Apple ditches physical SIM cards from all US iPhone 14 models

AppleInsider · September 7, 2022 7:06PM

None of the iPhone 14 models announced at Apple's "Far Out" event will keep the familiar SIM tray, except for versions being released overseas.

Instead of the SIM card tray, Apple has announced that US iPhone 14 models will all use Electronic SIM technology, known as eSIM. This is a digital SIM that's used to activate a carrier's cellular plan without the need for the traditional nano-SIM card.

Kaiann Drance, vice president of iPhone Product Marketing, described it as Apple making "big improvements to cellular technologies... making it even easier to connect."

"An eSIM is a digital SIM that eliminates the need for physical SIM card," she said. "With an eSIM you can quickly transfer an existing cellular plan or get a new cellular plan all digitally."

"You can even store multiple eSIMs on the same device, meeting multiple cellular plans and phone numbers," said Drance.

"And it's more secure," she said. "Someone can't remove the physical SIM card if your iPhone is lost or stolen."

It has the advantage that setting up an iPhone with a carrier can be done quickly, without waiting for a physical card to arrive or to be provided. Apple says that it will be possible to do this even if a user has no Wi-Fi connection.

Apple is obviously confident that eSIMs are established with sufficient carrier support within the US. But the technology is still taking time to become popular overseas.

Consequently, moving to eSIM would give Apple more space within the iPhone, but it won't have that available everywhere.

Read on AppleInsider

waveparticle · September 7, 2022 7:23PM

So iPhone 14 can have multiple phone numbers with multiple cellular providers?

pgibtweets · September 7, 2022 7:32PM

"With an eSIM you can quickly transfer an existing cellular plan or get a new cellular plan all digitally.”

In Canada, our carriers don’t understand how this should be done. You have to visit a PHYSICAL STORE and purchase a $10 card that contains a QR code. It seems they don’t understand this could be done all electronically and instantly.

pgibtweets · September 7, 2022 7:32PM

waveparticle said:

So iPhone 14 can have multiple phone numbers with multiple cellular providers?

This has been true of iPhones since the XS.

waveparticle · September 7, 2022 7:41PM

pgibtweets said:

waveparticle said:

So iPhone 14 can have multiple phone numbers with multiple cellular providers?

This has been true of iPhones since the XS.

I want a Verizon phone number as well as an AT&T number.

whodiini · September 7, 2022 7:47PM

so i need to buy an iphone 14 outside the US to be able to use it traveling outside the US?

kdupuis77 · September 7, 2022 7:53PM

whodiini said:

so i need to buy an iphone 14 outside the US to be able to use it traveling outside the US?

Well technically no, unless you plan to use your US carrier's roaming coverage or the countries you travel in have carriers that don't yet support eSIM. I work in Japan often and the couple of carriers I prefer to use over there do not support eSIM unless you are a resident and sign a contract. Oh well, hopefully by the time iPhone 15 rolls out that will change lol. But can confirm my iPhone 13 Pro works great on Verizon stateside and in many asian and European countries unlocked just by swapping out my US SIM for a local "foreign" one. I actually just changed my Verizon service over to the iPhone 13 Pro's built-in eSIM and it seems to work fine at home, which is nice now I at least don't have to hold on to my Verizon SIM card anymore I suppose. This one could be a deal-breaker for me next upgrade cycle though depending on how quickly the rest of the world moves forward with eSIM (hopefully rapidly if Apple is going "all-in" from this year forward, as I'm sure Samsung et al will eventually follow their lead as usual).

Marvin · September 7, 2022 8:09PM

whodiini said:

so i need to buy an iphone 14 outside the US to be able to use it traveling outside the US?

It's possible to get an eSim plan for international use:

https://travel.orange.com/en/all-inclusive/europe/orhldeur20gb/
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209096

For places that don't have good support for eSim, a mobile hotspot can work, that will take a sim card:

https://www.amazon.com/T-Mobile-Franklin-Mobile-Hotspot-Wireless/dp/B099NX6SR8

Even a cheap mobile phone with internet sharing would work.

This is one of these technology changes that needs to happen to push carriers to ditch physical sim cards.

wood1208 · September 7, 2022 8:28PM

World will catch up supporting eSIM but will take few years. Just keep your older unlocked iPhone to take overseas as back up.

ralphie · September 7, 2022 8:33PM

I think the whole no sim tray is a deal made with US carriers to force you into their high priced roaming when traveling. Should be investigated.

sidrictheviking · September 7, 2022 8:40PM

whodiini said:

so i need to buy an iphone 14 outside the US to be able to use it traveling outside the US?

