Which Phone Companies Offer The Best International Services
The research
- Why you should trust me
- Who this is for
- How nosotros picked and tested
- Our pick: T-Mobile Magenta
- Flaws only not dealbreakers
- Also great: Google Fi
- What about local SIMs?
- Unlocking your phone
- The competition
Why y'all should trust me
In addition to having been a longtime writer and editor here at Wirecutter, I write about travel for our parent company, The New York Times, too as for Forbes and CNET and my own blog, BaldNomad. More important, I spend nigh of each year as a digital nomad, working and traveling all over the globe. Fast and reliable information is vital for my job (and sanity). Over the past vi½ years I've used T-Mobile, Google Fi, and dozens of local SIM cards in over fifty countries across six continents. Apologies—I haven't tested Antarctica (however).
Who this is for
Few things are better than landing at an airport, turning on your phone, and having it just work. No hassles, no stress, no worries about brutal roaming fees. Being able to check in with loved ones, telescopic out the route to your lodgings, and maybe post an Instagram story or ii—your phone works just similar it does at domicile. This is incredibly freeing, and makes travel so much easier. With some options, you also accept the ability to tether your laptop or tablet to your phone when the Wi-Fi is poor or unavailable, letting you get piece of work washed on a beach, on a railroad train, or anywhere you have mobile data coverage.
But if you travel only a few weeks each year on vacation, switching your phone programme just for those occasions isn't necessary. If this is you, check out the What most local SIMs? section below for an easy alternative. If yous are looking for a new programme and don't spend a lot of fourth dimension on the road, check out our picks for the best jail cell phone plans. Those will give a broader overview for infrequent travelers. In this guide we're specifically looking at how these plans compare with each other for the needs of frequent international travelers, not what they offer in the US (though conveniently, they're also adept plans to have at dwelling).
If you've got "wanderlust" tattooed literally or figuratively on your trunk, if your passport is frayed at the edges, if you travel multiple times a yr or regularly spend more than a month at a fourth dimension abroad from dwelling, the right phone plan will save you money and reduce your travel-related stress. Data everywhere, no roaming fees, and no demand to buy local SIMs for ~$20 a pop.
One important caveat: If yous're planning really long-term travel, say a yr traveling around the world, or a twelvemonth stationed somewhere (on a beach in Tahiti, say), every United states carrier has fine print implying that the majority of the data used has to exist on your abode network (in the United states of america). None specify what this means exactly, so it'southward best to contact whatever company you're considering and see if it'll cover you for the time you plan to be overseas/away. I contacted Google Fi in 2018 because I was going to exist outside of the Usa for three months straight, and the company said no problem. Indeed, there was no problem, it worked perfectly over three months and 12 countries. I besides contacted T-Mobile, and though the representative wouldn't give specifics, they said "ii to three months traveling, moving to various places throughout the yr, is fine" only that the visitor's plans are made for people who reside in the US, and, in its opinion, living somewhere else for a year definitely isn't "residing in the US." The idea for all of these companies is that they don't want someone to come to the Usa, become a program, then live somewhere else. So it seems that as long every bit yous're not doing that, you should be okay, but checking in with your provider before y'all get out can't hurt.
No matter what service you go (or stay) with, information technology's worth double-checking that everything is enabled correctly on your telephone and business relationship before y'all go out.
How we picked and tested
Since January 2014, I've spent near of each year as a digital nomad, aka someone who works remotely while traveling. When I started, I wrote mostly about engineering science for CNET and Forbes, too equally being AV editor here at Wirecutter. Today I write mostly near travel for the same, as well as writing about travel for our parent visitor, The New York Times. Which is to say, I need information to do my job. I also need data like everyone else does, to communicate with friends and family, post lots of travel photos on Instagram, and so on.
When I started traveling I was with Dart, and had been for 14 years. The hassle of getting my phone unlocked from them and then I could use local SIMs is not something I care to echo. At the time they weren't as travel-friendly equally they are at present (we'll discuss their new travel-friendly offerings in the Contest department). In the fall of 2015, I switched to T-Mobile and it was fantastic. My telephone just worked everywhere. Nonetheless, the slow data was a abiding annoyance, so I still bought local SIM cards. At this point I've used dozens of local SIM cards across four continents and dozens of countries.
When Google Fi inverse its pricing so that information technology would max out roughly the same equally T-Mobile in a calendar month—plus it was offering 4G international data and I was already planning on getting a Pixel 2—I switched and take been using it since January 2018. Information technology has worked flawlessly across nearly two dozen countries. Not once take I felt the need to get a local SIM.
