Vacationing? Top 3 tips for packing a mobile device

(NC)—Say goodbye to the cubicle and put the textbooks aside, it's time for a well-deserved break. Whether you're hitting the beach or the ski slopes, many Canadians are gearing up for vacations all around the world this March break.

This year more than ever before, devices, such as smartphones and tablets, are becoming important resources that travellers are packing to stay entertained, connected, and informed on their trip. For this reason, it is important to take a little time to plan ahead to ensure that you have a friendly roaming experience as 47 per cent of Canadians are still confused by what roaming entails, reports a Rogers survey.

Here are some tips to help you prepare for your upcoming trip this March Break:

Understand how roaming works. When you use your phone outside of Canada, you are on a roaming partner's network and will incur additional charges when making or receiving calls, sending text messages, and using mobile internet (email, web surfing, applications and so on).

Plan how you'll use your device and purchase a roaming offer so you stay on budget. If you want to talk and text, purchase a travel pack. You'll receive an allotment of minutes and texts for an upfront one-time fee and you will be protected by discounted rates if you go over the included amounts. If you plan to use the internet, purchase a worry-free roaming data pass. While you're away, you'll receive text-message usage notifications as you use your roaming data pass and will be hard stopped once your pass expires so you never incur overage fees. Both travel packs and roaming data passes can be quickly and easily added to your account through your mobile device.

Manage your device settings. Take a close look at your smartphone settings before you leave to use only the device features that you need. For example, you can disable applications and automatic software updates so they aren't running in the background. You can also change email settings to “pull” instead of “push” so that your inbox refreshes manually.

To learn more about roaming in preparation for your vacation, visit www.rogers.com/techessentials for more details.

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