5 ms·
>> For instance, if I'm traveling I can just buy a SIM card at a kiosk and pop it in That is exactly what apple doesn't want you to do. They don't want users
by sandworm101 5y ago
>> For instance, if I'm traveling I can just buy a SIM card at a kiosk and pop it in
That is exactly what apple doesn't want you to do. They don't want users making deals with local ISPs for service. They want in on that transaction. Virtual SIMs, controlled by phone manufacturers, will allow them to exercise a degree of control over wandering users. If you are a local ISP, you better be part of the program if you want to sell your services to apple's devices. And most users will be OK with this. They will probably appreciated not having to buy a local SIM cars. They will enjoy how easily their virtual SIM connected to the local ISP and hooked them into a the prearranged roaming deal for apple devices. They won't question the price because they will have no input into a negotiation that happened years before they arrived in the country. All that is left for them is to blindly pay the bills.
- throw0101a 5y ago> They don't want users making deals with local ISPs for service. They want in on that transaction. Virtual SIMs, controlled by phone manufacturers, will allow them to exercise a degree of control over wandering users. SIMs come from the phone company. How could it be otherwise as that's where the phone number comes from, and that's how the local physical network determines whether you're allowed to connect or not: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_card https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_card Unless Apple is planning to become a MVNO (or building out their own cell towers), they cannot provide any information for network connectivity.
- neon_electro 5y agoFrom your own link: > A virtual SIM is a mobile phone number provided by a mobile network operator that does not require a SIM card to connect phone calls to a user's mobile phone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_card#Other_variants https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_card#Other_variants This isn't about Apple becoming an MVNO, this is about Apple somehow controlling the process of configuring your phone because you no longer have the option to choose a SIM card and insert it yourself.
- hermes8329 5y agoGuess what. Apple can dent physical sims too though Why do you think you a physical sim for different providers. Because they only work with that provider. Apple can turn the tap off on a class of Sims as it is
- mrcode007 5y agoThis is FUD. It’s about streamlining configuration of plans and activation and getting rid of physical widget https://www.t-mobile.com/support/tutorials/topic/esim/activate-postpaid-esim-by-scanning-a-qr-code/device/apple/iphone-11 https://www.t-mobile.com/support/tutorials/topic/esim/activa...
- pessimizer 5y agoThis is marketing. It's about putting Apple in the middle of plans and activation, and getting rid of a physical standard.
- rosndo 5y ago
- NullPrefix 5y ago>working on my own eSIM implementation Please tell me you are serious about this. Tried looking into this earlier and found out that eSIM is extra proprietary, which means no hobby devices, like those 3G/4G/GSM connectivity Arduino modules.
- mrcode007 5y agoI don’t know where you’re pulling these claims out from but here are the specs: https://www.gsma.com/esim/esim-specification/ https://www.gsma.com/esim/esim-specification/ In addition you can get ST micro data sheets for full blown electrical and mechanical data sheets for free
- y4mi 5y agoThey can emulate the SIM card which gets provisioned on-the-fly with no user input according to the position of the device and whatever contract apple has for that area. That's definitely going to be a step up in user comfort... The average apple user will definitely love it
- Tijdreiziger 5y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_SIM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_SIM
- BTCOG 5y agoFrom rumors I heard over a year ago, Apple are planning on satellite implementations of some sort to get off current cell tower configurations and SIM vulnerabilities. I don't have a current link to those rumors, but I'm sure you can find them. When I first saw this MacRumors article come through I assumed this is why they're removing SIM. We'll see, it's just rumors to me until it's brought to fruition anyway.
- rosndo 5y ago> If you are a local ISP, you better be part of the program if you want to sell your services to apple's devices eSIMs aren’t some apple run “program” you have to take part in.
- ubercow13 5y agoYes they are: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/109874 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/109874
- conradev 5y agoTo me, there is nothing to indicate this is a power grab by Apple. Google supports eSIM. Google can sell you cell service for your iPhone from the couch. If any phone manufacturer is trying to compete with the carriers, it would look a lot like Google, which made a global MVNO. Yes, there is usually a business motive behind every business decision. The GSMA makes it sound like the carriers want it, as well as the phone manufacturers: “Simpler device setup without the need to insert or replace a SIM card; Devices that can operate independently of a tethered smartphone, with their own subscriptions; A range of new, enhanced mobile-connected devices.” Emphasis on “with their own subscriptions” https://www.gsma.com/esim/about/ https://www.gsma.com/esim/about/
- Tijdreiziger 5y ago> [...] 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 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Fi
- dudus 5y agoWhile iPhones are supported on Google Fi they don't support 5G. Other Google Fi phones support 5G without problems. But 5G on iPhones has been "coming" for years. I have no idea what's taking so long.
- yunohn 5y ago> But 5G on iPhones has been "coming" for years iPhone 12 series was the first to support 5G - launched in Oct 2020. That’s barely over a year ago?
- conradev 5y agoI 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
- jon889 5y agoI doubt this. Apple could charge an activation fee with a normal SIM already and yet they don’t. And any money gained from this would be insignificant to their other revenue streams. People don’t change SIMs that often
- aorth 5y agoI 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.
- dragon_greens 5y agoThey added support for that (atleast with dual eSIMs) in iPhone 13s. https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT209044 https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT209044
- sandworm101 5y agoYou can get one today. Tomorrow, after a "security update", apple could just decide that it doesnt like certain ISPs and reject thier virtual sims. Rejecting hardware sims is much more difficult and is likely a violation in many jurisdictions.
- xxpor 5y agoWhy wouldn't rejecting eSIMs be a violation then?
- Gigachad 5y agoIt would be illegal in most of the world.
- avianlyric 5y agoThey pretty much used to do that physical SIMs. For the longest time Apple wouldn’t accept network profiles many MVNO in the U.K. which mean the phone would completely ignore the config on SIM and stuff like internet wouldn’t work. You could still get everything working by manually configuring the phone, and carriers like GiffGaff had support articles explaining how, but it was a total pain in the arse and stuff would occasionally break in subtle ways. Additionally the eSIM is separate physical chip within the phone attached to baseband radio. Once configured with a profile, the host OS has as much access as it does to a normal SIM, I.e. not much. The entire standard is kinda a hack, which basically boils down to “what if we embedded a normal SIM card chip in the phone, and let the phone flash a new carrier profile every now and then?”. Remember these SIMs are fully fledged computers, like their normal removable counterparts, that can ignore host OS commands, and issue instructions directly to the baseband processor without the host OS knowledge.
- jackson1442 5y ago> They want in on that transaction. Virtual SIMs, controlled by phone manufacturers, will allow them to exercise a degree of control over wandering users. [ citation needed ] eSIM is already a standard and as far as I can tell, Apple gets no kickbacks/etc for users using it. I can go to att.com right now and swap to an eSIM if I were so inclined, for free.
- 908B64B197 5y ago> If you are a local ISP, you better be part of the program if you want to sell your services to apple's devices I wonder if Apple won't just bulk-buy bandwidth and take care of the customer experience. Imagine your phone just... working globally.