Topic Wiki

*=More info below
Company  Price  Sim  Talk/SMS  Web  Free Int'l  Signup Bonus  Israeli CC  Real TZBlackerry
Hot99₪49₪Unlimited3GB31 countries49₪/6 months*  Yes*Yes*
Golan99₪49₪UnlimitedUnlimited  53 countries  ₪59 /1st yearYesNoNo
01292₪Unlimited3GB42 countries*44₪/6 months  YesYes29₪
Rami Levy89₪59₪Unlimited1GB  No1₪/3 monthsYesYesNo
PelephoneYes*Yes*Free
Partner129/135₪*0₪*Unlimited  1GB/3GBAdd'l 20₪NoNoNo*39₪
CellcomA lot of $180₪  NoNo75₪

Rule #1- The Israeli cell phone service market is difficult. But cheap.
Rule #2- It is illegal for a company to "lock you in" a contract. ALL plans may be cancelled at any time with no penalty. Though, they do prevent you from opening and closing plans by charging a sim card "fee". This fee must always be paid even if paid for once before, and ranges from 39₪ to 180₪.
Rule #3- For those places that need an Israeli credit card, you may need to get one from an Israeli bank with a passport and income information although YMMV.
Rule #4- It is rarely, if ever, worthwhile to rent a "vacation plan" or prepaid, as the price for a regular unlimted plan for a month is less that a vacation plan for a week. Get a GSM phone that covers 900/1800 bands and save your money
Rule #5- All Israeli plans, whether regular or prepaid, include free incoming calls/texts.

Hot- 99₪ a month - includes unlimited calls, text and data (3 gb, then slow) and unlimited to 32 countries. Free home internet supply included. They currently have an offer if you port a number from a different network, to get the first six months for just 49₪ a month. You can move your package to a 10₪ a month plan, which includes 50 minutes and texts. You can also freeze the line once a year for up to 3 months. Regarding signup- you can use an American CC and fake TZ over the phone as one user has done.

Golan - Service is passable, but can be subpar in certain areas. There are two plans with Golan. There's the 99₪ unlimited talk/text/internet/international calling plan, which also gives you up to 2 virtual foreign numbers. This plan also includes for many countries unlimited global data roaming (6GB high-speed), incoming calls & texts, and calls & texts to Israel. They also offer a ₪29 per day data-roaming plan which gives 100MB a day in these countries. These roaming options can be very useful for foreigners regardless of whether they need Golan for Israel. See their website for details.There's a promo deal to get the 99 plan for ₪59 /month for the 1st year. There's also a ₪10 a month plan, which includes 60 min for domestic/US & CA and landlines in many countries, unlimited SMS and 10 MB of Internet, with add'l mins ₪.18 domestic, ₪.08 to US/CA and landlines in many countries, and data ₪.09 /MB. Its great for those short trips here. SIM should work in an iPad for data; you can also order a car SIM which will allow you to have 2 SIMs which draw from same plan.
[To get the sim in the USA before your trip:  golanusa.net will ship it to you for $14 (more for rush) and the 49 nis for the sim. Golan bills on the 25th of the month.  The days before the first 25th are freeprorated.(So for a trip between the 26th and the 24th of the month, you don't pay the 59 nis or 99 nis plan fee.)]

012mobile - Runs on Partner service, you will get an 054 number (unless you ported). Unlimited - 49₪ for the first 6 months and 92₪ from thereon after for unlimited everything too. Includes 3GB Data and 500 minutes to US/CA (any phone) and 40 other countries (landlines only). 9₪ plan includes 60 minutes, 60 SMS, and 100MB data. Additional domestic minutes/SMS are ₪ .09, Int'l calls to to US/CA (any phone) and 40 other countries (landlines only) are ₪ .25 per min. Add'l data bundles are available starting from ₪ 19 for 1 GB. 5GB Laptop/Tablet (data only) is 98₪.

Pelephone - Online, they accept fake TZ and US CC.

Partner - 129₪ a month for unlimited talk, text, and 1GB. 135₪ for 3GB. Family plans are cheaper.Free sim for online orders. Extra 20₪/mo. for 500 min. int'l calling. Extra 39₪ for Blackberry. May need to give 500₪ deposit that you (may) get back when you cancel the plan.  One can freeze line without charges for up to 3 months when not needed (not sure if allowed more than once per 12 months).

