Are you an international traveler? Whether your work requires you to head overseas frequently or you simply love to roam the world, your life is an exciting adventure. Alas, your technology has a North American focus. For that reason, the items that you need may not work everywhere you go. Thankfully, you can take steps to overcome this problem. Here’s a guide on how to travel with technology and avoid international pitfalls.
Choosing the Best Hardware for Global Travelers
The first step you should take before you travel overseas is obvious. You need to evaluate your current hardware, casting a critical eye to its accessibility and convenience. A bulky laptop or even an oversized tablet is a bad idea. You should travel light rather than burden yourself with cumbersome hardware.
The good news is that a smartphone or small tablet can handle many of the same tasks. Plus, they’re more portable. Your main accessory when you visit foreign countries is your phone. You want to pick the best one possible. That’s the iPhone 7 Plus with an international plan from T-Mobile. The phone is 6.23 inches long with a 5.5-inch screen size. Since it has such a large display area, you can use it to optimize your workload without the need for bulkier devices.
Using a Data Plan Overseas
One of the reasons for an international plan is that your regular data plan won’t work overseas. Well, it might, but your carrier will charge excessive fees for all the bandwidth you need. Even if your company is paying for your travels, you’ll still spend a fortune on your trip unless you account for international data fees. While strategies exist to minimize these fees, the best strategy is to buy an international plan instead.
In choosing carriers, you should study the top-rated carriers. Research suggests that T-Mobile is the best of them, and its Simple Choice International Plan provides coverage in more than 140 countries. Wherever you go, you’ll have confidence that you won’t absorb unexpected roaming fees during your time abroad.
Charging Your Device
No matter which North American devices you choose to bring, you’ll face the same issue. While electricity works the same everywhere, you may not realize that many countries have their own electrical outlets. What does this mean to you? The plugs you use to power your devices might not work.
You approach this issue in a couple of different ways. USB ports are becoming a global standard, and they are the same everywhere. When you travel to hotels, hostels, and business centers with USB ports built in, you will have the juice needed to keep your devices working. This is another reason a smartphone is the most logical choice for travel. You can power your device with USB, eliminating the stress of finding the right plug. Alternately, you can buy a power plug adapter set that will connect your current plug into the proper outlet.
Protecting Your Device From the Elements
Something you can’t control is the weather. You also never know when you’ll wind up in the great outdoors or on top of a mountain. As a guest in a foreign land, you’ll receive invitations that you’d seem impolite to refuse. Plus, you want these unforgettable experiences while you’re traveling the world.
What you must do in anticipation of such chaotic travels is protect your devices. If you choose to carry a laptop, consider a protective shell or always store it in a carry-on. For a smart device, you’ll need a case or folder that protects the screen from catastrophes.
Plan for Emergencies
Even if you follow all these suggestions, you’ll still have to plan for the unexpected. You never know when you might drop your hardware or have your luggage lost. A thief might even steal your expensive technology. As such, you have to think about contingencies. Another benefit of a cell phone is that if it does get stolen, you can enable the Find My Phone app to locate your missing device. Smartphones offer the best overall protection during international travels.
Visiting a foreign country is a wonderful opportunity for unforgettable memories. You still need to do a bit of planning, though. Follow these suggestions to avoid international pitfalls with your hardware.