How did the phone become a part of our daily life and a companion for business trips and trips abroad? Introduced in 1973 and becoming an integral part of the life of the average person, the mobile phone claims to be the most used device ever created by man. Imagine for a moment that you will need to live a day without a smartphone? Will you be able to complete your planned tasks and will your efficiency and effectiveness improve? We think not. The phone in travel, business and personal life is an integral part of everyone’s life.
You will be interested to know the statistical global indicators of mobile device usage:
- Nowdays, about 72% of the population from all over the world actively use mobile phones, making calls every day, working in instant messengers, searching for information on the Internet;
- About 65% of active users of personal gadgets open a browser every day and interact with Internet resources;
- 52% of the peoples interact on a daily basis with social networks and instant messengers, exchanging text and graphic data;
- As for the use of modern devices with cellular communication support, for example, the percentage of their use in Asian countries is about 80%, and on the African continent – only 45%.
It is undeniable that mobile devices have become an integral attribute of our lives. Every morning we often meet with the sound of an alarm clock and reach for a smartphone to update the message feed in the e-mail. Rush to work and in the meantime make work schedules, coordinate projects, look up news on the internet and more. However, one of the interesting aspects is travel, because nowhere, like abroad, do we need the help of a smartphone.
Top Problems of Using your Phone Abroad
How to use your cell phone abroad? The smartphone plays the role of a companion on business trips around the world or travel. Our smartphones can come in handy in situations ranging from domestic travel problems to life-saving situations. Hotel searches, entertainment activities and staying in touch with family and friends can all be found on your phone. However, what problems can you face when using a mobile phone abroad while travelling?
- First, battery life. In a number of countries there are restrictions on the use of electricity. Because not all public places such as cafes and restaurants have the ability to recharge the phone. Also note that you should take care of the adapter, because type of sockets vary by country. Experts advise asking for the possibility of providing charging accessories when booking a hotel;
- Secondly, poor network coverage. If we are talking about traveling to developing countries, then the process of using phone when traveling abroad can demonstrate “no network” on your device. It’s worth noting that this item is closely related to the use of the Internet, because often the data transfer rate is very low in hot third-world countries;
- Thirdly, the high-level of crime, which consists in the theft of modern gadgets. Be careful when traveling around the world and switch to using an e-SIM or virtual SIM card. This allows you to save all settings if you lose your phone and quickly transfer data to a new one;
- Fourth, security and privacy. Recommendation: read the rules for using the phone in certain regions of the country where you are going to travel. Because there are a number of restrictions on using the gadget in different countries;
- Fifth, the cost of communication. Roaming are often fabulous financial costs, but eSIM is a great option to get around unwanted cash costs, because it allows you to connect online in advance the settings of local cellular operators at competitive rates. You can read more about using eSIM for travel in our previous article.
How to Make using your Phone more Comfortable when Travelling
You will no longer have to think about finding free WI-FI when traveling abroad, immediately looking for the opportunity to buy a local physical SIM card, and high bills for communication while traveling, if you check out these tips for international travel:
- Find out about the possibility of activating MFF2: M2M form factor in your phone, because most modern models support a virtual SIM card, because this technology will save a lot of money, time and open the world without roaming;
- Download offline maps and essential apps for a comfortable journey. Before you leave, download maps and foreign language translation and communication apps that you can use offline. This will allow you to prepare in advance for the trip, save traffic, and also avoid a situation in which it becomes impossible to download applications due to a bad network. Read about the best travel apps here.
- Take a portable charger with you: if you use your phone extensively while traveling, a power bank can save your life. Be sure to bring a charging cable that is compatible with your phone and has enough capacity to fully charge it.
- Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs. In some countries, using a phone while driving or in certain public places may be illegal or culturally unacceptable.
The take-home message is MFF2: M2M form factor – a true companion of your gadget in the routine of everyday activities, business trips and travel around the world. e-SIM will become a real companion abroad, because it will save you from the troubles that any traveler often encounters: theft and loss of a phone – after all, it is impossible to physically lose an electronic sim card for international travel, expensive communication while traveling – Embedded SIM allows you to purchase local tariffs online at affordable prices, low speed connection on local SIM cards – eSIM supports high-speed LTE settings and the possibility of a future generation of 5G communications.