WhatSim: The card that lets you access WhatsApp anywhere without a data connection
WhatsApp is the most popular mode of communication these days especially in Europe and India. The popularity of the app has now led an Italian company, Zeromobile, to launch a new WhatsApp specific SIM called WhatSim. WhatSim allows you to use WhatsApp messaging service even when you are on roaming without the need of data connection or a Wi-Fi.
According to Manuel Zanella , CEO of Zeromobile and the inventor of the card, “WhatsApp is the future of mobile communications. Its only “limit” is the data connection especially when you are traveling because the roaming charges are expensive and you can’t always find Wi-Fi everywhere and it is not always free. As someone who appreciates and uses WhatsApp, I tried to figure out how to get around this problem. That’s why WhatSim is an extraordinary opportunity for WhatsApp.”
Priced at EUR 10 (approximately $11/ Rs. 714.00), users will get a SIM card (standard worldwide shipping is EUR 5/$5.60/Rs. 350 approximately) unlimited text messaging for a year. While sending and receiving text messages, location updates, and contacts via WhatsApp is free, users will have to buy credits for sharing multimedia messages such as photos, videos, and voice messages. How much you get for your credits depends on where you are travelling.
Zeromobile says that as of now WhatSim is compatible with 400 operators across the world and works in about 150 countries. It easily connects to a provider network and in case you change your position, it automatically searches for a new provider. In case a provider with better signal is available, then it automatically connects by itself without the user even noticing it, explains the company.
The company says that WhatSim has neither has fixed costs nor monthly payments and it never expires, so you as a traveller can be in contact with your near and dear ones 24 x 7
However do remember that any multimedia messages which contains Photos, Videos, Audio Clips requires you to recharge with WhatSim credits and the usage of these credits will depend on the country/zone you happen to be in.
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For example, India has been designated as Zone 3 and users travelling to India will need 150 credits for photo, 600 credits for sharing video messages, 30 credits for voice messages.
Each recharge of €5 gets users 1000 credits and recharges can go up to a maximum of €50 (10,000 credits).
Zanella also plans to launch a special version of €5 /$.5.60 WhatSim cards inspired by Pope Francis and designed for those countries of the world that the UN calls the Global South.
Gloss