What Is eSIM? Is it the future of Simcards?
I’m sure that in the last few months you’ve heard people talking about eSIM cards. This new term has become increasingly associated with tech devices, but why? And the most important thing, how are they different than the standard SIM cards that we already use in our smartphones?
What is an eSIM ?
The term "
The eSIM gives us an improved and more secure customer experience, better designed devices, opens up new market opportunities for operators and enables entire new categories of connected devices. Let's explore this baby in a little more detail. The information on it will be compliant or rewritable by all operators, meaning a user can decide to change operator with a simple phone call. A new SIM will not be required, nor should there be any time delay in switching the eSIM to its new purpose. There will also be no physical swapping over required by the user.
History:
SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards, store network-specific information used to authenticate and identify subscribers on a cellular network and for the last 27 years have consisted of a physical card containing the chip which has to be inserted into the phone.
You may or may not remember, but in 1991, the SIM card that you inserted into your phone was the size of a credit card! In the intervening years the size of the humble SIM card has dramatically reduced.
The Future Of eSIM
The future of
Why eSIM ?
The
It would also increase consumer freedom, and lower cost, when it comes to:
Using a local operator when traveling or relocating to another country.
Switching to a carrier with a better deal and/or coverage.
Changing phone without the hassle of cutting a SIM card.
Using the same SIM for different types of devices, not having to decide in advance if you want it for your smartphone, watch or alarm system.
Pros:
The number of contacts and how it works are the same as a regular SIM card, but you won’t have to worry about any
The new Google Pixel 2 is the first smartphone with an eSIM (at least in the US) which allows users to choose their service provider and can instantly be activated if you switch carriers. Plus, it enables remote provisioning, which means, you don’t have to wait for your old card to be deactivated and the new one activated when you change SIM. eSIMs let Google activate its smartphones from within its Project Fi network during the initial device set up without having to wait for a SIM card.
cons :
These benefits of
Every time you want to use a new device you’ll have to activate the SIM card through the software of that device. You can’t just pull out the SIM and put it into another device and be ready to go.
This could also be a problem if your phone’s running out of battery and you want to slip your SIM card into a friend’s phone to check on something or make a call. With eSIMs , this won't be fast or easy.
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