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Apple and AT&T confirm: AT&T locks down Apple SIM cards to their network after sign-up
One of the surprising new features Apple added to the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3 is a pre-installed Apple SIM which allows users to conveniently switch over to different cell providers as they please. On its website, Apple describes the benefits of the new Apple SIM as follows: The Apple SIM gives you the flexibility to choose from a variety of short-term plans from select carriers in the U.S. and UK right on your iPad. So whenever you need it, you can choose the plan that works best for you - with no long-term commitments. And when you travel, you may also be able to choose a data plan from a local carrier for the duration of your trip. In the U.S., the Apple SIM included with Apple's new iPad models is supported by AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. While it'd be nice to have Verizon on board, 3 out of 4 ain't bad. Unfortunately, though, Apple's effort to roll out iPads that can remain untethered to a specific carrier is being somewhat stifled by AT&T. Reports surfaced today indicating that AT&T is locking down SIM cards to AT&T's network once a user signs up for a cellular plan with Ma Bell. Comically chiming in on the matter, T-Mobile CEO John Legere tweeted out the following photo earlier today. In a statement provided to Re/Code, an AT&T spokesman confirmed that the company is locking down Apple SIM cards to their network upon activation, adding that "it's simply the way we've chosen to do it." An Apple support document released earlier today indicates the same, adding that users with Apple SIM locked to AT&T's network can choose other carrier programs upon purchasing "a new Apple SIM from an Apple Retail store." The looming question here is if AT&T's "operation lockdown" initiative is more likely to keep users under the AT&T umbrella or prevent them from signing up with AT&T in the first place.
