Apple's Tuesday announcement that the new iPhone 17 Air will only be available around the world without physical SIM cards marks a new advance for the virtual eSIM technology the firm has relied on in the US for years.
- What is an eSIM? -
kAm!9JD:42= $x| 42C5D 4@?E2:? 2== E96 :?7@C>2E:@? 2 A9@?6 ?665D E@ 4@??64E E@ 2 >@3:=6 ?6EH@C< FD:?8 E96 4@?EC24E 2?5 ?F>36C @7 2 DA64:7:4 DF3D4C:36C]k^Am
kAm&D6CD 92G6 366? D=@EE:?8 E96 7:?86C?2:=\D:K65 A=2DE:4 42C5D :?E@ E96:C A9@?6D 7@C 564256D H96? D6EE:?8 FA 2 ?6H 92?5D6E[ DH:E49:?8 AC@G:56CD[ @C EC2G6=:?8]k^Am
kAm6$x|D 4@?E2:? 5:8:E2= 52E2 H:E9 E96 D2>6 :?7@C>2E:@? 2D A9JD:42= $x| 42C5D[ AC@G:5:?8 2 QD64FC6 >62?D 7@C 2FE96?E:42E:?8 56G:46D @?E@ ?6EH@C<D[Q E96 v$|p 8=@32= DE2?52C5D\D6EE:?8 3@5J D2JD]k^Am
kAm|@DE 92?5D6ED C6=62D65 :? C646?E J62CD 2C6 42A23=6 @7 H@C<:?8 H:E9 6$x|D[ 2=E9@F89 >2?J DE:== @776C 2 A9JD:42= $x| D=@E 2D H6==]k^Am
kAm&D6CD 42? D6E FA 2 ?6H 56G:46 @C EC2?D76C 6$x|D 36EH66? A9@?6D E9C@F89 >6E9@5D :?4=F5:?8 D42??:?8 2? @A6C2E@C\AC@G:565 "# 4@56[ C6BF6DE:?8 2 ?@E:7:42E:@? @C E6IE >6DD286 7C@> E96:C ?6EH@C<[ @C D6=64E:?8 E96 @AE:@? E@ EC2?D76C 2? 6$x| :? E96:C @=5 A9@?6VD D6EE:?8D]k^Am
k9am\ w@H :D FD:?8 2? 6$x| 5:776C6?En \k^9am
kAm!FC6=J 5:8:E2= 6$x|D 42? 36 5@H?=@2565 C6>@E6=J[ D:>A=:7J:?8 E2D<D =:<6 D:8?:?8 FA H:E9 2 ?6H ?6EH@C< AC@G:56C @C DH:E49:?8 @A6C2E@CD—7@C 6I2>A=6[ E@ 4@??64E E@ 2 4962A6C =@42= ?6EH@C< H96? EC2G6=:?8]k^Am
kAm&D:?8 E96> 2=D@ D2G6D @? A=2DE:4 H2DE6 2?5 5:DEC:3FE:@? 4@DED]k^Am
kAmqFE D6EE:?8 FA 6$x|D :? E96 7:CDE A=246 C6BF:C6D :?E6C?6E 2446DD—>62?:?8 FD6CD 7:C:?8 FA 2 ?6H A9@?6 >:89E ?665 E@ 4@??64E E@ E96:C 9@>6 (:\u: ?6EH@C< E@ 24E:G2E6 E96:C 4@??64E:@?]k^Am
kAmp?5 EC2G6=6CD D9@F=5 24E:G2E6 E96:C =@42= 6$x| :? 25G2?46 :7 E96J H2?E D6CG:46 7C@> E96 >@>6?E E96 A=2?6 =2?5D 2E E96:C 56DE:?2E:@?]k^Am
kAmyFDE =:<6 H:E9 A9JD:42= $x|D[ 6$x|D 42? 36 24E:G2E65 @C 5624E:G2E65 3J E96 FD6C @? E96 92?5D6E—>62?:?8 E92E :? E96@CJ E96J 2C6 ?@ >@C6 @C =6DD EC24<23=6 3J @A6C2E@CD @C 8@G6C?>6?ED]k^Am
k9am\ (9J 92D pAA=6 AFD965 7@C 6$x|Dn \k^9am
kAmpAA=6 5C@AA65 A9JD:42= $x| 42C5D :? E96 &$ DE2CE:?8 H:E9 a_aaVD :!9@?6 `c]k^Am
