Let’s start with the most obvious and important question; what is eSIM? eSIM or embedded SIM is a digital or virtual version of traditional SIM cards. eSIM allows you to switch between multiple mobile network operators without leaving the comfort of your home or inserting a SIM card chip into your phone as everything happens online..
Interestingly, eSIM works just like the physical SIM card you are used to, except that you don’t need a physical plastic card for it to work. You only need to activate the eSIM on a compatible device and it can start working immediately. That means you can have many active phone numbers on only any single device and switch between them seamlessly.
Now that you know what eSIM offers, we bet you don’t know how it works and how to activate or deactivate it. Don’t worry In this article, eSIM Guru will tell you all you need to know about eSIM technology.
We’ve become so used to the classic SIM cards that the thought of an eSIM working on our phones might be difficult to comprehand, but this technology is real and working. An eSIM uses a microchip that is’s embedded in your phone. It’s worth mentioning that not all phones are compatible with eSIMs. Some phones do not have microchips that enable eSIMs, making them unsuitable for the technology.
So, if you’re interested in the magic of the eSIM, you’ll just have to get yourself a phone with the necessary microchip. That means the phone must have an eSIM that allows switching between phone numbers without buying a physical card.
Basically, the embedded chip works as the physical SIM card, except that you can install multiple “eSIM” profiles on this “card,” whereas the classic SIM card lacks that capacity.
You’re probably wondering how an eSIM can work on a phone without the physical card you’ve always known. The traditional plastic SIM card has evolved over the years with the improvement of technology.
There was a time when a SIM cards were as big as a credit card because it had to be that big to store the necessary amount of data (such an network operator settings, phone numbers or event text messages) that kept it connected to the operator. Later, plastic SIM cards became more compact and could fit inside a phone. Although much smaller, the miniSIM cards were still as big as the data capacity they carry.
However, technological advancements have made SIM cards to be even smaller and still retain the capacity to store data. That’s why more recent cell phones use nanoSIM cards with almost no plastic surface like their predecessors.
When nanoSIM cards came on board, many people felt technology could not provide a better option, but they were wrong. Technology came up with the eSIM, which is an embedded/integrated chip on more recent phones. As you might have guessed, the eSIM is even smaller than a nanoSIM card.
However, the eSIM offers much more than the nanoSIM card, thanks to its enhanced data capacity, unlike anything the telecommunication world has ever seen. For example, it can store up to 20 “eSIM profiles” on an iPhone. That means you get 20 different phone numbers on a single phone because each profile is essentially a SIM.
Interestingly, we’ve gone past when only cell phones could use SIMs. The advent of eSIMs has raised the possibility of mobile networks. Today, devices such as wristwatches and cars can have embedded SIMs, making them suitable for activating multiple phone numbers.
Besides, the ease of switching phone numbers with eSIMs makes them perfect for regular travelers. Whether you travel frequently or you’re going on a vacation, your phone’s eSIM ensures that you can easily activate a phone number in another country without buying a physical SIM card. That helps you avoid paying expensive roaming fees in the country you’ve traveled to.
With eSIMs getting more popular, more mobile network carriers in various countries offer the services. So, there’s a decent chance that the popular operator in your country offers eSIM services.
The simple answer is that the eSIM works nearly exactly like your regular SIM card, albeit with a few notable differences that you’ve probably picked up from our introduction to what eSIM is. More specifically, an embedded SIM doesn’t require you to touch it to switch between multiple mobile networks.
All you need to do is download an eSIM profile from your preferred carrier. Then, choose your prepaid plan, and you can start using a new network without inserting a new SIM card into your phone. Best of all, the eSIM works wherever you are as long as your preferred carrier has coverage in the area.
The steps to activate an eSIM differ slightly for iOS and Android devices. If you use an iPhone, set up eSIM using these steps:
If you use an Android device, use these steps:
The steps to reactivate an eSIM are very similar to the activation process. You can reactivate your eSIM by returning to the Add Data Plan/Add Mobile Plan menu in your phone’s settings. The activated eSIM profiles will be there. Tap the preferred profile to reactivate the eSIM.
This section will discuss how to get eSIMs from some major mobile network carriers.
You need an eSIM activation card from AT&T. To download the eSIM, get a Wi-Fi connection and scan the QR code on the card. Then, follow the prompts to download your eSIM profile. If your camera does not scan the QR code, go to your phone settings and follow the general activation steps. AT&T can give two voice and data plans on a single device simultaneously.
You can activate the T-Mobile eSIM on your iPhone by downloading and installing the T-Mobile Prepaid eSIM app. However, the process is not straightforward for android devices. T-Mobile will give you a step-by-step guide for downloading an eSIM profile on your android smartphone.
You can activate Verizon eSIM on your phone by signing up on the My Verizon app. The process on the app is simple, and you won’t even need the help of customer service to complete it.
Vodafone eSIM works on compatible iOS and Android devices. However, Vodafone charges a monthly fee for some customers to use its eSIMs. Others can activate their eSIMs for free. Like other operators, Vodafone offers a QR code to activate eSIMs.
Orange eSIM works on various devices, including iPhone, Huawei, Motorola, Samsung, and Google Pixel. Orange lets you exchange your regular SIM card for an eSIM for about $5. However, if you request a new eSIM, it is free of charge. Orange will provide you with a QR code to download your plan.
O2 will ask you to provide details such as your ID/Passport to activate your eSIM. After providing the required details, the carrier will send you an “activation PDF” with the relevant data (QR code, PIN, PUK, and ICC) for the eSIM’s activation.
You can buy an eSIM on Airalo's website airalo.com or through the Airalo app. Here are simple steps for purchasing eSIM:
As we mentioned earlier, not all phones or tablets support eSIMs. Here are devices and models that are compatible with eSIMs:
You can’t get satisfying answers to the “what is an eSIM card?” question if you cannot tell the differences between eSIM and a physical SIM card. The most obvious difference is that the eSIM is integrated into the phone, but the regular SIM card is removable. Also, the eSIM card works for multiple profiles, whereas the physical SIM card is suitable for only one phone number.
Additionally, an eSIM does not work on all cell phones; it’s compatible with only more recent devices. However, the physical SIM card can work with all mobile phones, including the old models.
You can follow the same steps to deactivate all eSIMs regardless of the carrier. Here are the steps for eSIM deactivation:
With eSIMs, you don’t have to worry about whether your phone is a single or dual-SIM phone. A phone with an embedded SIM is automatically a multiple-SIM phone. Despite the many benefits of eSIMs, they are also easy to set up. Now that you know all the answers to the all-important “what is eSIM?” question, you can shop for your eSIM if you have a compatible device.
