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Swapping SIM cards used to be easy, and then came eSIM

arstechnica.com

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Re: Swapping SIM cards used to be easy, and then came eSIM

#261

Post by Nextgrid »

decimalenough wrote: post #116

On the other hand, international roaming has become so much cheaper now that swapping SIMs when you travel is no longer necessary. The legacy carriers still try to fuck you over, but MVNOs and dedicated travel SIMs offer amazing rates: I can get a year of roaming across 120 countries for around US$15.

It's a year of roaming of bottom-of-the-barrel backhaul, whose speeds and latency could make a 56k modem jealous. It is down to pure luck whether you get a route that works well enough to be usable.

You are always better off buying a local prepaid SIM at your destination airport.

Re: Swapping SIM cards used to be easy, and then came eSIM

#262

Post by worldsavior »

delta_p_delta_x wrote: post #24
worldsavior wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But why? What's wrong with Bluetooth?

Worse quality, latency, potential to lose one (or both) earbuds, having to faff with batteries and charging and cases (and charging the charging case) when I can just... plug it in, bam, music in my ears. The knotting is a small price to pay for the improved quality and convenience in every other way. What's wrong with analogue audio?

> What's wrong with analogue audio?

That you need a cable for it?

Most people don't need latency, and I don't really have any latency issues. I watch videos with Bluetooth headphones and they're all synchronized perfectly.

With Bluetooth I can also "just... plug it in, bam, music in my ears."

Re: Swapping SIM cards used to be easy, and then came eSIM

#263

Post by forty »

jerlam wrote: post #56
forty wrote: post #52

What I don't get is that if he wants a physical sim and microsd card, why does he purchase a phone without those? By doing so you are confirming the phone manufacturers choosing to remove the physical sim cards that they made the right choice. Personally I chose to purchase phones with physical sim card and microsd slots.

The author works for a tech blog, and has to review new phones.

Indeed after checking the article again he does mention that he had to test those Google phones. At least it's a problem their readers won't have :)

Re: Swapping SIM cards used to be easy, and then came eSIM

#264

Post by cromka »

okr wrote: post #230
cromka wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but not when traveling together to a new country. Where women’s rights are… optional.

Well, if its related to the original poster, then how do you know it is their first time in indonesia? :)) Most likely, :)), it is Bali, and for sure, you can leave wifey alone.

Fair enough. Still rather odd thing to write without at least acknowledgment of this being unusual — I guess this is what had people somewhat triggered, because they made it sound as if this was a natural thing to. But we digress.

Re: Swapping SIM cards used to be easy, and then came eSIM

#265

Post by ValentineC »

kiwijamo wrote: post #159
ValentineC wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> New iPhone's don't even work with a regular sim card any longer. Many countries still sell iPhone 17 series with physical SIM slots.

Indeed I have a iPhone 17 Pro with two SIM slots with support for eSIM if I want to use it. If Apple goes eSIM only in our country like they have done in some countries, I'll go back to Samsung.

Two physical SIM slots, so a sold-in-China iPhone? I thought those didn't have eSIM at all.

Re: Swapping SIM cards used to be easy, and then came eSIM

#266

Post by clickety_clack »

viraptor wrote: post #222
ThePowerOfFuet wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you left your wife behind at the airport to fend for herself? Wow.

Turns out women can be independent and don't need 24/7 supervision. If you fly often, there are situations where it's easier to stick together and situation where it's better to go independently. Especially if one of you can take the kids the faster way.

Traveling with kids is a different story, but there’s no mention of that here. Most people wouldn’t jettison a regular friend at passport control, text them “good luck” and head off to the hotel. This guy did it to his wife.

Re: Swapping SIM cards used to be easy, and then came eSIM

#267

Post by ACCount37 »

mbirth wrote: post #215
ACCount37 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's good, but they're expensive as fuck for what they are. The best option would be a software-only eSIM with full transfer support, IMO. But we don't have that, because GSMA says we can't have nice things.

> It's good, but they're expensive as fuck for what they are. Yep, I remember a time where you could extract the Ki and IMSI from legit SIMs and write that to a bog standard Goldwafer card (which were also used for cable TV hacking) including some SIM emulation software and thereby clone the SIM. That was like 30 years ago and the only thing that changed in SIMs since then is better encryption.

If you had the relevant keys? You wouldn't even need a blank card. You could just make a software emulator and force the smartphone modem to use it.

The obvious issue being: it's pretty hard to acquire raw key material. Most vendors refuse to sell it, and the workarounds are messy.

Re: Swapping SIM cards used to be easy, and then came eSIM

#268

Post by hollow-moe »

ThePowerOfFuet wrote: post #216
a456463 wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

NO. IT IS NOT. If it is a backup, then you should be able to restore it verbatim without involving a middle man 3rd party

eSIM profiles are not backed up, as the key never leaves the Secure Element. What might be backed up is a token allowing the reissuance of a replacement eSIM by the carrier.

Can you prove it tho? Apple controls the whole hardware and software stack. They absolutely could store these keys in icloud backup.

Re: Swapping SIM cards used to be easy, and then came eSIM

#269

Post by kappuchino »

I purchased physical eSIM Multicard. It worked quite easily, so now I can handle esims in a virtual/physical way.

And I know what you might think: Isn't that defeating the purpose? No, it is not. I can recive a digital simcard activation, render it on a physical card and use it in any phone. Thats perfect.

And yes, once the phones without a sim-card slot come ... we'll see.

Re: Swapping SIM cards used to be easy, and then came eSIM

#270

Post by sjsdaiuasgdia »

anonymars wrote: post #191
sjsdaiuasgdia wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My own memory and current experience on this point is that it used to be far more common than it is today. I remembered there was a South Park episode where Cartman was being a stereotypical self-absorbed person walking around with their phone on speaker. I looked it up, and that episode came out in 2013. At the time, most phones on the market had a 3.5mm jack. Yet people not using headphones/headsets was an experien…

I appreciate the counterpoint. The Cartman example is a good one. Also it's probably difficult to factor out the seemingly broken post-Covid social norms One point I'll make is simplicity comes in many forms. Wired headphones can be dirt-cheap, they don't run out of battery, and I don't think they're as prone to getting lost

Cheaper yes, but the entry level for BT is still pretty accessible. Using Google Shopping, the lowest priced match for "wired earbuds" is $1.47. The lowest priced match for "bluetooth earbuds" is $2.46. In both cases, you hit a breakpoint of "this looks like it might possibly work for more than a few seconds" around $10.

The battery point is valid. Funnily enough, the last pair of earbuds I lost was a wired one. Myself, most of my headsets are over-ear, so they're a bit large to be easily lost. The form factor likely determines the loss potential more than the presence/lack of a wire.

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