[condor]

Has anyone got an iphone from the US recently ?

Wanted to know if the models available there are compatible with India networks directly, or if there is anything to check for before buying ?

Reason:
I am looking for a 12 mini / 13 mini, max 128gb storage. (For my usage, I can even make do with a 64gb - yes, even in today's usage).

*
It's not that my 2017 iPhone SE has gone bad. Even after 5.5 years of use, the battery health is 82%. The phone serves my requirements. But the availability of the mini models plus rumors of the 15 not coming in mini version is making me think of getting one now.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by condor

Has anyone got an iphone from the US recently ?

Yes. The Purple one in the pic above was brought from the US 6 months ago.
The Gold one is from Dubai but a US version.

Wanted to know if the models available there are compatible with India networks directly, or if there is anything to check for before buying ?

Yes. My wife used it for 6 months without issue. Today she started using the Gold one. Again no issues.
I'm having some issues installing my eSims though. I'm guessing these are Jio & Airtel issues though.

Now about my issues with installing eSims:

1. Airtel
I have made several attempts to request for an eSim by sending the below SMS to 121:
ESIM xxxxxx@gmail.com

However everytime I get the below reply:
Dear Customer, eSIM change request for Airtel No. 9823xxxxxx could not be processed as the email ID you have shared is not registered against your number. To reinitiate your request, SMS ESIM <email ID registered against this number> to 121. To update your email ID, Call to 121.

However if you check the app the same email id shows as registered.

I have also tried calling 121 but I do not get any option where I can report my problem nor is there any option to speak to a customer care executive.

I have sent a mail to airtel. Let's see if they reply. IVR and Chat Options are useless as they are automated.

2. Jio
The process with Jio progressed quite well till I hit a roadblock.
I did the process of sending several SMS as per the instructions and answering the calls. Complete process went on without a glitch. Then I had to wait for 2 hours and I was supposed to get the option from "Load Data Plan" where Jio shows up. This never happened. Surprisingly it worked fine when I did it for my wife's phone.
Then I received a mail with the instructions to do the same Load Data Plan. However there was also a QR code (Like how Airtel does). So I selected the option to load the eSim using the QR code. I got the message that the code is no longer valid. I then tried using the option "Enter details manually". I did so with the details from the email. However again I got the message that the data is no longer valid.
Same issue with Jio customer care. You can't talk to anyone or chat with a real person.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by condor

But the availability of the mini models plus rumors of the 15 not coming in mini version is making me think of getting one now.

The iPhone Mini time is over. The last of the breed was the 13 Mini. iPhone 14 doesn’t have a Mini.
And from what I understand even the future 15,16 etc will not endorse the Mini form factor.
I wish they would though. Because it is simply superb.
If they would consider an iPhone 15 Pro Mini like they do the Pro Max, it would be absolutely fantastic. Because the Pro Cameras are truly something else.
If you cant get it from the US see if someone is coming from Dubai or Thailand or Singapore. Thailand they say, offers the best prices for Apple Devices outside of the US.

[condor]

Thanks, @pedrolourenco & Shankar. US & UK are the likely places I can ask friends from. None I can think of for Dubai / SG / Thailand.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

And from what I understand even the future 15,16 etc will not endorse the Mini form factor.

This is exactly why I am trying to get hold of one. Only Apple has the good & compact phones.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by condor

Has anyone got an iphone from the US recently ?

Wanted to know if the models available there are compatible with India networks directly, or if there is anything to check for before buying ?

I got a 14 Pro Max from US in January and it's working flawlessly with eSIMs from Jio & Airtel. (I don't use 5G though)

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

However if you check the app the same email id shows as registered.

.

I encountered the same problem. I just deleted my email from the app and re-entered it. Worked for me.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by Eddy

I encountered the same problem. I just deleted my email from the app and re-entered it. Worked for me.

Tried it but it didn't work.

So I went to the Airtel Shop only to find a car accessories shop there. The owner was kind enough to direct me to the new Airtel Store location. As expected in a difficult location to find with no parking. Shop was closed but they we’re just opening it.
Met with a guy there who assisted me.
He opened my Airtel App and raised a request. If there were proper instructions on the website, I could have done it myself. You have to know what to type. Anyways he did it for me and said that I will get a SMS in 8 hours to confirm if I want to update the e-mail. After I send a confirmation, it will get updated and I can follow the usual procedure to get the eSim. Hope it works.

Meanwhile I encountered another problem last night.
As I had mentioned, I was using 2 WhatsApp accounts on my Android. When I used the Move to iOS App to shift my data to the iPhone, everything got shifted except the messages from one of the WhatsApp Accounts. Luckily it was the account with not many messages.
Last night as I was going through the settings, I found the option to schedule WhatsApp Chat backups. I set it for Monthly. After a few minutes I noticed that all the recents messages disappeared and all messages from 2018 appeared. It also showed that the last backup to iCloud was in 2018. That was when I moved from the iPhone 6 Plus to the OnePlus 7 Pro. I have no clue how this happened. I am sure I did not choose to "Restore Chats from Back up".

