Reviewer: Foodnut.com |
Be sure to secure your iPhone or Android Smartphone whenever you travel. Precautions will help prevent disaster.
The iPhone or any Android Smartphone are an essential tool when traveling to the UK – United Kingdom for tourists. Google maps, travel guides, language translation, and many other apps are extremely useful. Using our United States, USA AT&T iPhone in the UK is tricky. Verizon iPhones from the USA do not work internationally. Here are some tips on using your unlocked Smartphone in the UK.
We also have articles on using prepaid SIM cards in other countries:
- Using iPhones in Hong Kong
- Using iPhones in China
- Using iPhones in France
- Using iPhones in the UK
- Using iPhones in Japan
Be sure to read Foodnut.com restaurant reviews for the UK:
Here are some tips on using your iPhone in Spain
You can only use foreign SIM cards in an unlocked iPhone or Android Smartphone. A locked smartphone only works on the original cell phone carrier. Most cell phone carriers in the US, including AT&T, allow you to unlock Smartphones after your 2 year contract or Next plan has been fulfilled. T-Mobile requires 18 months of payments or full payment before they will unlock a cell phone under contract. You can alternately purchase an unlocked Smartphone from Amazon, eBay, etc.
If you prefer to unlock your iPhone, you can try jailbreaking it. Jailbreaking and unlocking iPhones are not easy tasks. One slip and you may have bricked your expensive smartphone. You can buy a unlocked used iPhone from eBay or Craigslist. iPhone 6’s typically cost around $200.
This article also applies to using prepaid SIM Cards in the iPhone XS, XR, X, 8, 7, 6, and iPad with 4G or LTE. Android Smartphones utilizing GSM technology are also supported.
Different Smartphones use different sized SIM cards. Most foreign cell phone carriers sell smaller micro-SIM and nano-SIM (iPhone XS, XR, X, 8, 7, 6, iPad mini and Air) for use in a variety of Smartphones. You should remove the SIM card from your phone before you attempt to purchase a prepaid SIM card in another country.
Wireless Companies
The main cellphone carriers in the UK are:
- British Telecome – EE
- O2
- Vodaphone
- Three
Buying a SIM card from the Airport
If you want to buy a Prepaid SIM card from Heathrow Airport (LHR), you can buy one from Sim Local in Terminal 2, 3, 5 Arrivals. There are also vending machines that will sell you them.
Cheaper alternative:
Buy your Pay as you go No Contract SIM card from a local Carphone Warehouse store. They have over 2000 store across Europe. They can help you install the sim and ensure it works. Most are open 7 days a week.
- Current List of Pay as you go SIM Only Deals
- Note, there was an in store promotion that gave us 50% off ee’s plan
- ee 5GB Data – 500 Minutes, Unlimited texts £15 -> £7.50 in store
These instructions should work for other smartphones including Android based smartphones that support US GSM networks from AT&T and T-Mobile.
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The Fat Duck Restaurant Review, Bray, UK, Heston Blumenthal | Foodnut.com
March 23, 2012 at 11:17 am[…] Using your iPhone in the UK describes how we used our iPhone on the trip. […]