Tether iPhone 5 to another phone?

[AVF Podcast]

While we're on holiday in the USA this summer, the family will be getting cheap phones to use for the duration.
I'll be using my iPhone 5 (locked to EE until Xmas) for sat nav and it would be nice to be able to have traffic data.
Is it possible to tether my iPhone to a phone I buy so that I can use data?

 

[bransoj]

One of the phones you have data on will need to be able to give out a Wifi signal at a guess for you to connect the iPhone to.

 

[dc8900]

Yeah, you will be able to tether the iPhone to another device provided said device will have a data plan to allow it

 

[AVF Podcast]

Ok so basically ask for that facility on whatever cheap phone I buy when we get there. Understood, thanks.
Presumably phones which have a data plan and can tether are not necessarily expensive?

 

[dc8900]

Ok so basically ask for that facility on whatever cheap phone I buy when we get there. Understood, thanks.
Presumably phones which have a data plan and can tether are not necessarily expensive?

depends on what you consider expensive, while the new direction of T-Mobile USA under John Legere has certainly shaken up the U.S. cell phone market, it's not as competitive as the UK market.

IMO, your best bet would be going with either AT&T's 'GoPhone' plans or with T-Mobile USA. Excluding the cost of the mobile, the monthly cellphone plan would be about $US60-80, which would typically offer around 2.5-3GB to 5GB worth of data plus unlimited talk and text.

 

[alan280170]

T-Mobile will give you a SIM card PAYG, just buy minutes/data, plug it into your smart phone. Be warned text messages get charged both ends on most PAYG plans in the US.

Wouldn't bother with the cheap phones, you could get SIM cards for everyone and just add data for the price of the phone.

If I remember I will look at the price of them phones when I'm in Walmart next.

 

[dc8900]

I would have suggested popping in a local SIM as well but OP's phone is locked to EE

 

[bransoj]

Most networks unlock phones these days...any reason EE wont do it until xmas? When i went to Oz a few years ago my 3GS was locked to O2 but i had it unlocked via their website and it meant i could pop a local sim in if required.

 

[AVF Podcast]

Looked into it and it takes up to 20 days to unlock a phone and it costs £20.42, including VAT.
I guess that will be the easiest option.
So it will be £40.84 to unlock both iPhone 5s and the kids' iPhones are already unlocked, so it's then just a case of getting four PAYG sims as you suggest. Since we're there for 6 weeks, is the T-mobile sim card the best option? We'd planned to go to Walmart on the first day to buy all our clothes etc., so if we can get the sims from there also, that will be convenient.
Thank you

 

[imsocurious]

I think for mobile data, your best option is to get the 20USD PAYG sim from AT&T. You won't like the data speeds, though... But you will need maybe a cheap Android or Nokia with Win Mobile phone for what you want. Just ask for a phone that allows for Wifi tethering.