Everything you need to know about eSIM – The advantages and disadvantages of the integrated SIM card
Have you heard about the virtual SIM card, the eSIM? More and more smartphone manufacturers are now using this new technology. So it’s high time to find out more about it! We explain the advantages and disadvantages of the new technology and where the eSIM is already available in Switzerland.
What is eSIM?
Until now, you had to get a SIM card from a mobile phone provider in order to be able to make phone calls or access the internet with a smartphone outside of a WLAN network. The abbreviation “SIM” stands for “subscriber identity module”. As you probably know, this card became smaller and smaller and had to be placed in the mini drawer of the smartphone with the help of a needle. But with the eSIM, the plastic card disappears altogether. An eSIM is permanently installed in a device and cannot be exchanged. Hence the name: the ‘e’ in eSIM comes from the English ’embedded’. This new chip is only half the size of a nano-SIM card. Once activated, the eSIM works just like the SIM card.
First eSIM providers
The eSIM technology became known to a wider audience through Samsung. In 2015, the company presented the 3G version of the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch with a built-in eSIM. The first smartphone with eSIM was the Google Pixel 2, which was launched in 2017. An eSIM is also built into the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Apple has also integrated eSIM technology into some devices. For example, eSIMs can be found in the Apple Watch Series 3 and 4, the Apple iPad Pro 11 and 12.9 (2018) and the iPhones XS, XS Max and the iPhone XR.
How do I activate an eSIM?
As with a conventional SIM, you must also conclude a mobile phone subscription with a mobile phone provider before you can use the eSIM. After signing the contract, you will receive a so-called eSIM profile from your provider. To activate this profile and thus your eSIM, you will receive a QR code – usually this can be found digitally in the provider’s customer portal. Simply photographing this code is enough to activate the SIM. It can then be used immediately.
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eSIM and data protection
By and large, the eSIM has the same security measures as the conventional SIM. It can also store personal data such as contacts. Your eSIM profile is also encrypted after installation. In addition, each device can only open and install the eSIM profile assigned to it. They are also secured by end-to-end transmission between the eSIM provider’s servers and the terminal’s module. This puts the eSIM on the same level as the conventional SIM in terms of security. However, it has one more security advantage: unlike the conventional plastic card SIM, the eSIM cannot be lost or stolen from the device.
Advantages of the eSIM
The eSIM is quite practical compared to the conventional SIM card. You can read about the other advantages here:
1. easier handling abroad
Until now, anyone who traveled to another country and wanted to save on roaming charges bought a new SIM card locally and exchanged it for the old one. This process often involved some fiddling around. With eSIM-enabled smartphones, there is no more fiddling around. Here, you only have to buy a so-called eSIM package and scan the QR code provided to load the network operator data onto the eSIM chip. The PIN and PUK codes are also included in the eSIM package. Before you go abroad, however, you should check whether the destination country and the mobile phone providers there support eSIM at all. Some companies do not offer eSIM packages as a prepaid solution, but only as part of a fixed-term contract.
Find out more about roaming abroad and how to get cheap mobile phone use during your holidays in our roaming guide.
2. multiple numbers possible
From a purely technical point of view, you can create several profiles on eSIM devices and in this way use different mobile phone numbers from different mobile phone providers alternately. This is ideal for cross-border commuters in particular, who can easily switch back and forth between two country profiles as needed. Some devices, such as the iPhone XR and XS, offer the option of using one number with the classic SIM and another number with the eSIM.
Disadvantages of the eSIM
Although an eSIM makes many things easier, it is still not perfect. Like any new technology, this one also has disadvantages. You have to weigh up for yourself whether these will prevent you from buying it:
1. Online connection necessary
You need an internet connection to set up the eSIM profile. This can be a problem, especially when you are on the road. Because there are not Wi-Fi hotspots everywhere.
2. No spontaneous card change possible
Until now, if you wanted to use a phone number spontaneously on another device, all you had to do was remove the SIM card from one device and insert it into the other. With the eSIM, to achieve the same goal, you would first have to request the data for another eSIM profile from the mobile phone provider.
Where is the eSIM available in Switzerland?
In Switzerland, not all mobile providers offer the eSIM yet. So if you are interested in an eSIM, you should ask the following providers:
- Swisscom
- Sunrise
- Salt
- Wingo
- Digitec Connect
- Digital Republic
The providers here offer both mobile phone subscriptions and prepaid offers that are compatible with the eSIM. Many third-party brands, such as M-Budget Mobile, do not yet support the eSIM.
What does the eSIM cost?
The costs of an eSIM depend on your provider, of course, but there are usually no additional costs compared to a conventional SIM. Some also charge an activation fee, while others do not. Basically, however, you only pay for the use, whereby the rates depend on your chosen subscription.
What are the requirements for an eSIM?
To be able to use an eSIM, it must be supported by the device and by your mobile phone provider. If this is the case, you must make sure that the manufacturer of your device – for example, your smartphone – supports your mobile phone provider. If the manufacturer does not allow the use of your provider’s eSIM card, you will not be able to activate it.
Which devices use the eSIM?
A large selection of eSIM-compatible devices can already be found on the market. These include, for example, all smartphones of the past three generations from Apple as well as Google. But smartphones, tablets, notebooks and smartwatches can also support eSIM profiles. You can find a list of eSIM-compatible devices here:
Smartphones
- Apple iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone XR
- Apple iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
- Apple iPhone SE (2020)
- Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL
- Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL
- Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL
- Google Pixel 4a
- Google Pixel 5
- Google Pixel 6
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra
- Motorola Razr (2019)
- Samsung Galaxy Fold
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
- Huawei P40
- Huawei P40 Pro
Tablets and notebooks
- Acer Swift7
- Apple iPad Pro 11 inch and iPad Pro 12.9 inch (3rd generation)
- Apple iPad Air (3rd gen.)
- Apple iPad (7th gen.)
- Apple iPad mini (5th gen.)
- Asus Transformer Mini
- HP Spectre Folio
- Lenovo Yoga 5G
- Microsoft’s Surface Pro X
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