When traveling in Europe, can a switch out my sim card in my Iphone and pop in one from the country I'm staying in, in particular France?
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32345 posts
Donna,
As Steve mentioned, you can use other SIM cards if your phone is unlocked.
You can either use SIM cards from networks in France or other countries, however be sure that you're clear on what the data roaming charges will be (if you plan on using that while you're in Europe).
You might also have a look at Call In Europe as I believe they offer a data roaming option with their SIM cards and the rates should be consistent in most of Western Europe.
Happy travels!
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
Also, depending on your iPhone contract with your mobile provider back home you may have to "jailbreak" the iPhone first. You can google "3GS jailbreak" or whatever version of iPhone you're using for more details and the actual crack software...
Posted by
Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
606 posts
Andreas: "...depending on your iPhone contract...you may have to "jailbreak" the iPhone first..."
Just curious (and too lazy to research it myself, so I'll ask). Is this jailbreaking legal? And the "unlocking"?
Somehow, it all just sounds like something we're not supposed to do.
Posted by
Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
606 posts
Since nobody answered my question about the legality of unlocking or "jailbreaking" iPhones, I guess my question is probably answered by the silence.
I just noticed this article on the PC World news site: Apple is looking for a sheriff to lock the smartphones back up again, permanently.
Posted by
New York
2 posts
As others have said, if you have an unlocked or jailbroken iPhone than you should get an international SIM card from a U.S. company before you go overseas.
OneSimCard is a service I've used while traveling all over Europe. It covers 175 countries with rates in Europe about 50c/min. They also sell international cell phones if you need one. Good luck!
Posted by
Victoria, BC, Canada
372 posts
a word of caution. I bought (from Cellular Abroad) an Uno Mobile SIM card to use in my unlocked iPhone in Italy. It didn't work. It also didn't work in 2 different local Italian phones. A couple of mobile reps (Vodaphone, WIND) in Venice told me that Uno is not a recognized Italian carrier. Cellular Abroad assures me Uno is recognized, and the issue is with my phone. I've returned the (unused) SIM card to them and am hoping for a full refund. Next time I'll just wait and buy a SIM card while in Europe.
Posted by
Toronto, ON, Canada
112 posts
How easy it is to unlock an iPhone depends entirely on which phone you have and what version of iOS it's running. I bought a Telestial SIM card to use in Portugal, so I'll find out in 2 weeks if it works for me there
Posted by
Los Gatos, CA, USA
3 posts
Yes, it's been 4 years since the original post, but I've been researching the same question recently. Based on feedback from multiple sources, unlock codes for most devices are readily available, but policies vary; do your homework before you "buy" one. Having experience only with AT&T and iPhones, I can't speak in detail about other carriers. As of JUNE 2013, AT&T has a policy of unlocking iPhones, provided that you are: (a) beyond your original contract term, (b) still a customer, and (c) not behind in payments on your account. Simply go to their website (www.att.com/deviceunlock) and submit an unlock request. After that, just make sure you're dealing with a carrier that offers a SIM for the iPhone you're using; some SIMs will work with SOME iPhones, but not all. Hope this helps future readers. Good Luck, and Happy Trails.