If you travel a lot and hate the hassle of finding a local SIM just to stay in touch, you should check out ChatSIM. Formerly known as WhatSIM, this SIM card offers unlimited instant messaging globally for a flat fee of just €10 per year. That’s roughly RM40 which is quite affordable for an extensive roaming coverage.
ChatSIM will be available locally soon as DirectD has been appointed as the official reseller in Malaysia. There are 2 SIM Cards available – ChatSIM and ChatSIM Plus, where the only difference is the list of supporting telcos and countries. For Malaysia, it is supported on the standard ChatSIM and it connects via Maxis network.
If you plan to get one, DirectD will be announcing its local retail price and its official availability within the few weeks to come. According to them, they will have a local ChatSIM site where you can purchase the SIM online. Alternatively you can also get it from their on ground stores once it is officially available.
In terms of usage, ChatSIM offers 24/7 access which keeps you connected without the hassle of hunting for free WiFi. By default you can send unlimited text and emoticons for free. If you plan to send photos, videos and audio messages, you’ll need to purchase extra credit which varies depending on which zone you’re in. A €10 top up gives you 2,000 credits and data usage is charged from as low as 50 Credit/MB (€10=40MB) to as high as 750 Credit/MB (€10=2.6MB).
It isn’t just limited to WhatsApp either as it also supports Line, Tango, Messenger, WeChat, QQ Chat, iMessenger, Yahoo Messenger, Skype, Telegram, Snapchat, Hangout, Viper, Twitter and ChatOn. If you’re wondering how is ChatSIM possible, the founding company ZeroMobiles has partnered with over 400 operators across 150 countries to provide a flat rate data service solely for instant messaging.
For more information, check out their official website.
