Topic Wiki

*=More info below
Company  Price  Sim  Talk/SMS  Web  Free Int'l  Signup Bonus  Israeli CC  Real TZBlackerry
Hot99₪49₪Unlimited3GB31 countries49₪/6 months*  Yes*Yes*
Golan99₪49₪UnlimitedUnlimited  53 countries  ₪59 /1st yearYesNoNo
01292₪Unlimited3GB42 countries*44₪/6 months  YesYes29₪
Rami Levy89₪59₪Unlimited1GB  No1₪/3 monthsYesYesNo
PelephoneYes*Yes*Free
Partner129/135₪*0₪*Unlimited  1GB/3GBAdd'l 20₪NoNoNo*39₪
CellcomA lot of $180₪  NoNo75₪

Rule #1- The Israeli cell phone service market is difficult. But cheap.
Rule #2- It is illegal for a company to "lock you in" a contract. ALL plans may be cancelled at any time with no penalty. Though, they do prevent you from opening and closing plans by charging a sim card "fee". This fee must always be paid even if paid for once before, and ranges from 39₪ to 180₪.
Rule #3- For those places that need an Israeli credit card, you may need to get one from an Israeli bank with a passport and income information although YMMV.
Rule #4- It is rarely, if ever, worthwhile to rent a "vacation plan" or prepaid, as the price for a regular unlimted plan for a month is less that a vacation plan for a week. Get a GSM phone that covers 900/1800 bands and save your money
Rule #5- All Israeli plans, whether regular or prepaid, include free incoming calls/texts.

Hot- 99₪ a month - includes unlimited calls, text and data (3 gb, then slow) and unlimited to 32 countries. Free home internet supply included. They currently have an offer if you port a number from a different network, to get the first six months for just 49₪ a month. You can move your package to a 10₪ a month plan, which includes 50 minutes and texts. You can also freeze the line once a year for up to 3 months. Regarding signup- you can use an American CC and fake TZ over the phone as one user has done.

Golan - Service is passable, but can be subpar in certain areas. There are two plans with Golan. There's the 99₪ unlimited talk/text/internet/international calling plan, which also gives you up to 2 virtual foreign numbers. This plan also includes for many countries unlimited global data roaming (6GB high-speed), incoming calls & texts, and calls & texts to Israel. They also offer a ₪29 per day data-roaming plan which gives 100MB a day in these countries. These roaming options can be very useful for foreigners regardless of whether they need Golan for Israel. See their website for details.There's a promo deal to get the 99 plan for ₪59 /month for the 1st year. There's also a ₪10 a month plan, which includes 60 min for domestic/US & CA and landlines in many countries, unlimited SMS and 10 MB of Internet, with add'l mins ₪.18 domestic, ₪.08 to US/CA and landlines in many countries, and data ₪.09 /MB. Its great for those short trips here. SIM should work in an iPad for data; you can also order a car SIM which will allow you to have 2 SIMs which draw from same plan.
[To get the sim in the USA before your trip:  golanusa.net will ship it to you for $14 (more for rush) and the 49 nis for the sim. Golan bills on the 25th of the month.  The days before the first 25th are freeprorated.(So for a trip between the 26th and the 24th of the month, you don't pay the 59 nis or 99 nis plan fee.)]

012mobile - Runs on Partner service, you will get an 054 number (unless you ported). Unlimited - 49₪ for the first 6 months and 92₪ from thereon after for unlimited everything too. Includes 3GB Data and 500 minutes to US/CA (any phone) and 40 other countries (landlines only). 9₪ plan includes 60 minutes, 60 SMS, and 100MB data. Additional domestic minutes/SMS are ₪ .09, Int'l calls to to US/CA (any phone) and 40 other countries (landlines only) are ₪ .25 per min. Add'l data bundles are available starting from ₪ 19 for 1 GB. 5GB Laptop/Tablet (data only) is 98₪.

Pelephone - Online, they accept fake TZ and US CC.

Partner - 129₪ a month for unlimited talk, text, and 1GB. 135₪ for 3GB. Family plans are cheaper.Free sim for online orders. Extra 20₪/mo. for 500 min. int'l calling. Extra 39₪ for Blackberry. May need to give 500₪ deposit that you (may) get back when you cancel the plan.  One can freeze line without charges for up to 3 months when not needed (not sure if allowed more than once per 12 months).

