Cheapest way to use your smartphone internationally

[MELSMOM47]

It looks like with Verizon I can buy unlimited data and texting with 250 minutes of talk for $100. Can it really be that simple?

[loriva]

On 4/7/2023 at 10:06 AM, longterm said:

SMS is what your phone uses when you text someone; if both devices are Apple devices, you're using iMessage, which is Apple's texting protocol, but otherwise you're using SMS. WhatsApp, for example, uses SMS.

 

So if you have an Android, or if you're on an iPhone and you text someone NOT on an Apple device, you're using SMS.

 

This is an important distinction using your cell phone (iPhone) overseas.  As we learned on a couple of overseas trips in 2022.

     --Apple iMessages to another iPhone using show up as BLUE (your messages after you hit send) on your iPhone.

     --Messages on your iPhone to an Android or other phone are SMS and show up as GREEN.

 

DH and I have a mixed marriage--I have an iPhone and he has an Android.  We have both installed WhatsApp to communicate overseas without triggering charges on our AT&T plan.  (Our home internet is with AT&T after cutting the cord from Spectrum.  Will investigate T-Mobile when it is time for new phones.  They also offer free MLB-TV with at least some plans, which would make DH happy.)

 

I also found sometimes when using an eSIM from Airalo that it did not automatically connect to a local data provider or the connection dropped.  So when I tried to use iMessage, my iPhone switched to cellular data instead.  So suddenly what should have been an iMessage to another iPhone user (blue) went out as an SMS (green).  Which, of course, triggered the $10 day International Pass charge from AT&T.  I do not remember changing any of the settings on my iPhone (primary cellular data line to your international provider and turn off cellular data switching) and I'm not a tech person, so cannot really explain what happened--just know that it did.  The "text" doesn't show up as blue or green until you send the message, of course, but the place where you type the message says "iMessage" when in that mode.  So, now I know to check before sending--and then check settings to ensure my eSIM is connected to a local data provider. 

  

 

[GonzoWCS]

Interesting information here.  Thanks folks for all of the great discussion.

 

Cheers

[Mercruiser]

First, a little bit of background:

 

Until retiring recently, I've been a road-warrior, business traveler my entire adult life. I've been to 60 countries and have used a mobile phone in all of them, both voice and data. Additionally, I lived in the Netherlands for two years (2018 & 2019), and had a USA phone plan with the the entire time (see below).

 

Here are my observations, from a USA customer perspective.

 

If you want the simplest, fastest, cheapest, and most reliable international service. There is one hands-down winner: Google Fi Unlimited Plus.

https://fi.google.com/about/plans

Their Unlimited Plus plan costs $65 per month for up to 50 GB of  high-speed (4G mostly) data in 200+ destinations. Hotspot tethering is included, up to the 50 GB limit.

 

This also includes free texts and 20 cent/min voice calls to/from your USA phone number. Wi-Fi calls to a USA number are free.

 

I've used Google Fi as my personal phone for many years, including the two years I lived in the Netherlands. Google Fi never failed me and I never had a surprise bill. It just works everywhere (that has cell service). The worst problem I've had is occasionally having to restart my phone when landing in a new country.

What's the catch? 

 

1) You need an unlocked phone that works internationally. I bought my unlocked Pixel 6A for $299 from Amazon.

2) Google Fi is not especially competitive for domestic use. For example, a $300/year AT&T prepaid plan will get you 16 GB/month in USA, Canada, and Mexico. (This is what my wife uses.) Google Fi allows you to easily downgrade your plan to a $50 a month version without international roaming. That's still way more than AT&T Prepaid.

 

Recently, I used Google Fi while on a 1-month trip that included a Panama Canal cruise from Lima, Peru to Miami. My wife and I used 30 GB of data on that trip. I had Google Fi, and my wife used my data via my phone's hotspot. She did not have international service on her phone. It worked great. We got 4G and LTE service most everywhere we went (Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico). (Occasionally, we had 3G in remote areas.)

