I've been trying to figure this out on my own, and I really just don't know the system well enough to work it, so I'm bringing my problem to the experts. You guys know the apps, the plans, the programs that might help me out. I want an iPhone, but as an American living in Canada I need to decide which country to get a plan with and how to handle my contacts in the other.
Right now I've got an American phone with Verizon, and pay a little extra a month to avoid roaming and long distance fees'. So I don't get charged when I call or text my Canadian friends, but THEY do. This hasn't been too much of a problem so far because I mostly only call businesses, and I really only text one person. The majority of my phonecalls and texts are going back to the states.
Here's what I figure my two choices are, and what the problems are with each:
1. American iPhone
+ Calling/texting back home will be simple
- I'll need to pay extra to avoid roaming on data, voice, texts, etc in Canada/with Canadians
- Canadians will still be charged to text/call me
- I'll need to constantly transfer money into my american bank account to pay the bill (minor problem, but putting it out there)
- Some apps wont work when taken out of their "home country" (so I've been told?)
2. Canadian iPhone
+ Calling/texting Canadians will be simple
+ Bill paying will be easy
- I'll need to pay extra to avoid roaming on data, voice, texts, etc in the US/with Americans
- Americans will still be charged to text/call me
I am open to (and look for!) jerry-rigged round-about solutions like combinations of 3G and iTouch's, etc. I am ok with continuing to pay for my american phone on the side, especially since I've had the number for almost 7 years and have entered it on so many forms I wouldn't even know where to begin my updating. I don't much care about breaking rules or bending terms of service or any of that, I just want to be able to talk and text both sides of the border as simply and cheaply as possible. Texting is the priority over voice, especially for the americans. I'm fine with having to pop open skype to call those guys, but up here some businesses wont answer an incoming call from 00000 skype and pizza guys wont take my american number for their call-back.
Ideally, I'd find some kind of way to "forward" my american phone number to my iPhone. Like what you do when you connect a school email to your gmail and can receive and reply from your school address. I know there are some services that allow you to make phonecalls internationally, and I'm ok with paying some subscription fees to Skype and the like, but I'd really value the ability to send regular texts to people. I don't want them to have to open up skype and text-chat with me. But maybe that's all there is.
I really don't know enough about this huge world to even begin to imagine how this could work, but you know my situation and what I'm trying to achieve, feel free to ask me any clarifying questions! Hopefully I'm not asking too much- I find it hard to believe there aren't more people living this bi-national life, needing similar solutions.
Right now I've got an American phone with Verizon, and pay a little extra a month to avoid roaming and long distance fees'. So I don't get charged when I call or text my Canadian friends, but THEY do. This hasn't been too much of a problem so far because I mostly only call businesses, and I really only text one person. The majority of my phonecalls and texts are going back to the states.
Here's what I figure my two choices are, and what the problems are with each:
1. American iPhone
+ Calling/texting back home will be simple
- I'll need to pay extra to avoid roaming on data, voice, texts, etc in Canada/with Canadians
- Canadians will still be charged to text/call me
- I'll need to constantly transfer money into my american bank account to pay the bill (minor problem, but putting it out there)
- Some apps wont work when taken out of their "home country" (so I've been told?)
2. Canadian iPhone
+ Calling/texting Canadians will be simple
+ Bill paying will be easy
- I'll need to pay extra to avoid roaming on data, voice, texts, etc in the US/with Americans
- Americans will still be charged to text/call me
I am open to (and look for!) jerry-rigged round-about solutions like combinations of 3G and iTouch's, etc. I am ok with continuing to pay for my american phone on the side, especially since I've had the number for almost 7 years and have entered it on so many forms I wouldn't even know where to begin my updating. I don't much care about breaking rules or bending terms of service or any of that, I just want to be able to talk and text both sides of the border as simply and cheaply as possible. Texting is the priority over voice, especially for the americans. I'm fine with having to pop open skype to call those guys, but up here some businesses wont answer an incoming call from 00000 skype and pizza guys wont take my american number for their call-back.
Ideally, I'd find some kind of way to "forward" my american phone number to my iPhone. Like what you do when you connect a school email to your gmail and can receive and reply from your school address. I know there are some services that allow you to make phonecalls internationally, and I'm ok with paying some subscription fees to Skype and the like, but I'd really value the ability to send regular texts to people. I don't want them to have to open up skype and text-chat with me. But maybe that's all there is.
I really don't know enough about this huge world to even begin to imagine how this could work, but you know my situation and what I'm trying to achieve, feel free to ask me any clarifying questions! Hopefully I'm not asking too much- I find it hard to believe there aren't more people living this bi-national life, needing similar solutions.
