Apple's newest iPads are going to be eSIM-only

Apple has always been rather aggressive in their push towards the use of eSIMs, having dropped their physical SIM slots with their iPhone 14 model in 2022. So it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that Apple's latest iPad Air and iPad Pro models are going to be eSIM-only.

Cellular versions of new iPad models are eSIM-only

At Apple's Let Loose event on May 7th, a refreshed iPad lineup was announced for the first time in over a year.

Headlining the event were the new iPad Pros with OLED screens and M4 chips and the iPad Airs that came in various sizes that go up to 13 inches.

While the other changes compared to previous generation devices were not huge, one notable difference is that the cellular versions of the new iPads are not going to come with a physical SIM card slot.

Instead, they will all be eSIM-only; and users who need a cellular plan on the new iPads will need to either convert your existing SIM card to an eSIM or to get a new eSIM plan.

Is an eSIM-only iPad going to be a problem?

eSIMs have become increasingly popular in recent years, and most of the latest flagship model of phones already support eSIM. But, today, Apple's iPhones remain the only phones that are entirely eSIM-only.

Whether an entirely eSIM-only phone brings about more inconveniences remain a point of contention among many users. But as eSIM technology continue to advance, and Apple has made it easier to transfer eSIMs between Apple devices, some of these inconveniences are probably not as significant.

Well, that is unless you frequently switch between Apple and Android devices. Perhaps, another time having an eSIM-only phone could be a problem would be if you are traveling and you're looking for a local SIM card option, probably because you need a local phone number — not all destinations provide eSIM options for travelers. But unless you really need a local phone number, there is always the option of getting a data-only travel eSIM to help you stay connected on your travels.

With iPads, most of these problems are unlikely to apply. On iPads, you are likely only going to be needing a data-only plan and it is unlikely that you will be transferring that plan across devices. If you really need to share your data across devices, there is always the option of using your device as a hotspot rather than to transfer your SIM card (or eSIM).

Similarly, when traveling, it is unlikely that you will need to get a local SIM card with a local number for your iPad - most people are unlikely to be using your iPad to make calls. If you need your iPad to be able to connect to the internet, a data-only travel eSIM is going to be able to be sufficient!

Get a Nomad eSIM for your data needs

Nomad offers data plans in over 170 countries, and you can be sure to find one that is suitable for your travel needs. And if you will be traveling across multiple countries, there are also regional plans available so you can stay seamlessly connected as you hop between countries. Data plans are available from as low as $1.10/GB.

The networks that Nomad's eSIMs use for each plan are stated on the plan details on the web store and apps, so you can check which networks are supported before buying your plan. Data sharing and tethering is also supported on Nomad's eSIM plans.