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iPhone 13 Models Support Dual eSIMs [Updated]

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According to the technical specifications for the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max, all of the devices include dual eSIM support, which is a feature that's new to the iPhone lineup this year.

iphone-12-and-12-mini.jpg

Dual eSIM support means that the iPhone 13 models can use two eSIMs simultaneously rather than just one eSIM and one nano-SIM.

Prior iPhone models like the iPhone 12 had dual-SIM support, but only worked with an eSIM and a physical nano-SIM. The iPhone 13 models still support eSIM and nano-SIM, but also support two eSIMs for adopting carrier plans without a physical SIM card.

Apple's iPhone 13 models will not ship with a physical SIM card this year and carriers will instead use eSIM capabilities for activation. Because eSIM activation is being used for devices connected to a carrier when ordering, a WiFi connection will be needed for setup. From Apple:
Carrier-connected iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro models will arrive ready to activate with eSIM and can connect to your cellular voice and data service without a physical SIM card. You will need a Wi-Fi connection for setup.

To activate eSIM on an unconnected iPhone, please contact the carrier of your choice when you're ready.
Click to expand...
Connecting with a carrier later can be done by inserting a physical SIM or contacting a carrier for eSIM activation.

The iPhone 13 models will be available for pre-order on Friday, September 17, and will officially launch on Friday, September 24.

Update: Apple has shared a support document with more details on the eSIM, including directions on setup.

Article Link: iPhone 13 Models Support Dual eSIMs [Updated]
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/09/14/iphone-13-models-support-dual-esims/
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Wonder if I'll be able to call Verizon to switch my number over to the new (paid for in full) 13 Pro eSIM without having to pay their garbage activation fee. If not, guess I'll just take the SIM out of my current phone and put it in the new one as I've always done.
 
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I love using eSIMs. Someone steals your phone, they cannot pull the SIM to prevent you from tracking it.
All they can do is shut it off. The moment it gets turned back on, you got a location. I'll never use a physical SIM card again if I don't have to.
Installing and activating an eSIM was pretty easy with AT&T... not sure about other carriers.
Gave my daughter an iPhone 11 Pro that was unlocked. Didn't have a SIM card in it or any plan setup for it at the time. Just went to the AT&T website on her phone (via WiFi obviously) and had an eSIM installed and activated in about 10 minutes.
 
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wowotoe said:
So it can supports total of 3 different services (1 physical & 2 eSIM) simultaneously?
Click to expand...
No, the way it's worded implies it is only dual even if 3 SIMs are on the device at once.
www.apple.com

iPhone

Designed for Apple Intelligence. Discover the new iPhone 16e along with iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16, and iPhone 15.
www.apple.com
  • Dual SIM (nano‑SIM and eSIM)
  • Dual eSIM support

No mention of triple SIMs.​
 
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FWIW, I think it's good they still support the physical SIM card as well as the dual eSIMs. It's not that it's going to let you use 3 simultaneously. (I doubt it will.) But it gives you the ability to deal with scenarios like we have where I work. They buy a bunch of nano SIM cards in advance, all activated as part of a pooled plan. Then, they just issue them out as needed for the devices they deploy and the billing on them begins when they actually get used for the first time.

They already told me I qualified for a company phone they'd pay the bill for, but I don't want to carry two phones around. So I can just take a nano SIM of theirs, slide it in my phone, and I'm good to go with that one plus it still working as my personal phone with my original phone number not ringing with work calls.

It would probably be needlessly complicated to try to use the eSIM support to put the phone on their existing plan, by contrast.
 
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Something I saw in the beta iOS 15 but did not try was the ability to move a physical sim to an esim. if it works seamlessly it means you could cache a lot of physical sims as esims and activate them on demand as needed. Regularly traveling internationally may become just a little easier.
 
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rjohnstone said:
I love using eSIMs. Someone steals your phone, they cannot pull the SIM to prevent you from tracking it.
All they can do is shut it off. The moment it gets turned back on, you got a location. I'll never use a physical SIM card again if I don't have to.
Installing and activating an eSIM was pretty easy with AT&T... not sure about other carriers.
Gave my daughter an iPhone 11 Pro that was unlocked. Didn't have a SIM card in it or any plan setup for it at the time. Just went to the AT&T website on her phone (via WiFi obviously) and had an eSIM installed and activated in about 10 minutes.
Click to expand...
Wow I use eSIM and love it and never thought about the security aspect of it!
 
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This is awesome! Mostly for people who travel as they can have multiple eSIM's stored on the system and then just turn them on as needed. Of course only 2 would work at a time but thats just fine. So cool that they will come ready to activate eSIM, was a pain when I got a new phone having to contact t-mo to activate the eSIM.
 
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rjohnstone said:
I love using eSIMs. Someone steals your phone, they cannot pull the SIM to prevent you from tracking it.
All they can do is shut it off. The moment it gets turned back on, you got a location. I'll never use a physical SIM card again if I don't have to.
Installing and activating an eSIM was pretty easy with AT&T... not sure about other carriers.
Gave my daughter an iPhone 11 Pro that was unlocked. Didn't have a SIM card in it or any plan setup for it at the time. Just went to the AT&T website on her phone (via WiFi obviously) and had an eSIM installed and activated in about 10 minutes.
Click to expand...
But can't they just enable Airplane mode to avoid you getting a location or tracking them or wiping it?
 
rjohnstone said:
I love using eSIMs. Someone steals your phone, they cannot pull the SIM to prevent you from tracking it.
All they can do is shut it off. The moment it gets turned back on, you got a location. I'll never use a physical SIM card again if I don't have to.
Installing and activating an eSIM was pretty easy with AT&T... not sure about other carriers.
Gave my daughter an iPhone 11 Pro that was unlocked. Didn't have a SIM card in it or any plan setup for it at the time. Just went to the AT&T website on her phone (via WiFi obviously) and had an eSIM installed and activated in about 10 minutes.
Click to expand...
Never thought of it that way. I’m still using a physical sim land thinking
About switching . Thanks
 
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This is great, eSIM's are a far superior solution. I can get SIM's for any country I'm traveling to easily and switch between them very easily.

Both my UK and US networks support eSIM's.

Now where is VoNR Apple? The X60 modem supports it.
 
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