Apple Promotes Benefits of Using iPhone 14 With eSIM While Traveling Abroad

[Krispykrme]

Am I misinterpreting what is being offered here:

https://esimjapan.com/product/esim-japan-fixed-plans/

That is universal esim with data plan only.

Less capacity, less days, more expensive and no local number.

 

[jimbobb24]

Even here in the US its a solid pain not to have a physical sim card not to mention the inconvenience when travelling abroad. Before I could just swap my sim when I got a new phbone and even my carrier would not be any the wiser. Now if I swap to an esim from my regular sim, it seems they will charge me a $35 upgrade fee. A fee for complete BS just for using my phone. Kind of like Comcast's HD technology fee of $9 every month. Thanks Apple.

Yep you could test out new phones or old phones and check things out. There are advantages to esim but also takes away some power from the owners and gives it to the carriers.

 

[Krispykrme]

I literally have used traveler eSIM in Japan for the last 3 months. Surprising to hear now that it apparently didn't work. Guess I got my connectivity from the local Shinto gods then.

You definitely didn’t get the problem.

You can pay universal esim to work in Japan.

The issue here is you can’t get local prepaid esim with local number. That you will need legal residency in Japan.

Universal esim is expensive and lack local voice.

There is no way getting around that.

 

[ian87w]

Simple, this is 2022 and I refuse to carry two phones. You're entitle to your own opinion so am I. Apple needs to come clean and call out that eSim is not availed yet in all international markets for pre paid plans on that ''eSim page''. That's what the issue is. I realize that a large % of Americans dont leave the mainland. For those who do, I personally won't be forced down the throat to pay outrageous roaming fees with $hitty data packages and service when abroad.

SE, 12, 13 mini, and 13 all still have SIM slot. And eSIM only applies to US iPhone 14 only. Everywhere else is still have SIM slot. And oh, any other phones out there have SIM slot as well.

Don't tell me you refuse to use any other phone other than a US iPhone 14 despite knowing that's eSIM only... That's on you. 😂

 

[CARIB_APPLE]

What is required for carriers to adopt eSim?

 

[BuffaloTF]

Define “very easy”!
Can you please give us the instructions in 3 lines or less to move a number:
- From iPhone physical SIM to new iPhone eSIM
- From Android phone to iPhone eSIM
- From iPhone physical sim to SAME iPhone eSIM
I looked into the latter a while back and decided it was not worth the hassle

Super easy.
Everything you’ve asked is the same process.

-Log into the website
-Click on your line
-Click on Update SIM
-Select either new phone or same phone
-Click the radio button for eSIM and then Continue

Then just follow the prompts. Takes about 30 seconds.

Then when switching phones, iPhone to iPhone is even easier than swapping a physical. Go to Settings, Cellular, Add eSIM, transfer from nearby iPhone, scan the circle. Done. If it’s a new iPhone, even easier. It’s part of the initial login and “nearby iPhone” prompt.

Android to iPhone, iPhone to Android, same process as the first list.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Are you using the provider app? I had to use the Visible app to move mine.

That's not what the commenter was commenting on. The original discussion was that all someone has to do is go in settings and convert to eSIM without having to use a provider app. Doing it in an app or online is possible but iOS 16 has this capability in settings. The problem is it's not available for all/most carriers (yet). It should be over time (hopefully) but is not something that can be done in settings yet with most carriers.

 

[i_bit_the_apple]

Super easy.
Everything you’ve asked is the same process.

-Log into the website
-Click on your line
-Click on Update SIM
-Select either new phone or same phone
-Click the radio button for eSIM and then Continue

Then just follow the prompts. Takes about 30 seconds.

Then when switching phones, iPhone to iPhone is even easier than swapping a physical. Go to Settings, Cellular, Add eSIM, transfer from nearby iPhone, scan the circle. Done. If it’s a new iPhone, even easier. It’s part of the initial login and “nearby iPhone” prompt.

Android to iPhone, iPhone to Android, same process as the first list.

Your carrier needs to support that.

Find wireless carriers and worldwide service providers that offer eSIM service on iPhone - Apple Support

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 carriers in your country or region offer cellular plans on an eSIM, either activated by eSIM Carrier Activation, eSIM Quick...

support.apple.com

Go look here for "Carriers that support quick transfer".
Notice how short it is.

 

[aajeevlin]

Of course they will. That's the point.

I’m not sure if you are being facetious. But you have half of the population in the states that doesn’t know or care which phone they have. You ask them what they are currently using and they won’t know. You know that hearing all and complaining at macrumors doesn’t mean anything in the real world right? As far as unit sold is concerned.

 

[i_bit_the_apple]

That's not what the commenter was commenting on. The original discussion was that all someone has to do is go in settings and convert to eSIM without having to use a provider app. Doing it in an app or online is possible but iOS 16 has this capability in settings. The problem is it's not available for all/most carriers (yet). It should be over time (hopefully) but is not something that can be done in settings yet with most carriers.

