With the advent of eSIM, it seemed like a revolution was coming. We would throw away plastic cards and instead link our phone numbers to our phones digitally. This would reduce plastic waste and create more space in phones that manufacturers could use to fit larger batteries, for example. But what started as great enthusiasm is now in a state of stagnation. And there has been no revolution.
The eSIM standard was created in 2016, exactly 10 years ago. The biggest advantages include the fact that it can buy online, can be activated immediately and there is no need to open the physical card slot on the phone in any way. The trend was especially Apple, which even started producing some models without SIM slot (especially in the domestic market).
Samsung was also one of the pioneers, releasing a smartwatch in 2016. Gear S2 Classic 3G with eSIM support. A year later, it was followed by ecosystem with support for Microsoft Surface Pro LTE. Google offers it since the model Pixel 4 (2019), Motorola since 2020. Mobile operators are gradually being added and the possibilities for using eSIM are constantly expanding. And yet it turns out that most users still prefer a plastic card.
A nice example is the data from South Korea, which is famous for its love of modern technology. There are currently around 57 million mobile phones in use here, but only 2,9 million of them work on eSIM. Which is probably 5%However, until recently, statistics indicated only 3% of eSIMs.
Otherwise, it is in USA, where, according to data from Persistence Market Research, eSIM is used 38% users. However, the reason may be that many mobile phones sold in the US already support only eSIM and users have no choice (for example, iPhone 14 and later, series Google Pixel 10). If there was a choice, perhaps the situation would be similar to that in most other countries in the world.
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eSIM has untapped potential
Replacing a physical SIM card has its clear advantages, including the possibility of immediate purchase, quick activation and the ability to simple transfer to a new phone. iPhone 13 and later models also allow you to have up to 8 profiles and up to two active eSIMs, Android phones sometimes support up to 20 profiles and more active eSIMs. At the same time, there are specific risks - even though an eSIM cannot be literally cloned, fraudsters can still misuse (typically they persuade their victim to transfer the card to another person for some reason).
But the most fundamental reason why eSIM is still so underused, even after 10 years and increasing support from manufacturers and operators, is a lack of awareness. According to a recent survey in the United Kingdom, up to 40% of respondents have never used it at all. they have no idea that something like eSIM existsAnd another 41% know it, but don't know if their phone supports it.
GSMA researchers predicted in 2024 that within four years, half of all new smartphone connections would be via eSIM. And by the end of the decade, that number should reach 88% of phones. However, it seems that unless the manufacturers themselves force users to do so (similar to Apple and Google in the US), there will be no voluntary transition from physical SIMs. People simply like this conservative and seemingly problem-free and secure solution and typically see no reason to change it.
The biggest problem with eSIM is that it can't be easily swapped to another phone. It's a carrier-specific activity and may not always work well, for example if I lose or break my phone on vacation or just need to swap the card for a while.