Part of the reason we here at WoWasis carry the cheap but reliable Nokia 1280 phone is that it’s cheap and reliable. It also is feature-poor. It does, however, work in every Asian country because it uses a SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) card, which you insert into the phone. You buy a different SIM card for each country, and it contains your phone number (it will also store your personal phone numbers and settings). But many people prefer to use an Apple i{hone, just like they use at home. 

Up until now, the Apple iPhone 4 had to be unlocked through a “hack” in order for it to be able to use a SIM. Don’t replace the SIM, and you might end up paying hundreds of dollars per month in “roaming” charges. Apple has now begun to sell unlocked phones that will take overseas SIMs without the hack. They’re not cheap, but you may end up saving money anyway by avoiding expensive roaming charges. If you’re in the U.S., you can buy the iPhone 4 on an AT&T or Verizon contract for two years and it’s considerably less, but just think: when you’re traveling, the monthly bill keeps coming, so if you do a lot of traveling, you’re not much ahead. 

For now, the price point isn’t going to woo us away from our durable, reliable Nokia. But if you have a few bucks to burn, Apple does now offer this new option. Buy the unlocked iPhone 4 now at below list price at the WoWasis estore.