Maya Mobile eSIM (2026) review | Daily Reports Online

Why you can trust TechRadar

We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Ever since I first came across eSIMs and the whole concept around them, one thing remained consistent in my head. Which eSIM is best for which country?

For example, three years back I decided to go backpacking in Northern Thailand. And before I boarded my flight from New Delhi, India, I went through more than 12 eSIM providers.

Well, I ended up not being convinced by any of them cause after Thailand, I wanted to visit Cambodia and Vietnam, and there was no eSIM that made a lot of sense based on the data and the cost.

Maya Mobile: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Maya mobile)

Let’s start with the pricing first. There are currently only four Maya Mobile plans for users:

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Validity	Price
3 days	$9.99
7 days	$19.99
14 days	$27.99
30 days	$49.99

All four include the same global coverage, and Maya doesn’t charge differently depending on whether you’re visiting Thailand, Japan, the US, or France. A “day” is a full 24 hours from when the plan starts. There’s no mandatory subscription either, although Auto Top-Up can be enabled if you want another plan purchased automatically when the existing one expires.

Now, this makes the plan super simple, but is it flexible and customizable? I have my doubts.

Say you’re taking a five-day holiday. You still need the seven-day plan. Travelling for ten days? The 14-day plan it is.

The limitation becomes even clearer when looking at the US. According to the US National Travel and Tourism Office, the average overseas visitor stayed 16.9 nights in the United States in 2025. That’s already longer than Maya’s 14-day package, pushing an average-length visitor all the way up to the $49.99 30-day plan.

That’s probably my biggest problem with Maya’s new pricing model. The company says you “only pay for the days you travel,” but technically, you only pay for the Maya-defined blocks of days surrounding your trip.

You’ll also find older reviews online praising Maya for letting users choose different amounts of data and validity periods. Keep in mind that those reviews can describe the previous service. Maya itself confirms that the May 2026 platform is a new system, while old plans remain on Legacy Maya.

There’s also a Global + Cruise option for travelers who need connectivity at sea, but that starts much higher at $49.99 for three days.

You can check out Maya Mobile by clicking here.

Maya Mobile: Features and specs

(Image credit: Maya mobile)

Now, it’s tempting to blame this on Maya using one global eSIM or routing everything through some distant server.

But that’s not really what the signal bars tell us.

Your phone still needs to connect to a physical tower belonging to a network that Maya’s eSIM is authorised to use. If Maya can use AIS at that location but another eSIM can use a different Thai carrier with stronger coverage there, both phones can have completely different signal levels while standing next to each other.

So, a global eSIM isn’t automatically worse than a country-specific one. The roaming agreements behind it matter far more.

And Maya’s own troubleshooting guide indirectly acknowledges this problem. It provides instructions for manually switching networks and says a failure to connect can simply mean you’re in an area without service or that the local network is having problems.

That’s why I’d check the listed network for your destination before paying, especially if you’re travelling outside major cities.

Then there’s Maya’s use of the word “unlimited.”

This one gets confusing.

Maya’s current sales pages explicitly advertise unlimited data with “no caps or throttling.” Its May launch announcement makes the same claim.

However, Maya’s own Help Center says speeds may be reduced to 10Mbps after more than 3GB of usage in a day, and to 1Mbps if very high usage continues, with restrictions removed within 24 hours. Its legal terms separately mention a daily high-speed allowance before users move to standard-speed data.

Those statements don’t line up.

Your data isn’t cut off, so it remains unlimited in the literal sense. But I wouldn’t interpret “no throttling” as guaranteed unlimited full-speed data until Maya makes its storefront, Help Center, and terms agree with each other.

Finally, Maya is data-only. You don’t receive a local number, although you can keep your regular SIM active for calls and SMS and use apps such as WhatsApp, FaceTime and Google Meet through Maya’s data connection.

Maya Mobile: Customer support

Maya offers 24/7 WhatsApp support, alongside an online support-request system. That’s particularly useful for an eSIM because connectivity problems have a habit of appearing after you’ve already landed in another time zone.

The refund rules are fairly straightforward too.

If you haven’t consumed any data, you can request a refund within 30 days, although payment-processing fees may be deducted. The same applies if you discover that your phone is carrier-locked or incompatible.

If an activated plan is completely unusable because of a problem on Maya’s side, it says you’ll qualify for a full refund if support cannot resolve the issue within 10 days of the refund request.

Partial refunds are also possible for qualifying network problems affecting only part of an activated plan. Approved card refunds can take up to 30 business days to appear.

Is Maya Mobile worth it?

There are two very different ways to look at Maya Mobile.

If you’re constantly travelling between countries, I really like the concept. Install one eSIM, leave it on your phone, buy a plan whenever you travel, and forget about hunting for another provider each time.

But if I’m spending 10 days in just Singapore, I’d want to compare Maya with an eSIM that gives me access to the network with the strongest coverage where I’m actually going.

That’s where Maya’s simplicity starts becoming its limitation.

You don’t choose your data allowance. You don’t choose an exact validity period. You don’t choose between a cheaper Singapore-only package and a more expensive regional one. Everyone essentially gets the same global product.

So, before buying, I’d do two things. Check which network Maya uses in your destination and see whether one of its four validity periods actually matches your trip.

If both work for you, Maya becomes a very convenient travel eSIM.

If they don’t, having coverage in another 164 countries isn’t going to help much.

Maya Mobile: FAQs

Does Maya Mobile work in the USA?

Yes. Maya Mobile works in the United States and currently lists T-Mobile and Verizon as its 5G network partners there. Your phone must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked.

Which eSIM is best for all countries?

There isn’t a single eSIM that works in literally every country. For frequent international travel, a global eSIM is usually the most convenient option because one profile can cover a large number of destinations. Maya Mobile currently covers 165+ countries, but I would still check the available network partners for every important destination before buying. A country-specific eSIM can sometimes provide better network choice than a global package.

What is the disadvantage of eSIM?

The biggest disadvantage is that compatibility and network access depend on both your phone and provider. Your device needs to support eSIM and usually needs to be carrier-unlocked. Moving an eSIM between phones can also be less straightforward than physically moving a SIM card, and travel eSIMs may only have agreements with selected networks within a country. Apple, for example, notes that carrier support and device compatibility still vary by region.

Which country does not allow eSIM?

There isn’t a simple list of countries that completely ban eSIM anymore. Mainland China remains one of the most restricted markets, though. As of September 2026, selected newer iPhones can use eSIMs from China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom, but other iPhone models cannot install mainland Chinese carrier eSIMs. Apple also says eSIMs from foreign carriers cannot be installed while you are physically in mainland China.

Can I still use my WhatsApp with an eSIM?

Yes. Installing a travel eSIM does not change your WhatsApp number. With Maya Mobile, WhatsApp simply uses the eSIM’s data connection while remaining linked to your existing phone number. No additional WhatsApp setup is required.

Which Asia SIM card offers unlimited data?

Maya Mobile offers an Asia eSIM with unlimited data across its supported Asian destinations, along with hotspot support. However, “unlimited” doesn’t necessarily mean unrestricted full-speed data: Maya’s fair-use policy says speeds may temporarily fall to 10Mbps after more than 3GB of usage in a day, and potentially to 1Mbps if very high usage continues.

Which SIM card is best for international use?

For travellers visiting several countries, a global eSIM is generally more convenient than repeatedly buying local SIM cards. Maya Mobile is one option because the same eSIM can be reused across 165+ destinations. However, if you’re staying in one country for most of your trip, a local or country-specific SIM/eSIM may give you more choice over the carrier, data allowance and validity period.