Does iPhone 13 have place for a physical SIM Card to be used?

Chattanoogan wrote:

Interesting.

I wonder how the post-delivery activation process works; i.e. at what point does the new phone’s eSIM “go active” …

… as it most likely de-provisions the current phone’s SIM ???

With my current iPhone XS (2018) I paid in full but did not arrange service with the order. So it arrived with an un-provisioned nano-SIM. I swapped my nano-SIM from my iPhone 7 into the XS, turned it on and set it up and the service of course transferred to the XS.

I am assuming when I fire up the 13 Pro and complete the welcome/activation process and it connects to AT&T, yes, it will switch my service to the new device and cancel it on the XS. The order information says it will provision the new 13 Pro on my existing service plan (which is an old, grandfathered and no longer offered AT&T plan that I think I’ve had since 2010 or so) and that I will need to contact AT&T for changes. Since I want 5G (coverage in NC triangle area is pretty good) I am assuming I will, after setting up the new device, have to contact AT&T to go to a current, and 5G supported plan.

So I will see next Friday when it arrives. All I know at this point is based on the printed info provided when ordering that my existing plan should be provisioned on the 13 Pro, but will be on the eSIM not a physical nano-SIM.

It’s all fine with me as I knew this order would require me to finally change plans with AT&T, and I don’t care whether eSIM or nano-SIM for service. I will assuredly have to pay more per month for 5G and unlimited data, but I’ve had the same plan for 11 years and odds are they’d eventually make me change anyway. Plus I am using more data nowadays with the permanent work from home situation and changes to how I now work.

Honestly, if the 5G is as good as people I know who use it say it is here, I may use the 13 Pro to decide if it’s time to dump UVerse and go to a MiFi internet plan at home.

So this 13 Pro is kind of my personal experiment for a number of things I plan to try out. Next will be a MacBook Air or mini with the next generation of Apple M-whatever chips to replace my Mac mini (2018 Intel) and old (2015) MacBook Pro.

It takes a nano-SIM. If you’re having it shipped preconfigured for your cellular service, that service may be setup on the eSIM instead of including a physical SIM (my AT&T iPhone 13 Pro order says it will ship with my AT&T service setup on the eSIM and no physical SIM will be included).

Interesting. I ordered my phones through Apple with our current phone numbers to be active on the new phones, but from Apple, there is no statement which says the numbers will be set up on the eSim or that there won't be a physical Sim included. It may in fact be how it comes, which for me wouldn't be an issue either way.

I ordered through the Apple web store too, but there was fine print that said my AT&T account would be setup on the eSIM. There is extensive AT&T 5G service where I live, so not sure if that factors into the decision of how to preconfigured the device with existing service?

I just read everything in my order confirmation, including the fine print and I don't see anything on this. Our city has very strong 5G service as well. Again, it doesn't really matter to me if I have a physical sim in the phone or not. eSim should be fine if that's what they give me.

I don't honestly know if there's a physical sim in my current 12 Pro Max. When I turned it on last year, it automatically activated to my number. I'll know when I get ready to trade in the phone as I will at least remove the sim card if there is a sim card.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply.

My own recent experience “migrating” an eSIM profile - w/ T-Mobile - from an Xs to a 12 Pro is provided only as “one user’s recent experience.” :

I used Apple’s iPhone migration assistant.

All seemed to go well. The T-Mo “data plan” (how an eSIM profile is referred-to in Settings) showed-up on the 12 Pro as expected.

Note: The Xs is still a working T-Mo phone at this point.

The 12 Pro then presented a message to “Approve transfer of number using ‘old’ phone” (or similar wording to that effect).

Back on the Xs - which is STILL a working T-Mo number at this point - I searched in vain for any opportunity to “approve” the move.

Finding none, I elected to “Remove this Data Plan” — knowing it would de-provision the Xs’ eSIM; but “hoping” that doing so might prompt the move.

Well … the “removal” from the Xs worked … but it didn’t cause the number to transfer or the 12 Pro’s eSIM to provision.

So I’m now holding 2x SIM-less iPhones. 😕

A phone call to T-Mo - using a 3rd iPhone - rectified the matter in short order and the 12 Pro provisioned OTA w/o any issue.

Not sure what went awry with the automated eSIM migration; although I suspect an issue within T-Mo’s OTA eSIM provisioning system.

YMMV; although I would suggest having a 3rd phone w/ a 2nd line readily available.

Yes. All iPhones have a Sim Card tray.

Who is your carrier?

Interesting.

I wonder how the post-delivery activation process works; i.e. at what point does the new phone’s eSIM “go active” …

… as it most likely de-provisions the current phone’s SIM ???

AT&T

Hmm. So, the same carrier. Well, so much for that thought.

I remember that Verizon refused to be involved in the Apple SIM program and was wondering if they were continuing their contrariness.