Baffled by e sim

[Dave+Christie]

Hi, Sky community experts. E sims are baffling. I can find no help on Sky sites. They want you to log in first and activate e sim. Which is baffling as the phone has not arrived yet. I have ordered an iPhone 15 pro max. It is coming anytime from 6/10/23. More bafflement. Why can't they tell me when it is actually coming? They are just being lazy. They say I will be told THE DAY BEFORE the phone arrives via DPD. This is hopeless as I need to arrange for someone to be at home. Anyway, so when the phone arrives, THIS IS THE MAIN QUESTION; how do I get Sky to use my old number? Currently on iPhone 12 with PAYG O2. Do I need a PAC? Why can't Sky explain this better? Utterly baffled by the process with no help from Sky. Not happy with Sky. Thanks. 

[63johnw]

Hi @Dave+Christie  you don't have to use an esim if you don't want to. I believe the iPhones supplied by sky can take a normal sim so just insert your old sim when the new phone arrives. If you do want to convert to an esim wait until the phone arrives and do it then. 

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/esim-sky-mobile

[Dave+Christie]

Thank you, sunglasses guy. Most helpful. This is the sort of stuff that Sky should be telling their customers. Excellent. 

[Dave+Christie]

E sims? Rhetorical question. What do they do? What are they for. I don't travel, I make few calls and do not want to have an e sim. Yet Sky are telling me to activate it. Why? 
Q1. Are they going to charge me? Unbelievably this question, this simple question is not answered anywhere. On

any Sky platform.
Q2. Apple say there is no physical sim slot on the 15 pro max. Yet there  are web videos showing the sim slot and how to put your sim in it. This forum says there IS a sim slot. Thanks John. That's a positive thanks.  But I shouldn't have to seek out this information myself.  Sky should be handling this a lot better. With a simple info sheet. 
Q3. Why can't Sky publish in a document in simple terms the answers to  Q1/2.

Final: phone now long overdue.  Currently on

iphone 12. I can't be the  only baffled person. 

[63johnw · Accepted solution]

Hi again @Dave+Christie  esims allow you to switch between stored sims on your device should you wish. Whilst the new iPhone 15 supplied by sky still have a physical sim slot they don't in other countries and it was rumoured that this would be the case in the UK too. I would probably expect next years new iPhone to be esim only so sky are now geared up for that. These are my personal views. 

[Dave+Christie]

Thank you once again. I am edging closer to understanding. 

[63johnw]

A lot more on the Apple website @Dave+Christie 

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT212780