T-Mobile launches eSIM app for iPhone XR & iPhone XS

On Monday the U.S. branch of T-Mobile launched its promised eSIM app, enabling people with an iPhone XR, XS, or XS Max to add a secondary line through the carrier.

After scanning for device compatibility and obtaining an email address, the app asks customers to choose from one of three prepaid plans. The flagship option is T-Mobile One Prepaid, a fully unlimited plan that costs $70 for 30 days. Simply Prepaid costs $40, but caps 4G data at 10 gigabytes. A $30 Tourist Plan, finally, includes a 1,000-minute ceiling on voice calls, a 2-gigabyte data cap, and a 21-day limit.

Support for postpaid subscriptions is coming, T-Mobile said in its announcement.

T-Mobile is the third major U.S. carrier to add eSIM compatibility, following in the footsteps of AT&T and Verizon. Sprint has promised to add the option, but hasn't set a firm date, which could mean it will have to wait for a merger with T-Mobile if plans aren't already well underway.

iPhone owners must use a nano-SIM for their primary line, but eSIM lines can be particularly useful for people wanting to split work and personal calls, or traveling abroad. T-Mobile's Tourist Plan appears specifically aimed at iPhone owners from Europe and elsewhere who expect to spend a substantial amount of time in the U.S.

10 Comments

scampercom 95 comments · 19 Years

About 6 years ago

“iPhone owners must use a nano-SIM for their primary line…”
My hope was that I could move my primary line to the eSIM “slot” (since that won’t be changing), so that I could use the physical SIM slot for prepaid SIMs when I travel. Having it the other way around is pretty inconvenient. Or maybe there’s something I’m not getting. Shouldn’t the physical slot be the one that travelers would keep open?

grady1996 7 comments · 6 Years

If I am reading the information from the 3 US cell providers correctly, it is currently possible to put a plan on an eSIM *only* if you are initiating a *new* plan with them (including moving from another provider). They will not as far as I can tell allow moving an existing plan onto eSIM, and only will allow certain plans to be initiated at that. Does anyone know otherwise?

bonobob 395 comments · 13 Years

scampercom said:

“iPhone owners must use a nano-SIM for their primary line…”

My hope was that I could move my primary line to the eSIM “slot” (since that won’t be changing), so that I could use the physical SIM slot for prepaid SIMs when I travel. Having it the other way around is pretty inconvenient. Or maybe there’s something I’m not getting. Shouldn’t the physical slot be the one that travelers would keep open?

I suspect that you can determine which number is your "primary" one. So just call the eSIM based number your non-primary, and use it how you like.

GG1 483 comments · 7 Years

grady1996 said:

If I am reading the information from the 3 US cell providers correctly, it is currently possible to put a plan on an eSIM *only* if you are initiating a *new* plan with them (including moving from another provider). They will not as far as I can tell allow moving an existing plan onto eSIM, and only will allow certain plans to be initiated at that. Does anyone know otherwise?

AppleInsider said:

Support for postpaid subscriptions is coming, T-Mobile said in its announcement.

T-Mobile is the third major U.S. carrier to add eSIM compatibility, following in the footsteps of AT&T and Verizon. Sprint has promised to add the option, but hasn't set a firm date, which could mean it will have to wait for a merger with T-Mobile if plans aren't already well underway.

iPhone owners must use a nano-SIM for their primary line, but eSIM lines can be particularly useful for people wanting to split work and personal calls, or traveling abroad. T-Mobile's Tourist Plan appears specifically aimed at iPhone owners from Europe and elsewhere who expect to spend a substantial amount of time in the U.S.

I understood the article to mean that only (new?) pre-paid plans can go on the T-Mobile eSIM at this time. I want my existing post-paid plan on the eSIM, so it looks like I need to wait.