There’s a really cool feature in today’s new iPads that got zero stage time during the keynote. Apple has built its own SIM card that allows the user to switch between different carriers and plans right from iOS.
“The new Apple SIM is preinstalled on iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi + Cellular models,” according to Apple’s website, which confirms that the iPad mini 3 gets the new SIM too. “The Apple SIM gives you the flexibility to choose from a variety of short-term plans from select carriers in the U.S. and UK right on your iPad. So whenever you need it, you can choose the plan that works best for you — with no long-term commitments. And when you travel, you may also be able to choose a data plan from a local carrier for the duration of your trip.”
This is a great idea on Apple’s part. It eliminates the need to go into a physical store to sign up for a tablet data plan, and it even allows you to cycle through different plans without swapping for another SIM. Based on the screenshot from Apple, it looks like plans will be accessible from the iPad’s cellular options in the Settings app.
Right now the Apple SIM is limited to AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and EE in the U.K. Here’s to hoping more carriers, namely Verizon, are added soon. It’s a pipe dream, but imagine something like this one day working on the iPhone.
Alex Heath is a journalist who works for Tech Insider. He’s the former co-host of The CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation.” He lives in Lexington, Kentucky. If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Follow him on Twitter.
2 responses to “New iPads can effortlessly switch carriers with Apple SIM”
We need this. This will bring data prices down. I have to jump through ridiculous hoops to get data on my iPad when I visit the US. No US credit card? Can’t sign up. No US zipcode? Can’t sign up. No US telephone number? Can’t sign up or even activate the damned plan, because that requires sending a text message. (From an Ipad…)
One of my most prized posessions is an AT&T simcard that came with my iPad 2 in 2011. It’s the only way I have to actually get a halfway decent data plan on my iPad. No tethering, sadly. This is absurd. The only carrier I know with a decent data plan for visitors is Three in the UK.