Which is to say, I've been researching this article without knowing information technology for nearly six years. I take been on the lookout for the best manner to go data while traveling because that's one of the primary things I need to go along doing what I do. Not to mention the fact that having fast, undecayed information while traveling makes everything significantly easier.
But what worked for me might not piece of work for everyone, so nosotros looked more widely into plans that would work for virtually serious travelers, fifty-fifty those not willing to switch phones.
First consideration: we ruled out any plan that didn't include "gratuitous" international data roaming. This eliminated all plans that offer only pay-per-MB roaming—Consumer Cellular and Ting, for instance—too every bit, of course, all carriers that take no coverage at all outside N America (Cricket, Boost Mobile, Metro PCS, and Net10). As there are plenty of ways to communicate with voice that aren't specifically "phone calls," we didn't consider that aspect as important, bold almost people use their phones primarily for data.
Nosotros also looked for plans that let you use your current phone, or any phone you want. (This ended upwardly being one of the principal reasons we chose our top choice.) Ease of use and price were besides big factors.
In my research for this guide, I also talked to the Wirecutter squad that ordinarily covers phone plans, to make sure I wasn't missing anything, and extensively checked the various providers to make sure that we had all of the bases covered.
Our option: T-Mobile Magenta
Our pick
T-Mobile Magenta works in more than 210 countries and destinations. That means y'all can wing to pretty much any urban center on Earth, plough on your phone, and post a selfie. Or, mayhap more useful, check in with family members (who know that they'll be able to reach you via your usual number), then figure out how to get to your hotel, Airbnb, or hostel on Google Maps. You don't take to do annihilation—everything is automated. Chances are, by the time you lot're off the plane, you're already connected. For $70 a month, this is hard to vanquish.
The speed is the downside. In well-nigh places, that included data is only at 2G speeds, which is to say, 128 Kbps. That'due south slooooow. Even something as simple as surfing the Web may endeavour your patience. We'll hash out this more in the "Flaws but not dealbreakers" department below, but it's worth mentioning up here, because although it's great that your phone works, it doesn't work just similar it does at dwelling house. If y'all primarily travel to Mexico or Canada, you accept things a fiddling easier, every bit you've got up to 5 GB of 4G data per month, plus unlimited voice coverage there.
If yous have a need for speed, for $5 a 24-hour interval y'all can get a Information Pass, which gets y'all 512 MB of 4G data. There'southward too a x-24-hour interval, 5GB option for $35, and a 30-24-hour interval, 15GB option for $50. Unless you're downloading TV shows to watch, or streaming videos or music all day, or something, information technology's unlikely in normal usage that you'd chew up 512 MB in a twenty-four hours. In a pinch $5 is fine, but the longer options aren't worth it. A local SIM card would brand more sense financially.
Speaking of which, if y'all'll be in 1 identify for a while and consistently need more speed during your stay, we propose that you purchase a local SIM card (more on that below). Basically, equally long as y'all've paid off your telephone and have been with T-Mobile for at to the lowest degree 40 days, T-Mobile will unlock your phone—a prerequisite for using a local SIM—which is another point in T-Mobile's favor. You'll give up your phone number for the elapsing of the visit, but with so many other options for text and voice calls these days, that probably won't make much of a difference.
We figure that about people use their phone primarily every bit a information device, but the Magenta plan also covers texting in nearly countries, and calls to local numbers for around 20¢ a minute. This certainly isn't bad, considering that it would price you perhaps $1 to call the hotel and have someone there direct you lot downwardly the correct unmarked Venetian alleyway.
Where doesn't Magenta work? Well, two places y'all're not likely headed in the most future: North Korea and Syrian arab republic. As well Botswana, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Bhutan, Federated states of micronesia, and a scattering of remote islands: New Caledonia, the Cook Islands, and the Falklands. And so, if yous have family in, or frequent business trips to those places, you're stuck ownership SIM cards when you get in. For the vast majority of people, though, you'll exist covered wherever you're headed and this is by far the well-nigh comprehensive coverage available.
And then far we've discussed but the basic Magenta program, just it has an addition that might benefit some people. The PlusUp feature adds $xv each month (so $85 a calendar month, total, for 1 line). This is the same price, and the same features, equally their step-up Magenta Plus programme. You lot get twice the roaming speed (still a very tiresome 256 Kbps). You too go unlimited costless in-flying Wi-Fi on Gogo-enabled flights. Depending on where and on what airline you're flight, that could save you money. The base of operations Magenta programme simply gets you one hr's worth per month. There are some other, US-but benefits too, like more hotspot data. If $15 isn't much to you, why non? Keep in mind, though, the 256 Kbps instead of 128 speed bump is nice, but both are still actually slow. It might be worth spending that money on a local SIM card, depending how and where you're travelling.
