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janeauburn

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 22, 2015
1,297
2,205
Kinda ridiculous. A true dual SIM phone would be really useful for us world travelers. Too bad only China gets it.

E-SIM is like a throwback--being tied to a carrier. Practically useless.
 
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JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,616
23,475
It's what happens when the carriers make the call and Apple concedes. The carriers will activate eSIM service whenever they want, if they want to.

Unlike the U.S., most consumers in China buy their phones outright. So carriers in China have much less bargaining power to force eSIM.
 
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quietstormSD

macrumors 65816
Mar 2, 2010
1,225
595
San Diego, CA
It's what happens when the carriers make the call and Apple concedes. The carriers will activate eSIM service whenever they want, if they want to.

Unlike the U.S., most consumers in China buy their phones outright. So carriers in China have much less bargaining power to force eSIM.
Not sure if it’s China carriers or US carriers that you are referring to. If it was up to Apple I think they would have dual e-sims.
 

Fofer

macrumors 6502a
Oct 24, 2002
685
116
ESIM can be programmed to any carrier.

Set ESIM up as your main line at home and use the physical SIM tray for the SIM card you want to use in another country.

Yes but then that main line number only works in 10 countries* currently and doesn't work at all when you travel to any others, which in some instances may defeat the whole purpose of having two numbers.

*Austria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, India, Spain, the UK, and the US.
 
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JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,616
23,475
Not sure if it’s China carriers or US carriers that you are referring to. If it was up to Apple I think they would have dual e-sims.

eSIMs give carriers more power. Any provisioning and deprovisioning now go through the carrier. Eventually, carriers will charge admin fees for such transactions.

Apple acts as a gatekeeper and can limit which carriers have access to eSIM. And charge those carriers an access fee. Of course Apple prefers eSIM.

In a competitive wireless market, physical SIMs are preferred. That’s why China demands physical SIMs. It prevents Apple and carriers from gaining leverage.
[doublepost=1542616187][/doublepost]
ESIM can be programmed to any carrier.

Set ESIM up as your main line at home and use the physical SIM tray for the SIM card you want to use in another country.

Only a handful of carriers support eSIM. More support may come in the next few months and years. But consumers are buying a 2018 iPhone, not a 2020 model.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209096
 
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janeauburn

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 22, 2015
1,297
2,205
eSIMs give carriers more power. Any provisioning and deprovisioning now go through the carrier. Eventually, carriers will charge admin fees for such transactions.

That's my point. It's like moving backwards, not forwards. Consumers should not have to go through some hassle with the carrier to swap out a SIM. That's BS.
 

thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Oct 1, 2007
15,557
16,291
Kinda ridiculous. A true dual SIM phone would be really useful for us world travelers. Too bad only China gets it.

E-SIM is like a throwback--being tied to a carrier. Practically useless.

Tim Cook bends over backwards for the Chinese

China First mantra from the virtue signaling globalist.


It makes one wonder if dual SIM would’ve even *cost* more to manufacture.

ESIM is the solution no one asked for, to have to deal with the carrier’s customer support instead of on the fly hassle free carrier switching.

Always has to be done Apple’s way, at one’s expense
 
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