Using eSIM In Your Phone: Advantages & Disadvantages

ESIMs have a lot of different advantages and disadvantages. After all, they are different to normal SIMs.

Ever since Apple decided to make eSims a prominent part of their product ecosystem, eSims have become very popular.

They are a virtual sim card you are used to. ESIMs allows you to connect to mobile carriers at home or abroad and use mobile data and often including calling and texting.

The difference with eSim technology is that you don’t have to get an actual SIM card and install it onto your phone. It is all done via your phone’s settings.

You might be wondering if there are other advantages and disadvantages of eSIMs?

Of course there are. Let’s take a deeper look…

Advantages of eSims

Easier To Change Providers

One of the biggest advantages of eSims is the flexibility the provide you to change providers fast. Because you can do it all electronically, it is usually fast and simple.

You only have to register and buy it on their website and then install via a QR code on your phone.

The specifics of what is provided (data, calls, text messages) and the costs are provider specific of course!

Multiple eSIM profiles on a single device

Given that eSims are electronic, there is in theory no limit to how many you can have on your cellphone at once. That is not the reality of course.

Currently, iPhone X os later, have a limit of

• 8 eSims installed
• 2 different phone numbers

Samsung phones also support multiple eSims but only one eSim can be active at a time.

More than one phone number

I just mentioned this above, but I will repeat it for clarity’s sake. With eSims, there is the possibility of having two different phone numbers of an iPhone.

Easier to activate

With a physical sim card, you have to actually get your hands on it and put it in your phone. Sure, it’s not that hard. But it is harder than with eSims.

With an eSim, you only have to set it up via QR code or a few setting changes on your phone. No visit to the store. No waiting for a SIM card in the mail. Just buy, set up and go!

More Secure, In Theory

This one is a little debatable, but some people claim eSims are more secure than SIMs as there is no physical way of copying or getting the SIM card itself.

Other mobile phone security experts claim that many of the things that eSim also incorporates to block hacking are not that relevant. The majority of the security risks are in the registration or person-person transactions, which is the same for a physical SIM card and an eSim.

There Is Nothing Physical

Unlike with a normal SIM card, you can really lose an eSim either. It is not physical, and can’t be dropped by fumbling hands. It’s a small detail, but also means the phone itself is smaller, more compact, has more space for a larger battery and many other benefits.

Esims on a iphone

Disadvantages of eSims

Nothing is all positive, so here are the disadvantages of eSim technology that I could find.

Harder to Move Phones

With a physical SIM card you can just take it out and use it in another phone. So, if your phone breaks or you have two phones, you can swap it easily.

ESims are not as easy to swap, and in some cases you can’t move them at all.

Easier To Track

Because you can’t take your SIM card out of your phone and physically “turn it off” as such, eSims are technically easier to track or trace. If you have ever watched TV shows where people are trying not to be traced, they always remove the SIM (and then have to smash it to make a point?).

Not All Have Phone & SMS

One thing I have noticed about a lot of eSims on the market is that they are data only. This is great if you are traveling and just want a cheap data plan. But if eSim is the way you are going for everything, then there are often less options for the whole package – data, voice, sms.

Nothing is perfect, but for me, eSims come with a hell of a lot of advantages, especially for those looking for options and traveling. Why not try an International eSim on your next trip and see how it goes!