(Update 03-20-2024) The phone works great. But it seems I cannot get the Sim Lock to work. Also they only have 3 attempts: the 1st time I didn’t know what I was doing (I thought I was going to set it up), the 2nd time I followed the wrong advice from Google Gemini (the default code is not good). Now I am down to the last choice (before calling the carrier etc.). On the plus side, it seems the carrier app is decent from security point of view.
(Update 11-13-2023) Migrated most everything. The sticking point is the Microsoft Authenticator app (for work and school), and the RSA SecurID app (for work).
For Microsoft Office 365 etc., I found this link is important and useful. It will save the user some trouble and basically it will allow the use to self serve (setup the app on the new device). The trick is to add the phone (text message) number to the account, before deleting the authenticator app on the old iPhone and on the myaccount.microsoft.com web page. Deleting it from the web page and re-add the authenticator app will prompt the user to scan the QR code and setup the authenticator on the new phone. Without adding the phone number, we will likely need the help from helpdesk (they will need to do a reset of the Microsoft account). I did this successfully for two accounts (out of 3), and I messed up another one and had to get help from the Helpdesk (basically they need to reset the account/MFA for me).
(Original 11-11-2023) 新手机来了，比计划早两天。也大致完成了迁移工作（除了几个预料中会有问题的app)。从实体的SIM卡到eSIM 稍有折腾，不过Mint Mobile 总的来说还是给力的，在她家的app 里直接完成了（图一是新手机）。顺便说一下：好像15以上这边的爱疯都是eSIM, 而国内还是实体的SIM卡，所以带手机可能用不了。|| 总体上来说，感觉从12 （图二）到15 没有太大差别，不过个人喜欢三的倍数[微笑]。损坏的XR 严格来说应该是11, 苹果店说后面也破了，换一个新的XR大概是$399，果子店旁边的一个修理摊一开始报价$300修正反两面。后来我说这老手机能用的状况，也就值两百块钱。他们就说两百也可以修/我查了一下亚马逊材料费大概是四十几块美元。我可能会自己修修看。图四和五是12和15的包装📦。我老大把新的盒子给收藏了：她说好看。可能哪天我们可以把她包回去，几十年以后，也许会值点钱[捂脸]。图六是2007的iPhone 首发版，图七是一个著名油管博主(mkbhd)花了四万美元买了一个原装的（未开封的）这样一个手机，在油管上拆给大家看。我觉得贫困限制了我的想象[呲牙]。
Btw, I realized there is AppleCare+ (insurance provided through Apple) for iPhone, and for that matter other Apple products too. It’s not too expensive. There are other insurance offered by insurance companies too.
Also Mint Mobile has a plan for me 🙂 I think if one decides to buy, the Apple’s plan probably is better.
I think I will probably pass on both for now: I am going to self insure my iPhone. In my past, I had two instances that I dropped iPhone into water or other liquids, and I was able to dry it out myself. For this episode (the XR screen break), it’s my 13 year old’s fault, and I still have to pay, the cost is about $200, because the phone in its working condition would be worth $200.
One thing to take note though, with the protection of iCloud, the iPhone thief cannot use the stolen iPhone directly (they could disassemble them and potentially use it for parts). Here is an example I am aware in which the victim likely got killed due to a robbery of iPhone (in year 2012).
“According to police, a man later identified as 18-year-old Keith Esters confessed to having targeted Megan after seeing her talking on her iPhone, for which she had replaced her Blackberry just a month earlier. In the process of the robbery, Esters shot her twice and killed her, police said.”