Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Apple said to be preparing for iPhones without SIM card slot in 2022

macrumors.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

441–450 of 531 posts

Re: Apple said to be preparing for iPhones without SIM card slot in 2022

#441

Post by smoovb »

smileybarry wrote: post #427
vmception wrote: post #192

The current and last several iphones have been dual sim, one physical and one eSim. I'm wondering if they keep an eSIM-only model as having two eSIMs. The dual sim implementation is very weird, like its clear they only imagine that someone is popping in a different SIM for travel, as opposed to just having two numbers they use all the time like I do. Even most of the support is catered to travellers with a temporary…

And if you buy a Chinese market iPhone, you can have dual physical SIMs! https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209086

Funny, I bet there is a similar Chinese thread to this one where Chinese are moaning about not having access to eSIM devices.

Re: Apple said to be preparing for iPhones without SIM card slot in 2022

#442

Post by EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK »

MilaM wrote: post #436
smoovb wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is typical of Apple to force a technology change. That said, eSIM technology is ready and eSIM swapping is quite easy, and could become easier with some interface improvements. The issues with eSIM re-issuance are the biggest hurdle, but those fall on the carriers.

Switching between eSIMs on the same phone is very easy. But migrating the profile to another phone is somewhat complicated in my experience. Nothing you would want to do regularily in my opinion. Essentially you have to disable your old eSIM and create and then provision a new one. Some plans allow you to have multiple SIMs activated at the same time. But usually you have to pay extra for that.

As I remember, they just gave me a piece of paper with a QR code, I scanned it with my phone and here I have an esim. Are you saying eSim is now locked to my phone and if I scan the same paper with another phone it won't work?

Re: Apple said to be preparing for iPhones without SIM card slot in 2022

#443

Post by pph »

LeonidasXIV wrote: post #151
gruturo wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There is no way to extract these cryptographic keys and enter them into another phone. Instead, you have to repeat the whole process and get a new QR code from the carrier. They may charge for this, or just be a pain in general and make it difficult or refuse for whatever reason. Even worse, in many real cases. Let me give you an example, happened to me this October: I get a new phone. I browse my carrier's website…

In all fairness, this is Congstar being shit, a low-cost MVNO. They could also be shit by locking your SIM to the first IMEI they see on their network, so the only difference is that they need to establish a porting process for eSIM but haven't done so.

It is noteworthy that Congstar is a brand of Telekom Deutschland GmbH.

Re: Apple said to be preparing for iPhones without SIM card slot in 2022

#444

Post by smoovb »

MilaM wrote: post #436
smoovb wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is typical of Apple to force a technology change. That said, eSIM technology is ready and eSIM swapping is quite easy, and could become easier with some interface improvements. The issues with eSIM re-issuance are the biggest hurdle, but those fall on the carriers.

Switching between eSIMs on the same phone is very easy. But migrating the profile to another phone is somewhat complicated in my experience. Nothing you would want to do regularily in my opinion. Essentially you have to disable your old eSIM and create and then provision a new one. Some plans allow you to have multiple SIMs activated at the same time. But usually you have to pay extra for that.

Agree switching devices is still a pain point with eSIM, but solvable by the telecoms and a push by Apple to eSIM only devices will speed this improvement.

Re: Apple said to be preparing for iPhones without SIM card slot in 2022

#445

Post by mschuster91 »

sschueller wrote: post #422
mschuster91 wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What can go wrong when everybody can program your SIM remotely? That's bollocks. An eSIM module is exactly the same chip as in a normal SIM card - right down to the electric specifications and communication protocols, so you can hook up a provisioned eSIM module to a phone or a SIM card to a device using an eSIM chip and it will Just Work (tm). The only difference is that the eSIM module is allowing the baseband ch…

Yes exactly, thank you. A lot of phones already support eSIM. Apple will claim they invented it and some will copy the no Sim slot but there are still carriers that don't support eSIM so I don't see this taking off like removing the headphone jack.

Carriers without eSIM support will be dragged into the future if they want it or not.

