Pre-Paid Cell Phone

I have Nextel here. I called them and they also have a program where I'd rent a new phone and switch my sim card BUT I'd be charged $1.29 per minute! And my clients would still have to call a US number so they'd be paying an international rate even if I was down the road - and I really don't want them to pay for that. I looked into the carphone warehouse site and I think it will be much cheaper.

Nextel is CDMA so pretty much not worth it to unlock.

I'd buy the cheapest pay as you go you can while you are here.  It's just for the week or so while you are house hunting, right?  Once you get settled and get a bank account, then you can go through the 'joy' of getting a pay monthly phone, which should have a considerably lower price.

FWIW, now that I'm only part time in London, I use a combination of two things--Skype and my UK phone.  When I'm at the computer or in a hotel or anywhere with the net, I can call back to the states on Skype.  When I'm running around trying to meet folks, I use my 02. 

Using Skype to call the US has saved me hundreds of £s vs. my O2 (even with phone cards).  But it seems like your needs are short term for flat hunting so your mileage may vary.

Good luck with your trip.

P.S. I also have a Skype In number that is 0207.  When I leave the UK I have my UK mobile forward to the 0207 Skype number, which rings on my computer regardless of what country I'm in. 

Thanks Penquinsix. I've seen ppl here talk about Skype....can you explain it? Thx!

Skype is a program you download to your computer.  On one level it functions like AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, etc.  You can chat / talk / video chat with others who have Skype.

On the other hand, it has what is know as 'Skype In' where you can get a phone number pretty much anywhere in the world.  People with 'regular phones' can call that number and get through to your computer (where you often have a speaker and microphone).  The converse is called 'Skype Out' where you can use your computer to call regular phones (for a few pennies per call).

You can also buy a Skype handset which looks like a regular phone but connects over the net.

A lot of people use Skype (or Vonage) to set up a 'local number' in their parents area code so their family in the US can make a 'local' call and have it ring in the UK.  Saves them on phone calls. 

ok, so either you have to have a microphone on the computer to talk or the handset (a mobile?) is over the net....how? And can you get a number and have it ring on a land line?

http://www.skype.com/intl/en-gb/

This all comes under the general heading of VoIP - Voice Over Internet Protocol.  There are several different protocols in use by different systems.  With the correct hardware/software, you can set up a direct link between any two points with internet access and then have completely free communications.  Skype, Vonage, and many other VoIP providers then also provide access to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) for appropriate fees, allowing you to make calls to any regular number and to receive calls from the PSTN via your internet connection.   

The phone number can be based anywhere, even if you are actually using your VoIP service from somewhere else in the world, e.g. you could have a New York number with 212 area code which comes through to you anywhere in the U.K., thus anyone within the NYC local calling area will call you just as if it were a local call. 

If you prefer to avoid tying up your main computer and using headsets, you can use an ATA (Analog Telephone Adapter) connected into a router which will then allow you to connect any regular telephone and use it in the more conventional manner.   If you leave the router and ATA on all the time, you can still use the VoIP phone when your main computer is shutdown as well.

The main disadvantage to all VoIP at the moment is simply that there is no guaranteed quality of service.  You're breaking the audio up into data packets to send over the network, but there is no guaranteed maximum packet transit time.  If contention issues result in packets being delayed, audio quality will suffer. 

ok, so either you have to have a microphone on the computer to talk or the handset (a mobile?) is over the net....how? And can you get a number and have it ring on a land line?

Yes, you have a microphone, or a handset (recommended).  You can also buy a 'wifi' phone that will work with your home wifi network.

Your phone number follows the computer.  If your computer is in the UK, a call to the number will ring there.  If your computer is in the US, a call to the number will ring there.  As I just mentioned you can swap out the computer with a special handset, and as the other poster mentioned you can get an attachment that will hook up to your landline phones.

If you want, you can set your Skype number to 'forward' to your mobile / landline if you don't answer it on your pc, but you will pay a slight fee per minute for this (Skype Out).  This is nice though as you can give an 0207 number to people, set it up to forward to your mobile (if you are in the UK), or answer on your pc (if you are on your computer) or forward to a landline (back in the USA). 

Skype numbers are recommended to people looking for a job in a new city.  You get a phone number in the San Francisco area code for example and then interviewers will call you with job offers (more so than if you had say an Omaha phone number).  Of course you could be in Omaha or wherever, but it looks real on the resume and helps.

Paul & Penquinsix - Thanks! I've read through Skypes site and it might be what I 'm looking for - unless there's a better company....
Here's my deal and what I want: I'm in the USA. I want to have my UK business collegues call me for free: so I'd get a UK number. I also want to be able to do a conference call with a few people in the US and a few people in the UK. I didn't see much on Skypes site about confence calls, though you can have 5 ppl on one through the computer (up to 10 with correct hardware) so that might work if everyone gets the correct gadgets/microphones.
Other suggestions?