Is there something like a MiFi that will accept a SIM?

February 18, 2013 9:03 AM

I'm looking for something like a MiFi that will accept a SIM.

This would be handy when I travel, so that I can purchase a local unlimited SIM card and not rely on my mobile phone for internet access because our carriers charge an exorbitant fee for out of the country data. Any suggestions?

posted by aeighty to travel & transportation (7 answers total)

Any cheap unlocked phone that can run Android 2.3 or above. I bought a Huawei U8180 about a year ago for ~$50 to do exactly this.
posted by turkeyphant at 9:12 AM on February 18

All MiFis do - that's what they are :)
posted by devnull at 9:15 AM on February 18 [1 favorite]

Must it be a MiFi? A USB modem will be much cheaper, easier to obtain and will be lighter.

http://dx.com/s/usb+modem
posted by yoyo_nyc at 9:32 AM on February 18

To rephrase what I think devnull is saying, you can absolutely get a MiFi - an actual MiFi device - with a SIM card slot that is compatible with a variety of carriers. (Not all of them have a SIM card slot, so you have to be careful to get the right model, but many are designed for international use in the way you describe.) Look for an "unlocked GSM" unit. This model would be the classic, MiFI-branded choice, but there are many more out there.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 9:34 AM on February 18 [1 favorite]

Thanks @devnull and @I EAT TAPAS, I'll revisit this again!

@yoyo_nyc, wouldn't this require another device (like a router) to plug the modem into?
posted by aeighty at 10:34 AM on February 18

I, maybe wrongly, assumed that you want to go online with a laptop. A USB Modem would be just plug n play with a local SIM card.

Your phone would not work with it, at least not in a simple way.

Again, you just could buy a local SIM card for your phone and have a number from your country (US, UK etc.) forwarded to your current number.
posted by yoyo_nyc at 11:25 AM on February 18

Is there a reason people are ignoring my suggestion? It doesn't have any of the issues a USB modem has and, last I checked, is significantly cheaper than buying a MiFi.
posted by turkeyphant at 10:23 AM on February 22