Oh you mean two eSIM from same provider? What you are describing seems to be carrier specific. But it is indeed worst experience than just SIM.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple and Google Leading the Way on eSIM Adoption
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Oh you mean two eSIM from same provider? What you are describing seems to be carrier specific. But it is indeed worst experience than just SIM.
I tried to activate a few weeks ago and they told me they are still in the beta phase of eSIM rollout.
I couldn't get one for my iPhone.
I know they added Pixel devices a few weeks ago to the beta.
This is probably gonna cause Apple&Google to become competitive for the next couple of years. But they have always been competitive. Same with Samsung&Apple. But sadly, Samsung beat Apple on getting 5G first.
eSim really needs MVNO support, which is really holding it back in many regions.
For some reason, it requires the EU to step in and change some regulations. That's why in Europe, unless something has changed recently, only the main carriers support eSim (there are prepaid worldwide/data packages that work too though).
In Japan, eSim was only supported on the big 3 (Docomo, Softbank, AU) until this month. Still, all that changed is they created 3 new subsidiaries of those three that support eSim. The only other eSim you can get outside of those is a data only package...
I'd love MVNO support, I'd swap my carrier here to eSim and then put my UK SIM card in the other slot. I'd no longer need two phones!
It's the same issue with the Apple Watch. I'd love the cellular version, but I'd have to swap carrier to one of those three and they are really, really expensive.
For some reason, it requires the EU to step in and change some regulations. That's why in Europe, unless something has changed recently, only the main carriers support eSim (there are prepaid worldwide/data packages that work too though).
In Japan, eSim was only supported on the big 3 (Docomo, Softbank, AU) until this month. Still, all that changed is they created 3 new subsidiaries of those three that support eSim. The only other eSim you can get outside of those is a data only package...
I'd love MVNO support, I'd swap my carrier here to eSim and then put my UK SIM card in the other slot. I'd no longer need two phones!
It's the same issue with the Apple Watch. I'd love the cellular version, but I'd have to swap carrier to one of those three and they are really, really expensive.
If China phones get two physical SIM slots, then it means Apple must reserve the space in iPhone. They can’t use it for other things like a smaller motherboard and a bigger battery. They will only use eSIM to save cost and assembly time.
It's that seamless. You know how you can scan that blurry circle to set up your phone using the old one? During that, it asks if you want to move over your eSIM. Just click Yes, and it's all over and done in a few seconds.
Makes it easier. You can have more than 1 eSIM at a time and just turn them on and off at will.
I don’t understand this response. You said Apple will never go to pure esim because china requires physical sims. I pointed out apple already has a special phone for china. There is no reason the world version can’t have a bigger battery and no sim slot, while the Chinese version has a smaller battery and room for two sims. Your comment makes no sense.
Then how do they rip you off with roaming charges? They don’t want you to use “local” providers.
Apple will not make two designs that are not only trivially different for different markets. That means most of the SKUs must share between all versions of an iPhone.
China is the biggest market for mobile devices. Any decisions they make over there will have a profound impact around the world.
I’m not sure why you are missing the point I made. Apple *already makes two designs that are only trivially different for different markets.*
In China mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR feature Dual SIM with two nano-SIM cards. In the rest of the world, there is only room for one SIM card.
The choice to support two SIM cards in China did not have a profound impact around the world.
We already have proof that you are wrong.
eSIM in Germany is offered only by 3 carriers and only if you opt in for a contract, no options for prepaid. And imagine you want to use Apple Watch cellular - you are stuck with almost no options, but paying 20+ euros per month for being able to go outside without a phone (and most probably you won’t even use much of what data/sms/calls will give you for your money), whereas if I had a prepaid option I would definitely take the cheapest plan for 5-7 euros to make a few calls and download a song.
In my experience this would be bad news.
Why?
In non-pandemic times I live in more than one country and move around a fair bit.
For my phone I used a global SIM card for calls (everywhere) and a local pre-pay data SIM (for each country).
Until a couple of years ago my phone was a 7+ and I had a mobile wifi device.
I picked up a XS Max in Hong Kong to replace both devices which worked great as it took two SIMs in its' slot.
When I moved to a 12PM I bought it in Europe (because no travel). It has one eSIM and only takes one SIM in its' slot.
That's when I found that many providers can't or don't support eSIM. My global provider was one of them.
Now I have:
- a local eSIM and will try to avoid using cellular for calls when out of country (ie use FaceTime, Skype and such like)!
- the SIM slot is available for local data as I have never seen pre-pay on eSIM...
For my watch I bought a non-cellular because roaming does not work. Will this ever be fixed? Additional charges are another negative!
I don’t think so. It looks like the eSIM transfer process works instantly, and is entirely managed by the devices:
About eSIM on iPhone – Apple Support (UK)
Find out what an eSIM is, how to set up an eSIM on your iPhone and how to transfer a physical SIM to an eSIM.
It should actually make it easier to switch carriers in the sense that you won’t need to first obtain a physical SIM card for the carrier that you’re switching to.
There are esim with a QR code which can be used once only. Then they become invalid and have to be replaced by a new QR code. Show me a physical SIM that becomes invalid, once removed from a phone and inserted in another phone. Registering an existing esim on a new phone (transfer) needs physical presence of the esim-inserter in his home-network.I don’t think so. It looks like the eSIM transfer process works instantly, and is entirely managed by the devices:
About eSIM on iPhone – Apple Support (UK)
Find out what an eSIM is, how to set up an eSIM on your iPhone and how to transfer a physical SIM to an eSIM.support.apple.com
It should actually make it easier to switch carriers in the sense that you won’t need to first obtain a physical SIM card for the carrier that you’re switching to.
It should make it easier, correct, but the providers do have the opportunity to create all kind of obstacles, physical SIM do not have.
You just said what I said.
Apple will make variants of iPhones that are only trivially different for different markets.
Apple will not make variants of iPhones that are more than just trivially different from each other.
No. You can have multiple eSIMs resident on your phone and select which one you want to use just by selecting it. How is that harder than swapping out physical sims?