Apple Starts To Get Rid Of SIM Cards On iPad

Apple will no longer provide SIM cards for use on its mobile iPad (photo: Brett Jordan / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Apple will no longer provide a SIM card for use on its mobile iPad, and it is claimed that it will be replaced with its new technology, eSIM.

The announcement was made by the company in an updated support document on October 1, 2022. Instead, users can set up mobile data with an eSIM or contact their carrier.

Quoted from MacRumors, Apple SIM was introduced in 2014 and is designed so that iPad users can activate cellular data plans from several carriers around the world.

Originally, the Apple SIM was a physical nano-SIM card, but it's embedded in newer iPad Pro models. Apple SIM is similar to modern eSIM technology, but with more limited carrier support.

The iPad is now one of the best-selling tablets in the world and has a wide range of connectivity options. All iPads come with support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, adding support for fast AirDrop file sharing from Apple.

However, for users who want to use their iPad on the go, Apple offers a cellular model for an additional fee.

With that model, the iPad can be connected to a data-only cellular plan to access the internet without a stable Wi-Fi connection.

A physical Apple SIM card is included with iPad mobile models, such as iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, 12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st generation, iPad 5, iPad 6.

Meanwhile, an embedded Apple SIM is included with the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro models.

The decision is part of a broader trend. Apple has switched to eSIMs in recent years, and went a step further by killing the SIM slot in the US versions of the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro.

The eSIM capability has also changed the way SIMs are assigned to devices. The presence of eSIM technology saves costs and space including physical slots, and is supported more widely than Apple SIM.