Freedomhot.com - 2/19/2023 - They have local pickup in lots of major frum areas and delivery too. They accept US CC. Runs on Hot Mobile. Copying and pasting from their website.
All monthly plans include: Unlimited Calls & Texts to Israeli phone numbers Unlimited outgoing calls to USA and Canada and landlines to 33 additional countries.
Unlimited incoming calls and texts from anywhere in the world. Prices include all taxes.
59 Shekels - 70GB LTE Internet Data
79 shekels - 150GB LTE Internet Data
KOSHER - Voice Only - 64 Shekels
One-time SIM card fee: 49 Shekels
Optional: add a virtual USA number for $15 per month

Misc. Info
APN settings

On Hot Mobile you can check how much data was consumed either by downloading the app or by texting גלישה  to phone number 530 from your hot mobile phone,you can as well try calling this number *6733.

Note by Menucha:
Please note: as of 4/1/13, most carriers reduce period of intro rates and at times increased cost for monthly intro. I suggest we leave the above as is, but please keep in mind new changed, which are not negotiable and based on govt agreements. monthly flat rate is still great and same. (post intro)
Also, while reps wont tell you, typically you will get longer intro rate if you activate account on your own on line, and not via rep (phone or store). confirmed with carrier. Enjoy! flat monthly, even without intro rate is still one of the lowest you will come across in the west!

Israeli cellphone rentals:

1) Talkinisrael.com
Phone: +972587564477
Whatsapp: +972536299365
Email: info@talkinisrael.com 
if you should have any problems feel free to send me a pm and I will try to help you the best I can.
Plans for sale here are primarily for long term rentals.(students and the like.)


2) Israel Rent-a-cell SIM card or eSIM with calling and data. Also you can get SIMs for Israel Kosher phones!
Contact at Israelrentacell@gmail.com or WhatsApp 972-55-333-1234
Overnight or standard delivery in USA/delivery in Israel! Pickup locations in Lakewood and Israel.
* Unlimited calls and texts in Israel
* Unlimited calls to USA, Canada and landlines in 35 countries
* Unlimited incoming calls
* 70 GB of data (can add an extra 80GB of data)
* eSIMs available!
* Free voicemail
Student discount available, $29.97 monthly, including tax! Never surprise charges or hidden fees!

3) Cellular Israel - 072-224-3300 or 718-289-0195 Full Service - short term and long term, rent phones, Kosher phones, SIM cards, mifi devices, Waze by the day or month. American Customer Service!
info@cellularisrael.com

4) Simforisrael@gmail.com free delivery to anywhere

5) UnlimitedIsrael (DansDeals Advertiser with many positive reviews on DDMS & DDF) is the leading provider of SIM card & iPhone rentals for Israel in the US.
  • Unlimited calls & texts within Israel
  • Unlimited calling to the US and Canada
  • Lightning Fast 4G Internet Speeds
  • Unlimited 4G data
  • Sim Cards - $5/day
  • iPhones - $45/week
  • Kosher Phone - $4/day
  • Mifi Hotspot - $6/day
Use code SUAVE10 for 10% off any order
« Last edited by shmuelb on August 06, 2023, 12:48:30 PM »

Author Topic: Cell Phones in Israel  (Read 1354923 times)

Offline moe8555

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Apr 2014
  • Posts: 1303
  • Total likes: 155
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 11
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Israel
  • Programs: AA Platinum Pro, Virgin Atlantic Silver, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Sixt Platinum
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5900 on: January 21, 2024, 01:21:39 PM »
Call center and WhatsApp team also were unable to use the American CC.  Do any of the other companies offer an equipment summary page or some easy way of showing that the phone/IMEI is linked to the account you pay with the CC?  Amazing that only Pelephone appears to offer this basic feature...

Spoke to a manager at Hot Mobile today.  They take American cards and she claimed that customer service can get me an email confirming that my phone/IMEI is connected to my account/phone number should the need arise.  We'll see...

Offline moe8555

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Apr 2014
  • Posts: 1303
  • Total likes: 155
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 11
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Israel
  • Programs: AA Platinum Pro, Virgin Atlantic Silver, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Sixt Platinum
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5901 on: January 22, 2024, 04:31:13 AM »
https://talkphone.co.il/
This virtual provider also claims to accept American cards and would be willing to provide a written confirmation that your phone's IMEI was connected to their network as of a certain date if you need to file a CC insurance claim.  They run on the Pelephone network.

