Well, there are Routers with Sim support, you could try to use one abroad with a battery pack and connect to its wi-fi. 😜I’m waiting for a clever company to come out with a dongle with a 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 Promotes Benefits of Using iPhone 14 With eSIM While Traveling Abroad
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The idea is this.
Apple forcibly removing the SIM slot will force carriers to move their butt and provide eSIM support. Even if they don't, the idea is that virtual operators providing eSIM will be the market disruptor for travelers. With most people are used to make calls/sending messages via IP-based services like Whatsapp, the need for actual local phone number is less and less.
Of course, us being in the transition period, is the painful period. I even remembered the transition to nano SIM, and back then, no carriers in my country even sell nano SIM. They're all still micro SIM, and I have to cut the SIM manually.
Exactly, eSIM providers globally charge more for the same thing. I did some research on countries that I have been before and purchased local sims for data, price is about 50-200 times more than physical SIMs. It is outrageous. I wonder if I can buy iPhone 14 from Canada and use it for US carriers
How about Apple tells us the benefits of removing the physical sim?
I live in Central America where eSIM is basically unheard of. The solution is just to use an older iPhone or android. I wouldn’t feel safe walking on the street or around touristy areas with an iPhone 14 anyway.
Still using my 6S that has a headphone Jack. Apple still hasn’t brought back the headphone Jack but I guess I can’t wait much longer.You are astonished that Apple being arrogant? Where have you been?
At least the SIM card slot is still there in the new iPhones where I live so I think I’ll upgrade whilst Apple still sells traveller friendly phones.
I know that few iPhone users are worried about privacy but a physical sim is a cornerstone of privacy. The broadband modem is one of the privacy destroying components of an iPhone and if you can't disable it by removing the sim then you have no privacy. None. The baseband modem and Bluetooth (and soon, satellite chip) are all active even if the phone is turned off.
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.
Here is one, the iPhone production becomes cheaper, this leaves more money in Tims pocket…
I think the steps shown is only for converting physical SIM to eSIM on the same phone.
Traveling with eSIM, the ideal way, in how I experienced, is close to these:
With M1 Singapore: At Changi airport, I simply bought the piece of paper with the QR code (convenient store in the airport sells them), scan it with my phone (connected to wifi in the airport), activate, done.
With yoodoo Malaysia: Before even flying out, I downloaded their app, bought the eSIM. They emailed me the QR code, I scan them with my phone, done (the line is on my phone). Once I landed there, I simply turn on the line and be on my way. To me this is the best and most ideal way. eSIM can be fully digital, no need to even have anything physical (likes a piece of paper, that's dumb...
I’m not surprised that Singapore figured it out. They’re pretty forward thinking. There are still a lot of countries who aren’t providing esim support for their pay as you go customers. Like in the UK. India is a gigantic pain because of terrorism related laws and I’ve gotten mixed messages on whether foreigners can get e-sim accounts with Airtel and Jio.
I have 2 iPhones. My primary one which is my newer one that I use on a daily basis, and my secondary one which I use my Greek sim card. my primary iPhone is also paired with my apple watch. in the summertime when I travel to Greece I used to swap out my AT&T SIM card for my CosmOTE sim card and my greek number would become primary and the AT&T SIM would go into my secondary phone.
if I am able to do this with eSIM technology, I won't mind a bit.
but i'm not holding my breath.
I suspect I will have to get a new QR code for both carriers each time I want to do a swap and both carriers will hate me for it.
At least CosmOTE will email you an eSIM QR code. I'm not sure this is the case with AT&T, but i suspect apple going eSIM only in the US will force the US carriers to be a little more lenient about making eSIM QR codes available more easily/ via email.
one last data point:
as far back as the fall of 2019 AT&T insisted on send out an eSIM QR code by snail mail and refused to send same via email. I am hoping that 3 years later, this policy has changed.
if I am able to do this with eSIM technology, I won't mind a bit.
but i'm not holding my breath.
I suspect I will have to get a new QR code for both carriers each time I want to do a swap and both carriers will hate me for it.
At least CosmOTE will email you an eSIM QR code. I'm not sure this is the case with AT&T, but i suspect apple going eSIM only in the US will force the US carriers to be a little more lenient about making eSIM QR codes available more easily/ via email.
one last data point:
as far back as the fall of 2019 AT&T insisted on send out an eSIM QR code by snail mail and refused to send same via email. I am hoping that 3 years later, this policy has changed.
