In today’s technological era, our life will be incomplete without the presence of sim cards. Sim card is a means to connect people from the different nooks of the world through messages, phone, and internet services. With the evolvement of artificial intelligence and the digitized world, everything has made a shift from physical form to virtual, concurrently normal sim cards have been replaced by E-sim cards. E-sim is a digital sim that allows the user to activate the cellular plan from the carrier without using the physical device with the help of software.
In general, on E-sim devices, you can easily go to your smartphone setting for the menu or you can take a photo of your QR code to change your carrier or service plan. You can forget the bad old days of using the typical physical sim by going to a store, waiting for the mail for the activation, or the fear of losing the tiny chip in your pocket. In E-sim you can often use two different lines on a particular device such as the home and work line or you can also switch between different plans depending on your wish.
What is exactly an eSIM?
As the name itself speaks, E-sim is an electronic sim card designed with the motive to replace the physical card. An E-sim uses a virtual embedded system that is impossible to remove. It is built on the mobile’s main board. E-sim got popular and hyped in the market with the launch of the Apple watch 3. Later it is used in the smartphone market with the google pixel 2, it was one of the first phones to adopt this technology.
Difference between eSIM and Physical Sim
| eSIM | Physical Sim |
| It is not removable | It is easily removable |
| Ability to use multiple carriers | Cannot use multiple carriers |
| Activation of plan and carrier directly from the phone | For activation, the user needs to order a new sim card when they want to change the carrier |
| It is embedded in the phone’s motherboard | Comes in different sizes |
Why use eSIM / benefits of eSIM?
The benefits you can enjoy while using E-sims are:
- Easier to directly switch to networks
- Use less physical space
- Allows you to have more than one sim
- Can allow the temporary change to another network
- No fear of theft lost for a tiny chip
Do all smartphones have an eSIM?
No, not every smartphone has an E-sim, rather only a handful of smartphones and wearables watches have an E-sim such as;
- Apple’s latest iPhones– iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, Plus the new iPhone 13 range and IPad Pro.
- Samsung Galaxy S20 series, Galaxy S21 Series, and Galaxy S22 Series
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 & Galaxy Z Fip 3
- Google Pixel 3 and 3XL
- Samsung Gear S2 and Gear S3 smartwatches
- Apple Watch Series 3, 4, and 5.
eSIM in Nepal
In Nepal, Nepal Telecom (NTC) will soon be the first carrier to allow for e-sim connection in Nepal. The Nepal telecom company has allocated its company budget for the project to deploy its own company e-sim platform. Furthermore, NTC has signed a contract with Monty Global Limited to provide an E-sim platform to the telecom.
In case, if the agreement goes to plan, E-Sim will soon be available in Nepal as soon as the Shrawan ends. NTC is expecting to distribute around 150000 e-sims in Nepal within the first year.
