What is eSIM and how does it work?

Here I’ll explain what eSIM is, how it works, its main advantages, and which carriers and devices use this new technology.

An eSIM is a virtual SIM card, a digital version of a traditional SIM card for data transfer. It works thanks to a microchip embedded in a mobile phone and allows you to set up multiple “eSIM profiles,” equivalent to physical SIM cards, with their own phone numbers and data plans.

With eSIM technology, we can buy a mobile data plan and use it immediately, without waiting for a plastic card or going to a store.

A mobile phone with eSIM support allows you to use multiple phone numbers (up to 20 on the iPhone)
and quickly switch between them. This technology also allows you to buy a data plan from another country to stay in touch with colleagues, friends, and family without paying roaming fees.

eSIM cards are the future of telephony, and they will replace old plastic SIM cards. In this article, we’ll explain how they work and look at some of the major carriers that offer eSIMs: AT&T, T-Mobile eSIM, Vodafone, Orange, and others.

 

What is eSIM or embedded SIM card?

Can you imagine switching to a different carrier without leaving home or waiting for a physical SIM card to arrive? And using the same number on your mobile phone, watch, car, and even your refrigerator? Well, with eSIM, all this is possible and quite simple.

eSIMs are virtual SIM cards that reside within the hardware (a specific chip) of your smartphone or any other device, eliminating the need to insert a physical card. This is reflected in the term eSIM – Embedded SIM.

This is easier to understand if you understand that a traditional plastic SIM card is a memory chip with capacity for multiple data items. This data allows the carrier to identify the telephone line and communicate with the rest of the infrastructure.

Over the years, the size of plastic SIM cards has shrunk to accommodate smaller mobile phones, and their bandwidth has also increased. The most primitive SIM card was the size of a credit card, and the first mobile phone with a miniSIM was released back in 1996. More recent phones use nanoSIM, which has virtually no plastic surface.

The embedded chip in an eSIM-compatible phone is smaller than a nanoSIM and allows for up to 20 “eSIM profiles” with 20 different phone numbers and data plans.

eSIM cards can be found in a variety of devices – not only phones, tablets, and modems, but also home appliances, cars, and other devices and gadgets that are constantly connected to the internet.

 

How to set up eSIM?

Setting up an eSIM is almost as easy as taking a selfie: simply point your phone’s camera at the 2D barcode (or BIDI code) provided by your carrier. This will capture the software configuration, which will be converted into an eSIM on your phone.

Then, to complete the setup, you’ll need to complete a few simple steps. Specifically, the system will prompt you to choose whether the eSIM will be used for calls and data or only for data, and whether the eSIM will function as the sole phone line or alongside a second line located either in a different eSIM profile or on a regular SIM card.

If more than one line is active on a single phone, one should be designated as the primary line and the others as secondary.

The same eSIM can be configured as many times as needed, and it can work with both domestic and international carriers, depending on the configuration provided for the eSIM. This is a feature that will be appreciated by those who like to travel abroad without giving up their mobile number and without the risk of getting a huge negative balance on their account.