Cell Phones in Israel

[Moishebatchy]

Wow, you guys in IL have amazing deals!

No need to be jealous. These are all recent developments. For many years, we suffered with no unlimited plans, three year contracts, and nothing even remotely close to Sprint's retention department.

[rots5]

If someone needs three phones cellcom os offering 3 cellphone unlimited plans and landline (5mb i think). 

Does anyone jave any good ideas with internet - bezek/hot.  Bec im paying 32$ a mnth for internet at 10mb with cellcom - though it ends in january "my deal"

[Galitzyaner]

If someone needs three phones cellcom os offering 3 cellphone unlimited plans and landline (5mb i think). 

Does anyone jave any good ideas with internet - bezek/hot.  Bec im paying 32$ a mnth for internet at 10mb with cellcom - though it ends in january "my deal"

Why not just get one of those unlimited cellphone deals, and tether from your phone?
Speed?

[MEIR613]

I am going to Israel for 2 weeks. I want 2 phones with unlimited everything including calling America and bb service what's the cheapeast but also not such a hassle Im willing on spending somewhere between 75$ and 100$ for both phones. I have tmobile so could unlock them. Also I think I would rather get them in the. Us before I go.  Any advice

[Moishebatchy]

Why not just get one of those unlimited cellphone deals, and tether from your phone?
Speed?

Latency.

Also, most of us expats use a VoIP line from a company like Vonage/Jivetel for keeping in touch with family in the US. No way to connect that to a cellphone...

[avielan]

Latency.

Also, most of us expats use a VoIP line from a company like Vonage/Jivetel for keeping in touch with family in the US. No way to connect that to a cellphone...

not advocating for tethering, but why bother with a voip company when you can just use an app like talkatone with GV on your smartphone to make and receive US calls on top of which most Israeli cellphone plans today have unlimited international calling including US mobile.

[Moishebatchy]

not advocating for tethering, but why bother with a voip company when you can just use an app like talkatone with GV on your smartphone to make and receive US calls on top of which most Israeli cellphone plans today have unlimited international calling including US mobile.

1) Many (most?) people do not have smartphones. There are a lot of the so-called kosher phones out there, and even the people who have regular plans, many have dumbphones.

2) Smarthphone ≠ automatic VoIP goodness. For example, GrooVe IP on my LG P999 sounds like crap when using Cellcom's network.

3) There is something to be said for the "cultural difference" between a cellphone (a more intimate, personal device, which usually lives on the owner's belt or in his/her pocket) and a house phone (a central appliance that is always available to everyone in the household, including children).

[Chaikel]

1) Many (most?) people do not have smartphones. There are a lot of the so-called kosher phones out there, and even the people who have regular plans, many have dumbphones.

2) Smarthphone ≠ automatic VoIP goodness. For example, GrooVe IP on my LG P999 sounds like crap when using Cellcom's network.

3) There is something to be said for the "cultural difference" between a cellphone (a more intimate, personal device, which usually lives on the owner's belt or in his/her pocket) and a house phone (a central appliance that is always available to everyone in the household, including children).

if u have unlimited international calling, and get a service to fwd us calls to ur cell, reasons 1 & 2 are taken care of. Reason 3 , more than 25% of homes are cell phone only. You sound old fashined

[shmuelb]

if u have unlimited international calling, and get a service to fwd us calls to ur cell, reasons 1 & 2 are taken care of. Reason 3 , more than 25% of homes are cell phone only. You sound old fashined

I assume cell phones have more radiation than home cordless phones.

the Israeli T.Z. is a generic number so your passport can works sometimes like anyother random number

most 9 digit numbers should work

Sorry, it is not random. It has a checksum, there is a simple formula to check if it can be real, ruling out 90% of random numbers.

Is that a decent phone (never heard of it)?  My son would like good internet access.

  Good, make sure your son has "good" internet access.

she said ... so kol hakavode

More likely she said Kol Hakavod!

