Tips For Using Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Abroad

Nobody in their right mind would want to head off to a foreign country without their mobile. It would be like leaving a limb behind for some of us. But before you take your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 abroad and continue using it without a care in the world.

There are a few important things you need to take into account first, or your mobile bill could end up being more expensive than the drinks tab at your local bar.

Will My Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Work Abroad?

Not all mobile phones work outside of the UK, so before you hop on a plane or ferry, give your service provider a call and make sure there are no blocks on your account that will prevent you from connecting to a local service provider at your final destination.

How Much Will It Cost Me To Use My Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Abroad?

Costs will vary according to which network provider you have a contract or PAYG phone with, so it is wise to check before you travel. You may also be able to pay for an add-on bundle that gives you cheaper texts and calls abroad, so when you ring up your service provider to make sure there is not a bar on your phone, ask if there are any deals to be had.

Image Licensed Under Attribution

Beware Text And Call Charges

Remember that text messages are not free to send when you are abroad, even if you have unlimited texts on your account. The same applies to calls made and received, even if you are only calling your voicemail to pick up messages. Ideally tell everyone you know not to bother calling you while you are away, and if you do need to ring home check how much the call cost is from the hotel as it may be cheaper than using your mobile.

Data Roaming Charges

One of the main reasons why people run up massive phone bills when they are abroad is the cost of checking emails and web pages. Just because you have a great data plan in the UK whereby you can watch thousands of hours of YouTube cat videos and download dozens of large attachments to your email account for free.

Things are invariably different when you leave the country and you will be charged per Mb of data you use. And on some service plans, the cost of this exercise is enough to make you wince. So rather than rack up a huge bill, go into the settings on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and disable the ‘data roaming’ feature to prevent your phone from connecting to local 3G networks abroad.

Make Use Of Wi-fi

Depending on where you are travelling to, it is normally very easy to take advantage of local Wi-Fi networks when you want to check your email and social networking accounts. Wi-Fi networks are now the norm in most hotels, although you will probably have to pay a fee to log-in.

You may also find free Wi-Fi in cafes and public buildings, but remember that public Wi-Fi networks are not secure, so it is not a good idea to visit your online bank account.

Rachel LeMonnier

About the Author:

Rachel LeMonnier made the mistake of letting her daughter go to Turkey with her Samsung Galaxy Note 2 last year and forgot about warning her to disable the global roaming. When the bill arrived a short time later, it was astronomical. She won’t make that mistake again.