If you’re a dual SIM proponent, an iPhone devotee, or an international traveler, then you might already be familiar with eSIM, a new standard primed to overtake physical SIM cards and eventually render them obsolete.
Stay connected with the best Travel eSIM
If you’re wondering how does eSIM work? We’re here to tell you it’s a game-changer.
For the last 30 years, many of us have had to plug that tiny SIM card into its slot when we switch mobile phones or carriers. So what is an eSIM? Embedded SIM, or eSIM, replaces the insertable card with a virtual SIM profile that can be written into a built-in chip inside eSIM-enabled devices.
Let’s take a look at the top 9 benefits of eSIM, plus some SIM vs eSIM benefits.
#1 Carry Your Personal and Business Lines on One Device
If you’re still toting around one phone for business and another for personal use, eSIM helps you lighten your pocket. Carrying a single device for two active phone numbers is one of the top benefits of eSIM technology.
If you have an eSIM-only mobile device or a smartphone that uses a traditional SIM card plus an eSIM chip, you can set it up to view both numbers. One will be established as default, but you’ll be able to select either to use data or to send, view, and reply to calls and SMS texts.
#2 Never Be Without Coverage
If you frequently travel abroad, in remote locations, or out of range of your standard cellular network, an additional eSIM profile can help. By toggling between plans, you can switch to another mobile network that works in your temporary locale.
#3 Switch with Ease
Whether you’re switching devices or carriers, eSIM provides an easier process. No more waiting for a physical SIM card to show up in the mail. Instead, an eSIM will arrive through a scannable QR code via a provider’s app or email interface.
Similarly, you can make all these changes online quickly and simply:
- Change plans
- Add data to a plan
- Change or add locations
#4 Protect Your Device from Damage
That little tray is a place to insert a traditional SIM card, but it’s also an open door for dust, liquids, and airborne moisture to get into your device and cause damage. Most smartphones have done away with the 3.5mm headphone jack that used to be a common feature, with waterproofing cited as a top reason manufacturers abandoned it.
Similarly, an eSIM-only device does away with one more vulnerable point of entry, resulting in a more resilient device. The iPhone 14 is one such device, released in some regions exclusively with eSIM support and without a physical SIM card slot.
#5 Improve Your Plan Service and Pricing
Economics 101 will teach you that competition is the #1 way to promote innovation and keep prices down. As such, the arrival of eSIM technology has brought about new competition to the cellular device marketplace—giving consumers a chance to cash in on lower rates.
Not happy with the data roaming charges on your regular plan? Add an eSIM data plan specific to your travel plans. Dissatisfied with your provider’s customer service? Swap to a new eSIM mobile carrier in minutes through an app or email transaction.
Multiple providers, specialized plans, and supplemental services enable you to shop around and select exactly what you need for the best price.
#6 Keep Your Phone Number Worldwide
eSIM benefits include removing the need for a new, country-specific SIM card and phone number every time you cross an international border.
Instead of hunting for a SIM card or prepaid phone at a travel center and falling out of touch with family and friends, you can opt into an eSIM cellular data plan based on your itinerary.
#7 Say Goodbye to Roaming Charges
That eSIM data plan for international use will also put an end to pricey roaming charges, as well as paying for new phones or SIM cards at retailers targeting tourists and business traveler budgets.
You can choose a cellular data plan specific to each country you visit and add more if your itinerary changes at any time.
#8 Gain Additional Smartphone Functionalities
Your grandpa may recall early mobile phones akin to briefcases with handsets the size of a brick—and a price tag as high as $9,000 in 1985. Today, a smartphone can fit in the palm of your hand and be purchased for a fraction of that.
Functionality flourishes as we continue to develop technology that requires less raw materials, less space, and simpler production. Switching from a physical SIM card insertion tray or slot to an eSIM-only device frees up space and streamlines the product complexity. It allows for the possibility of:
- Larger battery space for longer use
- Smaller device size overall
- Additional technological features
- More data storage space
#9 Free Up Time From Fiddling
Today’s SIM cards are among the smallest media formats consumers need to handle and are particularly irksome for those with poor vision, arthritis, and other challenges to fine detail work.
eSIM means no more:
- Inserting the tiny card into the tinier card tray
- Trying to find a SIM card ejector tool
- Losing SIM cards or damaging them
Ready to Save with a Maya eSIM Plan?
Maya Mobile provides secure, on-demand data plans for travelers and remote workers worldwide. With Maya eSIM plans, easy setup, high-quality connections, and low pricing are our hallmarks. Find out how it works today and explore our flexible plans.
Sources:
Android Authority. What is an eSIM and how does it work? https://www.androidauthority.com/esim-914052/
Fortune. Why Your iPhone Could Have Cost $32 Million in 1985. https://fortune.com/2016/08/03/smartphone-cost-1985/
