E-Sim – Every Detail Explained

You must have seen on an iPhone or Samsung review that the phone “supports an E-Sim”.Now,

• What is this E-Sim?
• Advantages and disadvantages?
• What is the difference between an E-Sim and a physical sim?
• Is it available in India?
• How to use an E-Sim?

All these queries must have got tossed up in your head after reading this term.

In this article, you will come to know everything about E-Sims from inside and out. Till now we have been using physical sim cards from different companies such as airtel, vi, JIO, etc. We can use these physical Sims on any mobile device of our choice.

There is a risk of losing them because of their small form factor.

An E-Sim is a type of sim card which the phone manufacturer has embedded on the motherboard of the phone.

Not patient enough to read the whole article ? Watch this video to get full insights of E-sim.

It can connect to the data and network services of any company that offers an E-Sim facility.

So let us talk about this in detail!

The E-Sim is pre-embedded in the motherboard of your phone. You cannot see or touch but it can connect to any carrier service (airtel, VI, JIO, etc.) which provides you with an E-Sim network.

For instance, in the case of airtel if you want to use their E-Sim network you have to send an SMS to airtel on the number 121 by typing “E-SIM”. You will receive a reply, which will consist of a QR code.

Now you just have to scan this QR code with a scanner app on your device. Without any more hassles, the E-Sim will be activated for your mobile device.

Why do we need an E-Sim card?

Till now we have been using Nano sim cards in mobile devices which are already pretty small but in today’s world “small ” has become a really “small“ word.

To reduce the size of the phone and to provide a number of features in a device, Phone manufacturers tend to remove many physical things from the device.

Such as an IR blaster, headphone jack, or the implementation of an in-display fingerprint scanner/side-mounted proves to be saving much space in a mobile device to incorporate better features.

So goes with an E-Sim and a physical sim E-Sims occupy only 15% of the total space occupied by a typical nano sim which can be embedded anywhere inside the phone very easily.

Advantages of E-sim

Theft and Security

In any case of your phone being stolen, the thief would become very helpless as he cannot remove the E-Sim from your phone in any way. Yes , even if he tries to format the device or does anything fishy.

He still won’t be able to remove or deactivate the E-Sim. Moreover, if you have set a password or a pattern lock then it becomes a double safe for your device.

It becomes a carrier lock and the phone can be traced easily, which can help you to recover your lost device. A physical sim gets a way back in this aspect as it can be easily removed from the mobile device

Design

Another benefit of E-Sims is for the phone manufacturers. All device companies are encouraged to beautify their products and come up with better designs. It makes it really simple for handset manufacturers to create phones that are better quality because there is no SIM tray. Also, they can use the free space to develop and add new features to the device.

Ease of use in E-Sim

Another advantage of using E-Sims is that using it is a completely “no worries” job. If we use a physical sim card then it becomes necessary to visit the store at least once for any issues. Everything is completely hassle-free in E-Sim . You do not have to visit any shop or store to get an E-Sim you just only need to scan a QR code once, which takes an E-Sim user experience completely to a next level

MNP and Switching network in E-Sim

E-Sims have a very big advantage in the case of MNP or switching networks. You only have to update your KYC and some personal identification, which can help you to switch your network very easily from JIO to airtel or vice versa (just an example). So it reduces the need for physical contact and ensures peace of mind in an E-Sim user

Small form factor

E-Sims have a very big advantage just because of their small form factor. It can be used in many small devices such as a smartwatch or in smart glasses and many other IoT gadgets in the future time. E-Sims have a lot of potential in various smart gadgets in the future

Disadvantages of E-sim

Expensive

In today’s time, the E-Sim facility is only available in top-tier flagship mobile devices like the iPhones from Apple, the flagship S and Note series of Samsung, and the flagship google pixel devices. Not everyone uses a flagship device and most of the users in India use a midrange device. It is high time now for the phone manufacturers to incorporate E-Sims in their phones in the midrange mobile segment.

Which is accessible to most people in India, and it opens various opportunities for mobile manufacturers to provide better features in the mid-range segment

Roaming

Another disadvantage of E-Sims comes if you travel abroad to other countries. Carriers in very limited countries give E-Sims facility, so if you are traveling abroad a need for a physical sim arises.

Only 15 to 20 countries support E-Sim cards

Not well adapted

E-Sims are still not well adopted by the people in India mainly because of their availability in the flagships. We expect in the future that E-Sims will be adopted widely by the masses as it provides benefits to everyone either it is the user or the mobile manufacturer or the network provider as the network provider can save costs.

In India companies like Airtel, VI, and JIO provide E-Sim facility but with a lot of terms and conditions.

For example – Airtel and VI provide you to use an E-Sim with a QR code after sending SMS. In the case of JIO, you need to visit the authorized JIO store to register for the E-Sim.

So summing it up E-Sims have eased up the network connectivity process by reducing the need for any physical interaction and giving up more margin for mobile companies to add new features to the device even though it has some drawbacks.

E-SIMS ARE THE FUTURE!

I hope you liked the article , comment down what do you think of the e-sim concept ? Are you going to use anytime soon ?
Untill next read , Stay Safe , Stay Sarcastic !