Has anyone used Orbit Mobile app for Europe phone wifi and calling? Have tried intl wifi service plans from both AT&T and Verizon which never worked outside of the hotels. For a locked Android phone that doesnt take SIM cards, the only other alternative seems to be purchasing a local burner phone.
Posted by
Freedonia
19067 posts
Or you can ask your carrier to unlock the phone. Some will for a small fee.
Personally, I use Google Voice for outgoing calls. You can also get a phone number as well and forward your current calls to it.
Posted by
Chicago
1390 posts
I believe that the Orbit mobile app is just a software package that assists in installing an eSim on
your phone.
So, if your phone doesn't support eSim's, this is of no use to you.
You'll have to explain more about how the AT&T and Verizon plans didn't work outside of the
hotels for me to believe that (the implication being that it worked in the hotels)..... Your issue
may be your term "intl wifi service plans". I have no idea what that means.
If you specify the phone you have, it's possible to look up the specs and see what is supported
and what is not. Assuming it's a GSM phone, it has to have some kind of Sim card. You could
take out the pre-existing one and put in a new one in Europe, but that has a different set of
implications.
Not that I am advocating it, but, the process of unlocking a phone consists of pressing a
sequence of keys to enter a mode where an unlock key can be put in to unlock the phone.
These unlock keys can come from places other the wireless service provider, and that's
all I will say about that.
In the end, a burner phone is a perfectly reasonable way to access the internet and make
outgoing calls on a trip. You would have to let people who might call you know the Euro
phone # on the burner.
Posted by
Victoria, Australia
86 posts
The reason that your WiFi Calling does not work outside the hotels, etc is that you need WiFi for it to work. If you purchase a burner phone for data, the phone needs to have a personal hotspot that you can connect to as a WiFi source. The best alternative is to get a portable WiFi device which can connect to the European cells or just get a used unlocked iPhone or similar at a lower price point and put an eSim or normal Sim into it for a data connection. You can then hotspot to the phone with your regular phone while on the move.
Posted by
Freedonia
19067 posts
I think I see the issue. Cell service and wifi are two different things.
Providers like AT & T and Verizon offer cell service. if you signed up for their international plans, and turned on data roaming on your phone, it should work. This allows your phone to make calls, make and receive texts, and use data while out and about.
Wifi is completely different. It is offered by hotels, restaurants, etc and doesn't need any service from a provider. You just turn it on on your phone and connect to the wifi.