Apple Has Considered Removing SIM Card Slot From Some iPhone 14 Models

[visualseed]

Not every provider supports eSIM worldwide.

Once eSim-only phones start showing up in their regions they will move to support them. Every single time a company or industry makes an advancement to a key piece of tech there is always this argument that somehow businesses won't adopt it and a straw-man consumer is going to be stranded without a needed service. Sure, early adopters may feel a little friction, but by the time the tech reaches the hands of those most likely to use it, there will be widespread support for it.

 

[M.Rizk]

The first part, that's the modem limitation.

Apple Watch eSIM is more complicated and it requires carrier support as it uses the same number as your phone SIM. I'm sure the limitation is on the carriers, whether they want to support it or not, not on Apple or the tech.

I am sure if Apple starts promoting it as doable then carriers will start acting. You can’t expect carriers to move first. Even if some do, it is locked by iOS/watchOS.

 

[Yammabot]

Choice is good, have both until eSims get the bugs worked out.

 

[M.Rizk]

When you think about it, it makes sense. How are you going to manage the data context for your apps on your phone when you have multiple routes available? It's beyond the grasp of most end users how they could manage that effectively...giving the capability to the masses would be a bit of a PR *********. (again, I think geofencing with "pay as you go" options available would be best for most globetrotters).

The reason that's there different SKU's is because there's different cellular frequencies used around the world. If you could get all of the carriers around the world to whittle that down to 8-12? Sure, now you can have one SKU. (hmm...then there's the proprietary NFC they have in Japan...)

On that token, they need to educate the Apple Store staff to not allow AC+ device replacements out of country. People could get lacklustre performance if they replace their NA iPhone when travelling in Asia when they return home.

You’d manage multi lines the same way you do two. You’ll pick the default one for data, and the default for voice. And you have the choice to do cellular data switching when one isn’t available. Just like how it is handled now.

Regarding AC+. I think Apple Store employees already warn you about this if you try to swap your iPhone out of region. You can override and go for it still though.

 

[cameronjpu]

it’s not a ‘tiny’ amount of space. The slot and the reader hardware for the slot… huge, percentage wise. And especially compared to any other potential gain in internal space.

 

[sbuntin]

How is this any different from them charging you for a physical SIM card too? My carrier actually doesn’t charge me anything for the eSIM no matter how many times I move devices but they do charge for the physical SIM.

So your carrier charges you a fee if you remove the physical SIM from one phone and put it in a different phone?

 

[imlynxy]

Once eSim-only phones start showing up in their regions they will move to support them. Every single time a company or industry makes an advancement to a key piece of tech there is always this argument that somehow businesses won't adopt it and a straw-man consumer is going to be stranded without a needed service. Sure, early adopters may feel a little friction, but by the time the tech reaches the hands of those most likely to use it, there will be widespread support for it.

Your words to God’s Ears.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Once eSim-only phones start showing up in their regions they will move to support them. Every single time a company or industry makes an advancement to a key piece of tech there is always this argument that somehow businesses won't adopt it and a straw-man consumer is going to be stranded without a needed service. Sure, early adopters may feel a little friction, but by the time the tech reaches the hands of those most likely to use it, there will be widespread support for it.

Could be -- but that doesn't really address concerns about flexibility and ease of swapping or potential carrier imposed swap costs, especially once you have to work with them to do it (vs just physically swapping a SIM)

All it takes is carriers not being so "friendly" about eSIM support and swapping devices around and we are nearly back at the awful CDMA "activation" days...

Sometimes I wonder if a large faction of folks out there are getting to be too young to remember how that was and how awful it was (not saying you ... just speaking in general)

 

[ian87w]

Could be -- but that doesn't really address concerns about flexibility and ease of swapping or potential carrier imposed swap costs, especially once you have to work with them to do it (vs just physically swapping a SIM)

All it takes is carriers not being so "friendly" about eSIM support and swapping devices around and we are nearly back at the awful CDMA "activation" days...

