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Apple SIM Included With iPad for Customer Convenience, but iPhone Not Likely to Join In

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Apple had the consumer in mind when it added a multi-carrier SIM card to its new iPads, said Apple vice president of iPhone, iPod and iOS product marketing Greg Joswiak in a recent Re/code interview (via Fierce Wireless). But that motivation does not mean the Apple SIM will be making its way to the iPhone any time soon, as Joswiak noted most consumers go directly to their carriers to buy iPhones, while the iPad more often is sold through Apple's retail channels.
"It's about the customer experience," he said during an appearance here at Re/code's Code/Mobile conference. "We ultimately don't know who you are going to use as the carrier, [and] we want to make it as easy as possible."

Joswiak said Apple has not discussed putting the Apple SIM into iPhones, but said that because of the way most customers buy an iPhone--through a carrier directly--the Apple SIM is not as well suited. "I don't think you're going to go to the Verizon store and say, 'Can you hook me up with AT&T?,'" he said.
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With most iPhone customers committed to their carriers for a significant period of time, either through contracts subsidizing the phone cost or through payment plans, multi-carrier SIM cards make less sense for iPhones.

Apple's new universal SIM in theory allows customers to activate with one carrier and then switch to another carrier as needed, but there are some limitations. The Apple SIM is currently only compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and UK carrier EE. Verizon confirmed that is not adopting Apple's new SIM, instead requiring customers to activate with a Verizon-specific SIM.

apple_sim_selection_ipad.jpg

In addition, while AT&T is listed as a compatible carrier, the provider is not fully supporting all the features of the SIM. Apple and AT&T have confirmed the carrier is not allowing its customers to switch once the Apple SIM has been activated on AT&T's network, instead opting to lock the SIM to its network following activation. Customers who activate service on AT&T will thus have to purchase a new SIM if they want to use their tablet with another carrier.

Apple introduced the new iPad Air 2 and Retina iPad mini 3 earlier this month with sales beginning last week. Both tablets feature a universal SIM, Touch ID, and storage options of 16, 64 and 128GB. The iPad Air 2 also includes a new A8X processor, antireflective display and 2GB of RAM. The iPad Air 2 retails at a starting price of $499, while the iPad mini 3 costs $399 for the base model.

Article Link: Apple SIM Included With iPad for Customer Convenience, but iPhone Not Likely to Join In
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/10/29/joswiak-apple-sim/
The dance continues here in the States with these carriers. I'm not surprised that they're contractually forcing Apple to more-or-less shelf the Apple SIM for iPhones.
 
Rather off topic but, doesn't the name "Joswiak" sound like a combination of "Jobs" and "Wozniak"?
 
Not a big deal for me, traveling abroad and swapping SIM cards is still much easier.
 
I don't see why not? It's a programmable SIM card. They could stock a single iPhone model, not worry about what SIM was packaged in it, carry it to the sales floor, and go... who cares if programming the SIM to carriers locks that SIM to that carrier? It doesn't lock the device there, just the SIM. Get a new SIM if you want to switch, it isn't that difficult. They often give you the thing for free, or for a penny, when signing up.

lotzosushi said:
Not a big deal for me, traveling abroad and swapping SIM cards is still much easier.
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It is still an actual SIM card... it's just programmable. You could still swap at will.
 
Wait, I thought most iPhones were bought through Apple, not the carriers.

My feeling is that if Apple included the new SIM in the iPhone, allowing users to switch carriers at any time, carriers might threaten to stop subsidizing the cost of the iPhone because they're not recouping their costs via the 2 year contract. That would really cut into the number of iPhones sold.
 
I think the difference (here in the U.S. anyway) is that the vast majority of iPhones are sold on some sort of carrier-subsidized or finance plan whereas most iPads are bought outright.

So in general far more iPhones will be locked to their carrier initially no matter what SIM it comes with.

An Apple SIM in an iPhone sounds fun but would be useful to a much smaller percentage of buyers than it will be in an iPad.
 