 

Other considerations for evaluating an international plan:

 

Two- factor authentication - Almost every financial/ecommerce/social web site you use now requires two-factor authentication, using a numeric code text messages to your home mobile phone number (Banks, credit card companies, Google, Facebook, etc.)  How are you going to handle two-factor authentication on an extended trip without international roaming on your home phone? When we go on our next 60 day trip, we will have to pay bills, which requires logging into banking and credit card sites. A great way to trigger a two-factor authentication challenge is to log in from a foreign IP address.

 

Hotspot tethering - How are you going to get data on your notebook, tablet, i-Pad, Kindle, etc? Many international plans do NOT include tethering, especially if they are advertised as Unlimited. Tethering is also a great way to share an international plan with another phone.

 

International data speeds - How fast is the data you get while travelling internationally? Some very popular plans only provide 256 Kbps data speed while abroad.

 

Others provide a limited bucket of high-speed data and then switch you to a glacial 256 Kbps. I'm looking at you T-Mobile. https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/international-roaming-plans

(Get your magnifying glass and read the tiny font at the bottom.)

My wife and I used 30 GB of high-speed data in one month on our recent trip. Glad the last 25 GB wasn't at 256 Kbps.

 

Our next trip

 

Our next international trip will be 60 days, including two cruises and a Tanzania photo safari. I'll be using Google Fi Unlimited Plus. My wife will be use Airalo eSIMs for international data. Here AT&T Prepaid plan includes Wi-Fi calling/texting. She will be able to send/receive text messages on her home phone number using Airalo data or hotel Wi-Fi. We will have to pay bills during this trip, so the two-factor authentication issue is an important consideration.

 

 

[Mercruiser]

On 3/26/2023 at 8:20 AM, longterm said:

 

 

BUT WHAT ABOUT MAKING PHONE CALLS OVERSEAS?

You can download an app called "Hushed;" I assume it's on the Android platform too. For $5/month, you can buy a phone number, and then make phone calls using that number. The phone calls go out on the Internet, NOT through your cell provider--this is the key. So, here's how you do it: you use Hushed to make the phone call; it goes out onto your eSIM, NOT on your primary cell provider (AT&T in my case). So you can make and receive calls on that alternate number, without using a bit of your cell phone service or incurring a fee.

 

You can do the same thing using Skype or Google Voice, but Google uses any information it gleans from your phone calls (that doesn't float with me), and I don't have a Skype account, but I suppose it would work really well.

 

 

 

My wife uses AT&T Prepaid ($300/year for 16 GB/mo data). Her plan supports Wi-Fi calling and texting. I had to turn it on in settings. I can turn off her AT&T service, turn on Wi-Fi, and sent texts and call her over wifi. This should work anywhere in the world. I'm going to try this on our next trip, by setting her up with an Airalo eSIM and leaving the AT&T physical SIM in the phone.

 

I don't think I'll need Skype.

 

[Mercruiser]

On 4/15/2023 at 7:32 AM, MELSMOM47 said:

It looks like with Verizon I can buy unlimited data and texting with 250 minutes of talk for $100. Can it really be that simple?

Which plan? Please provide a link.

[-Lew-]

6 hours ago, Mercruiser said:

If you want the simplest, fastest, cheapest, and most reliable international service. There is one hands-down winner: Google Fi Unlimited Plus.

https://fi.google.com/about/plans

Their Unlimited Plus plan costs $65 per month for up to 50 GB of  high-speed (4G mostly) data in 200+ destinations. Hotspot tethering is included, up to the 50 GB limit.

 

Thank you for relating your experience with Google Fi.  I had heard of Fi, but was unaware of how it works.

 

Google Fi uses T-Mobile's network in the US and likely Deutsche Telekom's collection of providers internationally.  So the performance you enjoy should be the same as mine on T-Mobile's Magenta MAX 55+ plan.  I've been with T-Mobile only since last December, so my international experience is limited to only 32 days in the Caribbean where we were delighted and very happy to have switched from AT&T.

 

Google Fi's Unlimited Plus monthly cost of ~$71.50 ($65 plus tax of ~$6.50 here in Vermont) does not compare favorably to T-Mobile's cost of $45.00 per month tax included.  T-Mobile also offers a number of cost-saving benefits such as free Netflix, Paramount+, AAA membership, Apple TV+, and dining rebates which may or may not be of value.