Yup. People are listing features, without actually knowing that they need carrier support that just doesn't exist at the moment.

Same way we can travel to Mars in one day. Sure, I can write it down and imagine it but it's not happening this year.

 

[CARIB_APPLE]

Define “very easy”!
Can you please give us the instructions in 3 lines or less to move a number:
- From iPhone physical SIM to new iPhone eSIM
- From Android phone to iPhone eSIM
- From iPhone physical sim to SAME iPhone eSIM
I looked into the latter a while back and decided it was not worth the hassle

I have T-Mobile. I went into the store. I told the guy I wanted to switch the physical Sim to the eSim on my 13Pro. They opened my account, copied the EID number and 10-15 minutes later I was able to active the eSim on my iPhone. There was a bit of confusion as I thought it would happen automatically. My phone was without service during this time. But for the eSim to work I had to go to setting and “Add Cellular Plan” There is showed the steps to finish setting up the eSim. I’m still not a believer in 100% eSim only phone.

 

[Krispykrme]

Simple, this is 2022 and I refuse to carry two phones. You're entitle to your own opinion so am I. Apple needs to come clean and call out that eSim is not availed yet in all international markets for pre paid plans on that ''eSim page''. That's what the issue is. I realize that a large % of Americans dont leave the mainland. For those who do, I personally won't be forced down the throat to pay outrageous roaming fees with $hitty data packages and service when abroad.

In some cases you aren’t even able to take two phones for work.

 

[ChedNasad]

This definitely isn't ideal for people in the US who travel alot. That said, Apple has done stuff like this before and shifted entire industries, and eSIM can be great when it is supported so in the next few years I bet we see alot of companies start to offer it as an option if they didn't prior.

 

[CARIB_APPLE]

Prefer to have a physical SIM. The only advantage I see with eSIM is that it cannot be stolen. But don't like the SIM linked to the phone.

The subject for a SIM being stolen seems strange. Vertically no one does it in the US but it is possible to add a PIN code for your SIM card so other aren’t able to use them. The setting is right on your phone.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Apple has been trying to get the industry to move to eSIM for at least half a decade, maybe more.

I have no skin in the game as I rarely travel and only have one plan for my phone, so I never swap SIM cards. I think I like the protection of not having to worry about someone getting my phone and taking my SIM card so they get access to my SMS-2FA accounts, but even that's a stretch to have to worry about.

I think of it like this. If there's no one pushing for eSIM, we're never going to get them. The industry never moves unless a big player forces them to. In this case, Apple is big enough to drive the entire industry to eSIM. It's going to happen.

Ironically, the whole Lightning vs. USB-C thing is similar, but from the opposite end. Apple fighting the inevitability of USB-C/standard port for over a decade is quite a comparison to the SIM debate.

If when they say after moving to USB-C “you no longer have to deal with a Lightning cable!” I’ll be satisfied.

 

[CARIB_APPLE]

Let’s be real - carrier availability is a niche issue. Hardly any Americans travel abroad let alone regularly and the ones that do, MOST use roaming, not buy and swap out SIM cards. So the problem of going to East Africa and not being able to swap out a SIM is quite frankly NICHE.

What this will do, at the expense of that tiny tiny minority of people being inconvenienced, is get networks around the world in a war footing and realise this is coming globally and they need to adapt to eSIM or, frankly, die as customers will disappear to the networks who do.

That has long term gain for short term pain.

Time to evolve!

I think that is a blanket statement about American traveling. But what Apple would be “missing” are the many people who travel to the US to buy iPhone because they are much cheaper than in their own countries, the Caribbean included. We only have 1 carrier on the island and they don’t support eSIM.

 

[CARIB_APPLE]

Apple "forgot" to mention the privacy part of having only eSIM.

If you are worried about privacy, put a PIN code on your SIM card.

 

[CARIB_APPLE]

How does eSIM work if you have multiple phones? With a physcial SIM you can just switch it from one phone to the other. How does that work with eSIM? Will it deactivate on all other phones if you activate it on a new phone?

The point of eSIM is that you no longer need multiple phones. I use to carry 2 phones local and US number. Now I use eSIM for the US number and the physical sim for my local Caribbean number.

 

[lgochoa]

Don´t upgrade yet, its the solution.

 

[ghanwani]

To give advance warning to carriers outside the US that it won't be before too long until all iPhone models worldwide are eSIM only.

More specifically, the piss poor operational security of US carriers lends itself quite well to make the US the harbinger of the death of physical SIMs.

