My husband and I arrived in Madrid, and thought we could “survive” with just our iTouch that has Skype to communicate with our families in the states. We get to Madrid only to find that there are very few free wifi hotspots near us in which to use our little newly acquired Apple gadget. So, another American friend of my husband’s here in Madrid introduced us to Studentsphone.
Alejandro at cell number 34 607 909 706 is one of the founders for the subsidiary of Studentsphone in Madrid. He explained the three phones they had at the time, which were two types of Blackberries and a flip phone. They all have 3G capability, and you can download google maps (a life saver for me), Facebook, and Skype on the Blackberry . We chose the latest Blackberry® model he had which was the Blackberry® Curve ™ 8520. (they were just introducing it in St. Louis when we went back last Christmas, and we got ours a couple weeks before that)
The only catch is this, you have to pay for the phone and the plan up front which includes a certain amount that you can download per month, which I think its one gig. So, unless you’re downloading huge file attachments or a lot of extra applications, then you should be able to stay within the limit. (according to Studentphone) The grand total for two phones and the 15 month contract that comes with the Blackberry® was just about 900 euros. Then, you have to pay 6 euros a month per phone to keep the plan.
At first we didn’t like the fact that we had to pay so much up front, but now we realize that 1.) cell phones are not cheap in Europe since you usually pay per call or text, and 2) its one of the few options we had coming from the US without an NIE number. We’re happy that we have the phones, because we are able to blackberry message anyone for free in the world who also has a Blackberry®. Also, another plus was that Alejandro was nice enough to sit down with us and give us a quick tutorial on the features of the phone, which saved us from having to take the time to read the manual. He also told us what to do if you get your phone pickpocketed and the steps you would need to take to getting another phone from them. (more on that later, unfortunately)
Studentsphone have been good to me too. The only caveat that I want to add is for new IE students to beware…
Last year a pretty young ‘new IE student’ called Jade Rochester joined the Facebook group and told us all how wonderful Studentsphone was and how there were no other options. She was incredibly helpful and responded to people’s queries, even chatted with some.
Jade Rochester doesn’t actually appear to have ever existed though (Jade – please do let me know if I am wrong). Or at least IE know nothing of her. I personally hate feeling that someone has got one over on me and that’s what one of the genius marketeers at Studentsphone did. I guess it’s just cheek – and let’s face it it worked, I assumed that she had done her homework and trysted a fellow IE student.
The other company that a few friends have gone with is MasMovil (www.masmovil.es). It’s a cheaper rate for data but not so good on calls so it depends how you will use your mobile. Sim cards for pay as you go are available at the IE Student office.
By: jodiehop on February 3, 2010
at 15:45
We, too use Studentsphone. Will and I came over with iPhones purchased in the USA. Without getting into too much incriminating detail…Studentsphone worked with us to allow us to use our same phones on their plan. If you have an iPhone you will need to unlock the phone – please do your homework here to ensure its done correctly. We took the necessary steps ourselves and then went to Studentsphone for a sim card and plan. The best part of their service was Alejandro’s accessibility via phone, email or simply by popping into the office (which is right across the street from the IE campus). Our rate is just about the same as Stephanie mentions. My only complaint is the roaming rates. I personally travel outside the country frequently and the rates of use when I am out of Spain are quite hefty.
By: Courtney on February 3, 2010
at 18:52
[...] of the cleanest and cheapest metros, I have come across. One downside, which I discussed in my Studentphone post, is the pickpocketing. The abuelos (grandparents) on the metro will point to their eye and say [...]
By: Public transit in Madrid « Guiri Guide to Madrid on February 15, 2010
at 11:57
[...] Police Station About two weeks after we acquired our phones, (please see previous post on Studentsphones) my husband was texting a friend as we got on the metro near our place. It was a Saturday night [...]
By: A Trip to the Police Station « Guiri Guide to Madrid on February 15, 2010
at 12:02