 

It appears Google Fi offers more high-speed data than T-Mobile internationally.  I never approached T-Mobile's 5GB monthly limit while we were in the Caribbean and don't see that as an issue while traveling in Europe.

 

Being able to receive 2FA codes via text is one of the most important benefits of using your USA cell number while traveling abroad.  Both Google Fi and T-Mobile allow with...SIMs and eSIMs do not!

 

T-Mobile is still the right choice for us, but it appears your need for larger amounts of high-speed international data makes Google Fi the right choice for you. 

[MELSMOM47]

6 hours ago, Mercruiser said:

Which plan? Please provide a link.

 

[loriva]

1 hour ago, -Lew- said:

Being able to receive 2FA codes via text is one of the most important benefits of using your USA cell number while traveling abroad.  Both Google Fi and T-Mobile allow with...SIMs and eSIMs do not!

 

Our AT&T plan allows us to receive SMS texts while overseas.  It is only if we try to send a SMS text that triggers a charge (the $10/day International Pass charge in our case.)  Not defending one plan or denigrating another, just stating our experience.

[Mercruiser]

On 4/15/2023 at 7:32 AM, MELSMOM47 said:

It looks like with Verizon I can buy unlimited data and texting with 250 minutes of talk for $100. Can it really be that simple?

Looking at the fine print, "unlimited data" really means data limited to 20 GB: "^*After your first 20GB of high speed data enjoy unlimited 3G data." That's probably enough for 1 person. They do not appear to support tethering. So you cannot share your data with another device (notebook, tablet, i-pad, Kindle, etc.) Again, that might not be a problem for you.

 

The big advantage of this, for you, is that it's easy and simple. Make sure you Verizon phone is relatively new (the older Verizon CDMA phones are NOT internationally compatible.)

Edited April 17, 2023 by Mercruiser

[MELSMOM47]

4 minutes ago, Mercruiser said:

Looking at the fine print, "unlimited data" really means data limited to 20 GB: "^*After your first 20GB of high speed data enjoy unlimited 3G data." That's probably enough for 1 person. They do not appear to support tethering. So you cannot share your data with another device (notebook, tablet, i-pad, Kindle, etc.) Again, that might not be a problem for you.

 

The big advantage of this, for you, is that it's easy and simple. Make sure you Verizon phone is relatively new (the older Verizon CDMA phones are NOT internationally compatible.)

My thought is that since we have Wi-Fi on board the ship it will mostly be used to request a ride or send/respond to a text. I need to learn how to download Google maps for the cities that we will walk and might want directions. 

[CurlerRob]

28 minutes ago, loriva said:

 

Our AT&T plan allows us to receive SMS texts while overseas.  It is only if we try to send a SMS text that triggers a charge (the $10/day International Pass charge in our case.)  Not defending one plan or denigrating another, just stating our experience.

 

Agree - my Bell plan is the same: "You’ll only be charged the daily fee when you make or answer a call, send a text message, or when data is sent or received while in your Roam Better destination".

 

No trigger for incoming 2FA texts, and I find using an eSIM package excellent for data. 

 

That said, I continue to envy the breadth and value of cell packages available to Americans! 🍺🥌

[Mercruiser]

1 hour ago, -Lew- said:

Google Fi's Unlimited Plus monthly cost of ~$71.50 ($65 plus tax of ~$6.50 here in Vermont) does not compare favorably to T-Mobile's cost of $45.00 per month tax included.

If I understand you correctly, you have two lines on the Magenta MAX 55+ plan (or are you getting some other discount to get to $45?). The two line cost of Fi is $55 per per person plus tax. Even so, the T-Mobile plan is cheaper.

 

A must for me is tethering / hotspot. I do all my CC posts, emails, and other correspondence from my notebook computer. I cannot stand typing with my thumbs. I also process my photos on my notebook before uploading them to the cloud. As best I can tell, T-Mobile does not support tethering / hotspot internationally. If so, that's a deal breaker for me.

