cell phoners

[clarkee]

I have a Samsung Galaxy J3 phone with a spring SIM card installed in the back.  Does anyone know if this phone will work in the Philippines or should I just buy a new cell phone in the Philippines.  Going for the long term.

[bigrod]

They are sold here.  If you bring one make sure it is unlocked and then just buy sim card here.

Chuck

[clarkee]

Thanks Chuck! It was meant to read a sprint SIM card and not a spring.

[Steve & Myrlita]

As they said, as long as it's not locked to one carrier. Also make sure your phone is quad band. Here, they use 900/1800 mhz. In the US, it's 850/1900 mhz. Most newer phones are ok but some older ones no so much. The big 3 here are Smart, Sun, & Globe. Which one will be best for you will depend on where you live.

[Frosty]

I don't know anything about phones.
how do you know if a phone is locked?
can they be unlocked?

[medic3500]

If it is Sprint it is most likely locked. Both AT&T and Sprint are notorious for that. Easy fix, just google Unlock my phone with make and model of phone. I did it with my AT&T phone a couple years ago. I think it cost $10 to get the codes and step by step instructions online. Just took a couple minutes to do once I had the information. Phone worked great with my Smart sim at least until the phone got dropped off a second floor balcony.

[Peter]

I don't know anything about phones.
how do you know if a phone is locked?
can they be unlocked?

Frosty.

If you bought the phone with/on a contract from a cell company, the chances are it will be locked to their system. Locking is usually done by adding a small bit of code to the phone's operating system, which then looks for the cell company's sim to be installed before the phone o/s will run.

If you bought the phone independently from a shop, then added a Sprint sim card later, then it is possible that your Samsung is unlocked.
Only way to tell definitely, is to get/borrow another sim card, pop it in and "suck it and see". 

Some cell companies, not all, can make it quite hard to unlock their product. If you don't feel comfortable with doing it yourself as "medic3500' suggests, as it can be quite easy with some to "mis-step" the procedure and brick the phone, then bring it with you.

Most cellphone repair shops here will do it for you as you wait (5 or 10 minutes including merienda LOL!) for a small charge.
I would suggest, if you do bring it, bring the Sprint sim card with you as well. I had one locked phone which needed the original supplier's sim in it to start the unlock procedure. 

For the long term, I would suggest when you get a sim card here, it is on the same network as your nearest and dearest - if any- as the inter-network charges are extortionate.
My wife has a dual sim phone (one model of the J# is dual sim, is yours?) which she fitted both Smart and Globe pre-paid sims. This way she minimises the inter-network charges, but can still talk to her friends using the sim of the company they are with.

Both Smart and Globe sell their pre-paid sim cards for around 30 or 40 Pesos, so it doesn't break the bank  I don't have any info on their post paid plans, but they normally want you to have some form of "residence status" before offering a contract.

Hope this helps.

Peter

[Frosty]

thanks for the info.
I talked to the kids about it, they don't think its
a big deal to unlock them.
As for my phone I plan on putting it under a dump truck tire
when I retire.

[clarkee]

Question?  What SIM card works best for the Angeles City area?

[Peter]

Question?  What SIM card works best for the Angeles City area?

You'll find in a location such as Angeles City, as in all other large conurbations, both Smart and Globe will have almost identical coverage. The difference between them, will be in the type of signal available. 2G, 3G, 4G or 4.5G.

We live on the Bataan/Pampanga border and travel frequently in the Angeles area, as well as doing a monthly trip to Baguio. We have Smart and have not had any problems with connectivity wherever we have travelled in Luzon. The odd glitch when passing one network cell area to another while travelling along the SCTEx/TPLEx, but that is to be expected.

There are also sites online which have signal strength maps for each supplier, but IMHO, Smart and Globe have almost identical cover, so either should suit you in Angeles City.
A problem may arise if you travel to remote areas, which may not be as well serviced by the "Big 2", especially if you need 4G service.

What may worth looking at when you get here, is getting one Smart and one Globe pre-paid sim and doing a walk/drive round your area and compare cover. Sims here are "cheap as chips" as my Granny used to say.
Only 40 Pesos or thereabouts each. Then decide which is best for your needs.

Hope this helps.

Peter

[clarkee]

Thanks Peter for the info!  When I lived in Angeles back in 1998 I think I used Globe for my Nokia 3310.  I think that's the model number. Anyway, I will buy one each SIM card and see which one gives me the best coverage.