Overseas tech travel: How to avoid data roaming charges on your mobile phone by using a digital SIM card

A smartphone is a must for most people when traveling abroad. How else will you check Google Maps to find your Airbnb, post an Instagram video from the Eiffel Tower, or WhatsApp friends and family back home?

Of course, there’s always the risk of high roaming charges from your phone carrier if you use data-hungry apps while traveling in a foreign country. Solution? International travel eSIM for your smartphone. How do you use this technology? Here are some tips.

WHAT IS eSIM?

If you’ve bought a new mobile phone, you’re probably familiar with the SIM card. SIM, short for subscriber identity module, is a small chip about the size of a fingernail that fits into the slot on most phones. Without it, you won’t be able to get cell phone service because it contains your account information and phone number.

But physical SIM cards are slowly being replaced by eSIMs (e stands for embedded) built into new phones. These digital versions do the same thing and can make life easier, but people used to physical SIMs may find them confusing at first.

WHY SHOULD I USE eSIM?

They facilitate the replacement of cell carriers. If you’ve recently bought a new phone, you may not even have a choice: Apple has gotten rid of the SIM card tray starting with the iPhone 14, released in September 2022.

They are especially useful for travelers. If you have a compatible mobile phone, you can add an eSIM from a virtual carrier with better data roaming speeds than your home network. Most phones let you add multiple eSIMs, making it easy to switch back and forth or, for phones with this feature, use two eSIMs at once.

Consider its convenience: Gone are the days when you arrive in a foreign country after a long flight, call the airport kiosk of a local phone company, carefully open the SIM tray with a needle to insert the new chip, and try not to lose it. what is available.

WHERE CAN I BUY ROAMING eSIM AND HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?

The eSIM market is growing rapidly. Dozens of providers with names like Nomad, Holafly, Easysim, Airhub and Airalo can be found online, said Kester Mann, director of consumer research at CCS Insight.

“These guys have a role to play because I think they present a very affordable and attractive opportunity for international travelers,” Mann said.

The boom means there is a lot of competition keeping rates low. Prices are often clearly displayed online, via the package menu on the provider’s website or through a calculator based on the amount of data needed and trip length.

According to CCS, around 800 carriers support eSIMs, so international coverage is quite broad. Are you traveling to Europe and need a month’s worth of data covering 30 countries? For example, Airalo offers 10 gigabytes for $37, while Holafly’s package offers unlimited data for $75.

For my upcoming trip to Prague, I purchased 5 gigabytes of data from Global Yo for just $5. I was a little dismayed by some of the negative reviews stating that the company had problems purchasing, setting up, or activating its eSIMs, but I didn’t experience any problems either.

HOW DO I PUT A PARTY ON MY PHONE?

You’ll need an unlocked phone to use with different wireless carriers.

Unless you’re setting up a new phone, the typical activation method is a QR code or a more traditional string of numbers and letters. If you’re planning a trip and purchasing one in advance, it’s a good idea to print it out if you don’t want to activate it right away.

For iPhones, go to your Settings menu, then Cellular or Mobile Service and tap Add eSIM. You will be asked to scan the code or enter it manually. The process is similar for Android users.

Samsung has a guide for Galaxy devices, Google has a help page for Pixel users, and eSIM carriers have step-by-step instructions. Apple has a YouTube video as well as tips on using eSIMs for international travel and using two eSIMs at the same time.

Mann said that if you have a phone that supports dual eSIM, you can “potentially choose the best network based on price and/or coverage” while traveling.

Some carriers have their own apps for managing eSIMs and tracking data usage.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY MOBILE PHONE CAN USE eSIM?

For iPhone users, this is the XS, XS Max, or XR, as well as any model released since the last iPads. They are compatible with all Samsung Galaxy devices released since 2020 and will work with Google Pixel 4 and newer models; some Pixel 3 devices also support them.

DOES IT ALWAYS MAKE SENSE TO USE TRAVEL eSIM?

First, check your own carrier’s roaming costs for the places you visit. Sometimes it’s not worth it.

“Roaming costs these days are much lower and less prohibitive than they used to be,” Mann said. They have even been abolished for European Union residents crossing the 27-nation bloc’s internal borders. But travelers in Britain, which has left the EU, are facing off again to travel to the continent.