Will an Iphone 3gs work in South America?

[Nikki]

Hi, so I am backpacking for a year and would like a means to update my twitter account as to allow my parents to know where I am at all times (for their peace of mind).

I figured a smart phone would do the trick. I already have an iphone 3gs to work here in the states.

I was wondering if it would be possible to get it to work in South America and if not then how do I get a smart phone for down there?

[Seenu]

No, you need to unlock the phone to use it outside USA.

[Sofia Camacho]

yes it works, but then you'll get charged there a lot for using the internet or calling

[melodiccable055]

MINE WORKED perfectly!

[Orange]

Depends on each country you visit, each one has a different cellular network.

Here are the networks that countries use: http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/index.shtml

You may be able to roam using your current phone and network (i.e. AT&T) and just roam internationally. Generally, the rate is $2.29-2.89/minute. Over 1 year, it will cost you a few thousand dollars. I wouldn't recommend roaming but if you choose to do so, MAKE SURE TO TURN OFF EMAIL AND DATA PUSH on your phone. If you don't turn it off, you will be accruing charges even when you are not actively using it. My buddy learned the hard way. His bill was $550 for 7 days. Imagine the whole year... Most countries have pre-paid cell networks. You can bring an unlocked quad-band smartphone and you should be able to buy a prepaid SIM and access the internet for as little as $0.10/minute. If money is not an issue, roam. But if money is limited, I would go the pre-paid route. You will need to unlock your IPhone. There are website that help you do it. You may need to buy a code. Or maybe your cell company would unlock it for you, but I doubt it.

You'd have to do some research for each country. Use the website above to get each country's cell provider(s).