Phone service in BsAs

[Guille A]

Hi all - We will be in BsAs for several months, starting in May. We have questions about how make and receive calls while in BsAs.

- We currently have unlocked iphone with T-moble in the U.S., and we will be suspending the service while we are in BsAs
- We want to be able to send and receive local and international calls
- We want to be able to access the internet from our phone without being connected to WiFi (like while we are walking in the streets or in a taxi, etc.)

Any suggestions on services, equipment needed and costs?

Thanks,
Guille

 

[earlyretirement]

If you have TMobile why don't you just keep the TMobile plan? I have TMobile and I get free roaming in most countries that I go to. I get free data and texts on it. Calls ARE 20 cents a minute but I really don't have many occasions where I don't have wi-fi and can't use wi-fi calling. The TMobile coverage was very fast at LTE speeds everywhere I went in BA.

I have a Skype plan where I can add refillable credits to a Skype # (https://secure.skype.com/en/skype-number/) and just use it to make calls when I have wi-fi. All my friends use WhatsApp so there is rarely an instance where I need to make calls from my USA mobile provider.

You can also check into a plan with Google Fi - https://fi.google.com/about/plans/. It's pretty affordable but honestly my TMobile plan has been great. I wouldn't necessarily cancel that plan. I'm not sure how long you're gone for. I don't think Tmobile made that plan to live overseas but I've been gone for 2 months at a time and my TMobile plan has worked all over the world.

You can just get a local SIM card if you need to make local calls. I looked into getting an eSIM for my iPhone 14 but couldn't find one without a plan. And honestly I didn't really need one as I just used my Skype # and my Tmobile plan.

BA is a VERY connected city so there is literally wi-fi almost anywhere you go.

 

[wineguy999]

AT&T has a plan that provides coverage throughout Latin America at no extra charge - unlimited calls and data.

 

[arvest]

Hi all - We will be in BsAs for several months, starting in May. We have questions about how make and receive calls while in BsAs.

- We currently have unlocked iphone with T-moble in the U.S., and we will be suspending the service while we are in BsAs
- We want to be able to send and receive local and international calls
- We want to be able to access the internet from our phone without being connected to WiFi (like while we are walking in the streets or in a taxi, etc.)

Any suggestions on services, equipment needed and costs?

Thanks,
Guille

If you have a newer phone from within the past few years it should have dual sim capability. So you can keep your USA number and get a local sim card at the same time. I keep my USA phone plan as an esim, I get data service (albeit slow) in every country I travel to. I can also receive calls and text messages from back in the US. Meanwhile for data I use my local sim card and pay peanuts in comparison.

You can get prepaid plans from Personal or Claro. However make sure you visit a company owned phone store to signup and activate your phone plan. You have to have a DNI (aka national ID card) in order to activate a plan remotely. For tourists you'll have to show up with your passport at a company store and wait for the attendant to register you in their system before your SIM card will work.

 

[zeno]

I have T-Mobile. I converted my T-Mobile to an e-sim on my iPhone 13 mini. I removed the physical SIM card before coming. I bought a Claro prepago SIM and inserted it. Now I have both cellular providers running simultaneously.

I just topped off my Claro sim last month for 1400 pesos (promotion), - 10 gb for 30 days, voice + text. That's about $4 for the entire month.

 

[earlyretirement]

I have T-Mobile. I converted my T-Mobile to an e-sim on my iPhone 13 mini. I removed the physical SIM card before coming. I bought a Claro prepago SIM and inserted it. Now I have both cellular providers running simultaneously.

I just topped off my Claro sim last month for 1400 pesos (promotion), - 10 gb for 30 days, voice + text. That's about $4 for the entire month.

Yep. That seems to be the best set up possible. I used to love when I had the iPhone 13 with at least 1 SIM slot but now with the 14 they got rid of it completely and I've found it's difficult to get eSIM pre-pago in many countries. Some you can get just data only but no phone.

 

[arvest]

Yep. That seems to be the best set up possible. I used to love when I had the iPhone 13 with at least 1 SIM slot but now with the 14 they got rid of it completely and I've found it's difficult to get eSIM pre-pago in many countries. Some you can get just data only but no phone.

That's why I got an iPhone from Canada. They still come with SIM card slots. Maybe in 2-3 more years the rest of the world will have decent esim plans for now the flexibility you get from a SIM card slot can't be replaced

 

[FrankPintor]

For anyone wanting to buy a phone locally, this was just announced:

El Gobierno anunció la eliminación de aranceles para la importación de teléfonos celulares

El vocero presidencial Manuel Adorni informó que el Gobierno va a eliminar por completo los aranceles de importación de teléfonos celulares en dos etapas, comenzando esta misma semana y finalizando en enero de 2026

www-infobae-com.translate.goog

The reductions are in two stages, though, the tariffs will be reduced by half this week, and eliminated in January.

 

[Redpossum]

For anyone wanting to buy a phone locally, this was just announced:

El Gobierno anunció la eliminación de aranceles para la importación de teléfonos celulares

El vocero presidencial Manuel Adorni informó que el Gobierno va a eliminar por completo los aranceles de importación de teléfonos celulares en dos etapas, comenzando esta misma semana y finalizando en enero de 2026

www-infobae-com.translate.goog

The reductions are in two stages, though, the tariffs will be reduced by half this week, and eliminated in January.

Well, that's nice. Now if they would eliminate the import taxes on PC's and PC components, that would be even nicer. It's not like Argentina produces any of that stuff.

 

[Quilombo]

Call me skeptical because I have a feeling companies are going to do what the GM of MacStation said: "Well evaluate any steps we may take, which may be include better financing options" (i.e. they'll pocket the savings and continue to rob people blind). The people this is really good for are the Caputos, they own those assembly plants in Ushuaia and Rio Grande and they're getting their taxes cut, and they also own a chain of stores that sells phones too.

The Caste trembles, as always