Post: #1

I hate to start a new thread altogether for this as I wasn't able to find a pre-existing thread already, but perhaps this would be useful information for foreign travelers coming out to Brazil as well. Question is where can I find a good Brazilian Mini-Sim card for my Iphone 4Gs upon arriving in Brazil. Any good electronic's chains people can recommend?

I will arrive in Belo Horizonte May 31st if that's of any use. Thanks!

Post: #2

If you need a mini sim card, just get a sim card from a regular place and get it cut into a mini sim card. Can buy your own mini sim card cutter

Post: #3

Go to any TIM store and get the prepaid. Bring your passport as they will take the # down. I know in BH there is one in the Savassi neighborhood. It's cheap too. Unlimited data is like 50 centavos/day.

Post: #4

Much appreciated. I meant to say Micro-Sim instead of Mini-Sim. The tip on bringing my passport down to a TIM store is invaluable btw. I was about to buy an international Sim off of Amazon.com, but that would've been much pricier I imagine. Thx!

Post: #5

My pleasure. Yeah they all sell the Micro-Sim as well as regular sim.

Oh yeah, that would have been 10 fold more at least for an international one.

All (90% I would say) the chicks in Brazil use WhatsApp anyways which goes over data. Nobody really texts because it costs like .50/each message. Therefore, you only really need enough credits for data. Every newspaper stand, and most little markets, you can top up your credits at the cash register. You just tell them your carrier (TIM) and phone #.

Another pointer...Most of your girls in Belo Horizonte to get them to show up in Whats App you will need to start there # with "+55 31 XXXX XXXX"

Hope that helps.

Post: #6

I've been pipelining Brazil the last couple of weeks and I've got 5 numbers using What'sApp.

I almost feel that I got these numbers too early considering I won't be down there til July. I don't want the numbers to go stale in the next 6 weeks.

Post: #7

(05-14-2013 07:50 PM)MaleDefined Wrote:  I've been pipelining Brazil the last couple of weeks and I've got 5 numbers using What'sApp.

I almost feel that I got these numbers too early considering I won't be down there til July. I don't want the numbers to go stale in the next 6 weeks.

I don't really pipeline before going somewhere, but similarly applicable, I prefer getting chicks into Facebook (after I meet them and am leaving town or didn't have a chance to see them again) as its less work to "keep in touch" with them and they at least kind of feel like they know what you are up to. Then I post pics of me in interesting places, doing fun shit, and they want to hang out with me when I'm in town. One picture on Facebook touches all 5 of the chicks rather than me having to initiate and hold conversations with those 5 for the next 6 weeks. I don't have time for that ish and she goes cold.

Once I am in town then I am using WhatsApp to message and make plans.

Post: #8

Which is the best provider?

Post: #9

Last time I was in Brazil (late 2011) one needed CPF to register the sim card.

By then the cheapest provider was TIM, with 50c for data, and the same for unlimited sms by 1 day. Pretty good coverage in Nordeste.

Post: #10

(06-14-2013 12:14 AM)artur jedi Wrote:  Last time I was in Brazil (late 2011) one needed CPF to register the sim card.

By then the cheapest provider was TIM, with 50c for data, and the same for unlimited sms by 1 day. Pretty good coverage in Nordeste.

Yeah the best solution is to find a friend who will let you borrow their CPF to make things happen. Nowadays, it's $2.00 Reais or $1.00 for unlimited data. To get the calling and texting capabilities to work as of June 2013, it no longer requires a CPF. Unlocking the internet or unlimited data per day however requires that CPF.

Post: #11

(06-17-2013 08:27 PM)yb13 Wrote:  

(06-14-2013 12:14 AM)artur jedi Wrote:  Last time I was in Brazil (late 2011) one needed CPF to register the sim card.

By then the cheapest provider was TIM, with 50c for data, and the same for unlimited sms by 1 day. Pretty good coverage in Nordeste.

Yeah the best solution is to find a friend who will let you borrow their CPF to make things happen. Nowadays, it's $2.00 Reais or $1.00 for unlimited data. To get the calling and texting capabilities to work as of June 2013, it no longer requires a CPF. Unlocking the internet or unlimited data per day however requires that CPF.

If I understand this post correctly, I will not be able to get data with my passport?

I will have to use a CPF number, which is only available to Brazilians?

Post: #12

(06-22-2013 07:23 AM)MaleDefined Wrote:  

(06-17-2013 08:27 PM)yb13 Wrote:  

(06-14-2013 12:14 AM)artur jedi Wrote:  Last time I was in Brazil (late 2011) one needed CPF to register the sim card.

By then the cheapest provider was TIM, with 50c for data, and the same for unlimited sms by 1 day. Pretty good coverage in Nordeste.

Yeah the best solution is to find a friend who will let you borrow their CPF to make things happen. Nowadays, it's $2.00 Reais or $1.00 for unlimited data. To get the calling and texting capabilities to work as of June 2013, it no longer requires a CPF. Unlocking the internet or unlimited data per day however requires that CPF.

If I understand this post correctly, I will not be able to get data with my passport?

I will have to use a CPF number, which is only available to Brazilians?

I think a CPF number is open to foreigners too. In my case, I went to Banco Brasil in my neighborhood in Belo Horizonte, but they said I had to go to another location within the city to finalize things, which takes a few days. By that time, I had to leave BH for Curitiba.

Possible, but a pain in the ass. Do you by chance have any trustworthy peers, friends, etc in Brazil?

With your passport, you will be able to get phone service and text messaging. When you try to open the internet browser on your smart phone after the sim card is activated, that's when it will ask you to enter your CPF number and address.

The other way to possibly access data is to plug your phone into a laptop that has internet connection...perhaps they might not ask for a CPF number that way.

Post: #13

When i was in Rio, i convinced one of girls in the TIM store to use her CPF number to activate my chip.

Post: #14

TIM is the worst provider by far but the only one I'm told you can get if you don't have anything above a working visa, or perhaps a CPF and RNE. You can get a CPF if you are living in Brasil I think for like 6 months. You need it if you want to open a local bank account.

Post: #15

(06-25-2013 08:00 PM)pegador Wrote:  TIM is the worst provider by far but the only one I'm told you can get if you don't have anything above a working visa, or perhaps a CPF and RNE. You can get a CPF if you are living in Brasil I think for like 6 months. You need it if you want to open a local bank account.

When you say it is the worst, what do you exactly mean? How much worse is it than some other providers?

Spotty service? Periods of no service? Slow data? Etc.

Post: #16

(06-25-2013 08:06 PM)MaleDefined Wrote:  

(06-25-2013 08:00 PM)pegador Wrote:  TIM is the worst provider by far but the only one I'm told you can get if you don't have anything above a working visa, or perhaps a CPF and RNE. You can get a CPF if you are living in Brasil I think for like 6 months. You need it if you want to open a local bank account.

When you say it is the worst, what do you exactly mean? How much worse is it than some other providers?

Spotty service? Periods of no service? Slow data? Etc.

Fine for a short stay. I found that many locals also use TIM so it would be beneficial to have free calling between TIM cell phones if need be.

Text messages are $0.30 Reais or $0.15 USD per sent/received. Data will be 1 USD or 2 Reais per day.