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Sketchy Rumor Claims iPhone 15 Pro Won't Have Physical SIM Card Slot
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Nah, will never happen. eSIM adoption is going nowhere. After all these years, I don't see any significant increase in carrier support, especially in SE Asia. In my country, after all these years, still only 1 carrier (out of 5) supports it, and it's not even the top 3 carriers. In some countries, eSIM is only supported for post paid users.
As much as I want eSIM to be the standard, doesn't seem that carriers are interested in it anymore.
As much as I want eSIM to be the standard, doesn't seem that carriers are interested in it anymore.
On the contrary, if all your carriers support eSIM, changing carriers is even easier with eSIM than traditional SIM. Just flip the switch in the settings. The iPhone can store multiple eSIMs.
So the bottleneck is not the tech, but the carriers.
Well it sounds me like they do have eSIM activation online, but I don’t use Verizon and maybe it’s not working now, I don’t know.
Apple iPhone - Add Cellular Plan Using an eSIM | Verizon
Here's info on how to add a cellular plan for your eSIM to your dual SIM capable Apple® iPhone®.
www.verizon.com
On the contrary, eSIM adoptions worldwide is pretty much going slower than a snail's pace. How long has it been since Apple introduced eSIM?
In short, until the top carriers in large markets like China adopted it, we won't see an iPhone without a SIM slot.
The irony is that eSIM should cost less for the carriers as they no longer need to make those chips. They just need to print the QR code on a piece of paper.
Take Singapore. Developed country, high tech (they shut down 2G already). But eSIM support is half hearted. The number 1 carrier there only supports it for the Apple Watch. The number 2 carrier doesn't even support it.
On the contrary, eSIM should be making those things even easier for travel, as long as the carriers do provide eSIM. Just scan the QR code, switch it in settings, and you're done. It's the carriers that are making things more complicated than it should be.
The bottleneck is not the tech, it's the carriers themselves. Prior to the pandemic, I used to travel overseas often, and switching/keeping track of the various local SIMs gets annoying fast. eSIM would've been the perfect solution as everything is virtual and the phone keeps track of all of them.
For everyone saying the uptake is slow think about the uptake of Bluetooth headphones. What really sparked the uptake of those?
Well, surprise... surprise. In two years or less... they will have it! So there goes that excuse.
Given how seamless the designs are already, I honestly don’t think it would change my experience (especially not for the better) having a SIM card slot that is internal and no longer inaccessible. Sounds more like another restriction than a user benefit to me.
Though given recent comments about how the front camera not having a notch blows some people away I will be keen to see takes on this.
Though given recent comments about how the front camera not having a notch blows some people away I will be keen to see takes on this.
Actually, they probably won't. eSIM support is taking a surprisingly long time to roll out, for both technical and political reasons.Well, surprise... surprise. In two years or less... they will have it! So there goes that excuse.
Technically, they need to change how they provision, which you'd think is a trivial task but it's not. I suspect most tier 2/3 carriers won't bother, because eSIMs are a rich person thing.
Politically, many carriers don't want customers to switch that easily. Having ported my eSIM a few times I can say that eSims are easier to deal with, but if something goes wrong it's a nightmare.
eSIM may be the future. But I would prefer to have a physical SIM card at least for the near future. Not so easy to switch between eSIM and normal SIM to put on any other device where I live. iPads could be the first to drop physical SIM.
What sparked uptake of Bluetooth headsets were businesses (remember those single side Bluetooth earpiece?), then the regulation for driving with hands free. If you meant popularity of TWS, then what sparked it was Qualcomm making its Bluetooth 5 easily accessible by every OEM.
You probably were hoping the answer to be Apple ditching the headphone jack. Let’s assume that was true as well, that worked because Apple also provided the solution, AirPods.
With eSIM, it’s up to the carriers to provide support for it.
Heck, Apple even specially made iPhones with dual physical SIM slots for China, no eSIM. That shows that Apple is not the one who dictates the market. Unless Apple itself becomes an international wireless carrier, an eSIM only iPhone is suicide.
Most carriers around the world don’t. Even those that do, only support it on certain plans/specific devices.
Top 3 carriers in my country still don’t support VoLTE for iPhones (they support VoLTE on Android devices).Well, surprise... surprise. In two years or less... they will have it! So there goes that excuse.
Apple going this route will only alienate people in many markets from buying iPhones. Heck, Apple even make iPhones with dual physical SIM slots for China. Apple is no longer the ones dictating the carriers.
nope. Apple should never have veto authority over which carrier I use for my phone. Physical sims ftw.
Doubt it. With the headphone jack, it works because Apple also provided the solution (Airpods). Consumers are not left hanging. it's all within Apple's own ecosystem.
With eSIM, Apple is not the carrier. Consumers are at the hand of carriers, which from many have stated everywhere, are not that great in terms of customer service/experience. Besides, eSIM is not new. Look at the Apple Watch cellular, iPhones since the iPhone Xs/XR, Samsung Foldables, Samsung flagships, etc. Yet most carriers are not budging.
And let's say Apple did it with the iPhone 15. Then what? Majority of carriers are not interested in eSIM. And there's China. Do you really think Apple is willing to risk consumers in those markets ending up not buying iPhones?
We will see more carriers deploying 5G sooner than carriers supporting eSIM.
I like the idea of eSIM, and I wish it's more common than what it is now. But unfortunately the telcos think otherwise.
Technically very welcome, but to be implemented smoothly, service providers will need to up their game, expanding or simplifying eSIM support. I currently use an eSIM for my work line and when I change a phone I physically need to go to a carrier’s shop to get a new plastic card with a QR code to scan, else my eSIM will not transfer to a new phone “for security reasons”. ??♂️