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Just use your existing AT&T SIM (or get a new one) and save the Apple SIM for when you're traveling. However, right now it's only useful in the UK, since no carriers in other countries support the Apple SIM yet.

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It's a 150-day pass with 5GB for $10. If you run out, you need to buy a new pass.


Thanks. Uk is where I go most often so that is useful. However already activated it on ATT. I guess I need a new Apple nano-sim then.
 
Forcing users to buy another Apple SIM if they want to go with T-Mobile or Sprint, way to go AT&T.

But if Apple gives folks free replacement SIMs, good.

According to TUAW, Apple has stated that customers with Apple SIMs locked to AT&T can switch to another carrier after *purchasing* a new Apple SIM from an Apple Retail Store: http://www.tuaw.com/2014/10/24/apple-and-atandt-confirm-atandt-locks-down-apple-sim-cards-to-their/

Big disappointment if it turns out to be true.

Edit: Here's the Apple Support document: big disappointment. I wonder how much they'll charge for a new Apple SIM? https://support.apple.com/kb/HT6499

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I read that Apple will be offering replacement Apple SIMs for free. Can anybody confirm this?

That's not what the Apple Support document on the subject indicates:

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT6499
 
Well, I don't see a good reason. The only thing it does is create inconvenience for the customer. It does not keep the customer from switching carriers by obtaining another SIM.

I was actually planning to use AT&T on my Air 2, but now I will never use AT&T since I don't want to lock my Apple SIM. T-Mobile right now has a 5GB 150-Day pass for $10 as a limited time offer ...

AT&T's reason has nothing to do with the user. No corporation ever thinks of users. Their rationale is to add an extra barrier to carrier jumpers in the hope that people will just give up and continue paying AT&T instead of buying a new SIM card, tinkering with their SIM door and tray. A push button switching solution is a lot easier than a hardware solution.
 
I just spent an hour with both Verizon and Apple. Neither seems to know that Verizon isn't supported on the iPad Air 2. Am I missing something? So irritated that I just bought a cellular iPad, but can't add it to my Verizon account.

I went through something similar, though for not as long and only at Verizon. One of the guys there was very willing to try to help while another salesman insisted that there was a specific Verizon model no that Apple sold me an iPad not compatible with their network. I insisted that the iPad should be compatible and he tried a Verizon sim and it worked flawlessly. The apple sim is just a standard nano sim and can be replaced with one from another carrier. Hope this helps.
 
You have to buy the VZW version, even though they're all unlocked. They're all pretty much identical, but the VZW version's MEID numbers are already in VZW's system. It needs to be in their system to work on their network.

This is the same reason why the AT&T/TMo/VZW iPhones were identical, but only the VZW models would work on VZW... because they had the MEIDs in their database.

Mine works on Verizon. You have to remove the apple sim and put in one from verizon. But what you said is what verizon told me. Not sure if it is what they are training their employees or where it is coming from, but there is no difference in the iPad.
 
OK Guys, you are all overreacting. I just took my 128GB Air 2 over to my local AT&T store to add it to my existing account. I said to them I didn't want to use my AppleSim because they lock it to their network in case I wanted to use it elsewhere. They said no problem and activated another sim and added it to my account for free without any activation fee. I was in and out in 10 minutes. I will now hold onto my AppleSim in case I need to use a different network when I travel.

Sheeeeesh :rolleyes:

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Please someone can explain about these Apple sims?

Before getting an unlocked Ipad it was possible to use any sim in the world. I don’t understand what this Apple sim is all about and we have to buy one??

If I travel I buy a local sim, I don’t want my iPad to be locked to any sim

nothing changed here, you still can use any sim you want, you have additional sim now, which allow to switch between carriers, but it is your choice which sim to use.
 
so how much is a new Apple SIM going to cost?

(this sounded cool at first)

A new sim will be $5.

Doesn't this is still defeats the point of the Apple Sim?
I thought part of the idea was that you could change carriers at anytime (When overseas for example) without having to get a prepaid sim, you just change carriers (E.g from t-mobile to EE if you visit the UK...)

What a stupid idea by AT&T...
 
Just use your existing AT&T SIM (or get a new one) and save the Apple SIM for when you're traveling. However, right now it's only useful in the UK, since no carriers in other countries support the Apple SIM yet.

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It's a 150-day pass with 5GB for $10. If you run out, you need to buy a new pass.

It's a limited time offer. I just bought it, and it's a great deal!

Does anyone know when the deal expires? Can I buy multiple plans and use the later?
 
Is that for already existing phone customers?
Or new iPad customers?

What's the fine print on it (can I use 5GB a month for $10 and keep refilling?)...

I don't have that offer on my iPad 4 (I'm currently using the free 200MB a month on T-Mobile plan).

Gary

I bet it's only for iPad Air 2 customers? I've never had T-Mobile so it could also mean new customers only.
 
Wasn't there a ruling recently that they can no longer do this?

No. Devices just can't be locked. This is just a SIM card. Just like every phone right now, they all have specific network SIM cards. Not sure why people are freaking out since the device is still unlocked. If you are going to another network from AT&T, it most likely wouldn't be for coverage issues, so there's no need to have one that you don't have to take out. The only bad part is for people that might go to the UK. They would have to make sure not to lose their SIM. I don't know why AT&T didn't just let everyone else use it instead of locking it. Jerks.
 
