Apple announced worldwide in September 2022 the iPhone 14 family. In addition to promising greater power and better energy efficiency to extend battery life, the company has brought important improvements to the cameras, which now have larger sensors to improve light capture while use a renewed algorithm, and in the Pro models it has adopted the so-called Dynamic Island — an intelligent hole for the camera and front sensors that adapts to the apps in use and displays contextual notifications.
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Another major change, until then limited to the US, was the abandonment of physical SIM chips in favor of eSIM, after a gradual transition of years adopting the technology in the line. A processor integrated into the cell phone that replicates the behavior of the traditional SIM card, the eSIM would be safer as it would not be removed in cases of theft, but it requires more care when activated, including checking for compatibility with the operator.
Some users have the habit of importing the device, mainly for the lower value presented by the process compared to the purchase of the national model. With the change, doubts have been raised about the compatibility of the North American version with national networks and, more importantly, whether there are obstacles in the activation of the eSIM.
American iPhone 14 can be used in Brazil
On Apple’s US official website, the company devoted an entire section to going into the details about mandatory use of the eSIM. In addition to highlighting the security provided by the technology, the giant also emphasizes how it is possible to store more than one line of the virtual chip and, even more, how the exchange of plans when traveling is made with greater ease.
There is no mention of any blocking between regions, just that the country has operators compatible with the feature, as is precisely the case in Brazil — here, the three main operators with national coverage (Claro, Tim and Vivo) support eSIM and should allow the use of the American iPhone 14 without problems, although it is necessary to pay attention to the package purchase process and activation, which is different for each one.
Another important point to pay attention to is the compatibility of mobile network bands, something common to do whenever a device with cellular technology is imported, but even more critical nowadays, with the arrival of the 5G connection.
US iPhone 14 supports which network bands?
The North American models correspond to the numbers A2649 and A2632 for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the numbers A2650 and A2651 for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. In comparison, the national versions adopt the numbers A2882, A2886, A2890 and A2894, respectively.
Even with the differences, the imported devices are compatible with all bands adopted by Brazilian operators, and should offer good signal reception even in 5G networks.
Due to infrastructure differences between countries, some additional 4G bands that are not used in the domestic market will also be present, in addition to the more advanced frequencies destined for 5G mmWave — the fastest “pure 5G”, which should arrive here only in the future. .
Enabling eSIM on iPhone 14
According to information on Apple’s support page, the process of activating the eSIM on iPhone 14 models that require the use of the virtual chip must already be started the moment the phone is turned on for the first time. The device supports direct operator activation and eSIM fast transfer, but considering that the device will be purchased abroad, you will need to activate the feature manually.
In this case, the user must purchase a QR code from the operator of choice, and scan it using the iPhone’s camera. The next steps to add the plan will be displayed on the screen, just follow them to complete the virtual SIM activation.
It is important to note that each operator has a different purchase process, which often requires the presence in a physical store. Claro is the only one of the three big companies to enable the acquisition virtually, through a page dedicated to the resource.
In the case of converting a physical SIM chip to eSIM or even portability, service providers do not have clear instructions on which procedures must be carried out, and it is necessary to get in touch to find out the appropriate action plan for each case.
Source: Apple (1, 2, 3)
