Future Expats Forum» android phone

Buy One Mobile Phone for Home and Overseas

FutureExpat — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Technology for Expats

Advances in technology have made it much easier for expats to stay in touch with friends and family back home, and even to work remotely from their new locations. There’ve been lots of changes since I last wrote about technology for expats.

While they may make your expat life easier or more convenient, the choices can become overwhelming.

One area that’s been changing rapidly is mobile phones. If you’re confused about all the information about smart phones, “dumb” phones, Android and apps, here’s some basic information that will help you sort through the muddle.

Unlocked Phones

As previously discussed, purchasing the right unlocked phone lets you transfer your phone service pretty seamlessly.

In most of the world, you can use any mobile phone with any provider. It’s only in the US that phones are “locked” to a single company’s network. Generally if you buy an AT&T phone, you can’t use it with Verizon or T-Mobile or Sprint.

However, by buying an unlocked phone you circumvent that nonsense.

(Note that Sprint, Metro PCS and a few other companies use a network that’s completely incompatible with the rest of the world. )

GSM stands for “Global Systems for Mobile Communications.” It’s used throughout Europe, Asia and Central and South America. Different GSM systems use different frequencies: 850, 900, 1800 and 1900. When a phone can use all four, it’s called a “quad band” phone.

For starters, look for a quad-band GSM phone. With it, you’ll be able to make and receive calls from almost anywhere in the world.

These phones use SIM (subscriber identity module) cards where the phone’s number and other information is stored. When you arrive in your new country, just sign up for new service and swap SIM cards. Easy peasy.

If you plan on traveling back and forth frequently to your home country, or living abroad just part of the year and you want to keep your same phone number in your home country, choose a phone that uses two SIM cards! So-called “world” phones can switch back and forth with the touch of a button. No card swapping required.

Smart Phones

A smart phone, in addition to talk and text, gives you internet browsing capabilities and the ability to use apps.

When choosing a smart phone, you should be aware of some differences in the way data is handled in different networks and select a phone that will do the best job for you in the countries you’ll be spending the most time in.

For example, the 3G network in the US uses different frequencies than the 3G network in Europe. A phone built for the European market may only be able to use a slow connection like EDGE in the Americas. (I found this one out the hard way.)

If you’re moving to a smart phone, you also have a choice of operating systems. There’s Apple’s iPhone, of course, or you can go with an Android or Windows operating system.

My personal choice is Android, which is the biggest seller worldwide. If you’re already using Google’s tools like Gmail, Calendar and Tasks, it’s a pretty easy move, and there are tons of great apps available.

Some phones, like the one pictured above, have actual keyboards that slide out when needed. They add a little extra weight, but are easier for some of us to use than the virtual keyboards.

Smart Phone Apps for Expats and Travelers

An “app” is a program for a smartphone. Many are available free and some of the most useful generally come preinstalled on the phone.

Mapping and Navigation.

In an unfamiliar place, maps and GPS apps are extremely useful. (Unless you’re so far off the beaten path it hasn’t been mapped by satellites yet.) Look for a GPS navigation app that will show you the map, a written list of directions, and will also talk you through the trip (in your language of choice).
Translation
You can find dictionaries, apps that will translate what you say or type into another language and “speak” it for you, and even apps that will take a picture of a sign or menu and translate it for you.
Currency Conversion
These apps will tell you what a price means in terms of your familiar home currency.
Video Chat
Programs like Skype and Google Chat help you stay in touch using your phone’s built-in camera.
Games
There’s nothing like a mindless game on your phone to take your mind off an extended airlline delay. Have you tried Angry Birds?

What’s the smart phone app you rely on most while traveling?

2010 Technology for the Expat

FutureExpat — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:39:56 +0000

A while ago, I wrote that there are two gadgets absolutely necessary to my happiness and well being when I move abroad: my Amazon Kindle and my iPod. Since then, there have also been some advances in telephone technology which will make the expat’s life much easier as well. You can read the original article here.

Following are some updates on the Kindle, as well as information on some new technology that may make your expat life a little easier.

Amazon Kindle

Global Kindle DX

The best news for expats is that Amazon has updated the Kindle to make their wireless delivery of content available internationally. Previously, you had to live in the US to purchase a Kindle, and reside in the US to take advantage of their quick wireless delivery of new books, magazines, or newspapers. Now, using 3G wireless (the wireless technology most of the world outside the US uses), you can order a new book and have it delivered wirelessly to your Kindle reader in 160 countries throughout the world.

The updated Kindle is smaller than the first version, with a profile of just over 1/3 of an inch – about the width of a pencil – and weighing 10.2 ounces. Kindle now supports PDF documents, so you can send almost anything to your Kindle and be able to read it on the go.

An experimental text-to-speech feature is also included, so Kindle can read your material out loud to you. According to their information, you can transition seamlessly from reading it yourself to having Kindle read aloud.

Best-sellers are only $9.99, a considerable price break from the $25 or more for most new hardcover books, and Amazon has lowered the price to $259.

Amazon has also created a larger version, the Kindle Dx, with a 9.7-inch display, but just as slim as its 6-inch counterpart and with the same other features.

The global version will be released on January 19, and will cost $489. They are taking orders now.

Amazon Kindle Global

Unlocked Smart Phones

Nexus One

Phones are getting smarter and doing more. Everyone is familiar with Apple’s iPhone, which permanently altered smart phone design and included a top-notch MP3 player and loads of downloadable applications. Other companies quickly followed suit. However, the international traveler needs a phone which is unlocked, not tied in to any one specific service provider. (The iPhone is locked to AT&T).

An unlocked phone allows you to change providers and numbers by simply swapping out a SIM (subscriber identity module) card. The SIM card is mandatory in all GSM phones, and GSM is the wireless standard in most parts of the world. In the USA, mobile providers AT&T and T Mobile use GSM SIM cards.

For the traveler, this means you can purchase an unlocked GSM phone, buy a SIM card for use in the US and another for use overseas, sign up for the appropriate provider services here and abroad, and use the same phone in both places. If you’re accustomed to getting a phone for a low price in exchange for a 24-month contract with a specific provider, you may be in for some sticker shock, but the benefits are substantial as well.

Smart phones come with operating systems. iPhone uses Apple, and others include Windows Mobile, Blackberry and Palm. New to the scene is Android, which uses open source Linux.

For the traveler or expat, Google Maps is available for your mobile phone, and the new Android Nexus One from Google even offers full GPS with voice navigation. (I have to admit, of all the available smart phones, the Nexus One is the first one that’s really sparked my interest.) There are many other applications for the Nexus One or other Android smart phones which are helpful to the traveler. These include Trip Journal, Google Sky Map for star mapping, Locale, which automatically changes your phone’s settings depending on where you are, On the Road, Trippo Mondo voice translator, weather information, aCurrency, a converter for 160 countries, and lots more.

I’m waiting to see whether there’s a non-iPhone smart phone out there that could replace my iPod. I’ll keep you posted on that.