Dear LH, I’m planning a trip to the UK and I’m trying to sort out my data options for my phones, iPad and netbook. I know there is no way I’m going to use my own network’s roaming so I was looking at TravelSIM or similar but I’ve just found out that the hire car company I’m using offers a Wi-Fi device for £9 a day with 1GB of data a day. More »
One of the challenges of using an alternative SIM for cheaper calls when travelling overseas is that you have no way of tracking calls or texts on your standard SIM. TravelSIM is about to start selling a bundle which includes a dual-SIM mobile phone, meaning you can use your additional SIM for cheap outgoing calls while still keeping track of incoming calls on your main account. More »
Switching on data roaming when you head overseas is almost always a bad idea, as you’ll pay a small fortune more often than not. From today, Optus is trying to cut down bill rage by sending an SMS to contract customers when they first use roaming, to ensure they’re aware of any potential expenses. More »
One of the big disincentives to use your mobile phone overseas is the roaming charge double-whammy: not only does the caller pay to ring you, but you get slugged with a charge as well. Roaming SIM provider TravelSIM has eased that pain a little, offering free receipt of calls in 117 countries. More »
Dear Lifehacker, I was recently visiting Malaysia, among other places, and installed a temporary SIM in my phone. While this worked great, I also appear to have lost my regular SIM over there, and have just been delivered a bill of $1300 for calls made on it. More »
Getting cheap rates for mobile phone data in Europe is often tricky, so any drop in costs is welcome. Roaming provider TravelSIM has reduced its data rates in 33 European countries from $US3.60/MB to $US1/MB, making it a little cheaper to post those crucial Facebook updates. More »
Australia and New Zealand co-operate economically in many areas, but when it comes to mobile roaming, the tale is one of painful rip-offs, especially when it comes to data. Vodafone has a new set of roaming bundles to make data accessible when visiting NZ, but “cheaper” is definitely a relative term in this context. More »
Dear Lifehacker, I am planning on taking a working holiday for 2+ years working all around the EU and it’s time for me to look into getting a new phone. I will be traveling a lot (a new country every two months or so) and I don’t want to be paying a lot for roaming. I have had my eye on either an iPhone or a dumb phone/iPad combo as I will also be studying and will need Internet access. What is the best course of action? Yours truly, Disconnected In Europe More »
We all know that using your phone on a roaming plan overseas can be a fast way to run up ludicrous bills, especially if you use data services as well. Who is the biggest offender in that field right now? It turns out the answer is Optus. More »
Using your mobile on an overseas trip seems like a good idea right up until you get the hideously expensive bill filled with call and data roaming charges a few months later. Short of leaving the phone switched off altogether, what tricks do you prefer for minimins bill shock after an overseas trip? More »
