• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Using Captivate Overseas

M

Mark1987

Newbie
I plan on using my Captivate in Europe this coming summer.

Currently I am on At&t's 2GB/month data plan.

I am wondering:

1) Will I be able to use data, using 3G, without any additional charges? (Roaming?)

2) Is there a way to use an international pre paid sim card?

Note: I am running the Cognition rom if that makes a difference.
 
The cost is rediculous if you stick with AT&T and get the International/World Package (not sure of the accual name).

Unlock the phone and you can buy a SIM card when you get there, and use a local service.

Or, download Google Voice and just use it in WiFi ares.
 
Do not take your phone to Europe with data roaming enabled and only a domestic data package. You will be shocked with how high your bill will be when you get back. Leave data roaming turned off if you don't need it.

Depending on how you use your phone, I strongly recommend the following additions to your phone when overseas, if you can't or don't want to use an international service and sim.

  • AT&T
 
I'd say get your phone unlocked, and get a prepaid sim card when you get to Europe. It's easy to find there. All the prepaid sims allow for free incoming calls with a specific country. They even sell them from vending machinese sometimes.

If you are plan on travelling to different countries within Europe, you might want to think about an international prepaid sim card. These usually allow for free incoming local calls in nearly every European country (as opposed to just one). Something like this
Prepaid SIM Cards

To unlock the Captivate, there are various methods. There is an SGS unlocker app available on the market that worked for me. It seems like they updated it to work with the new AT&T firmware.
 
I did like Contradictions and added those options to my plan, instead of $1.50 its like $.99 cents a minute. Texting helps, they have several options but yes, whatever you do don't use data roaming. If this is a trip for a week or two, don't do anything to your phone and work around these limitations. Most hotels have WiFi in their lobbies so you can use that as plan B for other things.
 
It will help *a lot* if you have a friend with a t-mobile phone as well.

Reason being is that when you figure out the Sim Unlock code, in order to actually type that in and unlock the phone, you'll need stick in different company's sim card.

Here's a link to the app that *might* be able to generate your unlock code for free. I've had success with this method. May or may not work to find your code... not sure how well it works with custom roms.

Samsung Galaxy S Unlock Tool - Android app on AppBrain
 
Mark1987 said:
I plan on using my Captivate in Europe this coming summer.

Currently I am on At&t's 2GB/month data plan.

I am wondering:

1) Will I be able to use data, using 3G, without any additional charges? (Roaming?)

2) Is there a way to use an international pre paid sim card?

Note: I am running the Cognition rom if that makes a difference.
Click to expand...

I just got back from 3 weeks in the south of Chile. Using your phone overseas depends on what you need. The best is to drop a local sim into your phone. However, if you need to have your US phone # available there, then that's not an option. So to answer:

1) Yes you will. However, it will be useful to purchase some international MB from ATT prior.

2) Yes..just mentioned, but you have to unlock the device. Best thing IMO is to carry another unlocked device (I carried a Nokia N97) and use a local sim in it. Carrying 2 phones is not a big deal for the most part.

PS: the Captivate performed flawlessly for me there. GPS was great. I downloaded Mapdroyd and it worked great with no data. Also recommended is a 3G data tracking app, such as 3G watchdog. Very accurate for me
 
Thanks for your responses everyone.

I will more than likely unlock my phone so I can use an international prepaid sim card. I'll be overseas for a month and definately do not want to take the chance of getting an insanely high bill in the mail.

I have a few questions regardding unlocking:

1) Can I check if the phone is unlocked using a verizon sim card used on the fascinate?

2) Do I have to change any settings when I change to a different sim card? (SMS servers etc)
 
Mark1987 said:
Thanks for your responses everyone.

I will more than likely unlock my phone so I can use an international prepaid sim card. I'll be overseas for a month and definately do not want to take the chance of getting an insanely high bill in the mail.

I have a few questions regardding unlocking:

1) Can I check if the phone is unlocked using a verizon sim card used on the fascinate?

2) Do I have to change any settings when I change to a different sim card? (SMS servers etc)
Click to expand...

1) Does Verizon use sim cards? If so, then you would know your device is unlocked because you have to apply the unlock code with an active, non-att sim.

2) The sim card should that you put in should do it automatically.

As a side note-it is going to be a chore to unlock the captivate since JH7. The unlock app in the market won't work. In my case it was a no brainer just to bring an unlocked Nokia with me on my trip
 
You can actually check if your phone is unlocked without trying a different sim card by dialing in *#7465625#. Everything should say [OFF] if it is in fact unlocked.

Usually Verizon phones don't have sim cards *unless* they are special hybrid worldphones capable of both GSM and CDMA. In that case, that special sim card ought to work to input the unlock code. Any other sim card can be used as long as it's not AT&T in order to input the unlock code. Even if the service is expired on that sim card. (I used an old Talkmobile UK expired prepaid card).

Also, I've tested the unlock app after AT&T JH7, and also running Cognition 3.01. It still seems to find my code. I think the developer possibly updated that app after JH7 caused it to fail. So try that app still it's free, there's nothing to lose.
 
