iPhone international roaming: What you need to know
We all love our iPhones, and of course, they go everywhere with us. What about when you leave the comfort of AT&T’s network and travel abroad? Can I take my iPhone with me? Will cost me extra? These are very important things to know while planning that trip, and could save you from some massive inconveniences and not to mention a bundle of your hard earned cash. In this post, I will address some common questions and concerns, and give you the information you need to know before you go.
First things first, the iPhone uses the GSM cellular network. GSM is the most common type of cellular signal in the world, and more than 80% of all cellular networks in the world use this technology. The iPhone, is what is known as a ‘quad-band’ GSM phone. This means it supports all 4 of the common GSM frequencies in use today. This means of course, that yes, you can take your iPhone with you on your trip!
Of course, it is not just that easy. To use your iPhone abroad, there are several preparations you need to make, to ensure you are not slapped with a huge bill. By huge, I mean up to four figures, don’t mess with this! To put it in prospective, 1 YouTube video, could cost as much as $40 dollars to stream without the proper plan features. You will need to have an international roaming package added to your plan before you go.
For data, AT&T offers two different options for your trip. It is not pro-rated, and it is charged for one full month, even if your trip is not that long. For $24.99 and $59.99 you can get 20MB or 50MB of data, respectively. If this is not for you, make sure you have International Data Roaming toggled off on your iPhone. To do this, go to Settings > General > Network > Data Roaming. This will ensure your iPhone will not automatically ping the internet when you are not watching, for example to check email. You will still be able to use WiFi, at no charge, just as you can here.
For voice, AT&T offers international voice packages. Calling rates vary from country to country, so you will have to notify AT&T of which country you are going to, so they can add roaming for that country to your plan. A list of rates by country can be found here.
If you are visiting Japan or South Korea, unfortunately, you will not be able to use your iPhone. Those countries use the 2100MHz W-CDMA network technology there, and the iPhone is not compatible with it (yet!).
For more information, please visit AT&T’s International page.
Written by Chase Higgins. Read more great feeds at is source WEBSITE
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