Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Smartphones and Data Roaming
I take my smartphone to Europe, using it to make phone calls (sparingly)
and send texts, but also to check email, listen to audio tours, and browse
the Internet. If you're clever, you can do all this without incurring huge
data-roaming fees. Here's how.
Many smartphones, such as the iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry,
work in Europe (though some older Verizon iPhones don't). For voice
calls and text messaging, smartphones work like any mobile phone (as
described under “Roaming with Your Mobile Phone,” earlier)—unless
you're connected to free Wi-Fi, in which case you can use Skype, Google
Talk, or FaceTime to call for free (or at least very cheaply; see “Calling
over the Internet,” previous page).
The (potentially) really expensive aspect of using smartphones in
Europe is not voice calls or text messages, but sky-high rates for using
data: checking email, browsing the Internet, streaming videos, using cer-
tain apps, and so on. If you don't proactively adjust your settings, these
charges can mount up even if you're not actually using your
phone—because the phone is constantly “roaming” to update your email
and such. (One tip is to switch your email settings from “push” to “fetch,”
so you can choose when to download your emails rather than having them
automatically “pushed” over the Internet to your device.)
The best solution: Disable data roaming entirely, and use your device
to access the Internet only when you find free Wi-Fi (at your hotel, for ex-
ample). Then you can surf the net to your heart's content, or make free (or
extremely cheap) phone calls via Skype. You can manually turn off data
roaming on your phone's menu (check under the “Network” settings). For
added security, you can call and ask your service provider to temporarily
suspend your data account entirely for the length of your trip.
Sometravelers enjoytheflexibility ofgettingonlineevenwhenthey're
not on free Wi-Fi. But be careful. If you simply switch on data roaming,
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