Sometimes I wonder if a large faction of folks out there are getting to be too young to remember how that was and how awful it was (not saying you ... just speaking in general)

I'd rather have that option available than not at all just because the carriers are lazy.

Physical SIM will always be available as that is the lowest common denominator. But eSIM should be on equal standing. Consumers should be able to choose easily from the carriers what they want. If you like to switch devices a lot, then stick with physical SIM, but that doesn't mean others should be voided of the choice of eSIM.

 

[ian87w]

Once eSim-only phones start showing up in their regions they will move to support them. Every single time a company or industry makes an advancement to a key piece of tech there is always this argument that somehow businesses won't adopt it and a straw-man consumer is going to be stranded without a needed service. Sure, early adopters may feel a little friction, but by the time the tech reaches the hands of those most likely to use it, there will be widespread support for it.

Hope so, but these carriers are just so lazy that it will require the total removal of the physical SIM slot to force them to offer eSIM.

Take Singapore, a country where tourism and business travelers are the main bread and butter. And it's a developed country with 3 Apple stores, and many people have iPhones or high end Androids that support eSIM. You would think eSIM would've been the norm. Yet the carriers are still dragging their feet. The top carrier only offers it for the Apple Watch. The 2nd carrier doesn't even support it. The 3rd carrier is the only one that made it available for postpaid and prepaid for tourists (and rightfully the only one listed on Apple website), but you still have to purchase it in a physical store. Talk about such backwardness from a supposedly most developed country in SE Asia.

That's the nature of these telcos. They're are huge, fat, and lazy as they're ultra comfortable in a regulated market with controlled "competition."

 

[escargot3]

EE, Vodafone, o2, Truphone and Ubigi all support eSIM in the UK.

Find wireless network providers and worldwide service providers that offer eSIM service on iPhone – Apple Support (UK)

An eSIM is a digital SIM that allows you to activate a mobile data plan from your network provider without having to use a physical nano-SIM. Find out which wireless network providers in your country or region offer mobile plans on an eSIM, either activated by eSIM Carrier Activation, eSIM Quick...

support.apple.com

I was just visiting there in November and it’s much worse than you make it out to be sadly. EE, Vodaphone and O2 only support eSIM for postpaid accounts. They will not allow eSIM for prepaid, which is unfortunate as those travelling are potentially best served by using eSIM (would have been really nice if I could have used data while I was stuck on the runway for a couple hours waiting to deplane, for example). OK, fine. I guess I will create a postpaid account then. Guess what? They literally won’t let you unless you live their full time and have a local job etc.

Then on the other hand, Truphone and Ubigi support eSIM but are garbage carriers. They are not real local carriers, they are global mvnos and they don’t even allow you to make calls or send texts. They are strictly data only. The also don’t support 5G and their 4G speeds are horrendous.

I ended up having to double pay, both for a Truphone eSIM and a GiffGaff physical SIM, and both were horrendous experiences.

Nobody sends texts you say? Well I had to send and receive a damn text to the NHS constantly, because that was the only way you could verify the rapid COVID tests that so many events require for you to be allowed access. It was a complete mess. The UK carriers seem to hate eSIM and punish users who want to use them, especially visitors.

 

[HCMilesy]

Apple has internally discussed the idea of launching some iPhone models without a SIM card slot by next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said the move would be part of Apple's push towards eSIMs.

Gurman said the SIM card slot could be removed on some iPhone 14 models, which Apple is expected to announce in just three days from now, although he said there is a possibility that the change will not happen until the iPhone 15 next year. The eventual removal of the SIM card slot has been rumored a few times previously.

"Apple will give eSIM a bigger push this time around, with carriers preparing to steer users toward the digital, embedded SIM cards rather than physical ones," Gurman wrote in his newsletter. "In fact, Apple has considered removing the physical SIM card slot altogether beginning either this year or next for some models."

