Perhaps not everyone will remember that among the various Apple products there is also one real programmable SIM card – obviously called Apple SIM – which for some time has allowed access to the cellular connectivity of iPads without binding to a specific operator.
The Apple SIM also arrived in Italy in 2015, a few months after the launch of iPad Air 2 and of iPad Mini 3, the first iPads to be compatible with the SIM made by the Cupertino house. This SIM has never been very successful because of the high costs of your data planshowever, it could be convenient in some cases, especially when you were traveling to a foreign country and you needed to get immediate access to a cellular data network, at any cost.
Today, let’s talk about Apple SIM again – and we do to the past – in that Apple has quietly sanctioned its demiseas we learn from an update published a few days ago on its support page dedicated to iPad data connectivity, from which we read that, starting from 1 October 2022, it is no longer possible to activate new data plans on the Apple SIM.
This means that you can continue to use the one you have subscribed to, but if you want to change the plan it will no longer be possible to do so, so it is clear that the (few) currently active users will slowly go towards total disappearance. The novelty is valid for both versions of Apple SIMor is its counterpart physics than that integrated. In fact, we recall that several iPad models integrate the Apple SIM as a sort of primordial eSIM, however the iPad Pro, Air, mini and basic iPad models released from October 2018 onwards they integrate a true eSIMwhich offers greater flexibility.
The models with eSIM, in fact, can activate a digital SIM belonging to any operator that supports it, while those equipped with Apple SIM are linked to the plans proposed by Apple through the agreements entered into with the various partners. The move marks a further step in the total transition to eSIM, on which the Cupertino house is playing all its cards, to the point that every iPhone 14 sold in the US is only compatible with this solution and no longer offers a physical slot for the SIM.
Have you ever used an Apple SIM? Do you take advantage of the integrated eSIM in iPad during your travels? Let us know in the comments about your experience with one of these options.
Physical Apple SIM Image Credit: MacRumors
