That's exactly what it is
Why anyone can't see that is beyond me
The carriers have HATED your ability to swap around on a whim
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iPhone 14 Pro I hate eSIM
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That's exactly what it is
Why anyone can't see that is beyond me
The carriers have HATED your ability to swap around on a whim
Nothing ever has to be the way it is…
But I don’t know how anyone can even imagine anything the network carriers do would ever be good.
The telecommunications industry (from phone to cable) has always received the most consumer complaints and lowest consumer report scores going back as long as I can remember (OK OK, there have been a few years recently where the airlines industry has topped out as the most consumer unfriendly industry - but that still puts telecommunication at #2 for those years).
This.
The implementation feels intended to make it harder to switch devices without involving the carrier (in USA). That said, I have seen some EU carrier implementations that are brilliant - like prepay for an eSIM with x-amount of data from a web front store and it immediately downloads to the device for use. Much less hassle than special trips to a carrier store that sells a sim and keeping track of your original sim while away.
If only the US corporations cared about their customer base experience. Sigh.
This is the problem - the carriers in the US.
I went to EU recently from UK. Go Mobile:
1. Using my (free) roaming data which I was running out of, downloaded the Go Mobile app
2. Signed up - simple form to complete.
3. eSIM activated and installed in under 2 minutes from the app.
4. Free 10GB activated and online 2 minutes later.
5. Instant 5G with 400mbits on speedtest.net!
If I wanted unlimited data after that, I pay them €8.99 a month and that's it.
And hell I was on a boat a mile off shore off Comino Island and was getting full 5G coverage there.
And due to the eSIM I just switched the data over to the eSIM and kept my existing roaming provision for calls which works in EU anyway!
----
Now the equivalent when I last went to the US a couple of years ago was trying to get a carrier deal for a month only which cost me $50 for Verizon for a physical SIM which I had to spent half a day hunting around physical stores that had them in as there were NONE at the airport. And the coverage and data was CRAP. And on top of that I couldn't use my existing number without paying a small fortune to my other provider because "that's what you have to do if you want to do anything in the US".
The US is the problem.
That is pretty far from the best way to get an eSIM abroad, I don’t think you understand how to get them. You aren’t forced to go to the local carrier or store to get a SIM like a physical card. You can just get an app like Airalo and buy/install an eSIM in a minute and don’t have to give up and pay waaaaaay more money for international travel packages.
In the US, sure. Less so in other countries where Android has an overwhelmingly large market share.
eSIM has been available on iPhones and iPads since 2018 but adoption especially for prepaid carriers hasn’t seen much progress in some countries. Honestly, I think Apple started going eSIM only on US models in order to force the hands of carriers in those countries
Consumer-friendly, sure.
Simple and quick, depends. I usually have to spend some time hunting for a paper clip to eject the SIM. On older phones (pre-removable SIM tray), it can sometimes be a major pain to take the back plates off to install a physical SIM.
eSIM makes switching among multiple carriers on one device easier.
Transferring eSIMs from one device to another is another matter. With some carriers it’s easy, with others it’s a major PITA requiring a trip plus a potentially long wait at the carrier store.
No argument that cell service tends to be significantly more expensive in the US.
With that said, as long as you have an unlocked phone, there are plenty of MVNOs in the US that you can buy eSIMs from instantly as long as you have a decent internet connection: Cricket, Visible, Metro, Mint, US Mobile, Tello, etc.
I recently activated service on Tello and ported a number from Google Fi and it was all done in under 15 minutes from the comfort of my couch.
I just would like you to know that you can always get a dual sim iPhone. Not sure if that would entail a lot of taxes, but you can purchase one from China and order it to your home in the US from a reputable e-commerce site there. Or, if you're ever in Dubai, you can buy one there for around 10-20% cheaper than in China.
Disclaimer: You won't have access to FaceTime if you care about that at all, and I don't think you can even install it yourself, even when the phone's location is changed to the US. Everything else is the same though.
Otherwise, just order one from Canada. Should be super easy and fast to deliver.
Disclaimer: You won't have access to FaceTime if you care about that at all, and I don't think you can even install it yourself, even when the phone's location is changed to the US. Everything else is the same though.
Otherwise, just order one from Canada. Should be super easy and fast to deliver.
If they ever try this trick in Europe they would be fined right away. I love the comfort of physical SIM – if everything happens or you are afraid of your privacy being compromised – you throw one SIM away and buy a new one.
eSlavery is really dumb and I honestly don’t understand why most people are ok with it. Having a choice is always better. If lack of SIM tray made iPhone actually waterproof (not water-resistant kind of bs) it would totally make sense, but right now it looks like some kind of cartel move in favor of mobile carriers
eSlavery is really dumb and I honestly don’t understand why most people are ok with it. Having a choice is always better. If lack of SIM tray made iPhone actually waterproof (not water-resistant kind of bs) it would totally make sense, but right now it looks like some kind of cartel move in favor of mobile carriers
Hot take but SIMs are legacy tech I can’t wait to have e-SIM only in the rest of the world.
