# Buying a foreign cell phone in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 11, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-foreign-cell-phone-in-the-us/643751 "2012-12-11T21:08:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-foreign-cell-phone-in-the-us/643751/1 "2012-12-11T21:08:23Z")
I’m traveling to London and my iPhone won’t work there, at least cost-effectively. I know I can get a cheap top-up phone once I get there, but can I buy such a phone in the U.S.? I mean one with a UK number, so that once I land at Heathrow I can pull out my UK phone and start making local calls. ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-foreign-cell-phone-in-the-us/643751/2 "2012-12-11T21:13:14Z")
I think you can only buy sim cards with uk numbers, in the uk. Shoulde fit into your Iphone though (if you buy a micro simcard). ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-foreign-cell-phone-in-the-us/643751/3 "2012-12-11T21:20:07Z")
No - don’t think so unless there is something new out there. I even had problems topping up my UK phone with Virgin once I gave them a US billing address - they wouldn’t do anything by credit card. You might even be able to buy a phone at Heathrow. I think you are going to have to suck it up and use your iPhone for an hour or so after you land. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-foreign-cell-phone-in-the-us/643751/4 "2012-12-11T21:21:18Z")
Do US iPhones have a sim card? I didn’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-foreign-cell-phone-in-the-us/643751/5 "2012-12-11T21:22:15Z")
Polar bear makes a good point - I think the phone has to be unlocked - doesn’t it? I remember reading AT&T will unlock your phone for free if you’ve been with them long enough. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-foreign-cell-phone-in-the-us/643751/6 "2012-12-11T21:23:55Z")
Yes they do - the iPhone does (but not Verizon I think) - and so does any other on GSM. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-foreign-cell-phone-in-the-us/643751/7 "2012-12-11T21:25:11Z")
Ugh, I have a Verizon phone. OK, maybe I will have to buy when I arrive. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-foreign-cell-phone-in-the-us/643751/8 "2012-12-11T21:30:49Z")
Verizon has the same deal as AT&T where if you call and ask nicely they’ll unlock your phone so you can use it with a prepaid sim card. ETA: Or so I’ve heard. I’ve never done it, but I looked into it for my Droid 3. If your iPhone is dual band, I don’t see why they wouldn’t let you do it. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-foreign-cell-phone-in-the-us/643751/9 "2012-12-11T21:36:54Z")
Hmm - according to this: [https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4307045?start=0&tstart=0](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4307045?start=0&tstart=0) The 4s and later for Verizon DOES have a SIM. Plain old 4 does not. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-foreign-cell-phone-in-the-us/643751/10 "2012-12-11T23:28:42Z")
Buy an unlocked GSM phone in the USA. I purchased one at Best Buy just before I went to Australia. Not all Best Buy stores have unlocked phones. I then purchased a Lebara SIM card for Australia. I then used my credit card to charge the SIM card before I left the USA. Lebara SIM cards for the UK (both charged and empty) are on eBay. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-foreign-cell-phone-in-the-us/643751/11 "2012-12-12T00:20:04Z")
> [@DataX](#): > > Hmm - according to this: > [can i change the sim card in an iphone 4 … - Apple Community](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4307045?start=0&tstart=0) > The 4s and later for Verizon DOES have a SIM. Plain old 4 does not. It still needs to be unlocked, though. To the OP: There will be booths selling cell phones and SIM cards at the airport. The SIM cards are not expensive at all. Like 10 dollars. You can get a cell phone there, but even a cheap one will be too expensive. You should get a used, unlocked phone here in the states before you fly. Or get a new, cheap prepaid phone at Wal-Mart that takes SIM cards.