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iPhone 14 Pro Max Teardown Provides Closer Look at Unused SIM Tray Area on U.S. Model and More

szw-mapple fan said:
All MNVOs I've checked in the U.S., including the one I use at the moment, all have had eSim support for a while. What you might be confusing eSim support with is the eSIM Quick Transfer. My transfer was instead done in the MNVO's own app and took less than a minute to generate a new eSim, invalidate the old Sim, and add the new eSim to my phone.

Edit:

For anyone who is curious:

Carriers with eSim Support in U.S., as listed by Apple:
  • Appalachian Wireless
  • AT&T
  • Boost Mobile
  • Carolina West Wireless
  • Cellcom
  • Chat Mobility
  • Consumer Cellular
  • Copper Valley Telecom
  • Credo Mobile
  • Cricket
  • C Spire
  • FirstNet
  • GCI
  • H2O Wireless
  • Metro by T-Mobile
  • Mint Mobile
  • Nemont
  • Nex-Tech Wireless
  • NorthwestCell
  • Optimum Mobile
  • Pioneer Wireless
  • PTCI
  • PureTalk
  • Red Pocket
  • Republic
  • Spectrum Mobile
  • Straight Talk
  • Strata
  • Thumb Cellular
  • T-Mobile USA
  • Tracfone
  • Truphone
  • Ubigi
  • Union Wireless
  • United Wireless
  • US Cellular
  • Verizon Wireless
  • Visible
  • West Central Wireless
  • Xfinity Mobile
Click to expand...
Many MVNOs had eSim capability for awhile, depending on the carrier.
Xfinity Mobile had it last year with the iPhone 13 models but their current website states that it's available 'now' for the iPhone 14 models.
Some time ago, brought in the 13 Pro to a local Xfinity store. The store manager himself said they were seeing issues with eSim and the iPhones. Those problems went away when they used the physical sim cards.
Lots of people on various online boards are reporting issues with using the eSim in their iPhones. Apparently, even though MVNOs have the capability for eSim, they are going through growing pains with a massive rollout of eSim on their systems which can't handle it properly.
Apple has forced the American cellular companies to rely on eSims more, starting with the iPhone 14 so it'll take some time, to say the least, for those American companies to get their infrastructure fixed to handle eSim capability. That is also a warning to international companies that Apple is planning on moving to eSim for future iPhone models so those international telecom companies better get their infrastructure ready, most likely by next year with the next iPhone model.
Apple could've made it less of a mess by literally advertising the fact of their eSim adoption policy but didn't due to its strict privacy policy on their products. That's a major failing on Apple's part as it continues to force consumers and companies to what Apple thinks should be done.
 
Bobcat32 said:
The subset of people who travel internationally and who need “the physical sim” are the ones who are going to be crying the loudest are are LITERALLY a small fraction of the entirety of phone users. You can always get another phone and frankly you should anyways if that is your line of work. e-sim is the future and literally like the headphone jack, this was the right move by apple. Carriers need to stop dragging their feet with this stuff anyways. The unused space can now be used for something good like battery. As it seems to me now days ALL smartphones have plateaued at 5000mah and are showing no sign of every increasing ever again. Sim actually takes up a LOT of space in the smartphone picture. So YES! I welcome 1000% it’s removal <3
Click to expand...
The next time you're in Asia, Japan perhaps it they ever open the border properly you can pick up a local SIM from vending machines in the airport. Put it into your phone and enjoy full 4G Google Maps etc for the duration of your stay and for around ¥3000.

Or you could leave your own SIM in and turn on roaming. Then enjoy a four figure bill when you get home.

There's no logical reason to remove the SIM slot. It takes virtually no space and gives people options. And options are always, always good.

Perhaps some day ESIMs will be common worldwide, but that day is many years away.
 
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PinkyMacGodess said:
And so many people have been saying they used the space for another mmwave antenna. YOU'RE WRONG! I don't see the need to dump physical SIM chips. The 13PM has both so why not just continue that? So if people travel and want to use their phone with a local provider, is that even possible? I heard they support 2 eSIMs. Is that true?

Does the plastic 'bite block' add to structural stability?
Click to expand...
It supports multiple eSIMs, but only 2 can be active at the same time.
 
deathcab said:
Odd decision to remove but not utilize the space, especially since it limits carrier choice in many instances - including in the US as many prepaid and MVNO carriers do not yet support eSim (and can’t until the Big 3 allow them to since most run on their networks). This move also disables hardware-based unlocks that worked with physical sims such as R-Sim, though those workarounds are admittedly sketchy in their own right.

I still wonder if the Big 3 carriers influenced this change to limit competition and create friction for switching to other carriers.

(post edited for clarity)
Click to expand...

