Miyajima, Japan // On my recent trip to Japan and Southeast Asia, I used Airalo’s eSIM cards for my iPhone 15 Pro and it worked perfectly with no issues.
Since I spend most of the year abroad working remotely, having cell service with mobile hotspot capacity is crucial for me. For years, I just bought local SIM cards because they were inexpensive and worked instantly. Then, Apple nixed the SIM tray on their new iPhone models creating quite a conundrum for me because I spend a lot of time in Southeast Asia where the WIFI is often too slow for Zoom so I need cellular data to work. Cellular data has always been my backup plan.
I recently tried out Airalo’s regional and country-specific eSIMs and have been impressed. Airalo is a great international eSIM for iPhone. While I talk about the pros and cons of eSIMs in another post, this post is simply a review of Airalo eSIMs on an iPhone in Asia.
(AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: Please note that some affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no cost to you, which goes toward blog maintenance costs. I only recommend products and companies I truly love and use.)
First of all, what’s an eSim?
It’s essentially a digital version of a SIM card that connects your phone to the cellular network. It’s more convenient since people no longer have to buy a physical SIM card and find a tool or paper clip to open the SIM tray! It’s also easier to switch your service off if your phone gets lost or stolen.
What type of eSIMs does Airalo sell?
Airalo sells local (country-specific), regional and global eSIMs. Keep in mind that country-specific eSIM cards are always cheaper than regional or global ones. And, all three are cheaper than paying $10/day for Verizon or other U.S. carrier fees to have international service. Most eSIM cards are data only. If you want to call from abroad, use Skype or Google Voice. I talk about this in my post on traveling and two-step verification. (If you decide to use Airalo, use promo code NEWTOAIRALO15 for 15% off your first purchase!)
Airalo eSIM Card Review for Asia Travel
I reluctantly upgraded to an iPhone 15 Pro recently but still travel with my old iPhone 13 Pro as a backup for SIM card reasons. Airalo had worked previously with my iPhone 13 Pro, but I had some issues initially using eSIMs that I had to call Verizon to solve. My iPhone 15 Pro worked instantly with no issues.
ESIM cards are sold with a set amount of data for a set time frame, which doesn’t start until you activate the eSIM. You can install it and activate it in the future. (I like to buy them in advance in case I don’t have WIFI when I arrive in a new place or as a safety net in case one eSIM expires then I can simply switch to the other.)
In August, I was on a work trip to four countries in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore) so I bought an Airalo regional eSIM card for Asia that was 10GB of data for 30 days for $37. Again, country-specific eSIMs are a better value. For example, my 30-day Japan eSIM was only $24.15 for 30 days for 20GB, which is a much better value for a lower price than my regional Asia eSIM.
When I left Singapore, I flew to Japan for a month-long trip and used up the leftover data on my regional Asia eSIM before switching to a Japan-only eSIM. I spent part of my work trip in Japan on a ship traveling around Japan and knew we were going to Busan, Korea for one day so I bought a 5GB regional Asia eSIM ($18.55 for 30 days) to use there. (They also offer cheaper 7-day plans with less data, but I always need to maximize my data so I usually buy the 30-day ones.)
iPhones allow two eSIMs to be activated at once. I bought and installed all the eSIMs in advance but didn’t activate them until I needed them. I had 5G in most places and didn’t have any service issues despite being in some rural spots. The personal hotspot worked like a dream. (For safety, I turned off cellular data for Instagram because I’m guilty of using too much data on it.)
The Airalo app makes it easy to check your data usage and eSIM expiration date. You can even set the eSIMs to auto-renew! Airalo will send a notification when you get low on data or when it’s about to expire.
Overall, Airalo is fast and convenient. I recommend downloading the eSIMs before you travel so you can simply switch it on the instant your flight lands. It’s cheaper than paying for international service on your U.S. plan (unless you get it for free with your plan) and a no-brainer if you are country hopping on a short trip. For me, it’s my go-to if I’m not staying in a country long term and don’t have time to buy an eSIM from a storefront in the city. I really like the cashback feature of their loyalty program, too. Again, country-specific eSIMs are much better value than regional ones. (Use promo code NEWTOAIRALO15 for 15% off your first purchase.)
Left: The Airalo app makes it easy to check your data balance of your eSIM cards. Right: If you’re buying multiple eSIM cards, be sure to label them so they are easy to differeniate and only turn on the ones you want to use. (This menu is under Setting > Cellular on the iPhone.)
How does Airalo’s Loyalty Program work?
For every new eSIM purchase, Airalo gives you cashback as part of their Airmoney Rewards Program that can be redeemed on your next purchase.
Here are the tiers:
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- Traveler: New users get 5% Airmoney Rewards
- Silver Traveler: After spending $20 USD, the reward increases to 6%
- Gold Traveler: After spending $70 USD, the reward increases to 7%
- Platinum Traveler: After spending $200 USD, the reward increases to 10%.
How to Install Airalo on your Phone:
Airalo makes it easy to install—simply follow the on-screen instructions in the Airalo app.
Tap on My eSIMS in the app, tap the Details button on the eSIM you want to use, tap “View Instructions, tap“Direct” and then, tap “Install eSIM” and follow the on-screen guide. For step-by-step instructions with screenshots, check out this page.
Afterward, a screen will appear saying it’s activated then you can name your eSIM anything you’d like. If you have multiple ones, I recommend labeling them so it’s easy to differentiate between them. In your cellular settings on your phone, make sure the ones you aren’t using are turned off.
How to know if an eSIM work with your phone?
Airalo will tell you before the purchasing process whether or not an eSIM will work with your phone so you aren’t wasting money, which I really respect. This happened to me when I first tried to set one up on my old iPhone 13 Pro. I ended up having to call Verizon to get a few things sorted because I have a pre-paid plan. Afterward, it worked fine and I’ve had no issues on my iPhone 15 Pro.
For more about the pros and cons of eSIM cards, check out this post.
