All You Need To Know About eSIM Cards
No company sets technology industry trends quite like Apple does. The world’s most valuable company is known to have a history of taking strong decisions that give the rest of the industry the confidence to follow suit. Right from removing floppy discs in their original iMac lineup to, more controversially, getting rid of the headphone jack on iPhones, Apple has shown that the decisions it takes are always in the long term interest of the consumer.
With the launch of the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, the company took yet another bold decision — that of incorporating eSIM (embedded SIM card) into their latest generation of phones. We take a look at what exactly is an eSIM, where all it has been used, and what the benefits are. Read on.
What is eSIM?
An eSIM, simply put, is a SIM card which is directly embedded right into your phone’s circuitry. It is much smaller than a Nano SIM, and since it is embedded, doesn’t a physical access point. It’s easy to switch network operators at will without having to go to a store for a new SIM or to change your phone and not have to struggle with the task of swapping out your SIM. Additionally, since it is embedded, you do not run the risk of physically damaging your SIM while removing or inserting it.
Size matters
If you were to take a look at your smartphone SIM card today, you’d wonder, how much smaller it could possibly get? And even if it could get smaller, what would the benefits be? The graphic above serves to illustrate just how much smaller an eSIM really is. And when you factor in the space taken for the removable SIM tray, the space really does add up. What could be done with the space saved? A new chip just to improve camera processing for better photos and object recognition like what Google has done with the Pixel 2? More space for increased battery life? Or a new secure encryption chip to prevent your data falling into the wrong hands? Whichever way manufacturers use the space, be sure that you, the consumer will benefit from those added millimeters.
Benefits of moving to eSIM
When you get a new device, you can simply fire it up, pair the phone to your mobile network in a manner that is not much more complicated than connecting to WiFi, and boom! You’re good to go. It’s dead simple.
Additionally, you’re free from small moving parts, no more fear of losing the tray or SIM if you take it out to swap cards (sadly, this has happened to this writer far too often). Your phone can be that much safer from liquid damage by having one less entry point into the phone’s internals. And get this, if your phone is stolen, the thief cannot simply take out your SIM card! If you’re the kind of person who makes frequent international trips often, you can easily connect to a local operator with your eSIM and use the best available plan without burning a hole through your wallet.
In the future, eSIMs also hold the potential to have multiple networks connect to a single SIM card. This is particularly useful when you have a different carriers having better signal strengths at home, your place of work, or in transit.
Activation
The process of activating a new SIM card today involves making a trip to your networks service center, or asking them to send the card to you (this can take a couple of days at times). After filling some forms, you then need to wait for about 2 hours before you can start using it. If there’s a long line at the store, too bad! You’ve just got to wait it out.
With eSIM, you simply scan a QR code from your service provider and you are good to go. As a backup, you can also input the activation code manually as well.
Where to get it?
In India, you can use the eSIM slot on your new iPhones with only Jio and Airtel. Globally, there are 14 carriers which have you covered in the United States, Austria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
What’s next?
Just like with the notch last year, and the headphone jack before it, expect other mobile device manufacturers to follow Apple in adopting eSIM. Some of these devices will be more adventurous — with only eSIM slots. And what do we plan on doing with our current crop of SIM cards? Frame and hang them on a wall, of course!
