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Apple Allegedly Preparing for iPhones Without SIM Card Slot by September 2022 [Updated]
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So how about this:
Active eSIM Slot #1: Optus with phone number
Active eSIM Slot #2: Telstra data only or phone only
Inactive eSIM Slot #3: Global Roaming Data SIM ( like an eSIM2fly ) for back up data in AU
Inactive eSIM Slot #4: Thailand Tourist eSIM ( for your vacations )
Inactive eSIM Slot #5: Chinese eSIM ( for your business trips )
Inactive eSIM Slot #6: Telstra pre-paid #2 burner ( for special relationships )
With an eSIM phone, you can have all these SIM profiles installed, with 2 of them active at any one time. Switching between them is done in the Data/Cellular menu. Some plans can be data only and others can have a phone number attached.
Someone please explain why anyone would want e-sim. This is literally the hell-hole people on CDMA carriers (Verizon and Sprint) had to deal with in 90's. Calling a carrier (automated or real person) to swap devices is the biggest PITA! I don't see why taking 30 seconds and using a paper clip to swap phones is so hard for people.
Just wait until the carriers implement some sort of "processing fee" for them to click a button on the network side just like back in the day on those same CDMA carriers. Anytime something isn't physical and software controlled, you are giving up your control to someone else.
Just wait until the carriers implement some sort of "processing fee" for them to click a button on the network side just like back in the day on those same CDMA carriers. Anytime something isn't physical and software controlled, you are giving up your control to someone else.
How about never needing to walk into a carrier's shop again? Check out Gigsky app for an example of how simple eSIM provisioning and payment can be.
Or how about choice? Don't like your current carrier, download the app of the competing carrier and get started.
eSIM reduces the roll of carriers to that of a basic ISP, lowering switching costs.
China is bigger than Apple and won't permit eSIM for their people in China due their regulatory requirements. Apple needs China more than China needs Apple and China will not bend to Apple's demands - ever. Lots of evidence that Apple will do what China demands, however. Even if Apple does eSIM everywhere else, they will still need physical SIM for the China market so the physical interior space won't be freed up in the basic design even if the SIM slot is deleted for the non-China market.
It is possible that Apple is negotiating with China on this issue and they may come up with an eSIM solution that meets China's requirements for positive identification of phone plan buyers currently met with ID requirements when purchasing a physical object, the SIM card. China will not permit anonymity.
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Blame Apple also
Why do they allow (and advertise for them) the carriers to charge less for the "not unlocked" phones?
At least on Apple.com they should commit to identical pricing for carrier/non carrier models (which is a pointless software lock distinction anyways).
Let's not absolve Apple here.
They are making money off this lock/transfer policy BS also.
Additionally Chinese handset makers (MI, Huwai, Oppo) have been curtailed from adding eSIM to cheaper Android phones. This has slowed eSIM adoption globally and made some carriers complacent. eSIM is a GSMA standard, not an Apple one. Funny enough SIM card manufactures like Gemalto (where carriers buy SIM cards from), have positioned themselves as Digital Gatekeepers, keeping their roll of being distributors of eSIMs... for now.
But the future is clearly on the side of digital SIM cards and adoption is a near certainty. China may not bow to Apple or GSMA, but they will bow to technological progress - once they feel they control it to their liking.
So activating the esim is done on Apple's side and not the carrier?
Is the customer unable to log into their carrier's portal and release the phone from their account?
From my understanding the eSIM is installed in the user's iCloud account but tied to the identity of the phone being sold. When the phone is connected to iCloud the first time the eSIM is transferred to the phone. If the phone is then returned that eSIM is effectively invalidated. The phone should accept a new eSIM installed the normal ways but won't automatically activate again with an iCloud account and the customer has lost his eSIM so has to start over with a new phone.
How would the process work if a person has multiple phones (iPhones and Android) and tends to swap phones on the regular?
Would they have to sign into iCloud, release the eSIM, then sign into ATT and claim the eSIM on their Android then do the reverse when they want to switch back?
Never had to call the carrier to change devices when I was on Verizon or Sprint. Went on the website and changed it myself.
eSIMS are not really designed to easily move between phones although it is possible with iPhones as the eSIMS are stored in the iCloud account and can be released by one phone and claimed by another in the same account. If you get an eSIM from ATT installed on one iPhone it should be possible to move it to another iPhone on the same iCloud account as long as both phones are working. Release on one, claim on the other.
I just had a phone die on me and since I do have my older phone on hand, it took me no time at all to simply remove the SIM in the dead phone into the older phone and presto-chango, I am back in business. The idea I have something physical I can easily move myself without customer service being needed, going to a website, or whatever especially at 3am is ideal. I know there are plenty of edge cases like travellers in a tent in a desert without access to anything but this seems to be just like the 3.5 mm audio port situation. The "courage" to make more room to slim down the phone even more.
Enough with the slimming already!
Enough with the slimming already!
When upgrading an Apple Watch w/ Cellular it’s insanely easy, built into the transfer process, and doesn’t have a fee associated with it (It’s faster than manually dealing with a SIM card). Hopefully that ease will become part of upgrading iPhones.
I missed this forum. So good to be back, I see most of the members are same old ones.
As for the news, this was kinda expected. They just waited for carriers to catch up so that most of them have this option in most of the countries.
How does one activate a pre paid sim though?
As for the news, this was kinda expected. They just waited for carriers to catch up so that most of them have this option in most of the countries.
How does one activate a pre paid sim though?
If this happens I might have to switch to Android. My telco (Optus AU) requires you to physically visit a store in person to move an eSIM from one device to another. Their website says you can do it online, but when you follow the link it just tells you to visit a store. This is completely unacceptable and I fear Apple is not aware how poorly many telcos handle eSIMs, making simple everyday tasks like switching to a new phone extremely problematic and difficult.
In theory eSIMs should make things easier, but in reality they’re inferior to their physical counterparts due to shockingly bad telco implementations.
In theory eSIMs should make things easier, but in reality they’re inferior to their physical counterparts due to shockingly bad telco implementations.
Probably with a phone call or over the web, if they set thing up correctly… that’s a big if.
UK is included in the future. It's all about making roaming agreements between carriers.
We did have agreements - even if imposed by EU law - some of which are being revoked by some carriers with respect to UK customers.
I completely had to escalate the problem all the way to apple, sometimes it took a day or so to clear but it’s do able, the biggest problem i have to this day as a consumer is apple watches, everytime I get one exchanged from Apple’s Genius Bar I always have a problem activating them, it’s a chore, never fails that i spend an hour with customer support transferring my esim info from my old one to the new one. I’m hoping they can clear out the kinks by then but it’s just extremely frustrating explaining the situation a rep who treats you like you are dumb when you tell them the device won’t activate or transfer the number from an old device LOL
The big difference being that this issue will affect customers in most countries/jurisdictions of the world.
Were Apple to avoid the FCC in the USA, there are other such bodies of significance elsewhere - EU, Canada and UK for three.
Apple is not stupid. They must know they cannot take complete control everywhere. Surely they have some plans for keeping on the right side of the law/regulators?
I remember this **** with Verizon in the 90's and 00's. They didn't have a sim card and had the phones locked. What's to prevent this from coming full circle?