We plan on using our old unlocked iPhone 6s in Malta, Sicily and Portugal for two months, for text, calls, and data. Not much of any of those functions.
Is there a single carrier's SIM card that would work in all three locations, or do we still need one for each country?
John Mathie
Posted by
Boise, Idaho
1259 posts
Your old unlocked iPhone 6 is your currently active phone? Or are you pulling it out of a dusty old drawer for use while traveling?
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
6274 posts
Orange has SIM cards for all of Europe for 30 days (you can top off when the 30 days ends). You can get it as a physical SIM card or an eSIM (both include phones with a French phone number).
https://travel.orange.com/en/all-inclusive/europe/orhldeur20gb/
Posted by
Paris
9550 posts
The EU introduced no-cost roaming among its member states in 2017, so a SIM card for any of your three countries will work in all of them.
Posted by
Boise, Idaho
1259 posts
treat yourself to a new iPhone with an eSIM.
Posted by
2288 posts
The EU introduced no-cost roaming among its member states in 2017, so a SIM card for any of your three countries will work in all of them.
However, the SIM card you purchase in one country may not be completely transferable to the next country ie. out of your initial purchase of data say 20GB, the issuer may only allow 10GB to be transferable to the next country. The purchaser will have to read the small print to confirm.
Posted by
Louisville, Ky
205 posts
Be aware the 6 might not be compatible with a SIM card.
I have an old iPhone 8 - unlocked and replaced battery for use as a travel phone. I took it to Greece this summer and the SIM did not work. I was told the phone had aged out. I see no reason why the phone store people would tell me that if it were not true... they were getting the same amount of payment no matter which phone it went into.
Fortunately, I had my current phone and put the sim in that to accomplish what I needed while traveling.
Make sure you have a back-up plan if you absolutely are counting on a phone with a European sim in that phone.
Posted by
2288 posts
and the SIM did not work
Did you get a 4g SIM or was it a 5g SIM by mistake. Even though a 6s is getting long in the tooth it supports iOS 15 which should STILL make it compatible - who really knows why tech works or doesn't work.
Posted by
San Francisco area
1802 posts
I used an iPhone 6S as recently as 2019 in the UK, Budapest and Frankfurt. It was able to connect with the 4G LTE networks there. Unless the cell networks have moved heavily to 5G I would think it would still work.
Posted by
11133 posts
Our SIM cards worked all over Europe.Last trip I bought one in London and used it there and in Italy. Another time bought a SIM in Puglia, Italy, and used it in France and UK.