Apple SIM, the SIM card that lets iPad users switch between participating carriers in different countries, has launched in Japan through a partnership with KDDI. Apple confirmed on its website that it will offer coverage through au, a mobile network operated by the leading Japanese telecom (h/t AppleInsider).
Compatible with iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular models, Apple SIM is geared toward travelers and currently offers cellular data plans in 90 countries and territories. The large roster of countries is thanks in large part to its partnership with GigSky, which offers international data coverage. Apple SIM signed a partnership with GigSky in June. Before that deal was inked, Apple SIM was limited mostly to users in the United States and United Kingdom, where its initial partners—AT&T, EE, Sprint, and T Mobile—operate.
According to Apple SIM’s webpage, while the service is available in several countries within the Asia-Pacific region, including India, Bangladesh, Laos, and Cambodia, Japan is currently the only East Asian country it has launched in. Its availability in other countries (which Apple SIM’s appeal to its core market of travelers hinges on) depends on striking deals with local carriers.