Fast access to data is especially important when traveling and you can’t always rely on public Wifi. So if you’re planning a trip to Japan, or have one coming up soon, you’re probably considering which eSIM or Pocket Wifi service is best for you. As there are several service providers covering the Japan market with similar looking packages, how do you know which one to use? In this article, we’ll introduce Orange Travel’s eSIM, which we’ll be calling Orange eSIM for short, and provide our experience when testing it in Japan.
First, what is an eSIM?
An eSIM is a virtual and digital version of the physical SIM cards that we have in our phones. It’s compatible with most phones released after 2020 which have a small chip inside that supports eSIMs. When travelling abroad, eSIMs are extremely convenient, as you can switch from your regular SIM card to the eSIM without the hassle of having to take out the original physical SIM. eSIMs are also in general much cheaper than using your providers’ international data roaming services – if you check your provider’s rates, you will see that some charge just under £9 for under 500MB of data.
What’s the difference between an eSIM and Pocket Wifi?
As time goes on, more and more people have tried an eSIM, however we realise that some may still be used to a tried and tested method. A Pocket Wifi is a portable battery powered router often about the size of a smartphone that provides Wifi for your phone or tablet. Since it can be used for multiple phones and devices, it can reduce costs if you’re traveling in a group or as a family, especially if your group is often consuming data on their phones!
The downsides are that you’ll need to keep the Pocket Wifi device battery charged, and once it runs out of battery, you won’t have Wifi connection which can be problematic when trying to find a restaurant or your hotel in the evening. The other drawback is that you’ll need to return your Wifi device before leaving Japan which can be inconvenient.
This is why for this article writer, I would recommend using an eSIM in Japan, and in fact always use one myself when on my Japan trips and whenever I go traveling in the world. Some may say that Pocket Wifi will save money if you heavily use data (as I do) but in Japan, you’ll be able to use your accommodation Wifi at night for uploading sightseeing photos and videos or sharing them with your family, friends and of course social media.
Who is Orange Travel?
Orange is a French company which operates as a network provider in 30 countries, serving 280 million customers worldwide, while Orange Travel is their mobile offer designed for travelers, allowing them to purchase ready-to-use prepaid eSIM cards via their mobile app or online.
What Data Plans and Regions are available with the Orange eSIM?
Orange Travel is known for its high-quality network and partners with only the most reliable local carriers providing coverage in over 100 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Africa. In Asia, you can use the Orange eSIM in Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
When traveling in Japan, the Orange Holiday Japan package offers seamless connectivity with 10GB at 4G/LTE speed and has a 14 day plan for 24.99 Euros. These packages like other providers are data only, however as most users know, you can still make calls through WhatsApp and other SNS with call functionality. So as long as you’re keeping scrolling of social media and TikTok to places where you can access Wifi, 10GB should last you the full 2 weeks, but remember you can easily purchase a top-up if you run low.
Another option is the Orange Holiday World package, which also comes with the same speed, data, and 14 day usage plan as the Orange Holiday Travel package. It costs 44.99 Euros which may seem expensive at first, however the Holiday World package is one to consider if you’re going to be traveling to multiple countries on your trip. For example, Japan plus a stopover for even a day in another country like South Korea or Singapore. So, instead of the hassle of purchasing multiple eSIMs, you get just the one Holiday World eSIM which will save you from buying 2 plans or buying several 1 GB plans, that inevitably end up costing you more.
Finally, while they are not plans you can use in Japan, if you are traveling in Europe, it might be worth considering the Holiday Europe packages, since you can choose plans between 1GB and 70GB depending on your data consumption, and like a regular SIM you can get unlimited calls within Europe and up to 120 minutes of call time included when calling outside of Europe. These offers are subject to change, but Orange Travel frequently runs promotions on its offers which you can see on their website.
Compatibility & Coverage
Before buying an Orange eSIM, you should check if your device can use it. Most new smartphones will work with eSIM technology. This includes iPhones starting from the iPhone 11 and XS models, Google Pixels from Pixel 3 and newer models, and Samsung compatible models start from the Galaxy S20. You can look at your device’s details or visit the Orange website, which has a list of all major phone brands and tells you which models are compatible.
Orange is a strong network that provides reliable data speeds from 4G and above. In Japan, you will find good coverage pretty much in all the cities and most of the countryside unless you’re getting into the mountains. Orange network partners in Japan are KDDI, NTT Docomo, and Softbank. The first two have 4G, 5G and LTE coverage, while Softbank provides either 4G or LTE.
