These days, smartphones fulfill a very important role in our lives. Once a person experiences the possibilities that a smart device offers its user, that person will never go back to using a “dumbphone”. The reason is obvious: smartphones are extremely helpful in our everyday life. We need them all the time – to read emails, take photos, check the weather, browse the web, to play, to listen, to record everything around, to memorize… and sometimes even to call!

For the majority of smartphone users, this small handset became an essential helper in performing everyday routine tasks. But the true significance of this device can be really appreciated abroad. Suddenly, when you are overseas, knowing where to go and where to stay becomes crucial; and your loyal assistant is there to help you anytime, anywhere. Traveling abroad with a smartphone is a fun and pleasurable experience. But as Einstein put it, “Genius is 1% talent and 99% percent hard work” – so if you want your iPhone to deliver brilliance in foreign lands, you will need to make a few preparation. Choosing the right applications is very important and will enhance your travel experience.
But how do you choose the right applications that will suit your travel needs? The iPhone, for example, has over 500,000 applications(!), so how do you choose the only few that will suit your needs the most?

There is no precise answer. However, based on my experience I can give you several tips on how to build the correct kit that will help you abroad the most.
I am dividing my recommendations into 4 categories – transportation, communication, adaptation, and entertainment.

1. Transportation:

If you are traveling, then you are on the move; and if you are on the move, then you use public transportation. Consider before your trip what kind of transportation you will be using.
• In big cities like London you will probably use the underground – so do not forget to download a subway map and locator app.
• If you want to take a taxi don’t forget an application that finds the nearest cab service for you (and simultaneously checks the prices – that’s a common practice in the word to overcharge tourists).
• Install a train schedule app – they are usually very precise.
• Don’t forget about your flights (especially back home) – there are a variety of programs with live departure feeds.
• Check for location based applications that will assist you in finding transportation stations and stops in your area.
As a tourist you will use various types of transportation – being prepared can save you a lot of time, money and hassle!

 

2. Communication:
You’ll probably want to stay in touch with your loved ones (or your boss), so don’t forget about communication.
• First of all, download Wi-Fi Finder. Hotels usually charge outrageously high rates for their internet usage, so find free Wi-Fi zones and browse the net there.
• Check if your default e-mail application really suits your needs – there are a variety of e-mail solutions for any mobile phone.
• Install VoIP communicators. We recommend Skype or Viber – they are free, allow texting, and will save you a lot of money on long distance calls!
• Social networking – you probably would like the world to know how much fun you are having, and of course you want to share the most recent photos with your friends. Pre-install Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare and make them all envious (and don’t forget using the location features to check-in to show them in real time where you are).
Think about information you may need abroad. There are different types of apps that provide solutions to these needs. For example, you can connect your home computer’s hard disk (using Folders app) and download files to your iPhone, or you can check your bank account and stocks while abroad (be careful not to use unlocked WiFi hotspots when entering private and confidential information). Check out iStore to get ideas.

 

3. Adaptation:
When you travel you will want to feel at home even while if you are far away from home. There are many useful applications to help you accomplish this.

• Be prepared. In some countries the weather is unpredictable, so check out weather prediction applications.
• Overcome the language barrier by installing a dictionary and a translator. Look for applications with audio pronunciation. If you are on a business trip, check out dictionaries with professional language vocabularies for your field.
• Currency and unit converters are highly recommended. Be aware that you exchange your dollars for a fair rate. Know the temperature in Fahrenheit. Drive carefully while considering that your speedometer is in kilometers per hour. Remember that same numbers can mean different things while abroad.
• Local Holidays Calendar – you will be surprised how many holidays you can find in one country. Use this application before your trip, but also take it with you – you will probably discover additional important dates.
• Install as many travel guide apps as you can – city sightseeing guides, cultural recommendations, audio travel directories, and local gems finders. You can never have too many travel guide apps.
• Download location based applications to help you with your tourist routine – like finding places to eat or sleep. These applications are vital to prevent a disorganized vacation. When looking for such locations using this software, check if you can find online reviews. Knowing what locals think about a restaurant or a hotel will steer into the best places your vacation place has to offer.
Think of what problems you may bump into. Look for applications that will help you find solutions to these difficulties.

