What is e-sim and how does it work?

There has been a lot of buzz about 'E-sim' of late. Today we are going to discuss about E-sim :-

Basically it stands for Embedded sim .

First of all we need to know what is a normal sim do?

The word 'Sim' stands for Subscriber Identity Module.
It is fundamentally a chip which stores one's IMEI no. , some authentication keys and authenticates one's network provider to connect to that particular chip to provide calling,messaging,data fecility. It can also store contact numbers. But in this ultra-modern age ,why can't we exclude this plastic ware and add this technology in the device's own intrinsic hardware!?

Now the e-sim exactly works in  the same way . It's only that the plastic sim is not used in a slot rather it's embedded in the original hardware of the device itself.
It does away with the normal sim to provide more space to include vital parts of the device . With the latest phones we can see they are becoming thinner to be more attractive. So space is a very important thing for these device manufacturers. The concept of e- sim is invented just for that. The size of an e-sim is just the 15% of a nano sim; as a result it saves space . It's a virtual embedded equivalent that cannot be removed. You'll be able to subscribe to a network using your phone just like you do on cellular-enabled iPads with the Apple SIM. Apple has even done away with fingerprint scanner to save space . That's how important it is. One just needs to authenticate his identity online by submitting documents and he or she will get an id and then has to create a password.

Apart from mobile phones, we have smart watches,fitness bands,other smart devices which are smaller in size and therefore, this invention allows the inclusion of the services that can only be provided by a simcard.

Another cool thing about e-sim is that how easy it makes changing from one  network carrier to the other. One just needs to download the carrier's app and choose a plan and activate it . It saves one all the hassles of physical sim, that is buying it from a shop,storing it and remember what sim to use in what slot etc., etc.  We may even lose the physical sim but with the e-sim there is no fear of losing it. It also solves traveling woes. When we travel to a foreign country we don't have to go the local shop and buy sim and activate plans before we can communicate through our phones. But with this latest technology this process becomes simplified,as we just need to download the foreign carrier's app,login with id and password and then apply a plan..
That's it!

The IoT(Internet of Things) consumer market is increasingly adopting e-SIMs in devices from computers to wearables watches to smart devices. However, not all devices have yet to adopt this technology. Rumors are said that Huawei, Samsung is likely the next to adopt the eSIM feature on their next generation of smart devices.

Here’s a list of devices that support eSIM:

In 2017, eSIM was first implemented on smartwatch devices such as:

SMARTWATCHES

Apple Watch series 3 & 4

Huawei Watch 2 Pro

Samsung Gear S2 & S3

IPHONES WITH ESIM COMPATIBILITY
(UPDATED TO IOS.12.1 BETA 1)

Apple iPhone XR

Apple iPhone XS

Apple iPhone XS Max


NUU MOBILE X5 (ANDROID)


Google’s Project Fi is one such network that supports eSIM. Hence, now devices launched by Google are set to feature it.

Google Pixel 2XL

Google Pixel 2

Google Pixel 3

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Nexus 6P

Nexus 5X

Nexus 6

Moto G6

Moto X4

LG G7 ThinQ

LG v35 ThinQ

Microsoft Surface Tablet Pro

In addition, not all telcos have yet to adopt this new standard yet.
Only a select few countries support the new eSIM.

Here is the list of selected telcos that support eSIM:

Australia -Telstra, Optus, T-Mobile Canada – Bell
Croatia – Hrvatski Telekom
Czech Republic – T-Mobile Germany – Telekom, Vodafone Hungary – Magyar Telekom
India – Airtel, Reliance Jio
Spain – Vodafone Spain
UK – EE
US – Vodafone, AT&T, T-mobile USA, Verizon wireless
Malaysia – Maxis (for Huawei Watch 2 only)

INTERNATIONAL PROVIDERS:

GigSky
Truphone

So far there is only a small fraction of support for E-SIM, but a rise in E-SIM devices could urge the mobile carriers to accelerate adoption. Since Apple has launched E-SIM on their new smartphones, other notable brands may follow suit in the future such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, and others to adopt E-sim into their future advanced devices.

If you found this article helpful do share it with your family and friends. If you have any questions you can comment below.
Thanks and cheers!

Subhajit Surai

Author & Editor

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