The iPhone Air is the first handset Apple has launched in Australia that won't take a physical SIM card. While iPhone models sold in the United States have been eSIM-only since the iPhone 14, this is the first time we've seen the move globally.
eSIM (an electronic SIM or embedded SIM) is a rewritable SIM card that’s built directly into the phone. It never leaves your phone. Instead, you simply download a "software SIM" from your provider of choice.
Apple has been shipping phones with eSIM support since 2018, and telco support in Australia is pretty robust. Out of the 30 mobile providers in WhistleOut's database, 21 currently offer eSIM plans. Here's a summary of your options:
| Provider | Postpaid eSIM | Prepaid eSIM |
|---|---|---|
| Telstra | ||
| Optus | ||
| Vodafone | ||
| Everyday Mobile | ||
| Kogan Mobile | ||
| amaysim | - | |
| Lebara | - | |
| felix Mobile | - | |
| Superloop | - | |
| Exetel | - | |
| TPG | - | |
| iiNet | - | |
| Boost Mobile | - | |
| Yomojo | - | |
| LycaMobile | - | |
| ALDI Mobile | - | |
| Tangerine | - | |
| More | - | |
| SpinTel | - | |
| AGL | - | |
| Southern Phone | - | |
| Belong | - | |
| MATE | - |
There are still smaller providers that don't support eSIM, however, such as Telstra's budget brand Belong. Customers on one of these providers will need to change to a telco that offers eSIM if they want an iPhone Air.
Telstra and Vodafone tend to have the easiest options for moving from a physical SIM to an eSIM. Telstra customers can do so in the My Telstra app, while Vodafone customers have a "convert to eSIM" option available within iPhone settings. Optus makes it a little trickier, and customers who want to move from a physical SIM to an eSIM need to either go to an Optus store or contact the telco via another channel.
And while many smaller providers support eSIM, the execution isn't necessarily as flexible as that found on larger providers. Boost and Everyday Mobile are two of the better options, and allows customers to swap to eSIM through their apps. Conversely, providers like Kogan and Superloop require customers to order a new plan to swap to eSIM, and once again if they want to move the eSIM to a new device.
Australian iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models still have a physical SIM card on top of eSIM support.
Alex Choros
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