I'm surprised the issue of being able to use the cell phone insurance on a U.S. CC when in Israel hasn't come up before.  Are people just assuming it's impossible?  Or am I overthinking this and it's super easy to file a claim even without having proof that the phone was being used on the network?

I checked with the company that does the phone insurance for Citi Prestige and they confirmed non-U.S. cell phone providers/bills are also covered as long as I can provide the documentation they ask for (which, of course, includes proof of the phone being connected to the network/line that was paid with the card).  Same answer from the company that does it for Amex.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2024, 04:34:31 AM by moe8555 »

Offline yfr bachur

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Sep 2018
  • Posts: 1054
  • Total likes: 1245
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Yerusholayim -> נחליאל
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5902 on: January 22, 2024, 05:05:54 AM »
Call center and WhatsApp team also were unable to use the American CC.  Do any of the other companies offer an equipment summary page or some easy way of showing that the phone/IMEI is linked to the account you pay with the CC?  Amazing that only Pelephone appears to offer this basic feature...

Cellular Israel offers Esims. It's a frum owned Co, and personal enough that if you explained to them what you need they can create it for you.
If you have a problem getting through to someone who can help you there, PM me. (I am NOT affiliated at all, just know them from the neighborhood)

I'm surprised the issue of being able to use the cell phone insurance on a U.S. CC when in Israel hasn't come up before.  Are people just assuming it's impossible?  Or am I overthinking this and it's super easy to file a claim even without having proof that the phone was being used on the network?
Israel phone worth enough to bother with insurance.
Sufficient US funds to pay Israeli bills with US CC.
This is a very small niche population.

Offline mevinyavin

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Sep 2022
  • Posts: 1625
  • Total likes: 2175
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Laptop help/deal request template
  • Location: Yerushalayim
  • Programs: Windows 10 and 11 Home, Word/Excel/Publisher 2021, Wordweb, McGill English Dictionary of Rhyme, VLC, Torat Emet, 7-Zip, Lightshot, Calibre, FDM, FreeFileSync, Teracopy, Handbreak, Lightshot
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5903 on: January 22, 2024, 09:25:51 AM »
Cellular Israel offers Esims. It's a frum owned Co, and personal enough that if you explained to them what you need they can create it for you.
If you have a problem getting through to someone who can help you there, PM me. (I am NOT affiliated at all, just know them from the neighborhood)
+1
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline moe8555

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Apr 2014
  • Posts: 1303
  • Total likes: 155
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 11
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Israel
  • Programs: AA Platinum Pro, Virgin Atlantic Silver, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Sixt Platinum
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5904 on: January 22, 2024, 10:12:58 AM »
I found the "right person" at Pelephone who was able to arrange for the monthly bill to be paid by my Citi Prestige.  I had a good feeling it would come down to this, since many things in Israel work that way.  Note that you still need a teudat zehut and Israeli credit card to initially sign up and pass activation, so this won't help for tourists.

Basically, the barrier to entry was that Pelephone typically only bills as a "horaat keva" via credit card, which only Israeli cards support.  This representative was able to add my Israeli CC as the "primary" form of payment to establish the horaat keva, but then add an additional payment date at an earlier date before the horaat keva kicks in and link all payments on that date to my Citi Prestige.  The payment on the earlier date is treated as a regular charge, so it works with an American CC.  Then, when the regular horaat keva payment date rolls around, the bill shows as paid in full/0, so it doesn't attempt to charge the Israeli card, yet the requirement to have a horaat keva setup is still fulfilled.

I give the guy a lot of credit, I don't think I would have thought of such a workaround - he definitely earned his sale!  So now I will have a full "equipment summary page" equivalent to show that my phone is linked to the bill/number and our phones will be covered!
« Last Edit: January 22, 2024, 10:16:12 AM by moe8555 »

Offline Chaimel6

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: Oct 2013
  • Posts: 50
  • Total likes: 39
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5905 on: February 05, 2024, 10:21:17 PM »
1. What sim card do you recommend for a few days in Eretz Yisrael, and a few days in the UK?

