Apple Removes SIM Card Tray On All iPhone 14 Models In US (macrumors.com) 153
Apple today announced that all iPhone 14 models sold in the U.S. do not have a built-in SIM card tray and instead rely entirely on eSIM technology. MacRumors reports: Tech specs on Apple's website confirm the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max are not compatible with physical SIM cards and instead have dual eSIM support, allowing for multiple cellular plans to be activated on a single device. An eSIM is a digital SIM that allows users to activate a cellular plan without having to use a physical nano-SIM card. eSIM availability is rapidly expanding, but the technology is still not available in all countries, which explains why iPhone 14 models will remain available with a SIM card tray outside of the U.S. for now. Apple's website has a list of carriers that support eSIM technology around the world. In the U.S., this includes AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular, Verizon, Xfinity Mobile, Boost Mobile, H2O Wireless, Straight Talk, C Spire, and some others.
Sounds good to me (Score:5, Interesting)
One less thing opening in a phone that can get water in it is a win for my book, and in the U.S. I imagine this means all models can work with any carrier, making it easier to switch.
Re:Sounds good to me (Score:5, Insightful)
>"One less thing opening in a phone that can get water in it is a win for my book"
I won't buy a phone that doesn't have an SD slot, so in my case, there is already an opening. And most of the models that have an SD slot use the same tray and opening for the SIM. I also insist on having an analog headphone jack, so that is another opening (somehow those seem to be water-resistant now, anyway).
A physical SIM card allows me to put my "service", instantly, into any phone (that has a SIM slot). And I can do so whenever and however I like. I don't have to go online and fill out some form. I don't have to enter a bunch of numbers (except initially). I don't have to go into some app and do something. I don't have to call my carrier and be on hold for an hour, either. It just works. My main phone dies? I just move the SIM into my previous spare phone, for example. I buy a new phone, I just move the card and I am done again. I want to borrow a device or try it on a tablet? Just pop the card in.
On the flip side- a physical SIM can be damaged and has to be physically acquired. My previous phone sometimes has problems the the service disappearing and I would have to remove the SIM and rub it a bit and insert it again. (Phone before it never a problem, phone after that never a problem. You can also have more than 1 line activated with eSIM, something previously only possible on rare phones that had multiple SIM card capability.
Doing a bit of research now, it looks like the process of activating an eSIM has been improved a LOT. I guess my conclusion is that it probably doesn't matter much anymore which you use. Each has a few advantages over the other, but nothing major. Unless you want multiple lines, I don't see eSIM as much of an advantage.
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I won't buy a phone that doesn't have an SD slot, so in my case, there is already an opening. And most of the models that have an SD slot use the same tray and opening for the SIM.
Indeed, but that doesn't mean it's good. I don't use the SIM in the SD slot for good reason. Every time you open it the tiny damn thing falls out. At least the SD sits in the tray better than the nano SIM does. SIM cards were a pain in the arse and I'm glad to not need them.
Using eSIMs these days is incredibly painless.
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I have to admit, it can be rather difficult to keep both of those tiny cards in the tray while getting them in the single slot.
Re:Sounds good to me (Score:4, Informative)
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I tried to an esim switch over the phone. Try to read the million digit code for the phone 1o times. Hours wasted.
When was this, when eSIMs came out? Let me tell you how I activated an eSIM:
Step 1: Scan QR code.
Step 2: Click ok.
Done. If you're on wifi with the device you're trying to activate the eSIM on then the additional step may be to screenshot the QR code and select the screenshot file rather than scanning it.
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Switched mine to eSim for both lines I have, it took 10 minutes. Sounds like an operator failure to me.
10 minutes... It takes 1 minute to put in a SIM. That includes me spending 30 sec's finding a pin to open the SIM slot.
Re: Sounds good to me (Score:5, Insightful)
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Huh? Without a sim, the phone still connects so you can phone 911
Nope does not "disable" (Score:2)
a phone is not "disabled" if you remove the SIM.
Look into faraday pouches - and if you get one make sure you test it as not all of them really work.
Re: Sounds good to me (Score:5, Informative)
It also means there's no way for an average person to truly disable their phone short of completely draining the battery.
You mean it might make the average person realize that’s already true? Remove the SIM from the phone you have on you right now and...
