eSIM thread
Dec 26, 2022 | 8:58 am
#256
Moderator: Hyatt, American Express; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
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(Just now coming across this thread)
Which product(s)? I signed up with them and bought the "Antares" line in April and have used it on my Pixel 6 so far in the Netherlands/Belgium, Marseille/Paris, and Barcelona. I'm pretty satisfied, with the only issue being that in FlyerTalk blocked a huge swath of IP address space that included the Netherlands/Belgium carrier until FT tech adjusted their ban settings. Other than that, seemed to have 4G in most places including being on a river cruise in NL/BE.
Germany's not listed in the available countries for Antares though, so I assume you had one of the other ones.
I then got a 2nd line "Andromeda" which I got for use in Canada in June; this was mostly useless in the western parts of Newfoundland (but had kinda expected this based on the Rogers coverage map) but kicked in once we got closer to St. John's. Have also used it in Vancouver.
Just as info for others looking for eSIMs, I tried KeepGo in recent weeks in Europe. It was not a good experience. Installing the eSIM was unproblematic (but the mixed or incomplete instructions are guaranteed to cause problems for some customers), but then it went downhill. The Europe eSIM "line" (KeepGo's terminology) actually rarely connected to the listed networks in a number of the countries I visited, so that was useless when I had chosen the eSIM because of a specific local need for part of the trip (poor coverage by other networks). In Germany I got no useful connection (no data, despite all settings being correct) on one eSIM, then on a alternative eSIM they offered I got notional "Edge" coverage which was useless except for email/chat at best. In France I got no network connection at all on the first eSIM, while the replacement was more useful. In Luxembourg the automatically selected network gave no data, while manual selection of another network was useful.
Germany's not listed in the available countries for Antares though, so I assume you had one of the other ones.
I then got a 2nd line "Andromeda" which I got for use in Canada in June; this was mostly useless in the western parts of Newfoundland (but had kinda expected this based on the Rogers coverage map) but kicked in once we got closer to St. John's. Have also used it in Vancouver.
Dec 26, 2022 | 12:00 pm
#257
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 7,030
Lots of information out there re: SIMs on arrival and eSIMs.
Month long trip, unlocked Samsung S9 - UK, Ireland, and Norway. Normally I'd just turn on the phone (AT&T) on the rare occasion that I'd need to make a call or SMS. Unfortunately, my two banks have eliminated the e-mail code option for secondary verification. The code must be SMS or I guess calling the bank.
As I understand it:
In addition, if I purchase an eSIM in advance of the trip, would I have a phone number in advance? Why do I want to know? I'd need to set up the banks with my new phone number prior to leaving the US so as to not to incur a roaming fee upon arrival in the UK for the purpose of receiving a SMS from my banks in order to login and setup the new phone number.
Thanks and safe holidays to all!
Month long trip, unlocked Samsung S9 - UK, Ireland, and Norway. Normally I'd just turn on the phone (AT&T) on the rare occasion that I'd need to make a call or SMS. Unfortunately, my two banks have eliminated the e-mail code option for secondary verification. The code must be SMS or I guess calling the bank.
As I understand it:
- the UK is no longer in the EU and would need a separate SIM/eSIM
- even though Norway is not EU, a single EU SIM/eSIM still can be used for Ireland and Norway
- if I purchase a EU SIM, purchase in Ireland rather than Norway as Norway will be considerably more expensive
In addition, if I purchase an eSIM in advance of the trip, would I have a phone number in advance? Why do I want to know? I'd need to set up the banks with my new phone number prior to leaving the US so as to not to incur a roaming fee upon arrival in the UK for the purpose of receiving a SMS from my banks in order to login and setup the new phone number.
Thanks and safe holidays to all!
Depending on your phone, you might be able to set up AT&T for wifi calling and use a data eSIM (which are common and easy).for the wifi. You'd need a phone with either two eSIMs or a SIM and an eSIM, plus the ability to set this up. Then you could use your existing phone number.
Google Voice might work for you together with a data eSIM. Some banks don't work well with Google Voice.
Many eSIMs are just data, not a phone number.
Happy holidays!
