Can my American iPhone become compatible with Canada?

September 28, 2020 8:15 AM

I have an American iPhone (11?) and I will be travelling in the next few weeks to Ontario Canada and then to France (and Amsterdam, briefly). I would like to buy a prepaid SIM card that will allow me to have data and a few minutes of talk time for emergencies, GPS, and the occasional important youtube video. (I am happy to buy more than one SIM card if that makes sense.) I called PC mobile in Canada and they tell me my phone won't work with any of their SIM cards because the networks are totally different. Is this true? Please help!

The person said I need a Canadian phone for Canada, my phone won't work on any of their networks. Could this be right? I have used my USA phone plan in Canada before (on my USA plan). I guess the questions I have are:
1) Can I use my iPhone in Canada? In France?
2) What's the best prepaid option for a Gig or 2 of data in Canada? (Bonus: will they mail me the SIM card?)
3) What's the best prepaid option for very little cell or data use in France?
4) What am I not considering?

Thank you!

posted by andreapandrea to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

I've used my US (droid) phone in Canada and parts of Europe (not France, but Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark) without issue with my US plan (Verizon). Your specifics may differ, but I have a hard time believing that you'd have a problem just using the phone as is.

The question is whether you'd save money by buying a new SIM card vs paying the additional service fee for international use. I think I was charged $5 a day in Canada and $10 in Scandinavia, but those are hazy memories and rates may have changed.
posted by LionIndex at 8:22 AM on September 28, 2020 [2 favorites]

Broadly speaking I'm seconding LionIndex: you should look into what your US plan offers before bothering with the SIM card question.

Re: Canada, I have AT&T, and they offer the option to simply extend one's US arrangement to include Canada and Mexico - data, roaming, everything. It was free for me(!) - I think that part may depend on your plan - but I had no idea the option even existed it until I called the company directly and explained what I needed. It seems likely that whoever your plan is with may have such an option. It also seems like some of these options are buried in the system, so talking to someone at the company will make a big difference.

Good travels to you!
posted by marlys at 8:39 AM on September 28, 2020

This article in PC Mag might explain some of the issues. Also suggesting you see what your US carrier can offer to compare prices. I have used both T Mobile and AT&T in Europe, both on a US plan. I have also used European sim cards on unlocked US iPhones without issue. Make sure you know what size sim your phone needs and bring the gadget for opening the sim tray.

Is your phone unlocked? You should be able to buy a prepaid sim on arrival and the store should help you set it up. I spent about 30 euros in Ireland and my US provider costs about 60 dollars a month for worldwide coverage, so the price for two plans is about even.
posted by soelo at 8:47 AM on September 28, 2020

I have traveled to Europe and Canada using Google Fi as my carrier and did not have to make a single change. All data was at the same rate and text was too. Phone calls were at between 10C and 25C a minute if I recall, but I never made an actual phone call.
posted by AugustWest at 9:25 AM on September 28, 2020

Echoing everyone else that your best bet is to elect the Canadian option on your US plan. The SIM will work fine, but they will not sell you a SIM without proof that you're a Canadian resident.

For France you can preorder a card in the US (Le french SIM or Orange Holiday SIM or similar) or stop at the Orange store at CDG and get a SIM by showing your US passport. Again, depending on your length of stay, paying extra on your US plan may be easier.
posted by dum spiro spero at 9:33 AM on September 28, 2020 [1 favorite]

N'thing the "best option is probably to ask your existing carrier about their EU/CA plans, then pre-pay for an international pass or whatever.

Additionally, you may want to throw your phone into low data mode (settings -> cellular -> cellular data options) and disable the cellular data usage for some of your less important apps (settings -> cellular) to protect the cellular data you buy from being eaten by routine background sync processes. I don't notice their usage in the US, but I use a lot more data when traveling, as the device spends a lot less time on wifi.
posted by whisk(e)y neat at 10:29 AM on September 28, 2020

When we travelled to Spain back in 2017, we enabled the international data plan from our carrier—$10 per day to connect to local cell towers—but we did so mostly for potential emergencies.

Instead, we turned off the cellular radio entirely when we got on the plane, and relied on WiFi (at the hotel, at coffee shops, etc) to check email. You can download Google Maps data to your phone and, while it won’t be perfect for cycling or walking directions, it can still provide driving directions to most major locations. We called my parents via FaceTime (again over wifi) while we were there.

We were in Europe for two weeks and never needed to actually turn on our cell radio and pay the $10. But it was a relief knowing that if we did need it, it would be a flat $10 and not whatever crazy international fees we could be charged.
posted by thecaddy at 10:37 AM on September 28, 2020 [1 favorite]

I go to Canada regularly and use my US phone plan. I have a T-Mobile plan ($70 a month) which includes unlimited talk, text, and data in Canada and most other countries as well.

If your current plan doesnt already include that option, you can generally add it month by month (usually $10 to 15 extra) for the length of your trip.
posted by ananci at 9:46 AM on September 29, 2020