- You’ll still be able to make emergency calls
- Your location can still be triangulated thanks to the IMEI number your device continues to transmit even if the SIM is removed (i.e. the same number they use to blacklist stolen devices on networks, even if the thief swaps SIMs)
- A child you hand your “disabled” phone to can be up and running in moments by simply enabling WiFi
Removing the SIM is not nearly as effective as you think.You’ve been watching too many movies.
Oh, and draining the battery? Not as effective as you think either. For instance, even if you drain a modern iPhone until it powers down, it’ll still retain a reserve charge that can be used to trace it in the Find My network.
This is one of those instances where the “tin foil hat” crowd actually kinda has it right: anything less than a Faraday cage is an ineffective measure.
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It also means there's no way for an average person to truly disable their phone short of completely draining the battery.
You mean it might make the average person realize that’s already true? Remove the SIM from the phone you have on you right now and...
- You’ll still be able to make emergency calls
- Your location can still be triangulated thanks to the IMEI number your device continues to transmit even if the SIM is removed (i.e. the same number they use to blacklist stolen devices on networks, even if the thief swaps SIMs)
- A child you hand your “disabled” phone to can be up and running in moments by simply enabling WiFi
Removing the SIM is not nearly as effective as you think.You’ve been watching too many movies.
Oh, and draining the battery? Not as effective as you think either. For instance, even if you drain a modern iPhone until it powers down, it’ll still retain a reserve charge that can be used to trace it in the Find My network.
This is one of those instances where the “tin foil hat” crowd actually kinda has it right: anything less than a Faraday cage is an ineffective measure.
The tin foil hatters are right in this situation.
You can still get the IMEI, MAC and other unique identifiers without a SIM, but you've no idea who's they are because there is no database tying these to your name, unlike a SIM and phone number. Considering I can buy a phone from overseas, ship it over and set it up without Her Madge's govt knowing, but every SIM I buy has to be registered.
A phone with a SIM can be traced, a phone without a SIM is an anonymous blip in a sea of blips. It doesn't make it
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Before COVID when I travelled internationally, I would usually get a local SIM card and pop it in my phone.
I can't remember if the tourist SIM providers even support eSIM. In Japan they are special SIMs that for legal reasons can't make calls (just use Skype), they are data only. Even if they do, am I going to have to reconfigure it every single time I want to swap SIMs?
I don't buy the waterproofing argument. Everyone else manages to make waterproof SIM card trays with a simple rubber seal. My current Pixel
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One less thing opening in a phone that can get water in it is a win for my book, and in the U.S. I imagine this means all models can work with any carrier, making it easier to switch.
Erm... I just dont submerge my phone in water. Seems simple enough.
Also this can easily be used to make it hard to switch carriers, as which eSIMs you can utilised can be controlled in software.
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Nope. I was in England, Scotland, France and Germany about 4 months ago. I had no problems with setting up an eSim. They do sell iPhones internationally and Android phones also have eSim. Apple did it ... Google and Samsung are next. You know this.
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Many countries do not have vending machines, you have to go to a counter and speak to the staff who may not speak your language.
Vending machines are often out of order.
Vending machines or counters might require local cash which you may not have yet, not all of them take cards.
The online esim purchasing process is just as idiot proof as a vending machine, but it is not as time critical since you can do it days/weeks before you fly and only activate the esim when you're ready to use it.
Counters might be close
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Buying a foreign esim online before you go is great, several operators are doing this now. You can use it the moment you land and you can keep your home service active at the same time for roaming, or you can switch between different operators just by selecting them in a menu rather than having to open the fiddly sim tray and swap the tiny cards around.
The alternative is hunting around for a shop selling tourist sims (sometimes there are booths at the airport, sometimes not, sometimes if your flight arrives
International Travelers (Score:2)
Yeah, just let the Saudi state telco remotely program your phone when you get to the airport. That'll work out great.
I'm rolling my eyes at how astonishing this is.
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eSIM security (Score:2)
From this Reference: https://www.fiercewireless.com... [fiercewireless.com]
According to Entner, when carriers move to eSIM, hackers may continue to call them and ask them to transfer your number to a new device. He said hackers might be able to give the carrier the IMEI number for the new device and convince the customer service representative to make the change. It all depends on how lazy and how unmotivated the carrier employee is to actually follow the rules, he said. Sometimes these people are just trying to please the cust
Re: eSIM security (Score:2)
And by convince the customer service rep. I think he means slipping them a 20, or being related/acquainted.
