It's been suiting our travel needs just fine until we arrived in Barcelona January 2nd and I tried it out with a local Spanish SIM card. At the time, I had to mess with some settings, and got it working. And when we crossed into Portugal, it worked fine there too for several days...until one day last week when it simply wouldn't connect to the internet, and then it wouldn't even receive a signal.
I tried various things, but thought I would wait until we got back into Spain. Sure enough, as soon as we crossed the border it received the signal. But, it showed the same original problem that I had when we first arrived in Spain But this time, I couldn't fix it despite spending hours online with various problem solvers.
Then, I tried the drastic measure of resetting the iPhone. It seemed everything went fine, but now my apps won't load properly...so the phone as it sits now is good for a digital alarm clock and that's about it!
So, bottom line, I think we need to shop for a new phone. And it won't be an apple product. During this experience, I read about too many problems that other travelers have had detailing similar experiences. Leaning towards a Samsung Galaxy 7. They're expensive, but if we can keep it for several years it'll all average out. Unless I can find a Motorola Moto G4 phone over here...they are the top rated "budget" phone. So maybe I'll do some shopping today and see what's out there.
Anyhow...we're back in Seville for a couple of nights. We took Helen and Tony over to Plaza de Espana when we arrived yesterday afternoon.
Heading into busy Seville.
Flamenco demonstration.
Amazing ceramic and tiles.
It's an amazing building.
View of Plaza de Espana.
Lots of tourists.
Helen and Ruth taking a break.
Kevin, Ruth, and Helen.
Helen and Tony found a cheap hotel room for €35 a night. Well, at least that's about as cheap as it gets here in Seville. And it's located only about one km from where we are parked up with Louis. Today is going to be a full day of exploring!
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Top selling first first aid kit on sale again. For this price, throw one in the car and one in the RV...
And in Canada, the popular Ninja blender is on sale...
Good luck with a new phone.
ReplyDeleteThanks, we are going to need the luck! Shopping for a phone is not high on our "like" list!
DeleteI love that header photo!
ReplyDeleteAre you concerned with the battery issue in the Samsung Galaxy 7?
The ceramic tiles are gorgeous. Beautiful plaza!
No, I won't be buying a Galaxy 7...I'm looking at the new Samsung A3.
DeleteAnd, the battery issue was with the Galaxy Note 7, not the Galaxy 7. Two different models.
DeleteI have a Moto G3 that I bought unlocked from Amazon (I use 7-11 Speakout as I don't use my phone that much). I am very happy with it, and they have great camera's. I paid about $300 about 2 years ago. I'm happy with it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the input Janis, but I think Kevin is leaning towards a Samsung A3. We sure wish that this was something that we could have had more time to research and shop for the best deal we can get back home but as it is something that we will need once we leave Spain we are going to try and do the best we can here.
DeleteA few weeks ago you had an Amazon link to the BLU cellphone. We ordered one and are happy with it. The thing with Aplle products is that over time, as it downloads its own upgrades, it is also busy becoming obsolete. Slowly but surely apps will start to fail. My iPadII is getting slower every day, and is in need of replacement, however it owes me nothing after five years of use.
ReplyDeleteAnd if I was in Canada (or the U.S. for that matter) and had lots of time to shop and wait for a deal I would have no problem getting something like that on sale. But although I'm not in a panic, I do want to get something before leaving Spain. We've got almost two more months of travel ahead of us and I really miss my mapping! I'm leaning towards the new Samsung A3, and I'm about to do some research.
DeleteFunny how we both had phone probs at the same time. Mine's actually worse now so did researched and just ordered a Samsung Galaxy S6 top grade refurbished one for £249 to pick up when we go back. Good luck with your research and getting one quickly enough for your needs.
ReplyDeleteYep, it is sort of funny isn't it?! We definitely could have done without the cell phone problems until we got back to Canada but unfortunately we can't control these things. Hope everything goes well with your new phone!
DeleteUgh! I can feel the frustration. Good luck. Are you through touring Portugal? Are you going to an iberico ham ranch?
ReplyDeleteYep, lots of frustration and wasted time trying to fix the problem!
DeleteYes, we are through touring Portugal. The things that we would most like to have seen there are further north and the weather is still a bit to chilly for our liking and we know there are still lots of places that we want to see here in Spain so we figured we would settle down somewhere here for a week and spend time doing some day trips to see some of the sights out in the country. Fingers crossed that the weather stays decent!
No, we aren't going to be doing an Iberico ham farm tour, at least not one that we have planned. I checked some out and the pricing is ridiculous and a little to rich for our liking. However because we will be out in the country, it is possible that we may just run across a small operation by chance, you never know! It sure would be interesting.
Kevin, I'm quoting the following from the "The Economist" (since I buy smartphone companies' stocks), "Fallout from the Galaxy Note 7 recall is escalating, with airlines disallowing any use of Samsung mobile devices in-flight, following reports of multiple incidences."
ReplyDeleteKnowing that most airline employees are not as up to speed on the various smartphones as you are, when they see any Samsung product going through a security check, they are more likely than not going to stop you and attempt to evaluate your Samsung product. The airlines from US, Europe, and Asia are on edge right now regarding passengers carrying any Samsung products on their planes because of multiple fires occurring with the Galaxy 7.
No, I'm actually not worried about any of that at all Dee.
DeleteIn the U.S. and Mexico it's a big deal. They make an announcement that if you have one on your person or in your checked luggage you must deplane and will be charged a fine and possible jail for bringing it on board.
DeleteChris, I know the airlines are suspicious of ANY Samsung product right now, but is what you said specific to just the Samsung Galaxy 7 (which has been proven to catch on fire or explode) or all Samsung smartphone products?
DeleteDee, the article you mention dates to September of 2016. And, the phone in question is the Galaxy Note 7, not the Galaxy 7. And, I'm not buying a 7 series model anyhow.
DeleteAlso, we've been on eight different flights recently and haven't seen any problems with peoples cell phones being checked.
Kevin, you are right on those models. What's available is the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge and are the models I am interested in, but need the airlines in the US to get comfortable again with Samsung products. I really hate to see Samung have problems because they have been a great competitor of Apple.
DeleteI am absolutely loving Seville! So glad you went back. The tile work is to die for & the blue/yellow combo is one of my favorites. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteSo are we! Seville, is a beautiful city and very walkable. Yes, the tile work is amazing, we are constantly oohing and aahing over it!
DeleteThe Plaza looks like a nice place to relax, people watch, and enjoy the beauty of it all.
ReplyDeleteIt is a fantastic place for doing exactly that, Connie and Barry! Lots of families out there enjoying time together along with everyone else.
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