iPhone 13 Models Support Dual eSIMs [Updated]

According to the technical specifications for the iPhone 13, ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max, all of the devices include dual eSIM support, which is a feature that's new to the ‌iPhone‌ lineup this year.

iphone 12 and 12 mini
Dual eSIM support means that the ‌iPhone‌ 13 models can use two eSIMs simultaneously rather than just one eSIM and one nano-SIM.

Prior ‌iPhone‌ models like the ‌iPhone‌ 12 had dual-SIM support, but only worked with an eSIM and a physical nano-SIM. The ‌iPhone‌ 13 models still support eSIM and nano-SIM, but also support two eSIMs for adopting carrier plans without a physical SIM card.

Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 13 models will not ship with a physical SIM card this year and carriers will instead use eSIM capabilities for activation. Because eSIM activation is being used for devices connected to a carrier when ordering, a WiFi connection will be needed for setup. From Apple:

Carrier-connected iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro models will arrive ready to activate with eSIM and can connect to your cellular voice and data service without a physical SIM card. You will need a Wi-Fi connection for setup.

To activate eSIM on an unconnected iPhone, please contact the carrier of your choice when you're ready.

Connecting with a carrier later can be done by inserting a physical SIM or contacting a carrier for eSIM activation.

The ‌iPhone‌ 13 models will be available for pre-order on Friday, September 17, and will officially launch on Friday, September 24.

Update: Apple has shared a support document with more details on the eSIM, including directions on setup.

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 2 Redux

Top 5 Apple Products to Look Forward to in 2025

Friday December 20, 2024 2:22 pm PST by
It's looking like 2025 is going to be an important year for Apple, with the company planning to revamp the iPhone, push further into smart home products, and improve Apple Intelligence. There are tons of new products rumored for 2025, including new iPhones, M4 Macs, a smart home command center, and much more. We've highlighted the top five Apple products that will have the biggest impact in...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...

Top Rated Comments

rjohnstone Avatar
43 months ago
I love using eSIMs. Someone steals your phone, they cannot pull the SIM to prevent you from tracking it.
All they can do is shut it off. The moment it gets turned back on, you got a location. I'll never use a physical SIM card again if I don't have to.
Installing and activating an eSIM was pretty easy with AT&T... not sure about other carriers.
Gave my daughter an iPhone 11 Pro that was unlocked. Didn't have a SIM card in it or any plan setup for it at the time. Just went to the AT&T website on her phone (via WiFi obviously) and had an eSIM installed and activated in about 10 minutes.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghanwani Avatar
43 months ago
What happens if both eSIMs are activated and you stick in a nano-SIM as well?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whyamihere Avatar
43 months ago
Wonder if I'll be able to call Verizon to switch my number over to the new (paid for in full) 13 Pro eSIM without having to pay their garbage activation fee. If not, guess I'll just take the SIM out of my current phone and put it in the new one as I've always done.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
43 months ago
This is making me wonder how many years until Apple gets rid of the SIM card slot completely.

I love having a physical SIM for my main line, because it makes it trivial to move my service to a new device if something happens to my phone. If things end up going eSIM only it'll be like the old days of CDMA2000 carriers like Sprint and Verizon where you had to call in to move your line.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
esf215 Avatar
43 months ago

I love using eSIMs. Someone steals your phone, they cannot pull the SIM to prevent you from tracking it.
All they can do is shut it off. The moment it gets turned back on, you got a location. I'll never use a physical SIM card again if I don't have to.
Installing and activating an eSIM was pretty easy with AT&T... not sure about other carriers.
Gave my daughter an iPhone 11 Pro that was unlocked. Didn't have a SIM card in it or any plan setup for it at the time. Just went to the AT&T website on her phone (via WiFi obviously) and had an eSIM installed and activated in about 10 minutes.
Never thought of it that way. I’m still using a physical sim land thinking
About switching . Thanks
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OliOliOliOli Avatar
43 months ago

What happens if both eSIMs are activated and you stick in a nano-SIM as well?
??
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)