If Apple delays the 3G iPhone, Europeans outside the UK or Germany looking for an unlocked iPhone might be best off shopping for one in the U.S. Thanks to the weakness of the dollar, and local. I live in Europe but am returning to the USA for a few weeks. I intend to buy an iPhone 5 for use on both sides of the pond. Since Apple has launched an unlocked GSM phone, I need to know which phone will give me the greater speed and flexibility: the Verizon phone purchased from Apple or the unlocked GSM phone.
Keep connected on your Euro trip
Smartphones are key for a smooth-sailing European trip, since travelers use iPhone and Android apps for everything from booking hostels to getting updates on local train schedules. Luckily, with a little planning, U.S. iPhones – in fact, most smartphones – can work just fine in European countries. Convert that smartphone for European use in two primary ways: buy a SIM card in Europe or purchase a travel plan through a U.S.-based carrier.
Buying a European SIM card
An iphone 5 unlocked phone is model A 1428 and you can buy and use with AT&T. The iphone 5 that you get with Verizon or Sprint is model A1429. You can use the Verizon model internationally but you have to use their global plan. All cell providers apart from Verizon and Sprint use GSM, and GSM is the technology that allows you to unlock your phone and use it abroad. If you have a Verizon iPhone, you'll have two SIM card slots in your phone—one for CDMA use and one for GSM use, so you'll also be able to unlock your phone and use it overseas.
This is usually the cheapest way to use a smartphone while traveling in Europe, and it's pretty simple, depending on the actual phone in question.
Europe hosts several cellphone carriers, each offering SIM card and travel package deals. The best deal varies depending on the countries you plan to visit and the length of your trip, but here's an example of one European package:
Orange, a major French carrier, sells a SIM package for EUR 39 ($46) that includes the following:
- A SIM card with a French phone number
- 120 minutes of phone calls, good anywhere in Europe
- 1,000 text messages, valid anywhere in Europe
- 1GB of data transfer, throughout Europe
It's easy to refill the package online, as well, should you max out your data or phone minutes. But keep an eye on these cellphone carriers' policies – some require you to bring in your original passport in order to qualify for the purchase of a SIM package, for example.
GSM vs. CDMA phones
Still, there's a catch: European SIM cards are often accepted only in GSM phones, though some newer CDMA phones are starting to support them, as well.
GSM and CDMA are two different types of network technology. European mobile carriers all use GSM (which requires a SIM card), as do AT&T and T-Mobile in the United States. Verizon and Sprint, on the other hand, use CDMA, so phones bought through those carriers might not use SIM cards.
All iPhones use GSM technology, except for a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 manufactured specifically for Verizon and Sprint.
How To Unlocked Iphone 6
Unlocking a phone
To further complicate things, many American carriers 'lock' their phones to prevent users from swapping out their services for a cheaper SIM package. Users can unlock their phones through their carrier or via a third party, but if they do so before their contract with the carrier is up, it can void the phone's warranty.
Once the phone is unlocked, a new SIM card should slip right in and work like a charm.
If a smartphone isn't eligible to be unlocked by its U.S. carrier and its owner doesn't want to go through a third party and jeopardize the warranty, he can pick up a cheap SIM-card compatible smartphone specifically for the trip. Retailers like Walmart and Target sell them.
Using a European SIM card
A new SIM card means a new phone number, so most travelers who go this route opt to download messaging apps to simplify that situation. WhatsApp, which uses a data connection to place phone calls and send texts, is the most popular option for European travelers.
International roaming with a U.S. carrier
Most U.S. mobile carriers offer their own travel packages, which are usually more expensive than the SIM option but also allow travelers to keep their own phone numbers and simplify the overall travel process.
Here are each major carrier's travel options:
Places To Get Iphone Unlocked
- AT&T: International day pass for $10 per day for unlimited calls and texts and the usual monthly data allowance.
- Sprint: Global roaming provides free texts, free 2G data roaming and phone calls for $0.20 per minute in most European countries. For faster data connections, pay $5 per day or $25 per week for 4G.
- Verizon: TravelPass for $10 per day for the usual talk, text and data allowance.
- T-Mobile: One Limited and Simple Choice plans provide unlimited 2G data and texting at no extra charge in most European countries, as well as calls to the United States for $0.20 per minute. For high-speed data connections, shell out $15 for 100MB of data for one day, $25 for 200MB for a week or $50 for 500MB for two weeks.
By Rick Steves
How To Use Unlocked Iphone In Europe As A
Many travelers enjoy the convenience of bringing their own mobile phone to Europe. Some people also prefer to bring a tablet or laptop for emailing or blogging, uploading or editing photos, reading, and watching videos in their down time. Using your mobile device abroad isn't hard, and with a little preparation, you can text, make calls, and access the Internet without breaking the bank.
How to Set Up (or Disable) International Service on Your Phone
Roaming with your own phone outside the US generally comes with extra charges, whether you are making voice calls, sending texts, or accessing data (going online over a cellular network rather than Wi-Fi, a.k.a., 'data roaming'). If you plan to bring your own phone to Europe, start by assessing how you will to use it — whether you will be making a few or a lot of phone calls, sending and receiving text messages, and how freely and frequently you'll want to get online to check email, look up websites, access maps, get driving directions, or use other mobile apps.