kAm%96 E649 8:2?EVD H63D:E6 AC@>:D6D Q8C62E6C 7=6I:3:=:EJ[ 6?92?465 4@?G6?:6?46[ 36EE6C D64FC:EJ[ 2?5 D62>=6DD 4@??64E:G:EJQ 7@C 6$x| FD6CD]k^Am
kAmu6H6C A9JD:42= A2CED Q7:ED :? H:E9 E96 G:D:@? @7 2 D=:>>6C[ 62D:6C\E@\FD6 A9@?6Q =@?8 AFCDF65 3J pAA=6[ rr$ x?D:89E 2?2=JDE z6DE6C |2?? E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm~? E96 3FD:?6DD D:56[ QA6C92AD E96J H2?E 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 4@?EC@= @G6C E96 ;@FC?6J E@ 4@??64E 4FDE@>6CDQ E@ >@3:=6 @A6C2E@CD H96? D6EE:?8 FA 2 ?6H A9@?6[ 96 25565]k^Am
kAmr@?DF=E2?4J #@=2?5 q6C86C 28C665[ DF886DE:?8 :? 2 C6A@CE =2DE J62C E92E 6$x|D 2==@H >2?F724EFC6CD E@ 86E 36EH66? >@3:=6 @A6C2E@CD 2?5 6?5 FD6CD[ Q42FD:?8 ,@A6C2E@CD. E@ =@D6 4@?EC@=]Qk^Am
k9am\ (92E 23@FE @E96C >2?F724EFC6CDn \k^9am
kAm(9:=6 4@>A6E:E@CD =:<6 $2>DF?8 92G6 J6E E@ C6=62D6 2? 6$x|\@?=J A9@?6[ QE96 6IA64E2E:@? :D E92E E96JV== 2=D@ 8@ 5@H? E92E C@FE6 2D H6==[Q |2?? D2:5]k^Am
kAmv@@8=6VD =2E6DE !:I6= `_ A9@?6D 4@>6 :? 2? 6$x|\@?=J G6CD:@? :? E96 &$]k^Am
kAmQ6$x| 25@AE:@? :D 6IA64E65 E@ 82:? EC24E:@?]]] :? E96 D9@CE\E@\>:5\E6C>[Q #@=2?5 q6C86C AC65:4E65[ 7@C642DE:?8 fd A6C46?E @7 2== D>2CEA9@?6 4@??64E:@?D G:2 6$x| :? a_b_[ FA 7C@> `_ A6C46?E :? a_ab]k^Am
kAmrr$ AC65:4ED E96 ?F>36C @7 6$x|\42A23=6 92?5D6ED H:== 8C@H 7C@> `]b 3:==:@? 4FCC6?E=J E@ b 3:==:@? :? a_b_]k^Am
k9am\ (92E :>A24E 92G6 6$x|D 925 D@ 72Cn \k^9am
kAmx? 2 DFCG6J @7 >@3:=6 ?6EH@C< >2?286CD[ #@=2?5 q6C86C 7@F?5 =:EE=6 D:8? @7 9:896C 4FDE@>6C Q49FC?Q 7C@> E96 8C62E6C 62D6 @7 DH:E49:?8 AC@G:56CD]k^Am
kAmuFEFC6 FD6D @7 6$x| 4@F=5 :?4=F56 >@3:=6 @A6C2E@CD @776C:?8 DF3D4C:36CD >@C6 :?5:G:5F2==J E2:=@C65 D6CG:46D[ E96 4@?DF=E2?4J DF886DE65]k^Am
kAmu@C E@FC:D>[ rr$ x?D:89E AC65:4ED =@42= 6$x| D2=6D H:== C:D6 7C@> f_ >:==:@? :? a_ac E@ ag_ >:==:@? 3J a_b_]k^Am
kAm!C@G:56CD DF49 2D p:C2=@ 2?5 w@=27=J 92G6 DACF?8 FA E@ D6== 4962A 7@C6:8? 4@??64E:G:EJ E@ E@FC:DED—2=E9@F89 3:8 :?4F>36?ED =:<6 2:C=:?6D 2?5 >@3:=6 @A6C2E@CD 2C6 368:??:?8 E@ @776C E96:C @H? 2=E6C?2E:G6D]k^Am
kAm6$x|D 2=D@ D:>A=:7J >249:?6\E@\>249:?6 W|a|X 4@>>F?:42E:@?[ 2==@H:?8 C6>@E6 D6EFA @C C64@?7:8FC2E:@? @7 4@??64E65 56G:46D—7C@> H2E496D E@ 42CD @C D>2CE 6=64EC:4:EJ >6E6CD]k^Am
kAmE83^2CAk^Am