More choices for Globetrotters
Posted by: Stephen Wildstrom on June 28, 2007
The BlackBerry 8830 World Edition is a very impressive smartphone for U.S.-based travellers who want to take advantage of superior CDMA wireless networks at home but have one phone they can use around the world. Now Sprint is offering its own version of the 8830 that will appeal to customers who like the concept but want to escape from the Vodafone partnership required by the Verizon Wireless offering.
Sprint offers unlimited data in 75 countries for the 8830 for $70 a month above the cost of a voice plan. But voice calls while roaming internationally can cost as much as $5 a minute. The Sprint 8830 is SIM-unlocked meaning you can replace the Sprint-supplied SIM card with one purchased from a wireless carrier in another country. That can dramatically lower the cost of voice service while traveling. But if you change the SIM—which also means changing the phone number—you’ll also have to0 reprovision BlackBerry mail service.