How to purchase an Orange eSIM
Buying an Orange eSIM for your trip to Japan is easy! You can go to the Orange website or download the Orange Travel app from the App store or Google Play, and take a look at the different eSIM card options for your trip. After that, choose the one you like and make your purchase. A nice touch about Orange Travel is when you check the plans on the app, it will tell you if your device is compatible with the eSIM plan.
Step-by-Step Activation Process
Activating your Orange eSIM is simple even if it’s your first time to use an eSIM. We would recommend downloading the app, and then you can easily follow these 9 steps below to activate your eSIM.
- Before making a purchase, you’ll need to sign up to Orange Travel using your email address and mobile number. A validation code will get sent through to your phone.
- Make a purchase on the Orange Travel app, and you’ll see your screen with your payment summary once your payment has been accepted.
- On this screen, you’ll also see that you can install now or later. Click on the Install now button to use your eSIM immediately.
- Please remember that your eSIM can only be used for a limited number of days. So do not install your eSIM until the day of traveling to Japan.
- Once you install your eSIM, you will see a reminder of your plan plus the pin code.
- On the next screen, activate your eSIM and press Continue once it is ready. You will then be prompted to unlock your new eSIM.
- Open your device’s settings and find “Mobile Service.”
- Find your new eSIM and tap on it. You can tap on the Mobile Plan Label and rename this eSIM to something easy to remember. In our case, we changed it from “Business” to “Orange” to distinguish from our regular EE SIM. Note that you will have a French phone number (+33) showing as ‘My Number’.
- If you did not already unlock your SIM PIN, scroll down and tap on the SIM PIM where you can enter the PIN.
For us, it took about 1 minute for the eSIM to start working after we turned off our regular SIM. Remember that while in your Mobile Service, you need to tap on the Data Roaming and set it to “on” (so the toggle should be on the right side and showing green) as without this you can not use data.
After that, you are set up for using data during your trip without needing to hunt for a local SIM card or Portable Wifi device once you get to the airport in Japan and turn off your regular SIM.
Our experience using the Orange eSIM
We tested the eSIM both in the UK using a 1GB plan, and in Japan using the 10GB Orange Holiday Japan plan. In both situations we found the process to signup and activate the eSIM straightforward using an iPhone. Personally, I found the activation process to be explained better than other eSIM service providers I’ve used, and apart from the detailed instructions, I liked how there were no hidden costs.
Coverage was excellent when using the Orange eSIM in Japan – we had 4G coverage from Orange Travel’s partner SoftBank, which is a leading phone network in the country. When using the eSIM, we could use social apps like Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook smoothly, and it was extremely fast to load new posts.
Most importantly for travel purposes, we found that the map apps worked very well and we could browse the internet and use WhatsApp just like with a normal phone SIM. One thing to mention is that it does take 30 seconds to 1 minute for the eSIM to connect. So don’t worry if you do not get coverage within the first few seconds of activation. If you’ve used an eSIM before, you’ll know this is par for the course, and you just need to be patient.
We should also mention that when checking online, we discovered some worrying reports of issues of inadequate customer support. So we tested this by being a mystery shopper and asking some questions about mobile coverage in Japan. What we found was Orange Travel’s customer support was quick to respond when we sent through queries both their website online chat and by email.
Overall Verdict
Orange eSIM is a great choice for travelers going to Japan. It is easy to set up and works with many devices – it’s great that the Orange Travel websites let you quickly check if your mobile device is compatible. Having an eSIM in general will help you have a smooth experience while you’re exploring Japan, and you can stay connected while on the go even when public wifi is not readily available (or not accessible if you don’t have a Japanese mobile phone).
What makes Orange eSIM stand out is firstly how quick it is to set up the first time, and how strong the connectivity is – allowing you to stay in touch when you’re on the go. On top of that, the Orange Holiday Japan plan is extremely reasonable – giving you 10GB for costing less than £1.50 a day. It’s great to see the Orange Holiday World plan too – which allows you to use one eSIM if you’re traveling to one or more countries before getting to Japan or on the way back home.
We hope you found this article helpful and you’re now aware of the services and mobile plans available with Orange Travel.
All information is accurate as of the date of publishing the article, but we would recommend checking the Orange Travel website for the latest information.
For disclosure, this is sponsored content, however we tried and tested the Orange eSIM ourselves and provided our honest opinions about the Orange eSIM and eSIMs in general from our past experiences using them in Japan. When you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you.
Finally, if you’re thinking of visiting Japan, but not sure when the best time to go, please check out our article, When is the best time to visit Japan? For those who are interested in Japanese Food, do explore our food section. Or you can head to our Instagram account for posts of fantastic restaurants, festivals, and travel experiences.
