What is an eSIM

eSIM (embedded SIM) – the same SIM card, but physically soldered on the smartphone’s motherboard. The data that connects to a phone number and a mobile network operator on a traditional SIM card cannot be changed. On the other hand, eSIM enables you to keep many numbers simultaneously and make such settings repeatedly.

eSIM: history of evolution and basic concepts

The emergence of embedded SIM cards is a result of evolving technology. The early mobile devices did not have SIM cards; the telecom operator manually configured each device. The subscriber was identified in the network via data “sewn up” into the phone’s memory. Classic GSM-standard SIM cards first emerged in 1991. A tangible plastic card with a microchip that pleased users could insert into any mobile phone was provided.

The first SIM cards were full-sized, but over time they began to shrink in favor of compactness.

Further evolution turned large SIMs into mini-SIMs, then micro-SIMs and nano-SIMs are familiar today. This is enough: nano-SIMs are tiny, supported by 99% of modern smartphones. However, it became evident that even nano is a lot with the introduction of smartwatches and related technology. Any SIM card can only be inserted into small devices without sacrificing ergonomics. And if you insert, how do you get a card for each device? are millions of nano-SIMs being stamped? The answer was eSIM, a 5×6 mm microcircuit integrated into the final product during manufacturing.

Smartphones with eSIM are not bound to a single number or operator, unlike handsets from 1988.

eSIM is a programmable SIM card that is already present in the device. This is a tiny chip that is directly glued onto the circuit board of a smartphone or other smart device. The eSIM cannot be pulled out or repositioned because it is not constructed on a plastic carrier. The chip keeps data and updates remotely, allowing you to join multiple tariff data plans and switch operators or phone numbers.

What devices does eSIM work on?

eSIM is still a new technology on the global market, so you can only find it in flagship cellular devices and tablets. Apple started introducing eSIM compatibility with the iPhone XS and iPhone XR. All subsequent models, including the “budget” iPhone SE 2020, are equipped with eSIM. Samsung turned to eSIM only in 2020. The technology is supported by all Galaxy S20, S21, and S22 series smartphones, Galaxy Note 20, and the “clamshell” of the Galaxy Z flip series. eSIM can also be found on Huawei and Xiaomi smartphones.

In addition to smartphones, some tablets are also equipped with eSIM. First, these are all iPads with a cellular module released since 2019.

Activation and setting up of an eSIM

Important: eSIM support is a characteristic of a gadget, like Bluetooth or NFC. If there is no such function, then nothing will be activated.

Let’s say your smartphone has an eSIM. Then you can activate it and create profiles for several numbers. Additionally, the eSIM memory supports the simultaneous storage of up to five profiles from different operators and with various tariffs. One of them can only be in operation.

Get an eSIM QR code from the operator; scan the code on a smartphone with an active Internet connection (eSIM data will be downloaded); then activate the eSIM profile you just got in the settings of your smartphone.

Additional operator actions are not required to change or remove previously inserted numbers; this can be done through the smartphone menu.

For some eSIMs, a single QR code may be scanned up to 100 times. This is helpful, for instance, if you wish to recover a downloaded profile that you accidentally wiped from your smartphone. Additionally, it is feasible to rearrange a conventional SIM card by deleting a profile from one device and downloading it onto another via the same QR code.

The operator can help you recover your eSIM code if lost. Additionally, you can change a conventional SIM card for an eSIM through the operator, and vice versa, if your device with an active eSIM has been stolen.

What is the convenience of eSIM:

• An eSIM cannot be broken, lost, or misplaced in a device.
• There is no need to look for a paper clip and disassemble the device to change the number or operator.
• eSIM from esimway.com allows you to use different tariffs, as it stores up to five numbers.

You can store your main number, work number, and, for example, another one with advantageous unlimited internet or other options in the eSIM memory. They are always at hand and quickly switched through the menu. You can always add one more to them, for example, from a local operator on a trip abroad, so as not to pay for roaming. And then just as easy to remove.