I travel a lot around the word and have pay as you go sim cards in countries I visit often. You’d be surprised how cheap they are. Im currently in Vietnam and only pay $5 a month for 4GB a day, Thats about 120gb a month for $5!!! All 4G and service everywhere. Even includes roaming in Asia. Makes you realize how AT&T/Verizon screw you.
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GigSky Announces eSIM Support for iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR
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Truphone's app launched a few days ago, but at the moment only offers data. Their support team told me that full voice service is expected before Xmas, at which point I can stop carrying two phones!
I second this on data speeds
Depends on their agreement with the local carriers. When I lived in the US for a year I used a TruPhone sim. I got 4G coverage in the US, but when I came back to the UK I only got 3G. Your best bet is to contact them and ask about specific countries.
Forgive me but I fail to see the value here.
I am in Europe on holiday and stepped into a Vodafone location. For €20 I received 10GB of data plus unlimited talk and text with coverage throughout the EU for 30 days.
Until I see a telco offer these kinds of prices I won’t be signing up.
I am in Europe on holiday and stepped into a Vodafone location. For €20 I received 10GB of data plus unlimited talk and text with coverage throughout the EU for 30 days.
Until I see a telco offer these kinds of prices I won’t be signing up.
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GigSky and TruPhone are OBVIOUSLY services for travelers.
Stop complaining that they aren't doing the job they clearly are not set up to do of being full time US carriers.
I want to read how well they work as TRAVEL services, not yet another whine about how they aren't competitive with T-Mobile or Verizon or whatever.
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The value is that
(a) the world is larger than Europe
(b) regardless of what Europe offers, many other countries make it a major pain for non-citizens to obtain a cheap short-duration SIM
(c) swapping a physical SIM is a hassle.
I'll contradict what others have told you. Only implies singular, so "one of" is nonsensical in this context.hm ok thx.
I am native to North America, travel the Caribbean and Europe extensively and live and travel throughout South America.
My statement about value comes from international not Eurocentric experience.
I stand by my original post.
Probably eSIM will become a game changer for globetrotters, and GigSky is the first (good) start.
Currently, this legislation applies within the EU:
"Thanks to EU rules on "roaming at national prices", you don't have to pay additional roaming charges in other EU countries to use your mobile phone when travelling outside your home country. If you make international calls (mobile and fixed), send text messages (SMS) or use the Internet, you can enjoy the benefits of this scheme. It also applies to the reception of calls and SMS and even if your call partner uses another mobile operator."
So far, no employee of the Telcos has died an agonizing starvation death.
I consider and hope that the flexibility of eSIM and telcos under competitive pressure will now generate similar effects worldwide.
Thank you, Apple!
Currently, this legislation applies within the EU:
"Thanks to EU rules on "roaming at national prices", you don't have to pay additional roaming charges in other EU countries to use your mobile phone when travelling outside your home country. If you make international calls (mobile and fixed), send text messages (SMS) or use the Internet, you can enjoy the benefits of this scheme. It also applies to the reception of calls and SMS and even if your call partner uses another mobile operator."
So far, no employee of the Telcos has died an agonizing starvation death.
I consider and hope that the flexibility of eSIM and telcos under competitive pressure will now generate similar effects worldwide.
Thank you, Apple!
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This would be perfect for me. I am only travelling once a year and it's always a hassle to get to a SIM card and start the process. If I can purchase it before leaving, then just activate it the moment I get off the plane it would be perfect. Maybe it's a bit more expensive than getting a SIM card from a local dealer, but it's definitively WAY cheaper than Roam Like Home. Plus, I really only need data. I'm pretty stoked about this, actually. Flying to Germany next month, and I can't wait to try it out.
I'm pretty stoked about this, actually. Flying to Germany next month, and I can't wait to try it out.Telekom and Vodafone in Germany already support eSIM. I'm sure any plan of theirs would be cheaper than Gigsky's offer. The only question would be if they would allow purchase of eSIM's without all the hassles of showing ID, credit, etc like it some other countries.
Well, it always looks like it could be so cheap to buy a prepaid package in Germany and then it ends up being expensive. Plus you have to visit a store. As far as I can tell, e-sim is not (yet) available for prepaid customers (which makes no sense whatsoever). I like the flexibility this Gigsky package offers me. I can use it all over the world, turn it off and on as I need to. I really like that option. Maybe I could shave off a couple of bucks, but the difference is really not that much, and it is totally worth the hassle.
Can't say I disagree with your points; I think for the infrequent international traveler (like me), though, something like GigSky is a godsend.
I can't imagine getting off a plane (let alone in a country where I don't speak the language), and leaving the airport without a SIM card in my phone for some kind of data. I get it--with planning, I'm sure after picking up a hired car or taking a train or whatever one could find a local 3 or T-Mobile or whatever store within walking distance, but after all that travel--the peace of mind is worth it to non-seasoned travelers (at least to me it is) to be able to have data the moment I deplane.
I'd make the effort to call a mobile store in a foreign country while still in the 'States before traveling, but from what I've read they won't mail you an activated SIM card even if you pay for shipping.
I disagree. People say things like "only two of..." etc which implies a limited number but not necessarily a singular entity.
EX: Only a handful of carriers offer eSIM and it is defeating the purpose of Apple's so-called Dual SIM phones.
If you can activate the esim online before your journey it's super convenient.
But if you often travel to the same country (and other members of your family do the same) it may be also convenient to do the opposite: have your main number on the esim and share a single physical sim with the family, so you buy the sim once and is always available when someone need to travel.
Either ways having the option to keep your main number and have a local data plan with a second SIM is great. Usually you can buy data plans for traveling but they're really pricey.