Updated: 11/6/2018 | November 6th, 2018
Dave Dean from Too Many Adapters gives us tips and advice on travel tech and gear. He is our resident expert, trying out new products and seeing what works so you don’t end up with gear that breaks and a laptop filled with viruses! This month’s column is about how to pick the best phone for when you travel.
As a travel tech writer, I get asked about using smartphones when we travel. The minute we head overseas with our phones, we’re hit with a confusing mess of technical jargon, expensive roaming agreements, conflicting advice, and nonworking gear. Trying to discuss the nuances of GSM frequency bands or iPhone unlock codes with a mobile vendor in a dusty Cambodian town isn’t my idea of fun, and I doubt it’s yours either.
Since we all want our smartphone to work when we travel, I’ve put together this guide covering everything you need to know about how to get your smartphone working overseas as well as the best smartphones for travel. It’s detailed, but not too complicated, and will save you money, time, and plenty of frustration (and has additional resources at the end).
How to Find the Best Travel Phone
To help you find the best travel phone, I’ve divided this article into 3 main sections. If you don’t want to read through everything just click on the links below to jump ahead.
- Part 1: Understanding Your and Unlocking Current Phone
- Part 2: Tips for Using a Locked Phone
- Part 3: The Best Travel Smartphones
Part #1: Understanding Your Current Phone
Using a phone overseas is relatively easy. You can either get a cheap old phone (think an old 2000s Nokia) or get a newer smartphone that you can unlock and use. There’s a lot of phones – from cheap to expensive – out there. The tips on using your phone will relate to you no matter where in the world you are!
1. Will your current phone work overseas??
The first thing to check is whether your phone will physically work overseas. Different countries and cell companies use different technologies and frequencies, and your phone needs to be compatible with them to work.
The most common cellular technology is GSM, and it’s widely used throughout much of the world. CDMA is less common, but it is used by Verizon and Sprint in the United States, and a few carriers elsewhere — if your phone only supports CDMA, it’s highly unlikely to work internationally.
Even if you do have a GSM phone, though, you still need to make sure it supports the frequencies used in your destinations. For the ability to send and receive calls, texts, and 3G data in most of the world, look for the words “quad band” or the specific bands 850/900/1800/1900 MHz in the specifications. If your phone supports all four, you won’t have many issues while traveling. This page lists the exact GSM frequency details for pretty much every country.
But, don’t fret, as phones are built these days to work in multiple countries, so there’s a 99% chance your phone will work overseas.
2. How do you unlock your phone?
When it comes to travel, you’ll hear a lot of talk about unlocked phones, which isn’t much use if you don’t know what they are and whether you have one.
If you got a free or discounted smartphone by signing up for a service contract, there’s a chance it’s network locked (this is especially true for Americans). This means your phone company prevents your phone from being used on anything other than its own network. In a particularly shady move, some companies in the US even lock phones that you paid full price for unless you specifically bought the unlocked version.
With a locked phone, you’re stuck with paying your cell company’s roaming rates from the minute you land in your destination until you arrive back home.
Locked phones are common if you’re from the United States, Australia, and New Zealand but less so in Europe and Asia, where paying the full price for unlocked devices is typical. (On the bright side, more and more companies are willing to unlock your phone if you pay full price these days. This especially true for Android devices. Google phones come unlocked already!
An unlocked phone is a phone that you can use anywhere in the world and where you are allowed to replace the SIM card as you travel the world without having to deal with your phone company or pay roaming fees.
The good news is that it’s easy to get your phone unlocked.
The first step is always to ask your cell company. Policies vary widely but cell companies in the US are at least legally required to unlock prepaid phones after a year, and contract phones after they’ve been paid off.
If your carrier refuses to unlock your phone, you can always try to find the appropriate unlocking code yourself. Companies like Unlock Base sell such codes for a few dollars. They aren’t guaranteed to work for every device, but the company says it’ll return your money if there’s a problem.
The best way to unlock your smartphone is to go to independent phone stores and specialized unlocking places and have someone unlock your phone for you. You can find unlock stores all around the world (especially in Southeast Asia).
3. What to do After Your Phone is Unlocked
Once you have an unlocked phone, you simply buy a local SIM card in your destination. The price, approach, and difficulty varies a lot, but you’ll typically end up paying between $10 and $50/month for a useful amount of calls, texts, and data. Daily and weekly plans are sometimes available if you’re in a country for a shorter period.
This is an inexpensive way to stay connected with phone and data service while you travel. The downside is that you’ll have to change SIM cards every time you change countries, so you may end up carrying a stack of SIM cards around the world with you (though I like being reminded of all the places I’ve been!).
