What is an eSIM and How Does It Work?
Apple has recently announced their iPhone 14 and for the United States, it will come without a physical sim card tray instead they will need to use an eSim (Embedded Subscriber Identity Module) technology. SIM allows mobile carriers to match your device with your account so that you can communicate over their network. When a mobile carrier provides you with a physical SIM card, they register the unique identifier on their network. Once you insert your SIM into your device, it registers your device with the network.
Embedded Sim (eSim) is a programmable chip built into your smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch. It serves the same purpose as a physical chip but it is carrier-independent and can be programmed via software.
What Do I Need to get an eSim?
To get an eSIM, you will need two things:
Hardware that supports eSIMs (List of eSIM compatible phones)
Mobile carrier provider that supports connecting to their network via an eSIM
How to Set Up Esim?
To setup up an eSIM you will need a configuration file and activate it on the device. Network providers will generally provide it as a QR code that you can scan to download. Setup on the devices varies depending on the operating system; I have provided links to instructions for three main operating system manufacturers if you wish to set up manually.
Apple eSIM Set Up Instructions
Google eSIM Set Up Instructions
Microsoft eSIM Set Up Instructions
What Are the Benefits of Using eSIMs?
The main benefit of eSIMs is the ability to switch between different carrier profiles. This will be especially useful for travellers, within an instant you can switch from your main carrier to a temporarily local area you are visiting.
The removal of a physical SIM tray will mean more space for designers to integrate a new feature or make a device smaller. A physical tray represents a potential ingress point for liquids hampering the device’s water resistance. Although manufacturers have dealt with this issue by lining the tray with a rubber gasket. However, removing the tray will mean manufacturers will not have to worry about it anymore.
What Are the Disadvantages of Using eSIMs?
The main downside is that not all mobile carriers currently support eSIMs. At this moment in time manufacturers are combining both physical SIM card trays and eSIM support simultaneously. eSIM devices can be locked to a specific carrier network.
Summary
The transition from physical SIM cards to eSIM is a slow one as mobile carriers have to build infrastructure to support the function of eSIMs. The technology for eSIM is trickling down to devices from flagships to mid-range devices. eSIM-only phones started to feature in 2019 with the Motorola Razr being the first phone to ditch the physical SIM card. The announcement of iPhone 14 models sold in the US would no longer have a physical SIM card slot at all shows the intentions of manufacturers. Apple to make a sudden transition to an eSim, similar to the removal of the microphone jack, signals this could bring a major change in the digital landscape. In the long term, manufacturing physical cards will reduce waste materials needed to make SIM cards and the use of eSIM will enable travellers to have multiple carriers on one device.