iPhone 14 Pro Max eSim:going back in time?

[alinefx]

Back in the day, this is how all phones were activated in the US via ESN. Granted they could do only one number at a time back then, but I wonder if the only reason it made a comeback via this eSIM method is due to allowing carriers (and others) to track you better along with the convenience of having multiple eSims (numbers) on your phone, 2 active at a time. It’s almost like they are going back in time now. SIM’s were way ahead of their time. The ease, portability, etc. This is apple doing the “courage” thing again.

 

[JPack]

Carrier control was always a bad thing. With eSIM, you're not only giving carriers control, Apple has partial control as well. Every time someone has control, there's a chance they want their hands greased.

 

[JamesMcFlyJR]

Back in the day, this is how all phones were activated in the US via ESN. Granted they could do only one number at a time back then, but I wonder if the only reason it made a comeback via this eSIM method is due to allowing carriers (and others) to track you better along with the convenience of having multiple eSims (numbers) on your phone, 2 active at a time. It’s almost like they are going back in time now. SIM’s were way ahead of their time. The ease, portability, etc. This is apple doing the “courage” thing again.

First, I cant remember the last time I removed the sim card from my iphone (I even traveled abroad a few weeks ago).

Second, if im going to do something that I would not want my carrier/whoever else tracking me, im 100% leaving my smartphone at home and going phoneless. iphones can still send out bluetooth/wifi signals where other iphones can pick up and share the location. a empty sim card slot wont even stop me from being tracked.

So I dont really care tbh. Ill re-evaluate later if anything happens to what JPack is describing.

 

[Oridus]

SIM cards are literally just service identifiers. I’m not sure I buy the whole “it gives carriers more control” argument. Instead of having a physical chip identify you to the network, that sim number is just embedded to the phone…

I agree, at this point, it’s inconvenient for frequent travelers, especially to countries with carriers that don’t support eSim… but in the future when most if not all carriers support it, it’s a much quicker way to switch service.

I wanted to test this for myself the other night. I wanted to see how T-mobile data worked in my area. Instead of getting myself in my car and going to the store, I downloaded their app and had service on my phone with T-Mobile in literally 3 minutes. If I don’t want it any more, I disable that eSim, just like taking out the physical SIM card tray.

Time will tell how it shakes out but I feel like this was inevitable. Physical SIM cards weren’t ever going to be permanent in a digital world.

 

[NotApplicable]

Big difference between eSIM and old SIMless US-only phones

 

[timeconsumer]

My biggest concern is that carriers will charge an "eSIM switching" fee when you want to move from one phone to another. If I want to move between say my 13 Pro Max and my 13 mini now, I can just move the SIM card and be on my way. If I wanted to do that with eSIM, my understanding is that I'd have to login to my carrier's website and switch the IMEI assigned to my line. Currently Verizon does not charge a fee to do this, but I'm afraid it's something they will do in the future.

 

[AnOracle]

iOS 16 has a built in feature for transferring eSIMs between iPhones. How I feel about eSIMs going forward is really going to depend on how much carrier control that feature has. If it Just Works(TM), then that's great, but if it's subject to carrier approval/fees (as timeconsumer mentions above), that's a definite step backwards

 

[pdoherty]

SIM cards are literally just service identifiers. I’m not sure I buy the whole “it gives carriers more control” argument. Instead of having a physical chip identify you to the network, that sim number is just embedded to the phone…

I figure the point about 'control' is that you need their help to switch, which is where they ding you for a fee and/or get in the way.

 

[alinefx]

I disable that eSim, just like taking out the physical SIM card tray.

For privacy advocates, disabling a digital SIM is definitely more sus than removing a physical sim. With the right tools, and the wrong motives, this can be used to target anyone that is in opposition to whoever controls the current thing and has the power to enforce tracking/eavesdropping on these supposed inactive Esims. Whereas with a physical one, no way is anyone capable of tracking you once your sim was out of your phone. This can definitely be an issue for activists/SJW’s concerned about privacy rights.

 

[Jackbequickly]

How else will our government be able to control us and our access to the internet. The Wild West days are over now.

 

[wysiwyg1972]

iOS 16 has a built in feature for transferring eSIMs between iPhones. How I feel about eSIMs going forward is really going to depend on how much carrier control that feature has. If it Just Works(TM), then that's great, but if it's subject to carrier approval/fees (as timeconsumer mentions above), that's a definite step backwards

This is fine, but as long as carriers can do their own thing, this is a bad idea. For instance Telus in Canada requires you to purchase a new eSim card (basically a QR code) just to transfer to another device. You can’t reuse the old one or just transfer. Apple needed to control the transfer if eSims, no matter the carrier or country.

 

[alinefx]

What about transferring a physical sim to eSIM? I was able to do it with a 5G enabled physical SIM inside the same iphone. However, I have a 4G SIM from 2014 or earlier in an iPhone 12 Pro Max that I will be upgrading to an iPhone 14 Pro Max. Should I take the physical sim out of the 12 And insert it into the 14 and then so a convert eSIM Process? Will that work on such an old sim? It did on the 5G, i now have 3 eSIMs on my PM 13. But wondering if it would also work in converting that old physical sim into an ESIM?