Re: Apple said to be preparing for iPhones without SIM card slot in 2022

#446

Post by ece »

ecf wrote: post #414
arepublicadoceu wrote: post #398

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I feel that this is a first step to a complete power grab over telecoms from the phone manufactures. 1. Step one: Force everyone to use eSim 2. Step two: Bundle a internet plan through Apple One or whatever Google offers. 3. Step three: Move further to a world where all our entertainment and access to services goes through two players: Apple and Google. I'm pretty sure in 10 years t…

I, for one, would ditch telecoms in a heartbeat if this were a thing. Why? > VZ Msg: Introducing Verizon Custom Experience. VZ content & offers are more relevant using web browsing & app usage info. For info or to opt-out: m.vzw.com/CE Received this earlier this month. Verizon and others can go fuck themselves.

The perma-cookie was also VZ.

Re: Apple said to be preparing for iPhones without SIM card slot in 2022

#447

Post by smoovb »

EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK wrote: post #442
MilaM wrote: post #436

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Switching between eSIMs on the same phone is very easy. But migrating the profile to another phone is somewhat complicated in my experience. Nothing you would want to do regularily in my opinion. Essentially you have to disable your old eSIM and create and then provision a new one. Some plans allow you to have multiple SIMs activated at the same time. But usually you have to pay extra for that.

As I remember, they just gave me a piece of paper with a QR code, I scanned it with my phone and here I have an esim. Are you saying eSim is now locked to my phone and if I scan the same paper with another phone it won't work?

The QR code contains a one time use code, used to authenticate with the LPA server and lets you to download the SIM profile from your carrier. Once scanned and eSIM installed, the QR code is no longer valid. The carrier must re-issue a new QR code for that SIM to allow you to load it on a different device.

Re: Apple said to be preparing for iPhones without SIM card slot in 2022

#448

Post by MilaM »

EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK wrote: post #442
MilaM wrote: post #436

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Switching between eSIMs on the same phone is very easy. But migrating the profile to another phone is somewhat complicated in my experience. Nothing you would want to do regularily in my opinion. Essentially you have to disable your old eSIM and create and then provision a new one. Some plans allow you to have multiple SIMs activated at the same time. But usually you have to pay extra for that.

As I remember, they just gave me a piece of paper with a QR code, I scanned it with my phone and here I have an esim. Are you saying eSim is now locked to my phone and if I scan the same paper with another phone it won't work?

That is how it works with my operator. Once the eSIM is activated, it's tied to the phone. But I'm not ruling out it's possible to make the QR code "reusable".

Getting a new eSIM is not terribly complicated. But you have to log in, click through some menues, wait for an SMS code and an email to arrive, wait a couple of minutes.

Re: Apple said to be preparing for iPhones without SIM card slot in 2022

#449

Post by smoovb »

ubercow13 wrote: post #423
aorth wrote: post #382

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand. I can get an eSIM from my telecom provider and scan it with a QR Code to activate it in Android. I've done this with Telenor in Europe and Zain in the Middle East. It works great. I can even switch between them on the fly! How does the phone manufacturer have anything to do with it? My only wish is to support multiple eSIMs, as now I only have one physical SIM slot and one eSIM.

Apples eSIM is not the same as that open eSIM standard. eSIMs that work with iPhones have to be supplied via a direct agreement with Apple as far as I understand.

I'm in the eSIM business and the same QR code you can scan on an iPhone will work on a Pixel, Samsung and a few other eSIM supporting devices. You might be thinking of the Apple SIM, where Apple to work directly with those carriers.

Re: Apple said to be preparing for iPhones without SIM card slot in 2022

#450

Post by Tijdreiziger »

conradev wrote: post #411
Tijdreiziger wrote: post #358

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> [...] Google, which made a global MVNO. > Google Fi is a service for US residents only, as of late 2019. [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Fi

I meant this (from the same article): > When outside the United States, cellular phone calls cost $0.20 per minute, data costs the same $10 per gigabyte (i.e. there are no extra data charges outside of the US), and texting is free

By that measure every M(V)NO with roaming agreements is 'global', albeit Google is one with particularly good international rates.
Post reply on HN