What you need to know if you’re going to sign up for Claro prepaid services.
I’ve used both android and iPhone while staying in Medellin, and there is a huge difference of how much data is being used. It’s drastic enough to have an article dedicated so that you can better prepare yourself and enjoy your experience in Medellin, rather than figure out and get frustrated as I was once.
But if you’re the type of person who likes to see for yourself what the difference between Android and iPhone regarding data consumption, you’re in for a treat.
As someone who is working from home, you’ll want to bring your phone and be able to work if you need to during the day. Or, if you’re going to go Tinder and Happn crazy, you still should continue reading this article. Yes, if your Instagram and Snapchat feen and “need” to upload your pictures, or doggy face, this is also for you.
While most if not all paisas (locals) don’t care as much with their technologies and speed, if you’re a always on your phone, you shouldn’t like feeling restricted, especially, if you’re in a relaxed city like Medellin. I’ve tried to compromise certain things with my iPhone but I felt as if I can’t do my work unless I have wifi access. The internet speed is going to be either 4G or 3G depending on where you are. There is no LTE provided by Claro, even though they’ve mentioned it here: http://asistencia.claro.com.co/soporte/soluciones-moviles/servicios-adicionales/que-necesito-para-tener-4g-lte/. If you have LTE on your iPhone 7 Plus, comment below or share how you got your LTE with Claro. I’ve been to Poblado, Envigado, Belen, Laureles, La Floresta, and no LTE was found with my phone.
FYI: if you’re looking for speed, make sure your phone is higher than a dual core processor, at least your phone won’t feel laggy.
The representatives of Claro will tell you that they only offer 2gb of data for 30 days, which you will end up paying about 43,000 COP. If you’re using an Android like Moto G4 or Alcatel Onetouch, you should be fine and you’ll have plenty of data for the month. You’ll be using about 50 mb on average, about 1.5 gigs per month
If you’re going to be using an iPhone, you’re going to be using about 200mb per day, so about 6 gigs of data. Thats a big difference compared to using an android. That’s including turning off data app refresh and using cellular data for some of your apps. I’m currently paying 90,000 for 4 gigs for 90 days or whenever my data runs out. A bit weird since more data should cost less than 2 gigs, at least give me some discount right? 4 gigs of data might be able to suit your needs if you managed your settings carefully. If you turned on Slack, Skype, Trello, 3-6 email accounts, Instagram, Tinder, Happn, you should be fine. If you take pictures or your friends also have iPhone or amazing camera that hogs all the data when you send via Whatsapp, you might start running into issue.
Comparing Medellin to U.S
While most enjoyed the 5, 10 gigs or unlimited data if you lived in the U.S, you won’t need that much here. Surprisingly, or in conspiracy, I am not exactly sure why I’m using less data in Colombia than back home (California). I’ve used 10+ gigs per month on average and to see that I can get by with 2 gigs on Android or 4-6 gigs on iPhone tells me something about how data is being calculated. Any genius out there know the answer?
Price is still AMAZING in Medellin
Considering that you’d most likely pay $50-70 a month back in the state, price is not an issue. If you are going to live like a paisa then you might want to start budgeting and limiting your use. 90,000 COP is a lot of money and you would most likely rather do something with that than share pictures or watch Youtube on your phone.
WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter are free when you’re using Claro. However, downloading pictures to your phone and uploading it to your Google or iCloud aren’t free. If you’re fine with turning that off and have enough patience to go back home to download and upload your pictures, you should disable cellular data features.
It’s not a matter of where, but when. Time is precious and my time spent living and experience the cultures of this world is what I lust for. This is why I created this website, to share true, genuine experiences and not just typical touristy info. Travel, the love of coffee, and food!
