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How do these eSIMs work from a user's perspective? I've only ever had phones with physical sim slots
Effectively, imagine there's a SIM card soldered to the motherboard of the phone, you can then download an eSIM to it and the phone behaves as if it's a physical SIM.
In reality it's generally built into the modem and I believe they can typically hold multiple eSIMs. What I'm not clear on is if inactive eSIMs actually live in the hardware eSIM or if they get swapped in by the OS
Depends on the phone. The newest ones let you use multiple ones simultaneously, one for calls/texts and one for data, for example. Slightly older ones only let you use one at a time, but they let you activate and deactivate multiple downloaded eSIMs.
Yeah same, I want to know how you move phones if one breaks, or any number of similar situations where you can't run an app or access another device
That's my big concern as well.
With Google Fi you just sign into the fi app and transfer the phone. You need wifi but that's it.
Yeah, I've been using Fi for more than 5 years and haven't needed to worry about sim cards in a really long time.
The process with esims is so easy.
Its a shitty replacement. If I couldnswap phones like a sim card i wouldn't care. But they charge for a phone swap no thanks.
You call support and have them issue a new one.
yea, that's my biggest annoyance with it, if you can't pass security on the phone (talking to you prepaid carriers who have absolutely shit CS and protocols) you can no longer just hot swap the sim to get your verification code. You are just locked out of your account now. It's nice that it's more secure but, also such a pain in the ass for people who don't call their carrier a lot so they don't know their security.
Don't you need a SIM for calling?
I'm not sure if there's some special calling feature to reach a previously associated provider, but when I've been in that situation I just borrowed my roommate's phone.
As in ring the network (presumably on a third, working phone) and wait for them to post you something? Doesn't sound like a great user experience!
No, they issue it virtually. Then you download it via their app or via regular cell network provisioning.
Exactly the same as a normal one. It just works and you don't really need to do anything with it. Everything seems the same just no little card in the side of your device.
Until this article I thought you could swap eSIMs between phones, exactly like normal ones
Tbh I think you effectively could, but it would technically be your provider issuing a new one.
For me I just log into my provider's online account screen and I'm able to scan a new QR code
Eh that's not really the same. And reading this thread it seems many providers (including mine) don't support online QR codes.
That's unfortunate, at least in the UK all the (eSIM supporting) providers seem to offer the same capability.
As I've said elsewhere a physical SIM is slightly better in the situation where you smash your phone and buy a new one as you don't need to connect your new phone to the phone shop's WiFi for 5 mins (scanning the QR code is the quick way, you can just type an alphanumeric code in too, some carriers let you download it via an app). On the flip side though, if your phone is stolen, I still just need the WiFi for 5 mins. With a physical SIM, it would be sent to my home address and arrive a couple of days later.
Yah and mine charges for a phone transfer. No thanks I'll keep physical sim as long as in can.
Well frankly, that's pretty shitty of your carrier, IMO. I didn't realise anyone was actually out there charging for what's basically essential functionality.
There's basically nothing technically different about transfering a physical SIM or an eSIM from the network's perspective. The same registration takes place, they have to send all the same carrier service configuration messages.
I don't blame you at all for holding onto a physical SIM in that scenario, but I'd be looking to move to a less customer-hostile carrier once my contract was up.
I just wanted to say how valuable this lesson is for everyone who hasnt learned it yet to learn
This is an equally important lesson to learn for both capitalism and enshitification.
Find or create a need and exploit it
I thought you could too but I use Google Fi and I just log into my Google account on a new device and it lets me deactivate the old phone and download the sim to the new phone.
@AdmiralShat @FragmentedChicken phones that support esims have actual sim chips inside, and esims basically flash the carrier data onto that chip.
They're functionally the same as normal SIM, instead it is stored in a secure location of the storage (which can survive factory reset). In a way, it makes it a bit more secure as a thief can't just yank out the SIM card to avoid being tracked (although it doesn't defeat a faraday bag) or take it out to use it in another phone.
Generally you go to some site your carrier has, enter the IMEI or some number from your phone's settings, then scan a QR code. It's not bad... depending on your carrier.
And pay a fee.
The same way Verizon phones used to work: less well.
Exactly back to phones working on only one carrier. I know not yet but give it awhile.
With Google Fi
Yep, same here. Wouldn't want to use eSIMs at all if they were any more hassle than this. But their process to me is good enough to outweigh the physical SIM swapping process.
When I got my Pixel 8 Pro it asked me if I want to convert the physical SIM from my Xiaomi 9 SE (and disable the old SIM). I didn't have to take off the case and move the SIM, so I liked it.