There’s been an increase in eSIM availability on smartphones in the last couple of years, and most of the phones we review are starting to offer it as standard.

Some of them include premium foldables like Samsung’s Z Series, Oppo’s Find N2 Flip, and the Honor Magic V2.

However, eSIMs have been readily available on iPhones since the iPhone Xs range was released in 2018, plus all available iPads; Samsung’s high-end S series from the S20 upwards; and the Huawei P40 series.

Last year’s mid-range Honor 90 made it slightly more accessible to Android users; however, the release of Samsung’s new Galaxy A55 5G at R10 999 makes it one of the more affordable eSIM devices in SA.

While you may be able to pick up preowned, older iPhone models that are cheaper, the Galaxy A55 stands out for being the most affordable handset with eSIM support available officially in SA in 2024.

What is an eSIM?

An eSIM is an embedded SIM, or digital SIM, that offers the same functionality as a physical SIM without inserting a card into your phone.

A big drawcard is that you can switch between eSIMs within seconds, making it useful for travellers or jumping between networks to get the best data deal.

You can have multiple eSIM profiles on a supported handset, but only ever have two networks active at the same time. All you need do is disable one eSIM to enable the other.

Owning an eSIM-compatible device means you have a dual-SIM phone; other dual-SIM phones can have two physical SIM card slots.

An eSIM needs hardware support from a device, and thus it is not available on every phone. You would need to check online before purchasing a phone to see if it supports an eSIM, aside from the phones listed above.

Some smartwatches support an eSIM but activating it is a little tricky. It is typically tied to a contract to add as part of a package from an operator’s side, as smartwatches don’t have a camera to scan a QR code to set up an eSIM, like you would on a smartphone.

Networks that support eSIM

For the longest time, networks in SA were offering eSIM functionality to contract customers, which carried an additional monthly fee. But, as of 2024, there is wider support for prepaid eSIMs, making it more accessible without being tied to a contract.

You can download it on a compatible handset from supported networks like Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, and Cell C, plus popular virtual networks such as Melon Mobile or Afrihost Air.

If you have an existing number that you don’t want to port but want to take advantage of a good data deal, an eSIM-enabled handset will allow you to do that.

You can choose which of the two networks you want as default to make calls, but easily switch to dial out from the other – and choose the other as your default data line.

Practical ways to use an eSIM

If you are a business owner or use a work phone separate from your personal one, you can now have both numbers on one device, and keep them separate, down to WhatsApp accounts.

The WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business apps are available as two different apps for Android and iOS. This means you don’t have to carry two phones around.

Another way for regular consumers to take advantage of an eSIM-supported phone is to shop around for data deals while keeping their existing number.

Otherwise, to simply have access to two networks. Sometimes when there is load shedding and towers go down, it may be advantageous to switch to another network to see if a signal is better instead of being stranded without one.

eSIMs for travel

That said, eSIMs are arguably most useful if you travel. It’s more convenient to switch to a data-enabled eSIM instead of physically going into a store to buy a SIM when you land in another country.

This may appeal to anyone who does not want to hand over their passport information or stand in queues.Setting up a travel eSIM is easy.

Most travel eSIM providers require you to download their app, purchase a data plan and install the eSIM from your phone, ahead of travelling.

Examples of travel eSIM providers include Airalo, Voye Global, Holafly, KnowRoaming and Nomad. According to Juniper Research, there are over 1.1 billion active eSIM devices and sensors as of 2024.

When it comes to travel eSIMs, it is predicted that this segment will grow from 40 million in 2024 to 215 million by 2028.

It adds that travel eSIMs provide an alternative to operators’ roaming services, by allowing travellers to download a temporary local profile onto their device and avoid roaming charges.

Juniper Research predicts that mobile network operators will lose $3.9bn in roaming spend to travel SIM and eSIM packages by 2028 with the biggest losses coming from regions where roaming charges are highest, like Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

Originally published here: https://www.news24.com/citypress/trending/everything-you-need-to-know-about-esims-20240530