Freedomhot.com - 2/19/2023 - They have local pickup in lots of major frum areas and delivery too. They accept US CC. Runs on Hot Mobile. Copying and pasting from their website.
All monthly plans include: Unlimited Calls & Texts to Israeli phone numbers Unlimited outgoing calls to USA and Canada and landlines to 33 additional countries.
Unlimited incoming calls and texts from anywhere in the world. Prices include all taxes.
59 Shekels - 70GB LTE Internet Data
79 shekels - 150GB LTE Internet Data
KOSHER - Voice Only - 64 Shekels
One-time SIM card fee: 49 Shekels
Optional: add a virtual USA number for $15 per month

Misc. Info
APN settings

On Hot Mobile you can check how much data was consumed either by downloading the app or by texting גלישה  to phone number 530 from your hot mobile phone,you can as well try calling this number *6733.

Note by Menucha:
Please note: as of 4/1/13, most carriers reduce period of intro rates and at times increased cost for monthly intro. I suggest we leave the above as is, but please keep in mind new changed, which are not negotiable and based on govt agreements. monthly flat rate is still great and same. (post intro)
Also, while reps wont tell you, typically you will get longer intro rate if you activate account on your own on line, and not via rep (phone or store). confirmed with carrier. Enjoy! flat monthly, even without intro rate is still one of the lowest you will come across in the west!

Israeli cellphone rentals:

1) Talkinisrael.com
Phone: +972587564477
Whatsapp: +972536299365
Email: info@talkinisrael.com 
if you should have any problems feel free to send me a pm and I will try to help you the best I can.
Plans for sale here are primarily for long term rentals.(students and the like.)


2) Israel Rent-a-cell SIM card or eSIM with calling and data. Also you can get SIMs for Israel Kosher phones!
Contact at Israelrentacell@gmail.com or WhatsApp 972-55-333-1234
Overnight or standard delivery in USA/delivery in Israel! Pickup locations in Lakewood and Israel.
* Unlimited calls and texts in Israel
* Unlimited calls to USA, Canada and landlines in 35 countries
* Unlimited incoming calls
* 70 GB of data (can add an extra 80GB of data)
* eSIMs available!
* Free voicemail
Student discount available, $29.97 monthly, including tax! Never surprise charges or hidden fees!

3) Cellular Israel - 072-224-3300 or 718-289-0195 Full Service - short term and long term, rent phones, Kosher phones, SIM cards, mifi devices, Waze by the day or month. American Customer Service!
info@cellularisrael.com

4) Simforisrael@gmail.com free delivery to anywhere

5) UnlimitedIsrael (DansDeals Advertiser with many positive reviews on DDMS & DDF) is the leading provider of SIM card & iPhone rentals for Israel in the US.
  • Unlimited calls & texts within Israel
  • Unlimited calling to the US and Canada
  • Lightning Fast 4G Internet Speeds
  • Unlimited 4G data
  • Sim Cards - $5/day
  • iPhones - $45/week
  • Kosher Phone - $4/day
  • Mifi Hotspot - $6/day
Use code SUAVE10 for 10% off any order
« Last edited by shmuelb on August 06, 2023, 12:48:30 PM »

Author Topic: Cell Phones in Israel  (Read 1355869 times)

Offline sky121

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1840 on: February 17, 2013, 11:18:51 AM »
You should change the APN settings for her, though IME it gets updated by itself. Also make sure that the data is set to roaming. Don't ask me why.

I don't want to change anything yet since she is still here. If it doesn't change by itself where does she go to change the APN settings and what does she put in?
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline yuneeq

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1841 on: February 17, 2013, 11:23:14 AM »
I don't want to change anything yet since she is still here. If it doesn't change by itself where does she go to change the APN settings and what does she put in?

This should help you.
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Offline real-brisker

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1842 on: February 17, 2013, 11:23:27 AM »
Sky121 - See the link I posted a few posts earlier.

How to change APN settings.

Offline yuneeq

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1843 on: February 17, 2013, 11:34:43 AM »
Sky121 - See the link I posted a few posts earlier.

How to change APN settings.

Beat you by 13 seconds :P 8)
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Offline sky121

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1844 on: February 17, 2013, 11:44:13 AM »
This should help you.

