The last time I went to Germany, I had the chance to try another eSIM from Airalo. It was Airalo Hallo! Mobil eSIM. In the past, I already tried the Nomad eSIM for Germany, so I wanted to compare both products. My experience with Nomad eSIM in Germany is described in this article.
Which eSIM is better? Continue reading on to find out how Airalo Hallo! Mobil eSIM worked during my short visit to Berlin.
More about eSIM technology and other companies is in this article. In this blogpost, you will find advice on choosing a suitable product for a trip abroad.
Disclaimer: Some links in this article contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase any service, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Airalo Discount Code
If you use my Airalo code SANDRA4293 you can get $3 off or 15% discount (link to the discount here) on your first eSIM.
If you already have an existing account you can get 10% discount on eSIMs US$10+ using this link.
Airalo Applications
Airalo has apps where you can buy new plans or track the usage of your existing plans. Below are the links where you can download them:
For Google Play click here.
For Apple Store click here.
Airalo’s offering for Germany
Airalo offers three types of products for Iceland. The first product is Airalo Hallo! Mobile. It is a data plan specifically for use in Germany.
The second product type is Airalo Eurolink, which can be used in 39 European countries.
The third product is the global product Airalo Discover, which is intended for 127 countries (January 2024).
Detailed instructions on creating an account and buying a data package can be found in this article.
Prices
When I bought my eSIM in January 2024, Airalo offered six Hallo! Mobil products. Each product provided a different amount of mobile data – from 1GB (for $5) to 20 GB (for $26). The validity of the packages was from 7 to 30 days.
What phones support eSIM?
With this technology’s growing popularity, more and more phones and tablets are on the market that support it. When buying a phone, you should ask the seller if the phone supports eSIM. Airalo regularly updates the list of supported devices, so it is better to check their official support page.
Mobile operators in Germany and connection type
There are three mobile operators in Germany – O2, Telekom and Vodafone. The Hallo! Mobil eSIM can only be used in the O2 network.
Each German operator offers different coverage. If you plan to visit the whole country, check if the signal covers the area before you travel. It was easy for me, as I wanted to stay only in Berlin.
Connection type
Airalo lists 4G/LTE on its website. More and more operators are launching 5G networks, so you may see a 5G icon on your phone.
eSIM Activation
The activation and validity period of the data package will start as soon as the eSIM is connected to the O2 mobile network.
My experience with Airalo Hallo! Mobil
My data plan
For this test, I bought a data package with 1GB of data and a validity period of 7 days. The price of the package was $5. After applying the discount code, it is possible to have this package even for $2.
Network registration
My phone supports the use of two SIMs at once. Before leaving for Germany, I enabled Airalo Hallo! Mobil eSIM in the phone settings as the second eSIM.
After landing and parking the plane at the airport in Berlin, I watched how quickly both (e)SIMs could register into the mobile network. Both (e)SIMs registered into the German mobile networks almost immediately, and I soon saw the LTE+ icon.
Coverage
After passing the passport control, I tried to find the way to the hotel using Google Maps. Transportation options and the map loaded almost instantly. However, as soon as I went underground, where the train station was, the map loaded extremely slowly. While waiting for the train, I wanted to see what was new on the Internet. Unfortunately, not a single webpage loaded.
To solve the problem, I tried to manually select some other German mobile networks (Telekom, Vodafone) in the phone settings. As I assumed, it was not possible. In Germany, Airalo only supports the O2 network.
During the train journey from the airport to Berlin, a 5G icon appeared. But that didn’t mean that my Internet went faster. It took more than 5 minutes to load one internet page.
I had the same problem all over Berlin. According to the coverage map, Berlin should be well covered by 5G and 4G signals. But this does not mean data and Internet browsing would also work without problems.
Speed
After a horrible experience while browsing the Internet, I was curious about the downlink and uplink speeds offered by the O2 network. I was speechless. I did not expect to see 0.
After this disastrous experience, I complained to Airalo. They responded within an hour and apologised for the inconvenience caused by the slow speed. At the same time, they sent me 6 ideas that may solve this issue. One of the ideas was to manually select a 3G network. That really amused me. Many operators are in the process of turning off their 3G network, and the Airalo support team recommends switching the phone to a non-existent network.
Top-ups
Buying additional data was easy. After clicking on “My eSIM” and “Hallo! Mobil” I saw the offer for these packages. After payment, there is no need to install the eSIM again. The data was automatically added to the existing eSIM. Quite simple, isn’t it?
Application
The application simplifies the purchase and installation of eSIM products. After buying the Airalo Hallo! Mobil eSIM, I didn’t have to scan the QR code. I went to “My eSIM” and “Hallo! Mobil” and read the installation instructions.
After successfully installing the eSIM, the application said, “Your eSIM has been successfully installed.”
Conclusion
From the beginning to the end of my trip, my experience with Hallo! Mobil eSIM was disastrous. I could not use any application on my phone as most of them needed a working Internet connection. I suggest avoiding Airalo Hallo! Mobil eSIM based on my experience with the German O2 network. Unless Airalo changes the mobile network in Germany, I recommend using the Nomad Germany eSIM, where it is possible to switch to another network.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Three options – local Hallo! Mobil, regional Eurolink and global Discover eSIM | No Unlimited Data bundle |
| Different sizes of data offered – from 1GB to 20GB | Slow browsing and website loading |
| Different validity periods of data plans – from 7 to 30 days | 0 downlink speed |
| Simple process for top-ups | One 1 supported network – O2 |
| Outdated troubleshooting guide |
Great information shared.. really enjoyed reading this post thank you author for sharing this post .. appreciated