2. Where can I rent a device in Lakewood (without a browser) that will provide a hotspot for my laptop in EY and the UK?

Offline Kmusic22

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: Jun 2022
  • Posts: 77
  • Total likes: 36
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Lakewood NJ
  • Programs: Bmg
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5906 on: February 06, 2024, 02:56:27 AM »
Try BestTel communications in Lakewood 732-719-8044
Let us know what they offer.

Offline Chaimel6

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: Oct 2013
  • Posts: 50
  • Total likes: 39
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5907 on: February 06, 2024, 05:48:09 PM »
Besttel Communicatios rents Cell Phones, Sim cards, and hotspots for international use.

Offline Kmusic22

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: Jun 2022
  • Posts: 77
  • Total likes: 36
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Lakewood NJ
  • Programs: Bmg
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5908 on: February 06, 2024, 06:17:54 PM »
1. What sim card do you recommend for a few days in Eretz Yisrael, and a few days in the UK?

2. Where can I rent a device in Lakewood (without a browser) that will provide a hotspot for my laptop in EY and the UK?
Besttel Communicatios rents Cell Phones, Sim cards, and hotspots for international use.
Does that work for you?

Offline Chaimel6

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: Oct 2013
  • Posts: 50
  • Total likes: 39
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5909 on: February 07, 2024, 02:15:40 PM »
I ended up getting a phone and a sim card from BestTel Communications, and an international hotspot from Amazon.

SIMO Solis Lite 4G LTE WiFi Mobile Hotspot, Local & International Coverage Router, Multi-Carrier Access, No Contract or SIM Card Required, 10 Connected Devices, 1GB/Month Lifetime Data

Reviews indicated that it worked for people both in London and Israel. Additional data available for a fee.

I paid $159.99, but it sometimes goes on sale on Amazon for less.
« Last Edit: February 07, 2024, 02:18:53 PM by Chaimel6 »

Offline Hidden

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Posts: 743
  • Total likes: 4
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5910 on: February 07, 2024, 02:35:05 PM »
I ended up getting a phone and a sim card from BestTel Communications, and an international hotspot from Amazon.

SIMO Solis Lite 4G LTE WiFi Mobile Hotspot, Local & International Coverage Router, Multi-Carrier Access, No Contract or SIM Card Required, 10 Connected Devices, 1GB/Month Lifetime Data

Reviews indicated that it worked for people both in London and Israel. Additional data available for a fee.

I paid $159.99, but it sometimes goes on sale on Amazon for less.
Looks like a great idea for a waze only device, or a car tracker

Offline mevinyavin

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Sep 2022
  • Posts: 1625
  • Total likes: 2175
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Laptop help/deal request template
  • Location: Yerushalayim
  • Programs: Windows 10 and 11 Home, Word/Excel/Publisher 2021, Wordweb, McGill English Dictionary of Rhyme, VLC, Torat Emet, 7-Zip, Lightshot, Calibre, FDM, FreeFileSync, Teracopy, Handbreak, Lightshot
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5911 on: February 08, 2024, 04:49:14 AM »
Reviews indicated that it worked for people both in London and Israel. Additional data available for a fee.
Wow, they even charge for more information on the product!? Everything is being locked behind a paywall these days...

 :P
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline PlatinumGuy

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Apr 2011
  • Posts: 14958
  • Total likes: 2421
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 11
    • View Profile
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5912 on: February 19, 2024, 06:00:40 AM »
Are there any Israeli cell providers that offer plans with more than 500 minutes to foreign numbers?
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Online Darth1

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Mar 2017
  • Posts: 405
  • Total likes: 104
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5913 on: February 19, 2024, 07:03:05 AM »
Are there any Israeli cell providers that offer plans with more than 500 minutes to foreign numbers?
FreedomHot 59 Shek: Unlimited talk text, Unlimited talk int'l. 70gb data.
TripleTel 79 Shek:  Unlimited talk text, Unlimited talk text to USA, virtual USA number. 5gb data.

Offline PlatinumGuy

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Apr 2011
  • Posts: 14958
  • Total likes: 2421
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 11
    • View Profile
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5914 on: February 19, 2024, 10:46:16 AM »

Thanks but both say LTE. Looking for 5G
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline Moshe Green

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Dec 2021
  • Posts: 1054
  • Total likes: 936
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Israel
Re: Cell Phones in Israel
« Reply #5915 on: February 19, 2024, 12:46:50 PM »
Thanks but both say LTE. Looking for 5G
There isn't much 5G in Israel anyways.