You can pay as you go on your normal plan for all three services. But the costs can add up (on average, about $1.50/ minute for voice calls, 50 cents to send text messages, 5 cents to receive them, and $20 to download one megabyte of data).
Travelers who want to stay connected at a lower cost can sign up for an international service plan through their carrier. Most offer some sort of global calling plan that cuts the per-minute cost of phone calls and a flat-fee data plan that includes a certain amount of megabytes. Your normal plan may already include international coverage, as T-Mobile's does. It's a fairly painless process:
- Confirm that your phone will work in Europe. Nearly all newer phones work fine abroad (as do older phones purchased through AT&T and T-Mobile), but it's smart to check with your carrier if you're unsure.
- Research your provider's international rates. Plan pricing varies wildly by carrier. Call your provider or check their website for the latest pricing.
- Activate international service. A day or two before you leave, log on to your mobile phone account or call your provider to activate international roaming for voice, text, and/or data (whichever features you plan to use), and sign up for any international plans.
- Cancel international service when you get home. When you return from your vacation, cancel any add-on plans that you activated for your trip.
Getting Online in Europe
With any laptop, tablet, or smartphone, you can get online via a Wi-Fi signal, which is usually free. If you have a mobile phone (smartphone or basic) or a cellular-enabled computer, you can get online over a cellular network, but you'll usually have to pay for it.
The most cost-efficient way to get online is to log on to Wi-Fi hotspots during your trip. Even if you have an international data plan, you're better off saving most of your online tasks for Wi-Fi.
If you plan to use any new apps on your device — such as language translators, ebook readers, or transportation or mapping apps — it's smart to download or update them before your trip, when bandwidth isn't an issue.
Finding Wi-Fi in Europe
Most accommodations in Europe offer free Wi-Fi, but some — especially expensive hotels — charge a fee. In some hotels, Wi-Fi works great; in others, the signal is less reliable or doesn't work well (or at all) beyond the lobby (many European hotels are in old buildings with thick stone walls). Often it's good enough to shoot off an email, but too slow to stream movies or make a video call.
If Wi-Fi is important to you, ask about it when you book — and check that it'll be available in your room. As soon as I arrive at a hotel, I ask at the desk for the password and network name (in case several are in range), so I can log on right away.
When you're out and about, your best bet for finding free Wi-Fi is often at a café. They'll usually tell you their Wi-Fi password if you buy something. As in North America, most McDonald's and Starbucks in Europe offer free Wi-Fi.
You may also find Wi-Fi here and there throughout the day — for example at tourist offices, in city squares (for example, Marienplatz in Munich), within major museums (such as the Tate Modern in London), at public-transit hubs (such as many of London's train stations), and aboard some trains and buses (for instance, Austria's RailJet or on Portugal's long-distance buses). You may need to register or accept terms of service to get online, and some networks limit browsing time.
Tips for Using Data Roaming Smartly
Using data roaming on your cellular network is handy for times when you can't find Wi-Fi. But while convenient, data roaming is also potentially expensive, depending on your international plan rates. You'll want to be conscious of how much data you're using, since you're probably paying for a limited amount of bandwidth. Still, data roaming can be worth it when you're out and about, need to get online, and don't want to waste your valuable vacation time hunting for a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Budgeting your data is easy if you follow these tips:
Avoid using your cellular network for bandwidth-gobbling tasks. Skyping, downloading apps, and watching YouTube all eat up megabytes and can wait until you're on Wi-Fi. (You're on a Wi-Fi network when you see the symbol for Wi-Fi in the corner of your screen — it looks like a half-rainbow.) If you use a navigation app like Google Maps, there are ways to do so without using any cellular data. If you're lost and need to access a map and turn-by-turn directions, do so sparingly.
Keep track of data usage. Upon arrival in Europe, it's smart to start tracking how much data you're using. On your device's menu, look for an item like 'cellular data usage' or 'mobile data' and reset the counter at the start of your trip so you can see how many megabytes you've consumed. Some carriers automatically send a text message warning if you approach or exceed your limit and will let you upgrade your package without penalty.
Limit automatic updates in your email and other apps. By default, many mobile apps are set to constantly check for a data connection and update information. You can cut your data use by switching off this feature in your various apps. Start with your email: Go to your device's email settings and change them from 'auto-retrieve' to 'manual,' or from 'push' to 'fetch.' This means that you will have to manually download (or 'fetch') your messages when you're on Wi-Fi rather than having them automatically downloaded (or 'pushed') to your device. If you receive an email with a large photo, video, or other file, wait until you're on Wi-Fi to view it.
Other apps — such as news, weather, social media, and sports tickers — also automatically update. On some devices, you can select which apps are allowed to update via the cellular network. It's smart to disable these features in most of your apps so that they'll only update when you're on Wi-Fi.
Disconnect from your cellular network altogether. Because there are still ways that you can accidentally burn through data, I like the additional safeguard of manually turning off data roaming or cellular data (either works) whenever I'm not using it — check under 'cellular' or 'network,' or ask your service provider how to do it. Then, when you need to get online but can't find Wi-Fi, simply turn it on long enough for the task at hand, then turn it off again. Another way to ensure you're not accidentally using data roaming is to put your device in 'airplane' or 'flight' mode, and then turn your Wi-Fi back on when needed (this disables phone calls and texts, as well as data).
If you're traveling with an unlocked smartphone, you can buy a SIM card that also includes data; this can be cheaper than data roaming through your home provider.