4 ms·

I was on various CDMA (and IDEN, rip Nextel) carriers for the first 15 years of this century. Bar none, my absolute favorite thing about finally switching to T-

I was on various CDMA (and IDEN, rip Nextel) carriers for the first 15 years of this century. Bar none, my absolute favorite thing about finally switching to T-Mobile was the physical SIM. Cell provider websites are almost universally garbage and swapping IMEIs to activate different phone hardware was a complete nightmare that bugged out far too often. If the eSIM swapping process is at all similar, this feels like a step backwards even if you don’t travel a lot.

jackson1442 4y ago
I used the eSIM swap feature a few months ago and it was surprisingly seamless. Once I set up my new phone, I got a prompt on my old one asking if I wanted to convert my physical SIM to eSIM, hit approve, entered PIN, and the eSIM was instantly available on my new phone.
- csdvrx 4y ago
  Right now I see 1 comment (yours) that says it worked fine , and way more than lists problems and issues eSIM seems to be good for the carrier (who doesn't have to ship anything or manage a database of SIMs for sale: provision on demand) but not for the customer. Personally, I will not buy anything that doesn't offer an option for an actual SIM. SIM? Yes! eSIM+SIM? Sure! eSIM only? Nope. It's like these services that ask "for your safety, please enter" (whatever, say the SSN): in general, when it says that, it's the opposite: it's for the safety of the service provider, putting the user at risk, and adding inconvenience. Just like "The Democratic Republic of..." old joke: if it needs to say so and to add that in its name, it's likely neither a democracy nor a republic.
  - dudus 4y ago
    Selection Bias? People tend to complain when things go bad, but not praise when it works as expected.
  - bm5k 4y ago
    Additional anecdata: My iPhone 12 -> iPhone 13 upgrade smoothly transferred the eSIM as well.
  - joshstrange 4y ago
    > eSIM seems to be good for the carrier (who doesn't have to ship anything or manage a database of SIMs for sale: provision on demand) but not for the customer. Except that as a customer I can buy cell service from my phone without having to anywhere or have anything shipped to me. eSIM is great for me personally. I had bought cell service on my main iPad (Mini 6) and it was seamless, then a few months later I tried to do the same on an iPad 6 (test/demo device) and realized I would have to get a real sim card so I just gave up and moved on because it wasn't that important and would have just been a "nice to have". eSIM makes my life easier though I understand international travelers might have some rough spots until the carriers get onboard (which they will because... Apple).
  - FireBeyond 4y ago
    > Just like "The Democratic Republic of..." old joke: if it needs to say so and to add that in its name, it's likely neither a democracy nor a republic. From Lord of War: > "Every faction in Africa calls themselves by these noble names - Liberation this, Patriotic that, Democratic Republic of something-or-other... I guess they can't own up to what they usually are: the Federation of Worse Oppressors Than the Last Bunch of Oppressors. Often, the most barbaric atrocities occur when both combatants proclaim themselves Freedom Fighters."

jackson1442 4y ago

I used the eSIM swap feature a few months ago and it was surprisingly seamless. Once I set up my new phone, I got a prompt on my old one asking if I wanted to convert my physical SIM to eSIM, hit approve, entered PIN, and the eSIM was instantly available on my new phone.

csdvrx 4y ago
Right now I see 1 comment (yours) that says it worked fine , and way more than lists problems and issues eSIM seems to be good for the carrier (who doesn't have to ship anything or manage a database of SIMs for sale: provision on demand) but not for the customer. Personally, I will not buy anything that doesn't offer an option for an actual SIM. SIM? Yes! eSIM+SIM? Sure! eSIM only? Nope. It's like these services that ask "for your safety, please enter" (whatever, say the SSN): in general, when it says that, it's the opposite: it's for the safety of the service provider, putting the user at risk, and adding inconvenience. Just like "The Democratic Republic of..." old joke: if it needs to say so and to add that in its name, it's likely neither a democracy nor a republic.
- dudus 4y ago
  Selection Bias? People tend to complain when things go bad, but not praise when it works as expected.
- bm5k 4y ago
  Additional anecdata: My iPhone 12 -> iPhone 13 upgrade smoothly transferred the eSIM as well.
- joshstrange 4y ago
  > eSIM seems to be good for the carrier (who doesn't have to ship anything or manage a database of SIMs for sale: provision on demand) but not for the customer. Except that as a customer I can buy cell service from my phone without having to anywhere or have anything shipped to me. eSIM is great for me personally. I had bought cell service on my main iPad (Mini 6) and it was seamless, then a few months later I tried to do the same on an iPad 6 (test/demo device) and realized I would have to get a real sim card so I just gave up and moved on because it wasn't that important and would have just been a "nice to have". eSIM makes my life easier though I understand international travelers might have some rough spots until the carriers get onboard (which they will because... Apple).
- FireBeyond 4y ago
  > Just like "The Democratic Republic of..." old joke: if it needs to say so and to add that in its name, it's likely neither a democracy nor a republic. From Lord of War: > "Every faction in Africa calls themselves by these noble names - Liberation this, Patriotic that, Democratic Republic of something-or-other... I guess they can't own up to what they usually are: the Federation of Worse Oppressors Than the Last Bunch of Oppressors. Often, the most barbaric atrocities occur when both combatants proclaim themselves Freedom Fighters."