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New Cellular iPads Include 'Apple SIM' in U.S. and U.K. for Multi-Carrier Compatibility

Brows said:
so where is it? I'm not seeing any sim card slot on any of the pics on apples website??
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Do all iPad models use the same type of SIM card?
No. iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi + Cellular and iPad mini 3 with Wi-Fi + Cellular can use either the Apple SIM card or a carrier-supported nano-SIM card. iPad Air, iPad mini 2 and iPad mini use a nano-SIM card. All other iPad models use a micro-SIM card. Micro-SIM cards cannot be used in devices that use the Apple SIM or another nano-SIM card.

http://store.apple.com/uk/buy-ipad/ipad-air-2
 
Hopefully in the future all phones can be like this too :rolleyes: even GSM/CDMA carriers. *achemverizonachem* :mad:
 
scaredpoet said:
Sooo, how does that work exactly, for Verizon and other non-participating carriers? is there a SIM slot where an alternate SIM can be installed?

Don't get me wrong, I think this is great, but, the lack of carrier buy in is a little irksome.
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Verizon is still pissed apple upended their applecart with the original iPhone. That is why Verizon turned down an exclusive with the original iPhone.

They are the absolute worst and continue to be spiteful clawing their fingers trying to turn the clock back ten years.
 
scaredpoet said:
Sooo, how does that work exactly, for Verizon and other non-participating carriers? is there a SIM slot where an alternate SIM can be installed?

Don't get me wrong, I think this is great, but, the lack of carrier buy in is a little irksome.
Click to expand...

No, there is no removable SIM tray from now on. If you bought the Apple Sim you will not be able to bring it to Verizon and other non participating carriers. You should complain to Verizon directly.
 
burnout8488 said:
You'll most likely be able to select your carrier during checkout. Apple wouldn't make the users have to go to a Verizon store for a SIM if they chose that carrier.

ATT Sprint and T-mo selections would get the Apple SIM pre-installed, while Verizon purchases would get a Verizon SIM pre-installed.

Just my take on it. BUT: Perhaps Verizon customers can register their iPad with Verizon online or in-store, with the Apple-SIM still installed. There's a few ways Apple can go about this I presume...
Click to expand...

That would make more sense, unless they were trying to simplify their supply chain. It would only mention Verizon in case they bought an AT&T/T-Mobile/Sprint iPad and wanted to switch at some point. It might be worth some people to just order the one with the Apple Sim card even if they plan on getting Verizon, just in case in the future they want to use that Apple Sim to easily switch between other carriers. I also wonder what would happen if you stuck that thing in an iPhone that is unlocked?
 
Klae17 said:
No, there is no removable SIM tray from now on. If you bought the Apple Sim you will not be able to bring it to Verizon and other non participating carriers. You should complain to Verizon directly.
Click to expand...

Are you being sarcastic? This is false. Apple's website says you can swap in a Verizon SIM from a Verizon store.
 
Maybe this is 'breaking news' to the carriers also - Apple forcing them to play ball or get off the field
 
Dumb Question

So is this like an 'unlocked' iPad? Like the Tmo iPhone model?

Meaning - tomorrow can I buy a cellular model iPad without signing a data contract?
 
Verizon really missed the boat on this one. I know they're insanely picky about only "Verizon" devices being activated on their network but come on.

I wonder if it's some sort of deal where Apple takes a cut of the revenue for all data plans that are activated via the "Apple SIM" and Verizon didn't want to give up the revenue? We'll find out soon enough, I'm sure.

Also, it's odd that Apple didn't mention this in the keynote. Seems like something they'd want to tout as I believe it's the only tablet on the market currently that works in this fashion right off the shelf.
 
mcolongwood said:
So is this like an 'unlocked' iPad? Like the Tmo iPhone model?
Click to expand...

iPad has never been sold locked to a particular carrier.

Risco said:
Very good idea! I wonder why it was not introduced with iPhone 6?
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It's a very different proposition. With data, you have no attachment to your service. If you cancel it or it runs out, you don't lose a phone number that you've been giving out to people. You could swap on a monthly basis and have no real impact on how your device works.

I'm not sure the concept of an "Apple SIM" could work in a phone.
 
mcolongwood said:
Meaning - tomorrow can I buy a cellular model iPad without signing a data contract?
Click to expand...

Well, you could do that yesterday too. All iPads have always been unlocked, though some carriers would sometimes refuse to activate certain iPads. Even if you could, you'd have to swap the SIM cards to switch to a new carrier.

Apple SIM means a single device supports 3 of the 4 major carriers, with zero SIM swapping. And if you want to get service from the fourth carrier (Verizon), you just swap in a Verizon SIM (previously, Verizon wouldn't activate a non-Verizon iPad, though there were some workarounds).
 
I'm not really seeing the big deal about this, at least as far as being the U.S. I bought my "Verizon" iPad Air from the Apple store and I easily switched the sim to T-Mo and used T-mobile's 200MB free forever deal. Didn't require any special configuration.
 
HenryDJP said:
I'm not really seeing the big deal about this, at least as far as being the U.S. I bought my "Verizon" iPad Air from the Apple store and I easily switched the sim to T-Mo and used T-mobile's 200MB free forever deal. Didn't require any special configuration.
Click to expand...

The old "Verizon iPad" was already the most versatile: It would work with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

If you purchased an AT&T or T-Mobile iPad, it would only work with AT&T and T-Mobile.

This development means there's a single model, and they all work on all four major carriers. *And*, the pre-installed SIM works on three of them, without having to get SIMs for each and swap them in.
 
This is huge!

For data speeds and the best available connection at any time.

I just hope that somehow they further this to work with cellular connection to and somehow provision someones mobile number to work across any network once you press a different provider... you instantly register with that network and their cell towers immediately start routing your calls.

That would be amazing.
 
This is basically the same idea as the "SIM-less iPhone" rumour that was out a few years ago. If I recall, at the time, the carriers killed the idea because they wanted to protect that customer interaction of getting a SIM. So, looks like Apple is going having way to SIM-less by instead having a semi-universal SIM. Pacifies the carriers, since the SIM-less option mean no chance to touch the customer, while this method means that can still be involved if the customer needs another SIM or a port-paid account.
 
Daveoc64 said:
I would assume that you can only ever have service with one carrier at a time. How you'd change between them is not known - but it's probably not very consumer friendly.
Click to expand...

Based on the description, I'd imagine you just cancel your service with one carrier, and then re-activate service with the new carrier. And it looks like it can all take place right on the device, in the Settings app.
 
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