Using your iPhone in Italy – Android Smart phones in Italy – Wind

Reviewer: Foodnut.com

Be sure to secure your iPhone whenever you travel. Precautions will help prevent disaster.

The iPhone is an essential tool when traveling to Italy for Americans. Google maps, travel guides, language translation, and many other apps are extremely useful. Using our United States, USA AT&T iPhone in Italy is tricky. Verizon iPhones from the USA do not work internationally. Here are some tips on using your iPhone in Italy. We also have an article on:

• using iPhones in Hong Kong
• using iPhones in China
• using iPhones in France
• using iPhones in the UK
• using iPhones in the Germany

Be sure to read our restaurant reviews for Italy:

• Rome Restaurant Reviews

• La Pergola 3 Michelin Star Review

You can only use foreign SIM cards in an unlocked iPhone. Jailbreaking and unlocking iPhones are not easy tasks. (We use redsn0w.com and ultrasn0w.com) Be sure to change your default SSH password.

One slip and you may have bricked your expensive smartphone. We recommend buying a pre-jailbroken/unlocked used iPhone from eBay or Craigslist. iPhone 3GS’s typically cost around $150. Make sure you carry a paper clip with you.

This article also applies to the iPhone 4, 4S and iPad 3G, but you need to cut the SIM into a microSIM.

The main cellphone carriers in Italy are TIM and Wind

Wind

Wind SIM card package

Wind sells the iPhone in Italy and runs a high speed 3G network compatible with it. We bought a SIM for € 10 with € 5 credit, and had to show our Passport. It takes 24-48 hr to activate the card. We then added €10 to this card.

The SIM comes with a 4 digit pin code printed on the card holder. This needs to be entered whenever you turn on your phone. You can go into Settings to disable this feature.

After you SIM is active, to enable the Internet No Stop plan, Text:

NO STOP NO to 4033

This will enable €9 for 1GB of data transfer over 1 month, €5 activation fee. After 1GB, speed is throttled to 32 Kbps.

These SIM cards lasts for six months. If you own a smartphone that needs a Micro-SIM, such as the iPhone 4, 4S, the store selling you the SIM card should snip it for you.

We suggest you purchase your Wind SIM card from one of their stores to ensure you do not get ripped off. We bought ours from the Wind Rome store.

Automatic setting of APN to: internet.wind

These instructions should work for other smartphones including Android based smartphones that support US GSM networks from AT&T and T-Mobile.

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