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Other Any other market dropped physical sim ?

ukms

ukms

macrumors demi-god
Original poster
Apr 21, 2015
1,166
1,206
Dubai, UAE
Just wondered if anyone has noticed if any other market (beyond USA) have dropped physical nano sim on the 16 and 16 Pro lineup ?

UK and UAE still have it +whatever countries share this model.
 
The US telcos have a lot more clout since most iPhones are sold through them rather than directly by Apple or retailers. I’m speculating that they pressured Apple to remove the physical slot so they can (1) reduce their cost of issuing physical SIM cards, (2) discourage the average customer from defecting to another carrier

Personally, I try to buy my iPhones overseas when I’m traveling - my current 15 has a physical sim slot. I think the only thing I’m missing is mmWave support which I don’t care about
 
minimo3 said:
The US telcos have a lot more clout since most iPhones are sold through them rather than directly by Apple or retailers. I’m speculating that they pressured Apple to remove the physical slot so they can (1) reduce their cost of issuing physical SIM cards, (2) discourage the average customer from defecting to another carrier

Personally, I try to buy my iPhones overseas when I’m traveling - my current 15 has a physical sim slot. I think the only thing I’m missing is mmWave support which I don’t care about
Click to expand...
Agree totally. I bought my 16 Pro in the UK, as well as my 15 Pro before that, because of this. Haven't missed mmWave at all.
 
minimo3 said:
The US telcos have a lot more clout since most iPhones are sold through them rather than directly by Apple or retailers. I’m speculating that they pressured Apple to remove the physical slot so they can (1) reduce their cost of issuing physical SIM cards, (2) discourage the average customer from defecting to another carrier

Personally, I try to buy my iPhones overseas when I’m traveling - my current 15 has a physical sim slot. I think the only thing I’m missing is mmWave support which I don’t care about
Click to expand...

(3)Especially at first, there was almost no competition among the cheap MVNO options offering eSIM. Note how the bigger players co-market iPhone with Apple, so Apple wants to keep partners who help sell iPhone happy. "You scratch my back, I scratch yours." Make it eSIM only and people wanting iPhone HAVE to buy from providers able to offer eSIM... which happened to be those with more expensive cell service plans.

And now, when Americans with sim-card-less iPhones travel outside the U.S., choices are often as little as ONE (expensive) carrier offering eSIM vs. plenty of cheapie options for travelers offering SIM cards. Americans wanting service for their iPhone have to just pay up if they want service.

But Americans just keep right on buying, driving Apple to "another record quarter" EVERY QUARTER, so Executives can't even see tangible frustration at matters like this. And that doesn't change until most people take the one action they will notice.
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
(3)Especially at first, there was almost no competition among the cheap MVNO options offering eSIM. Note how the bigger players co-market iPhone with Apple, so Apple wants to keep partners who help sell iPhone happy. "You scratch my back, I scratch yours." Make it eSIM only and people wanting iPhone HAVE to buy from providers able to offer eSIM... which happened to be those with more expensive cell service plans.

And now, when Americans with sim-card-less iPhones travel outside the U.S., choices are often as little as ONE (expensive) carrier offering eSIM vs. plenty of cheapie options for travelers offering SIM cards. Americans wanting service for their iPhone have to just pay up if they want service.

But Americans just keep right on buying, driving Apple to "another record quarter" EVERY QUARTER, so Executives can't even see tangible frustration at matters like this. And that doesn't change until most people take the one action they will notice.
Click to expand...

US Mobile, Mint, Google FI, Tello, MobileX, Cricket, Visible, Boost, and more.. All MVNOs and all support eSim.

That said, I'd still prefer a physical sim.
 
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...now they do, but back when this "courage" was first exercised, which did?

And same when traveling now. In many places there is as little as ONE choice for eSIM at a much higher service rate than the multitudes of SIM card service options if only an American iPhone could work with them too. But who cares about American consumer value. We prefer to maximize the extraction of American cash.

So naturally, the American iPhone offers something more than the Chinese one because it has that "freed up space," right? Nope. The Chinese one can use eSIM too... but the Chinese iPhone buyer is- ironically- "free"(er) to take advantage of best service price when traveling- be that SIM or eSIM.
 
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ukms said:
Just wondered if anyone has noticed if any other market (beyond USA) have dropped physical nano sim on the 16 and 16 Pro lineup ?
Click to expand...
The SIM slots/trays were removed with the iPhone 14 family of devices for the US / PR market. iPhone 13 was the last to have both a SIM slot and the newer eSIM in US and Puerto Rico.

Dave
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
...now they do, but back when this "courage" was first exercised, which did?

And same when traveling now. In many places there is as little as ONE choice for eSIM at a much higher service rate than the multitudes of SIM card service options if only an American iPhone could work with them too. But who cares about American consumer value. We prefer to maximize the extraction of American cash.

So naturally, the American iPhone offers something more than the Chinese one because it has that "freed up space," right? Nope. The Chinese one can use eSIM too... but the Chinese iPhone buyer is- ironically- "free"(er) to take advantage of best service price when traveling- be that SIM or eSIM.
Click to expand...
It seems like a great way to force networks to adapt. If they weren’t forced to they wouldn’t do it.
 
I don’t know it’s pretty easy to switch with mvno and non-physical sim. We had one line go from visible to mint to get a deal. Then jump back to visible for $15 unlimited data for 2 years.

It takes minutes to switch providers. I just hope they tighten up security to prevent numbers for being stolen.
 
mrochester said:
It seems like a great way to force networks to adapt. If they weren’t forced to they wouldn’t do it.
Click to expand...

