I believe it is because there only one supplier for modem chip aka one model for US and a diff model for international
https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
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iPhone X XS and XS Max Sim free at launch
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TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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A quick google search shows 6.25% so about $68 on a $1099 phone.
That’s the problem with eSIM, which everybody seems to not paying attention to. The example is already happening with cellular iPads, where AT&T in the US is locking the eSIM in those iPads.Do carriers have this in their TOA?
Ridiculous, if you use our service we have the right to screw with your hardware.
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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IMO, the reason they did this was to protect the interests of the carriers.
Let's say that you're AT&T and you pay Apple $999 for an iPhone X. You buy enough to allocate 5 units for each of your stores plus enough for 2 hours of online orders.
If folks come in and buy those phones at $999, then take them to another carrier, you've not made any money, and you've also not pleased your subscribers, since they may be locked out of getting one the first weekend.
Very similar to why BestBuy doesn't sell phones at full price when they're first released. They make no money on the outright purchase and get it on new account activation.
I think the difference this year is that all of the iPhone Xs / Max are the same, so it doesn't really matter. If you buy from a carrier, it should be locked until you've paid it off. If you want to buy outright, then buy from Apple or from your carrier store.
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Depending on where you are and what you're doing, you could go over the New Hampshire and buy it sales tax free.
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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Re my iPhone X, on a recent trip to the UK, I popped a local UK sim in and was good to go for 25 days. Actually it turned out to be a sim from a French provider (Orange), but it worked almost everywhere we went.
I paid cash for the X when it debuted in Oct '17 and was under the impression it would be unlocked from the get go. However, just to be sure, I request ATT to unlock a few months after i got it and they did.
I'm going to get the Xs and don't understand the dual sim feature. I DO get what an eSim is. So, now assume I head back to the UK with my new unlocked phone. Do I buy a similar local sim and swap it out with my ATT sim? Or does my new Xs (ATT) come standard with an eSim for ATT with a blank sim slot for when I travel and want to slide my local sim card in?
I paid cash for the X when it debuted in Oct '17 and was under the impression it would be unlocked from the get go. However, just to be sure, I request ATT to unlock a few months after i got it and they did.
I'm going to get the Xs and don't understand the dual sim feature. I DO get what an eSim is. So, now assume I head back to the UK with my new unlocked phone. Do I buy a similar local sim and swap it out with my ATT sim? Or does my new Xs (ATT) come standard with an eSim for ATT with a blank sim slot for when I travel and want to slide my local sim card in?
Maybe, but from this thread, people are saying the carrier you set up the e-sim with will lock to that carrier forever? Not sure how this works.
Verizon locks esims too with iPad. So better use the real sim and esim for others.
So how does this work? If you buy the sim free version from Apple can I just plop my old physical SIM in from my iPhone X into the new phone and avoid their activation fee? By using the physical SIM does that leave the e-sim intact for future use? Can I use a physical SIM for one carrier and the e-sim for anther carrier in the states?
I can tell you my iPad experience. Do not use the esim until they sort out how this works. Verizon blocks the esim so just use the physical sim for now.
Wow, I had no idea! I had a cellular iPad only once and it was activated on T-Mobile. Sadly, I never could get their signal on the blasted thing.
So using the physical sim with a carrier should not lock down or affect the e sim?
Nano, yes. Micro, no, according to the tech specs on their site. https://www.apple.com/iphone-xs/specs/
eSIM not available yet according to Apple so that is good for now. Hopefully carriers don’t try any funny business and switch sims or try and lock down. Won’t be the first to add that update from Apple.
The eSims won't be usable at launch... I'm trying to comprehend why carriers would lock them if we're not going to be using them lol
Am I missing something?
Yep, what Wags said
Am I missing something?
Yep, what Wags said