4. Is roaming really that bad?
Yes, almost always. Your existing cellular plan doesn’t usually apply overseas, and you’ll typically be charged much higher rates every time you make a call, send a text, or use cellular data. Not every company is out to gouge their customers, but stories of people returning home to a bill of several thousand dollars after a short international trip are far from unusual.
There are a couple of rare exceptions – T-Mobile in the US includes free SMS and (slow) data in 120+ countries as part of its Simple Choice plan, and Three in the UK extends your calls, text, and data package to 16+ other countries. If you’re not with carriers like these, roaming is an option best left for those with corporate expense accounts, as even the “special” international packages are expensive and a poor value.
Part 2: Tips for Using an Unlocked Phone
If your phone won’t work overseas, or you can’t get it unlocked, you still have a few options for using it when you travel! You can do the following:
- Only use Wi-Fi — Your smartphone will still connect over Wi-Fi just fine, so replace calling with Skype or Google Voice, SMS with WhatsApp, and download a bunch of offline travel apps to use when you’re away from a signal. You’ll be surprised how well that approach can work, and not getting notifications all the time is quite refreshing.
- Buy a budget smartphone — While there’s a lot of junk at the bottom of the smartphone range, there are a few decent phones for travelers under $200. My current favorite is the Motorola Moto G — you’ll want to buy a microSD card for some extra storage, but other than that it’s a reasonably speedy smartphone, with a battery that lasts all day and a 5″ screen you actually want to use. Tip: grab the “Global” version for maximum compatibility overseas. You’ll still need to buy local SIM cards to put in it.
- Rent a phone — You can rent phones at airports and from various companies before you leave home, but I’d only consider it for a short trip to a specific country where my usual phone didn’t work. For anything other than that, it’s cheaper just to buy a new one.
- Rent or buy a portable hotspot — Portable hotspots are small gadgets that create a wireless network and share a cellular data connection over it — you can typically connect 5 or 10 devices to the network you create. You can rent one for short trips at an inflated daily or weekly rate, or you can buy an unlocked hotspot and stick a local SIM card in it, just as if it were a phone. Your smartphone will treat this like any other Wi-Fi network.
- Use a tablet with cell capabilities — If you already own a 3G/4G tablet, there’s a chance it was unlocked when you bought it. If so, you can use this when you travel instead of a phone — just buy a data-only SIM locally, and use Skype and WhatsApp for your phone and SMS requirements. You can also use the tablet as a hotspot, to share the connection among your other devices.
- Buy a disposable phone — If you’re in a country for a while and all you need are calls, texts, and maybe some light web browsing, just buy the cheapest prepaid phone you can find at the local mobile store. Sure, it’ll probably be complete rubbish, but you can often pick these phones up with a bit of credit for next to nothing and they’ll do the job for a while. The upside? You really won’t care if you drop it in the hostel toilet. If it does survive the length of your trip, just pass it onto to somebody else when you leave.
Part 3: The Best Travel Smartphones
If you’re looking to get a smartphone, here are the best ones for travel right now:
Weight: 189g
Dimensions: 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5mm
Screen size: 6.2-inch
Resolution: 1440 x 2960
Camera: Rear camera: Dual 12MP (rear), 8MP (front)
Price: $749
Weight: 175g
Dimensions: 157.9 x 76.7 x 7.9mm
Screen size: 6-inch
Resolution: 1440 x 2880
Storage: 64GB/128GB
Camera: 12MP (rear), 8MP (front)
Price: $805
Weight: 177g
Dimensions: 155.7 x 75.4 x 7.8 mm
Screen size: 6.28-inch
Resolution: 1080 x 2280
Storage: 64GB/128/256GB
Camera: Dual 16MP (rear) 16MP (front)
Price: $535
Weight: 167
Dimensions: 153.2 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm
Screen size: 6.1-inch
Resolution: 1440 x 3120
Storage: 64GB/128GB
Camera: Dual 16MP (rear), 8MP (front)
Price: $725
Weight: 195g
Dimensions: 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6mm
Screen size: 6.3-inch
Resolution: 1440 x 2630
Storage: 64GB/128GB/256GB
Camera: Dual 12MP (rear), 8MP (front)
Price: $589
Weight: 148g
Dimensions: 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm
Screen size: 4.7-inch
Resolution: 750 x 1334
Storage: 64GB/256GB
Camera: 12MP (rear), 7MP (front)
Price: $699
Weight: 158g
Dimensions: 151 x 75.4 x 7.3mm
Screen size: 6-inch
Resolution: 2,880 x 1,440
Storage: 64GB w/ microSD
Camera: 16/13MP (rear), 5MP (front)
Price: $539
Weight: 143g
Dimensions: 155.8 x 76 x 6.1 mm
Screen size: 5.5-inch
Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440
Storage: 64GB w/ microSD
Camera: 13MP (rear), 5MP (front)
Price: $359
Weight: 169g
Dimensions: 153.9 x 75.9 x 7.9mm
Screen size: 5.5-inch
Resolution: 1440 x 2560
Storage: 64GB/128GB
Camera: 12MP (rear), 16MP (front)
Price: $649
Dave runs Too Many Adapters, a site devoted to technology for travelers. A geek as long as he can remember, he worked in IT for 15 years. Now based out of a backpack long term, Dave writes about travel and tech from anywhere with half-decent Internet and a great view. You can also find him talking about the life of a long-term traveler at What’s Dave Doing?
Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
- World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
- Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
- Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage)
Need to book your trip?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. The are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.
Dave Brett
I look forward to the day when the ultimate global SIM card data plan comes along, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time for one bright spark to come up with a no boarders solution that connections all the global data plans together. It’s almost come close in the form of a ChatSim with global free Whatsapp chat. I thought Amazon Kindle unboxed things when it launched its first 3G kindle and I could Tweet and web browse globally for free, that stopped with one update. I will just wait and see, until then I will stick with my pouch of 30 or so SIM cards and endless amounts of global numbers.
Sonja Riemenschneider
I am waiting for the day when all phone plans are global! It is kind of ridiculous how much work you have to go through just to connect to the local cell and data networks. For my last trip I had to use the global roaming plan with my cell provider (Verizon) because I couldn’t get a sim card in India. Some countries won’t give you sim cards unless you have proof of residence in that country or state.
Ashley
I really appreciate the tips, though I do have 1 question. If I have a local sim card and I call back to the USA will the receivers bill be incredibly high?
Dave
Nope, it won’t cost the receiver any more than it usually would. You’ll be the one incurring international rates.
Andy
All of Verizon 4G phones are unlocked from day one. Since Verizon uses CDMA in the US they really have no need to protect their phones from moving to other networks. The nice part about the iPhone 6 is that it not only has CDMA but quad band GSM already built in. So in Europe you can purchase a local SIM and install it and you should be ok. My experience in Spain and France and Portugal is that it worked just fine. Of course you must choose the local carrier carefully as not all have great coverage.
Natalie
Absolutely genius tips. Had no idea my provider was legally obligated to unlock my phone after I pay it off… going to double check with them and pay it off asap before traveling in a few months!!!! Thank you!
Matt
I realized my phone wasn’t even worth unlocking–it was aging and becoming painfully slow. After suffering through using wifi for 4 months, I broke down and bought a cheap local phone that only managed to last 6 months. I broke down again and upgraded to something better–and I can switch out the SIM card if/when I move.
Steph
Some great tips – but I really think just using the wifi is a good option, unless you are going to be in one country for a long time! I’m heading on a big trip to Asia soon and I really don’t feel like swapping SIMs every month!
Rachel
If you want to stay reachable at your home phone number, get a dual-SIM phone. Turn off data roaming on your home country number but leave the SIM in place. Then put in a local SIM card each time you move to a new country and use that for local call, data, etc.
Kyle
Dave,
I have a question for you. I have an apple Iphone 4s from verizon wireless (it says carrier: verizon 16.0) – the model number is MF259LL/A.
I want to go overseas and ONLY use my phone for “whatsapp” and maybe to take pictures. I would ONLY use “whatsapp” when I had wi-fi avaliable. Can I still use whatsapp overseas when I have wi-fi? Furthermore, will I be charged for using wi-fi if I’m connected to a host like at a hostel?
Thanks,
Kyle
Dave
Kyle – good news. You can use WhatsApp overseas on wifi without a problem, even if you can’t (or don’t want to) connect to the cell network in that country.
You won’t be charged by Version or WhatsApp for doing that. You may need to sometimes pay for the wifi connection, but that’s a case by case thing.
Kayti Clayton
I have an unlocked T-Mobile phone that I suspend the service for when I travel (no contract!) and then I just use my wi-fi. I have a $10 a month portable wi-fi that I pay for and since T-Mobile is worldwide, I can connect to that anywhere that T-Mobile has service. Then I can just use my call/text over wi-fi and it’s just like having a normal phone with my phone number and everything, I love it!
Angel
Awesome tips! I just have one question. One of the links in the article linked to Knowroaming. Do you have any experience using this service? If so, do you recommend it or have any thoughts on using that product/services when traveling abroad? I’m planning a vacation for this summer and would really appreciate some advice! Thank you!
