That's $44 for 15 days and 6 GB! If I recall correctly, I was paying like a dollar a gigabyte or something on a local sim. You would go to any market and there would be these guys walking around with rolls of activation codes which you could buy for like $0.10 each and they were good for 100MB or a certain number of minutes when you typed it in the phone.
This is exactly what I'm talking about: if you have this phone you will be paying exorbitant prices for connectivity all over the world.
edit: it looks like the average in Uganda is $1.56/GB and you can get data as low as $0.45/GB USD
Airtel, for example, said it was work in progress, as of March this year.
Seriously, when it comes to application of new technology, the world isn't as behind the US as US might think. Often times, they actually get years ahead. I think you overestimate how long it's gonna take Africa or Asia to get eSIM up and running. They have a clear incentive now, as it's only a matter of time before Android manufacturers start to copy Apple in that regard, too.
Do they have a clear incentive? We're only talking about iPhones purchased in the US, so basically this only affects US tourists or expats in Africa which is going to be a tiny number of potential customers.
It remains to be seen if Android will copy this move, as Apple is even hesitant to roll it out anywhere besides the US. I almost wonder if there is something else motivating it, like pressures to prevent iPhones intended for the US market from being sold overseas.
eSIMs were being rolled out in many markets before Apple gave up the physical SIM completely. Clearly there’s been other incentive than sustaining iPhone users. With Apple’s move, they just have one more: the impending technological change, for which Apple, fortunately or not, is some kind of Messiah. They have a proven track of crating such momentum, and they just sent a clear message: adapt.
This is exactly what I'm talking about: if you have this phone you will be paying exorbitant prices for connectivity all over the world.
edit: it looks like the average in Uganda is $1.56/GB and you can get data as low as $0.45/GB USD
https://techjaja.com/the-cost-of-1gb-of-data-in-uganda-vs-th...