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That has nothing to do with eSim vs. Sim. You can hijack a phone number to a new phone that way now with any phone.
i bet you can buy em with sim card trays (Score:2)
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Ya, maybe the SIM card tray attaches via a Lightning dongle ... :-)
Re: i bet you can buy em with sim card trays (Score:2)
Just avoid places like Iwish.
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you'll have no warranty through Apple
I'm the prince of Elbonia, traveling in your fine country. And now the phone you sold me in my home country has stopped working. Fix it or my father will ban your products from our country.
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The catch is that you'll have no warranty through Apple if you buy an international iPhone model while living in the USA.
Not quite correct. The initial, short-term warranty coverage that is included with device purchase sometimes still applies even if you buy an Apple device in a country other than your country of residence. It varies.
However, you can purchase AppleCare+ for any device you own, regardless of where the device was purchased. The only caveat there is that AC+ itself only applies for the country in which the AC+ coverage was purchased. So if you really want a for-sure warranty, wait 'til you bring your devi
What happens when your phone gets broken (Score:2)
How do you get the eSIM out to quickly move to another phone - say a cheap spare??
If I can transfer by calling the provider, then someone else can too.
I know the whole identity and address book in the SIM days are long gone, but having a physical module to control access to the network (or, rather, the benefits supplied by that setup) was one of the key reasons customers prefered GSM over CDMA networks. I can't quite see how eSIM differs from the old CDMA lock-in - anyone care to enlighten me?
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It's really fun when your phone breaks and your carrier won't let you sign in without a 2FA text, sent to your non-functional phone of course.
The fix for this usually is "go to the carrier's retail location with your government-issued ID". Ostensibly so they can talk you into buying another overpriced phone.
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with CDMA2000 you usually couldn't even use your phone on a different carrier.
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The eSIMs I've seen come with a card and QR code you can scan.
So delete old eSIM. Scan QR code, continue.
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You can already call the provider and transfer your service to a replacement physical sim, esim doesn't make things any worse in that regard.
The CDMA setup was a phone tied to a single service, esim lets you load multiple esims into your device and switch between them (having 2 of them active and any number inactive at any given time).
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How do you get the eSIM out to quickly move to another phone - say a cheap spare?? ...
By scanning the QR code again
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He's talking about transferring an esim from one phone to another. With a physical sim card, this is trivial. The same can not be said for esim.
"eSIM technology"??? (Score:5, Insightful)
Will this garbage never end?
There's no magic involved here; it's NOT some new "technology", that's just a garbage (probably trademarked) marketing buzzword for "we left out the card socket and SIM chip, and just use a chunk of EEPROM/FRAM/Flash and some software". The whole POINT of the SIM card was to make phones independent from providers, and allow users to have control over which provider was associated with the phone (the phone had to get the provider info from the SIM, in a standardized format, and therefore was forced to be provider agnostic). Once the provider info is in the phone's internal memory in the format preferred by the phone maker, it's only a matter of time before the phone maker colludes with a provider and the result is a phone no longer moveable from provider to provider at the whim of the phone's owner.
Typical Apple "innovation" - deprive the consumer of some actual hardware that provided actual flexibility and user-control, while saving Apple some money, and then sit back and smile while the bainwashed users, doing a perfect impression of junkies in need of a fix, flock to the nearest Apple store to over-pay for it, and then end-up deeper down the hole of a closed eco-system.
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...that's just a garbage (probably trademarked) marketing buzzword...
"...eSIM is a global specification by the GSMA..." [wikipedia.org]
...for "we left out the card socket and SIM chip, and just use a chunk of EEPROM/FRAM/Flash and some software"...
"...an eSIM is a virtualized SIM card profile installed onto an eUICC chip permanently surface mounted to a mobile device at the factory. [wikipedia.org]
The whole POINT of the SIM card was to make phones independent from providers, and allow users to have control over which provider was associated with the phone (the phone had to get the provider info from the SIM, in a standardized format, and therefore was forced to be provider agnostic). Once the provider info is in the phone's internal memory in the format preferred by the phone maker, it's only a matter of time before the phone maker colludes with a provider and the result is a phone no longer moveable from provider to provider at the whim of the phone's owner.
"...the eUICC chip used to host the eSIM uses the same electrical interface as a physical SIM as defined in ISO/IEC 7816. Once an eSIM carrier profile has been installed on an eUICC it operates the same as a physical SIM..." [wikipedia.org]
But I mean, don't let pesky facts get in the way of a good uninformed rant.