Not necessarily. Have a look at the carriers around the globe who support eSIMs.

https://support.apple.com/en-ie/HT209096

digital_guy · September 7, 2022 8:52PM

Using eSIM as only/default/primary on my 11 series since 2020. Knew it should’ve been possible, then, but carrier said it wouldn’t be, and activation was an almost impossible struggle.

ralphie · September 7, 2022 9:01PM

sidrictheviking said:

whodiini said:

so i need to buy an iphone 14 outside the US to be able to use it traveling outside the US?

Not necessarily. Have a look at the carriers around the globe who support eSIMs.
https://support.apple.com/en-ie/HT209096

Of course that list doesn’t mention that as a visitor to those counties you cannot get an eSim (or any other phone plan). Many countries require residency to get a phone plan.

ralphie · September 7, 2022 9:06PM

digital_guy said:

Using eSIM as only/default/primary on my 11 series since 2020. Knew it should’ve been possible, then, but carrier said it wouldn’t be, and activation was an almost impossible struggle.

No eSim wasn’t the ONLY way on the 11, it still has sim tray.

sflocal · September 7, 2022 9:07PM

ralphie said:

I think the whole no sim tray is a deal made with US carriers to force you into their high priced roaming when traveling. Should be investigated.

Just stop. Conspiracy theorists like you would be better off venting on TikTok.

bubblefree · September 7, 2022 9:12PM

Getting rid of the SIM tray is a stupid move. In a world of open standards, where SIM cards are still used everywhere in the world, why move to esims only? The old model where you had both esim and physical SIM tray was the best option and gave customers choice. Apple's reasoning around multiple esims and security is nonsense. They could have multiple esims and a physical SIM tray if they wanted. If people wanted security then use an esim, if they wanted convenience then use their physical SIM card.
I wonder if this move is related to Apple bowing to pressure from US carriers who don't want people to avoid roaming costs by using a local country SIM card when they travel? If so, it opens up another antitrust issue that Apple could do without.

22july2013 · September 7, 2022 10:11PM

bubblefree said:

Getting rid of the SIM tray is a stupid move. In a world of open standards, where SIM cards are still used everywhere in the world, why move to esims only?

Perhaps to reduce costs, simplify design, and make the phone more water resistant? Which of these reasons makes no sense to you?

ralphie · September 7, 2022 10:20PM

22july2013 said:

bubblefree said:

Getting rid of the SIM tray is a stupid move. In a world of open standards, where SIM cards are still used everywhere in the world, why move to esims only?

Perhaps to reduce costs, simplify design, and make the phone more water resistant? Which of these reasons makes no sense to you?

Tray is still there is EVERY country outside US. So none of your hypothesis hold any validity. The move ONLY serves US carrier interests.

22july2013 · September 7, 2022 10:23PM

whodiini said:

so i need to buy an iphone 14 outside the US to be able to use it traveling outside the US?

Why not just install a second eSIM in your iPhone when you travel? Did you know you can do that with either the iPhone 13 or 14?

The iPhone 13 and 14 both support dual ACTIVE eSIMs, while the iPhone 11 (and 12) required that, if you wanted multiple SIMs, only one of them could be the eSIM, not both (even though some iPhones supported up to TEN eSIMs, only one eSIM could be active at a time.)

JeanPierreDeElle · September 7, 2022 10:29PM

pgibtweets said:

waveparticle said:

So iPhone 14 can have multiple phone numbers with multiple cellular providers?

This has been true of iPhones since the XS.

Yes, and with the 13 it became easier than ever. It's great being able to buy a pre-pay SIM at your holiday destination to make local calls at low cost.
In the meantime you still have your own number for incoming calls from home.

jddesouza · September 7, 2022 10:36PM

whodiini said:

so i need to buy an iphone 14 outside the US to be able to use it traveling outside the US?

I think I will do just that, order an iPhone 14 Pro Max from Canada, but just use it in the US. Then I can keep my Annual $50 plan with FreedomPop who require the continued use of their nano SIM to continue with this plan. 1GB data, unlimited talk and text. WiFi does most of my heavy lifting. I have no cellular bill, pretty much, and I'm going to keep that going if I can.

Apple ditches physical SIM cards from all US iPhone 14 models

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