iPhone 16e Upgrading from iphone 13 to iphone 16e with Esim, need advice

[SilverSpooned]

I have no idea how an Esim works or how to set one up. When I upgrade, the newer phone (16e) will not have a physical sim card. How will I be able to upgrade to the newer phone with the Esim, use the same carrier, etc? Will I have to change my phone number? How does the process going from a physical sim card to an Esim work? I have no understanding of this and researching it is confusing and I find multiple conflicting answers.

 

[Cobalt Blizzard]

During setup (or later in settings) it will offer to transfer eSIM from old phone to a new one.

 

[SilverSpooned]

During setup (or later in settings) it will offer to transfer eSIM from old phone to a new one.

I have a physical sim on my current phone. How would that work?

 

[dave006]

I have a physical sim on my current phone. How would that work?

It all depends on your current Cellular carrier. Each of often have a different process vs the default Apple iPhone process that runs as part of the iPhone to iPhone transfer process.

You physical SIM will be deactivated by Apple transfer process or by your Carriers SIM to eEIM transfer process. Does you current phone support eSIM then you could switch to an eSIM now and learn how your carrier manages the SIM to eSIM process.

Note: You can't have a SIM and an eSIM both active on your phone line so you can't easily switch devices in your daily activities in almost all cases.

Dave

 

[SilverSpooned]

It all depends on your current Cellular carrier. Each of often have a different process vs the default Apple iPhone process that runs as part of the iPhone to iPhone transfer process.

You physical SIM will be deactivated by Apple transfer process or by your Carriers SIM to eEIM transfer process. Does you current phone support eSIM then you could switch to an eSIM now and learn how your carrier manages the SIM to eSIM process.

Note: You can't have a SIM and an eSIM both active on your phone line so you can't easily switch devices in your daily activities in almost all cases.

Dave

I have straight talk.

My phone does support eSIM from the looks of it. Either way, upgrading, I will have to go from physical sim to ESim, which is something I never understood.

 

[dave006]

I have straight talk.

My phone does support eSIM from the looks of it. Either way, upgrading, I will have to go from physical sim to ESim, which is something I never understood.

Well Straight Talk does not support the Apple iPhone transfer process. You will need to use their Activation process. Here is a link to review:

https://support.straighttalk.com/en/brands/Apple/STAPESIMSUPPORT1/tutorial/2206241/

Dave

 

[SilverSpooned]

Well Straight Talk does not support the Apple iPhone transfer process. You will need to use their Activation process. Here is a link to review:

https://support.straighttalk.com/en/brands/Apple/STAPESIMSUPPORT1/tutorial/2206241/

Dave

I will keep that in mind, thank you. How will the process be for trade in?

 

[dave006]

I will keep that in mind, thank you. How will the process be for trade in?

What would you be trading in and where would you want to perform and trade in?

Apple is not an option so the leaves you with Straight Talk Wireless directly or maybe at Walmart but it will depend on your current Straight Talk plan.

Dave

 

[SilverSpooned]

What would you be trading in and where would you want to perform and trade in?

Apple is not an option so the leaves you with Straight Talk Wireless directly or maybe at Walmart but it will depend on your current Straight Talk plan.

Dave

I never had a "plan". I always just went to the store and bought those cards and reload the phone every month.

I'd be trading in the 13 for the 16e.

 

[TracerAnalog]

I have no idea how an Esim works or how to set one up. When I upgrade, the newer phone (16e) will not have a physical sim card. How will I be able to upgrade to the newer phone with the Esim, use the same carrier, etc? Will I have to change my phone number? How does the process going from a physical sim card to an Esim work? I have no understanding of this and researching it is confusing and I find multiple conflicting answers.

Call your carrier!

 

[SilverSpooned]

Call your carrier!

I don't quite understand why I should?

 

[TracerAnalog]

I don't quite understand why I should?

Not sure how things work in your area. Where I live you call your carrier and tell them you need an e-sim. They then help you with it🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[1rottenapple]

I have no idea how an Esim works or how to set one up. When I upgrade, the newer phone (16e) will not have a physical sim card. How will I be able to upgrade to the newer phone with the Esim, use the same carrier, etc? Will I have to change my phone number? How does the process going from a physical sim card to an Esim work? I have no understanding of this and researching it is confusing and I find multiple conflicting answers.

Most cases carriers have an app. You install that to activate your phone. And you transfer the physical to eSIM. I’ve done this method and reverse (esim to physical sim)

 

[SilverSpooned]

Most cases carriers have an app. You install that to activate your phone. And you transfer the physical to eSIM. I’ve done this method and reverse (esim to physical sim)

When I got my sim card transferred to my old phone, for example, I never had an app to activate the phone.

 

[ChrisA]

I have no idea how an Esim works or how to set one up. When I upgrade, the newer phone (16e) will not have a physical sim card. How will I be able to upgrade to the newer phone with the Esim, use the same carrier, etc? Will I have to change my phone number? How does the process going from a physical sim card to an Esim work? I have no understanding of this and researching it is confusing and I find multiple conflicting answers.

Assuming you buy your phone at an Apple store. The process is easy, you unlock the old phone and hand it to the salesperson. He "does stuff", asks you to enter a password, and then hands you back a new working 16e and a deactivated old phone (that still works except for the cell phone function.)