 

 

4. Entertainment:
While abroad you may spend a lot of time in trains, cars, planes, lines and more. Instead of considering this time as wasted you can download applications that will help you spend this time more pleasurably.
• Download your favorite movies and music before your travel. Don’t think that you will be watching on-line content, because usually you won’t have good internet connection while on the go.
• Download games. There are games for all ages and genders, and there are never enough.
• Upload your favorite books onto your iPhone and read them anywhere in the world.
• Install radio applications. You will be able to listen to your favorite channels almost everywhere.
There are a lot of different applications that can make your “useless” time more entertaining. If you’re going to travel with an iPhone, browsing “games” and “entertainment” directories in  Apps Store is highly recommended.

 

We at KeepGo provide our customers with local and global data SIM cards, smartphones and internet devices (like MiFi or modems) for their destination country before they travel. In doing this we allow our customers to avoid expensive 3G roaming fees from their carrier and enjoy unlimited internet everywhere. Contact us to benefit your smartphone to the full !

And don’t forget to take a charger with you!

Guy Zbarsky

Here is a quick and simple “how to guide” for transferring all your contacts, emails, apps, pictures and more to your new/rented iPhone.

1. Make sure you have the latest iTunes version and synchronize your original iPhone with iTunes before starting the migration.

2. Connect your iPhone to iTunes and back up it to a seperate file. This backup will be copied to your rented iPhone and later will be used to restore your iPhone. Use right click on the devices name to open the back up menu.

3. Connect rented iPhone to iTunes and when it shows up in devices click on it and then right click on it and choose “Restore from backup”. At this point, iTunes will present you with options as to which backup to restore from, choose the one you did in the previous step. Please note: It will restore all settings, though it will not yet restore all content you had on your iPhone.

4. Your rented iPhone will show up in the Device section in iTunes with exactly the same name as your iPhone. Click on the name and change it back to its original name (choose one). This way iTunes will make backups of rented iPhone and will not mix up with the backups from your iPhone.

5. Choose synchronize options in iTunes and click Apply – it will copy all content from your iTunes library (including applications) to your rented iPhone. Congrats! Now your rented iPhone has the same name and settings as your own iPhone.

If you are traveling abroad with the rented iPhone from KeepGo, you need to set your carrier settings to the settings provided by us. Please go to m.apnchanger.org and select the carrier appropriate to the SIM card you were given. Now you are setup and ready to go!

and… Enjoy 3Ging 

Traveling abroad and want to switch to a larger carrier with a better coverage? Or maybe one with a faster data network?

Here is a quick how-to guide for making that happen:

How to manually change the network carrier on your iPhone?

Go to settings -> carrier -> (wait for the phone to find the networks – appx. 2 minutes) select the network you want to use.

Once you select a network, your iPhone will only use that network.

For iPhoneTrip users the carrier selection option also exists. Since we have agreements with most major networks (but not all) , it is best you leave your settings on Automatic, as “forcing” a new carrier selection on our SIM cards might switch you to a network which iPhoneTrip has no agreement with – as a result you might get the “No Service” message.

Remember, when you’re using iPhoneTrip SIM cards  – set your Network Settings to Automatic.

Here at KeepGo HQ, we serve the needs of all kinds of globetrotters – the business type, the leisure type, the government type, the NGO type etc. One thing they all have in common is they all have web ready devices; be it an iPhone, iPad, Android, Symbian etc.

One more thing they all have in common is that once in a blue moon, they might encounter an issue with the network or their phone. Though every KeepGo customer has access to 24/7 English speaking support and technical service, we assembled the 7 most frequent errors, and the way to solve them.

1. ”I’m getting good reception and I see the carrier name, but there is no 3G or Edge sign next to carrier name” -  That’s an easy one, you have data services turned off. Simply go to your settings menu and switch data services on. Easy as pie!

