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Apple SIM

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Re: Apple SIM

#161

Post by mrweasel »

realusername wrote: post #158
hjnilsson wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is having a sim card better than simply having... free access to any carrier? A SIM-card is something you need to wait to arrive in snail mail. When going abroad you need to order one ahead of time to get a good price. Switching requires weeks of waiting for new cards to arrive, or going to a store. If you lose your device you need to wait for a replacement. Why would anyone want to use such an antediluvian metho…

> A SIM-card is something you need to wait to arrive in snail mail. When going abroad you need to order one ahead of time to get a good price. Switching requires weeks of waiting for new cards to arrive, or going to a store. If you lose your device you need to wait for a replacement. What do you mean? You just pay a small amount of money at any store/cigarette shop and you get a SIM card in 10 seconds.

Depending on where you are in the world, you need to be able to go online to activate the SIM cards you buy at the supermarket/corner-store.

Here in Denmark you can't buy an anonymous SIM card anymore, at least I haven't found any in years. They all require you to register on their website with name, address, CPR (Danish SSN).

Re: Apple SIM

#162

Post by rusk »

kylec wrote: post #12

This isn't new, the Apple SIM has been around since 2014: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_SIM

Even then, this isn't new. The SIM toolkit has had this capability since the early noughties at least ... credit to Apple for actually getting the operators on board though!

Just to be clear, this isn't so much to do with any intelligence "in the SIM" - it's more to do with the operators allowing a SIM like this to be used.

I wonder what the kickback is for them in this instance ... telcos typically guard their subscribers jealously. Here you're opening up to allowing your subscribers use your competitors networks. Are they getting higher tariffs or is there some kind of a special service charge for this?

Re: Apple SIM

#163

Post by akvadrako »

josteink wrote: post #145
jboles wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it is only intended to work with Apple’s partner carriers. I wanted to add my iPad to my AT&T data service and I could not use the built in SIM. Instead AT&T sent one for free. The iPad has a separate SIM slot and I imagine it will have to until the built in SIM is truly universal.

> The iPad has a separate SIM slot and I imagine it will have to until the built in SIM is truly universal. Or you know... In the rest of the world, people actually ask for SIM cards, physical cards, because they are portable, and 100% certifiably decouples your device from your cellular provider. Why on earth would I have something hidden inside... Which may or may not be interoperable... Which I cannot take and use…

Because SIM cards are stupid and Apple is trying to encourage carriers to stop requiring them. You should be able to switch providers virtually, so for example you could have several active contracts.

Re: Apple SIM

#164

Post by rusk »

hjnilsson wrote: post #153
josteink wrote: post #143

How is this better than simply having... A SIM-card in your phone or tablet? A SIM-card is something you can swap and replace in less than 30 seconds, and 100% decouples your device from your cellular provider. The way things should be. It's hardware so it's portable. It's standardized so it's interoperable and works with all equipment, from all vendors. Why does Apple need to re-invent this? Why would I want to repl…

How is having a sim card better than simply having... free access to any carrier? A SIM-card is something you need to wait to arrive in snail mail. When going abroad you need to order one ahead of time to get a good price. Switching requires weeks of waiting for new cards to arrive, or going to a store. If you lose your device you need to wait for a replacement. Why would anyone want to use such an antediluvian metho…

The SIM card solves the key distribution problem.

Operators can store, activate, distribute, cancel at will. Each one has a unique signature that is factored in to all cryptographic exchanges with the network.

It's not tied to the phone. If you get a phone you get a new SIM. If your phone gets stolen you can zap the SIM card and the phone still works. If you buy a phone you can transfer your identity to it through a short, simple, reassuring tactile procedure.

Want to go to another network? get a new SIM.. operator can't hold you unless they actually bought the phone for you and you still owe them money for it ...

Re: Apple SIM

#165

Post by dx034 »

Tijdreiziger wrote: post #98
paublyrne wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the EU roaming charges were abolished last year.

> However, if you have a very cheap mobile data unit price (less than €3.85 / GB in 2017), your operator may apply a "fair use" limit for data that is lower than your domestic allowance when you are roaming. Source: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/internet-tel...

Fair use still means more than nil. AFAIK, this was included to avoid that people buy cheap plans in countries they don't live. For all plans I've seen so far, the allowance was sufficient to cover frequent travel, just not enough if you're only abroad.

