If you’ve ever wrestled with opening the teeny tiny drawer on the side of your phone to extract that impossibly wee SIM card and thought, “Why? Why hasn’t our technology advanced past these inaccessible nuisances yet?” I have good news for you: It has!
Welcome to the life-changing world of the eSIM, which is a virtual version of the traditional SIM card but it’s built directly into your device. If you’re asking “is eSIM better than its physical predecessor?” Here’s a closer look at the differences.
Physical SIM vs eSIM side-by-side comparison
Physical SIM
It’s that itsy bitsy, removable chip that you pop into your phone to connect to a mobile phone carrier. Think of it as your golden ticket to calls, texts, and data (if your golden ticket was a huge inconvenience and one you can lose, scratch, or even be unable to access if you happen to forget where you stashed your equally microscopic SIM eject tool).
eSIM
This one’s stealthier, simpler, more streamlined. An eSIM is already part of your phone’s hardware. That means no swapping, no attempting to poke open the slot with a makeshift tool or paperclip.
All you need to do to take advantage of eSIM mobile data is to scan a QR code or download an app (the aloSIM app, for example), and voilà. It’s a fantastic example of tech doing what we need tech to do: simplify our lives.
Why is eSIM better?
Convenience
It’s just such a relief to not have one more tiny piece of tech to keep track of. No fiddling or struggling to open and swap and store physical cards every time you travel abroad.
Instant switching
Whether you’re switching carriers or on the move and switching yourself to a whole new country, eSIMs allow users to change plans in minutes without needing to visit a store, make multiple calls to customer service lines or wait for something to arrive via snail mail.
eSIMs are perfect for travellers. Imagine landing in Austria, activating your eSIM with the tap of your screen, and being good to go. No need for a language-barrier frustrating SIM scavenger hunt.
Eco-conscious
Ditch excess plastic in the form of unnecessary tech. Plastic SIM cards and their extra packaging contribute to cluttering landfills with excessive waste, however tiny. If you’re open to reducing your tech waste, this is an easy factor to be aware of.
Secure
As annoying as they are to remove, physical SIMs are still susceptible to theft as anyone can pluck yours right out of your phone to misuse. Alternatively, eSIMs are tied to your device. It’s an unexpected and easy layer of maintaining your digital security.
Multiple lines
If you’re a busy professional, you might want to separately manage your work numbers and private numbers for personal calls. In this case, many phones support dual SIM setups, meaning you can either juggle one physical SIM and an eSIM simultaneously, or even just multiple eSIMs with no extra slot needed.
So, is eSIM better? If you prioritize speed, simplicity, and future-proof tech, the answer is yes.
