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Comment by asclepi | Hacker News Reader

iPhones are generally sold through carriers with the phone locked to that specific carrier. The main point of the Apple SIM - the ability to switch between short-term mobile internet contracts across multiple carriers - would be pretty moot in this scenario.

Note that the Apple SIM isn't new, nor tied to the release of the new iPad model today. It's been around since at least 2014. I remember going to an Apple Store back then to pick one up. The associate at first didn't know what I was talking about but eventually found them somewhere stashed in the back-office.

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> iPhones are generally sold through carriers

This used to be true but it doesn't save you money now to buy an iPhone attached to a carrier plan. Apple will even sell you a carrier-free iPhone [1]. I would love an Apple SIM for travel to Canada, etc.

[1] https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-x#00

Can you pay for an unlocked iPhone in installments? I'm not prepared to throw down the price upfront honestly.

technically yes, because verizon got sued into being required to sell unlocked phones.

Device locking was prohibited by the FCC for Block C (700 MHz):

> (e)Handset locking prohibited. No licensee may disable features on handsets it provides to customers, to the extent such features are compliant with the licensee's standards pursuant to paragraph (b)of this section, nor configure handsets it provides to prohibit use of such handsets on other providers' networks.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/27.16

Yes, you can buy an unlocked Phone from Apple and use the financing available on their website.

Not sure about the US, but here in Canada, all phones come unlocked by law [1]. iPhones sold through carriers still come with 2-year contracts and installments, similar to how they were before the unlocking regulation went into effect.

[1] https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/phone/mobile/code.htm

For the last 3-4 years I’ve found it far cheaper to walk into a Virgin Mobile store in Canada to grab a pre-paid SIM than using the Apple SIM in my iPad. I worry more about Apple removing the SIM slot leaving me with less choices.

> iPhones are generally sold through carriers with the phone locked to that specific carrier.

Maybe in the U.S. Much less so over here.

Could a virtual SIM not replace physical SIMs, reducing the friction of switching providers?

It seems we’re just waiting on carriers to catch up to the idea at the moment.

https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/virtual-sim/11572/

Google already does it with Project Fi + Pixel.

https://www.androidcentral.com/using-project-fi-pixel-2s-esi...

I came here to say this. I bought a Pixel 2 XL for my wife last year and there was an option to use SIM-less with Project Fi. I was confused at first and went with it, and it worked. Then I just stored the old SIM. To be honest I don't quite remember how was the process but I remember it was pretty easy to setup.

Yes, this will be the future. I believe the latest iPad Pro models have a virtual Apple SIM embedded. The Apple Watch Series 3 also has a virtual SIM. They will eventually appear in phones as well.

The standard is called eSIM, and it is in at least one phone.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/4/16424740/google-pixel-2-x...

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