I have ordered an iPhone Air. I have not bothered with any eSIM shit yet. I am going to Spain in a few weeks and I want to keep with what I know abroad. I want (and only want) an eSim that keeps my number. Simple enough you would think? NO!!!! This is the most complicated thing known to mankind! Much more complicated than the design of the phone! That is because the children are in charge of eSIMs! And it could just be that O2 are only interested in helping you if they get to sell you the phone and sign you up for two years. I'll get the phone and have plenty of time to play about with it on WiFi. When I get back from Spain, but have the phone in my hand, I will try again with O2 and an eSIM that retains my phone number. Perhaps my patience will have improved by then! I know nothing of Apple, so it will be good to learn something new.
My understanding is the phone SIM and the eSIM cannot share the same phone number. You use the phone SIM with your old number for calls and set up the phone (or iPad) to switch automatically to the eSIM for apps that require data. My phone contract allows European roaming at no extra charge (within my minutes/data allowance). Unlimited minutes and 4 Gig of data is more than enough with the free hotel wifi. Check your contract to see if you have roaming included. Andy
The iPhone Air does not take a physical SIM. You have to use an eSIM, so I cannot just take the SIM from my Android Samsung and put it in the iPhone. I do have an iPad, but have never bothered use it. I am just too lazy. I bought it for reading books and I already have a small eReading device and also my bigger Android tablet for reading. With the iPhone, I will want to get with it, to eventually use it as a phone. I am interested to see how good or bad it is. My current phone is shit. It works with WiFi at home and where I have just been for lunch at Ley Bistro, Out and about, when I was in Plymouth, it was junk. The O2 signal is useless there and in the shopping centre, it tried to tag on to any WiFi in sight, but the WiFi was for staff and required one to sign in. That meant no signal and no WiFi. Plymouth is shit for O2.
I am wary of self-appointed YouTube eggspurts. In the past, I have seen "fix my motorcycle" stuff when the tool of choice is a large club-hammer. I am wary of much that I see, where the conclusion is: if whacking it with a hammer doesn't do the trick, then sell to somebody more stupid than you. A very small market to restrict yourself to when you don't have to.
If your number is currently on a physical SIM You must: Request an eSIM swap from O2 In store (fastest) Or via app / customer service They give you a QR code Scan it on your iPhone Air Your number moves over Your physical SIM will stop working after this
I've never done this either. So basically you go into the shop and ask for an esim and they fix the whole shebang whilst you're there. Sounds easy!
I realise that this will stop the physical SIM in my Android phone from working - or maybe not, but it will possibly work, but just with a different number. I just don`t know. That's why I want to keep with the Android phone on my number until at least after Spain 1. All my shit is on Google Drive on my phone, like tickets. As Google control Android effectively, I want to stay with my Samsung Android phone whilst I travel. When I physically have both phones in my hand, I will look into transferring the number from physical SIM to an eSIM. I just want to do it in the UK without pressure. And I can always visit an Apple or O2 shop in Bath, or Cribbs Causeway. Possible in Spain but my Spanish isn't quite up to explaining what I am trying to do! I may get this done between Spain 1 and Spain 2, but I will see. Next year, I will use Portsmouth rather than Plymouth. I am thinking of doing it still with Brittany Ferries, but one Spain and one France. Later in the year, I might try the train route from Bristol Temple Meads just to try the route down to Portsmouth. The train stops in Southampton first and the hotels look better in Southampton than Portsmouth. Must be forty years since I have been to Southampton.
With an imminent trip I might also have done that, especially with the etickets. Mind you, could you just get prepaid sim for the Android, stick it in, ensure that all is still functional and if so call by the O2 shop for the iphone esim on your present number? You then have a back up for your 'phone, and the apps can all be switched over easily too. Something to consider?
Why don't you just get a Google Pixel phone then you get to stick with Android and is supported by the company who provides it?
I agree with this, my folks have so many problems with Apple phones...they seem to create more issues than they solve...certainly for older technophobe folk.
Phone arrived this morning. I forgot that I saved a bit by ordering a refurbished phone. So, no ID shit and the postman just puts it in my letterbox. That suits me fine. Phone is immaculate. anyway Phone was easy to set up and is connected to my Wi-Fi. Even though it has got no eSIM, all my previous calls from my Android phone were imported and contacts, I think. All seems good and now to start playing! It allowed me to import from my Android phone, even though I expected Apple to get pissy about Android. So far impressed. The phone is incredibly slim.
I am in with my iPhone Air!!!! And I managed to get Virgin banking working on it! That’s me done for today. And Google Drive done, so I can get tickets and stuff. Tired now so time to go outside. Oh. and one of many criticisms of the phone was shit battery life. Well, it arrived this morning and changed to 100% in minutes and after playing about with it all morning, it is still at 100%. Maybe I live in a different world to critics, or maybe many know shit-all! Next, I take it outside and test WiFi range.
All sounds good! On the battery, maybe Apple have improved them or they have improved the 'phones internal hardware to consume less power in this latest model? I've had an iphone for the last 5 years, and a couple of them prior interspersed with Sony Androids. Apple always came second in battery longevity in my case -though the fast charger stopped it being an issue.
