Let’s look at the pros and cons of eSIM technology, which devices support it, and how convenient is it to use a virtual card?

More and more modern smartphones are equipped with a new generation of SIM cards – electronic, eSIM. For example, Apple completely abandoned the usual physical SIM cards in the iPhone 14 for the U.S. market. There is no doubt that other companies will follow the example of the Cupertinians. It means that the days of plastic SIM cards are numbered.

How does the electronic SIM work, and how does it work? What are its advantages, and are there disadvantages compared to conventional cards? How do you set it up on your smartphone and start using it now, and is it possible to sign up with this card at resources like the Bollywood Live Casino website? We will tell you below.

What is eSIM

In its essence, an electronic SIM card is an analog of a physical SIM card, and only it does not need to be inserted into the body of a smartphone or tablet because it is in the form of a microchip already soldered onto the motherboard. The eSIM contains:

• A microprocessor and non-volatile memory.
• Controllers.
• A simple operating system that allows you to rewrite different phone numbers and rates and change mobile operators whenever you want.

If you’re worried that the electronic sim card can’t just be taken out and transferred to another smartphone, then in vain. Moving a virtual sim card from one device to another is no more complicated than taking out a plastic card and inserting it into another phone. However, there can be complications between manufacturers of different devices.

When switching smartphones, it’s also essential to make sure the phone supports eSIM and that the cellular operator whose virtual sim card you’re transferring knows your phone exists. More recently, similar problems were experienced by the first owners of the iPhone 14 purchased in other countries. In the first week, mobile operators did not support transferring the virtual sim card from the old smartphones to the new ones, but today there is no problem with this.

History of eSIM development

The development of a universal sim card with an eUICC integrated circuit, or eSIM, began in 2010. Initially, such SIM cards were intended for industrial devices, but Apple was one of the first to insist on its implementation in ordinary consumer devices.

That happened in 2016, and the first eSIM-enabled device was the Samsung Galaxy S2 smartwatch. That was followed by the Apple Watch Series 3 in 2017 and the Google Pixel 2 smartphones. In the case of Apple smartphones, it all started with the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR models – 2018. At the same time, eSIM support appeared in the company’s tablets – beginning with the third-generation iPad Pro. Samsung equipped all S20 series devices with eSIM support.

Interestingly, in 2020, Motorola released the Razr folding smartphone without support for physical SIM cards in principle; that is, the phone worked only with eSIM. Now Apple has done the same with all U.S. smartphones in the iPhone 14 series. Over the past two years, eSIM support has appeared in Apple’s flagship smartphone, Samsung, but is still missing in most Chinese devices on the global market.

Differences between eSIM from SIM

As already mentioned, the main difference is the SIM card format. Whereas a physical SIM needs to be bought in a mobile phone shop, the eSIM is already built into the smartphone and allows you to connect a particular tariff without going to a mobile phone shop – in some cases. 

What do you need eSIM for?

The exact purpose of a standard SIM card – is communication. The user removes the need to insert and remove the card. All the settings are loaded onto the smartphone via the Internet. They can be rewritten as often as you like making it easy to switch from one mobile operator to another and change numbers and tariffs.

Advantages and disadvantages of eSIM

Like any technology, eSIM has both advantages and disadvantages, which may sometimes be critical for you if you decide to get rid of plastic.

However, the advantages of using a virtual SIM card outweigh the disadvantages.

• You can use several numbers on one virtual SIM card, such as work or personal.
• You can subscribe to an electronic SIM card remotely without going to a sales office if your chosen operator provides such a service.
• Changing operators becomes more accessible and more straightforward.
• It is easier to buy and configure SIM cards while roaming – choose the local operator with the most favorable tariff and make all the settings directly through the menu of your smartphone.
• A virtual SIM card can be used as an additional SIM card in a smartphone that supports only one physical SIM card. You can turn such a phone into a dual-sim phone by arranging a virtual card.
• Phones can automatically switch between physical and virtual SIM cards in areas where there is an interruption in service. You can also choose which SIM card to access the Internet and which to use only for calls.
• eSIM cannot be lost or broken.
• Stolen phones with eSIM are easier to find because the card can neither be removed nor thrown away.

But there are some disadvantages:

• If you sell, change or break your smartphone, you may need to have your number unlinked to a specific phone in a communications salon. After all, just moving the sim card will not work, although some modern smartphones offer to do it much easier – with a built-in interface to transfer a virtual sim card from one phone to another.
• Not all of the world’s mobile operators support the new standard, making it challenging to choose the right tariff while roaming.
• Not all modern smartphones support virtual SIM cards. Usually, it’s only the most expensive and advanced models.

How to connect eSIM

Although the principle of the virtual SIM card does not differ from the physical one, the way of setting up and connecting it is pretty different. Different smartphones are arranged differently, but the general principle is the same.

First, you download the application of the operator or bank supporting eSIM. Then, you sign the contract (send a passport scan or go through the biometric data identification), and finally, choose the tariff and start using it.

After that, the sim card settings are downloaded to your smartphone. Then you only have to choose which sim card will be the main or responsible for calls/internet and whether it will support automatic switching between sim cards for the best communication quality. We have already written about this in as much detail as possible in our blog on the example of the iPhone – you are advised to read it.

In Android smartphones, it is implemented. Similarly, there may be only slight differences in some menus. By the way, all iPhones support a quick transfer of the virtual SIM card from one device to another without having to delete the eSIM profile from the old phone and reinstall it on the new one. On other phones, you may need to contact your service provider.

If you do not want to deal with the installation of applications, you can use the old-fashioned way of going to a mobile phone shop and asking for a virtual SIM card. All you need is a passport. Then, the sales assistant will give you a sheet with a QR code, scanning which you can download eSIM settings to your phone.