Right, I understand there's a cost tradeoff with using AT&T's IDP. I'm just trying to figure out if iPhone 14/AT&T IDP users suddenly will have a lot fewer options when abroad — and maybe even no options in certain countries. Thanks.
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Apple Removes SIM Card Tray on All iPhone 14 Models in U.S.
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Right, I understand there's a cost tradeoff with using AT&T's IDP. I'm just trying to figure out if iPhone 14/AT&T IDP users suddenly will have a lot fewer options when abroad — and maybe even no options in certain countries. Thanks.
Yet good luck getting support for it when it breaks Apple will replace it with a US version. This happen a few years ago when someone took a US or UK version of their phone to a Apple store in the Middle East and they gave them a new phone that did not support FaceTime.
That's the risk of having repairs internationally. Can't blame Apple as they can only help you with the local inventory they have (and in some countries, there are restrictions and regulations as well in regards to cellular devices). Savvy travelers would've known this, and like I said, tend to have a backup phone. Gullible tourists are the ones usually end up with the unfortunate situation you mentioned.
Take Indonesia. The Apple authorized distributors here don't even offer warranty support for foreign bought iPhones. And Apple doesn't seem to have a problem with that.
Apple authorized distributors is not the same as an Apple Store. A authroized distributor is a third party and not Apple so theres a difference.
It pretty much Apple in markets where Apple doesn't have official presence, like Indonesia. Also, that policy usually falls back to whatever regulatory reason of that country. Some countries with Apple stores also might have similar policies (I forgot if Taiwan also have the same warranty exclusions for iPhones, CMIIW).
Only Macs truly enjoy international warranty coverage (probably due to lack of cellular component, that's usually where the regulatory stuff affects a device).
Ok, someone has to explain to this middle aged fuddy duddy exactly what this means.
Finally, FINALLY I got away from Sprint and having to give phone info for them to activate my phone. Last year I went with Verizon and was actually able to just move my SIM card from the old phone to the new phone. No issues. Easy peazy. Yay!
So what do I do, say, if I do buy an iPhone 14 from Apple. Can't transfer the SIM card to it in the US version now. So..what do I do? Contact Verizon? Seems like the same thing which I pretty much had to do in the bad ol' Sprint days.
And say, if I somehow drop and break my fancy new physical SIM cardless phone, how would I go back to my old iPhone 13? In the past, I would just switch the SIM. So how would I transfer it back to the old (now backup) phone in the future?
Seems the old way of just switching SIM cards was easier. Or I am just getting old.
Finally, FINALLY I got away from Sprint and having to give phone info for them to activate my phone. Last year I went with Verizon and was actually able to just move my SIM card from the old phone to the new phone. No issues. Easy peazy. Yay!
So what do I do, say, if I do buy an iPhone 14 from Apple. Can't transfer the SIM card to it in the US version now. So..what do I do? Contact Verizon? Seems like the same thing which I pretty much had to do in the bad ol' Sprint days.
And say, if I somehow drop and break my fancy new physical SIM cardless phone, how would I go back to my old iPhone 13? In the past, I would just switch the SIM. So how would I transfer it back to the old (now backup) phone in the future?
Seems the old way of just switching SIM cards was easier. Or I am just getting old.
Not that I know of in terms of honoring warranties. Deiniftely not as confusing/restrictive as iPhones.
It's actually not that confusing, but your carrier might make it more confusing that it should be.
1st question, do you want to switch carriers? If not, then it's easy. First step is to convert your existing SIM to eSIM first on your current iPhone. After it's in eSIM form, then when you buy the new iPhone, simply follow the quick start guide and iOS will transfer the eSIM profile to the new phone. Pretty simple.
If you break the new iPhone and want to use your old iPhone, then it seems to be a bit more complicated. If the broken iPhone is still usable, then simply do the quick start again, from the new to the old iPhone. If it's not usable, then I think you have to contact your carrier to be sent a new QR code that you can scan with the old iPhone. YMMV.
