Yes, you can (I mention that twice in posts above). But the average user isn't going to intuitively understand how this works.
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iPad Pro 9.7: Embedded sim carrier lock?
- Thread starter mcgroarty
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Yes, you can (I mention that twice in posts above). But the average user isn't going to intuitively understand how this works.
I still think it's crappy that AT&T locks the embedded card in the first place. It just seems wrong.
Yes, exactly. A lot of people are just going to pick AT&T as their carrier, and only learn later on that they now need to use the external SIM slot to switch carriers.
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Yes, totally crappy. Carriers shouldn't have the ability to do this in the first place. Maybe we should complain to the FCC?
I'm a Verizon customer on my iPad Air 1, so I ordered my iPad Pro with a free Verizon SIM card. If you order online from Apple, it's at the VERY BOTTOM of the iPad accessories page as you are checking out. Alternatively, if you buy in the Apple store, you can request that they install a free Verizon SIM for you at no charge.
After the SIM is installed, to activate it, I simply logged on to my Verizon account from my iMac, and went through the "Change Device" procedure. It asks for the ID of the new device, and the ID of the SIM card (all under the Cellular settings menu). Plug those numbers and 3-4 minutes later I was back on LTE.
I agree with seadragon, it's crappy that ATT locks the embedded SIM. Another thing I don't like about ATT. I guess they want to force you onto their roaming network when you travel abroad.
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Yep, that's the easy route, and the one we took when I set up my wife's Air 2. It worked out though, because she was already a customer of ATT for her iPhone.
After the SIM is installed, to activate it, I simply logged on to my Verizon account from my iMac, and went through the "Change Device" procedure. It asks for the ID of the new device, and the ID of the SIM card (all under the Cellular settings menu). Plug those numbers and 3-4 minutes later I was back on LTE.
I agree with seadragon, it's crappy that ATT locks the embedded SIM. Another thing I don't like about ATT. I guess they want to force you onto their roaming network when you travel abroad.
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Yep, that's the easy route, and the one we took when I set up my wife's Air 2. It worked out though, because she was already a customer of ATT for her iPhone.
Since I've never used AT&T, let me ask this question...
When you do select them as a carrier, do they even bother to warn you you're about to marry them, have children with them and let them take ownership of your SIM card? Does any prompt come up or does it just happen sneakily behind the scenes?
When you do select them as a carrier, do they even bother to warn you you're about to marry them, have children with them and let them take ownership of your SIM card? Does any prompt come up or does it just happen sneakily behind the scenes?
I recall that there was a warning when I set up my wife's Air 2 with ATT.
Not sure that will work. Buying from att retail or online is essentially the same and there have been reports that att iPads come with internal sims locked to ATT. Best bet is to buy from Apple and just use an external sim to preserve the internal sim.
Just curious why buy iPads from ATT in the first place?
I believe if you select an AT&T plan it tells you before you accept that doing so will lock it to AT&T. It does not provide a warning that selecting Sprint or T-Mobile will disable the AT&T option.
No, because a SIM card is not a commitment. You can swap that sucker out as easy as <insert inappropriate analogy here>.
Because it doesn't. I can switch over to AT&T and lock it after selecting T-Mobile, losing access to the T-Mobile plan. Whoops.
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Not when the 9.7" has a second embedded one that can get locked. Can't swap that out.
Yes, but you can stick a new one in the empty tray that overrides the embedded one. Same difference. No commitment of the iPad itself. Only the SIM which can be swapped out of the tray at any time. Geez.
But that defeats the purpose of the embedded SIM, which is to avoid having to swap SIMs. If the embedded SIM becomes locked to a carrier, why even have one embedded in the first place?
No, I think it's you who doesn't get it. Apple doesn't have magic to override carriers at will. Apple is very powerful, yes, but not that powerful. The SIM is the key to accessing the network, and the network owners still have a say.
So Apple decided to embed the SIM into the iPad, but that doesn't mean they can magically switch networks at will. It's not a technical limitation. It is a network security and governance limitation imposed on Apple by the carriers.
You want to create your own SIM? Great. But once it's given access to our network, you can't use it on another. They used to impose that on the devices themselves. Now it's just the SIM card. Which you can place a new one in the tray and override the embedded SIM anytime. And you can swap that one anytime.
Do YOU get it?
They take over an embedded component. That is the point. It is you that don't get it my friend.
Yes, but the device itself remains unlocked and able to take other SIMs. So why do you care they "took over" an embedded component? You work for Apple Asset Recovery or something?
As long as the device remains unlocked and usable on any network, that's all I care about. The rest is just pointless moaning that accomplishes nothing but gripe against someone.
Go right ahead. Knock yourself out.
Except, if you pick someone other than AT&T, you can reprovision the SIM for other networks. If I use T-Mo locally, I can use another carrier internationally. The main complaint here is that AT&T is actually being allowed to:
1) Use the embedded SIM.
2) Lock that embedded SIM.
If AT&T was being like Verizon and said "We need the SIM locked, so use our SIM", there wouldn't be an issue. I'm honestly more concerned that Apple is agreeing to this particular behavior.
I don't think it's Apple's call. Apple has had a really big influence on how cellular carriers behave. Its not perfect, but it has certainly improved.
The Apple SIM in this case is literally Apple's to control. The ability to use the SIM with multiple carriers is via agreements with those carriers. Apple can actually walk away from the negotiating table with AT&T if they can't agree to the terms of how the SIM is used. My thought is that Apple should have and told AT&T if they require a locked SIM, then they'll provide customers with an AT&T SIM (like they do now with Verizon SIMs).
Apple stood up to FBI. They could stand up to AT&T, too!
Yeah, I know it may not be that simple, but it's frustrating that AT&T still manages to have their way.
My embedded SIM lasted two days and quit. AT&T gave me a new SIM and told me that the internal SIM 'never' works with AT&T.
Neither Apple nor AT&T had replacement units in stock. Apple ordered me a new one. Better safe than sorry.
Neither Apple nor AT&T had replacement units in stock. Apple ordered me a new one. Better safe than sorry.
Am I missing something? From the Tech Crunch article.
"If you buy the iPad Pro from AT&T stores, the embedded Apple SIM is used and is then locked for both domestic and international use. However, you can buy an iPad Pro from other channels and select AT&T from the embedded SIM and it will be unlocked for both domestic and international use. So, buy from an AT&T store and the SIM is locked and you’ll have to roam on AT&T’s plans internationally. If you buy from another source and manually choose AT&T, it’s not locked and you can switch carriers."
"If you buy the iPad Pro from AT&T stores, the embedded Apple SIM is used and is then locked for both domestic and international use. However, you can buy an iPad Pro from other channels and select AT&T from the embedded SIM and it will be unlocked for both domestic and international use. So, buy from an AT&T store and the SIM is locked and you’ll have to roam on AT&T’s plans internationally. If you buy from another source and manually choose AT&T, it’s not locked and you can switch carriers."