Thanks!

What app works well for iphones to make internet hot spot ?
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline real-brisker

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1845 on: February 17, 2013, 11:46:08 AM »
Yuneeq - :)

Offline Jkhein

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1846 on: February 17, 2013, 12:42:20 PM »
You don't think it's a typo?
possibly is, because the English site is very buggy.

Offline sky121

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1847 on: February 18, 2013, 08:52:33 AM »
Does the 9.99 plan on Golan offer free incoming?
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline outsider

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1848 on: February 18, 2013, 09:21:43 AM »
I had a bad experience with these Golan and hot super cheap plans, both of them have really bad call quality calling the us. They are using some low VoIP bitrate . probably taking the lowest bids in the LCR bids
It's what is on the outside that matters

Offline outsider

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1849 on: February 18, 2013, 09:23:09 AM »
Calling from the us to them is fine because us providers usually buy/bid higher quality LCR lines
It's what is on the outside that matters

Offline chff

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1850 on: February 18, 2013, 09:28:54 AM »
I had a bad experience with these Golan and hot super cheap plans, both of them have really bad call quality calling the us. They are using some low VoIP bitrate . probably taking the lowest bids in the LCR bids

My call quality to the US was fine, but when calling on my Golan phone (both to Israel/US) o had to wait about 20sec till it "catched" a phone line.
3G was also not super, but coming from Sprint, I was quite used to it.....

Offline outsider

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1851 on: February 18, 2013, 09:47:40 AM »
It really depends on the day and time. Most tecom providers buy international lines based on bids by local provisers , they do LCR which is least call routing a tech term in telecom world for routing calls vian whatever cheapest lines are available, sometimes over a PRI or VoIP or pots. The end user can sometimes just detect this in the call quality.
It's what is on the outside that matters

Offline Menucha

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Cell rental Israel
« Reply #1852 on: February 18, 2013, 10:13:58 AM »
Any reliable place w good phones IN ISRAEL for renting phones to be used in Israel?

Smart phone or old fashioned one.

Any idea how much they run per week for 2 phones?


Offline rots5

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Re: Cell rental Israel
« Reply #1853 on: February 18, 2013, 10:38:50 AM »
Any reliable place w good phones IN ISRAEL for renting phones to be used in Israel?

Smart phone or old fashioned one.

Any idea how much they run per week for 2 phones?
you seriously started a new thread for ur q?!?!?!?   

Ask jkhiem.
If you have any questions please search and then ask. PM me for detailed help.

Offline Menucha

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1854 on: February 18, 2013, 11:37:39 AM »
Rot, only locals like you would know local places to rent it out.

do you have some valuable info to contribute?

Offline rots5

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1855 on: February 18, 2013, 04:25:10 PM »
Rot, only locals like you would know local places to rent it out.

do you have some valuable info to contribute?
hey! Do u know what ur even saying?!?!?

Names rots5... Second hes on the forums too. I have so much to say but im gonna let it go.
If you have any questions please search and then ask. PM me for detailed help.

Offline rots5

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1856 on: February 19, 2013, 07:44:06 AM »
waled into cellcom said i want to cancel all my plans - five min later its all cancelled....bill will come in the mail....or wll just charge the cc (which i will sut down when chase opens up....) have a big feeling cellcom wll take me for a ride for canceling, and charge me tons of money!
If you have any questions please search and then ask. PM me for detailed help.

Offline sky121

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1857 on: February 19, 2013, 07:47:46 AM »
Does the 9.99 plan on Golan offer free incoming?
Anyone?
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline yuneeq

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1858 on: February 19, 2013, 07:47:55 AM »
waled into cellcom said i want to cancel all my plans - five min later its all cancelled....bill will come in the mail....or wll just charge the cc (which i will sut down when chase opens up....) have a big feeling cellcom wll take me for a ride for canceling, and charge me tons of money!

Take me on my word- you didn't cancel your plan unless you jumped through 50 hoops. The only possible way to cancel with CellCon is by fax (outrageous >:(). Then they claim that they didn't get the fax etc. 2 months later you receive a 500nis bill, hoping you cancelled your CC...
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Offline yuneeq

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Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #1859 on: February 19, 2013, 07:48:27 AM »
Anyone?

All Israeli plans include free incoming. Whether a plan or prepaid.
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