Here's another thing you might wanna know. AT&T (believe it or not) may actually give you the unlock code if you just call up and ask and you are a customer for 90 days and are in good standing and the phone you want to unlock isn't an iphone.

Answer Center | AT&T

I don't know what their policy is on the Captivate however. AT&T can do this remotely for free. I've had it done with older AT&T phones that I've had... they've given me unlock codes when I've asked.
 
Andrewdroid said:
Here's another thing you might wanna know. AT&T (believe it or not) may actually give you the unlock code if you just call up and ask and you are a customer for 90 days and are in good standing and the phone you want to unlock isn't an iphone.

Answer Center | AT&T

I don't know what their policy is on the Captivate however. AT&T can do this remotely for free. I've had it done with older AT&T phones that I've had... they've given me unlock codes when I've asked.
Click to expand...


I tried chatting with customer support and they said my phone could NOT be unlocked. But we know this is not true.

I did, however, find a thread on xda: [REF] How to unlock/unfreeze all SGS Models [NOW WORKS ON JI6+][Updated 1-3-11] - xda-developers

They found vrious ways to get the unlock code.

When I do unlock the phone and put in a different sim card. I am assuming I will NOT have data enabled to access the web off of wifi?
 
There's actually a sort of 'procedure' I used to get other phones unlocked from AT&T. I didn't just say I wanted my phone unlocked. Basically I told them I would be travelling in 4 weeks to... (name random European country). I would also need a local number, so I would need to use a local sim card. At that point, they'd get to their computer, check if I was eligible according to their criteria, then ask for my IMEI number and email address. Then they would email me the instructions and unlock code.

That's how they did it for me in the past, but maybe the policy is different for the Captivate because AT&T might be able to say the *captivate* is a USA exclusive. All the phone's that I've unlocked using the 'call AT&T' method have been pretty standard type (Samsung dumbphones, Motorola Razr, and an LG purple dumbphone). There was actually a lawsuit that forces them to give out some unlock codes, but they got phone's with exclusivity deals longer than 10 months (like the iPhone) perpetually excluded.

AT&T Will Unlock Phones, iPhones Need Not Apply (Phone Scoop)
 
Regarding Data access:

After unlocking the phone, it should be possible to get the data enabled on the foreign sim card, (they wanna make money don't they). Many providers are actually able to send a specialized text message (service message) that can input those data settings automatically. Or you can take it into a shop. If the phone is truly unlocked, it will be able to use other provider's data settings.

I was just testing this with a UK sim card, the captivate seems to be able to read the data settings from the sim card itself. The data settings have all changed to Vodafone by just adding the new sim card. Most older phones do not do this so automatically, so that seems very good. However, the sim card is long expired and I have no service with that card, so I don't know if the data actually works.
 
By the way it is FAR, FAR cheaper to use a local sim card than *any* roaming package AT&T has. Also receiving incoming calls is almost always free.

Due to the way the USA has a "cellular receiver pays model" in this country, it's possible to find a foreign service with extremely cheap calls to back home, sometimes even cheaper than calling locally in that other country. (weird but true).

While I was living in Britain, I had a prepaid sim card that cost 4p (6
 
Does anyone have experience unlocking their phone using a custom rom?

Will I have to unlock the phone again if I decide to flash a new rom?
 
AT&T will provide the unlock code for their phones, with the exception of a few exclusive ones (Iphone and Captivate come to mind). As long as the criteria is met. Being a customer for at least 90 days and in good standing. I have unlocked 5 phones from AT&T in the last 2 years. For some phones that are newer, they will have it in their database, so they will give it to you, with instructions, right on the phone. For others, they will have to get it from the manufacturer. They will email it to you with instructions. Very painless process indeed!
 
OK so AT&T is considering the Captivate to be exclusive then? -- despite the fact that there are various Galaxy S variants on every network. Kinda junky.

Re: sim-unlocking and changing roms and stuff

Sim-unlocking the phone *should* be a one-time event. With my past dumbphones this was always the case. However, it's possible with all our flashing and factory resets etc, and rom stuff, that somehow our smart phone gets re-locked. This isn't so bad because the actual unlock code stays the same (it's tied to the phone serial number), and you can unlock the phone again with the same code.

Personally, I unlocked my phone and then flashed Cognition 3.01 and it stayed unlocked.

BUT due to the distinct possibility the phone can maybe re-lock itself, with all our tinkering, make sure you email it to yourself and save that unlock code!!!!
 
Update: I was able to unlock my Captivate, running on Cognition 3.02, by using the "Galaxy S Unlock" app found in the marketplace. The app was made by someone from France so the grammar is a little off.

Using that app I wa able to dial: *#7465625# and the "Network Lock" is now at [OFF]!

I also dialed: #06# to get my IMEI # and the number provided matches the IMEI # found on the captivate behind the battery.

I haven't tried a sim card from another carrier but I'm pretty confident it will work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom