Yesterday, during the keynote far-out, Apple finally presented the highly anticipated iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, letting us know each and every one of its news. One of them, and the one that caught my attention the most, it was goodbye to the tray for SIM cardswhich accompanied the terminal since its first generation in 2007.
In case you don’t remember, before the existence of SIM cards, mobiles were connected through a technology called CDMA. With it, you could access the operator’s network from your cell phone, although without as much flexibility as we know today. No, Apple does not intend to return to this standard in the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, but to make use of a proposal that will surely have massive adoption in the coming years, the eSIM.
However, before continuing to tell you what you need to know about the eSIM, an important point must first be clarified. Initially, The United States will be the only country where the iPhone 14 will be sold without the SIM tray. Despite the above, it is still the company’s first step in an ambitious strategy that covers more territories.
Thus, those from Cupertino have chosen the eSIM to connect their next mobile devices. What does this mean for the future of the iPhone and such technology?
How does eSIM work?
Basically, the eSIM is nothing more than a SIM card in digital format. Thus, just by reading a QR code, your device can access the data and calls plan of an operator that offers this possibility. It’s that simple you can acquire a contract with another operator, and without the need to leave home to contract the service and then wait for the physical card.
Like CDMA technology, eSIMs cannot be removed in any physical way. In fact, this can bring several positive aspects, but also some disadvantages. One of them is the possibility of not recovering an eSIM after having removed it from your mobile device, since not all operators allow you to reuse it. Of course, not all of them work this way, but it is something to keep in mind when getting one.
Among its benefits, beyond the comfort of having a digital variant, we find one quite important. In case of theft, the criminal will not be able to remove the SIM card from the iPhone due to its virtual nature. Therefore, locating it becomes a much more real possibility, and it could help many users to recover their devices.
What happens to your iPhone 14 in countries that do not have this technology?
Although the possibility of having a digital SIM without the limitations of CDMA technology sounds great, there is a problem. Naturally, iPhone mobiles they are among the most exported devices from the United States to other countries in the worldeither because they cannot obtain them officially, or for any other reason.
In some of these territories, eSIM technology is not yet something that is offered between telephone companies. Then, What will happen to users in these regions who want to get an iPhone 14 or 14 Pro imported from the US? The only way out would be to activate the Roaming service, a rather old-fashioned system that is somewhat rejected by tourists around the world.
Now, when we talk about getting the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro through the official route, all other regions outside the United States will be able to insert a SIM card into their iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, because the model marketed in these countries will keep the tray. In this way, Apple does not seem to be extremely forcing the transition to eSIM in all parts of the world. However, they have already let it be known what they intend for this industry in the future.
Let’s remember that Apple is not new to controversial changes. After all, they were among the first to remove the 3.5mm jack port, a move that was widely criticized and subsequently followed by the rest of the industry. Are we perhaps facing a new wave of port elimination in the mobile telephony market?
Where to find an eSIM for your iPhone 14 or 14 Pro?
There are some regions with a high level of choice in this regard. For this reason, if you want to get an iPhone 14 or 14 Pro on your next trip to the United States, you must take into account which operators offer this technology in your country.
The following information comes directly from website from Apple.
- Spain: Movistar, Orange, Pepephone, Truphone, Vodafone, Yoigo.
- Mexico: AT&T and Movistar.
- Argentina: Sure, Movistar, Personal.
- Colombia: Movistar.
- Chili: Entel and Movistar.