What is eSIM and how it works

What is it?

This is an electronic SIM card. The name is an abbreviation for embedded SIM (embedded SIM). Essentially, an eSIM is a special chip in a smartphone that replaces a traditional SIM card. It makes it possible to use the services of various telecom operators that support this technology. To use such a card, you need to download an operator profile, that is, tariff settings, to the device.

The eSIM chip cannot be purchased separately: it enters the device at the production stage. This is why not all smartphones and tablets support eSIM. Today in Russia you can buy, for example, such devices with eSIM:

• iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max with iOS 12.1 or later;
• iPad Air 3, iPad Pro 3, iPad Mini 5 with iOS 12.1 or later;
• Google Pixel 3 or later with Android 10 or higher
• Samsung Galaxy S20, S20 +, S20 Ultra.

The eSIM chip is physically present in the Apple Watch, but the service is not yet available on smartwatches in Russia. However, the technology is gaining popularity and the list will expand every year.

Why is it better than a regular SIM card?

First of all, this is one SIM-card for all telecom operators and tariff plans. To switch, simply select a different profile. It takes seconds, and all services are available immediately after activation.

How do I connect an eSIM?

The issue of using eSIM in Russia is under development: the legal framework for the introduction of virtual cards should appear at the end of 2020. But a number of operators have already been allowed to test this technology.

In general, the connection process depends on the operator and the country. Someone gives a link via a QR code, someone in the old fashioned way asks to come to the department with a passport and issues a profile only after checking the documents.

What if i lose my eSIM smartphone?

You can save your eSIM number and get a regular SIM card, and then use it in a new smartphone. Mobile operators are already thinking about how all these issues can be resolved online, only with eSIM and without your visit to the communication salon.

Losing a smartphone with a regular SIM-card is worse: hackers can gain access to your accounts, money on your mobile and bank account, even if the smartphone itself is password protected. To do this, they just need to rearrange the SIM-card to another smartphone and try to restore access to accounts using SMS-codes.

This is impossible with eSIM: the chip cannot be physically removed from the smartphone. This means that a built-in SIM-card in a gadget protected by a password, pattern or biometric authentication is a new level of security.

Is eSIM compatible with regular SIM card?

Yes, you can put an ordinary plastic SIM card in a smartphone with an eSIM, and both will work. In fact, this is the only way to make iPhones, officially shipped to Russia, dual-SIM. Or you can get by with one eSIM and not buy a regular SIM card. You can use two cards on one smartphone for different needs, if it's more profitable. For example, on a physical SIM-card you have a tariff with free minutes, and an eSIM tariff is more suitable for mobile Internet.

If you want to use only eSIM, then only one number will be able to contact you at a given time. Change the profile - and the new number will be available, and the previously used one will be temporarily inactive (until you select the previous profile in the settings again).

To activate the desired profile, go to the section about the cellular network on your smartphone. In the profile itself, you can:

• Set eSIM as a primary or secondary number - this will allow you to switch between SIM-cards when making calls and SMS.
• Choose default cards for calls and mobile internet. To do this, go to the "Mobile network" menu in the settings, select the desired item ("Mobile data" or "Call settings") and define the operators for each case.
• Allow your smartphone to remember which card you used to communicate with a specific number. The procedure is the same as in conventional dual-SIM phones. You simply choose through the Contacts application who to call and from which number.

You can also disable the eSIM profile in the settings. The specific names of the menu items depend on the smartphone model and OS version. Details - in the manufacturer's instructions:

• Apple,
• Google,
• Samsung.

Is it suitable for a smart home?

Thanks to the compact size of the eSIM chip, it can be used in gadgets of all shapes and sizes. This includes home appliances, from smart bulbs to multicooker and vacuum cleaners, and, for example, cars, including unmanned vehicles. In the future, it will be possible to create your own eSIM groups with a single tariff, connect them to a single account, so that it is more comfortable to control the balance.

In industrial solutions, eSIM will also be in demand - they were created for this. Operators and installation companies do not have to manually remove hundreds of SIM cards and reprogram large volumes of devices. The cost of maintaining large fleets of equipment will be reduced, and instead of routine work, you can devote time to interesting creative tasks.

Is it convenient for travelers?

Now this question, alas, is not relevant, but when we start traveling again, we will definitely need a connection during the trip. Operators in many countries have long supported eSIM. Immediately upon arrival, you can activate a profile with the most convenient tariffs of your operator, so as not to spend all the money on mobile Internet and communication with relatives. And at home, in a few clicks, switch to your usual tariff plan.

Local operators in some countries also offer eSim solutions. To do this, you need to download the operator's application (this should be done at home), and upon arrival, install an eSIM through it, select a tariff with the settings that suit you and pay for it.

For some foreign operators, the tariff activation scheme for your eSIM may be more complicated. For example, first download the application, register an eSIM through the generated QR code on the operator's website (for this you a second gadget will be needed), through the same Internet connection open the application and create an account there and buy a package services.

True, the conditions of foreign operators are usually not very attractive: for a few days on a trip, you will spend more than a month at home. For example, € 15 for 5 GB and a minimum top-up amount of € 15-25 is common.