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Android Authority has a quote that seems to make more sense of this, the analogy with global 3G Kindles seems best to me: "This is meant primarily for large sc

Android Authority has a quote that seems to make more sense of this, the analogy with global 3G Kindles seems best to me: "This is meant primarily for large scale M2M deployments, think smart metering, vehicles, Kindles, machinery etc"... "it is certainly not for normal consumers and it is not about soft-SIMS. It is about hard coded SIMs that are under control of the M2M deployer." http://www.androidauthority.com/carrier-free-sim-cards-way-360112/ http://www.androidauthority.com/carrier-free-sim-cards-way-3... For consumers, if you have an unlocked phone you can already get global SIM cards from companies like Truphone or Woolworths Global Roaming (and several others) that roam onto other networks while travelling. Carriers are increasingly letting you roam with your current SIM card anyway.

adenner 13y ago
But in those cases the sim is still tied to some provider who is managing the agreements for roaming.
- danieldk 13y ago
  Indeed. As someone who travels regularly between The Netherlands and Germany, I can say unlocked phones are not really the solution. It's annoying to have to switch SIMs every time you cross the border. Also, most interesting phone models do not have a dual-SIM option. I am actually hoping that this will pressure carriers into removing roaming costs. It is very odd that pay exorbitant costs to use my Dutch T-Mobile subscription in Germany (T-Mobile is a German company), rather than just using calling time of my subscription. That said, roaming costs have dropped a lot, thanks to regulation of the market by the EU. http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/roaming http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/roaming
  - riffraff 13y ago
    FWIW, my solution as a frequent country-commuter is to just have two phones. Get a tiny 15€ nokia weighting 60 grams and just use that when abroad in addition to your main one. It is obviously slightly less practical than a single one, but it's better than switching SIMs and as a bonus you can have both numbers "always on".
    - danieldk 13y ago
      Yes. That's what I have now. Since I have a data subscription in both countries, I bought a cheap Huawei Android phone, installed Cyanogenmod and use that.
    - userbinator 13y ago
      That's why dual-SIM phones exist... > Also, most interesting phone models do not have a dual-SIM option. This is the strangest thing. In China, phones are overwhelmingly dual-SIM, and it's actually more difficult to find single-SIM phones (even clones of major-brand devices like iPhones will have dual-SIM); the production cost of adding a 2nd SIM socket is negligible.
    - SyneRyder 13y ago
      Genuine question, is switching SIMs that frustrating? The Nokia trick wouldn't work for me as I use my phone mostly for Google Maps & data, it's far cheaper to swap SIMs than buy an iPhone for each country :) Even in my home country I switch a SIM card between my two phones, depending which phone I need to have 3G access. My tactic when travelling has been to use a global roaming SIM during a long-haul trip (eg so I have some data during airport stopovers), then switch to a local prepaid SIM with a good data allowance once I reach my destination. (Congstar has worked well for me in Germany.)
  - igravious 13y ago
    My fellow European, you've seen this I presume: http://www.gsmarena.com/roaming_charges_in_the_eu_could_be_gone_by_2014-news-6125.php http://www.gsmarena.com/roaming_charges_in_the_eu_could_be_g... It may not happen this year but I reckon the days of roaming charges inter-EU are numbered. Numbered I tells ya! Can't come soon enough if you ask me.
spo81rty 13y ago
I think you have a good point here. My Tesla must have some sort of integrated SIM. Someday if that needed to be changed not touching the hardware to do it would be preferred.
spo81rty 13y ago
I think you have a good point here. My Tesla must have some sort of integrated SIM. Someday if that needed to be changed not touching the hardware to do it would be preferred.

adenner 13y ago

But in those cases the sim is still tied to some provider who is managing the agreements for roaming.

danieldk 13y ago
Indeed. As someone who travels regularly between The Netherlands and Germany, I can say unlocked phones are not really the solution. It's annoying to have to switch SIMs every time you cross the border. Also, most interesting phone models do not have a dual-SIM option. I am actually hoping that this will pressure carriers into removing roaming costs. It is very odd that pay exorbitant costs to use my Dutch T-Mobile subscription in Germany (T-Mobile is a German company), rather than just using calling time of my subscription. That said, roaming costs have dropped a lot, thanks to regulation of the market by the EU. http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/roaming http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/roaming
- riffraff 13y ago
  FWIW, my solution as a frequent country-commuter is to just have two phones. Get a tiny 15€ nokia weighting 60 grams and just use that when abroad in addition to your main one. It is obviously slightly less practical than a single one, but it's better than switching SIMs and as a bonus you can have both numbers "always on".
  - danieldk 13y ago
    Yes. That's what I have now. Since I have a data subscription in both countries, I bought a cheap Huawei Android phone, installed Cyanogenmod and use that.
  - userbinator 13y ago
    That's why dual-SIM phones exist... > Also, most interesting phone models do not have a dual-SIM option. This is the strangest thing. In China, phones are overwhelmingly dual-SIM, and it's actually more difficult to find single-SIM phones (even clones of major-brand devices like iPhones will have dual-SIM); the production cost of adding a 2nd SIM socket is negligible.
  - SyneRyder 13y ago
    Genuine question, is switching SIMs that frustrating? The Nokia trick wouldn't work for me as I use my phone mostly for Google Maps & data, it's far cheaper to swap SIMs than buy an iPhone for each country :) Even in my home country I switch a SIM card between my two phones, depending which phone I need to have 3G access. My tactic when travelling has been to use a global roaming SIM during a long-haul trip (eg so I have some data during airport stopovers), then switch to a local prepaid SIM with a good data allowance once I reach my destination. (Congstar has worked well for me in Germany.)
- igravious 13y ago
  My fellow European, you've seen this I presume: http://www.gsmarena.com/roaming_charges_in_the_eu_could_be_gone_by_2014-news-6125.php http://www.gsmarena.com/roaming_charges_in_the_eu_could_be_g... It may not happen this year but I reckon the days of roaming charges inter-EU are numbered. Numbered I tells ya! Can't come soon enough if you ask me.

spo81rty 13y ago

I think you have a good point here. My Tesla must have some sort of integrated SIM. Someday if that needed to be changed not touching the hardware to do it would be preferred.

spo81rty 13y ago

I think you have a good point here. My Tesla must have some sort of integrated SIM. Someday if that needed to be changed not touching the hardware to do it would be preferred.