Seriously if you don't understand, you don't have to.

But if you buy the phone and it is shipped to your house, then what you do is the same thing the salesperson would do for you, follow a series of on-screen prompts. even in this case, you don't need to know how the phone company deactivates your old eSim.

 

[SilverSpooned]

I need to know that if you purchase a new iphone with a carrier, when you get the phone, will the carrier already come pre-installed, and will that be setting up a new phone number with an esim? I think that transferring my physical sim card to a new esim is going to be impossible / too difficult to me, but at the same time, I have zero understanding of carriers and how they work. I use Straight talk with a physical sim card. I have NO "set" plan. I just go to the store and buy the reload cards every month. I see there are carrier deals on Apple, but I have absolutely zero understanding of how any of this stuff works. I plan on upgrading from the iphone 13 to iphone 16e.

What is the difference between purchasing through a carrier deal and selecting one when purchasing the phone?

 

[FreakinEurekan]

16e in USA doesn't take a physical SIM so yeah, "transferring your physical SIM" is impossible.

But it's actually really easy to switch phones. "Transfer from nearby phone"

 

[SilverSpooned]

16e in USA doesn't take a physical SIM so yeah, "transferring your physical SIM" is impossible.

But it's actually really easy to switch phones. "Transfer from nearby phone"

I looked up how to "transfer from nearby phone". I don't have any confidence that will actually work for me, as there always seems to be something that goes wrong whenever I do anything with phones, technology, etc.

You just said it is impossible, converting physical Sim to Esim.

 

[aihpcfl]

@SilverSpooned My only experience is with a post-paid plan (T-Mobile). The transfer from current phone (XS with physical sim) to the new phone (16 Pro, e-SIM only) was very simple, and the e-sim in the new phone was activated automatically. To repeat, correct, there is no physical SIM in the new 16 series phones, in the US anyway. The caveat here, what I'm talking about, is this was on a post-paid plan with T-Mobile transferred to new phone. I don't know how this will work with your carrier and the type of payment plan you are on. I'm sure there is a solution, I just don't know what it is in your case. (If I had to guess, you would probably add a balance to your account online, after setting up a payment method, etc. Again, just guessing.)

If I were in your shoes I would talk to your service provider. Alternatively, your provider probably has the information online, but my sense you probably need to talk to a customer rep with your provider -- unless someone else her can give you specific help.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I looked up how to "transfer from nearby phone". I don't have any confidence that will actually work for me, as there always seems to be something that goes wrong whenever I do anything with phones, technology, etc.

You just said it is impossible, converting physical Sim to Esim.

No, I said you can't move a physical SIM to an iPhone 16e.

No need to "look it up" just click on the article I linked. It works well.

 

[SilverSpooned]

@SilverSpooned My only experience is with a post-paid plan (T-Mobile). The transfer from current phone (XS with physical sim) to the new phone (16 Pro, e-SIM only) was very simple, and the e-sim in the new phone was activated automatically. To repeat, correct, there is no physical SIM in the new 16 series phones, in the US anyway. The caveat here, what I'm talking about, is this was on a post-paid plan with T-Mobile transferred to new phone. I don't know how this will work with your carrier and the type of payment plan you are on. I'm sure there is a solution, I just don't know what it is in your case. (If I had to guess, you would probably add a balance to your account online, after setting up a payment method, etc. Again, just guessing.)

If I were in your shoes I would talk to your service provider. Alternatively, your provider probably has the information online, but my sense you probably need to talk to a customer rep with your provider -- unless someone else her can give you specific help.

The main point of contention, is that I don't have an account with my carrier or anything like that, at least, I somehow never set one up, and I typed in my IMEI number to do a mock activation for Esim and it said it was incompatible.

How is the process getting a new phone with a completely new carrier, would I just transfer my data to the new phone and get a new phone number with the new carrier?

 

[FreakinEurekan]

How is the process getting a new phone with a completely new carrier, would I just transfer my data to the new phone and get a new phone number with the new carrier?

Yes.

 

[aihpcfl]

The main point of contention, is that I don't have an account with my carrier or anything like that, at least, I somehow never set one up, and I typed in my IMEI number to do a mock activation for Esim and it said it was incompatible.

How is the process getting a new phone with a completely new carrier, would I just transfer my data to the new phone and get a new phone number with the new carrier?

I'm confused on exactly what you are doing. I second the response from @FreakinEurekan but I also say again you need to talk to your carrier, or your tentatively chosen carrier.

 

[SilverSpooned]

I'm confused on exactly what you are doing. I second the response from @FreakinEurekan but I also say again you need to talk to your carrier, or your tentatively chosen carrier.

Yes.

So how is the process in buying a phone with a selected carrier?

 

[aihpcfl]

So how is the process in buying a phone with a selected carrier?

You can buy the phone from the carrier of your choosing, or buy directly from Apple. You can also bring your own device (BYOD) to a carrier, provided it is compatible. I have done it all three ways. Whichever way, you will need some type of account with your chosen carrier. As I say, I'm only familiar with a post-paid account. I'm sure there is some way to handle a pre-paid account, if that is the way you want to handle it. But you indicated above you have no account, which is why I say talk to the carrier and go from there. Talk to different carriers and find out plans and options before choosing.