I am a bit unclear as to the best options regarding phone plans, and many of the prior posts are somewhat dated. I have a Verizon plan in the States right now, and have received the following recommendations:
Switch to a cheap international plan and unlock phone before leaving; upon arriving, purchase SIM card for service in Taiwan.
Use current phone with wifi only and buy a ‘burner’ in Taiwan for use with prepaid minutes (phone cards).
Pros/cons of either option? Alternatives? Leaning towards the 2nd option at the moment assuming I can find an international plan with Verizon that is a reasonable price (I pay about $65/mo. currently). Oh, and I use an iPhone 5se.
unless you need your USA phone number. There are no USA plans that are suitable for use while in Taiwan. You’ll need a local phone number. It’s all cheaper in Taiwan anyway. Phones are not cheaper. Get a local SIM for either your unlocked phone or another unlocked phone if you need your USA phone number.
Theoretically couldn’t I just use my existing phone with wifi though? Say, if I opted to just communicate via Facetime, FB Messenger, etc.? I plan to get my phone unlocked, it’s mostly just a matter of trying to decide whether I should maintain my existing plan on any level…
If you’re sure that you only need to use the apps on your smartphone via Wi-Fi, and that you hardly need to make any phone calls or text messages, then your plan here looks fine.
Roaming in Taiwan with your sim card from the U.S. won’t cost you much either as long as you’re not a big talker. I think they charge less than 15 TWD (=0.5 USD) per minute for foreign sim cards roaming in Taiwan, so it’s still affordable.
Just note that Wi-Fi is not everywhere in Taiwan though.
Transfer your US number to Google Fi. I use this as my US/International phone and also have a local Taiwan plan, but for a year you won’t need the latter. Google Fi has free data roaming in most countries, mine works well here in Taiwan.
Sorry, I should add…you need a Fi compatible phone. I use a Pixel XL and a Nexus 6p, both work fine here. If you are tied to Apple, then I guess that’s that, but others may find this solution useful.
Thanks everyone. I discussed options with my carrier (Verizon) today who recommended cancelling the current plan upon arrival. Fortunately I am not in a contract - but I have been paying off the phone - so my only expense will be to pay the balance when I cancel. Since my device is an iPhone SE, it is already unlocked and should be able to accept a local plan upon arrival. Easy!