Re: Apple SIM

#166

Post by morganvachon »

jboles wrote: post #141
morganvachon wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And it still doesn't work properly with every carrier. I bought a new, unlocked iPad Mini 4 that came with the Apple SIM, and no carrier would activate it. I finally got it working on Ting after getting one of Ting's SIM cards and lots of back-and-forth between Ting and Apple Support.

I think it is only intended to work with Apple’s partner carriers. I wanted to add my iPad to my AT&T data service and I could not use the built in SIM. Instead AT&T sent one for free. The iPad has a separate SIM slot and I imagine it will have to until the built in SIM is truly universal.

> I think it is only intended to work with Apple’s partner carriers.

Unfortunately it's not advertised like that. Based on Apple's literature one should be able to activate the Apple SIM (in the US) on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or virtually any MVNO. None of the above major carriers wanted anything to do with my iPad while the Apple SIM was installed; none recognized it as a valid SIM. AT&T insisted on selling me their SIM and a weird plan that included voice and SMS even though it's a data-only device. The rest said the Apple SIM was not able to work on their service unless I bought the iPad with a plan from them at their store and the Apple SIM came locked to that plan (I bought it new but unlocked directly from Apple).

Ting was the only carrier willing to send me a free SIM, work with Apple on my behalf to get the device provisioned, and sell me data-only service.

Re: Apple SIM

#167

Post by realusername »

mrweasel wrote: post #161
realusername wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A SIM-card is something you need to wait to arrive in snail mail. When going abroad you need to order one ahead of time to get a good price. Switching requires weeks of waiting for new cards to arrive, or going to a store. If you lose your device you need to wait for a replacement. What do you mean? You just pay a small amount of money at any store/cigarette shop and you get a SIM card in 10 seconds.

Depending on where you are in the world, you need to be able to go online to activate the SIM cards you buy at the supermarket/corner-store. Here in Denmark you can't buy an anonymous SIM card anymore, at least I haven't found any in years. They all require you to register on their website with name, address, CPR (Danish SSN).

I doubt Apple SIM will solve that issue, they will likely comply with the local legislation and ask you to register as well.

Re: Apple SIM

#168

Post by digi_owl »

gsich wrote: post #117
digi_owl wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The more i learn about US telecom, the more i wonder how the hell they managed to invent both the landline and mobile phone. Their infrastructure sounds like a balkanized mess...

First telephone was invented by an Italian (Antonio Meucci). Probably the best landline system was/is in Germany. The ISDN was a complete digital system beginning from the 80s, having features that are not present in current mobile technologies. Calling was almost instant, probably only matched with VoLTE or SIP in local networks. Deutsche Telekom tried very hard to adapt most of the ISDN features to SIP.

> First telephone was invented by an Italian (Antonio Meucci).

Living in New York and granted a US patent...

Re: Apple SIM

#169

Post by tomcooks »

sametmax wrote: post #154
scrollaway wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It would fit so well into their premium brand of "your iPhone works the moment you step off the plane wherever your amazing life takes you". If there's anything that would make me buy an iPhone, this is it. I travel a lot between the US and Europe; I'm using Fi at the moment even though I shouldn't actually have access to it. It's mind boggling to me the crazy things we can do with tech today, and not make it all w…

I'm kinda of amazed of the Internet and mobile situation in the US. I was in the Silicon Valley recently. Internet was terrible everywhere I went. Phone plans were incredibly expensive. While my French phone plan, that I pay $25 a month, gave me unlimited calls and text messages, even in the US, and from France to the US or vice versa. On top of unlimited 4G in my country, I had 25Go of free 3G in the US for my trip.…

Just to add insult to injury: Don't forget your French sim works without roaming across all EU member states

Re: Apple SIM

#170

Post by dbbk »

morganvachon wrote: post #166
jboles wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it is only intended to work with Apple’s partner carriers. I wanted to add my iPad to my AT&T data service and I could not use the built in SIM. Instead AT&T sent one for free. The iPad has a separate SIM slot and I imagine it will have to until the built in SIM is truly universal.

> I think it is only intended to work with Apple’s partner carriers. Unfortunately it's not advertised like that. Based on Apple's literature one should be able to activate the Apple SIM (in the US) on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or virtually any MVNO. None of the above major carriers wanted anything to do with my iPad while the Apple SIM was installed; none recognized it as a valid SIM. AT&T insisted on selling…

It is advertised like that... you just have to read the page.

"Apple SIM allows you to choose cellular data plans from select carriers in the U.S. and in more than 180 countries and regions around the world."

https://www.apple.com/ipad/apple-sim/

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