Dave
Hi Angel — I actually do have some experience with the KnowRoaming SIM sticker (I used it in Spain for a while). I wrote a full review at http://toomanyadapters.com/review-knowroaming-sim-sticker/, but in short, it’s actually pretty decent.
I wouldn’t want to use it all the time on a long trip (you’re still looking at $8/day for unlimited use, which mounts up really fast), but I found that if I just turned it on now and then for email, maps etc and then turned it off again, I was using around $5 every three days. That’s still not as cheap as a local SIM, but it’s not terrible, and there were some nice extra features like your own free UK and US numbers that people can call/SMS you on anywhere in the world.
Julie
This article was really useful! Coming from North America (land of smartphone contracts), it’s hard to figure out what to do when it comes to traveling with your smartphone without roaming and paying tons of money. We’re lucky to have an unlocked phone with dirt cheap SIM card rates in places in Asia. Some places like Laos and Myanmar have impossibly slow internet everywhere, even with a SIM card (mostly EDGE) so it’s still a struggle.
Buying or renting a portable hotspot is something I’ve never considered so thanks for that tip. Might be something to consider when we really need stable internet to do work on our computers!
Shannon
Great read, thanks! FYI, GPS will work on most all phone (to my knowledge) even if you do not have phone service. What I do is cache my maps while on WiFi – just zoom into certain areas you plan to go, so the map info (street names and such) is saved temporarily to your phone – then when you get off WiFi you should still be able to use your map pretty decently.
BonnieJ
We’re on Verizon with our iPhone 6s. They told us the best thing while we’re in Italy. Is to put the phones on airplane mode in wifi areas. We can’t call there, but can do unlimited texting without crazy charges. The other suggestion was getting a SIM card for the country.
Nidra
Hi Dave,
So I seriously researched the T-Mobile option, and I don’t understand how your phone bill was $70 when you returned -–as the international plan is specified as having $0.20 cents per minute for all incoming and outgoing calls. When I spoke wit the rep on the phone they confirmed that this twenty cents per minute of talk time is in addition to whatever flat monthly rate you are paying (for example: $70 international plan + twenty cents per minute for all outgoing and incoming calls).
Does this mean that you did not receive or make any calls on your trip?
Did I miss something? How is this a good deal? It seems like the only benefit would be having a phone number that stays the same and wouldn’t have to change like when you buy a local sim.
Very curious! Hope you can shed some light on this for me…
Dave
It’s a good deal compared to other roaming options, not compared to buying a local SIM. Getting free texts and data in most countries around the world just isn’t offered by any other major carrier — but depending on how quickly you’re moving (ie, how many SIM cards you need to buy), the T-Mobile plan is likely still more expensive. You’re paying for the convenience of having one number, and not needing to buy local cards in each country.
That said, to get around the calling costs, I personally use WhatsApp for texts and Skype or Google Hangouts (on Wi-fi or cell data, depending on the connection speeds) to make and receive free and low cost calls.
Brooke Lafrenz
I used my iphone 6 in the Maldives. I used it on airplane mode with wifi turned on. As long as I had access to wifi at the resort, it was fine. just used my viber app (made sure my friends/family had the app before I left USA). Next time i’m taking my own hotspot with me, Skyroam 3Gmate. It’s a personal WiFi hotspot for frequent travelers who wants wifi on the go with no strings attached – no contracts, SIM changes, frantic calls to your carrier, roaming disasters or surprise fees. You simply turn it on, activate service, connect mobile devices to your Skyroam network, and pay-as-you-go for each 24 hour day pass of unlimited data. The first 5 days of WiFi are on the house, then you pay $10/day each time you activate a day pass.
Matt Healy
Many Sprint smartphones include WiFi Calling, which lets them work just like at home over a hotel or cafe WiFi connection. Earlier this month, on a 12-day tour of Greece with my family, I used this to keep in touch with relatives back home without paying any roaming charges. I made sure Mobile Data was turned OFF and only WiFi was enabled.
I believe T-Mobile also offers this service.
Carrier-provided WiFi Calling has some advantages over Skype or similar applications: because it’s officially supported, your phone rings when people in the USA call your cell number, and when you place calls it reports your cell number over CallerID.
Note that WiFi Calling does not support calling emergency services when outside the USA. Also, if you call a non-US number over WiFi Calling, you’d dial it as though you were in the USA, and pay the same international rate as you would to call that number from home. So if you need to make lots of calls to numbers in the country you are visiting, WiFi Calling isn’t your best option. International WiFi Calling is designed for keeping in touch with people back home in the US while abroad.
