Your Smartphone Can Have Two Lines. Here’s Why You’d Want That.
Make sure your device is unlocked. If a device is locked to a specific carrier, it might not be able to access another wireless service. Research your provider.
Look at who owns or backs the eSIM company, and read reviews and privacy details in the App Store. Apple lists some providers here. Some prepaid-data apps I’ve used include Airalo, which has investments from Rakuten’s and LG’s venture-capital arms; Nomad, which is owned by LotusFlare, a Silicon Valley startup founded by former Facebook and Microsoft executives; and Ubigi, which is a brand under Japanese carrier NTT Group’s France-based Transatel business.
All worked as promised. Comparison shop. Prepaid-data companies frequently change their plans, with Ubigi adjusting pricing twice monthly during peak travel season, said Transatel Chief Executive Jacques Bonifay.
U.S. carriers also offer promotions. You can use your U.S.
service overseas, but it can get expensive. Verizon and AT&T charge $10 a day for their international travel passes. Certain T-Mobile plans offer free international roaming, but high-speed data is capped.
The eSIM apps often offer monthlong data-only plans for less than U.S. carriers’ day rate. This week, 3-GB, 30-day plans in the U.K.
cost $10 from Airalo, $9 from Nomad and $8 from Ubigi. If you need to make calls locally, you can use Skype for a fee, or make free calls over data using WhatsApp. Track your data and opt for lower plans.
If you aren’t sure how much you’ll need, choose a lower prepaid plan. You can top up, but you don’t get refunded for unused data. Some companies, such as Nomad, offer unlimited data but slow speeds when you’ve used a certain amount.
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