Want the best international travel phones? Don’t want monthly billing or scam products? And you need a one-time purchase for a cheap but professional global cell phone device with its SIM Card? So, keep reading, we’re going to show you the best-recommended provider to have worldwide phone calls and only pay when you call.
Top International cell phone companies
We prefer ranking international mobile phone providers based on real user reviews, our expert investigations, and testing. In addition, we make sure that the company is safe to use online for their products and has the security and options that everyone looks for. So, let’s get started with the number one global cellular service.
1. Mobal
We tested Mobal a few days ago and it was amazing and surprisingly, it’s the cheapest international cell phone service we found. The secret behind this company is a smart technology that works with mobile phone frequencies in and outside the United States. So, there is no need to have additional devices or adapters like many other services.
The best part is their one-time fees offer, so, anyone can purchase his one travel cell phone without monthly fees or subscription renewals. In other words, when you buy the Mobal travel phone, you’ll never be billed for other things except for your minutes of calls.
By the way, the company was founded in 1989 before the popular providers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and others.
There are 4 options to choose from:
- Basic phone devices with international SIM card: Total cost $29 one time
- Classic: Smartphone plus worldwide SIM and 2G or 3G.
- The third options come with WiFi, SIM, Smartphone with 2G, 3G, and 4G.
- The fourth options come with a SIM card only and of course, it’s international.
There is free US shipping through FedEx for the SIM card only, and regular FedEx shipping for Phones and related products.
In parallel with these great services, the company offers International phone renting service, renting and selling of satellite phones. Even more, there are Japanese SIM cards, unlocked international cell phones, and SIM cards as well.
How does the billing work?
Unlike renting a cell phone for traveling or whatever, having this cell phone for all countries is a privilege for you. In fact, there is no need to charge your phone, so, you can call when you need, and you’ll be charged only the time your call no matter if you use the phone once a month, every day or once a year. It never expires. In addition, there is no contact, and that’s better to avoid billing surprises.
So, the services use your credit card, and for consumer protection, the company permanently disable the cellular data connection, and thus, there will be no surprising billing and overcharges.
Why having your one travel cell phone is better than local SIM cards?
One of the cons of local SIM cards their short-term expiration, so, after getting the SIM, you don’t know when it will be turned OFF and you need to recharge it every time you consume all your prepaid credit. So, there is a need to charge your phone many times if you travel a lot. In addition to that, the traveler will have to deal with foreign phone service provide call centers and services, and that can be a nightmare especially in the 3rd world countries.
Unlike a local SIM card, the global phone service comes with an international SIM card that never expires, furthermore, your service won’t run out of credits, even better, you will never expire and you can call anytime, anywhere in 190 countries. In the end, you get a cell phone that can be used anywhere in the world, and that’s amazing.
For satellite services, the international cell phone rental comes with no activation fees, global coverage even in deserts, etc.
2. AT&T Passport (International Roaming)
This is not the best cost-effective option, but a good quality service provided by one of the biggest phone service providers in the US. The company offers an international roaming plan that starts from $40 one time for 30 Days. After 30 days, the plan will expire and the traveler will no longer be able to call unless renewing the plan. There is a monthly recurring option if you travel a lot and you really need the Data transfer that AT&T offers.
For example, the AT&T passport plans come in 3 packages:
- AT&T passport: This plan comes with the most expensive $1 per minute calls to 200 countries. (cost $40)
- AT&T passport silver: This one offer $0.5 per minute to the 200 countries. (Cost $60)
- The third plan called Gold lets you call the world for $0.35 per minute. (Cost $120)
As you can see, the roaming plans are not cheap, so, it’s best to choose a one month plan if you’re going to travel for a few days. And choose longer period options to save money for calling other countries for cheap.
In conclusion, this is not the best cell phone carrier for international travel, however, there are many reasons to use their services like quality and more.
What is a global phone?
Please be aware that Global-ready is just a commercial term and you’ll need to pay the roaming fees with popular US carriers like Verizon. Their smartphones use CDMA radio frequency that’s not supported in the rest of the world. However, the device should work with GSM, but we noticed big issues with people crossing the borders just by a few miles. The service stops working and there is no way to make a call for the differences between GSM and CDMA.
Do US cell phones work in Europe?
The problem with a smartphone used outside the US is that they use different frequencies, so, a phone you use in California, for example, will work on all the United States, but it may not work well in Europe. It’s a technical issue that you need to know. Even, if you buy a Worldwide travel SIM card, you need also a global phone to work with the different radio frequencies used by service cellular providers in other countries.
What international cell phone service to choose from?
There are many options and companies, however, it’s better to focus on the best ones only. That’s why this simple list of top-rated international telephone services contains a few companies, but the best of them. Mobal is the best choice, it’s the cheapest and the most trusted one. In addition, it’s the oldest global cellular phone provider that you can use and trust.