Buying a cell phone in Cebu

[Terryb]

G'day all,

I will be travelling to Cebu in March of 2012 and would like to get a cell phone to coordinate my travelling with. Does anyone know what the average cost of a cheap cell phone would be and where would be the best place to get it, Cebu or airport? Also would the cell phone work in other areas of Asia such as Bali and Sipadan? I'm coming from Canada and getting a cell phone un-locked over here can be a real pain in the A.

Cheers,

 

[rovanpera]

Cheap basic phones can be had for 20-30 usd, the cebu airport is really small so better to buy stuff like that in the city. the prepaid card costs a few usd, (the most common operators are Smart and Globe) and can be topped up pretty much anywhere...

 

[eagerbeaver]

P999 with a free SIM card. $23. In the city.

 

[mtabor]

if you already have an unlocked phone,

Globe - Prepaid Product

Less than a euro

 

[Terryb]

I will be connecting in HK on my way in. Could I buy the phone there and it would work basically anywhere in Asia?

 

[Pao]

You can get unlocked units off the shelf here. Just specify it to the salesperson. The Philippines uses the GSM 1800/900 (as does almost the rest of the world, the whole of Asia included, see this link - List of GSM cell phone frequencies in use by country) but there are quad band phones available. It is better to get the phones in city malls, just make sure that you get units with the original manufacturer warranty (comes with manufacturer box, seal/sticker and complete accessories) instead of the "store" warranty. Those with store warranty are either grey market or refurbished units. As said earlier pre-paid SIM cards are cheap and you can top off anywhere even in corner neighborhood mom and pop "sari-sari" stores.

 

[DevonDiver]

The markets and malls in Manila are full of second-hand phone vendors. I'm guessing that Cebu city has similar. As others have said, a basic unlocked unit will cost ~$20-25. SIM cards are ~$1. Most 7/11 and Ministop convenience stores sell SIM cards for the major networks (Globe, Smart and Sun). Pre-pay load cards are available anywhere. If necessary, you can also buy IDD sim cards, offering better rates for intl calls.

 

[Centrals]

I will be connecting in HK on my way in. Could I buy the phone there and it would work basically anywhere in Asia?

Of course you can. But you have to be careful where to shop for a used one!!! Stay away from Tsim Sha Tsui and all the electronic shops along Nathan Road. They are ALL tourist traps.
Go to World Wide House in Central where you will find hundred of hundred of Pinoy's shops there. Enquire on call from HK to Canada and Philippines.
Good luck.

 

[Rogersea]

If your first stop is CEBu, and you are arriving during the day, just take a taxi to SM, drop your "stuff" at the travelers lounge and pick up your phone at one of the 20 Phone shops. You will be able to buy the basic phone for 899 to 999 pesos. buy a sim and your in business. I use SMART here in CEBU and I purchase 500PESO pre-loaded cards which gives me 83 free texts and quite a bit of talk time..

Cheers,
Roger

 

[gcarter]

I have a cheap basic unlocked phone I picked up at Factory Direct ($30-$40) that I take with me when I travel. I popped into a 7-11 in Manila when I went last September (they are everywhere) and walked out with a Globe SIM.