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Smarter to Buy a Smart Phone in Chile??


#1  2012-04-17 22:23:09

lsonday
New member
From: Santiago
Registered: 2012-04-17
Posts: 1

Smarter to Buy a Smart Phone in Chile??

Hi there!

I will be moving from the USA to Santiago in 1 week. I currently have an Android device through Verizon which will not work in Santiago. I am now considering whether to purchase an internationally-friendly smartphone here in the US or to wait and purchase one in Santiago. I will be in the city for at least 1 year.

My question:
- Is it better (more cost-effective/better service experience) to purchase a smartphone once I am in Chile?
- Any suggestions on smartphones or plans either in the US or Chile that will work well in Santiago?

Thank you!! smile




 
 
 

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#2  2012-04-18 08:45:38

Francesca
Team
Francesca
From: pereybere
Registered: 2011-08-16
Posts: 3111

Re: Smarter to Buy a Smart Phone in Chile??

Hi lsonday and welcome to expat blog!

Francesca




 
 
 

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#3  2012-04-21 03:52:03

jen_patagonia
Member
From: Valdivia
Registered: 2011-05-24
Posts: 12

Re: Smarter to Buy a Smart Phone in Chile??

Hi Lsonday,

Based on my experiences, I'd recommend buying a smartphone in the US as it will be cheaper than in Chile.  Go with an iPhone, and get it unlocked so that you can swap out the SIM card once you're in Chile.  If you're not happy with the iPhone or find that you can't really use it for internet in Chile, you can always sell it in Chile for a bit more than what you'd paid for it in the US. wink

Also, that said, I haven't had any luck being able to purchase a phone plan and therefore use my smartphone (a BlackBerry I brought with me to South America in 2010) as a smartphone.  Although there are plans available from the major phone companies   in Chile, such as Entel, I've found that they don't let you purchase an actual plan if you're a foreigner.  Perhaps other expats have had better luck...Anyhow, it's easy to buy prepago minutes to make calls and send texts from any phone, but actually using the "smart" part of your smartphone may be a bit more of a challenge.  You can always consider buying a cheapo phone to use for texts and calls, and bringing an iPad with you for internet access as there are plenty of wifi hotspots in Santiago.

Good luck, and enjoy settling into Chile.  I've kept track of some of my experiences with the cultural differences and generally what it's like settling into Southern Chile on my blog, please feel free to drop in as it may answer other questions you have as well! 

-Jennifer
Living in Patagonia




 
 
 
 
 

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#4  2012-04-29 08:15:46

VegasChris
New member
From: Las Vegas
Registered: 2012-04-29
Posts: 1

Re: Smarter to Buy a Smart Phone in Chile??

Hello everyone!

Just a thought here...If you have a smart phone that has Skype installed, you should be able to make calls just fine so long as you have internet access. I've used Skype while in Japan to call home and it works great. (I was using it from my laptop, though) I'm planning a 2-week trip to Chile in December and I'm hoping I can use this method with my phone. Are there wi-fi hotspots available in Chile like we have here?

Thanks!

Chris




 
 
 
 

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