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, so some iPhone models with a SIM card slot may remain available for at least a few years amid the transition.

iPhone 13 models sold at Apple Stores and on Apple.com already lack a nano-SIM card in the box, with users typically able to activate a cellular plan via eSIM by turning on the iPhone, connecting to a Wi-Fi network, and following the on-screen instructions. iPhone 13 models also support multiple eSIM profiles, allowing users to subscribe to several cellular plans digitally and switch between them, which is useful for travel.

The removal of the SIM card slot could help to further improve the iPhone's water resistance, and perhaps free up a tiny amount of space inside the device.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 14 lineup during a special event at Steve Jobs Theater on Wednesday. Other products expected to be announced include Apple Watch Series 8 models, a new Apple Watch SE, an Apple Watch Pro, and new AirPods Pro.

Article Link: Apple Has Considered Removing SIM Card Slot From Some iPhone 14 Models

Esims are the future.

If you are travelling, a company like Flexiroam, with the app already installed on iPhones as one of only 8 prefered providers by Mac, will register your esim.

Buy the appropriate data package and travel virtually anywhere in the world.

You will be automatically be connected to the best local carrier without needing to do a thing.

As soon as you land you are connected. Land in another country and seamlessly connected. No Sim cards to change. No registering numbers. No Id to have to provide.

The esim registering is free and it will remain yours to top up again and use with your next trip.

Privacy is guaranteed.

My first post but it is an area of great interest being a Flexiroam user on esim and seeing for myself the advantages.

 

[escargot3]

This is stupid. My carrier supports esim but you have to pay $25 for it and it can only be used once. So if you need to swap between phones it's $25 each time lmao.

Sadly this is what they do in Canada too. It’s such a scam and so unnecessary. Even worse, a couple of the carriers will not even allow you to view or download the QR code via their website or app. You must have a physical card with the QR code printed on it snail mailed to you, or pick one up at a local store in person! Can you believe that?

And since they only allow the codes to be scanned once, if there is an error with activation, or you get your phone swapped at the Genius Bar etc, you must pay this fee every single time again and again when those things happen! Sometimes waiting days or weeks without service, while waiting for the new paper QR code to arrive in the mail, no less. Isn’t that completely insane???

 

[escargot3]

Please no. My telco in Australia (Optus) requires you to visit a store in person during business hours to provision an e-sim. Too bad if you break your phone overseas, with a physical sim you can just swap but with esim you’re stuck until you return to Australia. Really really really bad for expats and travellers.

E-sim is only more convenient in theory. In practice it’s significantly less convenient.

I would say that it’s definitely more convenient if supported properly. But my experience is the same as yours, where my country’s carriers (Canada) deliberately sabotage the implementation, and attempt to exploit it as a massive cash grab.

 

[escargot3]

This will inconvenience people at first because many carriers only support physical SIMs, especially countries besides the US. You can arrive at your destination airport, buy and pop in a prepaid SIM, and be online without having to hunt for any WiFi to download an eSIM.

HOWEVER, long-term this may be a good thing. Carriers don't want to lose revenue to other carriers who support eSIMs well, so they'll finally fix their systems and make eSIM activation as smooth a process as possible. As soon as you have a substantial percentage of phones out there without SIM slots, eSIMs will be perfected VERY quickly.

You are very spoiled whichever country you come from 😉 In many countries, the carriers have an effective oligopoly so there is no competition whatsoever, and the federal government and their regulatory bodies are in cahoots with them too. The carriers get away with murder and highway robbery on a regular basis. Their is no limit to their rapaciousness and depravity.

 

[escargot3]

How much money do you think Apple "makes" on eSIMs, seriously? Care to provide any sources? Coz I couldn't find any. In any case, we can probably agree that it's not a major source of revenue.

Get GigSky, Ubigi, Truphone, and you'll get service with an app-provided eSIM even BEFORE even reaching the country. With a tap. SIMs sold at airports are ridiculously priced anyway.

There's no such thing as "privacy" on a mobile carrier. Even with a prepaid SIM. And it'll only get better/worse (depending on your perspective).

Identity verification: EU’s mandatory SIM card registration

New regulation implements severe controls and sanctions for those companies selling anonymous pre-paid SIM cards.

www.miteksystems.com

Not only that, but your IMEI will also be visible to the carrier, with which they can track you all they want.

