The eSIM option (recommended for most visitors)
If your phone supports eSIM (most smartphones released from 2018 onward do), buying a US eSIM before you travel is typically the most convenient option. You activate it before you leave, switch to it when you land, and your home SIM stays active for calls and messages. Several providers sell US-focused travel eSIMs at competitive rates; data is typically the priority, with calls and texts handled through internet-based options like WhatsApp.
International roaming from your home carrier
Check your home carrier's US roaming rates before you leave — many now offer day-pass or trip-pass options that activate automatically when you arrive in the US and provide reasonable data and calls at a flat daily fee. For short trips this is often the lowest-friction option: nothing to buy, nothing to activate separately, and your existing number works unchanged.
Buying a US SIM card locally
T-Mobile and AT&T both sell prepaid SIM cards available at airports, electronics stores, and phone carrier shops throughout the city. This made more sense before eSIM became widely available — the process of buying, inserting, and activating a physical SIM in an unfamiliar system on arrival is more friction than most visitors need. Still worth knowing about if your phone doesn't support eSIM or you're on a longer trip where a month of US service makes economic sense.
Free Wi-Fi in New York
The LinkNYC programme replaced phone booths across the city with street-level kiosks providing free gigabit Wi-Fi — coverage is good in Midtown, Lower Manhattan, and along major commercial corridors. Subway stations now have Wi-Fi in most underground stations (though not on moving trains). Most cafés, hotels, and restaurants offer free guest Wi-Fi. For a short trip with a light data plan, patching between these free sources is workable; for navigation-heavy sightseeing, cellular data is easier.
Coverage
T-Mobile has the best overall coverage in New York City across all five boroughs. AT&T and Verizon are strong in Manhattan but can be weaker in parts of the outer boroughs. All three cover the main tourist areas reliably.