I researched high and low, and haven't seen this particular post yet.
I have researched cell phone rentals for the Middle East, and think I understand it. However, I was wondering if the iPhone works in Israel and Egypt, and would it be cheaper or more expensive than a rental? I really need a new domestic cell phone, but not sure if this would be the time to invest in and Iphone for this trip! Please, please help me. I'm not very tech savvy, so if you could "dumb-it down" ( I mean that in a respectful way!), I would appreciate any help you can provide!
Cell Phones in ISRAEL and EGYPT
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I posted the question above.......will and IPHONE work in the Middle east?
If your iphone is unlocked and accepts a SIM card you can buy/rent a local SIM and use the phone. BUT you need one for Egypt and one for Israel. If you are thinking of using a non-local carrier ( i have no idea where you are writing from) than you are open for huge roaming charges. )
When are you going? There will likely be a new version of the iPhone this Fall and I think's it's always better to have the latest version.
Re above comments - if you have an iPhone unlocked you void the warranty so it's not worth it.
If you take your (US based?) iPhone (or any phone for that matter) you can sign up for a one month "World Traveler" rate which discounts the cost per minute for voice and cost per text. Depending upon how much you plan to use your phone (emergency only?) it might make more sense to use your own phone. I picked up a SIM card for Egypt but at $25 I could have just used my Canadian based phone as I only used it for text messages and 2 phone calls. Following is link to AT&T Wireless' world traveler info but all of US mobile companies have similar offers if you aren't with ATTW
Like Elizabeth, I only needed to make a few calls and send a few texts, so even at $2.29 per minute, I just used my regular phone and home AT&T account (in Egypt). When we were in Southeast Asia and I needed to call the US more frequently, I used the Skype app on my iPhone (which does require being on a WiFi network) which cost next to nothing. Whatever you do, if you take a US smartphone (iPhone or otherwise) with you, be sure you have international DATA roaming turned off or you will be very surprised when you get your bl!
we are going in NOV of this year
Hi welike2bike,
If the iPhone is unlocked it will work in Middle East with Local GSM Sim-Cards. If the iPhone is carrier locked then you need to unlock it , after unlocking it will work with other GSM networks. If you need to unlock a carrier locked iPhone,use Remote Unlock method which is safe and easy. You can get the Remote Unlock service from online vendors like http://www.mobileunlocksolutions.com/apple-iphone/rs16wp9/ .
newmario--it is great that you are a relatively new member of Fodors and want to help. However, it is also important that you pay attention to the dates of the threads you are responding to. In this case the thread was started in July 2012. The person who started it said they are going in "November of this year" That means November 2012. It is now May 2013. The person has come and gone.
As a note to other readers--unlocking phones will frequently void any contract you may have ( especially with American cellphone companies) Before you unlock, you must totally understand all and any ramifications