eSIM and iSIM Explained

Learn about the eSIM and new iSIM technologies - but will they make it trickier to change phone providers, especially when traveling?

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[TheMatthewDMerrill]

I'm still mad about phone manufacturers taking out the headphone jack, why yes, it's a great move to switch to Bluetooth, they are still so many reasons not to mention a lot of the times it's a hassle to connect to Bluetooth. And how much space did it really save? I wouldn't mind my phone being slightly bigger just so that way I can have a headphone jack.

[odenwaldquelle]

The most appealing fact about those sim-options for phone companies is to lock down the used phone market.

[MKDS]

First headphone jack, then micro sd expansion, then SIM cards. Next step: eCameras, the cameras are inside the phone so the phone is sleeker with no disruption of the back side design.

[WarpedFlayme]

Why do carriers have to support iSIM differently than eSIM? Is it not just an abstracted hardware interface at this point? Why would the provisioning process need to be any different for the carrier?

[EveningOfficer]

At some point companies went from “How can we make the product better and/or more affordable?” To “How can we get them to pay more for a *less practical* product?”

Planned obsolescence and subscription models are the favorite tools of the oppressive tech companies.

[notenoughmonkeys]

I heard Apple are doing a new phone that is not only carrier locked to AT&T, but also requires a daily offering of affection and cash to both companies. It's based on iSimp technology.

[LOTR_BTTF]

Freaky timing, I just switched to my first esim yesterday. Was actually quite simple; just scanned a QR code, it programed the sim, one reboot, and was done.

[UncleChopChop]

Well done to the editor that timed the 'Hi' really well to the 10 sec jump that we all do as soon as we work out the sponsor part starts.

[PinkAgaricus]

Also removing the sim tray also removes the ability to expand storage using a microSD card. So the easy transfer of user info between phones is not the only thing they took out by shedding the physical SIM altogether.

[GumikoVT]

I love how the b roll for removing a sim card isn't even a phone. It's the gpd xp a gaming handheld. 😂

[Cazamalos]

One of the advantages of GSM over CDMA was the Sim card how easy it made taking your phone abroad, selling it after you got a new phone, or having two different carriers on the same phone, but eSims sound really inconvenient (by design).

[tassadarforaiur]

Replacing sim with esim/ isim would be easier to stomach if they used the physical space to give back micro SD.

[TjPhysicist]

you didn't talk about dual sim. Very popular in asia, and with people who frequently travel between countries that have different providers (e.g. US and Canada). physical sims used to make that super easy ofc, but only models made for asia would have the 2nd tray, US/EU models often using that same space for SDcards. With esim, lesser known advantage is that at least currently most esim phones **also** have a physical sim tray - making it a dual sim phone by default. This is the first time you could get totl dual sim phones in america. I fear the move completely away from physical sim will get us back to the days of dual sim being rare in the americas and europe - you'd need 2 esim chips which ppl aren't likely to put in there i assume.

[dms]

I have an e-sim for my main provider and a free sim slot for if I need a temporary data sim if I'm traveling. Works great.

[Ruben-]

I enjoyed and smiled watching your video. You explain very it simple. Greetings from Buenos Aires

[fluffyflextail]

Thanks for picking Schiphol (AMS) as the image for an airport on 04:13

[AlanTheBeast]

It's not just the size of the SIM, but the slot and contact support around it.
Canadian iPhone 14 still has the SIM tray.

[DejitaruJin]

Ahh, I remember back when the information on a SIM card was a part of the phone instead. Caused quite the headache when Sprint first started supporting LTE (and the associated, necessary SIM card) but some of their call center workers didn't get the memo. Now we've come full circle.

[petermckenzie]

I greatly appreciate educational videos like this 👍🏻

[HarshJha]

That “Wow, thank you” was so sweet that I changed tabs to come back here and give a like as well as comment.