Best way to use Irish mobile in the US

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Ndiddy

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Hi, trying to figure best way to use mobile I US. On Tesco pay as you go.
Thanks
 
Roaming costs, especially for data, will be huge.

You are best either just using WiFi or getting a local sim card (if you have an unlocked phone).

Other options ...

Vodafone Ireland offer a roaming add on for the US for certain customers.

Three UK offer a good US roaming package and sims can be ordered online.
 
Turn off data roaming, access free wifi where possible, it's easy, wifi is widespread, make calls on whatsapp only to family,friends, do not open text messages, do not take phone calls or access voicemail, that will work fine.
 
The above is good advice, except regarding text messages which are free to receive world wide, obviously the exception being, a text from a subscribed premium service.
Makes no difference whether this is opened or not ( as with all texts), if there is a charge associated with it, once it hits your phone it's flagged as 'delivered'.
 
We bought a Lycamobile US SIM card from Amazon UK. It cost about £17 for 5GB for 30 days. We just took out our Irish SIM card and inserted the Lycamovile SIM card. Worked a treat, used the phone for GPS, avoiding toll roads etc. during the day. Mostly had WiFi in hotels in evenings.
 
Hi guys there is quite a large thread on boards dealing with the topic of roaming while in the us
But long story short here are some of the best options:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CMD4VKC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Kg51DbJMHPJB4 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CMD4VKC)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/node/15847495031?_encoding=UTF8&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=MOSTSIM
https://www.mymemory.ie/mobile/mobile-phone/sim-cards.html
Three UK has a Go Roam feature which allows you to roam with 71 destinations worldwide.

You can also check if your phone will work in different countries here too
https://willmyphonework.net/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I am a contributor to that thread on boards and would definitely recommend the three UK roaming mobile Sim. I am in the states approximately once a week and use it all the time. The sim lasts either 12 months or 24 months depending on which you go for and works in most countries. I bought an unlocked mobile hotspot and the family can all tether from that hotspot. Check three go roaming to make sure the country of your choice is included.

This is the Sim below currently reduced on Amazon. Once you buy it the 24 months doesn’t actually start till you activate it so potentially worth buying now at the reduced price. The 12 month version is cheaper.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobile-Pay-Broadband-Data-Black/dp/B01M3VJ2B2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=3+sim&qid=1578051637&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFNVzk4RUo3Q1FOWlUmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA0NDM4MzEyUUdER0Y5SjNUUkVBJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwNDk4MjcyTDY1UU9PMTVXM0NLJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
 
Hi landlord

That is very helpful.

What happens after I use up the 24 GB of data? Can I top it up, or do I buy a new one?
What happens after the 12 months or the 24 months? Do I just buy a new one?
Is this for both data and phone calls? Can I call people in Ireland from the States with this phone?

But could you spell it out step by step for thickos like me.

1) Buy this 12 month card from Amazon for £35
2) When in the US insert it into a spare phone - make sure it is unlocked
3) Switch off data roaming on your main phone - do not switch it on again until you come home.
4) When you need the internet in the US, use your spare phone only.

When you are next upgrading your phone, buy a dual sim phone so that you need only one phone.

You can take calls on your main phone. You can text on your main phone. Both of these should be cheap enough.

Brendan
 
Hi B
The top up rates are extortionate, so at the end of the 12 or 24 months months or if you have used all the data before then, simply through the sim away and buy a new one. Or have a new one on standby ready to Activate. I have the 3UK mobile website bookmarked in safari so I can quickly see how much data I have used.

This sim is only for data. Not calls
For me 99% of my calls are through FaceTime audio or WhatsApp audio.

If you stick this in a spare phone that’s fine you will be able to get the Internet on that spare phone but for some reason it does not allow you to use a phone as a personal hotspot. Instead you would have to buy a dedicated unlocked 4G personal hotspot. I bought mine for about £40. (HUAWEI)
I can tether my phone to this personal hotspot or if the family are with me they can all do the same. A Max of 10 Devices can tether to it.
When ever travelling to the states if you do not have a US roaming package arranged in advance you should always turn off data roaming as the prices can be extortionate. However if you decide to stick this Sim into a phone rather than a mobile hotspot then yes that specific phone will need data roaming turned on.

Just a reminder your phone or mobile hotspot need to be unlocked for this sim.

As for dual Sim phones. I do not know too much about these as I am an apple man.
 
landlord said:
Hi B
The top up rates are extortionate, so at the end of the 12 or 24 months months or if you have used all the data before then, simply through the sim away and buy a new one. Or have a new one on standby ready to Activate. I have the 3UK mobile website bookmarked in safari so I can quickly see how much data I have used.

This sim is only for data. Not calls
For me 99% of my calls are through FaceTime audio or WhatsApp audio.

If you stick this in a spare phone that’s fine you will be able to get the Internet on that spare phone but for some reason it does not allow you to use a phone as a personal hotspot. Instead you would have to buy a dedicated unlocked 4G personal hotspot. I bought mine for about £40. (HUAWEI)
I can tether my phone to this personal hotspot or if the family are with me they can all do the same. A Max of 10 Devices can tether to it.
When ever travelling to the states if you do not have a US roaming package arranged in advance you should always turn off data roaming as the prices can be extortionate. However if you decide to stick this Sim into a phone rather than a mobile hotspot then yes that specific phone will need data roaming turned on.

Just a reminder your phone or mobile hotspot need to be unlocked for this sim.

As for dual Sim phones. I do not know too much about these as I am an apple man.
Click to expand...

apple iphone 11 is dual sim (nano sim and eSim) so you can leave your existign sim in the phone and get a pay as you go eSim app in the states and use that for US data ( or vice versa)

support.t-mobile.com

T-Mobile Prepaid eSIM app

T-Mobile eSIM is an app that lets Apple iPhones with dual SIM support activate new T-Mobile prepaid service. No trekking to a store or juggling two
support.t-mobile.com support.t-mobile.com
 
Hi Landlord,

I have an iPhone (8 I think). Assuming its unlocked can I replace the SIM card with the 3 UK SIM? Does it effect the apps on my phone in any way, i.e. am I still logged into Whatsapp, twitter, etc;
 
Peanuts said:
Hi Landlord,

I have an iPhone (8 I think). Assuming its unlocked can I replace the SIM card with the 3 UK SIM? Does it effect the apps on my phone in any way, i.e. am I still logged into Whatsapp, twitter, etc;
Click to expand...

Hi peanut.
If it’s unlocked you can use it with the same apps. Although “what’s app” is linked to a specific phone number that is specific to your original sim. But I have a feeling their is a way around this. You will have to google it.
 
Landlord

That is great thanks.

For the occasional visitor to the US, would buying a local SIM not be a lot simpler? Then they have access to calls as well as data?

Brendan
 
I havnt looked into local sims to be honest, Due issues with swapping my sim with the local one (then having issues with using WhatsApp and potentially other apps). You could put the local Sim into a spare phone for the internet, but sometimes local Sims don,t allow for personal hotspot, meaning you might not be able to tether your existing phone to the spare one. Also you will probably pay twice as much for a local sim for 1 months use where as a 3UK Sim can last up to 2 years.
If the only thing you’re worried about is making phone calls then simply download a soft phone and link it to a phone company for example I use Blueface.ie. There are many others too.
Very very cheap international and local calls on my mobile. All made through the Internet regardless of which country I am in.
 
Is there a hard limit on the amount of roaming data that can be used on the 24GB Three data sim? I have read elsewhere that either 9GB or 12GB is the max amount of data allowed for roaming out of the 24?
 
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