International travel with Razr Maxx

[bsweetness]

Update #2.

I just finished a long talk with two friendly Verizon agents who gave me slightly different information.

According to the International Expert, Razr Maxx will be updated to support global roaming but since it is a 4G LTE SIM it does not work with the 3G GSM network in Europe. I can use the phone by paying a $5 fee and then the lower international rate of .99 cents / minute voice and .50 cents for texts, and $25 per 100 Meg of data. In the last week I have used about 875 Meg of data, which would have cost me over $200 at this rate.

I think that I will switch Razr Maxx into Airplane mode, and only use it with a free WiFi connection. For my phone, I will borrow a friends international GSM phone and purchase a European prepaid SIM for $29.

Thank you again for your help.

I wondered if the Verizon LTE SIM would be able to handle GSM. I guess Verizon will want to hand out GSM micro SIM cards for those going overseas that want to keep using their Verizon number.

If the ICS update arrives before you leave, you should be able to use a European prepaid GSM SIM in the MAXX (if you cut it down to micro SIM size if it isn't already). Supposedly there's no SIM lock on the phone, so it would work in the same manner as using your friend's GSM phone. This won't incur any fees from Verizon.

You know what I'm wondering? If instead of asking verizon, we should be asking motorola... because, of course, Verizon does not want us to go the more affordable route and would like to make as much money as possible from our use overseas. I am thinking that the phone is going to be gsm capable so a prepaid gsm sim should work. Motorola might give us the correct answer in this because they would rather we get the most out of our phone.

From everything they've said, the phone is definitely GSM capable after the ICS update. So, a prepaid GSM SIM (that's micro SIM size) should work just fine, as long as there is no SIM lock on the phone (and all indications are that there isn't a lock).

 

[Brawn80]

And if i happen to be sitting in my uncles house in Budapest? I don't suppose i can get the ICS update through wifi.

 

[wxman2003]

You should be able to update via wifi. I always update mine that way. I go into settings, about phone and check for updates while connected via wifi. Never had a problem.

 

[sdfsmc]

Hello again.

I just talked to a very nice support person at Motorola and she said that Verizon has locked the phone. She advised against swapping the Verizon SIM for a UK based SIM. She mentioned another customer who bricked his phone by changing the SIM without unlocking it with Verizon.

Seth

 

[TisMyDroid]

Hello again.

I just talked to a very nice support person at Motorola and she said that Verizon has locked the phone. She advised against swapping the Verizon SIM for a UK based SIM. She mentioned another customer who bricked his phone by changing the SIM without unlocking it with Verizon.

Seth

Believe me, if Verizon can find a way to prevent us from using a prepaid foreign sim, then they definitely will. Apparently they have are able to do that easier than I thought. I guess they probably would have never allowed the global capabilities unless they were able to reap the benefits from their international plans.

Thanks Seth for this info. Very very helpful!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Droid Forums

 

[MkVsTheWorld]

Hello again.

I just talked to a very nice support person at Motorola and she said that Verizon has locked the phone. She advised against swapping the Verizon SIM for a UK based SIM. She mentioned another customer who bricked his phone by changing the SIM without unlocking it with Verizon.

Seth

The Droid Razr XT912 is NOT SIM locked. The Verizon Rep must have been seriously mistaken. I contacted Motorola and asked them about this matter. Please see the below message...

To Motorola:
To whom it may concern:

I understand that with the new Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Droid Razr Maxx XT912, the GSM radios will be activated in the phone. I have two questions about this feature, are there any carrier SIM locks that would prevent foreign micro SIM cards from being utilized in the phone? Thank you.

Mark

From Motorola:
Dear MARK,

Thanks for reaching out to Motorola. I’ve reviewed your e-mail and I’m ready to help.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

The GSM radios of the phone will be activated once the ICS updates has been installed on the phone. There are no carrier sim locks on the phone after the update.

We hope that you find this information useful and we look forward to assisting you in the future.

For information about Motorola products and services, please visit us at Motorola Home - Motorola USA

Thank you for contacting Motorola e-mail support.

Best Regards,

Jim

Note: I'm aware that I mentioned that I would be asking two questions and I only asked one. I forgot to proofread lol.

 

[dent]

I had similar results....