I really hope someone sues AT&T over this universal sim sim locking. They are permanently damagaing hardware that is mine by locking it to their network.
 
Verizon said outright that they do not want to play. AT&T says they will play, but then locks the SIM card.

Which is the worse response?
 
I don't have any problems with the Apple SIM, but why do I suspect this move had more to do with allowing Apple to reduce the number of SKUs and not "customer convenience?"
 
I think they should use AppleSim and give companies the option to lock it down for the term of the contract. I think this is a software solution at best IMO.
 
rwilliams said:
Wait, I thought most iPhones were bought through Apple, not the carriers.

My feeling is that if Apple included the new SIM in the iPhone, allowing users to switch carriers at any time, carriers might threaten to stop subsidizing the cost of the iPhone because they're not recouping their costs via the 2 year contract. That would really cut into the number of iPhones sold.
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Carriers are pushing customers to non subsidized plans anyway. I don't think it matters in the long run.
 
lostngone said:
I really hope someone sues AT&T over this universal sim sim locking. They are permanently damagaing hardware that is mine by locking it to their network.
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To bad Apples isn't making the SIM in a way that it cannot be locked. (I'm not saying that ATT's decision to lock the SIM is Apple's fault just that it might be nice to have roadblocked that possibility from the beginning) Has ATT said "Why" they are even locking the SIM? it just doesn't make sense because the device isn't locked and it's easy enough to go get a new SIM. If ATT wants to have a locked SIM they should just put one of their own SIM cards in the device at activation and hand the Apple SIM to the customer to do with as they see fit.
 
Small White Car said:
I think the difference (here in the U.S. anyway) is that the vast majority of iPhones are sold on some sort of carrier-subsidized or finance plan whereas most iPads are bought outright.

So in general far more iPhones will be locked to their carrier initially no matter what SIM it comes with.

An Apple SIM in an iPhone sounds fun but would be useful to a much smaller percentage of buyers than it will be in an iPad.
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only in the US. In the EU a much larger number of people buy their phones outright. Furthermore, having an Apple SIM (regardless of whether it is locked or not) allows apple to put the SIM wherever they like in the circuitry and it can be much smaller, meaning they can get rid of the SIM tray, other moving parts and so on and thus maximize the limited space they have in there.
 
lostngone said:
I really hope someone sues AT&T over this universal sim sim locking. They are permanently damagaing hardware that is mine by locking it to their network.
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They're "permanently damaging" a $5 SIM card, not your $500 iPad. (In case you haven't been following along, your iPad does NOT get locked.) And acknowledging the warning that it will lock the card is you giving consent for that to happen. If you don't want that to happen, choose a different carrier or go get a "prelocked" SIM card from ATT to use instead of the AppleSIM.

I totally believe that what ATT is doing is petty, but they aren't really damaging anything. Don't blow this up into more than it is.

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Richdmoore said:
It would be nice if apple would sell the apple sim in it's stores and on it's web site for those who have been locked by AT&T.
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They do....apparently it's $5.
 
lostngone said:
I really hope someone sues AT&T over this universal sim sim locking. They are permanently damagaing hardware that is mine by locking it to their network.
Click to expand...

They are not damaging anything nor locking it to their network. It's a SIM card. Take it out, throw it in the garbage, get a different SIM card. Easier still -- don't say "Yes" when the warning comes up that the card will be permanently programmed to AT&T.

... it's an actual Nano SIM card. It isn't stuck in the iPad. Let's not be ridiculous here.
 
Locking SIM vs. contract?

If you are in a contract with AT&T (or any carrier) you have to meet the terms of the contract...2yrs, etc.

Locking the SIM definitely helps to enforce, but if you go abroad or even to a local in your own country where another provider has better coverage it just makes swapping SIMs harder.

I know the locked SIM would force the user to use the provider, but always a poor experience for the user.

If you buy unlocked the monthly AT&T bill doesn't change, but you would be able to swap SIMs without AT&T controlling it.

Just crazy!
 
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