Here is the situation:
My friend is going away to USA to study, leaving her mum who she will want to phone everyday, in a cost effective way.
So I am asking here for advise on the best way for the daughter (in the US) to keep daily contact with the mum (in UK) via telephone.
----------
the daughter has a smartphone (which has whats app/ viber etc on
which is on contract.
the mum has a basic old nokia phone, which isn't a smartphone,
and the mum and hasn't really had a smartphone ever.
The mum has never really used a smart phone, never used whatsap or viber,
but can be taught to her in these few weeks.
Edit added: The mums property has wifi
----------
Does this below solution seem a good all round solution, for them to keep in touch daily, from a cost effective way?
Buy the mum a basic smartphone (lets say samsung), Samsung Galaxy Ace for example, from ebay, with these specs:
- on Pay as you go,
- Insert a sim card in it,
- she can download Whats app, and viber
and the mum and daughter can communicate on viber and whats app/ free calls between each other.
it would be a basic smart phone, as the mum would like to start basic, and would have to be taught the basics, but it will mainly be used for calling.
Say from searches like these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sa..._ipg=200&rt=nc
they do not want to get a new contract smartphone for the mum, but just a basic smartphone, unlocked too.
The mother also doesn't have a notepad, and has no laptop/computer, so phone will be the only way to communicate.
They do NOT want to use their current phone contract (o2, ee or which ever they are on) to call internationally direct (on daughters smartphone contract) and mum doesn't want to use her BT landline to call the states
Can any UK sim do, to be used for this type of smartphone? (unlocked Samsung Galaxy from ebay) - £50- £70
which have the number on the outside of the sim package?
(which you can buy from a mobile phone shop for £1)
or in the USA the daughter buy a local phone there, to top up from there, and call the uk? (would that turn out to be more expensive?)
- anybody been to the USA and called the UK often ??
My friend is going away to USA to study, leaving her mum who she will want to phone everyday, in a cost effective way.
So I am asking here for advise on the best way for the daughter (in the US) to keep daily contact with the mum (in UK) via telephone.
----------
the daughter has a smartphone (which has whats app/ viber etc on
which is on contract.
the mum has a basic old nokia phone, which isn't a smartphone,
and the mum and hasn't really had a smartphone ever.
The mum has never really used a smart phone, never used whatsap or viber,
but can be taught to her in these few weeks.
Edit added: The mums property has wifi
----------
Does this below solution seem a good all round solution, for them to keep in touch daily, from a cost effective way?
Buy the mum a basic smartphone (lets say samsung), Samsung Galaxy Ace for example, from ebay, with these specs:
- on Pay as you go,
- Insert a sim card in it,
- she can download Whats app, and viber
and the mum and daughter can communicate on viber and whats app/ free calls between each other.
it would be a basic smart phone, as the mum would like to start basic, and would have to be taught the basics, but it will mainly be used for calling.
Say from searches like these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sa..._ipg=200&rt=nc
they do not want to get a new contract smartphone for the mum, but just a basic smartphone, unlocked too.
The mother also doesn't have a notepad, and has no laptop/computer, so phone will be the only way to communicate.
They do NOT want to use their current phone contract (o2, ee or which ever they are on) to call internationally direct (on daughters smartphone contract) and mum doesn't want to use her BT landline to call the states
Can any UK sim do, to be used for this type of smartphone? (unlocked Samsung Galaxy from ebay) - £50- £70
which have the number on the outside of the sim package?
(which you can buy from a mobile phone shop for £1)
or in the USA the daughter buy a local phone there, to top up from there, and call the uk? (would that turn out to be more expensive?)
- anybody been to the USA and called the UK often ??