 

On our last cruise, we used the tethering / hotspot to share our one Google Fi plan. (My wife used her phone on Wi-Fi only, using my data.)  So our cost, for the two of us was $65 plus tax. 

 

1 hour ago, -Lew- said:

T-Mobile is still the right choice for us, but it appears your need for larger amounts of high-speed international data makes Google Fi the right choice for you. 

 

I completely agree. One size does not fit all.

 

[Mercruiser]

18 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

That said, I continue to envy the breadth and value of cell packages available to Americans! 🍺🥌

 

I think the American cost advantage will disappear over time, as eSIMs take over the world. Did I mention that I'm testing the Airalo eSIM on my wife's phone on our next international trip to Europe and Tanzania? If that works well, I may be switching to a cheap prepaid plan for domestic use (AT&T $300/year) and then supplement it as needed with international eSIMs. The great thing about eSIM is they don't care what country you are from, only what country you are visiting.

 

The disadvantage of eSIMs:

1) Need a phone that supports eSIM: all recent iPhones, Pixels, and most recent Samsungs, plus many others.

2) Not all international destinations support eSIMs (yet).  But since the newest iPhones have gone totally eSIM, all carriers need to upgrade to allow eSIMs.

3) Some destinations, like most of South America and Africa, have very expensive eSIMs. This is especially surprising since their conventional SIM prices are dirt cheap.  I expect their eSIMs will become more competitive over time. 

4) Since you are roaming on another carrier's network (like Deutsch Telecom), your data is lower priority than their local customers. You may see slower data speeds than a local customer.

 

 

[Vineyard View]

On 4/3/2023 at 4:33 PM, longterm said:

Actually, not so much; depending on whether you're going to one country or multiple, you can buy 30-day 10GB plans for Italy, for example, for only $24; a plan that covers Europe (39 countries) is only $37 for 30 days, 10GB of data.

Where is the best place to purchase these?  Are the directions for use pretty straightforward?   Thanks for all your advise on this option

[longterm]

8 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Where is the best place to purchase these?  Are the directions for use pretty straightforward?   Thanks for all your advise on this option

On your iPhone, download Airalo (the download's free).

 

Then, you can select the type of eSIM you need (for example, we're going to Italy in a month, so I'll be buying a 30-day Italy eSIM that allows 10GB of data). If you're going to multiple countries, they have regional eSIMs that cover them--the Europe eSIM covers 39 countries.

 

Once you buy the eSIM (which you do in the app), it'll walk you through what to do. Not too hard, just follow their step-by-step. The duration (7 days, 30 days, whatever you selected) starts when you activate it on your phone, so if you're going on a trip and need 3 weeks, it'd make sense not to activate the eSIM until the week before you leave for your trip.

 

If you get stuck, let me know, I'll be glad to help!

 

Bob

[-Lew-]

14 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Where is the best place to purchase these?  Are the directions for use pretty straightforward?   Thanks for all your advise on this option

 

Check out the eSIM database here.  Installation and activation is quite easy.

[longterm]

9 hours ago, Mercruiser said:

 

My wife uses AT&T Prepaid ($300/year for 16 GB/mo data). Her plan supports Wi-Fi calling and texting. I had to turn it on in settings. I can turn off her AT&T service, turn on Wi-Fi, and sent texts and call her over wifi. This should work anywhere in the world. I'm going to try this on our next trip, by setting her up with an Airalo eSIM and leaving the AT&T physical SIM in the phone.

 

I don't think I'll need Skype.

 

Yes, you definitely don't need to touch the SIM in the phone; like you, I'm not going to use Skype or anything else, since I don't expect to need to call back to the US, but because I run a small IT company, I connect to 25 servers every morning and perform backups, and that eats a good bit of data. Also, I like syncing my phone to iCloud so that my photos are backed up.

[Mercruiser]

If you are new to eSIMs, I strongly recommend testing this ahead of time from home, to avoid problems and wasted time while travelling.

 

I bought a 1GB Airalo eSIM for the USA for $4.50. I'm testing it now from home. Changing my phone's data from Google Fi to Airalo, and then back to Google Fi is pretty easy. But I wanted to practice this ahead of time, so that I don't make a mistake while travelling and waste time trying to fix a problem.

