Buying an eSIM to use in the USA

[Gareth2020]

Hi,

Am heading ot the USA in a few months time and have looked at getting an eSIM from Saily which will give me 20GB of data to use over there whilst keeping the current EE physical SIM used for calls/text etc.

Does the phone need to be unlocked to use an eSIM or is that not the case?

Thanks for any help.

[XRaySpeX]

Yes, if it's so old, bought new before Dec. '21, that it needs unlocking.

[bristolian · Accepted solution]

There's 2 angles here..

1: Phones purchased before Dec 2021 are sold locked - whether you use an off-net physical SIM or electronic one is irrelevant, it needs unlocking. Since Dec 2021 they are sold unlocked.

2: The Roam Abroad pass enables use of your pay-monthly UK allowances, upto a 50GB data allowance, for £25/billing month. Voice, data & text allowances are all covered - and may be more cost-effective overall.

[Gareth2020]

Thanks both.

@bristolian I didn't realise that was an option. I have a plan which includes unlim text/calls and 125gb data a month.  So for an extra £25 I will be able to use it in the US with up to 50GB data for that month? That sounds really promising, I might have to look into that!

[XRaySpeX]

@Gareth2020 : The Roam Abroad Pass costs £25 per billing month from the billing month you order it (text ROAMING PASS to 150) until the billing month you cancel it (text STOP ROAMING PASS to 150). For all billing months during which you have the Pass it is charged at the full £25. However if the Pass is carried over from the 1st billing month to the next it will be charged pro-rata for that 1st month alone.

[bristolian]

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@Gareth2020 wrote:

I didn't realise that was an option.

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https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/roam-abroad-pass 

[Gareth2020]

Just an update to this. I phoned EE to get this sorted on my phone, they've now told me this ISN'T an option at all.  The only way I can get my phone to be used in the US is to pay £25 A WEEK (not a billing month), so my 3 week holiday would cost me £$75 in addition to my monthly bill.

What a rip-off EE, that's just crazy. I might as well grab an e-sim whilst I'm out there and not bother with EE anymore!

[bristolian]

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@Gareth2020 wrote:

Just an update to this. I phoned EE to get this sorted on my phone, they've now told me this ISN'T an option at all. 

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It was an option when you first started this thread, 7months ago. The roaming proposition was changed late in 2024, meaning far more long-haul countries had flat-rate options introduced.

Countries with existing flat-rate options had their pricing changed, encouraging regular travellers to choose a higher-end plan with the add-ons available on an inclusive basis. You just need to weigh up a £75 charge against the total cost of your trip, and the overall convenience it will likely bring.

[XRaySpeX]

That was then, this is now! You've been away for 7 months & missed all this excitement: Roaming Refresh