Best way to get a temporary phone service

[TheForce]

I have an excellent Samsung Galaxy S5 deactivated from a Verizon Family plan and was wondering if there is a way to get it activated with a phone number and internet service for say a week or two?

Will Verizon activate it with number on my family plan for a short time period?

If my goal is to have just a backup phone for that short time, I suppose one of those burner phones would work, but I was looking for other options to use my Samsung.

I am completely ignorant on this but is it possible to buy a short term sim card for the Galaxy? How would that work?

Is stealing public wifi and using skype a good alternative?

 

[king3pj]

I have an excellent Samsung Galaxy S5 deactivated from a Verizon Family plan and was wondering if there is a way to get it activated with a phone number and internet service for say a week or two?

Will Verizon activate it with number on my family plan for a short time period?

If my goal is to have just a backup phone for that short time, I suppose one of those burner phones would work, but I was looking for other options to use my Samsung.

I am completely ignorant on this but is it possible to buy a short term sim card for the Galaxy? How would that work?

Is stealing public wifi and using skype a good alternative?

There are prepaid SIM cards you can buy to use on a smart phone but most of them seem to be for AT&T or T-Mobile's network. To use them on a Verizon phone it would have to be unlocked first. It would also have to support the bands one of those networks use.

I know you can do this with Verizon iPhones but I don't know enough about the Galaxy to know whether a Verizon model can be unlocked and used on the GSM carriers. Verizon is CDMA while AT&T and T-Mobile are GSM so the phone has to be designed to work on both.

 

[Ronnie-]

Many Verizon phones do (or did) have "world phone" capabilities, and if I am not mistaken, those are unlocked, so no further unlocking would be necessary.

Based on my own attempts at this with a Verizon note 3, the LG G3, and the droid turbo, you can use it with a straight talk sim, but you will not get LTE. You will however get HSPA+ speeds.

I am not sure if the S5 has the proper radios to do this. I would say if the Note did, then there is a good chance the S5 does as well.

 

[stardust3]

Google voice would be a good option. Install the app and make calls anywhere you have Internet.

 

[TheForce]

Thanks, the S5 does claim to be a world compatible phone. I was under that impression when I bought it but didn't pay too close attention to details.

So far you all are suggesting my best option is to look into a sim card purchase and just do some homework to be sure it is compatible. Where does one buy these sim cards for short term service here in the US, to do some experimenting?

 

[king3pj]

http://www.straighttalkbyop.com/?ut...m_campaign=DR&utm_content=&utm_term={keyword}

I looked this one up since mssmith has personal experience with it and I've never actually done this myself.

AT&T is another option.
http://www.att.com/cellphones/prepaidphones/sim-card-kit-phone-prepaid.html

I'm pretty sure T-Mobile does this as well.

Edit: looks like you have to pay for an entire month but there are no contracts so you can easily do one month if you want and be done with it.

 

[Ronnie-]

Thanks, the S5 does claim to be a world compatible phone. I was under that impression when I bought it but didn't pay too close attention to details.

So far you all are suggesting my best option is to look into a sim card purchase and just do some homework to be sure it is compatible. Where does one buy these sim cards for short term service here in the US, to do some experimenting?

You can get a straight talk sim at wm, or amazon, or from st direct. Just make sure you get the right one for you phone sim size and the network you want to use. You can do month to month, 3 months, 6 months, or even a year. I am not sure if there are any weekly options.

I am using one now in addition to my Verizon line, and have been most pleased with it.

 

[mdram]

call verizon, you can add it to yhe plan for a month iirc, we do it at work on occasion

 

[TheForce]

Straight talk seems to be a one stop shop and my phone is compatible with their CDMA activation kit. I learned quite a bit reviewing their web site. Seems like something I could do to get set up and then activate it for a month when I will be needing it.

I will also contact Verison at the main store here where the sales people know their stuff.

 

[TheForce]

I ended up going with skype for 3 months. Have a skype inbound phone number for 3 months for $18. Seemed affordable and the test run demonstrates it will do what I need. Strictly for emergencies if I am out without my iphone but can get wifi service. Free wifi is really common in the foreign countries but I recognize the security risk. I do not plan on using this for anything except emergency phone calling outbound and giving access to family inbound. I plan to test it in Canada in a few weeks and later this Fall in the south eastern Caribbean.