Problems with Australian mobile phone
Originally I brought my phone from Australia with me here with the hopes that I could just buy a sim card and use it. It's a prepaid phone and I'm with the Optus network and when I arrived it did pick up a local network, "Tim" which seemed to be a good sign.So I tried a couple of sim cards (they call them "chips," pronounced 'ship') of the different networks. Anyways the few that I did manage to try, after communicating (very badly) with some of the shop assistants, didn't work because my phone must of been locked to my network in Australia. But if you have an unlocked phone then everything should work fine.
It's funny because it could pick up the local network with my Australian sim card but anytime I tried a Brasilian one a message like, "Unlocked Sim" or something would come up.
It's funny because it could pick up the local network with my Australian sim card but anytime I tried a Brasilian one a message like, "Unlocked Sim" or something would come up.
Buying a phone
In the end I bought a cheap LG phone here R$149 (you get a disaccount with cash). The only problem is they might ask you for a Brasilian CPF* or some other ID, like a passport or driver's licence, to buy it. But luckily for me the guy at the shop was nice enough to use his own ID and let me buy the phone.
Second time round I bought a Nokia phone for R$120 and provide some ID. I think you can find some phones for cheaper, but I just settled for something semi decent. Also you still have to buy the sim card/chip separately to the phone as well as charge or credit so you can make calls.
Second time round I bought a Nokia phone for R$120 and provide some ID. I think you can find some phones for cheaper, but I just settled for something semi decent. Also you still have to buy the sim card/chip separately to the phone as well as charge or credit so you can make calls.
Networks:
- Tim
- Oi!
- Vivo
- Nextel - this is the one that offered a service where you could use your phone like a walkie talkie to talk to other people on the Nextel network. I think it cost alot though for that service though. But you'll see HEAPS of Cariocas using their phones like walkie talkies.
Here's a list of mobile phone operators in Brasil from Wikipedia showing the number of subscribers to each network.
Recharing your phone
The next thing after getting a phone is recharging some credit on it so you can call all them lovely ladies. I found the easiest way to do this was go to a Drogaria (Pharmacy/Drugstore) and ask if they have recharge credit for your network. The rest of the process is quite straight forward.
1. Ask for recharge for you network. "Voce tem recarga para (insert network name)?"
2. Type in your DDD**, which is 021 for those in Rio de Janeiro.
3. Type in your number (and make sure it's correct! because I have typed in the wrong number before)
4. You should recieve a SMS message shortly stating how much credit you have.
Note: For the Tim network to check how much credit you have left just type 222# and then dial and it should appear on your screen.
The other way to recharge the credit on your phone is by purchasing a recharge card. Then dialling the given number and following the instructions. The only problem with this is all the instructions are given in Portuguese so it could be hard to understand what numbers to press etc.
* A CPF is like an identity card number or something similar in Brasil.
**DDD (Discagem Direta à Distância) is like the area code number
Costs
Generally everytime I'd recharge my credit I'd pay about R$25. I only used it to text or call friends if we were meeting up so it would last me a good 2-3 weeks. Sometimes even a month.
The cheapet (mais barato) phones I saw were going for about R$110-ish, brand new, but you still have to buy credit to make calls which is at a minimum R$10.
I can't remember the costs for calling or if they charge you to receive calls. But I know that it's cheaper if you're calling phones on the same network. Either way there's a number to call to check your credit and if I remember correctly it's 222# (then call) and it should show the amount of credit you have left on the screen.
Basically all you need is to download the program Skype and set up an account.
- You can buy credits with Skype e.g. AU$16 or $40 to allow you to call cell phones and landlines
- Set your account so that if it drops below e.g. AU$4 it will automatically recharge to AU$16 via your credit card OR paypal.
- Skype to Skype calls are FREE
- Option of video calls
- You can even buy an online number so people can call you from their cell phones or landlines
- Send a SMS
- Calling a home phone would cost me AU$0.027/min or $0.26/min for mobiles
Skype homepage
Skype prices
Skype calling country rates
- Tim
- Oi!
- Vivo
- Nextel - this is the one that offered a service where you could use your phone like a walkie talkie to talk to other people on the Nextel network. I think it cost alot though for that service though. But you'll see HEAPS of Cariocas using their phones like walkie talkies.
Here's a list of mobile phone operators in Brasil from Wikipedia showing the number of subscribers to each network.
Recharing your phone
The next thing after getting a phone is recharging some credit on it so you can call all them lovely ladies. I found the easiest way to do this was go to a Drogaria (Pharmacy/Drugstore) and ask if they have recharge credit for your network. The rest of the process is quite straight forward.
1. Ask for recharge for you network. "Voce tem recarga para (insert network name)?"
2. Type in your DDD**, which is 021 for those in Rio de Janeiro.
3. Type in your number (and make sure it's correct! because I have typed in the wrong number before)
4. You should recieve a SMS message shortly stating how much credit you have.
Note: For the Tim network to check how much credit you have left just type 222# and then dial and it should appear on your screen.
The other way to recharge the credit on your phone is by purchasing a recharge card. Then dialling the given number and following the instructions. The only problem with this is all the instructions are given in Portuguese so it could be hard to understand what numbers to press etc.
* A CPF is like an identity card number or something similar in Brasil.
**DDD (Discagem Direta à Distância) is like the area code number
Costs
Generally everytime I'd recharge my credit I'd pay about R$25. I only used it to text or call friends if we were meeting up so it would last me a good 2-3 weeks. Sometimes even a month.
The cheapet (mais barato) phones I saw were going for about R$110-ish, brand new, but you still have to buy credit to make calls which is at a minimum R$10.
I can't remember the costs for calling or if they charge you to receive calls. But I know that it's cheaper if you're calling phones on the same network. Either way there's a number to call to check your credit and if I remember correctly it's 222# (then call) and it should show the amount of credit you have left on the screen.
Calling overseas - Skype
Anytime that I'd make a call overseas to family back home I'd just use Skype. It's much cheaper and easier to use and you don't have to worry about if accepting calls on your mobile phone will cost you alot of credit. Also I only started using Skype alot when I went on this trip after I saw alot of backpackers using it to call home. Basically all you need is to download the program Skype and set up an account.
- You can buy credits with Skype e.g. AU$16 or $40 to allow you to call cell phones and landlines
- Set your account so that if it drops below e.g. AU$4 it will automatically recharge to AU$16 via your credit card OR paypal.
- Skype to Skype calls are FREE
- Option of video calls
- You can even buy an online number so people can call you from their cell phones or landlines
- Send a SMS
- Calling a home phone would cost me AU$0.027/min or $0.26/min for mobiles
Skype homepage
Skype prices
Skype calling country rates
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