And here I was all prepared to spend the remainder of the week venting on Rite-Aid and their dick move of turning off NFC at the register and AT&T has to go and steal the spotlight...
Rite-Aid disabled NFC?! Damn....Is this store wide policy? I'll have to check at my local rite-aid, family and friends works there and I am always there. :confused::rolleyes: I'm still pissed only 1/3 of my cards even works with Apple Pay :/ of course my bank said they'll be supported by the end of the month according to someone its still kind of disappointing.

Does someone always have to ruin something good.
Yup. It wouldn't be capitalism if it didn't happen!

If there was ever a reason to despise AT&T...

We were on AT&T and move to T-Mobile. Service is good and far cheaper and...

You know, large corporations that have been around for awhile are just evil. Chase is another institution that that is very much ant-consumer.

And this lie....about the iPad being unlocked. For all intent and purposes, it is locked, unless you don't mind paying for another SIM card.

Apple should tell them to follow the rules or GTFO.....but they won't...Apple has always had a special relationship with AT&T...even now they do very subtle business gestures for AT&T...
 
A new sim will be $5.

Doesn't this is still defeats the point of the Apple Sim?
I thought part of the idea was that you could change carriers at anytime (When overseas for example) without having to get a prepaid sim, you just change carriers (E.g from t-mobile to EE if you visit the UK...)

What a stupid idea by AT&T...

You can still just stick in a regular SIM from another carrier and it should work. Carriers provides SIMs for free. At least Verizon does. I guess if you want to go from AT&T to Sprint or T-Mobile and plan on visiting the UK you could get a new Apple SIM so you wouldn't have to worry about losing it on the trip.
 
Yeah, this is the kind of crap that caused me to leave AT&T and not even consider Verizon and go straight to T-Mobile. It feels like a breath of fresh air.

Yeah I feel ya but my house is swaps between 1bar of HSPA and 3 bars of EDGE and theres a few major towns in my area that only have GPRS.....I live in a part of Upstate NY where there are a ton of hills and even Verizon and AT&T have choppy signals in certain areas where the country turns into a small (but populated) town (on a US Route too)
 
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I can also confirm that personal hotspot is available on any of T-Mobile's plans! With AT&T I had to pay for the $50 dollar plan to have that option!
 
Apple should make it abundantly clear so that we customers know to select either T-Mobile or Sprint. AT&T and Verizon are going to lose out big-time!
 
I was always told when speaking to at&t service personnel, they have their system set as a one-and-done system, so you can't activate a SIM more than once on their system. This was apparently from the precursor to Cingular due to the large amounts of fraud and cloning they had when they first started. The system will only every allow a SIM to be activated once.
 
Apple should make it abundantly clear so that we customers know to select either T-Mobile or Sprint. AT&T and Verizon are going to lose out big-time!

I doubt it. Sprint and T-Mobile don't come close to matching AT&T and Verizon coverage.
 
I think you're kind of missing the point. Yes, the EULA allows this. A EULA should not allow a company to alter something they don't own in a manner that the owner does not want them to. Just saying "don't use it" is precisely why AT&T has the amount of power and influence they have. People like you don't understand that there are a ton of people who don't have a choice. "Just a piece of plastic" is not the issue and you and others completely miss that. It may be their network, but it's not their device. The more that you let AT&T dick around with peoples devices the more they will try and lock people down. I don't care who's service I'm using, they shouldn't have the ability to disable or alter a device to make it not work on another companies service without the customer having to change things out. AT&T are doing this because they are an unscrupulous company and they want to try and force people that don't know any better to stay on their piss poor and overpriced service. Since they are in collusion with Verizon to try and dominate all the cell phone connectivity in this country, and are willing to lie through their teeth to do so, anything like this should be instantly stopped. They should have NO ability to alter any device that they didn't sell you. It's not theirs to alter no matter how big or small the alteration is.

First, you have no idea why AT&T actually chose to do this and you are simply speculating, just as others have offered a more rational speculation that this is likely due to their security model. I think it's a dumb business move on their part to be lazy and only support what the have already existing for on-device activation without updating their network to fully support this. However as others have pointed out, it's their network and if you don't want to have your ($5) AppleSIM tied to your AT&T account you shouldn't choose to activate it on their network. If you still want to use AT&T but not tie the AppleSIM to your AT&T account you can simply go to an AT&T corporate store and pickup one of their nanoSIMs and use that to activate your iPad.

Lastly, are you going to provide evidence or even a possible source for your libelous claims that Verizon and AT&T are colluding? I'm guessing you don't but please do tell where you got your information from.

-PopinFRESH
 
Not a feature any more!

With this Apple rightly did not disclose this as a feature during the Keynote! Ok...Apple SIM DOA! Lets move on!
 
I was always told when speaking to at&t service personnel, they have their system set as a one-and-done system, so you can't activate a SIM more than once on their system. This was apparently from the precursor to Cingular due to the large amounts of fraud and cloning they had when they first started. The system will only every allow a SIM to be activated once.

You are correct, and this is most likely the reason. It's still lazy on AT&T's part not to update their system to support Apple's implementation, but I'm not surprised they didn't. I was actually surprised when they were on the list when this was discovered. This is really where the bonehead business move comes into play. They should have simply done the same thing as Verizon and said to activate the new iPads you will need to use your existing AT&T nanoSIM or come into a store to get a new nanoSIM. They should have also explained WHY, and that it's tied to their security model.

Instead they decided to half support a feature which just makes them look like they are being petty, and then they have their PR department clueless on explaining why.

-PopinFRESH
 
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