Dumaguete Info Search


ATTN: PHONE THAT WORKS IN USA & PHILIPPINES

Discussion in 'Expat Section' started by nwlivewire, May 3, 2016.

  1. nwlivewire

    nwlivewire DI Senior Member Showcase Reviewer Blood Donor Veteran Army Navy

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    TO ALL THE ELECTRONIC NERDS OUT THERE:

    The US Veterans Affairs is wanting to supply me with a phone to assist me with daily living.

    I told the cognitive therapist I was relocating to the Philippines, and after a long conversation about this, we came up with a list of things to ask you guys about and to enlist your recommendations.

    I told the VA therapist that many of you are Vets, you live in the area I will be relocating to, are electronically savvy, and you know what works and won't.

    So, bottom line, the VA can possibly get me a phone with certain type of features/functions for use here in the States.

    My therapist and I agree that it would be great if I can get a phone that works in the Philippines, too.

    According to the notes I took at my appointment today, I need a phone that can:

    1. Be used both in the USA and in the Philippines.

    2. Be capable of accepting a Google Voice App or better.

    3. Be GPS capable.

    4. Be able to be "unlocked".

    5. Be text capable.

    6. Be Wi-Fi capable.

    My therapist spoke about an I-Phone or it's equivalent android(?).

    QUESTION ONE:

    What do you "tech guys" recommend for a BRAND NAME that the VA can get here in the States for me that meets these criteria AND is also usable in Dumaguete? Do I-Phones work in Duma? Would an I-Pad be better?


    **** Your specific brand names WILL be what my therapist will shoot for when she orders something from the VA to make sure I get this needed piece of equipment. Nothing is guaranteed, but she will at least place a request in for me - a request for which I am grateful she will do. She has my best interests at heart - and I am lucky to have her expertise.

    **** I will be paying whatever the monthly service costs will be in the Philippines to keep this type of phone operational. I told the therapist I didn't know how much the costs for service would be in the Philippines (Duma area), but I am budgeting 55 USD p/month right now on my "clam shell" phone that doesn't have all these features as metioned above.

    QUESTION TWO:

    Would you also please list a service carrier name for the Duma area and a monthly ballpark cost?

    **********

    I will collate your replies for the next 10 days, print up a collective list, and turn it in to her on Monday, 16 May.

    Thank-you so very much in advance!

    Your responses will hopefully determine a positive outcome, so don't be shy.

    V/R,
    nwlivewire
     
  2. DavyL200

    DavyL200 DI Forum Luminary ★ Global Mod ★ ★ Moderator ★ Highly Rated Poster Showcase Reviewer

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    You won't go far wrong with Samsung,the S series are the best but more expensive.
     
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  3. jim787

    jim787 DI Senior Member

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    I have a Huwwei Y336-UO2 quadcore. I believe it is superseded. It can receive GSM all four bands, which makes it compatible with all GSM systems, U.S. and abroad. And it has the other features that you mention. Not expensive, was P3000 at Pick and Carry here in Dumaguete.
     
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    nwlivewire

    nwlivewire DI Senior Member Showcase Reviewer Blood Donor Veteran Army Navy

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    That's good to know. Thanks for this bit of information.

    I am looking for Brand Names that are sold in the USA.

    Is this HUWWEI Y336-UO2 sold in the USA?

    I am currently in the States and the purchase will be made in the States.

    V/R,
    nwlivewire
     
  5. Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

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    You have to watch out buying phones in the US. The carriers have completely different specs for phones they order (and some of these carriers have some oddball frequencies that only their company uses. :meh:)
    You might be able find one somewhere online with the correct specs. It could very well ship from overseas though.

    There are some things to look out for when buying a cell phone in the US. There are three main things you should look for:
    1. The phone must have a user accessable SIM card. (Meaning you can take the SIM out and put in a different one.)
    2. The phone must be an "UNLOCKED" version phone! This is usually only a concern when buying directly from one of the big mobile companies in the US. If it is not unlocked it is going to be useless. Another companies SIM card simply won't work in a locked phone. Example: Verizon give you the unlock code until it has been running on one of their plans for a year. (At least that was their "rule" when I last used them long ago, could have changed since then.)
    3. The phone must be at least quad-band capable, which is GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz. There are many more frequencies but these are the most important ones in the Philippines and the US.
    These are the big three if you want to use the phone in the Philippines and the US. If you buy online in the US (and not directly from one of the a-hole carriers) the phone will most likely be unlocked and give you access to the SIM card. I believe the quad-band (GSM/EDGE) has become a lot easier to find in the US compared to 6 years when I was looking for one (Verizon only had two models they called "Global phones"....and both kinda sucked.)

    All that other stuff you asked about in your first post is going to be standard on any newer Android phone. I prefer to just go straight to the source and avoid all the extra bloatware that phone manufactures throw on their phone. (I would avoid getting an iPhone for the Philippines. Too much potential nonsense with their regional restrictions in the app store......you can get around it but best to just avoid it unless you are familiar with VPNs, proxy servers or some other IP/DNS sorcery they do these days).

    So here are my recommendations:

    Google Store – Nexus, Chromecast and more - Nexus 6P
    The 64GB version will run you $549.00 ($499 for the 32GB version).

    Google Store – Nexus, Chromecast and more - Nexus 5X
    The 32GB version (which is the largest you can get on this phone) will run you $399. Do NOT get the one with 16GB! You'll eat through that in no time....since it is really only about 10GB of usable memory.

