WhatSIM: A SIM card that promises free WhatsApp access globally without an Internet connection

Most of our non-verbal conversations happen over WhatsApp these days. The most important thing to stay connected on WhatsApp is a good Internet connection, which is a problem when you are traveling abroad. To solve this problem, an Italian company has launched a new SIM card that enables WhatsApp usage on the phone without an Internet connection. Calling it WhatSIM, the card will let you chat on WhatsApp for free in most parts of the world.

The inventor of WhatSIM is 38-year-old Manuel Zanella, who is also the founder of ZeroMobile, Italy’s first Global Mobile Operator for low-cost roaming. WhatSIM card connects WhatsApp in about 150 countries with more than 400 operators. WhatSIM costs €10 (shipping costs €5) which translates into Rs 1,075 approximately. After purchasing the SIM card, you can use it for a year without any additional subscription fee.

However, you will have to recharge the SIM card with credits if you need to send multimedia messages like photos, voice messages, location, contacts and videos. The recharge begins at €5 and the rates vary with geographies. India falls under Zone 3, where you would need 150 credits to send photos, 600 credits to send videos and 30 credits to send voice texts. The recharge window is currently shut and will begin on February 26 this year.

In a statement, the company explains how WhatSIM works, “Anywhere in the world it connects to the provider with the best coverage and signal right where you are. If you change your position, it automatically searches for a new provider. If a better one is available, it connects by itself without you even noticing it.”

This sounds similar to carrier tie-ups Amazon has done for its Kindle e-book reader models that come with cellular connectivity. Amazon has partnerships with carriers globally that let users access Amazon’s Kindle store and download e-books without having to pay for any data costs in most countries.

The advent of WhatSIM testifies the growing popularity and reliability on WhatsApp, which currently has 700 million monthly active users.

SOURCE:-BGRindia