2 weeks in Switzerland - best option for GPRS and voice usage?

[bourbonkiller]

Most of the Swiss prepaid offers will charge you minimum CHF 5.00 per MB which is around USD 4.50.

In my opinion there are two options for you:

A) If you have heavy data use:
Orangeclick with the data and international option. You can reduce the cost for receiving emails almost to zero when you go to the mobile orange portal and activate your own email-address which will be "yourmobilenumber@orangemail.ch". Sending and receiving email from this server is included into the data-option and should always be free of charge.

B) more phonecalls / less emails
If you tend to call a lot within Switzerland and check your email not that often, go for a ALDI prepaid offer which charge only 0.18 CHF to fixed net within switzerland. Data will cost you CHF 5.00 per MB.

Avoid SWISSCOM prepaid. They charge you CHF 14.00 per MB of data (no options available) and calls within Switzerland will cost about 0.80 CHF per minute to cross networks (same price per hour to SWISSCOM and fixed net)

Third option for you could be the LEBARA mobile SIM (works on sunrise network). Very cheap international calls (without monthly option) and CHF 10.00 per MB of data.

http://www.lebara-mobile.ch/
http://www.orangeclick.ch
https://www.salut-mobile.ch
http://www.swisscom-mobile.ch

Enjoy your stay in Switzerland. If you want to visit me, go here: www.swissdreamshotels.com and choose Walzenhausen.

[AndreA]

Originally Posted by bourbonkiller

A) If you have heavy data use:
Orangeclick with the data and international option. You can reduce the cost for receiving emails almost to zero when you go to the mobile orange portal and activate your own email-address which will be "yourmobilenumber@orangemail.ch". Sending and receiving email from this server is included into the data-option and should always be free of charge.

I can't activate any email @orangemail.ch using my O-Click number How did you do that!?

[mirandabam]

Originally Posted by AndreA

I can't activate any email @orangemail.ch using my O-Click number How did you do that!?

I'm curious too...

Back when I was using my orangeclick.ch SIM I was also trying to find if there is an e-mail address that sends an SMS to my phone, but I couldn't find one. I thought this was pretty much a "standard" feature these days -- is it considered an add-on in Europe?

[snaimon]

Originally Posted by mirandabam

I'm curious too...

Back when I was using my orangeclick.ch SIM I was also trying to find if there is an e-mail address that sends an SMS to my phone, but I couldn't find one. I thought this was pretty much a "standard" feature these days -- is it considered an add-on in Europe?

Can't speak for orangeclick.ch.

When I had prepaid German T-MO cards > 3 years ago, it was an add-on that the user had to initiate AND, if I recall properly, I believe there was a USAGE charge to receive email unlike a free inbound SMS.

I am fairly certain such cards as UNITED MOBILE, HOP, TRAVELSIM do not have email-addressable cards. As far as I know, and our German friends will have to confirm, the prepaid knock-offs DON'T have that feature -- or, if they do, it is well-hidden in the documentation. Not even sure the other majors (O2, Voda, E+) allow it on prepaid.

My conclusion: I doubt the orangeclick.ch has that feature. And who would want it if there is a COST vs free inbound SMS?

Stan

[AndreA]

Originally Posted by snaimon

My conclusion: I doubt the orangeclick.ch has that feature. And who would want it if there is a COST vs free inbound SMS?

Orange CH has it (check www.orangemail.ch or https://www.orange.ch/footer/login )

Anyway the feature has this limit: "The registration is for Orange customers only. Please contact our Customer Care free on 0800 700 700. If you already have an 'orangeclick.ch' account, please connect to orangeclick.ch to manage your account online."

[snaimon]

So what is the pattern for the email address of the orangeclick.ch phone?

I did not see it; of course I do not have an account myself so I was looking around the http page only.

OP knows in US one can send an email/SMS to a Verizon phone from any email account using this pattern:

AAANNNNNNN@vtext.com

T-Mobile US using: AAANNNNNNN@tmomail.net

AAA = 3 digit US area code
NNNNNNN = 7 digit mobile phone #.

Other US carriers have similar setups.

[AndreA]

Originally Posted by snaimon

So what is the pattern for the email address of the orangeclick.ch phone?

OClick doesn't have any email address...