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AT&T confirms it locks iPad’s new Apple SIM card after activation

Apple-SIM

AT&T has confirmed in a statement that the new universal Apple SIM card in iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 becomes locked to the carrier after being activated on its network.

It appears AT&T might be the only carrier locking the SIM card after activation, as Apple confirms in a support document that “AT&T dedicates Apple SIM to their network only” with no mention of other carriers. The support document also confirms that “Sprint Stores will only carry iPads with legacy Sprint SIM cards (not Apple SIM cards).”

When Apple launched its iPad Air 2 earlier this month, one surprise was the company’s decision to include a new universal SIM in the cellular version of device. The Apple SIM, preinstalled in the iPads ordered through Apple’s online store and elsewhere, supports a number of carriers out of the box making it easier for users to sign up with the carrier of their choice. In the US it supports AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile (but not Verizon) and in the UK carrier EE.

Some thought the new Apple SIM, along with improved LTE support for a long list of carriers in a single model, would make it easier to switch between service providers on the fly. Apple even mentions “the flexibility to choose from a variety of short-term plans from select carriers” on its website. That’s not the case for AT&T, however, as users will have to change the SIM if moving the iPad to a new carrier (much the same as you had to do pre-Apple SIM). The device itself, however, is completely unlocked, the carrier told us.

Rumors that T-Mobile planned to lock the Apple SIM inside iPad Air 2 when purchased direct through its own channels were denied by the company. 

[tweet https://twitter.com/JohnLegere/status/525401322020171776]

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Comments

  1. b9bot - 9 years ago

    Buy your iPad at an Apple store and you won’t have to deal with AT&T messing around with a device that should always be unlocked!

    • The device is not going to be locked to a specific carrier (AT&T), the universal Apple SIM will be locked to AT&T. Buy it from Apple or AT&T and still end up with the same result when a customer sign up for AT&T cellular for their iPad.

    • lycius84 - 9 years ago

      The issue is after activation. The only way to not fall under this issue is to never use att.

      • calisurfboy - 9 years ago

        This is how I read it as well as that it wasn’t an issue of where you purchase the iPad but the instant you use it on ATT it becomes locked.

    • you didn’t read the article, did you?

    • It won’t lock the iPad…. Simply just the SIM card, so you can’t turn off the AT&T data and get Verizon. You’d just have to go get a different SIM card from another provider if you wanted to switch. Same thing that is done now on current iPads.

      • Nycko Heimberg - 9 years ago

        Without subsidies, iPads LTE is not well sold, because are expensive.
        Buy CASH from the Apple store!
        So, you can use AT-T, T-Mobile, Verizon or Cricket ;-)
        You thought that AT-T, Verizon….. makes Gifts ?

  2. calisurfboy - 9 years ago

    Our communications sector is awful let it be cellular, internet, or television. I have had the most difficult problems with ATT on cellular and internet. This locking the SIM card is kind of a bullish*t move.

  3. Joe Cheng - 9 years ago

    It’s amazing how AT&T can’t seem to get out of its own way when it comes to customer-unfriendly policies. When a customer activates service with them, chances of them switching are minor anyways. Why stand out as the one carrier looking to make things less convenient for the the very same group of people that they are trying to appease?

    Between data throttling, tethering, and now unlocked SIM locking . . . AT&T continually comes off as the bumbling, stumbling, out-of-touch company they clearly are.

  4. Joe Cheng - 9 years ago

    On a separate note, for people with iPhones, why spend the $250/year (~$130 premium +$10/month service = ) cost for the LTE version when with iOS 8’s instant hotspot, you can just tether the wifi iPad Air 2 to your phone. What are the chances you are going to be somewhere out and about with your iPad and not your iPhone?

    • Andrew Messenger - 9 years ago

      for me the issue was always battery life and GPS. i really don’t want to kill my iPhone battery using hot spot on my iPad for any extensive period of time. having GPS is another bonus.

      • Fallenjt JT - 9 years ago

        Tether using bluetooth, it’s less power hungry.

  5. Michael Napier (@NapMan) - 9 years ago

    How very thoughtful of AT&T to confirm this. Now everyone knows what carrier NOT to activate a data plan on.

    • Chris Sanders - 9 years ago

      Well ATT is giving me 60GB per month so I can’t hate…

      • 89p13 - 9 years ago

        Unless you are an AT&T Employee — AT&T gives nothing away – You Pay For It. And, as a long time AT&T customer, it’s usually only most basic service, just barely above the bare minimum they have to provide under the contractual agreement!

        AT&T is a miserable and monolithic money grabbing behemoth.

        I feel better. ;)

      • A Paul Moulton - 9 years ago

        For free or are you taking the monthly assfucking as stipulated in the contract?

  6. Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 9 years ago

    Does the Apple SIM work in Europe. Because there, the companies are forced by law to be more reasonable and people switch back and forth between carriers all the time.

    • And Mr. Grey gets to the crux of the matter. European telecom is more fair to the consumer, only because European governments actually regulate telecom companies. In America we have given up all but nominal regulation in an effort not to be “socialist”, etc… We allow corporations to walk all over our government and by extension our citizens. We don’t even have fast internet compared to most other industrialized nations.

  7. William Robinson - 9 years ago

    About the SIM, the article says “In the US it supports AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile (but not Verizon) and in the UK carrier EE.”

    Does Verizon require their own SIM, as Sprint does? And can it be switched to T-Mobile later, or are they also locking one to their network once activated?

  8. Rio (@Crzy_rio) - 9 years ago

    Doesn’t this completely defeat the purpose of the Apple Sim card?

  9. myke2241 - 9 years ago

    I think Apple needs to step in here and tell ATT to get their stuff together. this sure does remind me of the day when carriers would remove features they didn’t want to support or force high price add ons

  10. Dang it AT&T, this is why we can’t have nice things… lol. But no, thats a total inconvenience for customers.

Author

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.