Are you going to be traveling? Of course you are going to take your iPhone with you. But before you do, here are some things you should check out so that your iPhone is safe, you don't end up spending a lot on roaming charges and everything is perfect.
1. AVOIDING ADDITIONAL CHARGES
One of the first things you have to do before you begin your journey is to turn off cellular data on roaming. Roaming Data charges are sky-high no matter who the provider is and if you don't want to burn a hole in your pocket, turn it off.
Also, turn off automatic updates, sync, iCloud etc. In fact, if you just switch off cellular data, everything gets done automatically.
GSM, Unlocked iPhones Are Better:
Being able to switch to a local GSM SIM is something that most non-iPhone users enjoy but if you have an unlocked iPhone, you are going to be happy about it. You can simply pick a local SIM card, insert it into your iPhone and get going.
Of course, with the iPhone 5, things can get a bit tricky because you need a nano SIM. But then, if you can get one, all the more better.
Subscribe to International Plans
There are some really decent International plans for texts, calls and data. If you are going to be abroad for a short time, switching over to International data plans could turn out to be beneficial.
Free Wifi + Skype
Skype: low-cost international calls. This is something everyone knows. And if you get free Wi-Fi, that's cooler! There are even apps that help you find free Wi-Fi sources in your vicinity. Make sure you load up your Skype account with some credit so you can make cheaper calls to home.
2. ACCESSORIES
Cover your iPhone with a good case. Dust, pollution and other problems are quite frequent when you are traveling. Making sure that your iPhone or iPad is covered well and protected well can save you a lot of time and problem in trying to fix an unresponsive home button or a malfunctioning display.
Chargers, Adapters
Chargers are the lifeline of iPhones and iPads. Of course, you can opt to go for additional juice packs like the Morphius Juice Pack we reviewed awhile ago. These will provide continuous charge support over the usual 8 hour period. You can go without charging your iPhone from a traditional power source for more than two days.
Adapters are a must-have for the voltage differences we have between countries and continents. You can of course get one from the local country but having them in advance sure saves money and time.
Carrying Pouches
Large bags or small poches - whichever carry bags you are comfortable with are a must-have if you want to carry your gadgets in a safe way. Depending on where you are going, opt for water-proof, dust-free and some hard-skinned bags or pouches.
3. APPS FOR PLANNING/GPS ETC.
Apps like TripIt are amazingly cool in keeping track of your flight bookings and other travel-related plans. When you are going on a tour, there are things you shouldn't forget to take and apps like Packing Pro which help you keep a track of all those things. More like a reminder app which aides in travel planning.
Offline Maps
Offline Maps like oMaps and Galileo Offline Maps are a boon if you rely on maps a lot. They are cool because you can access most of the information about where you are going without connecting to the network.
While most apps let you download a particular area, there are some city-specific maps which you can download so every inch of the data is available on your iPhone whenever you want.
Budget Control
Ah, of course. Money.
When you are traveling, you will need to keep a tab on how much you spend. Budget apps help you do this easily. There are also quite a few currency converters you can use when you are abroad.
Location-specific Apps
Like the city-specific Maps app, there are travel guides based on specific cities. For instance, you can find a lot of apps that act as travel guides for Madrid, or say, Hong Kong.
Just search for the city's name (the city where you are traveling, or the country where you are on tour) and you will find a lot of location-specific apps which can help you find interesting places to explore, routes to get there and other interesting tidbits.
Traveling with the iPhone could mean a real difference in the entire traveling experience because you've got so much info in your hand. Check out essential iPhone travel apps that you should use on your next trip
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