Personal Data Package Good Enough To Skype On Samsung Phone?

[Gringoboy]

I'm using the Movistar Prepago (pay as you go) and have just latched on to $1 per day, but with a limit of 10mb per day I'll leave Skype for wifi only.
The basic service seems ok for stuff and gps, but that's about it.

 

[Alicia karr]

I'm also using an IPhone (4) with the Personal plan. The $220/pesos per month plan even can give you free long distance calls to the US.. I didn't believe it at first, but its really true. No more Skype dropped calls when I can call directly! I have received some Skype calls when I'm out, but the connection is fair to barely intelligible. I can load my books and read them on the phone without Internet. But the 3G loading for internet is so slow that it just invites frustration, so I save all things Internet and use them on my phone when I have access toWIFI. Slow but acceptable. In three years I never paid any over limit charges..

 

[ARbound]

Are you guys and gals that have the $220 Personal Plan Arge citizens/DNI holders? What does the plan include?

I want to get a plan because it would be so much easier to call back to North America since I barely call anyone here, and mainly for the data. I should have specified I'm on a Movistar Prepago and I actually can't stand it anymore. I have switch this week. I was at Congresso and had no EDGE or 3G signal, and was on 25 Mayo and I couldn't load a Google Search page.

Anyways, a warning to would be iPhone users with Movistar: Don't worry about the 10mb/day limit, it makes sense since you can never actually exceed it! lol

 

[PhilipDT]

Personal is slightly better than Movistar for internet but don't expect much more. The plan which used to be 220 is now 250 and includes 500 min to any destination in the americas 250 text messages, 9 personal phone numbers to call for free as much as you want, 1 (argentine) land line to call as much as you want and 2 GB of internet.

 

[lucha54]

I would get a contract under my argy partners name. I like the idea of free calls to the Us, if someone calls me for work via my Skype number, I can say, let me call you right back from a better connection ! But would this really work with an android? I know Philip said it shouldn't make a difference, but if it will, I'll get the iPhone next time I go abroad. Otherwise just get an old version android galaxy whatever here.

 

[PhilipDT]

I would get a contract under my argy partners name. I like the idea of free calls to the Us, if someone calls me for work via my Skype number, I can say, let me call you right back from a better connection ! But would this really work with an android? I know Philip said it shouldn't make a difference, but if it will, I'll get the iPhone next time I go abroad. Otherwise just get an old version android galaxy whatever here.

I'm a bit confused about what you're asking about. The data connection is the same for android or iPhones. The actual performance of the various apps will probably be worse on a cheap android model than on a new iphone but the data connection speed is the same (assuming the android is 3G capable). As for the calling the USA with a contract from Personal, its not over the internet, rather its through the phone network and therefore could be made with a 1990s era cell phone even!

 

[Alicia karr]

When I first got my plan a friend who is Argentine used his DNI and name. I think it's probably still the case that one needs a DNI for the monthly plan, but I'm not sure why...they cancel your service if you fall just one month behind! Otherwise you can probably find someone with a DNI to go with you, especially if you offer to give them the equivalent of one months payment as a form of "security deposit"

 

[lucha54]

I'm a bit confused about what you're asking about. The data connection is the same for android or iPhones. The actual performance of the various apps will probably be worse on a cheap android model than on a new iphone but the data connection speed is the same (assuming the android is 3G capable). As for the calling the USA with a contract from Personal, its not over the internet, rather its through the phone network and therefore could be made with a 1990s era cell phone even!

I need both Skype to receive calls (from people calling to a US number that will be linked to my Skype account) and a way to call the caller back immediately with better reception than 3G network quality Skype. That is why that sounds perfect for my situation. Does that make sense?

My only remaining concern is that android would not work as well as iPhone for some reason, because as you said it's cheaper (but does that mean not as good for this particular need?) and maybe doesn't have 3G capability. I'm not sure about "EDGE" and "GPRS" ( I think it's called) but I thought I read somewhere that Argentina doesn't have 3G connection, only the latter two, which are similar but not as good. Or maybe I was reading about Android phones in particular. Why are iPhones so much better? Just the way they are made, and hence the extra cost? From what I've heard, the iPhone 3G.thru Movistar is terrible so I thought it only has to do with the network, or maybe the only iPhone Movistar people who have given feedback have one of those $1 plans. Just trying to figure out if I should really shell out the extra dough for an iPhone, or if I can get away with going to cheaper Android route (my mother always liked to tell me "you don't save money by saving money")

Thanks for all the tips so far, I really appreciate the feedback.

Lacoqueta, my boyfriend is Argy and would put it under his name without requiring a deposit

 

[PhilipDT]

I need both Skype to receive calls (from people calling to a US number that will be linked to my Skype account) and a way to call the caller back immediately with better reception than 3G network quality Skype. That is why that sounds perfect for my situation. Does that make sense?

My only remaining concern is that android would not work as well as iPhone for some reason, because as you said it's cheaper (but does that mean not as good for this particular need?) and maybe doesn't have 3G capability. I'm not sure about "EDGE" and "GPRS" ( I think it's called) but I thought I read somewhere that Argentina doesn't have 3G connection, only the latter two, which are similar but not as good. Or maybe I was reading about Android phones in particular. Why are iPhones so much better? Just the way they are made, and hence the extra cost? From what I've heard, the iPhone 3G.thru Movistar is terrible so I thought it only has to do with the network, or maybe the only iPhone Movistar people who have given feedback have one of those $1 plans. Just trying to figure out if I should really shell out the extra dough for an iPhone, or if I can get away with going to cheaper Android route (my mother always liked to tell me "you don't save money by saving money")

Argentina has 3G, the majority (but not all) Android phones are 3G capable.

Think of it like this: The network speed is the speed limit (on the information superhighway if you will) and is the same regardless of how you connect to it. Now this speed limit is pretty low so almost all cars can go the speed limit and therefore get from point a to point b in the same amount of time. Now just because they go the same speed does that mean that there is no difference between a Bentley and a Geo?

 

[Gringoboy]

You'd be hard pressed to find a phone that isn't 3G capable in fact.
Obviously more modern phones like the Galaxy, Lumia and iPhones will be equipped with more refined hardware/software, but they will only communicate as fast as the existing connection.
Like wifi for example, if the device is connected to a wifi hotspot with a paultry 1mbps connection to Arnet or Speedy, that's as fast as you're going to get on that connection.
Bandwidth is also a consideration which gets squeezed the more people are using it.