What’s so special about eSim that Apple decided to completely remove the traditional SIM slot on the iPhone 14 – How will the smartphone market change after this move?

Over the years, Apple has always attracted attention when declaring an element obsolete and did not hesitate to remove or replace it with other parts, one of the most controversial decisions was the removal of the jack. headphones from iPhone 7.

While many are skeptical of this move, technology companies have begun to change to adapt. The most obvious proof is that just a few years later, Samsung – Apple’s biggest rival, also followed the step of removing the jack from its flagship phone line.

Apple is also expected to remove the charging port at some point in the future. Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo doubts that the company will make the move for waterproofing reasons or just as a way to avoid being forced to use USB Type C.

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Apple’s recent decision to use eSim on the iPhone 14 may also be a step that will make the world smartphone market change in the future.

What is eSIM?

eSIM is an electronic version of the SIM card built into the phone. A typical SIM card contains only a small amount of information, essentially the network code used to identify the user. eSIM works by allowing your phone to write code on it, the chip can be rewritten as many times as needed, so there’s no need to worry about swapping out pieces of plastic every time you switch homes. network.

Although not as old as a physical SIM card, eSIM is not a new concept either. This sim was first introduced in 2012 and has attracted a large amount of interest from the automotive industry (via Giesecke + Devrient).

So, advanced technology that makes connecting between carriers easier will catch the attention of automakers. Today, eSIMs can be found on many different types of vehicles.

Apple devices have been pre-installed with an eSIM since the iPhone XS and new iPad Pro lines. Although they will always be one of the usage options, making it the only option is still a rather bold move, because eSIM has both negative and positive sides.

Benefits of eSIM

Firstly, users do not need to go to sim registration points to buy physical sims as usual because everything of eSIM is done online and customers can start using the service in just a few seconds. register. In addition, an eSIM can contain a variety of service plans.

Second, customers can use the free trial to experience and familiarize themselves before making a decision whether to switch to eSIM or not. You can even try out a new network while still using your current phone plan, on the same device.

In addition, one network service plan can be used on several eSIMs, so if there is a service plan that includes phones, iPads and cars, customers will no longer have to mess around with different sim cards. for each device.

Third, an eSIM doesn’t take up as much space as a physical SIM, making the phone smaller or capable of using that space for other components. Finally, as US Mobile explains, eSIM users will not need to worry about preserving the removable plastic sim cover every time they want to remove the sim from the device or switch to another device of incompatible size. response.

Disadvantages of eSIM

It can be said that eSIM is a promising step in the future. However, eSIM still has a few downsides.

First, the eSIM chip has to be built into the phone because it’s not something you can add later, so cheap phones are unlikely to have eSIM installed.

Since the eSIM is built into the phone, you cannot take it out and insert it into another phone like you would with a regular SIM card but this may not be too much of a hassle, as there are only a few cases where you move the card. SIM between phones.

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Another minus is related to wireless service providers: not all networks currently support eSIM technology, so users need to check carefully before activating the service.

At the moment, setting up an eSIM with all major carriers that support this technology is free.

With the decision to use eSim, Apple was the first major smartphone manufacturer to make the transition. In other markets, iPhone 14 still maintains the old design. Answering The Verge, the “apple house” said that the standard iPhone 14 can store up to 6 eSIMs, but only 2 eSIMs are activated at the same time. The iPhone 14 Pro, on the other hand, stores 8 eSIMs.

Chances are, other smartphone brands will also “learn” Apple for eSIM similar to the case of the headphone jack and the removal of the charger. Once eSIM is globally popular and users embrace the SIM-less iPhone, Apple is likely to roll out the device around the world.

Reference: Slashgear