The answer to the question, “Do Verizon iPhones have a SIM card” is … it depends! First off, you have to have an iPhone that can run on an eSIM card to be able to not have a regular SIM card. That’s going to be true about Verizon iPhones, and an iPhone that you could have with another company. Usually the iPhones that don’t have a SIM card are going to be the newer models on the block. We’ll get to exactly which iPhone models could potentially not have a SIM card with Verizon here in a bit.
The other important question here could certainly be, does it matter? Should you want to have a SIM card on your iPhone or should you not? The thing is, even phones that can run on an eSIM have the option of adding a regular SIM card. There are actually some benefits to this. For example, if you’re traveling, and you want to use a regular SIM card for local coverage you’re going to be able to do so with a phone that features dual-SIM capabilities.
In this article, we’re going to be giving you the list of Verizon iPhones that don’t have or don’t need to have a SIM card. If your iPhone model is not on the list then the answer for you to the question, “do Verizon iPhones have a SIM card?” is going to be yes! As we mentioned at the beginning of the article it all depends. Here are the topics that we are going to cover in this article.
- Do Verizon iPhones Have A Sim Card? : Which Ones Don’t
- Should You Want To Have A Verizon Phone With A SIM Card?
- Benefits of Using An eSIM Card
- Do Verizon iPhones Have A SIM Card: Can An eSIM Phone Be Locked?
- Do Verizon iPhones Have A Sim Card: Traveling With an eSIM Card
- Buy A Burner Phone
Do Verizon iPhones Have A Sim Card? : Which Ones Don’t
Right now there are only a handful of iPhones that can run on an eSIM card. Currently, the list includes:
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 12 Mini
- iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
- iPhone SE 2020
- iPhone XS or XS Max
- iPhone XR
By the time that you read this there’s a chance that a new iPhone will have come out. We’re going to make an effort to update the list with the new model. If you know that you have a newer model than the ones that we mentioned here you can pretty much assume that the new model will be able to run on an eSIM.
This means though that all of the other iPhones that are not on this list do have a regular SIM card with Verizon. Even if it’s not Verizon your iPhone is going to have a SIM card from another service provider to be able to make calls and get service overall. SIM cards have essentially been in phones since the very beginning of cell phones themselves. Therefore, it should be something “bad” that your Verizon iPhone has a regular SIM card. Other than the fact that you have an older model that is potentially due to stop receiving updates soon. There are, though, a couple of things to account for as we move into the eSIM era. That many people are actually not talking about that much.
Should You Want To Have A Verizon Phone With A SIM Card?
The introduction of the eSIM card is thought of as sort of like the dawn of a new era. What’s really different though between having an eSIM card and a regular one? There are a couple aspects that certainly make having an eSIM better. For example, with a regular SIM card if you damaged the card itself you would lose coverage. Also, if you removed the card and lost it you would literally be losing your regular phone number in another era. With an eSIM there’s no physical damage that you can do to it. So the idea is that your data is going to be safer. It’s just a sign of how things are shifting, kind of like how we now stream music and video files and don’t have to worry about keeping a CD in good shape to keep the files running correctly.
Does this mean then that an eSIM is always going to be a better option? For now there have not been a lot of reports about eSIM viruses. That’s really when things can get a little more complicated. If your eSIM were to get a virus then all of the data you share with your phone company could be at risk! This is a hypothetical though. So far into the eSIM age there haven’t been many reported issues of eSIM hacking and things of that nature. The true problem that Verizon iPhones that run on an eSIM do have is that they can be locked to the provider. That issue could potentially eliminate many of the benefits of using an eSIM card!
Benefits of Using an eSIM Card
We’ve already mentioned that one of the main benefits that you’re going to have when using an eSIM card compared to a regular SIM card is that your data is less likely to corrupt. Recently we talked about some of the common and dreaded SIM card issues. Most of them come as a result of physical damage on the card itself. Again, these are not problems that you will be facing if you have an eSIM card. That’s not the only advantage, though, that you could be looking at.
Technically what an eSIM card capable phone could bring to the table is the ability to change service providers without needing to remove a SIM card. As we talked about removing a regular SIM card can cause damage to the card. It also becomes easier to lose the card itself. That would mean total data loss for you! With eSIM technology though you could potentially have two phone numbers on the same phone. This would also mean getting coverage from two different service providers. Potentially being able to do this simultaneously. That would seem like a great idea for travelers. Since you could just scan a QR code and get local coverage. Without having to forgo your regular coverage. Here’s where we come across the real problem with Verizon iPhones that have or don’t have a SIM card.
