Using iPhone in US- Cheapest options

[Anonymous]

Hi, I'm traveling to the US today and want to take the iphone. Can I use it there? What is the cheapest way to use it and avoid ludicrous roaming charges? SHould I pick up a SIM card on arrival?
many tks

[jonsie · Accepted solution]

If your iphone is unlocked then the US sim card is your best option. Obviously using wifi where possible is a good choice and using Whatsapp for texting can save you bundles.

Switch off voicemail before you go will save you charges too.

[Anonymous]

thank you.that is great. how do i know if my phone is unlocked?

[Bambino]

If it's an iPhone 5 it is definitely not unlocked. If it's an older version and you bought it from O2 but never requested that it be unlocked, the chances are that it is still locked and you would be wasting your time and your money using a US sim card in it.

[jonsie]

Which model is it and where did you purchase it?

[Anonymous]

There seem to be lots of questions on wifi roaming.

Just one word of caution: Public Wifi networks are normally unsecure. That means hackers can easily intercept usernames and passwords, etc.

From the moneysavingexpert website:

While the existence of wireless networks accessible to everybody is undoubtedly a great thing, be wary of cyber hacking and thieves.

Don't enter any secure info when using public wi-fi spots, as there's a risk it can be intercepted by others on the network and used for identity theft.

[perksie]

See my response to your other post about wi-fi here:

http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/Using-WiFi-in-Thailand/td-p/382132/page/2