iPhone 14 eSIM: What Does It Mean to You

What is an eSIM?

eSIM stands for embedded SIM card. As the name suggests, it’s not physical in the same way  as a normal SIM card. A normal SIM is a chip in a plastic casing that you fit into your phone. An eSIM, on the other hand, has this chip built into the phone, meaning it can’t be removed.

However, it still functions in exactly the same way as a physical SIM. The difference is that you download it onto the phone using a Wi-Fi connection rather than physically inserting the chip. It does the same thing: provides your phone with network connection authorization, among other things.

Setting up an eSIM is pretty simple:

1. Turn on the phone and ensure you can connect to a Wi-Fi network.
2. Scan the QR code provided by your carrier. This might be on a physical card or in an email.
3. Scanning the code will take you to a download page.
4. Once it’s downloaded, simply follow the on-screen instructions to finish.

There are other methods for setting up an eSIM on an iPhone. But these are all pretty similar and just involve different activation methods. You can check out Apple Support for more information on these options.

The Pros and Cons of eSIM Technology

So, Apple decided that SIM card iPhone remove was a good idea, but is it? To an extent, eSIMs make sense from a convenience perspective. However, there are some potential downsides worth considering before jumping on board with this technology.

Advantages

1. Makes switching carriers easy

The main benefit of an eSIM is that you can switch carriers very easily. Phones aren’t locked in the traditional sense, where you can only use plans from one carrier until you get it unlocked.

Instead, you can simply go to a carrier’s website, choose the plan you want, and set up the new eSIM profile.

Plus, iPhones let you support more than one eSIM profile at the same time. This means you can have a personal and business number in the same phone, switching when you need to make specific calls.

2. No need for a physical SIM

This seems obvious, but an eSIM means there’s no need for a physical card. In turn, your phone doesn’t need a storage point, which is objectively a point of weakness in a phone’s design. As we expect phones to be more water- and dust-resistant, it makes sense to remove any holes or slots.

Also, physical SIM cards are a source of waste that we can’t do much about. So, getting rid of them means less trash.

3. Protects your data and privacy

eSIMs are more secure than physical SIMs because they’re embedded in the phone. This means someone can’t steal your SIM, or replace it if they steal your phone. In turn, this makes it much harder to resell a stolen device, as it’s basically blacklisted and can’t connect to networks.

Disadvantages

1. Not universally accepted

Currently, not all carriers provide eSIM plans. There’s not much that can be done about this, and it means you might be restricted in the carrier you choose.

2. Harder to track location

With a physical SIM, you can track location from phone number. This is helpful if you lose your phone, but it isn’t something you can do with an eSIM. Obviously, there are other ways to do this, but knowing how to track location from phone number is fairly foolproof.

Use eSIM While Traveling with Your iPhone

One of the biggest benefits of an eSIM comes when you go traveling. Traditionally, you might factor buying a local SIM into your travel planner. With an eSIM, you can just set up a local plan with ease directly on your phone.

You can still use international roaming with your normal carrier with an eSIM, but they might also allow you to upgrade your plan or add new options with greater ease.