Getting Started with Tech: Your Phone

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This post is a part of the "Getting Started with Tech" series, where we discuss considerations for your essential tech needs.

Disclaimer: This post contains product affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links.

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It used to be that when someone took off to travel the world, they would send the occassional postcard home to keep in touch, personal letters from home were far and few between, and a long-distance phone call lasted minutes to avoid astronomical charges. In today's interconnected world, those days are long gone (unless you choose to go off grid). It is possible to make phone calls across thousands of miles using data services, video call into weddings and birthdays, and even provide real-time location data to your friends, family, and travel companions., all from the comfort of your smartphone.

Chances are your phone will be your most-used piece of tech. When it comes to choosing a phone for travel, here are some key things to consider:

• Universal SIM access (i.e. unlocked phone): You want an unlocked phone. Your carrier's international phone plan may seem appealing, but once you start comparing costs, you will find it is obscenely expensive. Verizon, for examples, offers your phone plan (or a version of it) internationally for just $10 a day. That sounds great until you realise that is $300 a month. Yikes! Instead, get an unlocked phone (or get your phone unlocked). In almost every Western country, phone carriers are required to unlock your phone upon request, so this shouldn't be a major obstacle. Once your phone is unlocked, you can just switch out "local SIMs" on the road for much cheaper (Vodafone offers 150 GB of data, 300 international minutes, and unlimited national texts (for whichever country you got the SIM) for one month for just 20 Euros!). You can also get an eSIM, which is essentially the same as a local SIM, but you download it instead of getting a physical card. They often don't come with calls and texts, but you can easily make these using data service anyways. Holafly is a great option for this (in most countries). (In fact, you can get a discount on Holafly by clicking here).

• On-board storage (or ability to use an SD card): You need as much of this as possible as a general rule. In today's world, everything is on our phones: Netflix, Instagram, those photos from your Cabo vacation five years ago that you never offloaded. When you are traveling, the last thing you want in the middle of your deep-sea Mediterranean fishing trip is to run out of phone storage right as you land "the big one." The good news is most phone come with a lot of storage. Like, A LOT. It used to be that 64 GB was the high end; now it is the low. You can easily get 128, 256, or even 512 GB on a phone with no problem. If you are a fan of the iPhone or Good Pixel series, you definitely want to get the high end, because these don't accept SD cards. If you have another phone, chances are it has an SD card slot. As long as you are willing to keep up with multiple cards, these are great, as you can just replace them as they get full.

• Processor and RAM (random access memory): Why do we think of these things with computers but not phones? As a traveler, you DEFINITELY want to think about these on your phone. Having a slow phone or one which can only handle a couple of apps open at one time can get incredibly frustrating when you are out on that pub crawl exchanging contact info, social media handles, and pictures with your best friends that you just met. It is even more frustrating when you're trying to capture that fleeting moment and your phone has to buffer. If you have one of the big-name phones (i.e. iPhone, Pixel, or Galaxy), chacnes are this is something you won't have to think about. These phones are geared toward the younger, constantly-connected generation and interoperability with their respective software suites. If you have another brand, like LG, Motorola, or HTC, have a look before you buy to make sure they will be able to keep up with rapidly-changing travel demands.

• High-definition camera: Even if you are a photography guru with a DSLR, Sony Cyber-shot, extra lenses, and EMP-proof camera case, you will still be snapping stills with your phone (have you ever tried to steady a camera while on camelbak cresting a sand dune?!). Like most of the above considerations, your phone can do wonders for your Insta profile or travel blog. A good Sony Cyber-shot in 2014 had a 3 megapixel camera. In 2019, getting 12 megapixels on a phone became pretty much standard (if not the low end), the big-name phones nowadays come with .5 zoom lenses, and the zoom on the iPhone 14 simply cannot be beat (sorry, Pixel lovers, it's the truth). All of that without any extra lenses or kit. While you definitely do not want to ditch your camera setup if you are a photography person, be sure not to skimp on the phone camera.

Parting Thoughts

Phones are our lifelines these days. We use them for everything. Work, play, keeping up, memorialising our breakfast for our grandkids to see, we do everything with these small devices that are on us 24/7/365. When you are traveling, they take on added importance as you try to pack light and still keep everything you need. When decided on a phone, it is important to remember that you will be relying on it constantly. You want one that you are comfortable with, can keep up with your tech demands, and provides all the functionality you could possibly want. Once you get these few simple things right, you are ready to take on the world without missing an interconnected, social-media-ready beat!