 

Also, for a beginner, I'd suggest using Airalo. Their app makes it easy. In contrast, there are some dodgy looking companies selling eSIMs.

Edited April 17, 2023 by Mercruiser

[Vineyard View]

Mercruiser that seems like a really good piece of advice. Thank you 

[-Lew-]

4 minutes ago, Mercruiser said:

I bought a 1GB Airalo eSIM for the USA for $4.50. I'm testing it now from home. Changing my phone's data from Google Fi to Airalo, and then back to Google Fi is pretty easy. But I wanted to practice this ahead of time, so that I don't make a mistake while travelling and waste time trying to fix a problem.

 

I found Airalo easy to use last fall in Europe; however, there were connection difficulties I was not able to rectify.  I posted the following paragraph earlier in this thread:

 

I purchased Airalo eSIMs for each of our iPhone 14 Pros for use in the Med last fall.  In 40+ days they worked well everywhere except Gibraltar and Ponta Delgada.  I was off the ship in urban areas seeing multiple cell networks available with strong signals, but unable to connect.

[CurlerRob]

5 minutes ago, Mercruiser said:

I strongly recommend testing this ahead of time from home, to avoid problems and wasted time while travelling.

 

I bought a 1GB Airalo eSIM for the USA for $4.50. I'm testing it now from home. Changing my phone's data from Google Fi to Airalo, and then back to Google Fi is pretty easy. But I wanted to practice this ahead of time, so that I don't make a mistake while travelling and waste time trying to fix a problem.

 

I did exactly the same type of Airalo test drive on a Caribbean cruise in December - since it was short, if I messed up and triggered my daily plan accidentally, it would not bankrupt me. As well, it was a good way to test connectivity to multiple other networks, as there were several in the various islands.

 

 

It worked very well - I agree the data switching is quit straightforward. Appreciate your, @longterm's and @-Lew-'s observations on the topic - all have been helpful. 🍺🥌

[longterm]

8 minutes ago, -Lew- said:

 

I found Airalo easy to use last fall in Europe; however, there were connection difficulties I was not able to rectify.  I posted the following paragraph earlier in this thread:

 

I purchased Airalo eSIMs for each of our iPhone 14 Pros for use in the Med last fall.  In 40+ days they worked well everywhere except Gibraltar and Ponta Delgada.  I was off the ship in urban areas seeing multiple cell networks available with strong signals, but unable to connect.

I wonder if it was because the networks available in those 2 sites were not the one that Airalo uses...

 

We're headed on a Rick Steves tour of Tuscany in 4 weeks, so I'm going to give it my first try overseas. In my tests here at home it worked great, but out in the Italian countryside, it may be a different story. Will report my findings.

[CurlerRob]

8 minutes ago, longterm said:

I wonder if it was because the networks available in those 2 sites were not the one that Airalo uses...

 

I was also curious, so I looked it up. Gibraltar is specifically noted in their Eurolink regional package, so that didn't explain it, although I see their only network is 3G - may have had an impact.

 

While Portugal is also in the package, I have found that 'protectorates' like the Azores, are sometimes not included in various plans (hit that in the Faroes with my home plan) - so that one is an open switch. 🍺🥌

Edited April 17, 2023 by CurlerRob
Typo

[Mercruiser]

33 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

I was also curious, so I looked it up. Gibraltar is specifically noted in their Eurolink regional package, so that didn't explain it, although I see their only network is 3G - may have had an impact.

 

While Portugal is also in the package, I have found that 'protectorates' like the Azores, are sometimes not included in various plans (hit that in the Faroes with my home plan) - so that one is an open switch. 🍺🥌

I like that Airalo shows which networks and and speed they support in the various countries.

 

In contrast, some of the other eSIM company's do not disclose what network and what speeds they support. I don't want the cheapest eSIM. I want the one with the best coverage.

 

For most of my Europe trip, I'll be in the UK and Norway. For the UK, I can see that they support three networks. EE and Vodaphone are amongst the best UK network. (I am unfamiliar with Hutch).

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by Mercruiser