It's not an odd decision at all. They're only doing this for US phones, so it's not something they can just apply across the board. Once eSIM is broadly adopted, then they can make use of that space. And I'd be surprised if that's not the plan.
 
mihirdelirious said:
the COURAGE. What a shame ! All advantages of the eSIM were still present in the previous iPhones; 13, 12, 11, as well as the XR/XS back in 2018. And they all also had a physical SIM slot
Click to expand...
Space is premium in phones, they slowly want to eliminate physical SIM and use that space for something else in the future ?
 
deathcab said:
Odd decision to remove but not utilize the space, especially since it limits carrier choice in many instances - including in the US as many prepaid and MVNO carriers do not yet support eSim (and can’t until the Big 3 allow them to since most run on their networks). This move also disables hardware-based unlocks that worked with physical sims such as R-Sim, though those workarounds are admittedly sketchy in their own right.

I still wonder if the Big 3 carriers influenced this change to limit competition and create friction for switching to other carriers.

(post edited for clarity)
Click to expand...
eSIM was supposed to make switching carriers easy.
No need for physical SIM, no need to go to store to buy SIM.
no need to wait for shipment.
 
sw1tcher said:
So much for all the people who said getting rid of the SIM tray is a good thing as it would mean extra space for Apple to give us something extra (e.g. features, battery capacity, etc.).

We got something extra alright... a chunk of plastic 🤣
Click to expand...
Smart boy, i am surprised that engineers at Apple couldn't think like you.
 
ghanwani said:
Beta testing the new approach on US consumers. :D

Most likely will fail and they will go back to physical SIM.
Click to expand...
i doubt Apple will go back.
Space is premium in phones.
May be they think other regions are not ready for eSIM yet.
But in may be 2 years iPhone won't have physical SIM.
 
Sakurambo-kun said:
The next time you're in Asia, Japan perhaps it they ever open the border properly you can pick up a local SIM from vending machines in the airport. Put it into your phone and enjoy full 4G Google Maps etc for the duration of your stay and for around ¥3000.

Or you could leave your own SIM in and turn on roaming. Then enjoy a four figure bill when you get home.

There's no logical reason to remove the SIM slot. It takes virtually no space and gives people options. And options are always, always good.

Perhaps some day ESIMs will be common worldwide, but that day is many years away.
Click to expand...
eSIMs are fairly okay from the data-only providers, like this: https://www.airalo.com/

For around that 3000 yen you can get 5 or 10 GBs for 30 days. Not terrible for data, just use WiFi when you can.

But I’ve heard many saying they can’t have data-only, they need a local number and that is a legit concern. It’s possible to use VOIP or international calling but it does represent a bit of a hassle.
 
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JPack said:
Kinda funny since that plastic spacer serves no meaningful purpose at all.

Apple preaches environmental benefits when they removed the power adapter and EarPods. With no SIM slot on the U.S. model, they decide to generate plastic waste by putting in a spacer. It serves no purpose except hope nobody remembers what's supposed to be underneath it.
Click to expand...
Strength. Imagine direct pressure on the front or back panel directly over the hole, with or without the spacer.
 
sideshowuniqueuser said:
Strength. Imagine direct pressure on the front or back panel directly over the hole, with or without the spacer.
Click to expand...

Given the importance of the logic board, I doubt it because it doesn't make sense to use it as a mounting point. That's how you end up with Touch Disease and Loop Disease. The logic board wasn't designed to flex when it has soldered components on it with delicate solder joints.
 
The lack of a physical sim is really making me apprehensive at getting one. The ability to pop in a prepaid sim when traveling internationally is something I can't let go of.
 
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Anyone with a 14 Pro living in San Francisco want to rent me their empty SIM card slot? I have a small dog but very minimal belongings… Thanks!
 
sideshowuniqueuser said:
Why do you prefer the physical sim card?
Click to expand...

If you go to middle Asia for example and don’t speak the languages, a physical sim is pretty much the default common thing. They hand out SIM cards all over the place on the street and as soon as you leave the airport. 4G unlimited data costs like $15 a month prepaid.

So it’s still useful for now.
 
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sw1tcher said:
So much for all the people who said getting rid of the SIM tray is a good thing as it would mean extra space for Apple to give us something extra (e.g. features, battery capacity, etc.).

We got something extra alright... a chunk of plastic 🤣
Click to expand...
It was exactly the same with the removing the headphone jack BS. I still think they could add a headphone jack with virtually no consequences. Shame.
 
Beautiful Opinion said:
It was exactly the same with the removing the headphone jack BS. I still think they could add a headphone jack with virtually no consequences. Shame.
Click to expand...

Waterproofing issues maybe?

Would it work to use lightning to analog headphone, jack adapter?

Out with the old in with the new, I say

Phase out the SIM card completely is best
 
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