So, Apple just dropped their new 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air, and being the tech enthusiast I am, I was ready to pre-order. I mean, who doesn’t love that new M3 chip, right? But then, bam! I hit a snag. Turns out, the cellular versions of these iPads ONLY support China Unicom eSIM. No physical SIM card slot, no other carriers like China Telecom or China Mobile. Talk about a buzzkill.
Honestly, I felt a little blindsided. I always get the cellular version because I like having the flexibility of data on the go, whether I’m traveling or just working from a cafe. Now, I’m stuck with a choice: go all-in on China Unicom’s eSIM, which I’m not too thrilled about, or settle for the Wi-Fi only version.
This whole eSIM thing is still pretty new to me. I haven’t really explored it, and honestly, I was kind of attached to my physical SIM card. It felt more…real, you know? Plus, what happens if I want to switch carriers later? It all feels a bit restrictive.
Okay, on the tech side, I did notice some changes in the 5G bands for the new iPads. They added support for sub-6GHz bands n75 and n76 and dropped the TD-LTE 46 band. And get this, they also removed support for millimeter wave 5G. I read that it’s not really that useful for iPads since they’re mostly used indoors. Makes sense, I guess, but still a bit of a surprise.
Anyway, I’m still mulling over my options. Part of me wants to wait and see if Apple changes things up in future releases, maybe adds back support for physical SIM cards or other carriers. But I also don’t want to miss out on the new iPad. Ugh, decisions, decisions!