    Note: both these phones have that $50 mail-in-rebate thing if you buy directly from Google. Also note: the Nexus 6P is a top tier phone. Mostly the same specs as the Galaxy S7 Edge....but about $240 cheaper.
    Screenshot from 2016-05-03 13:18:20.png
    Unlocked S7 Edge from Amazon will run you $740. BTW: I do not like/recommend the Galaxy S series phones.....always hated the bloatware apps and the user interface Samsung throws on top of Android and now they are throwing curved screens that roll over the edge of the phone. (Why they do the curved screens? No idea. Maybe so they get more cracked screens coming in the shop to repair? :meh:)

    The Nexus 5x is the phone I have and I have had no problem with it at all here. The Nexus 6p is Google's current "flagship" phone. 6p is noticeably larger than the 5x (Nexus 6p=5.7 inch display, Nexus 5x=5.2 inch display), it has a more "polished" design and the processors perform slightly better than the 5x, mainly due to it having an extra GB of RAM (unless you are playing some resource intensive games or taking 5-10 consecutive HDR photos you probably won't even notice).

    I actually prefer the 5x because of it's minimalist design, it has more of a "rubberized" feel to the back cover (not smooth slippery metal like the 6p) and, IMO, more "reasonable" sized screen (I like to be able to make calls with my phones with one hand). Unless you prefer a larger screen the 5x would be my recommendation.

    Just in case it isn't clear: both of these phones will work just fine in the US and the Philippines (and anywhere else in the world minus like 4 countries in Africa that decided they knew better than the rest of the world). They have all the GSM/EDGE, UTMS/WCDMA, LTE (2G, 3G and 4G bandwidths) you'll need, minus one LTE band that only PLDT uses (B42).....never heard of anyone having a PLDT mobile SIM card in their phone anyway so doesn't really matter.

    Full list of the Nexus 5X's and 6P's radios:
    • GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
    • UMTS/WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/8
    • CDMA: BC0/1/10
    • LTE (FDD): B2/3/4/5/7/12/13/17/25/26/29/30
    • LTE (TDD): B41
    • CA DL: B2-B2, B2-B4, B2-B5, B2-B12, B2-B13, B2-B17, B2-B29, B4-B4, B4-B5, B4-B13, B4-B17, B4-B29, B41-B41

    Edit: if you go with the Nexus brand make sure you go to Walmart and pick up a couple extra USB Type-C charging cables for the phone. And if you do go that route I would be forever in your debt it if you brought a couple extra of those cables for my phone. :D
     
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  6. Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

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    Actually the 6P is missing another LTE band (B1) that Smart might still use. The 5X can pick that frequency up but the LTE coverage here is so incredibly limited that it won't matter. And Smart might not even be using that band in the area. (LTE drains the battery pretty fast and costs more to add to your plan/prepaid bundle....not worth it IMO.)
     
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    nwlivewire

    nwlivewire DI Senior Member Showcase Reviewer Blood Donor Veteran Army Navy

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    WOW!

    Thank-you Wrye83!

    I will copy and paste your response into the Word document I'm puttng together for the VA therapist. She may recommend I go with the larger Nexus 5.7 display, but I'll take whatever they decide.

    My primary desire is to get what is needed and not to waste the VA money on something that won't work or will only work in the USA. I want to make the most out of the dollars spent (if I get approved).

    Thank-you again.

    Well done!

    V/R,
    nwlivewire
     
  8. TheDude

    TheDude DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster

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    For the U.S. don't bother unless you are going to be spending a lot of time there. Grab a prepaid feature phone (the dumb phones) and buy load from the same place. You can get these from Walmart and probably lots of other places I believe.

    Get the smart phone in the Philippines. Don't even worry about having them buy it for you if they won't swing for that. Get a Cherry Mobile, which is a local branded "generic" phone probably made by the same manufacturers which make all the other phones on this list. Think generic PC's back in the day. They worked as well as an HP but the branding was different.

    For a smart phone, RAM is the most important feature as that's going to determine how many things you can run on it before you throw it out the window in frustration (make sure you throw it out a window with no bars). You can get something with 1gb of RAM for $100 and the frustration level is about "kick a stray dog" level. I'm guessing for $150 to $200 you can get to 2gb of RAM. Probably good for the occasional F-Bomb.

    Next item to look at is that it has LTE rather than just 3G, which gives you a faster connection depending on your area.

    Depending on your bandwidth needs you might be able to use this phone for your primary internet connection (tethering) and get voice and texting for $50 / month.

    Install the Google Voice dialer app and you are good to go.

    I you need help, hit me up when you get here.
     
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    nwlivewire

    nwlivewire DI Senior Member Showcase Reviewer Blood Donor Veteran Army Navy

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    Dear Dude:

    Thanks for all this info, too!

    If the VA doesn't approve me for a phone, I will certainly take you up on your offer and hit you up for an assist when I get there. Thanks for your offer!

    I'll let you all know how this shakes out. Free is a good price, and if the VA therapist is willing to apply and do the paperwork - heck that's 90% of the battle won. Just hope the VA buys off on her request.

    V/R,
    nwlivewire
     
  10. Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

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    ChalkTab 2.0 just came out in the Philippines. It has 256MB of RAM. P2500.......only! (Chalk not included.)

    dutertesupporters.gif
     
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