Support for eSIM in the iPhone Xs?

[Robster2007]

Correct.

If my iPhone is off or out of contact, my Apple watch connects to the celular network and I can make and receive calls and send text messages.

Robin

[searley]

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@fsociety wrote:

Hang on a minute. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but if the phone is switched off/left at home and the Watch is connected to the cellular network directly rather than the phone, I thought the whole point was that the watch could then use the cellular network to make/receive phone calls, send/receive SMS and send/receive data over LTE for things like iMessage. SMS is cellular so if the watch can make and receive calls, surely it should be able to send and receive SMS too. Is this a limitation by WatchOS? Also Voicemail, this should surely still be possible as what if someone calls me and I can't answer? Will it still even go to voicemail?

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if the phone is OFF the watch will only get imessage NOT sms...    if the phone is on, but at home it will relay the sms via imessage to and from your watch

the thing to remember is the watch actually has its own phone number is does NOT share the same number as your phone.. the network is setup to send calls to both phone numbers.. but sms  are only sent to the main number then forwarded by the phone

[ewanrw]

Try it, then let us know how long it takes to fix 

[fsociety]

Perhaps I have misunderstood the intended functionality of the cellular features of the Watch then?

So if I am out without my phone are you saying that if someone tries to call my normal number or send me an SMS (say from an Android device), that I will not receive those calls or those messages?

[searley]

if you phone is off you will only get calls and imessages

if your phone is on you will get sms and all the phone notifications

i just tried to double check, turn the phone off sent myself a text and it did not come through until the phone was on again then it hit my watch ipad and macbook..

so if you are out and want sms's leave you phone on

[searley]

and i sent an sms from the watch.. which was held in a queue on my watch until the phone was on again

[Robster2007]

My understanding is that although Vodafone do issue a seperate number, the fact is the watch and iPhone SHOULD share the same number.

[searley]

unfortunatly you understanding is wrong... as ive said above and just tested..

its simple.. turn your phone off and get someone to send you a sms..  you will not get it until the phone is on...

the watch is all done by network trickery....  which is why you can not just setup the esim in the phone in the same way as the watch

it simple to calidate what i say but turning you phone on and finding out for yourself...  im fully aware as ive had cellulat watch since model 3 and the EE setup is the same

[Rob2018]

Also see here (pay particular attention to note #1 at the very bottom):

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT205547

This is how the Apple Watch works on cellular. 

[fsociety]

OK. Yes I have just tested this. Kind of.

I put my phone into Airplane mode. On the Watch I was able to make a call. Recieve a call. I cannot recieve SMS from an Android device though. It didn't come through until I turned off AirPlane mode off.

So are you saying that if the phone is just left at home and turned on, but out of range from the Watch (say I'm on a bike ride and leave the phone at home), will the SMS be relayed to the Watch then?

[Rob2018]

Yep. As long as wherever you left your iPhone it still has a cellular or Wi-fi connection to relay the SMS. 

[searley]

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@fsociety wrote:

OK. Yes I have just tested this. Kind of.

I put my phone into Airplane mode. On the Watch I was able to make a call. Recieve a call. I cannot recieve SMS from an Android device though. It didn't come through until I turned off AirPlane mode off.

So are you saying that if the phone is just left at home and turned on, but out of range from the Watch (say I'm on a bike ride and leave the phone at home), will the SMS be relayed to the Watch then?

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Yes if you phone is on the sms is relayed to you watch as are the replys

[Rob2018]

Yes if you phone is on the sms is relayed to you watch as are the replys

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Switched on and with a cellular or Wi-fi connection. Obvious I know but I have read of folks leaving their phone in say a gym locker where it loses the signal and then wondering why the SMS messages weren’t relayed to the Watch... 😃

[fsociety]

OK. So is this a limitation at the carrier level then? Or the WatchOS/iOS level? I'm guessing WatchOS/iOS. As when the phone is off I can still make and receive phone calls on the Watch. I don't understand why this couldn't be implemented. But anyhow, OK, it works while the phone is on and has signal so fine I guess.

But whats the situation with Voicemail then? So when I did that test before, I had a friend ring me while my phone was in Airplane mode. What would have happened if I hadn't answered? Would it have gone to Voicemail at all? There is a button to call Voicemail on the Watch so that's very confusing as well.

[oscarolim]

Well, iOS 12.1 has been released, EE already supports eSim on the XR / XS, still waiting for Vodafone. 

[searley]

Yes it will goto voice mail and you can dial voicemail and retrieve it

[searley]

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@oscarolim wrote:

Well, iOS 12.1 has been released, EE already supports eSim on the XR / XS, still waiting for Vodafone. 

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The thing to remember is it was made clear on day 1 that ee would support esim but no official statements have been made yet that Voda will support it..  so if the do there could be some wait

ee has had esim on the watch for over a year Voda has just got it and from the forums you can see they are struggling with that

[Rob2018]

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@fsociety wrote:

OK. So is this a limitation at the carrier level then? Or the WatchOS/iOS level? I'm guessing WatchOS/iOS. As when the phone is off I can still make and receive phone calls on the Watch. I don't understand why this couldn't be implemented. But anyhow, OK, it works while the phone is on and has signal so fine I guess.

But whats the situation with Voicemail then? So when I did that test before, I had a friend ring me while my phone was in Airplane mode. What would have happened if I hadn't answered? Would it have gone to Voicemail at all? There is a button to call Voicemail on the Watch so that's very confusing as well.

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Yes it’s how the Watch works so nothing to do with carrier - see Apple website: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT205547

[baz1536]

I received this back from Vodafone today on Facebook when asking about esim

We're working closely with Apple to introduce this feature Barry, please keep an eye on our social feed for further details 👀Ryan

[baz1536]

Ok it’s starting to make more sense how this all works. And also explains why just because Apple Watch is available the iPhone isn’t. 

The option to move to esim on My Vodafone asks for an EID of the Apple Watch.  With the phone you don’t provide an EID at all. 

By the looks of it the QR Code provided by the network also has an eSIM code. This is the code you swap your sim to from ohysical. You then pair that with your esim on the device by scanning the code.  In the case of EE they are doing both. They are pairing in store so before you leave the sim has already swapped to the QR code whether you have scanned it or not and your physical sim is dead. Or they just give you the QR card and you register it on your device. This registers without a phone number. You then go to the simswap site and enter the esim number from the barcode and it swaps over.