Why ESIM in IPhone 14 Might Be a Problem for You
Apple has a habit of aggressively removing features in the name of progress. They killed the Mac’s DVD drive when discs were still popular, removed HDMI and MagSafe from the MacBook Pro (before bringing them back later), and are, of course, responsible for the death of the headphone jack. Apple’s decision to now remove the SIM tray from the iPhone 14 lineup in favor of an eSIM may seem like a small thing, but it could cost you down the road.
What is eSIM?
If you guessed that eSIM stands for e-SIM, you were wrong, but you were also on the right track. Instead, it stands for embedded SIM (with the SIM itself standing for Subscriber Identity Module) because eSIMs are actually built into your device.
Instead of using an external SIM to connect your iPhone to cellular data, the built-in eSIM can be activated at any time and switch plans with ease. This allows you to freely change networks as you see fit, simply by downloading a new app or subscribing to a different service. Also, since there’s no need to deal with SIM cards, you don’t run the risk of losing or breaking your eSIM. It lives in your iPhone and is impossible to mess with.
The iPhone is familiar with eSIM. All iPhones since the iPhone XS and XR have had an eSIM alongside the traditional SIM option. You can even activate both at the same time, a process known as dual SIM. However, the iPhone 14 lineup marks the first time that Apple has completely ditched physical SIM cards. From now on, we will need to rely on embedded SIMs for our cellular needs.
Why you might not be ready to use eSIM only
Many of us in the US will not feel much of the impact of these changes. You still choose your carrier, activate your eSIM and move on. However, for others, buying an iPhone 14 can be expensive.
First, physical SIM cards are still important for those who buy cellular services from small companies. Some do not support eSIM , although the list has expanded recently, as you can see on this Apple support page . If you subscribe to a provider that doesn’t offer eSIM support, you won’t be able to use the iPhone 14 – to switch to one of Apple’s brand new iPhones, you’ll also need to switch cellular. .
Even if you have a subscription through a supported provider, you may have problems traveling abroad. A common travel tactic is to buy a prepaid SIM card in the country you’re visiting, as it’s often a lot cheaper than relying on your US cell phone carrier. However, with iPhone 14, you will not be able to purchase these SIM cards. If a country doesn’t yet support eSIM, which many still don’t, you will have no choice but to pay a premium to your home network.
This is not to say that eSIMs are inherently anti-tourist. When a country supports eSIM, it may be more convenient than a traditional SIM to activate a local plan. We even talked about how an eSIM can be a great option when traveling . However, the lack of a fallback option when a country does not support eSIM makes it a potential problem. This may be why the European iPhone 14 models do support physical SIM cards. lucky Europeans.
It is hoped that eSIM will now be a big hit. It’s not just wishful thinking, as Apple does influence tech trends (again, keep the headphone jack in mind). It’s entirely possible that the iPhone 14 will be the start of the eSIM revolution, and you’ll find carriers everywhere that support this feature. iPhone 14 supports up to eight eSIM cards, which opens up great opportunities for travelers.
Until then, though, you’ll need to weigh the new features of the iPhone 14 lineup against the downsides of living with an eSIM only. Are you ready for this? If not, then the still great iPhone 13 might be the way to go.
This article has been updated to correct which carriers offer eSIM support.
[ PC Log ]