I see. For now, this may be country specific, so it all depends on where you are traveling. I looked at countries where I would possibly travel, and I'm covered: UK, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan all have carriers that use eSIMs, so a purchase from one of them (and even prepaid, if need be), and I'm set. I'd get a local number to that particular country, which would only be used if someone from that country would be calling me. Otherwise for anyone else who would call me from home (I'm on ATT as well), they would use FaceTime.
The problem crops up with those who want to keep their domestic phone number while traveling internationally. Using FaceTime and local carriers would be much cheaper than roaming and the convenience of keeping your ATT number.
BL.
Thanks, @ian87 for the info.
I am pretty happy with Verizon at the moment (at least happier than I was with Sprint). So I will probably stay with them for the foreseeable future. So that part I don't think will change and the eSIM makes some degree of sense.
And yeah, I've been using that phone to phone transfer thing for awhile and am pleased with the results of that. So nice to know the eSIM gets transferred easily that way too.
The last part does annoy me a bit though. I liked the idea of transferring the SIM card from one phone to another without messing with a middleman or another step in the process. Especially if say my eSIM primary phone somehow becomes inoperable. Luckily, none of my previous iPhones have been rendered inoperable in the past. But there's always a first time...
Will have to think about this. I am just thinking this is Apple's change for the sake of change and/or just to have one less compartment that could be breached by water/dust/debris, etc.
Thanks again for the info. Thanks for taking the time to post it -- muchly appreciated.
I am pretty happy with Verizon at the moment (at least happier than I was with Sprint). So I will probably stay with them for the foreseeable future. So that part I don't think will change and the eSIM makes some degree of sense.
And yeah, I've been using that phone to phone transfer thing for awhile and am pleased with the results of that. So nice to know the eSIM gets transferred easily that way too.
The last part does annoy me a bit though. I liked the idea of transferring the SIM card from one phone to another without messing with a middleman or another step in the process. Especially if say my eSIM primary phone somehow becomes inoperable. Luckily, none of my previous iPhones have been rendered inoperable in the past. But there's always a first time...
Will have to think about this. I am just thinking this is Apple's change for the sake of change and/or just to have one less compartment that could be breached by water/dust/debris, etc.
Thanks again for the info. Thanks for taking the time to post it -- muchly appreciated.
Or, Apple could just keep the SIM slot. Not every destination sells iPhone at the airport. This issue doesn't affect just a handful of people, it affects everyone who travels to a destination that doesn't support eSIM or is very inconvenient/expensive to obtain one.
Have fun traveling basically anywhere outside the US then ...😅
Oh no! I have prepaid Verizon, and they don’t support e-sim for prepaid customers. Looks like I won’t be upgrading until Verizon change their policy. With Apple taking this major step, Android will also follow suit. If that happens, hopefully e-sim will be available to prepaid.
We Canadians get the non-gimped version as well. It’s only the US without a physical sim.
I hope this esim only experiment fails miserably. Very anti-consumer.
Seems Apple are pushing more and more people to Android because as others have pointed out in their posts very good reasons why a physical sim is still a necessity. Basically Apple are forcing network providers around the world to adopt eSim, adopt the new technology or go without the new iphone and then explain to your countries customers why they cannot have the new iphone. Apple will blame the network providers for not adopting eSim.
The carriers will adopt eSIM in record time now. Apple is the boss and carriers know it.
Well- I am out of iPhone 14 then.
I travel every 2 months or so. Esim is not easy to get (doable). But pain in the ass to enable.
Even in Taiwan- you can only get physical sim for traveler. I often travel to 7-10 plus countries a year. Just way too much pain for esim. Good luck enabling esim at airports.
I already know I can’t do this in Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan. **** apple
I travel every 2 months or so. Esim is not easy to get (doable). But pain in the ass to enable.
Even in Taiwan- you can only get physical sim for traveler. I often travel to 7-10 plus countries a year. Just way too much pain for esim. Good luck enabling esim at airports.
I already know I can’t do this in Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan. **** apple
If Apple responded to posts like this I think their reply would be '**** countries for not supporting eSim'