Perhaps Apple is seeding a problem and will come up with a solution with say satellite 5G where it can embed itself into the carrier revenue stream. Perhaps a partnership with something like starling is coming after all.
Given the demo of how limited a satellite connection appears to be with the 14 I guess that’s unlikely but maybe that’s just the beginning of what’s coming.
It does seem, in any case, a bit tone def and premature for them to toss the sim slot already. I struggled to get T-Mobile to activate dual eSims for me. Most techs were convinced it didn’t exist and it took manual overrides for them to make it work.
It reminded me of when eSims first appeared a few years back and it seemed to take at least a year for carriers to begin to support I and another year for their techs to have heard of I t. Apple is moving like it’s a high end sports car trying to drive through a thick jungle with this move.
Given the demo of how limited a satellite connection appears to be with the 14 I guess that’s unlikely but maybe that’s just the beginning of what’s coming.
It does seem, in any case, a bit tone def and premature for them to toss the sim slot already. I struggled to get T-Mobile to activate dual eSims for me. Most techs were convinced it didn’t exist and it took manual overrides for them to make it work.
It reminded me of when eSims first appeared a few years back and it seemed to take at least a year for carriers to begin to support I and another year for their techs to have heard of I t. Apple is moving like it’s a high end sports car trying to drive through a thick jungle with this move.
Thank you for sharing.
Just so I’m prepared for travel in the future, where do I go to purchase an eSIM plan prior to traveling to a destination? Also, is there any way to test that your eSIM works before actually arriving at the destination? I guess the problem is the same with physical SIM but at least I’m already at my destination as opposed to paying for eSIM service in advance without knowing whether it really works or not.
For those who want physical SIM card just get an iPhone somewhere else like we from the rest of the world are doing.
Here in Bosnia 2 of the 3 major carriers already offering prepaid and postpaid eSIM for cheap.
I don’t get how an eSIM can be problem in the US.
Most of the european countries offer eSIM. Scanning a bardcode to get the number into the phone is fine with me.
Here in Bosnia 2 of the 3 major carriers already offering prepaid and postpaid eSIM for cheap.
I don’t get how an eSIM can be problem in the US.
Most of the european countries offer eSIM. Scanning a bardcode to get the number into the phone is fine with me.
I recently purchased an iPad Pro with cellular and the Verizon rep activated it with eSIM (I was expecting a physical SIM). Process was fairly quick and smooth. A little nervous about setting up eSIM in other countries. It is a big enough concern for me to avoid the iPhone 14 for now until more folks share their experiences traveling with it.
Just get an app for that.
Airalo: eSIM Travel & Internet
Stay connected wherever you travel. With an Airalo eSIM (digital SIM), you can connect like a local in 200+ countries and regions worldwide. Install an eSIM and get online in minutes. No roaming fees — just easy, affordable, global connectivity. What is an eSIM? An eSIM is an embedded SIM...
apps.apple.com
Cheap data plans are available in all countries, including places like Ghana. And for calls just use WhatsApp or whatever.
let's say that I believe Apple's beef stew about the
"benefits" of going eSIM-only, how do they explain
the fact that only we Americans are singled out for
this privilege? (while the rest of the world continue
to "suffer" the inhuman inconvenience of having to
use physical SIM cards?)
"benefits" of going eSIM-only, how do they explain
the fact that only we Americans are singled out for
this privilege? (while the rest of the world continue
to "suffer" the inhuman inconvenience of having to
use physical SIM cards?)
Unlimited prepaid in Germany from Telekom? I don’t think that even exists or it must have cost a fortune
—-
Anyway, nothing is easier then just getting a „chip“ from Oxxo in Mexico
Last edited:
I know in many parts of the world, including Africa (from personal experience) fraudsters and black market dealers somehow find a way to move large volumes of new iPhones (from especially the US) to sell at really cheap prices in those markets. Now, a lot of those markets barely have carriers offering eSIMs. It’d be interesting to see how their business proceeds from here. Would they turn to European iPhones? 😉
No no, Singapore hasn't fully figured it out. Only M1 supports eSIM. The top 2 carriers, Singtel and Starhub, don't. 🤣
Apple dropped the ball on this one, ubless of course they’ve been forced to do this by US carriers. Glad our models in the U.K. and EU are still getting SIM card slots, more valuable than mmWave to me at the moment until the world switches to esim.
