Apple today added Japanese mobile operator KDDI to its list of carriers that support the Apple SIM for the iPad, expanding Apple SIM availability to Japan for the first time. The Apple SIM can now be purchased in Japanese Apple stores in addition to retail stores in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and the United States.

The Apple SIM, introduced in 2014 alongside the iPad Air 2, is designed to allow users to easily switch between different short-term data plans from a number of different carriers. The Apple SIM is particularly useful for traveling abroad, allowing users to switch carriers as needed.

applesimpartners
During the early days of availability, the Apple SIM was limited to the United States and the United Kingdom through a partnership with carriers AT&T, EE, Sprint, and T-Mobile, but in June, a partnership with GigSky expanded availability of data plans to more than 90 countries.

The Apple SIM is available for cellular models of the iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, and iPad mini 3.

Top Rated Comments

pika2000 Avatar
118 months ago
It's amazing that Apple can even convince one Japanese carrier (Japanese wireless carriers are worse than US). Hopefully more will come on-board.
Thing is, many carriers outside the US offer post-paid contracts for tablets as well, so it might be a high mountain to climb for Apple to convince everybody.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
118 months ago
Why the heck doesn't Apple use these in iPhones?

With a universal "Apple SIM" in the iPhone, Apple could sell ONE set of SKUs that works on most carriers. No more issues with one carrier being out of stock at the store; any phone of the right capacity/color/size will do.

It seems like using these in iPhones would benefit Apple and the customer several times over compared to their use in iPads.
The carriers have to agree to it. It's a lot less of a risk for the carrier to allow it on the iPad than on the iPhone.

Heck, it probably translates to more sells for them on the iPad, since the iPad can be bought with or without cellular. People who feel like they might swap carriers in the future wouldn't want to get a carrier specific iPad so would go for the wifi model, except with Apple SIM, they might be more willing to buy cellular knowing they can easily swap later when they change carriers.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChristianVirtual Avatar
118 months ago
Some old measurement

Test Date: Sep 28, 2015 11:03 PM :D
Download: 4.16 Mbps
Upload: 9.96 Mbps

Right now I got :mad:
Test Date: Nov 19, 2015 10:13 PM
Download: 0.51 Mbps
Upload: 11.43 Mbps

Too many people streaming :confused:

Update from this morning:
Test Date: Nov 20, 2015 7:24 AM
Download: 1.62 Mbps
Upload: 25.39 Mbps
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...