Flaws but non dealbreakers
Although T-Mobile works all over the earth, don't expect your phone to function exactly every bit it does at home. You become 2G speeds, or around 128 Kbps. For comparison, T-Mobile was clocked around the US as having 21 Mbps (21,000 Kbps) on average. And then yes, you lot practice have Internet abroad, just it's excruciatingly ho-hum compared with LTE at home.
Yet, it is even so useful—it just requires patience. Google Maps withal works, it just takes a few moments to load. Instagram still works, but images take a while. Messenger, WhatsApp, and other messaging apps work fine. "Permit me Google that existent quick," is still a valid expression, it'southward just that "quick" might be a minute instead of a few seconds. Video is a no-go. Netflix, YouTube, even videos in Instagram Stories, aren't really going to work.
I spent two years with T-Mobile and though information technology was nifty for all of the reasons I've listed, invariably I'd buy a local SIM if I was spending more than a few days in a country. Getting a local SIM with high-speed data was a inexpensive and piece of cake way to make a phone piece of work similar yous'd expect. And then in addition to the $70 a calendar month for the One plan, it's probably a skillful thought to budget $xx per country/expanse if you lot're staying for more than a few weeks or need a faster connexion for some tasks.
An alternative is using the T-Mobile Cyberspace while you're out and about, and relieve data-hungry tasks like photo uploads, social media surfing, annihilation with video for when y'all're back on Wi-Fi. This doesn't only mean your hotel or hostel—public Wi-Fi is pretty much everywhere. Depending on where yous're traveling, yous can find free Wi-Fi in restaurants, malls, even in public parks and on the city metro. Remember, though: You probably don't want to access banking or other sensitive info without a VPN, just to be safe.
It all comes downwardly to how yous use your telephone. If you want something but for Maps, Translate, and keeping in impact with friends via Messenger, the 2G speeds of T-Mobile will likely exist fine. If you're the blazon of person that's ever continued, needs loftier-speed data for work, watches anybody'southward Story, and watches YouTube everywhere, you're going to want to become a local SIM.
Or you could get Google Fi.
Also great: Google Fi
Also great
Google Fi is improve than T-Mobile for international travel for one big reason: 4G information. Your phone works pretty much exactly as it does at home, with speeds that are as good as your destination country's mobile phone infrastructure tin can support. If you're used to 2G information when traveling, having 4G like at habitation is a revelation. From fast-loading Google Maps to quick Instagram uploads to video chats with friends, it's a seamless high-speed experience that you soon take for granted. This is the way traveling with your phone should exist. One less matter to worry nigh when you lot're on the road.
It'south too, generally, cheaper. With the Flexible program, there's a $20 base fee, and you lot pay $10 per gigabyte of information that you use, with a cap at $60. To a higher place that y'all however get 4G, you're just not charged anything additional for it. The visitor is even nice about information technology, not rounding up: use 430 MB, pay $iv.30, and so on. You lot tin tether your tablet or laptop to your phone at the same price per gigabyte, or install a carve up SIM in compatible tablets (which includes some iPads) to access your plan's data. Considering most months you won't employ all that data, information technology's likely the same toll per calendar month, if not cheaper, than T-Mobile. Even if you practise use the full $80 worth, that's still less than T-Mobile plus a local SIM (and its 4G data) each month.
I've been using Google Fi since Jan 2018, later ii years on T-Mobile. So far I've used it in 22 countries across the Caribbean area, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, and it has worked flawlessly. Moments later I land, my phone connects and I've got loftier-speed data. In addition to all of the normal Instagrammy and Facebooky stuff, I wrote and uploaded stories with my laptop tethered to my phone while on a beach in Fiji, edited Google Docs on my phone while walking around in Kingdom of spain, and more than, all as if I were at home. Well, okay, the speed was slow on the beach, simply that'south Fiji, not Google; my friends had local Fiji SIM cards, and their speed was the same or worse. And come up on, information technology was on a embankment in Fiji—I'm not complaining.
In 2019, I too purchased a laptop with a SIM bill of fare slot, and installed a data-only SIM from Fi. The SIM card itself is gratuitous, and draws from the aforementioned information pool as your phone, i.e. if you utilise 2GB on your phone and 2GB on your laptop you're charged $twoscore (and you'll all the same only become charged the Flexible plan's maximum of $60 plus the $xx base of operations rate). Getting a SIM to piece of work on Windows requires a few additional clicks compared to a phone, merely it's adequately straightforward. Though technically not dissimilar than tethering to your phone, it'south simpler enough that information technology'southward worthwhile if your laptop supports it.