So if your phone supports WiFi Calling, and you mainly want to keep in touch with folks in the USA, then I can highly recommend using it. I considered renting an international wireless hotspot, but decided not to because the websites for all the hotels I would be using said they offered free WiFi, which they did. I was able to call my home answering machine from every hotel I used in Greece, though in a couple of them I had to call home from the lobby because WiFi signal in my room was just sufficient for email and web but not quite good enough for WiFi Calling. In both these hotels it worked OK from the lobby.
Wynne
Hi there! I am actually interested in buying a cell phone abroad (I am currently in Laos), taking it back to the US, and using it with one of those month-to-month pre-paid sim card phone packages. Interestingly, the selection of no-strings-attached, pop-in-a-card-and-go phones here seems better than in the US; no one uses a “plan” here. Do you know if there are any reasons this WOULDN’T work? Are there any types of phones I might end up buying here in Laos or Thailand that would be incompatible with sim cards/networks in the US? Thanks!
Dave
I can’t answer that question definitively, but most decent smartphones that work in SE Asia should give you call, SMS and 3G data on T-Mobile or AT&T. Compare the GSM frequencies supported by the phone you’re looking at, vs those supported by AT&T and T-Mobile, for more certainty.
No phone you buy in SE Asia will work with Verizon in the US, as it uses a completely different type of technology.
Erika
I’ve been wanting to buy a new iphone I currently have the 4 that used to be my dads old one he got it unlocked and I used it with wifi. So my question is if I buy a unlocked IPhone 5s do I have to but a SIM card and all that stuff if I just want to use it for wifi ?
Dave
If you only want to use it with Wi-fi, then no, you don’t need a SIM card. You don’t even need to be unlocked, as long as you know you’ll never want to use a local SIM at any point.
Ste83
Hi guys, have you ever tried ChatSim? I think it’s a great solution to avoid roaming charges. It’s a SIM card designed for people who travel a lot and want a quick and easy way to keep in touch. It lets you chat free of charge and without limits in about 150 countries for a flat annual fee of €10. Wherever you are it automatically connects to the provider with the best coverage and signal around the world, more than 400 operators. It works with all phones and lets you use the world’s leading chat apps. With the multimedia recharges users have credits to make voice calls using instant messaging applications and to exchange even photos and videos.
Jason
How is the Global version of the Motorola Moto G better for using overseas? The only difference I can see in specs is UMTS/HSPA+ frequencies, but I don’t know what that’s for or if it matters. Staples seems to be selling the U.S. model, not sure where I might find the Global.
Dave
Those frequencies are the primary difference — and the reason why the Global version is better overseas. They’ll give you high-speed data in many more countries than you’ll get with the North American version. Also, there are dual-SIM versions available internationally, which can be very useful if you want to keep your SIM from home active for (eg) text messages from your bank, while using a local SIM for calls and data to keep the costs down.
Kevin Clark
Very nice article, I just wanted to ask you, if my mobile will work overseas. I have a Royal V5 by iDROID USA. I like it very much which is why i want to take it abroad. How should I confirm it will work in that country. And mostly my work is on WhatsApp.
Harry
I used a data provider called Transatel DataSIM For travelling and it does work very well. It covers 38 countries where we can have local tarif in each country. I used it for my last trip to states and i still can use it for my upcoming trip in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries.
Jenny Biel
Sometimes we just do not focus on things like that but it is really important to keep in mind to stay away problems we could face due to being irresponsible! I learned some very important tips @ here! 🙂 Thank you Matt for sharing such a great post 🙂
Harry, you are right, it is good! and I just use my SIAM 7x Dual screen phone while traveling! it enable me to watch movies on HD Screen size while I can use the other screen for chatting with my friend at the same time 😛
Diane
Currently AT&T Passport is $30 for a one-month activation, gives you unlimited messages, 120BM cellular data (with an overage of .$25 per MB) and $1 per minute calling. For a “standard” 2-week vacation, and IF the country you are visiting is listed on their system (for example South Africa, our next destination) this is a decent program to pick up, assuming you aren’t going to make anything but necessary brief calls (i.e., to hotels or local contacts). We used it in Costa Rica, and thought we’d use it in Canada, but it turned out Canada was covered in our normal plan (!) so they didn’t charge us the $30 for passport. There are upgrades available, but considering all you need to do is wait until there is wifi for extended contacts, this isn’t a terrible deal. In two weeks, we don’t normally make more than half a dozen phone calls when we are at home! I also make use of “airplane” mode about 90% of the time I am traveling.