Subject
International Travel
Discussion Thread
Via Email (Jim)	07/03/2012 02:33 PM
Dear , Thanks for reaching out to Motorola. I’ve reviewed your e-mail and I’m ready to help. I apologize for the inconvenience. With the ICS update, the phone's GSM radios is enabled. That means that the phone now supports GSM and CDMA frequencies, thus the term, worldphone. This means that you can use any other carrier's sim card on the phone, anywhere in the world. The phone does not need any kind of unlock code. We hope that you find this information useful and we look forward to assisting you in the future. For information about Motorola products and services, please visit us at Motorola Home - Motorola USA Thank you for contacting Motorola e-mail support. Best Regards, Jim
Customer By Web Form ( )	07/03/2012 08:39 AM
I have a Droid Razr Maxx with verizon. With the recent software update i am told to have global roaming capabilities. It appears i also have GSM support. As i am not an avid international traveler i would most likely not subscribe to an international plan. Would my phone be compatible with a foreign prepaid sim when i go on a short vacation overseas? If so, what kind? Would i need to get an unlock code from you? I read something about deactivating my SIM if it is not on for 24hrs. Not sure if that is accurate information. If it is it may be a problem because my phone will be off for a week if i cannot use a prepaid SIM overseas. Please advise. Thanks for your time!

 

[dedduck0121]

Good info here. I am heading to London Sunday and will be there for about 40 days. My plan is to buy a micro SIM (or regular SIM and have the carrier cut it down to fit Micro slot) and use it in my Droid Razr Maxx. From what it looks like, i will have no issues but i will update after Sunday LOL

 

[dent]

I think you will be fine. I think that whole deactivation rumor was for people who were trying to put their whole plan on hold while they were away. I just intend to keep it rolling and temporarily use another sim while its still going. I dont even know how they would track it as it would be the same as being off. Considering people sell phones with bad ESNs for use with other networks i'll assume that there is no centralized ESN database that all the carries use. Let us know how it works out.

 

[littman]

I went to my Verizon store on Jly 2nd 2012 and I asked them if they knew when Ice Cream would be available and if this would allow me to use an European gsm sim card for my upcoming travel to Hungary on the third. They did not know but they told me that my hone would not work with a non verizon sim card since the phone was "locked"

I know that this was BS since I had read that the upcoming Ice Cream update would give me gsm functionality and from the motorola web site, the razr is not locked

BTW I do not have a jailbroken phone (yet)

I traveled to Hungary on the July 3rd and I walked into a Hungarian T-mobile store on the 4th where I bought a Micro sim card..I removed the Verizon card and replaed it with the Hungarian one. I rebooted the phone and I had Voice services with a local Hungarian number. The Sim card even loaded a sim card manager app to my phone

But I did not have data services

 

[littman]

WIFI worked fine but no data

After much looking around this is how I fixed it.

1/ Go to menu>>system settings>>more>>Mobile networks
a/ make sure Data Enabled is checked
b/ change global data roaming access>> to Connect to data services while roaming
c/change network mode from Global to GMS/UMTS (this will now allow you to enter the "Access Point Names" menu")

Now you should go on the internet (not via your phone-use another device or do it before hand in WIFI) and look up the AN settings (Access Point Names settings) for the country and carrier that you are using

d/ go to menu>>system setings>>more>>Mobile Networks>>Access Point Names
hit menu>>create new APN
enter the setting that you found on the internet then back out

switch to airplane mode to turn off your telephone service.
Wait a minute
Turn off airplane mode and you should be connected to 3g (PS make sure your WIFI is off otherwise you wil not connect)

 

[littman]

I will post again when I return to the US and I reinstall my Verizon sim card

 

[bsweetness]

WIFI worked fine but no data

After much looking around this is how I fixed it.

1/ Go to menu>>system settings>>more>>Mobile networks
a/ make sure Data Enabled is checked
b/ change global data roaming access>> to Connect to data services while roaming
c/change network mode from Global to GMS/UMTS (this will now allow you to enter the "Access Point Names" menu")

Now you should go on the internet (not via your phone-use another device or do it before hand in WIFI) and look up the AN settings (Access Point Names settings) for the country and carrier that you are using

d/ go to menu>>system setings>>more>>Mobile Networks>>Access Point Names
hit menu>>create new APN
enter the setting that you found on the internet then back out

switch to airplane mode to turn off your telephone service.
Wait a minute
Turn off airplane mode and you should be connected to 3g (PS make sure your WIFI is off otherwise you wil not connect)

Yeah, even with an unlocked SIM slot, you still have to adjust the APN settings. Glad you got it working.

Edit: And thanks for letting us know that it's working in general. This is the first confirmation I've read about someone getting a foreign SIM up and running following the official ICS update. Much appreciated.

 

[SallyC]

Thanks for posting this information. Looking forward to hearing how it goes when you return.

Hope you enjoy your trip!

 

[TisMyDroid]

Thanks for this information. It now fully and unequivocally answers that question. When you come back to the us, stop at a verizon store to pick up a free sim card. Verizon deactivates a sim card after 24 hours if it is not in a phone. I made that mistake when I temporarily was using a vortex and then could not activate my 4g phone. Finally called verizon and they explained that the sim Is automatically deactivated after 24 hours.