Grandfathered Nationwide plan with UDP feature and eSIM

**Jedis** · 09-07-2022, 07:52 PM

With the announcement of the iPhone 14 only supporting eSIM and removal of the physical SIM slot, I am wondering what this means.

I have a grandfathered Nationwide plan with a pre-price hike UDP feature. For the past several years, I buy an unlocked iPhone from Apple and then swap in my physical SIM and I’m ready to go.

Other than losing the ability to pop my SIM into a router, am I giving up anything or causing any plan jeopardy by switching to an eSIM if I get a new unlocked iPhone from Apple? I’ve learned over the years to avoid contacting Verizon about anything and it’s served me well.

**brad15** · 09-07-2022, 08:25 PM

you can just swap to an eSIM in myVerizon, or under Settings > Cellular, there should be an option "Convert to eSIM" and when you get your new phone, you should be able to move the sim with your iCloud info.

**Jedis** · 09-07-2022, 08:47 PM

No chances of plan mishaps or being forced to choose a new plan? Can I convert back from eSIM to physical by calling customer service?

**brad15** · 09-07-2022, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by Jedis

No chances of plan mishaps or being forced to choose a new plan? Can I convert back from eSIM to physical by calling customer service?

It's Verizon: there's always a "chance"...but there's even less chance if you do it yourself on myVerizon.

out of curiousness though: Why are you keeping this plan? are you using that much hotspot?

**Jedis** · 09-08-2022, 12:26 AM

I can switch to eSIM myself online? Can I switch back to a physical SIM?

It’s better than any plan currently offered and is not subject to deprioritization. 3 UDP lines for about $135 before taxes. Two lines are regularly over 200GB and one line is around 50GB per month.

**clonehappy** · 09-09-2022, 04:51 AM

Or, don’t buy an iPhone 14. That’s my plan.

I will never use a phone without a physical SIM slot. Period.

Lack of a SIM slot is just another way to control people from choosing which carrier they want and locking them down. Apple is sickening these days. Glad I bought a 13 PM last year, as it’ll be the last iPhone I ever buy.

As a matter of fact, the way things are going, I should stock up on a few extra Nokia 225s because pretty soon I may just be done with smartphones altogether. It was a fun hobby for me since I bought my first BlackBerry in 2005, but the tracking and control is just getting to be too much these days.

Sent from my iPhone using HoFo

**VVivian** · 09-09-2022, 05:32 AM

eSIM is not a way of controlling people. It’s no more difficult to switch to a new eSIM than providing the carrier with the IMEI and ICCID of your eSIM’s vacant slot. I’m unaware of any carrier that doesn’t let you do this online in your account portal, which has only taken me a few minutes every time I’ve done it.

People have these emotional breakdowns every time an old technology is removed from a popular consumer device, yet look! We’re just fine without DVD drives in our laptops, floppy disc drives in our desktops, etc.

**bmtvaquero** · 09-09-2022, 06:53 AM

According to Apple, you can swap eSim's from one iPhone to another just by setting the two phones next to each other and going into Settings, Cellular. You don't even have to have wifi present. However, swapping between and Android and iPhone may not be so simple.

I think that within two years, all new phones will do away with physical sim slots. MVNO's will have some adjusting to do.

**blkballoon925** · 09-09-2022, 06:59 AM

I’m curious to see how well that works with iOS 16. With iOS 15.6, a lot of eSIMs aren’t “supported” for transfer and the only way to move them is to call/chat with the provider (often an MVNO with bare bones support) and have them manually issue a new eSIM. It’s a slow and tedious process.

**zspa710** · 09-09-2022, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by VVivian

eSIM is not a way of controlling people. It’s no more difficult to switch to a new eSIM than providing the carrier with the IMEI and ICCID of your eSIM’s vacant slot. I’m unaware of any carrier that doesn’t let you do this online in your account portal, which has only taken me a few minutes every time I’ve done it.

People have these emotional breakdowns every time an old technology is removed from a popular consumer device, yet look! We’re just fine without DVD drives in our laptops, floppy disc drives in our desktops, etc.

One issue is with BYOD devices. Verizon has not been able to activate eSIM in my unlocked AT&T S22 Ultra, while a physical SIM would work just fine. It is an issue with their database.

**Jedis** · 09-09-2022, 08:51 AM

My primary concern is if I lose or break my shiny new 14, how difficult will it be to swap back to an old iPhone with a physical SIM that doesn’t support eSIM? And how to go about doing this swap without having someone change my plan.

**brad15** · 09-09-2022, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Jedis

My primary concern is if I lose or break my shiny new 14, how difficult will it be to swap back to an old iPhone with a physical SIM that doesn’t support eSIM? And how to go about doing this swap without having someone change my plan.

you just go online and do the swap.. it's not that hard.

You're over thinking this by a far margin. Anything the iPhone Xs and higher support eSIM, and you can just transfer in the settings app if they're both logged into the same iCloud account too.

I've been using eSIMs for 4yrs now, and it's really not that complicated.

**Jedis** · 09-09-2022, 10:56 AM

I don’t think I’m overthinking anything for a legacy plan that I will hold to my dying breath. You still didn’t address the question regarding about how easy it is to swap back to a physical SIM if needed. My backup phone is an iPhone 8 and does not support eSIM.

I want the flexibility of being able to use my plan in any supported device, including modems and routers supported through Verizon’s OpenAccess program. eSIM gives up the ability to do so, hence the ask about the process or difficulty in converting from eSIM back to a physical SIM.

**brad15** · 09-09-2022, 11:28 AM

I actually did earlier but you keep over thinking it and worrying about your plan

I’ve said more than once you can easily go back/forth on MyVerizon… and then you keep asking the same question, just worded slightly different and I’ve got news for you that it doesn’t change the answer.

If you’re that worried about loosing your plan, and cannot comprehend the answer that’s been provided to you.. buy an iPhone 13 now and deal with this in 5yrs when your phone no longer gets updates.

All good things will come to an end eventually, as will the legacy plan you are on. It’s likely in the amount of time you have your next phone Verizon will do something to get you off that plan anyway.. as they want them gone.

**clonehappy** · 09-09-2022, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by zspa710

One issue is with BYOD devices. Verizon has not been able to activate eSIM in my unlocked AT&T S22 Ultra, while a physical SIM would work just fine. It is an issue with their database.

This would definitely make me have an emotional breakdown. I mean how would I call a therapist if my eSIM isn’t working?

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