsm phone--usually cheaper if bought overseas, particularly if you're headed for the more developed parts of Asia. Your cheapest rates will be found by buying a local SIM card (many times you can also find a sim card that will provide data so you can also access your email and run Skype, Tango and other VOIP/video calling programs, which can also cut down on calling costs.

If you will move from country to country and need to be able to have associates reach you at the same number, you can use WorldSIM or something similar. (WorldSIM works well for voice but I haven't yet been able to use data with the service.)

I'll have the lowdown on Japan when I get back from there in May, 2012, but my understanding is that, while they are basically CDMA, Japanese CDMA services won't "shake hands" with US CDMA phones.

Good luck!

[EyeB]

for the same number, google voice may work... having it forward the call to your new sim number but you'll have to pay google voice to call that foreign number

or buy an app for voip calling through google voice using data connection. I think this may work without the extra fee on google voice since it doesn't forward call to another number.

I kind of prefer using the old garminfone for travelling. the gps unit works well and works offline from cell towers. means I can travel with gps and not have it pulling data charges. I know google maps have caching (can do this on garminfone too) but you have to find a wifi connection to get cache where you are, or do it beforehand. yes garminfone is slow/old but for calls/data it works fine still lol