When we go to buy a new iPad, we are faced with the decision to buy it with WiFi or WiFi + LTE connectivity . This is a decision that will determine the way to use our iPad on a daily basis, since with the second option we can have an iPad that is always connected to the internet thanks to a data plan. This is achieved with a simple SIM card, as in a mobile phone, or with a virtual SIM card.
What is an eSIM
Although the possibility of introducing a traditional cardboard SIM card was highlighted on older iPads, eSIM is now in vogue. With this technology we are trying to change the world of communications since it allows us to have a totally virtual SIM card . With this we mean that it is not necessary to put any type of cardboard with a chip in the iPad, but that the configuration will be done independently.
We can say that the card is integrated into a chip inside the iPad. Then it is the operators that must offer data plans for these equipment in order to always stay connected. In this sense, Apple has created a website where we can consult the operators in your country that offer this service. In the case of Spain we are well served since we can use Movistar, Orange, Vodafone, Yoigo …
We must distinguish eSIM from Apple SIM . The latter are integrated modules that will allow us to contract different data plans from the iPad itself without having to go to an operator. With eSIM this concept is changed since we will be linking to a company as if it were a mobile phone, except that we will not have a traditional SIM card.
Advantages of using an iPad with a SIM card
Having an iPad with SIM will make sense or not depending on your daily routines. If you are a person who travels a lot and is not in a fixed office with a WiFi network, it may be interesting to have an iPad with SIM. In this way we can always be connected regardless of whether we have access to a WiFi network or not. This SIM card will also help us not to depend on sharing mobile data from our iPhone to the iPad. But obviously as we have commented, this makes sense especially if you work a lot in mobility.
This fact is what is achieved with a traditional SIM card, but if we are facing a team with eSIM the advantages are greater. Thanks to the fact that we do not depend on inserting a piece of cardboard with a chip into our iPad, we will be able to conveniently change the operator. Scanning a simple QR code we will change the data plan that we have contracted and this is something really comfortable.
If you are planning a trip abroad something essential to hire is the internet. With eSIM and Apple SIM this process is extremely simple since you can choose a data plan from a local operator through the operating system itself. But you can also be traditional and buy a physical card and insert it as always.
Set up a data plan on iPad
In general, the configuration of an eSIM is very simple on our iPad. Obviously it is easier to open the proper slot to insert a traditional card, but the digital process has simplified it a lot. Most operators when you hire a data plan for eSIM send you a simple QR code. This is the key that you should use to configure your new data connection by following these steps:
- On the iPad go to Settings> Mobile data.
- Click on ‘Add mobile data plan’.
- With the iPad camera, scan the QR code provided by the operator.
- Enter the confirmation code that the operator sent you.
Once this is done, the configuration is complete and you can start using the data as if it were an iPhone. Keep in mind that in most operators these eSIM are a single use. With this, we mean that if you want to change it to another device, you must request a new one and deactivate the plan you have contracted.
Compatible Devices
If you have doubts about the SIM technology that includes the iPad you are going to buy or the one you already have, this table from Apple itself details which models have eSIM. As we have previously said, it is not the same to say eSIM as Apple SIM since both offer different options with the operators in the end.
| Equipment | eSIM | Apple SIM | Integrated Apple SIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11-inch iPad Pro (second generation) | Yes | – | – |
| 12.9-inch iPad Pro (fourth generation) | Yes | – | – |
| 11-inch iPad Pro (first generation) | Yes | – | – |
| 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation | Yes | – | – |
| 12.9-inch iPad Pro (second generation) | – | – | Yes |
| 12.9-inch iPad Pro (1st generation) | – | Yes | – |
| 10.5-inch iPad Pro | – | – | Yes |
| Third generation iPad Air | Yes | – | – |
| iPad Air 2 | – | Yes | – |
| 7th generation iPad | Yes | – | – |
| 6th generation iPad | – | Yes | – |
| 5th generation iPad | – | Yes | – |
| 5th generation iPad mini | Yes | – | – |
| iPad mini 4 | – | Yes | – |
| iPad mini 3 | – | Yes | – |
We can clearly see that there are many Apple computers that are compatible with these technologies, both eSIM and Apple SIM. In the end, an iPad is designed to work on the move, so it makes good sense to have this type of technology to avoid sharing data from other computers.
