iPad Pro (10.5) disabled embedded SIM card

[Neil]

I have  a 6 month old IPAD pro 10.5inch from O2 which has an embedded apple sim card (dont confuse this with the software based e-sim of the latest ipad pro). 

The embedded apple sim is disabled by O2 how do I get it reactivated?  - please note we are NOT talking about the sim card that goes in the normal side tray - that is already unlocked but I need the internal/embedded sim unlocking.

any help appreciated.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi @Neil O2 doesn’t support Apple SIM or eSIM
Your iPad 10.5 is compatible with Apple SIM so you can buy data from different providers around the world, in UK only EE supports Apple SIM and only purchased from EE or iPads bought from Apple directly will include an Apple SIM. Hope that helps

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT203099

https://www.apple.com/uk/ipad/cellular

• United Kingdom: EE (EE retail locations): The embedded Apple SIM is locked to EE in the UK. Outside the UK, you can use the embedded Apple SIM to set up a cellular data plan with a different carrier. The nano-SIM tray is unlocked.

[davethorp]

Unfortunately carriers have a habit of disabling the Apple Sim on iPad Pro and O2 is no exception. Why considering you are still subject to a contract whether they lock this down or not I don’t know.

I don’t know of a way of reactivating this. However believe me you aren’t missing much looking at some of the UK carriers pricing for data on Apple Sim on the iPad I got from Sky mobile who don’t lock it down

[Neil]

I know the apple sim card only offers very poor choice of airtime providers in the UK and not particulalry cheap ones. I have had apple sim cards in other devices so I know the options it provides.  It is very useful if you travel frequently and dont want to faff getting local sim cards or want to keep data usage / billing separate.

ALL ipad pro's have a second sim built in (e-sim on the very latest ipads)  even ones sold by the mobile phone companies - it is the they the airtime providers such as O2 that disable them via carrier settings sent to the ipad.  Ergo, they must also be capable (if indeed not willing) to send instructions OTA to re-enable the embedded sim.  

They are quite happy to unlock the external sim card slot (and have done so) - and my ipad is out of contract so I dont know why this is a big deal for them. 

[Anonymous]

@Neil unfortunately there’s no other option. With new models the esim is ok to use just in case that can help for future reference

[Anonymous]

@Neil With the new iPad Pro they allow the “add plan”

[Neil]

- yeah thanks Ricardo, I get that same screen if I have a sim in the external slot/tray but when "add plan" is selected it says nothing can be found. It is misleading because doing research, its not that th airtime providers are not there (EE etc) it's that O2 have disabled any feedback from the internal(Embedded) sim card to the ipad so the iPad interperates that as no airtime plans available.

It's shocking really and I'm really surprised OFFCOM allows airtime providers to get away with it - essentailly deliberately crippling some of the functionality of an expensive ipad even though it is out of contract.