A cell phone chip is an essential item for your international trip, one of the main advantages is your use of mobile internet. This means you can search for information about tourist attractions, explore transport routes, book hotels, share photos and much more. Here in this post I will share with you the one we use!
How does the international travel chip work?
An international travel chip is a sim card special that allows you to use mobile phone and data services in different countries. It works by connecting to the networks of local mobile operators in the country you are traveling in, allowing you to make and receive calls, send text messages and access the internet.
How to buy an international chip?
To guarantee good prices, the ideal is to buy in advance before your trip. This way, you will be able to receive your chip at home, activate it and when you arrive at your travel destination, you will already have internet access and be able to make your calls.
One of the sites where we buy the chip is at Travel Connected, click on the banner below and it will take you straight to the website with the offers and chip prices.
There is a virtual chip option!
Tips on how to use your SIM card on your trip
Activate the plan with your carrier
To activate your carrier's chip here in Brazil for use on an international trip, follow these steps:
- Check your phone's compatibility with the networks used in the destination country.
- Contact your carrier and inform them about international travel.
- Ask about coverage, roaming charges and available packages.
- Follow the operator's instructions to activate the international service on your SIM card.
- Test the SIM card before travel to ensure the service is working properly.
International roaming plan
A practical option to use your cell phone abroad without changing your number is to hire an international roaming plan with your mobile operator in Brazil.
With this plan, you can choose different formats, such as mobile data only, including SMS or also calls, directly with your operator in Brazil.
The advantage is that you already arrive at your destination with the service working. However, the costs can be high, especially if you are going to be out of the country for an extended period.
It is important to highlight that international roaming is only available for plans postpaid and, if not included in your current plan, you will need to pay a additional fee monthly for the service.
use the wifi
What a lot of people still don't know is that you can use your cell phone abroad and spend little or nothing! It's simple, connect to the Wi-Fi networks of supermarkets, shops, hotels, restaurants... all these places have open networks.
One disadvantage is that there is not always good quality on these internets, and you can get frustrated at times of the day when a lot of people are using it at the same time.
However, remember that it is another way to save! 🙂
and yes Virtual
If you do not wish to acquire a postpaid plan or a physical card, you have the option of using the eSim (virtual chip) to get connection on your cell phone when abroad.
THE Travel Connected, for example, makes several eSIM plans available and activates this service for the customer through a QR Code or automatic system.
After purchase, the plan will only come into effect when you activate the eSIM as the primary SIM card in your cell phone.
When you arrive in your destination country, simply activate the virtual chip and the eSIM will automatically search for an available local network.
How to find out if my cell phone is unlocked abroad?
The first way to find out is by asking your mobile operator, they will have an answer. However, searching the KIMOVIL it is more guaranteed, there you can inform the country you intend to go to and the make and model of your cell phone, so you can check whether or not it will work in other countries.
An example is going to travel to the United States, in 2017 there was a change in the network frequency, which may affect the compatibility of cell phones used in Brazil. Some Brazilian devices may not get 4G connection in the US due to lack of required LTE bands.
Additionally, some carriers in the United States no longer support 3G. Therefore, before traveling, check that your cell phone has at least the three 4G/L bands: 2, 4 or 12. This information can be verified using the IMEI, a numerical identification code that is usually present in the device's manual. . You can also go to the manufacturer's website to check if your device has the following frequency characteristics:
- 2G – GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
- 3G – WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz
- 4G – LTE B1(2100)/B2(1900), B3(1800), B4(1700/2100), B5(850), B7(2600)
- B12 – (lower700abc), B17(lower700bc), B28(700), B66(AWS3+4)
This information is essential to ensure your cell phone's compatibility with networks in the United States and to avoid connectivity issues while traveling. Checking these specifications in advance can help you have a smooth experience when using your mobile phone abroad.
Buy a card with internet where you are going to travel
If nothing went right, you couldn't contact your operator, your chip didn't work, everything went wrong! It is possible to buy internet where you are going, it is very easy, but a little more expensive.
Just look for it near supermarket checkouts or pharmacies, choose your plan and that's it! It's very practical, easy and fast, but it's not cheap.
Overseas mobile operators
Abroad, there are a multitude of carrier options available.
It is interesting to note that some of them, although they have different names, are actually part of large groups that also operate in the Brazilian market.
An example, in Europe, Vodafone belongs to the same group as operator Claro (here in Brazil), there is also O2 which is the same operator as Vivo.
In the United States, we also have AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, offering several options for those who want to buy a SIM card and use their cell phone while traveling.
Regardless of your destination, you will certainly find a wide range of possibilities to buy a SIM card and take advantage of telephone services during your trip.
Download the offline map
To make sure nothing goes wrong during your trip, and also to save your mobile data, download the offlinemaps, so you can travel with peace of mind.
It's happened to us that we've lost our internet signal and run out of map (hence this tip! 😅), and the funniest thing, we arrived at a place that had a printed map (like in the movies where people arrive and buy maps in stores ), we had to do the same, it felt like we were back in the 80s and it generated an adrenaline rush, in the end it was fun. But because we were in a quiet area, we weren't afraid to stop on the side of the road or ask people for directions. Have you ever thought if this happens here in Brazil?!