[choi4096]

I'm going to Hong Kong on the 18th of August. I know that using a prepaid sim card won't give me a data connection like a data plan can. However, I also know that prepaid sim cards come equip with GPRS, EDGE or even 3G connections wherein it would be possible to do browsing. My question is, will my Yahoo Messenger work with just this connection; prepaid? Or does it work only with a data plan? Because I can live without my push email for a while. But I sure would love to be online while I'm there. Anybody?

[egale]

First, your Blackberry must be unlocked to use the other sim. But no, from what I understand, you need a bb data plan in order to do anything other than using it as a plain phone.

[John Clark]

If you have the proper APN settings for the carrier that the sim card is from you should be able to use some internet applications. It doesn't work in all cases, however.

[Dubdub]

I don't think data will work via prepaid. The phone should as long as it is unlocked and compatible with the network you are trying to use.

[crisambo]

If the BB app doesn't work, you can always configure your Y!M account to login to the local Prepaid SIM mobile number. . . which will obviously run off your SMS client. . . depending on the carrier's tariff, you may be able to get free incoming messages from your buddies and be charged on a per SMS basis for outgoing . . .

[kalmdr]

I go all the time using an unlocked BB. It do NOT get data, but works just fine as a phone - as long as it's a GSM phone.

Be sure and purchase the SIM card there - it's UNBELIEVABLY CHEAP compared to the $60-$70 "surcharge" you're assessed if purchasing here.

[cookie]

Maybe you'll get as lucky as me. PS this is still happening

http://www.blackberryforums.com/gene...ry-goings.html

[choi4096]

Originally Posted by John Clark

If you have the proper APN settings for the carrier that the sim card is from you should be able to use some internet applications. It doesn't work in all cases, however.

I'll try this. I got the APN details of all the existing carriers there. I hope I get lucky. Thanks a bunch!

[choi4096]

Originally Posted by cookie

Maybe you'll get as lucky as me. PS this is still happening

http://www.blackberryforums.com/gene...ry-goings.html

HAHA! Lucky you! One could only hope! I sure am!

[choi4096]

Originally Posted by crisambo

If the BB app doesn't work, you can always configure your Y!M account to login to the local Prepaid SIM mobile number. . . which will obviously run off your SMS client. . . depending on the carrier's tariff, you may be able to get free incoming messages from your buddies and be charged on a per SMS basis for outgoing . . .

Nope. Can't be an option for me. This may turn out to be as expensive as just activating my roaming capabilities.

[lcleary]

I believe that RIM just introduced new functionality where if the prepaid carrier supports the blackberry.net APN then data would work because the carrier will forward the request from the European relay server the US server.

[Mark Rejhon]

If the prepaid card includes data for a generic APN, you can use generic third-party clients (IM+, Opera Mini, etc).

It worked in a test on Rogers Prepaid, but on Rogers it is not worth it. A better data plan is a cheap data add-on (non-BlackBerry data plan) such as the Rogers $5-for-5MB plan which works perfectly on the BlackBerry. The five and ten dollar "Navigate Data Plan" are the best data plans for the BlackBerry in Canada if you don't use email, as it works with third party applications. Many Rogers users are beginning to use these alternate data plans.

Using data on prepaid would only be worth it in certain countries, if the data charges were pretty cheap.

You will NOT have BlackBerry email on prepaid even though generic third-party data applications will work. No BlackBerry browser, and you cannot download applications wirelessly (must be installed via BlackBerry Desktop or the javaloader CLI)

[cookie]

I agree with Mark about prepaid systems not working with the Blackberry but I seriously doubt that I'm the only blackberry user in the world that has a blackberry running off a pre paid system for free. I think it's obviously an inherent error with the system. Possibly due to RIM and the carriers never imagining that a blackberry user would put a pre paid sim card into their handset. I know it didn't work for me in the other south east asian countries that I was in but they either didn't have blackberry or data services (so i used a local sim card) or else my home carrier already had roaming agreements with the local carrier and I didn't try a pre paid sim card since I presumed it wouldn't work. I'd be interested in seeing if you bought a pre paid sim card in Hong Kong from a carrier who supported blackberry services would it work the same as it has worked for me in New Zealand. Whats to loose?