Do Verizon iPhones Have A SIM Card: Can An eSIM Phone Be Locked?
Yes! This is the main issue that you’re going to have to watch out for if you have an eSIM phone. As you may or may not know, phones are usually locked by the service provider. If you’re asking, “Do Verizon iPhones have a SIM card?”, you probably should know that if you bought your phone directly from Verizon whether it has an eSIM or a regular SIM card it’s most likely locked! There are ways to unlock your iPhone. The first thing that you need to do is check if your phone is locked. Here’s a link to a site that allows you to check that out.
There are different methods to unlock your phone when it has a regular SIM card. We’ll link to an article we have on that topic here, to not get into that multiverse here. Usually the big issue is that if you bought the phone directly from Verizon, and you’re still under contract with them, they are not going to want to unlock it for you. You’re going to find yourself looking for external methods to be able to unlock your phone. A lot of times that’s not ideal. A lot of the methods generate data loss or really put the device at risk if you don’t do things properly.
The best option that you’re going to have is to avoid this issue altogether. The way that you do that is by buying an unlocked phone. For the most part, the easiest way to buy an unlocked iPhone is to do so directly from Apple, or Best Buy or wherever you like to buy technology. We’ve said this on other parts of the site, it can be really tempting to get a phone directly from your wireless service provider. However, that can be a way to tie yourself down with them. It can also limit your options when you travel. Therefore, getting an unlocked phone right from the start is probably the best way to go.
Do Verizon iPhones Have A Sim Card: Traveling With an eSIM Card
As we mentioned there are a ton of benefits to be had with eSIM cards. When you travel you are potentially going to be able to take advantage of many of these benefits. The clearest example is something that we are already seeing being implemented. You don’t need to do the typical SIM switch when you want to get coverage from a local provider when traveling. All that you’re going to need to do is scan a QR code. That’s going to allow you to download an eSIM from a local service provider to get coverage. No more having to buy a local SIM card on the street and hoping that things work out for you!
Right now though not every single country in the world has implemented this technology. So you may find yourself having to go to that store that we are talking about to get yourself a regular SIM card. Even when your phone already runs regularly on an eSIM. That’s why some of the new phones that run on an eSIM still feature a regular SIM card outlet. From the looks of things this is something that is going to be phased out sooner rather than later. Provided that most countries in the world are able to keep up. We hate classifying countries as third world. There’s no denying the fact though that certain parts of Central and South America, Africa, and parts of Asia are way behind with tech developments. With that in mind, it’s hard to predict when regular SIM cards will cease to exist.
Buy A Burner Phone
Why are we recommending this when technology is moving towards a place where getting coverage from different providers on the same phone is going to be made easier? It’s not that we want to feed conspiracy theories, but we do feel that the potential for data theft is going to be at an all-time high at this still relatively early stage of eSIM technology. There could be countries that you travel to where you naturally won’t feel comfortable scanning a QR code and adding a link from your phone to the local phone service provider. We don’t really want to give out names of countries here. Each person pretty much knows which countries they feel comfortable having this link with.
If you are concerned about data theft, and you don’t want to build a link between your phone and what you consider an obscure service provider, get a burner phone. That way you’ll be able to put an eSIM or a regular SIM card on that phone. Without having to give another provider access to the data that you may have on your regular Verizon iPhone. There’s no question that we can get carried away with the possibilities that new technology is able to bring to the table. Sometimes though it’s a good idea to play it safe.
Do Verizon iPhones Have A Sim Card: Conclusion
This is potentially the article that has taken us off-topic the most. We started out by answering the general question, “Do Verizon iPhones have a SIM card?”. From there, we just felt the need to talk about the whole dilemma of eSIM cards and other types of SIM cards. It can get really confusing. If you’re not going to travel really it doesn’t or shouldn’t matter all that much to you if your iPhone has a SIM card. Remember that these days SIM cards or eSIM cards are just essentially the link between your phone and the wireless service provider.
If you’re planning on traveling, especially if you’re going to be abroad for more than a month, then knowing what type of SIM card your phone runs on is more of a must. It’s going to allow you to look into different options of getting coverage. As you can see things can get really complex. If we had to list the basics they would probably be these few.
- Make sure your phone is unlocked
- Know what type of SIM it runs on
- If you need to insert a SIM locate the SIM outlet on your phone
If you have these things down, making decisions to essentially get coverage can potentially become much easier! Hopefully all of this information helps you out in some way.