eSIM Horror: "Cellular" morphed into "Mobile Data"

My iPhone XS Max running the latest 12.1 beta still shows "Add Cellular Plan" so must be something specific to your configuration. Also this is a beta and Apple will be modifying and changing how things work with the dual SIM functionality, so I myself am going to wait for the final release of iOS 12.1 and for full carrier support before using this functionality.

Apple also stated that the eSIM support would depend on carrier support of it.

US configurations show "cellular", other countries call it "Mobile Data". It's the same.

Thanks for this answer, I'll switch back to US. I had switched to Malta, as this is the only way to get some sane date formatting under iOS, as Apple still thinks that where one lives and how one wants to format date, time and numbers have anything to do with each other.

Still, oh, rather misleading: After all, why say "add data plan" when a real, second number for voice and data is what's supposed to be possible to add.

That carriers must support eSIM is obvious.

The point is, my Austrian carrier does support eSIM, but obviously Apple's implementation isn't standard conform.

And that's where the rub is: the use of an eSIM should not require a collaboration between Apple and the carrier, because then that means they can hash out deals, and Apple becomes a gatekeeper, and availablity is always one or more steps behind for iPhone users as compared to standard eSIM users.

Further, e.g. certain cheap plans may not be available for iPhone owners, in exchange Apple pockets a fee for each iPhone the signed up with the carrier. It's that sort of collusion that undermines the very competition that eSIM is supposed to allow.

I just confirmed with my Austrian carrier: Apple cooks its own thing with the eSIM, they are NOT standard compliant, and thus plans available for Apple will be severely restricted, as each and every carrier must negotiate with Apple to be able to provide eSIM support for the iPhone.

This is seriously anticompetitive, and I hope the EU anti-trust authorities are looking into this ASAP and kill this for good.

There's a GSMA standard for eSIMs, and there's absolutely no good reason that I can tell, as to why Apple should deviate from that, other than to ***** its customers and carriers and enrich itself in the process.

In the mean time, I paid for a dual SIM dual standby phone, and all I have is a single SIM slot I can use, because even though I researched that my carriers support eSIM, it turns out, they don't support Apple's proprietary crap.

Apple should allow users to swap their phones against the chinese model with two physical SIMs.

Did you have an issue with the old bagel emoji too?

What silly question is that?

Compliance with applicable standards is to be expected. An eSIM which is not GSMA compliant is like a physical SIM that has a non-standard form factor. Would you want a pentalobe SIM card patented by Apple that only fits in iPhones, and that forces carriers to make SIM cards specifically for iPhones only, allowing them to restrict what plans they offer for iPhone users and restricting the number of carriers offering SIM cards compatible with iPhones, and that forces carriers to pay royalties for the use of such pentalobe SIM cards?

Well, the non-standard eSIM is the direct equivalent to such a pentalobe SIM.

Good lord if this is true theN it is time for the European regulators to start investigating Apple in the same way as they have pursued Google. The last thing the world needs now is more proprietary standard purely designed to support Monopolistic behaviour. Apple has always stood for leading edge consumer developments. This is a cynical exploitation of market power. a very sad developmen.

Thing is, I can't exclude that Apple has some good reasons for doing this, like maybe GSMA eSIMs having known vulnerabilities, that would e.g. allow spooks to hijack a phone more easily, or something along these lines.

But if that were the case, it's incumbent on Apple to say: "we use for the sake of our customer's security an advanced, non-standard eSIM format". To just sell a phone with "eSIM support", and then let customers run into the knife of realizing it's not a standard eSIM, but some homebrew thing cooked up by Apple, that's not right, ESPECIALLY if there is no option to buy a regular dual-SIM phone as it's being sold in China and HongKong (and which covers exactly the same frequency bands as the US iPhone, i.e. it would be fully compatible for any and all US customers on GSM/HDSPA/LTE networks.

Apple made it clear that their eSim works only with agreed carriers.

You get the list here as of today:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209096

For Watch, much longer list (shows iphone list should extend rapidly as dual sim opens in more countries)

https://www.apple.com/uk/watch/cellular/

Most likely, your Austrian Carrier is not yet in this list. have you asked them if they have plans to support it ?

So the fact that a carrier supports eSim but does not work with Apple's (in iPhone or in cellular Apple Watch) may be regrettable, but not a new thing linked to ISO 12.1.

So, you'd probably better contact Apple support directly. You may never get an answer on this developers' forum.Or ask your carrier why they do not support.

It's not about "a carrier supporting eSIM and it not working in the iPhone", it's ANY CARRIER supporting STANDARD eSIM will NOT WORK with iPhones.

Also, Apple's list poses as a list of carriers supporting eSIM, it is not declared as a list of carriers supporting an Apple proprietary eSIM.

All of Apple's communications are written in a way as to imply that we're dealing with eSIM the way eSIM is supposed to be understood: a standard thing, that just isn't supported by all carriers yet, sort of like 4G was initially not available with all carriers, but is standardized across carriers. That is misleading. iPhone does NOT support eSIM, it supports an eSIM-like Apple proprietary subscriber information storage model.

And this is relevant to iOS 12.1, as pre-12.1 beta, there was no option to activate an eSIM in the iPhone. In other words, users (and developers) will realize months after they bought an iPhone that they can't use their phones with carriers all over the world supporting eSIM.

