I’m moving to Japan (Nagoya) in March and recently got an iPhone 14 pro from my carrier Verizon. At the time I didn’t know about the new eSIM feature, where there is no longer a physical SIM card or tray it’s all electronic. I’ve spoken to several people about it and have heard mixed advice about what it’ll be like moving abroad. As of right now I only have arrangements to live there for a year (1 year student visa) and after speaking to three separate people at Verizon and Apple they basically told me it’ll be fine, but was hoping to speak with anyone who has had experiences with eSIMs in Japan. I’ve also read into it online and again have found very mixed info. I can still return the phone but honestly don’t want to, but ending up with a $1000 brick would be even worse. Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks!
4 comments
I used Airalo for my wife’s iPhone 12 with no issues before we switched to a local plan. (Relocated here.) Highly recommend installing with the QR code method. Installing the eSIM manually on an iOS device had a lot more steps than my Android.
Been using esim with Povo last few months, great. Have one got back in Europe as well when I travel there
Be aware that there have been many reports of problems setting up an eSIM in Japan on an American iPhone 14, because it is eSIM only and the major carriers sometimes check to make sure that the phone is approved for use in Japan (the US model is not). There is a workaround to get a physical SIM then convert to eSIM, but iPhone 14 is eSIM only so this will only work if you have another phone.
Here is are some threads that discuss what I described above, and some other eSIM issues.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comments/xcsnvy/convert_japanese_sim_to_esim_and_transfer_to_us/](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comments/xcsnvy/convert_japanese_sim_to_esim_and_transfer_to_us/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comments/y05bq0/issues_applying_for_esim_with_ahamo/](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comments/y05bq0/issues_applying_for_esim_with_ahamo/)
The iPhone 14s here also run on esims.