New phone recommendations for cross border

[mcewena]

So I’ve got a sweetheart grandfathered voice/text Plan in Canada ($20/mth) and when I’ve traveled to the USA in the past I’ve added a 2nd SIM to my phone for use voice and data. Rather that then paying for a big data plan plus roaming.

US travel isn’t in the short term, but I need a new phone now, the list of dual SIM phones is pretty small. Do I buy another dual SIM model from ASUS or go another route?

[mcewena]

Think I may have found something in the fine print. The $25/mth pay-for-6-months up front plan includes US & Canada, but the $30 one-month-at-a-time plan says “pay per use” in US/Canada. I went for the latter as a trial run.

Edit: nope that restriction is for text/voice, data “may be limited to 2g” is the only thing I can see. Right now I’m getting 0g.

[mcewena]

almcc wrote:

mcewena wrote:

almcc wrote:

mcewena wrote:
So I’ve got a sweetheart grandfathered voice/text Plan in Canada ($20/mth) and when I’ve traveled to the USA in the past I’ve added a 2nd SIM to my phone for use voice and data. Rather that then paying for a big data plan plus roaming.

US travel isn’t in the short term, but I need a new phone now, the list of dual SIM phones is pretty small. Do I buy another dual SIM model from ASUS or go another route?

I have an ASUS dual SIM phone and use AT&T in the US, I used to use our Canadian SIM in the other slot but I use the AT&T SIM in both the US and Canada and AT&T pairs with Rogers in Canada and I have more data (cheaper) than I could get with Rogers. Be aware that AT&T is going 5G next year and I got a notification that some current 3G/4G phones won't work, my ASUS phone isn't on the list of compatible phones FYI.

I tried going the AT&T route and ran into a new problem: https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30260978.cfm

Not sure what the issue is but it could be the tablet. I would try putting the SIM card into your smart phone and see if you have the same problem.

Yeah first thing I tried, same issue and Rogers sim works fine in the iPad.

[almcc]

mcewena wrote:

almcc wrote:

mcewena wrote:
So I’ve got a sweetheart grandfathered voice/text Plan in Canada ($20/mth) and when I’ve traveled to the USA in the past I’ve added a 2nd SIM to my phone for use voice and data. Rather that then paying for a big data plan plus roaming.

US travel isn’t in the short term, but I need a new phone now, the list of dual SIM phones is pretty small. Do I buy another dual SIM model from ASUS or go another route?

I have an ASUS dual SIM phone and use AT&T in the US, I used to use our Canadian SIM in the other slot but I use the AT&T SIM in both the US and Canada and AT&T pairs with Rogers in Canada and I have more data (cheaper) than I could get with Rogers. Be aware that AT&T is going 5G next year and I got a notification that some current 3G/4G phones won't work, my ASUS phone isn't on the list of compatible phones FYI.

I tried going the AT&T route and ran into a new problem: https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30260978.cfm

Not sure what the issue is but it could be the tablet. I would try putting the SIM card into your smart phone and see if you have the same problem.

[mcewena]

almcc wrote:

mcewena wrote:
So I’ve got a sweetheart grandfathered voice/text Plan in Canada ($20/mth) and when I’ve traveled to the USA in the past I’ve added a 2nd SIM to my phone for use voice and data. Rather that then paying for a big data plan plus roaming.

US travel isn’t in the short term, but I need a new phone now, the list of dual SIM phones is pretty small. Do I buy another dual SIM model from ASUS or go another route?

I have an ASUS dual SIM phone and use AT&T in the US, I used to use our Canadian SIM in the other slot but I use the AT&T SIM in both the US and Canada and AT&T pairs with Rogers in Canada and I have more data (cheaper) than I could get with Rogers. Be aware that AT&T is going 5G next year and I got a notification that some current 3G/4G phones won't work, my ASUS phone isn't on the list of compatible phones FYI.

I tried going the AT&T route and ran into a new problem: https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30260978.cfm

[mcewena]

valhalla360 wrote:

mcewena wrote:
Ah, you can’t transfer a Canadian # to Skype though.