Dec 26, 2022 | 7:44 pm
#258
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 26
Lots of information out there re: SIMs on arrival and eSIMs.
Month long trip, unlocked Samsung S9 - UK, Ireland, and Norway. Normally I'd just turn on the phone (AT&T) on the rare occasion that I'd need to make a call or SMS. Unfortunately, my two banks have eliminated the e-mail code option for secondary verification. The code must be SMS or I guess calling the bank.
As I understand it:
In addition, if I purchase an eSIM in advance of the trip, would I have a phone number in advance? Why do I want to know? I'd need to set up the banks with my new phone number prior to leaving the US so as to not to incur a roaming fee upon arrival in the UK for the purpose of receiving a SMS from my banks in order to login and setup the new phone number.
Thanks and safe holidays to all!
Month long trip, unlocked Samsung S9 - UK, Ireland, and Norway. Normally I'd just turn on the phone (AT&T) on the rare occasion that I'd need to make a call or SMS. Unfortunately, my two banks have eliminated the e-mail code option for secondary verification. The code must be SMS or I guess calling the bank.
As I understand it:
- the UK is no longer in the EU and would need a separate SIM/eSIM
- even though Norway is not EU, a single EU SIM/eSIM still can be used for Ireland and Norway
- if I purchase a EU SIM, purchase in Ireland rather than Norway as Norway will be considerably more expensive
In addition, if I purchase an eSIM in advance of the trip, would I have a phone number in advance? Why do I want to know? I'd need to set up the banks with my new phone number prior to leaving the US so as to not to incur a roaming fee upon arrival in the UK for the purpose of receiving a SMS from my banks in order to login and setup the new phone number.
Thanks and safe holidays to all!
Dec 26, 2022 | 7:48 pm
#259
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
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Dec 26, 2022 | 7:53 pm
#260
Moderator: Hyatt, American Express; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, AA EXP, UA Silver, Hyatt Glob, Mlife Noir (=> Marriott Amb), invol FT beta tester
Posts: 21,651
Dec 27, 2022 | 4:01 am
#262
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: FRA
Programs: LH HON
Posts: 1,308
Dec 29, 2022 | 3:02 pm
#264
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: DAL
Posts: 2,226
Jan 15, 2023 | 11:12 pm
#265
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Finnair Platinum, Bonvoy LT Plat, GHA Tit, Turkish Elite
Posts: 9,176
Answering my own question - it turns out almost all EU e-SIMs have tethering enabled. I had the holafly unlimited SIM which is in retrospect the only one which didnt.
Jan 18, 2023 | 4:01 pm
#266
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,959
I did say generally, I'm sure folks out there can find examples that do not follow that generalization - e.g., Visible in the US allows unlimited (throttled) tethering.
Mar 28, 2023 | 6:21 pm
#267
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Gran Canaria, Singapore, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold to Silver to Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond, GHA Platinum
Posts: 5,500
If you travel overseas and get a local eSIM there, can you somehow switch off your physical SIM (that you don't want to use overseas) so that the phone will temporarily only use the eSIM?
Or is it better to just remove the physical SIM and store it somewhere safely?
Or is it better to just remove the physical SIM and store it somewhere safely?
Mar 28, 2023 | 7:29 pm
#268
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: MEX
Posts: 1,152
Some Android phones work the same way, but some require you to remove a physical SIM to disable it.
Mar 29, 2023 | 6:40 pm
#269
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Gran Canaria, Singapore, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold to Silver to Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond, GHA Platinum
Posts: 5,500
Can you also disable and then re-enable the eSIM, for instance switching off the eSIM when departing and then turning it back on again when you return? Or do you have to set up a new eSIM each time?
Mar 29, 2023 | 11:38 pm
#270
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: MEX
Posts: 1,152
Sounds good, so once I install the eSIM I can disable the physical card until I fly out.
Can you also disable and then re-enable the eSIM, for instance switching off the eSIM when departing and then turning it back on again when you return? Or do you have to set up a new eSIM each time?
Can you also disable and then re-enable the eSIM, for instance switching off the eSIM when departing and then turning it back on again when you return? Or do you have to set up a new eSIM each time?