An eSIM, also known as an embedded SIM, is a virtual SIM card that can be used in place of a real SIM card in a smartphone. It’s a non-removable programmable Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) soldered to the phone’s internal circuitry. You can, however, easily transfer carriers.
Since the early 2010s, this type of SIM technology has been a topic of discussion. The eSIM was not introduced to the market until Samsung’s Gear S2 Classic 3G smartwatch was released in 2016.
Smartphones such as the Pixel 2 and the iPhone XS eventually became the first to embrace this technology. eSIM is now available on a limited number of handsets.
Apple iPhone XS
One of the first iPhones to enable eSIM was the iPhone XS.
The Benefits of eSIM
In comparison to a traditional SIM card, an eSIM makes switching providers more easier. You no longer need to go through the effort of manually shifting SIM cards because you can do so with just a few taps from your phone settings. Telecom carriers, on the other hand, can use a technique called Remote SIM Provisioning to simply configure an embedded SIM for their network over the air.
Multiple accounts are supported by this relatively new technology, allowing dual SIM users to use two carrier networks at the same time. Furthermore, two eSIM devices can share the same phone number, allowing them to use the same cellular plan. For example, on your compatible smartphone and smartwatch, you can dial the same number and access the same services.
The use of eSIM is beneficial not only to carriers and customers, but also to manufacturers. This is because using a built-in SIM instead of a traditional SIM slot allows manufacturers to create slimmer gadgets.