If you want privacy, use VPN. Or in the very least, change your DNS server from automatic to Cloudflare or Quad9 (1.1.1.1 / 9.9.9.9).

Those carriers only support data. You cannot make calls or send/receive texts, which is essential these days for 2FA type stuff. Their data speeds are also slow as hell in my experience. I do like being able to sign up via their app, but they need to improve their support and make it robust.

 

[fischersd]

You’d manage multi lines the same way you do two. You’ll pick the default one for data, and the default for voice. And you have the choice to do cellular data switching when one isn’t available. Just like how it is handled now.

Regarding AC+. I think Apple Store employees already warn you about this if you try to swap your iPhone out of region. You can override and go for it still though.

Heh - I can tell you that all Apple Store employees are NOT taught about different SKU's - we found out the hard way in Bangkok. At least 7 Apple "Genius" assured us that the SKU's they have are the same as those in North America (which is not the case at all).

 

[fischersd]

Sadly this is what they do in Canada too. It’s such a scam and so unnecessary. Even worse, a couple of the carriers will not even allow you to view or download the QR code via their website or app. You must have a physical card with the QR code printed on it snail mailed to you, or pick one up at a local store in person! Can you believe that?

And since they only allow the codes to be scanned once, if there is an error with activation, or you get your phone swapped at the Genius Bar etc, you must pay this fee every single time again and again when those things happen! Sometimes waiting days or weeks without service, while waiting for the new paper QR code to arrive in the mail, no less. Isn’t that completely insane???

Huh? I haven't switched my iPhone to eSIM, but all of the "big 3" support eSIM for the Apple Watch - and you migrate it very easily from one watch to the next.

Heh - I think just for ***** and giggles, I'll hit up Telus today about switching my phone to eSIM and see what their response is.

 

[Wagbh]

I'm all for this, which will force some reluctant carriers to finally offer eSIM if they don't have the choice anymore.
At the same time, some took the eSim opportunity to turn it into a cash cow, billing £10/€10 to reissue a QR code at every device switch (being an upgrade or broken device)... hopefully Apple will find e way to transfer eSIM from a device to another without this being carrier-dependent.

 

[brofkand]

I’m not a fan of this. I like switching the sim of my secondary line between my Android phones and iPhones. The less I have to interact with my carrier in any way, the better for me and for them.

You can have two eSIMs on a device if you want.

 

[brofkand]

I'm all for this, which will force some reluctant carriers to finally offer eSIM if they don't have the choice anymore.
At the same time, some took the eSim opportunity to turn it into a cash cow, billing £10/€10 to reissue a QR code at every device switch (being an upgrade or broken device)... hopefully Apple will find e way to transfer eSIM from a device to another without this being carrier-dependent.

You already can transfer the eSIM between devices during the OOBE.

 

[polyphenol]

As thoughts about this have gelled, I think the best answer for those of us here is that some other company, maybe Xiaomi/Redmi, Oppo or whoever, one that is pretty popular in many markets, introduces SIM-free models. Purchasers of those go through the pain of getting carriers to support them. Then Apple do so with the infrastructure already proved.

 

[5105973]

You can have two eSIMs on a device if you want.

Two of the phones I like switching with use my physical sim.

 

[Septembersrain]

Two of the phones I like switching with use my physical sim.

I don't understand how anyone can consider apple having full control of not only the device but service too. Still no 5G on my line that had to be converted back.

 

[SteveJUAE]

It's the only one on the market to offer 2 active eSIM at the same time, so it's quite unique !!! or 1 eSIM and 1 SIM active at the same time.
However it's still a dual SIM/eSIM phone in terms of connectivity: you can only have 2 lines active at the same time as technically you are limited by the 2 separate modem chips embedded in the phone)
Note, that you can store up to 20 eSIM in the iPhones.

Nope not unique if anything lagging my Fold 3 and 4 both have dual Physical sims and any number of Esims and any combination of the 2 can be active