The iPhone Arrives
The iPhone went on sale Friday in 20 more countries, including Argentina, where it is being sold by Movistar and Claro. The miraculous electronic masterpiece is now sold in 47 countries. Surprisingly, Argentina’s northern neighbor and emerging economic powerhouse, Brazil, is not yet among these. But Brazil still has supermodel Gisele Bündchen, so the always cheery Brazilians have no right to complain.
Apple plans to sell 45 million iPhones next year, according to BusinessWeek. That’s about one iPhone for every 148 people on the planet. Prices in Argentina vary:
Claro‘s cheapest option goes for 1,599 pesos ($528) and includes an 8GB iPhone with 160 minutes, 100 text messages and a measly 512MB of Internet/email downloads. This plan also includes an obligatory 119 peso monthly fee. The 16GB phone, with the same package, sells for 2,029 pesos, or $670. With 400 minutes, 200 text messages and unlimited data, the 16GB iPhone sells for 1,479 pesos, or $489.
Claro claims to have the largest 3G network in Argentina, with access in 80 cities.
Movistar‘s cheapest regular 8GB contract goes for 1,079 pesos ($357), and includes 450 minutes, 200 text messages and unlimited data (Internet & email). This packages also includes a monthly fee of 230 pesos, or $76. This option is a bit better than a similar plan offered by Claro because it gives users 450 minutes, compared with just 400 from Claro. More Movistar prices can be found here.
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I am moving to Buenos Aires in less than a month and assumed that i was going to have to unlock my iphone and then simply sign up with a local service (get a new sim card, etc). However, now that the iphone has been released in Argentina, I am not sure what to do. I have the first generation iPhone. Could I still unlock it, bring it to BA, sign up on a regular cell plan, and avoid exorbitant iphone pricing in AR? Or can I bring it to BA and not buy a new iphone but get on a plan with movistar/claro? I saw that you mentioned that now you have to activate it in-store, but seeing how mine is already activated in the U.S. … I know this msg might have been a bit wordy but I think you can understand what I want to know.
Hi there,
You can bring whatever iPhone you have down to Argentina and use it with any local GSM chip, assuming, of course, that you unlock your phone first. If you want, you can get Movistar’s 120 peso a month unlimited downloads plan even if you haven’t bought your iPhone through them. I know this has worked with several users here. I also know people who use previous model iPhones with Personal. If you had no iPhone at all, I’d simply recommend buying it here, but since you already have one, if you’re happy with it, I’d just suggest using that one. The 3G model is faster, but if you don’t need the speed, the older models are just fine.
I hope this helps a bit.
Take care and have a safe trip down here,
Taos
Hey – so I am a little confused now that I am actually in Buenos Aires (2nd day). I do not have a work visa yet (with the DNI number thing) and thus it seems i will have to do what I did when I was a student here and pay with tarjetas. However, this seems to mean that I will not have a data plan, right? or are you saying I could do that (unlock my iphone and pay with tarjetas) but also get a 120 peso a month data plan? Obviously, if I secure a job with a company here and get a temporary work visa, i will have a dni number and put myself on the normal iphone plan. But I do not know how long that will take and thus I need something in the meantime. thanks again for your help!
Hi Bryce,
Yes, you could certainly get a prepaid, or pay-as-you-go card and just use that to load your local chip. Your phone would work that way, of course. I used to do this. I’m not sure about the data plan, however, as I didn’t even know you needed a DNI to get one. This obstacle sounds familiar, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case.
I’d go to the Movistar headquarters, near the corner of Corrientes and Florida and ask them for more info. But we ready to wait in line. Take a book or something.
Let me know what you find out. I wish I had more details. Dealing with public service providers here can be very frustrating.
Good luck and welcome to town!
Taos
So after going to the different providers of the iPhone here in BA, it seems that in order to connect your iphone and have a data plan (allowing full functionality of the iPhone), you need to set-up a normal account with the provider aka a monthly plan which requires the DNI number. Each provider explained that there is no way to add a data plan while doing the pay as you go cards. Thus, while it is annoying, I think that I will just have to deal with not having a data plan. While obviously I can still download apps using my computer, any of them that require a connection to the internet (such as Shazam, e-mail, safari, youtube, etc) will be pointless for me to have. An emasculated iPhone, if you will, only to be used for its phone, iPod, and a few other apps that do not require a ‘net connection. I guess the only positive is that at least I didn’t have to buy a new phone down here! haha. Taos, thanks again for the help.
Bryce – i have an unlocked first generation iphone that i bought in the states and i use it here. but as I didn’t have a DNI until recently, i have to use tarjetas, and there is NO carrier in argentina that sells data using prepaid plans. i just don’t use data much. however there is a lot of wifi here so it’s not unusable to check your mail occasionally. to be honest the fact that they don’t have google maps for argentina on the iphone yet means data isn’t as useful as it would be in the states.
Further, even once you have a DNI, you will have a hard time getting a plan as they will only accept DNIs that are permanent. It takes two years of renewals after you get your DNI to get one that is permanent. However, i’ve heard different things from different salespersons at Movistar and Claro. I am going to try soon to take my new DNI and get a plan with data and just go around from store to store until it works. If it takes some flowers or malbec to get it i’m not above that.