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What's the problem if a phone's owner doesn't want to switch providers exactly?
Re: "eSIM technology"??? (Score:2)
Typical slashdot response, too. Complain about old technology used to solve a problem that no longer exists being removed.
When carriers sold you your phone, and it was hardware locked to said carrier, the SIM card was a solution. These days, the manufacturer of the phone sells direct to many consumers, and is independent of the carrier. Therefore, having a software setting to control which carrier is used, in a user friendly manner, makes sense.
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The problem is that if you want to change devices with an eSIM, you can't just move the card between the old and new device. [...] Some carriers may charge you for the privilege.
And some banks charge you a fee for the privilege of using an ATM. Did we solve that problem by sticking to pneumatic tubes at local branches, or did we solve it by simply taking our business elsewhere in response to outrageous fees? The concern you’re citing is a business problem, not a technology problem, and that fee you’re worrying about? There’s nothing stopping it from happening to you right now.
I’ve personally had carriers refuse service when I transferred an existing, valid S
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it's NOT some new "technology"
Correct, it’s a GSMA-pushed industry standard from 2016 that’s seen widespread adoption, with over 1.2 billion eSIM-enabled devices in the wild as of last year and billions more on the way (estimates seem to suggest 3-7 billion devices by 2024, depending on who you listen to). Pretty much every flagship smartphone from every notable manufacturer seems to already support it, many of which have done so silently for the last few years. Apple, Samsung, Google, you name it. Check your own phone
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Once the provider info is in the phone's internal memory in the format preferred by the phone maker, it's only a matter of time before the phone maker colludes with a provider and the result is a phone no longer moveable from provider to provider at the whim of the phone's owner.
Sorry but that's horseshit. There's no scope for any collusion in eSIMs vs normal SIMs.
Typical Apple "innovation"
eSIMs are not an Apple innovation.
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'Typical Apple "innovation"'
Among the many things that Apple did not invent is eSIM.
Oh so wonderful and awesome (Score:2)
Until you run into that unforseeable situation where you must use a physical SIM card.
But the Apple fashionistas don't care (not to be confused with the average Apple users, who play second fiddle in Apple's eyes). Apple can sell a literal piece of plastic and the fashionistas would buy it up.
They have, multiple times. (Score:2)
current "pencil" [apple.com]
older equally ridiculous bullshit going back to the 80s [yugatech.com]
$10,000 gold plated watch, $1000 display stand, etc [medium.com]
They're worse than Scientologists in terms of cults.
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That's barely the start of wild, crazy, and obscure Apple branded products for die hard Apple fans. I remember Apple selling peripherals for Windows computers.
One memorable offering was an Apple "multimedia bundle" that had speakers and a CD drive which would interface to an expansion card, a card that most definitely was for a PC and not a Mac. A Mac didn't need a card for sound and a SCSI port, that was standard equipment. I wish I could find proof of that product existing somewhere on the world wide w
iPhone 14 for International travellers (Score:5, Insightful)
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I rather suspect Canadian iPhones are going to become a hot ticket item among Americans that need physical SIM support f
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eSims coiuld be problematic in Canada on account of federal laws that prohibit carrier locking.
What? eSIM no more locks your phone to a carrier than a standard SIM does. Replace the physical card with a reprogrammable chip. That’s all that eSIM is. It’s literally a virtual SIM card. It even uses the same physical interface in the hardware, which was spelled out with citations in a comment you personally replied to 20 minutes before you made this comment, so you should already know better.
Re:iPhone 14 for International travellers (Score:5, Informative)
As an international traveller, i prefer to buy a foreign esim online before i go. Then it works the moment you land, no need to find the counter at the airport and hope it's still open when your flight landed at midnight.
Instead of rejecting new technology, why not figure out how it can actually improve things?
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This site is full of miserable old fucks who can't handle slight changes to anything.
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The eSim only iPhone eliminates this possibility.
No it does not.
You simply activate the second eSIM.
You noticed that the new iPhone supports two eSIM's?
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As an international traveler, many of us are accustomed to entering certain foreign countries and buying a new local SIM card at the airport with about a two week lifespan. You just swap in the SIM card and you're in business in the new country. The eSim only iPhone eliminates this possibility.
How so? eSIM devices already do everything you suggest they don’t.