Is that like forcing everyone away from 3.5mm headphone jack to bluetooth... now nearing 10 years and 3.5mm is still everywhere while "the future" is barely anywhere new beyond computer-related tech. I've just flown multiple airlines in the last 8 weeks and they all have 3.5mm and none had bluetooth yet. How long do these "force"ings take? Of course, "forcing" that "the future" was certainly far more profitable in selling buds for $1XX or more vs. the wired ones that everyone already owned (and are still the only way to hear lossless because "the future" still doesn't have the bandwidth for it).

Perhaps a better option is serve your customers with both until the superior choice takes over? Else, customers are the ones "forced" to pay way up for the fledgling new while the established "old" is prevalent and relatively dirt cheap. And no, this has nothing to do with SCSI or Firewire or 30-pin in 2025, etc.

Don't get me wrong: nothing against eSIM as a replacement of SIM. I'm simply against "forcing" customers to pay way up until the transition is complete... WHEN the very same phones are being made for most of the rest of world with SIM trays. I guess the rest of the world deserves lower cost service options while we Americans can just pay-pay-pay. And that's somehow a win for us... a "forced" win for us.
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
Is that like forcing everyone away from 3.5mm headphone jack to bluetooth... now nearing 10 years and 3.5mm is still everywhere while "the future" is barely anywhere new beyond computer-related tech. I've just flown multiple airlines in the last 8 weeks and they all have 3.5mm and none had bluetooth yet. How long do these "force"ings take? Of course, "forcing" that "the future" was certainly far more profitable in selling buds for $1XX or more vs. the wired ones that everyone already owned (and are still the only way to hear lossless because "the future" still doesn't have the bandwidth for it).

Perhaps a better option is serve your customers with both until the superior choice takes over? Else, customers are the ones "forced" to pay way up for the fledgling new while the established "old" is prevalent and relatively dirt cheap. And no, this has nothing to do with SCSI or Firewire or 30-pin in 2025, etc.

Don't get me wrong: nothing against eSIM as a replacement of SIM. I'm simply against "forcing" customers to pay way up until the transition is complete... WHEN the very same phones are being made for most of the rest of world with SIM trays. I guess the rest of the world deserves lower cost service options while we Americans can just pay-pay-pay. And that's somehow a win for us... a "forced" win for us.
Click to expand...
The transition won’t happen unless forced.
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
Lots of transitions happen when things aren't forced... when the replacement is superior to the original. Humans naturally gravitate to "better" but are frustrated when being "forced" towards it comes with much added cost to consumers.
Click to expand...
No one is asking consumers to pay more money.
 
They're 'FORCED' to when traveling and facing one eSIM provider charging a premium vs. the multitudes of SIM offers that are competitively driven towards "cheap."

Chinese iPhone can use either when Chinese people travel- whichever will give them service for least cost. American iPhone has no choice- eSIM or bust. If eSIM price is > than SIM (as it ALWAYS is), American iPhone owner traveling is "forced" to pay more if they want service wherever they travel.
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
They're 'FORCED' to when traveling and facing one eSIM provider charging a premium vs. the multitudes of SIM offers that are competitively driven towards "cheap."

Chinese iPhone can use either when Chinese people travel- whichever will give them service for least cost. American iPhone has no choice- eSIM or bust. If eSIM price is > than SIM (as it ALWAYS is), American iPhone owner traveling is "forced" to pay more if they want service wherever they travel.
Click to expand...
I’ve got a very cheap esim deal in the UK. You might need to update your knowledge on this.

Or just don’t buy an iPhone without a SIM card slot if that’s a requirement for you.
 
Perhaps you should try traveling. There ARE cheap eSIM deals in select countries. But many countries are very much SIM and barely any eSIM. It's certainly possible to find cheaper eSIM options "at home" but then we travel and things are different "there." This is a very common gripe among America iPhone owners who travel the world.
 
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HobeSoundDarryl said:
Perhaps you should try traveling. There ARE cheap eSIM deals in select countries. But many countries are very much SIM and barely any eSIM. It's certainly possible to find cheaper eSIM options "at home" but then we travel and things are different "there." This is a very common gripe among America iPhone owners who travel the world.
Click to expand...
And those networks will be hastening their eSIM adoption else miss out on iPhone customers 😀
 
Great still waiting for Bluetooth ubiquity like 3.5mm after nearly 10 years of “forcing” it, so maybe eSIM ubiquity in about 2040. Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, American iPhone owners can just pay the more expensive eSIM monopoly rates in many countries where only one provider offers it… or do without. Seems like quite the victory for those travelers. Glad Apple “forced” it.

And when vacationing or business traveling to China and similar, American travelers can just buy a whole new phone. Can it get any better? Genius!!!
 
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HobeSoundDarryl said:
Great still waiting for Bluetooth ubiquity like 3.5mm after nearly 10 years of “forcing” it, so maybe eSIM ubiquity in about 2040. 🎉🎉

In the meantime, American iPhone owners can just pay the more expensive eSIM monopoly rates in many countries where only one provider offers it… or do without. Seems like quite the victory for those travelers. Glad Apple “forced” it.
Click to expand...
3.5mm switch over happened years ago already. I haven’t seen anyone with wired headphones for about 5+ years now.

I suspect another year or two and eSIM will be ubiquitous, especially if Apple pulls the plug on physical sims in more markets. Those networks ain’t gonna want to miss out on iPhone customers by refusing to support the latest iPhones.
 
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