Forced eSIMs: Difference between revisions

The current global modern standard by market adoption for [[wikipedia:SIM_card#Developments|SIM (Subscriber Identity Module)]] cards are Nano-SIM form factor, [[wikipedia:Universal_integrated_circuit_card|Universal integrated circuit card (UICC)]] SOC's (system on a chip) cards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SIM Card Developments |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_card#Developments |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=Wikipedia}}</ref> This is the smaller SIM card you started seeing in every handset from every major phone manufacturer beginning with hardware releases after 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nano-SIM |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_card#Nano-SIM |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=Wikipedia}}</ref> Just like your phone, computer, or any other device, these cards have their own CPU, RAM, ROM and Digital I/O.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Universal integrated circuit card |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_integrated_circuit_card#design |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=Wikipedia}}</ref> '''eUICC''' (embedded UICC), also known as e-SIM cards, are a form of highly re-programmable SIM typically as [[wikipedia:Ball_grid_array|BGA]] IC chips soldered directly to the phone's logic board during manufacturing.   

Apple introduced eUICC chips & eSIM support alongside the release of the [[wikipedia:IPhone_12|iPhone 12]] series in 2020<ref>{{Cite web |title=Apple iPhone 12 |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_12-10509.php |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=GSM Arena}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=iPhone 12 |url=https://www.apple.com/by/iphone-12/specs/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=[[Apple]]}}</ref> and has continued this feature to date.<ref>{{Cite web |title=iPhones with eSIM support |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?chkESIM=selected&chkReview=selected&sMakers=48&sAvailabilities=1,2&s5Gs=0&idCardslot=3 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=GSM Arena}}</ref> With the launch of the US model of the iPhone 14 series, iPhones dropped hardware support of user replaceable UICC Nano-SIM cards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Apple iPhone 14 |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_14-11861.php |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=GSM Arena}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=About eSIM on iPhone |url=https://support.apple.com/en-us/118669 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=[[Apple]]}}</ref> According to Apple, "'''iPhone 14''' models and later that are '''eSIM only''' can activate without a Wi-Fi network."<ref name=":2" /> In all other Apple model varieties - International and China - Nano-SIM remained supported outside the United States; by the 14 series, 15 series and 16 series. (Most recent release as of writing 2/7/25.)

This transition raised further concerns about potentials for abuse if unregulated, including [[wikipedia:Vendor_lock-in|Vendor lock in]], [[planned obsolescence]], and [[Anti competitive behavior]] in the form of [[Used market resisctions|used market restrictions]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Control is yours. |url=https://www.apple.com/privacy/control/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=[[Apple]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Planned obsolescence |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=Wikipedia}}</ref>

As a workaround, on most newer iPhones, the Chinese dual SIM reader and dual SIM tray can be manually installed by the user or a repair technician who is '''not''' part of Apple's official repair program. This likely voids the warranty in most regions, but allows non-China iPhones to use two SIM cards.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@PhoneRepairGuru |date=2023-06-02 |title=We Put China's Dual Sim Mod In This iPhone.. |url=https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VC_Tp7minPY |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

According to unofficial preliminary specifications for the iPhone 17 Air, support for Nano-SIM will be entirely dropped for the model across the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Apple iPhone 17 Air |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_17_air-13502.php |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=GSM Arena}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Find wireless carriers and worldwide service providers that offer eSIM service on iPhone |url=https://support.apple.com/en-us/101569 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=[[Apple]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=SIM Tray |url=https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-17/#sim_tray |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=Mac Rumors}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ma |first=Wayne |last2=Liu |first2=Qianer |title=Apple’s Thin iPhone Has No Physical SIMs—That Could Dampen China Sales |url=https://www.theinformation.com/articles/apples-thin-iphone-has-no-physical-sims-that-could-dampen-china-sales |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=www.theinformation.com}}</ref> This is based on rumors and speculations, however the physical size of the device has been disclosed as "5.5mm" by Ming-Chi Kuo (a medium tech trade blogger described as "TF International Securities analyst who shares observations and predictions of tech industry trends"), which would make Nano-SIM support a significant enough engineering challenge, as it's widely considered unviable and/or unlikely.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kuo |first=Ming-Chi |date=10 Jan 2025 |title=Apple在2025年可能將面臨更為嚴峻的挑戰，須謹慎面對市場先前過度樂觀導致的潛在下行風險 |url=https://medium.com/@mingchikuo/apple%E5%9C%A82025%E5%B9%B4%E5%8F%AF%E8%83%BD%E5%B0%87%E9%9D%A2%E8%87%A8%E6%9B%B4%E7%82%BA%E5%9A%B4%E5%B3%BB%E7%9A%84%E6%8C%91%E6%88%B0-%E9%A0%88%E8%AC%B9%E6%85%8E%E9%9D%A2%E5%B0%8D%E5%B8%82%E5%A0%B4%E5%85%88%E5%89%8D%E9%81%8E%E5%BA%A6%E6%A8%82%E8%A7%80%E5%B0%8E%E8%87%B4%E7%9A%84%E6%BD%9B%E5%9C%A8%E4%B8%8B%E8%A1%8C%E9%A2%A8%E9%9A%AA-6256c091f06d |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=Medium}}</ref>

The industry transition to '''Integrated SIM (iSIM)''' will be indistinguishable from EUICC e-SIMs to the end user. However with iSIM, it would be embedded directly into the phone's SoC or CPU die.<ref>{{Cite web |title=eSIM |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESIM |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=Wikipedia}}</ref> This will irreversibly link data identifiers like SIM ID history with the device's IMEI and hardware IDs, even through highly technical means such as micro-soldering.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liu |first=Haoyu |last2=Patras |first2=Paul |last3=Leith |first3=Douglas J. |date=18 Jan 2023 |title=On the data privacy practices of Android OEMs |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9847909/#sec001 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=National Library of Medicine}}</ref>

Samsung introduced e-SIM support in 2020 with the Galaxy S20 series of phones and continues nano-SIM support to the current day as of writing (with 2025's S25 series of Galaxy phones.)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Samsung phones with eSIM support |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung-phones-9.php |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=GSM Arena}}</ref>

All Google Pixel phones currently support nano-SIM.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Get a SIM & add it to your Pixel phone |url=https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7086887?hl=en#:~:text=You%20can%20connect%20your%20phone,of%20getting%20a%20new%20one. |url-status=live |access-date=16 Apr 2025 |website=[[Google]]}}</ref>