2024 - why Apple seems to have engaged in a standoff with Orange, Free, SFR and Bouygues Telecom

The new iPad Pro M4 and iPad Air are finally here, and they’re still just as expensive. But what made us tick is their compatibility with 4G and 5G mobile networks. And to use this feature, you need a plan. Until now, nothing new. But where Apple has changed the rules is by requiring eSIM for these new iPads in Europe, which means they don’t have a physical SIM slot. And that’s not going to please operators at all.

Apple has unveiled its new iPad Pro M4 and iPad Air M2, and once again, the Apple brand is not doing things by halves.

In addition to high-end performance and features, these new iPads are compatible with 4G and 5G. These are the versions Cellular. But what will make European operators cringe is that these iPads are eSIM only. No more physical SIM slot, make way for eSIM technology, and only eSIM.

What exactly is eSIM?

What exactly is eSIM? It is a technology that allows you to do without a physical SIM card. Concretely, the eSIM is integrated directly into the device, and you just have to activate it to be able to use a mobile plan. This technology has many advantages: no need to change SIM cards when changing operators, no need to go to a store to subscribe to a plan, etc. But for operators, it’s a whole different story.

And why is this a problem?

By imposing eSIM for its new iPads, Apple is entering into a new standoff with European operators. For what ? Quite simply because Apple wants to take control of the consumer-operator relationship.

Apple’s objective is that we must use the iPad to take out a mobile plan. This is the long-term objective, and it is they who will choose how it is displayed, in what order the mobile operators appear. You can also scan a QR code… But it still remains a tour de force from Apple. And mobile operators are not ready to forget it.

Moreover, the iPhone 15s are already eSIM only in the United States, while they are also sold with a nanoSIM slot in Europe.

It remains to be seen whether the iPhone 16s will be eSIM only next September at this rate. If so, telecom operators will have even more reason to worry. But until then, the battle between Apple and the telecom operators has only just begun.