#ItWasWorthIt
#ItWasWorthIt

Real Talk: Buying an unlocked SIM phone in Panama

by | Feb 24, 2021 | 2021, Central America, Destinations, Hype, Panama, Panama City, Real Talk, Travel

Buying an unlocked phone

The Power of Unlimited Data

Last week I went and bought an unlocked phone in Panama. The reasoning behind buying an unlocked phone were plentiful.

  1. With COVID, every restaurant uses digital menus now that you need to scan a QR Code which requires data.
  2. You need data for Uber, which is pretty big.
  3. You need data for any and all delivery apps and when you go downstairs to meet the delivery person, you don’t have internet on the street.
  4. I am tired of asking for the password everywhere I go.  Although, I am pretty much now an entire hotspot around Casco Viejo now since I have WIFI access from a ton of places. LOL

But even with all those reasons…this next one is the biggest reason.

  1. I am heading down the coast for a month and if when I get there, the internet is troublesome…that will be death to my lifeline. YA YA! I get it…I hear all the voices that say, step away from your internet and enjoy life…but for the self employed that is strictly based digitally….no internet = no work = no play

So, my friend (who speaks Spanish thank god) came with me to the mall to buy a phone that had an unlocked SIM card, that I could tether to my laptop if needed and had unlimited data.

Having an unlocked phone will allow me to use the same phone in the next country.  I actually ended up buying a super cheap phone in Colombia for backup internet…and now I had to buy a phone in Panama, plus I have my phone from Canada.  3 phones is a little ridiculous. So when I went to go buy this phone, my friend said “Jackelyn, buy an unlocked phone with a free SIM, then just replace the SIM in the next country.” It was brilliant….and probably a non brainer to many of you, but it was never anything I thought about and knew nothing about.

And the journey went like this…

  • Meet my friend and head over to the mall. We chose Claro as the provider.
  • Stand in the social distancing line up for the store.
  • Enter the store and wait for our number to be called.
  • My friend did all the talking but she had the list of minimum requirements:
    • Unlocked phone
    • Unlimited data
    • Ability to share data with my laptop
    • SIM card
  • Once that was all decided, we were given a ‘invoice’ and we had to go stand in a different lineup to pay.
  • Then we had to go back to the original guy where we presented the paid bill and he proceeded to set up the phone.
  • Done, unlimited data…for 14 days for $10. After 14 days, I just renew for another $10. Easy Peasy

A SIM card is the little chip your service provider gives you. It is inserted into your phone and determines your phone number. You need a new SIM card whenever you change service providers.

Thankfully, the SIM card is independent of your phone storage. Changing your SIM card does not affect any of your contacts, photos, apps and other information you have stored on your phone. Which is why unlocking your phone is the best option. You can keep all your info, even as you change to a new provider in Panama.

 

My helpful tips…

  • consider bringing an unlocked phone with you
  • go to the carrier’s store for the best deal
  • take a local or someone who speaks fluently

If your phone is not unlocked and you need to purchase a new phone…sync your contacts to the cloud (iCloud, Google Storage, Google Account…something) and then you can import/sync with the new phone. I had an iPhone from Canada, so I synced my contacts to my iCloud, then I was able to export the vcards (in bulk) and save the file on my computer. Then I uploaded the vcards to my new Panamanian Android.

I was even able to install a 2nd Whatsapp version…so now I have a Whatsapp version tied to my Panama phone AND a Whatsapp version tied to my Canadian phone…both on my Panama phone, both with data access 24/7. Life is good!

PS. Whatsapp is HUGE here…so make sure you have that APP on your phone. Literally everyone uses it, even stores and restaurants for ordering food to even their help desks.

Please note that I have not received these products for free or at a discounted price in exchange for my opinion.  There may be links that are affiliate links but at the time of posting this review, I have not received any monetary kickbacks.