📶 eSIM, local SIM or pocket Wi-Fi — which to use abroad
All three give you data at your destination. What separates them is whether texts to your home number still arrive, whether your handset takes an eSIM at all, and how many of you are travelling.
As of 2026-08-25
The short answer
- Travelling alone with a supported handset — eSIM. Your physical SIM stays in, so bank verification texts and calls to your home number keep arriving.
- Handset without eSIM support — a local SIM. It works on older phones, and some plans come with a local number.
- Two or more of you, or a laptop to connect — pocket Wi-Fi. One rented device is shared, so the cost per person falls.
Side by side
| Item | eSIM | Local SIM | Pocket Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Scan a QR code to install a profile | Swap the physical card | Rent, collect and return a device |
| Texts and calls to your home number | Keep arriving | Not while your own SIM is out | Keep arriving — the phone is untouched |
| Device requirements | Supported models only (iPhone XS/XR and later, and so on) | None — older phones work | None — anything with Wi-Fi |
| Several people or devices | One device | One device | Shared by several devices |
| What you have to do out there | Nothing — installed before you fly | Swap the card, store your own SIM | Charge it daily, return it on time |
| What you can lose | Nothing | The SIM you took out | The rented device (damage or loss is chargeable) |
| Suits | Solo travellers with a supported handset | Handsets without eSIM support | Groups of two or more, or laptop users |
Prices and data allowances differ by seller and change without notice, so this table compares how the three work rather than what they cost. Check the seller’s current terms before you buy.
What to decide on
1. Do you need texts to your home number
Bank one-time codes, messenger logins and booking confirmations go to your home number. An eSIM adds a second line while leaving the physical SIM in place, so that number stays reachable. A local SIM means taking your own card out, and those texts stop arriving while it is out. Pocket Wi-Fi leaves the phone alone, so it behaves like the eSIM. In all three cases turn data roaming off on your home line — leaving it on while you only want texts adds a carrier charge.
2. How many of you are travelling
eSIMs and local SIMs are bought per person; a pocket Wi-Fi is one device shared between you. From two people onwards that flips the arithmetic. There is a condition attached: whoever is not with the device has no data. If your itinerary has people going separate ways, this is not the option.
3. Does your handset take an eSIM
Apple supports eSIM from the iPhone XS and XR onwards. For Samsung the answer depends on the market: phones sold in South Korea only carry eSIM from the Galaxy Z Flip4 and Fold4 onwards, because eSIM for phones only opened there in September 2022. Both companies publish the current model list (see the sources below). Read Samsung’s list carefully: it is worldwide, so it names older foldables that do not take an eSIM in Korea, and the page itself notes that supported models differ by country and that some countries only got eSIM from a particular model onwards. If your handset is not on it, the choice narrows to a local SIM or pocket Wi-Fi.
From before you fly to after you land
- Check eSIM support first — everything else follows from it. Dial
*#06#; if an EID appears alongside the IMEI, the handset takes an eSIM. - Sort it out three days before you fly — QR codes take time to be issued, a local SIM has to be posted to you, and a pocket Wi-Fi needs a collection slot. Leaving it to the airport means queueing.
- Install on stable Wi-Fi — many eSIM QR codes can only be used once. If the install drops halfway you need it reissued, so do it at home or on airport Wi-Fi.
- Switch lines after you land — put data on the new line and turn data roaming off on your home line. If you swapped a physical SIM, keep the one you removed somewhere you will not lose it.
- After you get home — return the pocket Wi-Fi within the deadline, and do not delete the eSIM profile. With many plans it cannot be reissued.
Frequently asked questions
- Is an eSIM faster than a local SIM?
- Not because of the format. Speed comes from which local network the plan runs on, so two plans on the same network perform the same whether they are eSIM or physical. Pocket Wi-Fi adds a hop and is shared between devices, which is where you notice a difference.
- Why is carrier roaming not in the table?
- Roaming needs no preparation, which is its advantage, and its daily rate is usually the highest. For a layover or a one to two day trip that trade is reasonable; for three days or more the three options above are generally cheaper. It works differently enough that it belongs here rather than in the table.
- Does installing an eSIM suspend my home number?
- No. The physical SIM stays where it is and you simply have one more line. The normal setup is data on the eSIM with calls and texts still on your home number, and after the trip you switch the data line back.
- How many devices can share one pocket Wi-Fi?
- Usually around five, though it varies by plan. Each extra device drains the battery faster and splits the speed, so battery life and a power bank matter more in practice than the device limit.
- When were the device requirements last checked?
- On the date shown at the top of this page. Manufacturers keep adding models, so open the Apple and Samsung support pages below once more before you buy.
Official sources this page relies on
Whether a handset takes an eSIM is defined by the manufacturer’s own list. Where their pages differ from this one, theirs is correct.