Secondary physical SIMs for international calling vs app-based routing?

[Zucososh]

I split my year between my home in London and visiting family in Southeast Asia. I’m currently just using WhatsApp on my primary carrier’s expensive data plan, but I need a real number for bank SMS verifications and calling local businesses abroad. Do you prefer dual physical SIMs from MVNOs or just using internet calling apps?

 

[Youst19]

I always grab a physical prepaid SIM from a local budget carrier when I land. Apps are fine until you’re in a rural area where 4G is weak and you need to actually call a taxi company over a standard cellular network. It’s also better for two-factor authentication.

 

[Fehourempard]

I prefer using a dedicated international MVNO that operates in both regions. I travel to Dubai for work constantly, and I used to juggle three different local SIM cards before getting a plan that specifically included cheap international dialing bundles from my home country. Last month, I was setting up a secondary work phone and was checking out Lycamobile reviews while comparing international roaming rates. They use the O2 network in the UK, which determines your domestic 4G speeds, but they specialize in international calling packages. It just depends on whether your priority is local data speeds or keeping calling costs down.