The truth is: there is no single good reason for a consumer to have an eSim only phone, vs SIM + eSim one.
All the persuasion how this is “the best thing ever that can happen to you” is pure 🐎💩
This not just another 3,5 mm jack over again, which was sold as saving space in phones and making them more water resistant (Sony engineers are magicians it seems since they manage to combine the two). A dongle can be used to have a proper wired earphones for all the people who are sensitive to microwave radiation or those concerned about potential health risks to long RF exposure. On this topic, I’ve met multiple people who were telling me about the headaches that they often have and my first advice was to take off their wireless earphones that they had and stay free of them for at least couple of days and see if that solves the problem (“magically” it did in both cases). Well, those people just happened to be sensitive, but just did not read what their body told them… Anyway - end of rant about Apple pushing towards healthy lifestyles promoting runners with wireless earphones and smart watches with cellular...
Speaking of eSIM only phones -> clearly in no time this “convenience” feature can lead to the situation when only “qualified” operators can be activated or eSIMs from “friendly countries”. This is the reality of this issue. If you are an American from China and will travel there, you might not be able to use the phone at all - roaming or not.
This is not just locking down into a ecosystem - this is a locking down into whatever US government (or maybe even some other government) feels you should support and should not.
Giving current states of “democracy” around the world, I guess hardly anyone can really argue that such restrictions are not a far reach in almost any country today.
- At the moment in Germany starting October 1st energy companies will be able to not only change contract prices with consumers, but legally shift all the “losses” they got this year onto them.
- In Lithuania one of the factories I did services too just got an electricity bill for 80000 Euro instead of 8000 Euro last month (10x increase)…
I wonder what Klaus Schwab thinks about eSIM only phones and their convenience in brining the “The Great Reset” agenda forward.
All the persuasion how this is “the best thing ever that can happen to you” is pure 🐎💩
This not just another 3,5 mm jack over again, which was sold as saving space in phones and making them more water resistant (Sony engineers are magicians it seems since they manage to combine the two). A dongle can be used to have a proper wired earphones for all the people who are sensitive to microwave radiation or those concerned about potential health risks to long RF exposure. On this topic, I’ve met multiple people who were telling me about the headaches that they often have and my first advice was to take off their wireless earphones that they had and stay free of them for at least couple of days and see if that solves the problem (“magically” it did in both cases). Well, those people just happened to be sensitive, but just did not read what their body told them… Anyway - end of rant about Apple pushing towards healthy lifestyles promoting runners with wireless earphones and smart watches with cellular...
Speaking of eSIM only phones -> clearly in no time this “convenience” feature can lead to the situation when only “qualified” operators can be activated or eSIMs from “friendly countries”. This is the reality of this issue. If you are an American from China and will travel there, you might not be able to use the phone at all - roaming or not.
This is not just locking down into a ecosystem - this is a locking down into whatever US government (or maybe even some other government) feels you should support and should not.
Giving current states of “democracy” around the world, I guess hardly anyone can really argue that such restrictions are not a far reach in almost any country today.
- At the moment in Germany starting October 1st energy companies will be able to not only change contract prices with consumers, but legally shift all the “losses” they got this year onto them.
- In Lithuania one of the factories I did services too just got an electricity bill for 80000 Euro instead of 8000 Euro last month (10x increase)…
I wonder what Klaus Schwab thinks about eSIM only phones and their convenience in brining the “The Great Reset” agenda forward.
Perhaps this reality would push/motivate all carriers to adopt/offer eSIMs, like many things which come from Apple. I just activated my first eSIM here in Germany, even though I’ve had all eSIM-capable iPhones (bar SE). Try as I did it wouldn’t activate on the O2 app. Customer service was stupid - just ordered another eSIM. The eSIM was eventually blocked for 24 hours because I had typed too many “wrong” TAN codes. Interesting that I only typed what they sent. Finally used my computer the next day and it was very quick. It’s neat that I can add many eSIM cards and turn off any whenever I want without having to eject.