Apple did this early in the US so other countries know what to expect in the next few years and to give carriers time to offer e-SIM.
I do agree though that not being able to switch as easily is a clear downside.
Apple did this early in the US so other countries know what to expect in the next few years and to give carriers time to offer e-SIM.
I do agree though that not being able to switch as easily is a clear downside.
I would say that using eSims actually helps keep your phone trackable if it’s stolen- a thief won’t be able to remove your eSim and stop Find My tracking.. because there’s no sim card to remove in the first place
Unless I missed something, there are 2 eSIMs on the phone. Why wouldn't you just use the 2nd one for your travels? Leave your home one alone.
I agree that it is stupid that you can't buy an iPhone in the US with a SIM card slot, because some people's workflow needs it; but I suspect that those that need it, have ways around it, or chose not to have the newest iPhone.
I agree that it is stupid that you can't buy an iPhone in the US with a SIM card slot, because some people's workflow needs it; but I suspect that those that need it, have ways around it, or chose not to have the newest iPhone.
Afaik, all the cellular iPads are now eSIM only as well (including ones for the European market). SIM registration has become mandatory in many countries. It’s not required yet in the US but with all the database leaks, what privacy?
It doesn’t have to be.
With eSIM in 2024, I can easily switch MVNOs every month in the US without ever having to go to a carrier store if I wanted to. No need to wait for SIM cards to be mailed to you either. You can activate the new carrier’s eSIM instantly. The plans are usually the same whether you use SIM or eSIM.
Sure, I still prefer having a SIM slot at the moment (I use an iPhone SE). If carriers improve support for eSIM though, I might be fine going eSIM only.
How did you use the Hong Kong SIM card without registering? Or was that before 2023?
If I didn’t need my home number for iMessage and OTPs, I’d disable it so I don’t incur accidental roaming charges.
You can just turn the phone off, actually. I don't think an eSIM has an advantage in this case.
Sure. But as far as I know that does not work over cellular. When it's off, it works more like an AirTag over Bluetooth LE.
Blame it on carrier, not on Apple. The eSim works the same way as a physical sim. The carrier is the one who is giving you problem. Even third world country like Vietnam has esim figured out and transferring between devices is super simple.
I use eSIMs in my phone, but I still value having a physical SIM slot.
Getting a replacement eSIM is a pain in the ass with most operators. When I'm traveling far away from home, I likte to have a spare physical SIM with me, in case my phone gets stolen. Why? Because you need SMS for 2FA to bootstrap your digital identity on a new device.
Getting a replacement eSIM is a pain in the ass with most operators. When I'm traveling far away from home, I likte to have a spare physical SIM with me, in case my phone gets stolen. Why? Because you need SMS for 2FA to bootstrap your digital identity on a new device.
ESIMs is neat technology in principle. But the provisioning process is an overengineered mess. There are video presentations on Youtube explaining it. It's 🤯 complicated. No wonder some operators get it wrong.
A physical SIM on the other hand is foolproof technology that works with ANY phone, no matter what. That's a quality that can be very important in some circumstances.
Wow, lots of ardent views on this topic.
On a practical level, I’d be grateful to hear from eSIM users in the US recently, is T-Mobile $10 /month for 2GB data, still the best option? that seems to be the consensus from other threads, and I might go back to that but I haven’t needed to use it for a while, so I canceled and will re-investigate in the Fall, or sooner if a less “use it or lose it” service/plan exists.
I used the above plan via physical SIM for 1-2 years, but now I’m curious (and a bit scared) reading through this thread, whether it’ll work as “mostly okay” as it did, now that I have a newer device that is eSIM only. 🫣
On a practical level, I’d be grateful to hear from eSIM users in the US recently, is T-Mobile $10 /month for 2GB data, still the best option? that seems to be the consensus from other threads, and I might go back to that but I haven’t needed to use it for a while, so I canceled and will re-investigate in the Fall, or sooner if a less “use it or lose it” service/plan exists.
I used the above plan via physical SIM for 1-2 years, but now I’m curious (and a bit scared) reading through this thread, whether it’ll work as “mostly okay” as it did, now that I have a newer device that is eSIM only. 🫣
Your use case seems quite unique.... "switching back and forth".
The SIM is only for your mobile connectivity. Can't you just have both phones with you at all times, and use the one that you prefer in any given moment? 99% of the apps will work with out the SIM as long as you have WiFi.
Why are you transferring a single number between two devices that frequently? Not judging, just curious if that's causing unnecessary pain when it's not really adding any value.
The SIM is only for your mobile connectivity. Can't you just have both phones with you at all times, and use the one that you prefer in any given moment? 99% of the apps will work with out the SIM as long as you have WiFi.
Why are you transferring a single number between two devices that frequently? Not judging, just curious if that's causing unnecessary pain when it's not really adding any value.