Can you get a # thru skype in Canada?

Assuming, yes...just get a new number and start using that as your primary number.

I can get a US skype # from anywhere but Skype won't issue # with a CDN area code. Given that I'm not quite sure how skype improves my situation to be honest so I haven't pursued it. I'd still need US data SIM to have skype or any 2nd # to forward to so Skype seems like another layer.

I know there is an issue forwarding to some MVNOs like USMobile so AT&T pay sim might be the best plan.

[valhalla360]

mcewena wrote:
Ah, you can’t transfer a Canadian # to Skype though.

Can you get a # thru skype in Canada?

Assuming, yes...just get a new number and start using that as your primary number.

[mcewena]

Yeah same phone here, their zenfone max m1. It’s been dropped a few times and it’s not getting any faster, don’t know whether to buy another identical one or wait/upgrade.

I use us mobile in the US so thanks for the at&t tip, will check them out.

[almcc]

mcewena wrote:
So I’ve got a sweetheart grandfathered voice/text Plan in Canada ($20/mth) and when I’ve traveled to the USA in the past I’ve added a 2nd SIM to my phone for use voice and data. Rather that then paying for a big data plan plus roaming.

US travel isn’t in the short term, but I need a new phone now, the list of dual SIM phones is pretty small. Do I buy another dual SIM model from ASUS or go another route?

I have an ASUS dual SIM phone and use AT&T in the US, I used to use our Canadian SIM in the other slot but I use the AT&T SIM in both the US and Canada and AT&T pairs with Rogers in Canada and I have more data (cheaper) than I could get with Rogers. Be aware that AT&T is going 5G next year and I got a notification that some current 3G/4G phones won't work, my ASUS phone isn't on the list of compatible phones FYI.

[Gdetrailer]

mcewena wrote:
Ah, you can’t transfer a Canadian # to Skype though.

Does you Canadian cell service have "call forwarding"?

If so, pick up a cheap throw away US based cell phone on a pay as you go basis and you could enable call forwarding of your Canadian cell number to a different phone number.

We do that with our home phone (VoIP based phone via our cable Internet and phone service). Before leaving we enable call forwarding to one of our cell phones.. When we get home we simply log back in and disable the forwarding. This way friends and family do not have to remember three phone numbers.. We used to have a "POTs" phone on copper package which had call forwarding which we found worked nicely also.

The only issue I see is if your Canadian cell service considers calls made to US issued phone numbers a "toll call", it would get costly in a hurry. Our cellphones will not make calls to Canada on our current plan, DW discovered that by accident when she had to work from home, she has to deal with some Canadian suppliers..

[mcewena]

Ah, you can’t transfer a Canadian # to Skype though.

[valhalla360]

mcewena wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

mcewena wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
We just keep a little plastic packet in the computer bag and keep the spare SIM cards in that.

Is your original # offline or do you forward one to the other?

We keep a skype number (any IP based system would work) so we can use the original number anywhere.

So you forward your CDN cell to your US Skype? Why that and not to your US cell?

The skype number is our master permanent number (you can transfer a cell number to skype...at least we did a few years back).

The cell number is simply whatever we get where ever we get it.

[mcewena]

valhalla360 wrote:

mcewena wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
We just keep a little plastic packet in the computer bag and keep the spare SIM cards in that.

Is your original # offline or do you forward one to the other?

We keep a skype number (any IP based system would work) so we can use the original number anywhere.

So you forward your CDN cell to your US Skype? Why that and not to your US cell?

[valhalla360]

mcewena wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
We just keep a little plastic packet in the computer bag and keep the spare SIM cards in that.

Is your original # offline or do you forward one to the other?

We keep a skype number (any IP based system would work) so we can use the original number anywhere.

[Beverley_Ken]

The newer Apple phones have dual sim card capabilities.
When we travelled south, we went to Walmart and got an inexpensive phone on a pay as you go. It served our purposes.

Ken