Physical SIM card are a crime against the environment. 90% plastic that isn't needed, and likely ends up in the trash instead of being recycled.
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iPhone 14 Pro I hate eSIM
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I use Tello (T-Mobile MVNO) on one of my backup phones. $6 for 2GB & unlimited text. Data rolls over if you manually renew every 29 days instead of letting it auto-renew on day 30. You can also switch to their other fixed GB plans anytime and keep your data balance.
For calls, I added $20 in PAYG credit (1c/min) instead of adding fixed minutes to my plan. Data only plans aren’t taxed in the US while adding 100 minutes for $1 to my monthly plan would add an extra ~$1.70/mo in taxes and fees (so $32/year extra for something I’d barely use).
I've used physical SIM before and after 2023. You insert the SIM and receive a text message with the link to register. Usually, wait a few minutes and you're online. It doesn't affect the ability to give the physical SIM to anybody else (unless they don't have a SIM slot).
I agree eSIM offers benefits and so does physical SIM. eSIM allows tracking and convenience. Physical SIM requires more planning but the biggest advantage is no gatekeepers whenever you want to transfer a SIM.
This really depends on carrier implementation.
With one carrier I’ve used, I just delete the eSIM from the old device and rescan the original QR code they emailed me on the new device. Super easy.
In a model that was design the accommodate a physical sim it saves nothing but they have to start elsewhere.
Once they design a phone without the need for that space they could reengineer the logic board to be narrower and widen the battery.
I can relate to your pain OP. I like to switch between there two OS's also. I feel Apple did this solely to keep us married to them and no one else. I have an iPhone 13 and will never give it up until it absolutely stops working. I also have a couple of Androids I really like switching to on a whim. I hope it will be awhile yet before the rest follow Apple as will surely happen at some point down the road.
I live in Europe (Geneva Switzerland) and as others have said, it's only in the US that newer iPhones are limited to e-sim.
I live in Europe, but I'm from the US. If I but the "Europe" iphone I paying almost $250 more vs the US, but i get a physical sim tray.
overall I'm indifferent over e-sims
ESIM pro's:
ESIM con's:
overall I'm indifferent over e-sims
ESIM pro's:
- harder to clone your sim / steal your number
- multiple numbers on the phone
- easy to setup travel data plans BEFORE you arrive in the country (I use one of those esim apps)
ESIM con's:
- Can't switch phones fast (not a con for me)
- travel sim data (in the country) is cheaper on physical sim vs e-sim (but you usually have to find a store and show your passport)
- If you phone dies (damaged / won't turn on), you will probably need to physically go to your carier with ID to get a new esim with the same number on your new phone
Your number can still be relatively easily stolen. In December, 2022 I had mine stolen out of my iPhone 14P (eSIM Only).
Doesn't matter the tech if the fraudster can social engineer the carrier representative. Or worse, the rep is in on it.
Why not ? Buy an iPhone from Apple and then shop for a SIM at leisure or reuse the existing SIM.
Everyone's got to set a PIN on their cellular account or else they are vulnerable to these SIM transfer attacks.
Without it they let you transfer a SIM with just a photoID (which is easily faked) and the right info. With a PIN set on the cellular account, they have to put the right PIN in or the system won't let them transfer the SIM, even with all the right info otherwise.
Applies to physical or eSIM, both are transferrable. Just make sure you know your PIN, write it down and store it someplace secure if you might forget (you can reset it but only if you have access to your cellular device to get text message codes). I don't know what happens if you lose your phone and forget your PIN, maybe you bring your most recent bill into a store to prove your identity or something.
Regardless I think the point is that if someone physically had your phone, if you have a physical SIM, they pop the SIM out trivially. Not so easy with eSIM, it's fused into the board. You can set a SIM-PIN though, and if you use a physical SIM that is what you must do as well. So I suppose it's slightly simpler that you can have one PIN for cellular account with eSIM (and rely on the system's passcode security, just make sure you don't put your passcode in public because the thieves will see and then steal your phone and take it over). But with physical SIM then you need at least 2 PINs plus passcode for optimum security.
Here's the kicker - I had a PIN. 2FA, the works.
In my case, store clerk was in on it. Put my number on a new phone. Coincidentally, the credit provider for a major electronics retailer in the US only supports SMS-based 2FA. You can imagine what they tried to do next. I can't recommend T-Mobile.
I switched to Google Fi. No physical locations and less-than-stellar customer support means a smaller vector for social engineering. Everything is controlled via a Google account, meaning decent to good MFA. VPN to keep Google's nose out of my business and I'm off to the races.
Funny thing about Fi - no eSIM for data-only devices. Thankfully, AT&T is asleep at the wheel and let me connect only my tablet.
They probably updated their systems since then. The systems are supposed to not allow an employee to transfer a SIM unless a PIN is put in first. They probably did not require at that time and allowed an employee bypass.
I much prefer regular SIM. Thankfully the Canadian version still supports regular SIM, I bought a 15 Pro max last fall.
I think our telco mafia here and all their flanker brands dont all fully support eSIM yet, but the minute they do I bet that Apple will remove the SIM slot for our market too, and just sell the US model here.
I think our telco mafia here and all their flanker brands dont all fully support eSIM yet, but the minute they do I bet that Apple will remove the SIM slot for our market too, and just sell the US model here.
I'd have a guess you are not with Telstra?
I arrived in Australia in Feb 24, bought a prepaid sim at the airport, and converted that to a esim online, whilst having a coffee in the terminal. I did my research, and chose Telstra, and bought a plan online! Unlike Vodafone, and Optus, you can't buy a plan online with eSim, nope, they send you a sim, by post, in a stupid box, shipped from Sydney, that took 5 business days. Then after trying for a week to convert it to eSim on the phone, I had to make an appointment, as a local store, and have them do it. (I tried visiting local store, nope, you have to make an appointment)
They reimbursed my account for a months fee, and I left and went to Vodafone, which had me setup (online) with an esim in less that 20 mins.
I did some enquiries, and it seems, that Telstra has approx 140 thousand new activation each year, and other than those in Sydney, the rest get air posted, with StarTrack. The environmental impact is huge, and am currently pursuing this through my local Federal MP.
Well, thinking about the Apple watch, you can buy the model which has it's own cellular plan but where I am, you've got the choice of just 2 networks that Apple have done a deal with and they only way you can buy one of those plans is if you have a complimentary plan with your iphone.
It would be nice if they didn't do special deals with one or two operators like that because in my experience, it's always the ones that give lousy service and high prices who survive by locking you in to deals like that.
100% agree. It's all about control, not about making the product better for people. I travelled a lot last year, and many countries still aren't on the eSim bandwagon. Some places in Asia charged about 10 times as much for an eSIM! Some had only one company offering eSIM while all the others didn't. So glad I have an iPhone 15PM with a SIM tray. I will continue to travel a lot, so I cannot see myself buying a phone without a SIM tray for perhaps the next 5 years.
Regarding comments that eSIMs end the need to post SIM cards... Unless you buy online, who the hell needs to mail a SIM? I've had 70+ SIMs due to all my travelling and I've never had one mailed to me. I'd say the fact you can buy an eSIM online was an advantage, other than the fact that in so many countries it is FAR more expensive than going into a shop or even buying at the airport.