The new iPads are eSIM-only

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 09 May 2024

Cellular models of the new iPad Pro and new iPad Air no longer have a physical SIM slot, meaning buyers will need an eSIM to add mobile connectivity to Apple's latest tablets. This significantly narrows the choice of providers customers have if they want to get a data-only plan to go with their new iPad.

WhistleOut tracks 11 providers that sell data-only SIM in Australia. Out of these, only five offer eSIMs: Telstra, Vodafone, Optus, amaysim, and Lebara. Providers like Tangerine, Southern Phone, and SpinTel offer eSIM for their standard mobile plans, but not their data-only mobile broadband plans.

Telstra's budget brand, Belong, for example, has one of the most affordable data-only plans on the market, offering 20GB for $15 per month. A plan with Vodafone or Optus will cost $20 per month at a minimum, for comparison. While that’s not a huge increase, spending an extra $5 per month might not be ideal on what's effectively a secondary SIM.

These are the cheapest data-only SIMs in the WhistleOut database:

#1	Yomojo	Yomojo 7GB Data Only Mobile Broadband 7GB Data $19.90/mth Min. cost $19.90 Link not supplied	$19.90/mth Min. cost $19.90	Link not supplied
#2	Vodafone Editor's Pick	Vodafone Editor's Pick Small Data SIM Only Plan Mobile Broadband 60GB Data Deal: Get 60GB of data for 12 months (incl. 30GB bonus data) on the Small Data SIM Only plan. Ends 21.10.26. T&Cs apply. $20/mth Min. cost $20 Link not supplied	$20/mth Min. cost $20	Link not supplied
#3	Belong	Belong 20GB Data SIM Only Mobile Broadband 20GB Data $20/mth Min. cost $20 Link not supplied	$20/mth Min. cost $20	Link not supplied
#4	Lebara Mobile	Lebara Mobile Data Plan Small Mobile Broadband 40GB Data Prepaid (30 Days) Deal: Includes 10GB bonus data for first 3 recharges on Small Data Plan until 03.11.26 $22 Link not supplied	$22	Link not supplied
#5	SpinTel	SpinTel Mobile Broadband 50GB Mobile Broadband 50GB Data $28/mth Min. cost $28 Link not supplied	$28/mth Min. cost $28	Link not supplied
#6	Aussie Broadband	Aussie Broadband Regular Data Only 5G SIM Mobile Broadband 25GB Data $30/mth Min. cost $30 Link not supplied	$30/mth Min. cost $30	Link not supplied
#7	Telstra	Telstra Upfront Data Plan Small Mobile Broadband 30GB Data $33/mth Min. cost $33 Link not supplied	$33/mth Min. cost $33	Link not supplied
#8	Tangerine Telecom Editor's Pick	Tangerine Telecom Editor's Pick 100GB Mobile Broadband Data Plan Mobile Broadband 100GB Data $34.90/mth Min. cost $34.90 Link not supplied	$34.90/mth Min. cost $34.90	Link not supplied
#9	More	More 100GB Mobile Broadband Data Plan Mobile Broadband 100GB Data Deal: Get $10/mth off mobile broadband plan for 36 mths when you sign up with a CommBank debit or credit card. Ends 31.03.27 $40/mth Min. cost $40 Link not supplied	$40/mth Min. cost $40	Link not supplied
#10	ALDI mobile	ALDI mobile $95 Data Plan Mobile Broadband 30GB Data Prepaid (365 Days) $95 Link not supplied	$95	Link not supplied
#11	amaysim	amaysim 365GB Data Plan Mobile Broadband 365GB Data Prepaid (365 Days) $350 Link not supplied	$350	Link not supplied

The new iPad Pro and iPad Air are the first major devices to launch in Australia without a physical SIM card. Apple removing the SIM slot on them isn't all that surprising, given US iPhone models haven't had physical SIM support since the iPhone 14.

It also suggests the company may be looking to bring eSIM-only iPhones to more countries this year; there doesn't appear to be a single country where Apple is selling either new iPad with a physical SIM card. If the iPhone 16 goes eSIM-only, at least Australians have far more options for eSIM mobile plans than they do for eSIM data-only plans.

Looking for a new NBN plan?

These are the most popular NBN 50 plans with WhistleOut users this week:

#1	Dodo Editor's Pick	Dodo All Fixed Line nbn® Editor's Pick nbn50 Unlimited Plan All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $30/mth discount for 6 months based on the standard price $87.99/mth. Ends 08.12.26. T&Cs apply. $57.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $87.99/mth Min. cost $57.99 Go to Site*	$57.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $87.99/mth Min. cost $57.99	Go to Site
#2	amaysim	amaysim All Fixed Line nbn® NBN50 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Special Intro Offer - Includes $10/mth off for the first 6 months, $75/mth for first 6 months, then $85/mth $75/mth for first 6 mths, then $85/mth Min. cost $75 Go to Site	$75/mth for first 6 mths, then $85/mth Min. cost $75	Go to Site
#3	Belong	Belong All Fixed Line nbn® NBN Standard Plus – Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $36 off for 6 months - $55/mth for first 6 mths, then $91/mth (Offer ends 04.11.26) + Free $80 Mobile SIM $55/mth for first 6 mths, then $91/mth Min. cost $55 Go to Site	$55/mth for first 6 mths, then $91/mth Min. cost $55	Go to Site
#4	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom All Fixed Line nbn® Value Plus NBN 50/20 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25/mth off for the first 6 mths, $64.90/month for first 6 months, then $89.90/month. $64.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.90/mth Min. cost $64.90 Go to Site	$64.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.90/mth Min. cost $64.90	Go to Site
#5	Superloop	Superloop All Fixed Line nbn® Extra-value nbn50/20 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $20/mth off for 6 months! $69/mth for 6 mths, then $89/mth + Bundle & Save $69/mth for first 6 mths, then $89/mth Min. cost $69 Go to Site	$69/mth for first 6 mths, then $89/mth Min. cost $69	Go to Site
#6	TPG	TPG All Fixed Line nbn® nbn50 Unlimited Plan All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $89.99/mth. T&Cs apply. $69.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $69.99 Link not supplied	$69.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $69.99	Link not supplied
#7	iiNet	iiNet All Fixed Line nbn® nbn50 Liimitless All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $20/mth off for 6 mths – $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $89.99/mth. Use code SAVE20FOR6 $69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $79.99 Link not supplied	$69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $79.99	Link not supplied
#8	Kogan Internet	Kogan Internet All Fixed Line nbn® Silver Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $11/mth off for 12mths. $69.90/mth for first 12 months then revert back to $80.90/mth. Offer available until withdrawn. $69.90/mth for first 12 mths, then $80.90/mth Min. cost $69.90 Go to Site	$69.90/mth for first 12 mths, then $80.90/mth Min. cost $69.90	Go to Site
#9	Flip	Flip All Fixed Line nbn® Unlimited Family nbn50 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $16.90/mth off for 6 months - $68/mth for first 6mths then $84.90/mth. New customers only. Ends 31.10.26. T&Cs apply. $68/mth for first 6 mths then $84.90/mth Min. cost $68 Go to Site	$68/mth for first 6 mths then $84.90/mth Min. cost $68	Go to Site
#10	Vodafone	Vodafone All Fixed Line nbn® Essential+ nbn® All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Save $10/mth when you bundle with a mobile plan with Vodafone. T&Cs apply. $94/mth Min. cost $94 Link not supplied	$94/mth Min. cost $94	Link not supplied

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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