Smartphone is slowly replacing the mobile world. With it's multifunction image rolled into one, it can do almost everything. Handy and a real useful invention. But beware, it can make a hole in your wallet. Here's why.
Using Smartphone Abroad
Bringing along your smartphone abroad, could be expensive, specially when your phone is locked to your network. This means you cannot use any sim card from the country you are visiting other than your current network. And if that is the case, it is better to turn the data function off. If not, data usage while in a roaming mode can be very expensive. While in roaming mode, you'll be charged per amount of data used, not how long you've been online.
Data allowance
To use your smartphone with a data allowance is a better choice than paying data plans as you go, especially when you access internet a lot. Data allowance is not only for the monthly tariff one, you can subscribe to a data allowance even when you are in a pay as you go tariff. Pay as you go networks has a data bundled with a top up, which is sufficient checking emails, but for the heavy users who access GPS, update status on social networks, geo tag photos, etc etc., additional data purchase is a smarter choice.
And if you can not avoid going online, make sure the site you go to has a WAP version, the full web version uses more data than the WAP and this means paying more. To check if the site has a WAP version, try typing "wap" before the domain name. Example is www.wap.yahoo.com which will direct you to the wap version of the site. For other sites, you need to type "m" like http://m.facebook.com And if you search use http://m.google.com
Other smartphones automatically direct you to WAP sites but others do not, so watch out.
Set camera to a lower resolution
Snapping away photos during holidays is easy, and sending those to your social network couldn't be harder. Remember that the higher the resolution of an image, the higher the amount of data needed to upload it, the higher the price you will spend on it.
Turn off synhcronisation
There are a lot of functions we can sync, but the things that can make a hole in your pocket are those that sync using internet access, GPS seeking apps like geo tags, log me in, status checks like social networks, notifications like emails.
These are the problems with smartphones when going abroad, but there are simple solutions to it!
Use pay as you go sim
You can buy a PAYG sim from your network which you can load via internet when you are out of credit. The good thing using PAYG sim is you can predict and control your expenses and do not worry of expending too much, and no surprise bill as well.
Unlock your smartphone
This means you can use any sim from any country, you can buy sim card usually inside the airport of destination or stores outside.
Free Wifi
Look for free wifi usually at your hotel lobby, and just sync and upload at will before you go to your room.
Off With Data Roaming
This should be the first one you should do when you are with monthly tariff and you are going abroad. Avoid surprise charger, be smarter than your smart phone!
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