Most in carriers the US will happily send you a SIM card by mail without any need for ID. In fact, most carriers in the US will just as happily have you read them the ICCID (a.k.a SIM card number) on a SIM card you already have and activate your line on it.
This is pretty much unheard of overseas, where you either have to pick up a SIM card at the store and ID yourself or have one delivered to you by a courier who will check your ID and scan it in with a portable scanner.
Using a SIM card that you had laying around in the drawer is entirely out of the question.

On the flip side, overseas they mostly couldn't care less which device you activate on the line (i.e. which IMEI is active), whereas in the US some carriers either block unrecognized IMEIs or, such as AT&T, activate capabilities on the line based on the IMEI they expect to use the line.

eSIM however, is pretty much designed to mimic this American laissez-faire approach to SIM activation. Your phone essentially has a SIM card built in and in the settings you can find its ICCID.
In short, eSIMs provide three main ways of activating service.

Either you provide your carrier with your phone's ICCID, your carrier can then activate service on that ICCID, similar to how they would do it if you'd provide them with a physical SIM's ICCID or you can scan a carrier provided QR code, which basically contains an encryption key and some information for the carrier's backend to recognize who you are to accept your phone's ICCID to activate a line on.
You can also initiate activation entirely from your iPhone and then log into your cellular account, after which the above basically happens in the background.

There are some other varieties of enabling an eSIM or sometimes they are combined, but that's the gist of it.

In theory, with eSIM, you can just go into your iPhone's settings and easily transfer a line by logging into your carrier account or purchase a new line as a new customer. Even hop around from carrier to carrier depending on your needs in a particular situation.
And I've witnessed this ideal approach firsthand when purchasing data plans for my iPad, in particular abroad.

In practice, some carriers, although few, like to put up hurdles by requiring verification or requiring you to get in touch with them over the phone.






The amount of steps is a bit dependent on your carrier, but the major US carriers support what Apple calls eSIM Quick Transfer.
In that case it's extremely simple and you don't have to contact your carrier.

Steps as follows:

1. Connect your backup iPhone to Wifi and make sure it's logged into the same Apple ID
2. Go to Settings
3. Tap on Cellular
4. Tap on Add Cellular Plan or Add eSIM
5. Tap on your number in the "Choose a Phone Number" screen
6. Confirm
7. Done

If your carrier doesn't support this, then step 5 would be to use a QR Code, for which you need to contact your carrier. If you don't have another device to display the QR code on then there's an option to enter the details (i.e. SM-DP+ Address, Activation Code and, if provided, Confirmation Code) manually.
In my experience T-Mobile likes to provide these codes for you to enter manually, whereas AT&T strongly prefers providing you with a QR code.


In any case, this seems to be a shot across the bow aimed at carriers outside the US.

This sounds like such a huge improvement over popping the SIM card out of one phone and info another. I feel so much better. And secure! I feel so good about logging into my accounts over public Wi-Fi. I also feel good about reduced choice of carrier while traveling. I’m a believer in less equals more.

 

[IIGS User]

Considering only 37% of the US population has a passport, and the majority of them don't travel outside the country but once every couple years, this will be a non issue for most people.

Question is, can I use my eSim when I travel to Dynamic Island?

 

[Stewie]

That's the thing – I've been doing eSIM with travel (and my domestic carrier is eSIM) since the jump and never have to do this. I simply set up the eSIM before I even leave home, toggle it on in destination country, and never go to one of those kiosks again.

People don't like to hear the truth as it messes with their fake outrage.

 

[BuffaloTF]

Your carrier needs to support that.

Find wireless carriers and worldwide service providers that offer eSIM service on iPhone - Apple Support

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 carriers in your country or region offer cellular plans on an eSIM, either activated by eSIM Carrier Activation, eSIM Quick...

support.apple.com

Go look here for "Carriers that support quick transfer".
Notice how short it is.

Fantastic. Except what I was replying to was a question on “how easy” it was or was not to do it on one specific carrier, T-Mobile. In fact, I even did it live with a device that had a physical SIM just to verify the steps. Super easy.

 

[Stewie]

I'm just astonished at how much Apple has become so arrogant. Serioulsy, has anyone here in the past few months tried to activate an eSim with any carrier in the US? Well, I have tried many times with Verizon and T-Mobile and I have to say it's a nightmare!! Yes, surely they may have fixed and trained the carriers here in the US to activate eSims, but, can you imagine going to somewhere like Greece (Trust me, I was there and tried with Cosmote - impossible), Ghana, Guatemala etc where there is perhaps no such thing as an eSim or, you simply can't speak the language to activate an eSim at the local corner store?

I can't speak for Verizon, but it is very easy with T-Mobile. Log into the website, click change sim and enter a bit of information. Take all of 5 minutes to do start to finish.

 

[CARIB_APPLE]

Same here. I don’t see any option to “convert a physical sim to eSIM” for either Verizon or T-mobile on iPhone 13 Pro Max and iOS 16.

Go to Settings - Cellular - Add Cellular Plan