[avielan]

3) There is something to be said for the "cultural difference" between a cellphone (a more intimate, personal device, which usually lives on the owner's belt or in his/her pocket) and a house phone (a central appliance that is always available to everyone in the household, including children).

there are devices that allow you to connect your cellphone via bluetooth to your home phones. My cordless phone set has this option although I haven't actually set it up.

[Chaikel]

I assume cell phones have more radiation than home cordless phones.

Then its a good thing ill already be dead from global warming

[shmuelb]

Then its a good thing ill already be dead from global warming

Ha Ha but not funny. Global warming is now called global cooling, they realized from the emails that it was not the data they needed. I spoke to a major brain surgeon from the US and he gave me a drasha about the danger of cell phone usage.

This is no chiddush, studies around the world have been done with many pointing to serious hazards. When a friend is dying Chas v'Shalom, bar minan, from something likely caused by cell phone radiation, a person looks at it differently.

The cell manufacturers have been putting in warning brochures for around 10 years already. The instruction say to hold cell an inch/couple centimeters away from head. The doctor's main point was that even if you are not convinced that it is for sure dangerous, why be a Guinea Pig and risk finding out in 15 years.

Btw, you can get Orange Kosher unlimited plan for around 63 shekel/month, and to include unlimted calls to anywhere in the world (basically, landlines and to USA and CA cell) for an extra 15 shekel, 78 shekel total.

Btw, if anyone here has a Nokia Slide 2680 and the buttons below the screen stopped working, you can change a piece inside the phone and it works like new. Original part costs like 40 shek, generic 20. The guy will do it for you for another like 50-80 shekel.

[rots5]

Why not just get one of those unlimited cellphone deals, and tether from your phone?
Speed?

the real reason why i am not ony cellphones, is bec i have google voice and as much as i am a fan of my unlimited, it still doesnt give me gr8 serive with GV for somereason its very spoty and even more so when i use magic jack app. in addition, cell phones die so quickly, its insane - but thtas not a real reason, another main reason is bec my wife works (and she had a kosher phone - 39 shekel) and she needs quick reliable internet for her job (which is strickly internet based)   

but otherwise...lol.. ur right, esp an old phone i had last zman it was jailbroken and included with that cydia gives u a program called mywi which is a hotspot off my phone, which was amazing!

[L'Chaim]

Btw, you can get Orange Kosher unlimited plan for around 63 shekel/month, and to include unlimted calls to anywhere in the world (basically, landlines and to USA and CA cell) for an extra 15 shekel, 78 shekel total.

Cellcom has that for 70 shekel, including to international mobiles (not only Usa and ca)

[mmermss]

On oranges website it shows the deal of 270 nis for 3 phones...it says 270 nis per month for a year...does that mean i cant stop it before a year?

I thought Israel doesn't have/is not allowed to require any phone contracts anymore...?

[Jkhein]

On oranges website it shows the deal of 270 nis for 3 phones...it says 270 nis per month for a year...does that mean i cant stop it before a year?

I thought Israel doesn't have/is not allowed to require any phone contracts anymore...?

It means that its a reduced price only for the first year, all their new plans are like that.

[shmuelb]

On oranges website it shows the deal of 270 nis for 3 phones...it says 270 nis per month for a year...does that mean i cant stop it before a year?

I thought Israel doesn't have/is not allowed to require any phone contracts anymore...?

What they do, as was mentioned here, is give you a phone or modem with a charge every month for 36 months which they give you back every month, as long as you stay with them ...

The prices they charge for (some of) their cell phones are ridiculous, like $300 for a $60 phone. If you keep with the program for 3 years, you got the phone for free, but if you cancelled after a month, or a year, you lose out. So officially there is no commitment but not in reality, unless you do not buy hardware from them.

[mmermss]

It means that its a reduced price only for the first year, all their new plans are like that.

got it..thanks!

[mmermss]

Not sure if this belongs in this thread but the orange store in Geula will be closed down coming this friday for anyone who had plans on going next week...

[L'Chaim]

Not sure if this belongs in this thread but the orange store in Geula will be closed down coming this friday for anyone who had plans on going next week...

Do you know if they're relocating?