jeanielynnb
11/7/2014 10:30 EST
Is it possible to take our smart phones from the US and use them in Jamaica? What provider do you think is the best?
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NeisCook
11/7/2014 12:40 EST
I believe smart phones from US should work in Jamaica. I live in the UK and my smart phone works perfectly well in Jamaica. We always use Digicell when we are out there, seems like that is the most popular where we stay.
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Cessj
11/7/2014 16:30 EST
Hi Neis, I have an iphone locked to 02 and also a Nokia that I bought in Barbados and use Digicel for that...do you happen to know ifI can use either of these without problems in Jamaica...wondering if I can keep my Bdos phone number on my Digicel Nokia and just keep topping up? Won't that be well expensive?
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christineklein
11/7/2014 17:18 EST
You can only use US phones here if they are "unlocked" meaning they are not tied to a contract. You have to have it unlocked before you get here - or you can pay to have it unlocked here. Once here, you can buy a SIM card for either Digicel or LIME (pretty comparable) and put it in the phone and it will work. You then purchase credit to put on the phone both for calls and for email and internet.
If the phone is currently in use in the US and tied to a contract it will not work here unless you roam with your current provider.
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NeisCook
11/8/2014 11:02 EST
Hey Cessj,
If the phone is locked to a specific network then it won't work for any others even in Jamaica. It has to be an unlocked smart phone. Sorry I forgot to make that clear in my first post but I have always brought unlocked smartphones so it just slipped my mind.
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Gardis
11/8/2014 11:23 EST
I would be interested to learn also what it would cost for a temporary hook up with Digicell like for a week trip. I suppose one could buy a chip for that time, right?
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Cessj
11/8/2014 13:57 EST
Hi Neis, thanks for taking the trouble to reply.. your advice makes perfect sense. I think what I am still unclear about is my Nokia phone that I think might be locked to Digicel and which I bought in Barbados. I use top-up credits. What I'm unsure about is how to use it in Jamaica without incurring excessive charges, given that it is registered to a Bajan phone number, so that if I use it in Jamaica, I end up in the same situation as if i'm roaming and therefore get charged a lot!
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Tmwilliams
11/9/2014 07:41 EST
Hi there, i use my smartphone from Canada. I had to get the phone unlocked first. Then go to Digicel and buy a chip and either sign up for pay as you go or monthly.
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NeisCook
11/9/2014 18:35 EST
Cessj, I think in that situation you will get charged roaming so it might cheaper just to get a new sim when you go Jamaica
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Cessj
11/10/2014 03:35 EST
TimWilliams and Neiscook, both good suggestions...but would be able to keep my current numbers...probably not, i guess is the answer...
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Cessj
11/10/2014 03:35 EST
TimWilliams and Neiscook, both good suggestions...but would be able to keep my current numbers...probably not, i guess is the answer...
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NeisCook
11/10/2014 08:37 EST
I have to be honest I am not 100% sure, but I doubt it. I think your just going to ave ask once you reach Jamaica :)
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Nellkay
11/11/2014 07:45 EST
NeisCook - I moved to JA this past July and here is what I know about the phones. If you have a smart phone and want to use it here, it does need to be unlocked and then a digicel or lime chip will work in your smart phone and you can pay as you go (called topping up which can be done right on the phone or online at Digicel). You will not have your home number you would have the number that is assigned to that chip when you get it. Unlocking phones here is about $100 US dollars and can take as little as one day, you can probably get it done cheaper in your home country if that is the route yo go. Otherwise you can get a cheap phone here for about $35 US dollars basically you are buying it for the chip - will work fine for phone calls but the cheaper phones do not have internet on them so you could use the phone you bought or put the chip from that phone in an unlocked smart phone and you could have internet via wifi for areas (hotels) that provide free Wifi
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Nellkay
11/11/2014 08:10 EST
P.S. I should also say that your smart phone does work here....but hella expensive with roaming charges from your home provider....I know thru AT&T you can set up international roaming and texts (like 50 international texts for $10) but also would need to get the international roaming which is additional to the text charge. Easiest solution for a one week trip....buy a cheap phone here for calls and texts
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Gardis
11/11/2014 08:46 EST
Another option, is to purchase an inexpensive, unlocked phone on the internet while still in the USA, say on Amazon or Newegg.com. You can get phones for under $100US easily. Take that phone with you to Jamaica, get the chip from Digicell as just described by Nelkay, and you are in business.
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edmon59
11/11/2014 14:14 EST
In JA you need a GSM phone. The phone also needs to be unlocked. You simply go to a Digicel or Lime store and buy a "chip" for it, around $10-12 USD. CDMA phones---like Verizon will not work except for wifi-----or very expensive roaming----and there isn't much for wifi in JA.
You can buy a cheap phone in Jamaica for about $15 USD, you can use it until you get something better. Just a thought.
-Ed
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