Fi does have 1 downside, and it's why the programme still isn't our main pick: Although you tin now use information technology with a majority of Android and iOS devices, not all of the features piece of work on all of those phones. However, the features that don't work aren't the major ones. International data, for example, volition work on any compatible phone. Compatible Android phones likely won't accept the automatic network switching of the Pixel phones, which isn't a huge deal; it just might mean, for example, that you lot occasionally don't have the same coverage equally someone else on Fi who has a Pixel. Apple phones besides can't switch automatically and might need to conform some setting to send texts. Voicemail will be transcribed and bachelor to hear in the Fi app instead of your phone'southward standard app.
The number of uniform devices has grown considerably, but Fi is notwithstanding not as phone-neutral every bit T-Mobile. Google's own Pixel phones, plus some Nexus, Moto, and LG phones, have full Fi functionality. If yous have a fairly recent phone, such equally an iPhone 5s or newer, or a Samsung Galaxy S6 or newer, nigh, merely non all, of Fi'due south features will piece of work. If you're not interested in those phones, and your current phone isn't compatible, you lot're out of luck.
Though Fi is technically available in fewer countries than T-Mobile ("only" 200), most of the countries most people are probable to travel to are covered, and at significantly better speeds than T-Mobile. If you want to check if your get-to travel spot is covered, Google has a page for that.
If you lot don't mind switching to a phone that supports it, or if missing out on a few Fi features on your current phone doesn't bother you lot, Google Fi is the incurable wanderer'due south dream: a phone that works everywhere simply like at home. Because you pay only for the data you use, and you don't need to buy local SIMs for loftier-speed data, it volition save you money as well. For this inveterate adventurer, it has worked perfectly, and I can't imagine going back to T-Mobile.
Google recently unveiled an Unlimited program. For $70 for a unmarried line, and less each if you have more i line, yous get all the features we've discussed, but "unlimited" data. In this case, that ways up to 22GB of high-speed information everywhere, then after that, slower speeds unless y'all add additional loftier speed information at $x per gigabyte. They also say some video might be streamed at 480p instead of Hard disk drive. In addition, you get free calling to over 50 countries including India, Mexico, and the UK, plus 100GB of complimentary storage of cloud storage on Google ane. Most people would never use 22GB in a month, unless they're never nigh WiFi and lookout man a lot of videos or stream music all the time.
The Unlimited plan would be good for anyone who travels with people not on Fi, since they could tether off your telephone and apply your data. If y'all call any of those l+ countries a lot, this would besides exist a good deal. For near people, the Flexible program would likely suffice, and salvage you lot some money. For reference, I'chiliad a pretty heavy data user, and in 2 years on the Flexible plan I only hitting the $80 pecker protection once, though a few times I came shut enough that the Unlimited's $lxx would accept cost me nigh the same while letting me ignore my data usage. And so while nosotros recommend the Flexible for near people, bank check your past usage on your current program to run into which of these would work best for you.
Merely because nosotros can't expect everyone to desire to switch phones, and because Fi is non 100 percent compatible with every phone, T-Mobile is the better selection for most people. Fi really is a better option, though, if you lot don't mind its quirks.
What near local SIMs?
A SIM, or subscriber identity module, is a tiny card inside your phone that tells a local cell network who yous are. For our discussion this basically tells the network y'all're on—AT&T, say—what speed and coverage you lot should get. If you unlock your telephone (more on this next), you tin can buy a SIM that tells a dissimilar network that you lot belong on said network, just like if yous bought a new telephone from them.
Here'south how it would work. You country in a new country, and though there are options at the aerodrome, finding a identify in town that sells SIMs is usually cheaper. Let's use London as an example, equally I've done this swap there the well-nigh. A quick Google search volition tell you what the mobile companies are in that expanse, in this case Vodafone, Three, EE, and others. I similar Iii because it's cheap and the coverage works in other countries in Europe. You go to the store, tell them yous want a temporary SIM (or "pay-as-you-get"). Just tell them what you're doing—they've done this before and will exist able to help you. Then they'll sell you the SIM, and probably aid you lot swap information technology out. The SIMs are roughly the size of a microSD card, and are about as easy to install.
Afterwards a restart or two and a few minutes, boom, you're on the local network. Every bit far as the network is concerned, you accept a local phone. Local calls and data are included in whatever plan yous bought. Your "home" prison cell number will be inactive until you swap your old SIM dorsum in (don't lose information technology!). Instead you'll have a new number (in our example, a UK number). Your telephone is at present, essentially, a UK phone. Once again, we're bold that most people are using their phones primarily for data, non for voice calls, then you may not notice much of a divergence.
