Last Updated: 3/20/21 | March 20th, 2021

A long time back in a specify far, far away (Massachusetts), I utilized AT&T as my cellphone service provider. When the iphone very first came out, I gotten it since I might eliminate the original AT&T SIM card, insert a regional SIM while on the road, as well as still have a handy-dandy smartphone to tweet from.

So I unlocked my phone as well as off around the world I happily went.

Flash ahead to the end of 2012, when Verizon revealed that their iPhones would come immediately unlocked for worldwide travel. I needed a new iphone at that point, AT&T had dreadful client service as well as high fees, as well as considering that the new phone would already be unlocked, it would save me some hassle. It was the reason I needed to leave AT&T.

Flash ahead once again to the end of 2013, when T-Mobile revealed it was providing all their individuals complimentary worldwide data as well as text messaging in over 140 countries — plus all phone calls while in those countries were 20 cents a minute.

Since then, I’ve been utilizing T-mobile as my service provider.

But are they still as great as they utilized to be?

Inte riktigt. let me describe why.

First, here’s a table of worldwide charges I pulled together from each carrier’s web site so you can compare:

T-Mobile
AT&T
Verizon

Data
$0
$0
$70 per month for 500MB

Texting
$0
$0
100 complimentary texts; $0.05/text after

Calls
25 cents a minute
35 cents a minute
100 minutes complimentary ($0.35/min after)

As you can see, T-Mobile comes out somewhat ahead. Its Magenta plan uses complimentary data as well as texting abroad for $70 USD per month. AT&T’s Passport plan is likewise $70 USD per month as well as includes complimentary data as well as texting as well as just somewhat a lot more costly calls. Verizon is still lightyears behind both.

Now, historically, T-Mobile has had a track record for having horrible coverage. And, for a number of years, they did — but thanks to the money they got after the failed merger with AT&T, they heavily invested in their network as well as began using 4G as well as LTE speeds. Now, their protection map is nearly as great as the other carriers (it still doesn’t have Verizon-level protection however they cover 96% of the country).

With their plans starting at $60 USD per month, they are likewise the remove champion right here too.

Domestically, the service has improved over the years. I have 4G or LTE anywhere I go, as well as I haven’t had any type of dropped calls. I only have a few instances of “no service” in a few rural areas, however that normally only lasts a few seconds. However, that utilized to occur with Verizon too, so, while annoying, it’s not a deal-breaker for me.

I am thrilled that T-Mobile — with its contract-free (and cheaper) plans, complimentary worldwide data, as well as much better client service design — is out there. I never once again have to concern about getting foreign SIM cards as well as protection again. There are no a lot more extra costs in my travels. I understand what my phone expense is going to be every month, as well as I get to keep the exact same number worldwide.

But their service has ended up being hit or miss.

It’s simple to phone call as well as text overseas as well as it’s true that they do have complimentary data however it’s 3G and, depending upon the country, often 2G. That makes it simple to tons some stuff however it makes anything that is data-heavy a pain. I don’t mind it considering that there’s Wi-Fi anywhere these days however the data isn’t as quick as it utilized to be.

If you’re a short-term traveler, it may not matter.

But, if you’re a long-lasting traveler, it may as well as there are few instances where you must NOT get T-Mobile:

First, if you’re traveling for a lot more than a month, it’s worth it to get regional SIM cards. T-Mobile is excellent for people who bounce in as well as out of the country often (like myself). It’s not great for people who are doing multi-month trips. get a regional SIM card. Det är billigare.

Second, if you requirement quick Internet. They throttle your protection to 2G a lot of of the time as well as it can be agonizing if you requirement quicker speeds for something important. You can upgrade to quicker speeds for an added charge however then you’re not saving much money.

Finally, in the years considering that T-Mobile came out with their plans, Google Fi has been introduced as well as this is commonly a better, faster, as well as more affordable alternate to T-Mobile. If you aren’t hooked on your iPhone, think about getting Google Fi as an alternate that still enables you to roam the world with the exact same number.

So, must you get (or people who are just fed up with the charges as well as services of the other carriers), make the switch to T-Mobile? Kanske. I like it for my short-term trips however when I go locationer i månader i taget byter jag till ett regionalt SIM -kort.

Som sagt, de är fortfarande det billigaste valet i staterna!

Uppdatering 1/15/19: Under 2018 har T-Mobile fattat ett beslut om att alla konton måste vara i USA för “majoriteten av deras användning.” Vad det indikerar är svårt att dechiffrera, men vissa konton har avbrutits för att ha varit borta i mycket mer än 3 månader i rad. Så medan T-Mobile fortfarande är utmärkt för de typiska resenärerna, kan långvariga resenärer kräva att utvärdera sin plan. (Långsiktiga resenärer måste använda regionala SIM-kort ändå eftersom det kommer att bli mycket billigare!)

Obs: Jag förstår att folk kommer att undra, så jag vill säga att nej, T-Mobile inte sponsrade mig eller bad mig att komponera det här inlägget. Jag betalar min egen månatliga räkning, ändrad för år sedan, samt har varit mycket glad över tjänsten sedan. Jag är precis här och predikar om något jag tror kan hjälpa andra resenärer.

Hur man reser världen på $ 50 per dag

My New York Times mycket populära pocketbok för världsresor kommer att visa dig exakt hur du bemästrar konsten att resa för att säkerställa att du kommer att gå av misshandlad väg, spara pengar och ha en djupare reseupplevelse. Det är din A till Z -planeringsguide som BBC kallade “Bibeln för budgetplanresenärer.”

Klicka här för att upptäcka mycket mer såväl som att börja läsa det idag!

Boka din resa: logistiska idéer såväl som tricks
Boka din flygning
Hitta en prisvärd flygning genom att använda Skyscanner. Det är min föredragna bläddringsmotor eftersom den söker på webbplatser såväl som flygbolag runt om i världen så att du alltid förstår att ingen sten lämnas omvänd.

Boka ditt boende
Du kan boka ditt vandrarhem med Hostelworld. Om du vill stanna någon annanstans än ett vandrarhem, använd Booking.com eftersom de konsekvent returnerar de billigaste priserna för pensionat och hotell.

Misslyckas inte med att komma ihåg reseförsäkring
Reseförsäkringsskydd kommer att säkra dig mot sjukdom, skada, stöld och avbokningar. Det är detaljerad säkerhet i situationen, allt går fel. Jag åker aldrig på en resa utan den eftersom jag har varit tvungen att använda det många gånger tidigare. Mitt föredragna företag som erbjuder den allra bästa tjänsten och värdet är:

SafetyWing (bäst för alla)

Försäkra min resa (för de över 70)

Medjet (för extra evakueringstäckning)

Redo att boka din resa?
Kolla in min resurssida för det allra bästa företaget att använda när du reser. Jag listar alla de jag använder när jag reser. De är de allra bästa i klassen liksom du inte kan gå fel med att använda dem på din resa.