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Muted_Sorts t1_jdy3t88 wrote

Um, I like having the ability to swap my SIM. I am concerned about the implications of this in terms of privacy, security, and autonomy. Some people will remember the 3G and below phones w/o SIM are bricks now. Does this shift allow Apple ability to brick any iPhone (say if requested by law enforcement)?

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NoPossibility t1_je038mf wrote

3G-and-below phones are bricks because the networks they were built to use have been completely retired and replaced by 4G and 5G radios. They can still likely use Wi-Fi but cellular service won’t work with them in most parts of the world.

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Muted_Sorts t1_je1evzi wrote

As seen with Pixel, when there is a vulnerability to 4G (e.g., VoLTE), it renders the phone inoperable. Is this the same fate for iPhone?

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DrZoidberg- t1_je21r02 wrote

Hackers don't care about the iphone. It's the icloud account they are after.

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Muted_Sorts t1_je2fgmq wrote

I don't believe this is entirely true. One can obtain lots of sensitive info from Webkit exploits and app-specific exploits, without ever touching iCloud. Alexa app is one such example. It can access your camera and mic without you knowing.

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juanincognito t1_je3covt wrote

It has nothing to do with 3G and below.

I've always had a sim card because I've always been on GSM networks.

The phones without sim cards were CDMA / TDMA networks.

Regardless, I prefer having my phone number and hardware device separate.

If my phone breaks I have a spare one I can quickly switch my sim into. If the phone number is attached to the hardware I need to go to a store and buy a new phone.

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Muted_Sorts t1_je3dyxo wrote

>I've always had a sim card because I've always been on GSM networks.
>
>The phones without sim cards were CDMA / TDMA networks.

Thanks for this clarification. Appreciate it.

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jjj49er t1_jdzb4ut wrote

Exactly! You're just giving up more of your privacy and freedom to do what you want with your phone.

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TheQuarantinian t1_je06kpx wrote

And 3G no longer exists, it has nothing to do with SIM cards, the bandwidth was reallocated. All of the non-phone devices including cars that relied on it fot function or updates are SOL now.

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atomworks t1_jdzt9un wrote

Do these people just never travel abroad?

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abramthrust t1_je631w3 wrote

You'll go nowhere and own nothing (except your iPhone) and be happy.

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on_ t1_jdx5h1t wrote

What I’m supposed to do when the screen breaks. Or the whole phone?

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Disastrous-Spell-135 t1_jdxbr1t wrote

W-…what

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DrZoidberg- t1_je21i26 wrote

I think they are forgetting that they can just activate an esim on a new device.

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MINKIN2 t1_je5r1zv wrote

Ah, yes. Buy a new device. Can't just grab your old phone from out of the drawer and be on with your day.

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DrZoidberg- t1_je6a6pw wrote

So get a sim and stick it in the old one?

Or buy a cheap replacement?

It's really not that hard.

Sim cards aren't going away for another year or two by then even $5 phones from Wish will support esim

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iceleel t1_je4lzxa wrote

Buy new phone but don't forget to keep charger cause you're not getting that anymore

1

Timbershoe t1_jdx7u7a wrote

Apple profiles have been backed up for over a decade.

You just log on with a new device and download your profile from the cloud.

SIM cards should have phased out years ago.

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juanincognito t1_je3d3sp wrote

The sim card has exactly nothing to do with your stored settings.

Sim card is the carrier information, all the sim card does is give you a phone number.

Phasing out sim cards is a bad idea, now your hardware is locked to your phone number.

When your phone dies you don't have the luxury to take the sim out and use another phone.

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Timbershoe t1_je3t5om wrote

>The sim card has exactly nothing to do with your stored settings.

Apple has stored a digital SIM on the cloud backups for ~5 years.

Cellular Apple Watches have a digital SIM, which is part of the user profile that’s regularly backed up.

>Sim card is the carrier information, all the sim card does is give you a phone number.

Not exactly. The physical SIM holds the ICCID which is a 22 digit code that’s unique and holds redundant information alongside your personal identification.

For instance it holds your country and network. That’s really not needed on a smartphone, it’s been done digitally via carrier settings and GPS for over a decade.

>Phasing out sim cards is a bad idea, now your hardware is locked to your phone number.

That isn’t how this works. You can change networks and phone numbers with a digital SIM. It’s just carrier settings.

In fact, the current digital sim iPhone can support 8 different phones numbers on one handset at one time.

Think of it like setting up aa new email account. Your phone isn’t tied to the one email, and the email isn’t tied to your phone. It’s just a communication route.

>When your phone dies you don't have the luxury to take the sim out and use another phone.

No, you have the luxury of just signing in on another phone and your entire profile (including the digital sim) downloads to your device.

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juanincognito t1_je4upl8 wrote

You are basing this on the assumption that every single carrier uses eSIM, which they do not.

1

Timbershoe t1_je4w9nt wrote

Not every single carrier supports eSIMs, no, however in the US the current providers that support eSIMs are:

AT&T

Boost Mobile

Caroline West Wireless

Cellcom

Credo Mobile

C Spire

FirstNet

H2O Wireless

Nex-Tech Wireless

PureTalk

Red Pocket

Spectrum Mobile

Straight Talk

Strata Networks

T-Mobile USA

Tracfone

UScellular

Verizon Wireless

Xfinity Mobile

So most of them. Plus more will provide them if Apple continues to roll them out.

And for the ones that don’t, you can use an app that acts as a SIM for that network, allowing you to use an eSIM.

The only real technical reason for carriers to keep physical SIM cards is to dissuade people from switching networks as it’s more of a hassle.

1

Skvora t1_jdxdxn3 wrote

So that's what extra $50/mo on top of the carrier service bill always was!

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Timbershoe t1_jdz260r wrote

That’s not how it works. It’s part of the handset price, not the carrier price.

You can buy an iPhone and never put a sim in it, you still have your cloud backup in place for apps, settings, data etc.

I’m in the EU right now, and paying around $15 per month for unlimited sms, calls and 60gb of data. They also provide roving sims, so I use my data and service when I’m in the US for the same price.

It’s not Apple fucking you over on your bill, it’s your carrier.

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wakomorny t1_je3xthn wrote

I'm not scared of apple doing this. I'm scared of every Android manufacturers copying them

1

Moonshadetsuki t1_jdxbltu wrote

To buy Apple products is just a tax on stupidity. Suck up and pay up.

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supercrip69420 t1_jdyza1b wrote

The s23 ultra is more expensive than the iPhone 14 pro max

Edit: idk why you're down voting me its literally true

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