You'll nevertheless take to pay your domicile cell plan, fifty-fifty though you're not using information technology, but it will be in that location when you lot become home similar nothing changed.
Though this has taken a few paragraphs to explain, it'due south uncommonly easy. I've washed information technology dozens of times across dozens of countries over the concluding few years. Walking into the shop to having local high-speed data takes possibly fifteen minutes, less if the store isn't busy. Swapping SIMs is uncommon in the US, but quite common elsewhere. I've yet to come across a shop that didn't understand what I wanted to practise, and that includes all over Europe and Asia. Just like at habitation, some providers are better than others, so if you desire to do your research alee of time, go for it. If non, the prices for a few weeks or a month aren't radically unlike, regardless of where yous become and what service you lot get.
Local laws can vary a bit, but at the very least you'll need your passport to buy the SIM. Best to cheque online before you lot go out to meet if at that place are any pay-as-you-go SIM restrictions where you're headed.
Unlocking your phone
If you already take a phone and don't want a new i, you lot're going to have to get information technology "unlocked" by your current carrier. This will permit you to switch providers, to T-Mobile say, or to use local SIM cards if necessary.
How you go virtually this, and fifty-fifty if you need to, changes somewhat regularly. The best we tin do is point you toward the pages that explain it for each carrier. The most basic rule is that y'all need to own your telephone. Few people pay the hundreds of dollars to buy their phone outright, so for almost of you this means having been with your current carrier for a length of time after yous received your phone.
For AT&T: The company says that you don't need to unlock your telephone in order to use it for international travel, but what they actually mean is that you're allowed to buy AT&T's expensive International 24-hour interval Pass. Unlock your phone, if you can, and use a local SIM.
For Dart: The phone has to have been active on its network for 50 days, and been paid off. Also, some Sprint phones are CDMA just, which means they won't work in almost countries.
For T-Mobile: Active on T-Mobile for 40 days, paid off, and so on.
For Verizon: Verizon doesn't lock its phones, though yous should still cheque the fine impress. Y'all withal might face fees if you try to switch providers (temporary SIM swaps while traveling are allowed, though). Like Dart, Verizon uses CDMA, simply well-nigh new phones should be able to admission both CDMA and GSM networks.
The competition
T-Mobile has a cheaper Essentials program that's $10 less a month. Information technology doesn't include international data though.
Sprint's new Global Roaming is very similar to T-Mobile's, with similar coverage ("more than than 200" countries/destinations as opposed to 210+) and like speeds. The company's daily data packages are likewise $5 for most locations. Dart'south Loftier-Speed Information Pass is unlimited, which on paper is amend than T-Mobile'due south 512 MB for the aforementioned price, merely nosotros remember it's unlikely that most people would utilize more than 512 MB, and so we don't think that this should exist a deciding factor. One big potential issue is that because Sprint uses the CDMA manual protocol, and pretty much the rest of the world uses GSM, only phones that take the latter will work overseas. If you have a newer, high-finish phone yous should be fine, simply it'due south not a given. All-time to check with Sprint.
But if you do have Sprint, and your phone will work internationally, in that location doesn't seem to be any reason to switch to T-Mobile. If you're looking to switch from another carrier, T-Mobile or Google Fi are the amend options for frequent international travelers.
Verizon and AT&T both have callous pricing for roaming abroad, and their travel "deals" are bad. For instance, Verizon's TravelPass international travel pricing is $ten per day ($5 for Mexico and Canada), which is expensive, and only gives you 500 MB of high-speed data. There'southward no cap after that, only it's 2G speeds. Y'all'll demand to buy some other TravelPass if yous want more than high-speed data. There's as well a monthly option, simply at $70 or $135 on tiptop of your normal plan, and almost no information, they're not a adept option. The pay-as-you get rates are fifty-fifty worse.
AT&T is slightly improve, with $ten International Mean solar day Pass with no data restrictions other than what you go with your normal monthly plan. There's besides a monthly "Passport" for $70 for one calendar month and 2 GB, or $140 for 6GB, but again that's on meridian of your current plan. The Day Pass is only available in 100 countries, simply the Passport is bachelor in 200. In all cases these are expensive options.
If you don't want to switch providers, at to the lowest degree come across if you tin go your phone unlocked (Verizon should be unlocked automatically) and then that you can employ a local SIM. That, at roughly $20, even for two weeks somewhere, will likely cost less than either company's roaming packages.
Which Phone Companies Offer The Best International Services,
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-cell-phone-plan-international-travel/
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