You can have more than one eSIM on a device and can swap on-device between plans just the same as you can with any dual-SIM device. You can add an eSIM in the airport even more easily than you can a SIM (just scan a provided QR code). eSIM is an international standard with widespread adoption and easier distribution thanks to its lack of physical parts that need to be distributed. I did a T-Mobile “test drive” from my unlock
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As an international traveler, many of us are accustomed to entering certain foreign countries and buying a new local SIM card at the airport with about a two week lifespan. You just swap in the SIM card and you're in business in the new country. The eSim only iPhone eliminates this possibility. The obvious solution is that if you really need an iPhone 14, then just buy it overseas where they come with dual SIM trays. Apple is being very short sighted by not making both available in the US.
Yes, for the next few years this will be extremely inconvenient.
However this will put a lot of pressure on phone providers to get their esim processes working (also for prepaid) and by the iPhone 17 or so it will probably be OK.
Until then, get an iPhone from Europe, if there's any likelyhood that you want to travel, it does esim and normal sim...
Long overdue (Score:2)
Sounds reasonable. No one is asking users to install a special magic card to use a wifi network - mobile should be no different. Authenticate and go.
...still waiting for them to remove... (Score:2)
I'm still waiting for them to remove the volume buttons and the power button. Maybe even the power port, too.
Now, I'm joking, but in all seriousness, they could remove the power slot and resort to wireless charging only. Furthermore, they could just make the volume buttons on-screen only. As for the power button, that becomes tricky.
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I know that even cars are switching many of their controls to touchscreens (something I hate) but some things are much easier when they have a dedicated hardware button.
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they could remove the power slot and resort to wireless charging only.
Could you then charge it and use it at the same time?
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Welcome to the past (Score:2)
Rotten Applesauce (Score:2)
So sick of these advertisements for rotten fruit. Has /. been bought out by Apple? Proprietary bullshit is not what open source is about.
I bought two 13 Minis last Xmas (Score:2)
And no, I do not recall exactly what problems we experienced. I've slept since then. From our home, we frequently cannot activate new phones, we have to go down to the Verizon store to activate them, or at least that's bee
More cost cutting but sims were becoming useless. (Score:2)
Re:will att lock the phone and not let you local s (Score:5, Funny)
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The customers know courage when they see it.
Re: will att lock the phone and not let you local (Score:2)
What would have been better is for Apple to not support a SIM tray at all; forcing all current carriers to lose lucrative iPhone customers or adopt eSIM tech which really is pretty cool. No longer having to go to a store to get a sim is awesome. Sucks they are not pushing the carrier industry forward like only they could. This decision blows on its face, but if it spurs better service management from all carrie
Re: will att lock the phone and not let you local (Score:2)
To me esim is one feature on the path of vendor lock-in.
You can check out, but never leave.
Re: will att lock the phone and not let you local (Score:4, Informative)
Quite the contrary, you can buy an esim online before you travel and it's working the moment you land, you can load multiple esims onto your device and switch between them whenever you want. I used to have a small bag of tiny simcards for travelling and it was quite a nuisance having to keep swapping them around.
The only minor inconvenience is that you can't easily swap the esim into another physical device - something the operators could easily solve if they wanted to.
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Sometimes, but not always. For example, in Spain, it's not possible to get an eSIM before traveling. I'm not sure if it's even possible to do eSIM on a prepaid plan actually. Other EU countries charge extra for eSIM if they offer it. Colombia also doesn't have eSIM (at least for prepaid).
I wish that my phone supported dual eSIM, while also keeping a physical SIM (ie, one of the SIMs can be either physical or eSIM, and the other eSIM only, rather than the current 1 physical + 1 eSIM). It would be nice to hav
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Commented elsewhere, but there are third-party eSim providers that have a pretty good price. I used Airalo (https://www.airalo.com/) last time I was traveling in Europe and it worked really well. Got the regional eSim and had no problem when moving between countries.
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I had a look just now and of all the visitor SIM providers in Japan I found, only one offered eSIMs. And they were not a very good deal.
Maybe that will change now due to Apple, but at the moment it severely limits your choice.
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I've used Airalo when traveling recently and they're pretty awesome for eSims. Can buy a regional data eSim for pretty cheaply (at least compared to the outrageous Verizon international pricing), and they also do country-specific eSims: https://www.airalo.com/japan-e... [airalo.com]
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Thanks. They only do 3GB max though, in Japan you can get "unlimited" data for that much, or a fixed 30GB.
