I will be traveling in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Spain for about 4 weeks, and I would like to know which brand of Data SIM (for unlocked t-mobile iPhone ) would cover all these countries. I enter Sweden first, so SIM must be available for purchase there.
Note: My t-mobile plan offers free data roaming in these countries but the data speed (2G!) is too slow to do anything in these days. They sell 4G upgrade at a high price.
By " SIM-free t-mobil iPhone" do you mean an unlocked phone? I can't recommend a data SIM. If you are grandfathered in to T-Mobile's Simple Plan, it guarantees at least 2G speeds. I've used that plan in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy. I never noticed that I was on 2G. I would estimate that 60% of the time I was on 3G and 40% on 4LTE. Unless you intend to do a lot of streaming using a cellular connection vs. wifi, there's no need to look for a Data SIM. I constantly use my iPhone for GPS tracking, maps, communications and occasionally I'll stream something. I never had a problem with the speeds. Before you buy a new SIM, see what kind of service and speed you get. Then if you feel you need more or a using a specific app that requires 4LTE, get a card in Europe.
Thank you, Philip, for sharing your experience.
Yes, I meant "unlocked". (I edited my post to correct it.)
I used t-mobile free roaming in Japan and Argentina and the data speed was so slow, I couldn't use the map. So I thought I should get the data SIM for Europe. But if it is not as bad as those two countries, I guess I would try without the local data SIM.
Hey Kuro! I use my iPhone and Google Maps for navigation. Years back, I was dependent on a Garmin GPS but now I leave it at home. You can even download maps to Google Maps - using wifi - so you could use it off line and it doesn't cut into a data allowance. Try it here at home before you head to Europe.
I visited Sweden and Finland so far, and Philip is right that the t-mobile roaming actually works in these countries. I could get connected at LTE speed! I hope this is true in Norway and Spain too.
Update: I could use the data at LTE in all four countries mentioned. There was no need for the European SIM :-)
I'm glad to be on the t-mobile plan. (My friend on AT&T had to pay $10 per day for roaming.)
Check out Knowroaming
Get the chip or, sticker then add-on the amount of data as you go. Use the app to keep track of your usage and if you need to top-off. My friend uses when she travels to Asia for work and I've known of several others who use it in Europe. No more buying different SIM cards every time you enter a new country. The sticker attaches to your existing SIM, thus you don't have to remove it.