2. “I am not getting a carrier name and very low/no reception bar” - We all get to go places with little or no reception; an elevator, a  nature reserve, an underground parking garage, a secret UFO holding facility- you know, the usual . The solution is always simple, change your location and restart your phone.

But this is not the kind of issue we’re talking about here. This can happen in downtown London or at the Ginza district in Tokyo- places where you know you should have full reception.

The reason for this problem is that your phone is locked for use with external SIM cards, meaning any SIM card that does not belong  to your native carrier, will not work. “So what do I do?” – You’ll need to contact your carrier to unlock your device. Another option is to Google “how to jailbreak and unlock my smartphone” for a carrier-free solution.

To check if your smartphone is indeed locked, borrow a SIM card from a friend and try to use it in your phone. If the SIM card carrier differs from your original carrier, but still works with your device, then your phone is unlocked.

*If you are unable to unlock your device, you can still travel with it – just rent a MiFi device from KeepGo and create a 3G wireless mobile hotspot which supports up to 5 WiFi enabled devices.

3. “I have the KeepGo SIM card installed but I’m getting the ‘No service’ message” - We remotely activate your rented SIM card at 12:01 AM of your activation date. If this date has passed and you are still getting “No Service” message, then please contact KeepGo support team at support at iphonetrip.com, and we will activate your SIM card immediately.

4. “I have the SIM card installed, but my phone is  giving me the ‘No SIM card installed’ message” -    Though we make every effort to make sure we are supplied with working and functional SIM cards, very rarely you might get a defective SIM card. But do not worry, just give us a call or send us an email and we will ship you a new replacement SIM card ASAP.

5. “I’m trying to go online but I’m getting the following message: ‘Could not activate cellular data network. You are not subscribed to a cellular data service’.” – If you are trying to go online and getting the message, that means your APN (Access Point Name) is not set. You will need to set your APN parameters according to the SIM that KeepGo sent you.

To change the APN settings on Apple devices, open the following site on your iPad or iPhone Safari Browser: m.apnchanger.org (requires > Wi-Fi internet connection)

• Click “Automatically”
• Select the desired carrier from the drop-down menu. For KeepGo SIM cards select the carrier that corresponds tot he SIM you received from KeepGo. For example, for global 3G SIM cards select “World – KeepGo” (default carrier).
• Click on “Install Profile” and install it on your iPad or iPhone device

For other smartphones and modems – please change the APN settings manually. Go to wiki.apnchanger.org, pick the desired country and change the APN settings as provided on site.

6. ”I see a small cirlcle instead of the 3G sign, what can I do?” (Apple devices only) –  The area you are in does not have 3G coverage, your phone has automatically switched to EDGE or GPRS networks.

Though 3G and 3.5G coverage is pretty widespread, some areas are still using the old 2.5G (GPRS) and 2.75G (EDGE) networks – in these places your phone will automatically ”downgrade”. But don’t worry, as soon as it picks up a 3G network, it will always switch back.

7. “I’m getting the following message: ‘Restricted Network / Network Unavailable ‘ message. Anything I can do about it?” - 

Sure you can, what you need to do is connect to the correct network and “refresh” your phone’s connection to it, here is how you do this:

1 – Go to your network settings menu and switch carrier selection to “Automatic”.

2 - Turn off your phone and remove your SIM card for 3 minutes. If you have a non Apple device, please remove the battery instead.

3 – Install the SIM card back to it’s slot.

4 – Turn your phone back on.

Before trying to resolve any of these issues, always remember to restart your device. You might be experiencing a temporary failure that can be solved within seconds.

We all know that travel can occasionally be a stressful experience, and things don’t always go according to plan – if you are having trouble with your internet connection while going abroad, you can always rely on our 24/7 English support and technical service at 1-800-355-1118, or support at keepgo.com . Nevertheless, it is still nice to know that for some of the problems you might encounter, you can be your very own go-to guy/gal.

and… Enjoy 3Ging