Re: will att lock the phone and not let you local (Score:3)
Not being easily able to swap the esim to another device stops you from testing the esim in another device.
"Hello, customer support, sorry for your 17 hour hold, we are experiencing an unexpectedly number of calls! You say you have 7 esims that work perfectly on your device but ours doesn't. It is your device that is at fault, factory reset it and I am sure it will fix the problem. If you have any further problems, please go to our web page. Thank you. Goodbye."
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Today it's no longer possible to buy a prepaid without identifying yourself where I live in Europe thanks to all criminals using that.
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Quite the contrary, you can buy an esim online before you travel and it's working the moment you land, you can load multiple esims onto your device and switch between them whenever you want. I used to have a small bag of tiny simcards for travelling and it was quite a nuisance having to keep swapping them around.
The only minor inconvenience is that you can't easily swap the esim into another physical device - something the operators could easily solve if they wanted to.
And you're assuming that you'll be able to easily get e-SIMs in other countries.
Seeing as Apple are well known for how well they utilise common standards I see this as a way to force Iphone users onto specific carriers (who pay Apple for the privilege). You want to use Plusnet... Sorry, that is not supported by your "Apple Iphone(TM)". Extra points for putting a Vodafone ad into the message.
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To me esim is one feature on the path of vendor lock-in. You can check out, but never leave.
That's why you don't "purchase" one of their locked up phones. Buy an unlocked phone from the manufacturer, Best Buy, Amazon, wherever. There's a reason the providers offer phones at such a low price -- they will recover more than what it costs them by you being locked into a contract for three years or so.
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Apple is an amazing company. They keep fucking their customers and the customers just keep coming back for more.
I suppose your Android has a SCSI interface just in case you may ever need one. If not, it's a convenient place to hang your fire extinguisher.
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I actually had to pay off an unlock my phone before I could use the esim. I need the sim for international. Which means that even though I am a few generations behind on my phone, and intended to upgrade, I wonâ(TM)t be. Most places donâ(TM)t support esim. And I am not going moviestar.
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Yeah, this really sucks for people that travel internationally; it dramatically reduces the value of the phone. Might be time for me to switch to a dumb phone.
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As far as I can tell, most travel sim companies already switched to esim, so it's not really a problem for that. Probably because the previous iPhones were mostly dual sim only if you used an eSim for the second sim.
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I travel outside the US relatively frequently.
ESIM is simple as scanning a QR code or going through a menu on your phone to establish new service.
Won't help countries that don't have carriers that support ESIM, but that should hopefully be few soon . that and you can still use your primary carrier's roaming option.
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Problem is when you travel between the same 3-5 countries. No way to unload a SIM and swap in another, at least that I have seen.
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will att lock the phone and not let you local sim? even on sim 2?
Most likely, if you got it from them. I have no problem paying full price for an unlocked phone, and will never "purchase" one from a proivider again.
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You buy $1000 phones for burners?! Us plebs just use cheap Android phones for that. ;)
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For a burner phone? Discount stores carry them in a plastic clamshell with a SIM, $10 of preloaded time and a card that they can scan to load more minutes (paid in cash).
The only ID they checked when I bought mine was the picture of Benjamin Franklin.
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It's not difficult to pop a sim card out and move it to a different phone. It's also free. Registering an esim typically requires going through the carrier. Most like to charge fees for "activation" despite it all being automated. There's nothing easier about this. What it is is more expensive.
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It doesn't have to be, that's a decision made by the carrier. There's no reason they can't let the account holder activate multiple esims on their account and change them around. There's also nothing stopping them locking a physical sim to a specific device based on its IMEI.
What esim does offer however, is that you can quickly and easily subscribe a new service without having to get a physical sim delivered, and you can easily switch between the different services at any time. This is great for travel for
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Doesn't have to, but will be (Score:3)
It doesn't "have to be" more difficult and expensive to use an eSIM but that is not what matters.
What matters is whether it is and will be more difficult and expensive. That depends on carrier policies and attitudes, not on the tech implementation. Carrier policies and attitudes are making and will continue to make this more difficult and expensive.
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Re: (Score:2)
You phone carrier just updates the esim of both phones. Done.
The phone number is assigned to your carrier on your behalf, not the phone. The carrier then links the number to your sim/esim's serial number and they can change or disable that link at any time.