Other How will eSIM work if you keep a backup phone

[Packers1958]

Question about the eSIM. If Verizon is going to do this right away with the new iPhones, and we keep a backup phone, exactly how would we reactivate the old phone if there is now no actual sim card in the new phones? Previously, I would just take the sim out of current phone and put it in the backup up phone, and it just works.
[doublepost=1536912903][/doublepost]My guess is if you choose not to set up eSIM on your phone, you can just put the VZW sim card in the new phone, and it will just use that instead. You really only need to set up the eSIM if you want to operate as dual sim.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Verizon will give you a free SIM card, if you need one.

 

[kasakka]

Correct me if I'm wrong but you should be able to deactivate the eSIM from the phone or if you've lost it then from carrier customer service or their website. Then you could put a physical SIM in your backup phone if your carrier provides one to go with the eSIM.

 

[Packers1958]

Verizon will give you a free SIM card, if you need one.

That doesn't help much if for some reason your phone breaks and you need to have your backup ready to go. Having to drive to VZW to get a sim card may not always be that easy.
[doublepost=1536913175][/doublepost]

Correct me if I'm wrong but you should be able to deactivate the eSIM from the phone or if you've lost it then from carrier customer service or their website. Then you could put a physical SIM in your backup phone if your carrier provides one to go with the eSIM.

Why not only activate eSIM if you choose to use a dual sim? Maybe VZW will include a sim card with the phone.

 

[Apple_Robert]

That doesn't help much if for some reason your phone breaks and you need to have your backup ready to go. Having to drive to VZW to get a sim card may not always be that easy.
[doublepost=1536913175][/doublepost]
Why not only activate eSIM if you choose to use a dual sim? Maybe VZW will include a sim card with the phone.

Call support and have a Sim card mailed to you. That way you have your backup.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I'm kinda in the same boat with my iPhone X, but in my case I have a SIM in my backup phone with a different number, and use my iPhone 7+ like an "iPad Nano".

I mostly use my iPhone X for calls, iMessage, and camera, and use my 7+ with bigger screen for everything else so that I don't drain my primary phone battery. If anything happens to my primary then I can move the primary SIM into the other phone, and all my data on the other phone is current and up to date.

So yeah, having a physical SIM in hand to swap the phones is very nice, where you don't have to call AT&T to activate a spare unused SIM or go to the store to pick one up.

Maybe with the eSIM we'll be able to go online and activate the backup phone's eSIM without customer support, but it would be better if the phone itself would have the software in the settings to let us do that ourselves without needing a data or voice connection.