TalkAbroad
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National Geographic's Talk Abroad phone now on sale
So it looks like that so-boring-we-want-to-cry National Geographic Talk Abroad phone we came across a few months back is finally shipping. The specifics are actually pretty complicated -- we recommend going over the pricing with a fine-tooth comb if you think this thing is for you -- but the idea is to offer relatively inexpensive, prepaid world roaming. You can rent the handset (because let's be honest, you don't want a phone this basic in your possession for more than a couple weeks at a time) starting at $70 a week, which includes 30 minutes of talk time in 50 countries, unlimited incoming minutes in 65, and a bunch of adapters for the silly-looking sockets you may encounter in foreign lands. Then again, if you simply must make the Talk Abroad your own, you can scoop it up for $199 and recharge the plan at your leisure, or just buy the SIM (our favorite option) for $79.
National Geographic's Talk Abroad global phone
This phone looks so boring, we can't actually look straight at it -- we kinda have to aim our eyes just right or left of it and take it in with our peripheral vision. Then again, gearheads don't appear to be the target demo sought out by Cellular Abroad with its new National Geographic-branded Talk Abroad candybar; the upshot here is keeping global roaming relatively cheap and simple (as in, prepaid simple) on an equally simple, no-frills handset. For your hard-earned $199, you get the phone (a quadband GSM piece -- we'd expect no less when they're playing up the global angle here), a set of plug adapters for whatever countries the average National Geographic reader might visit, a UK-based phone number, and thirty minutes of outgoing talk time. Best of all, incoming calls are allegedly free of charge in 65 countries, though the countries aren't spelled out. Look for the Talk Abroad handset to ship next month; if you've got it in your heart to accept an exceptionally uninteresting cellphone, that is.[Via Mobilewhack]