Sometimes I really why Apple has to make things so cumbersome and complicated. Their standard excuse will be security but I don't see how these extra complications improve security.

Another area of real concern is the eSim migration procedure. ITU should issue guidelines to all operators all over the world to come out with a standard procedure for migration from Shysical sim to eSim and shifting of eSim from one phone to another. Sim has major benefits specially for operators and they will save a lot of money by not giving out physical sims for free.

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

Now about my issues with installing eSims:

Update on the above:
1. Airtel:I got the SMS confirming the change request and I replied to confirm. That happened late last night. After which I was able to start the process for requesting for an eSim. Managed to get the eSim installed on the phone this morning.

1. Jio: I did a software update for the phone and once it restarted, I noticed the Jio eSim is active. Last night SMS service was also restored and I was able to login to all the apps that required an OTP.

So finally I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max fully functional (except Airtel SMS till tomorrow). Really painful process but hoping that the experience is better going forward.

Still finding WhatsApp cumbersome ant not user friendly compared to android.

Another query. How do I set an eMail Signature in the eMail app. I already have it set up in the Gmail App but I want to do it in the default eMail client.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

How do I set an eMail Signature in the eMail app. I already have it set up in the Gmail App but I want to do it in the default eMail client.

This guide should help.

[AYP]

Hey guys,

Looking to buy the iPhone 13 for my dad. Any leads where I can buy the same from? When it comes to online shopping, Flipkart seems like the way to go. It is available for 60k with HDFC bank cashback(53K with old phone exchange). Any other leads? Are there any sales on horizon?

I am based in Navi Mumbai. Has anyone got a better deal for the iPhone 13 offline?

Also, iPhone 13 users, how's the 5G experience? The main reason why I am avoiding the 12 and going for the 13 is for the additional 5G bands present in 13 and thus it shall be futureproof. There's a difference between the 14 and the 13 as well but when it comes to the 5G bands, the difference isn't as much as the 12 and 13.

Thanks.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by AYP

I am based in Navi Mumbai. Has anyone got a better deal for the iPhone 13 offline?

The best price I have seen so far in offline stores like Croma/Reliance Digital is 62900. This is including a 2000 instant cashback on HDFC cards. No other chain specific offers (yet).

[sumathindra]

Originally Posted by AYP

Hey guys,

Looking to buy the iPhone 13 for my dad. Any leads where I can buy the same from? When it comes to online shopping, Flipkart seems like the way to go. It is available for 60k with HDFC bank cashback(53K with old phone exchange). Any other leads? Are there any sales on horizon?

I got the iPhone 13, 128GB version for 38K after exchanging my 12mini which was around 11.5 months only on Flipkart. I think it was a good deal and got the star light version.

[condor]

Originally Posted by AYP

Looking to buy the iPhone 13 for my dad..

Like @DryIce said, Reliance Digital / Croma have a good price.

*

Surprisingly, the price of the 13 is lesser/almost same as the 13 mini !!

[raptor_diwan]

Originally Posted by AYP

Hey guys,

Looking to buy the iPhone 13 for my dad. Any leads where I can buy the same from? When it comes to online shopping, Flipkart seems like the way to go. It is available for 60k with HDFC bank cashback(53K with old phone exchange). Any other leads? Are there any sales on horizon?

Thanks.

Actually, now is a good time to consider purchasing the iPhone 14, especially when comparing prices on Flipkart. While you can get a discount of 2k on the iPhone 13, you can receive a 4k discount on HDFC cards with the iPhone 14, and the price seems to be fluctuating. For instance, during the Pongal festival, I purchased an iPhone 14 for my friend for only 60k on Flipkart. Although there may not be any upcoming festivals with similar offers, it's worth keeping an eye on the Flipkart website for occasional drops in the price of the iPhone 14, along with the HDFC discount. By doing so, you may be able to purchase the phone at a more reasonable cost.

[INJAXN]

Originally Posted by AYP

Hey guys,

Looking to buy the iPhone 13 for my dad. Any leads where I can buy the same from? When it comes to online shopping, Flipkart seems like the way to go. It is available for 60k with HDFC bank cashback(53K with old phone exchange). Any other leads? Are there any sales on horizon?

Thanks.

I got the same deal from FK last month for iPhone 13. When I tried to get 14, exchange value of the old phone went down from 6k to 3k, So I t stick to 13 only.
Thing to mention about FK delivery is that the delivery boy was in utlra hurry, had an argument with him, he made me felt that he is hiding something and trying to cheat, so I did a through check on Phone and then only approved the delivery.
I also got a 20W wall charger and Spigen phone cover, got some discount there as these items were purchased along side the phone

[GreyNomad]

I recently purchased iPhone14 for INR59k at Vijay Sales in Mumbai. Visited Croma and Reliance Digital but they couldn’t match Amazon price (59.5k post exchanging my iPhone XR). Vijay Sales not only matched but bettered it!

[condor]

Guys, Apple reseller Imagine has some discounts right now - do check
the 14 is listed at about 71.7k