Opera adds free 3GB travel eSIM to its Android browser —and I've tried it

There's a lot of convenience and flexibility that comes with an eSIM, which is why phone manufacturers and consumers are adopting them more and more: they take seconds to set up, you can switch between them quickly, and you don't have to swap over any physical cards (or wait for one to arrive in the post). eSIMs are typically stored and managed via your phone's operating system, but third-party apps can configure them too.

Browser maker Opera has now added eSIM capabilities to its app on Android , and is even throwing in 3GB of free data for the first three days.

It's perfect if you're heading abroad in the near future. eSIMs are even more useful when traveling, as you can connect to local networks with minimal hassle — and thanks to Opera's new offer you'll be able to get online without paying anything or even entering an email address or payment details.

Too good to be true? I gave it a go to find out — but first, the small print.

Here's the deal Opera for Android now comes with an eSIM (Image credit: Opera) You can take advantage of this 3GB eSIM deal from Opera if you have a carrier unlocked phone that's eSIM compatible, and that's running Android 10 or later — so the vast majority of current handsets are going to qualify.

Opera hasn't suddenly become an eSIM company though: it's partnering with Holiday.com for this.

The 3GB of free data is available if you live in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, or Poland.

As mentioned above you won't have to enter any personal details, like an email address or your credit card information, to make use of the 3GB of data, and the allowance kicks in as soon as you're abroad.

Your free 3GB can be used in 47 destinations: Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Türkiye, the UK, and the US.

If you then decide to go on and buy an eSIM, you can make your purchase and use it in any location covered by Holiday.com (that's more than 150 countries ).

Plans are available with 3GB, 5GB, and 10GB of data, and last for 30 days after the first activation.

Opera says pricing is typically 33% less than with "other major eSIM providers", though you should of course do some shopping around before buying.

Like most travel eSIMs, this is a data-only deal.