Apple, does not support eSIM as defined by the GSMA standard, it has a proprietary eSIM-like built in subscriber information storage module, which is incompatible with the eSIM standard, yet Apple sells it as eSIM.

At least that is the result of my research, and so far Apple has not denied it.

Since iOS12.1 is still beta, these forums are the only places to discuss the matter, since Apple Support will not even discuss features of an unreleased OS, even if in this case, this isn't a software, but a hardware design issue.

So, there: it's between shutting up, or bringing it up here. Shutting up, given the price of an iPhone XS Max 512GB is certainly not an option.

I understand you're upset, but let's try to have a cool discussion.

My point is only this one: is it sure the problem comes from the eSim ( so far I understood it complies with GSMA, but I may be wrong, as Apple does not seem to be a GSMA member) or from operators who do not allow (yet or always) the use of eSim on iPhone (allowing only the physical Sim they send to user with their subscription).

It is not a matter to defend x or y (Apple or your Telco), but to have a clearer understanding of the situation.

I would really be interested to read analysis on the matter, to confirm wether or not Apple eSim conforms to GSMA. May be you have ?

With my Austrian carrier, you can get in self-service a QR code on their web site to transfer an existing number/calling plan over to an eSIM. They don't care what phone you have, and according to their tech support, it works with any GSMA standard compliant eSIM implementation.

I escalated the matter through their tech support up the ladder, and at each step I was told the same story: Apple's "eSIM" isn't standard compliant. It's an implementation that requires them to negotiate with Apple first, which is not how a GSMA standard compliant eSIM works, just like a physical SIM, which the standard eSIM is supposed to replace, works in any phone.

The carrier also referred to the AppleSIM and AppleWatch as being similarly non-standard, otherwise AppleWatch would work with any carrier that supports multiple active devices under one number, and eSIM; and one could simply input the eSIM parameters on the watch, or scan a QR code on the paired iPhone, but that's also not how it seems to work.

As a result, the Austrian carrier, while supporting other smart watches, doesn't support the AppleWatch either. Even T-mobile in Austria, which is on the list of vendors who seem to be in bed with Apple to support their iPhone "eSIM", don't support the AppleWatch, as a result, you can't even buy the AppleWatch with mobile functionality in Austria, because no carrier considers it worth the cost/effort to implement the Apple-proprietary hooks to support them.

The frustration with Apple's non-standard solutions was clearly audible when talking to the higher levels of tech support people.

I couldn't get Apple to admit that it's not GSMA compatible, but they did say that it requires a cooperation between Apple and the carrier (i.e. Apple as gatekeeper), and that's pretty much equivalent to saying that it's not GSMA compliant, as the GSMA compliant eSIM doesn't require a cooperation between carrier and device manufacturer: the carrier simply has to support eSIM in general, and the device simply has to be GSMA eSIM compatible. After that, it's aiming at a QR code, and that's that.

So there's no different process as from the POV of the user. But in the back-end, with Apple's solution, Apple is inserted as a middle-man, or so it seems.

Apple has not given any proper answer to the matter, but I'd wager, that if there were a false claim of lack of standards compliance, Apple would quickly correct it.

Just for the sake of completeness: maybe there are good reasons (other than the gatekeeper power Apple gains), for Apple to deviate from the standard, BUT the fact that they deviate from the standard must be clearly communicated, and also the reasons should be clearly communicated (unless of course they would only confirm the suspicion of giving Apple anti-competitive powers).

Any decent communication from Apple regarding this subject is utterly missing; this is stuff I shouldn't have to figure out after I buy the phone.

Had I known what I know now, I'd have sent someone money to buy me a phone in Hong Kong with two real SIMs.

Frankly, I think it's also telling that Apple doesn't even allow real dual-SIM phones for special order, even though they are fully compatible with the US phones in terms of frequency bands covered; if eSIM is truly about consumer choice, and not for Apple's benefit, Apple shouldn't have a problem with selling dual SIM phones elsewhere but China, where likely the government blocked a non-standard SIM.

"Just for the sake of completeness: maybe there are good reasons (other than the gatekeeper power Apple gains), for Apple to deviate from the standard, BUT the fact that they deviate from the standard must be clearly communicated, and also the reasons should be clearly communicated"

Apple always pushes for a better user experience, and if today's standard could not fulfil Apple's desire, Apple will go ahead and implement their own. Period. This is not the first time and will not be the last. Operators know that and are more than willing to cooperate because iOS users usualy belongs to the consumer group that contribute to the highest ARPU. Therefore, operators will give in and implement what Apple demands on those changes, even if it is of existing "standards". Therefore, you will see this problem goes away in a year or two's time if not sooner.

Idk why Apple does not communicate openly about this, may be it is because consumers will not understand those technical reasons behind for improving usability, or just too boring for an average Joe to know? On the other hand, a lot of details are trade secrets between Apple and the Telco, and it gives both parties competitive advantages while you being the consumer enjoys a better and smoother iPhone experience. Fair business game, I'd say.

Important is, Operators know clearly what they are doing, and if a service of them does not work with Apple devices, they know, and they should be the one who stop you from purchasing that service, or offer alternative solutions, or offer a full refund if you have mistakenly paid without knowing it's incompatibility.

My $0.02

//Ed