Losing parts is always hard to accept, which is why the disappearance of SIM card trays from iPhones and Google Pixel phones in the US is heartbreaking. However, many see the advent of eSIM technology as an improvement. By adding a cellular profile to an embedded SIM (eSIM) already in your device, you can activate it without going to a store or waiting for a SIM card to arrive in the mail. It’s easy to switch carriers or buy a travel eSIM overseas, and it’s just as impossible for thieves to get hold of an eSIM as it is with a SIM card.
I respect the paper benefits of eSIM technology, but the drawbacks seem to outweigh the benefits. For starters, eSIM technology gives your mobile carrier all the control. Vendors allow eSIM transfers, allow devices, and tell you what devices you can and cannot use within the eSIM. When I use a real SIM card, no one can stop me from installing the SIM-eject device, removing my card, and exchanging it for another device. That flexibility cannot be discounted, which is why I use physical SIM cards even though all my devices support eSIM.
eSIM is amazing until this happens to you
Removing one piece of plastic also quietly removed a few tricks.
Changing the device quickly
Do not rely on your carrier for eSIM transfer or receiving delays
A simple advantage of using a physical SIM card is instant and unrestricted device switching. If you have two phones with a nano-SIM slot, all you need is a SIM-eject tool – or a paperclip – to move the SIM card between the devices. I change physical SIM cards all the time, and it takes seconds to do. The same cannot be said for eSIM transfer. Even if you have both devices in front of you, the eSIM transfer takes minutes and depends on the transfer servers to complete. You need a Wi-Fi connection to activate them.
In the meantime, both devices will be out of service. During the eSIM transfer, you will lose all cellular services, which can cause several serious problems. If something goes wrong with the eSIM transfer, you won’t be able to contact your carrier for help over the phone. Most importantly, the two-factor authentication codes you might need to make changes to your account or access other important services won’t arrive as text messages. In other words, you are left without access to your entire digital life in seconds while the eSIM transfer completes.
Relying on cloud services operated by a carrier presents another issue. If your device has a problem, like the major ones we’ve seen from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon in recent years, eSIM transfers won’t work. Even when the mobile network is working, the problems of the back-end operation can prevent the approval of the eSIM. Meanwhile, when you swap physical SIM cards, there’s no downtime, and you’re prone to failure on the carrier’s side.
Compatible with tablets and laptops
Why pay for separate eSIM plans when you can run a SIM card instead?
Everyone knows that physical SIM cards can be easily swapped between phones, but did you know that they can be permanently inserted into other types of devices? You can remove the SIM card from the smartphone and insert it into the dedicated 5G slot without any problem. You can also switch the SIM card from a phone to a tablet, like an old iPad or a modern Microsoft Surface Pro. If you have a laptop with a nano-SIM card slot, like a Lenovo workstation, you can similarly move the physical SIM card from your phone to your laptop instantly. eSIM migration will never work the same, due to the complexity, downtime, and carrier approval processes required.
Drivers want you to use a dedicated mobile phone for each device you own. If they can charge you for 5G connectivity for your phone, laptop, smartwatch and tablet separately, they will. In my case, adding a tablet connection to my 5G plan would cost an additional $25 per month. Instead of paying that exorbitant monthly fee, I move my SIM card from my phone to my iPad Pro when I really need a cellular data connection on my tablet. This flexibility cannot be compared to an eSIM, which is why I will stick to physical SIM cards as long as I can.
My iPad has cellular data and I don’t pay extra for it – here’s the trick
This hack isn’t perfect, but it saves me $25 on my phone bill every month.
Extensive tool and rider support
Carriers may not allow eSIM transfer to inactive devices
eSIM makes it easy to switch between carriers and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), and is great for consumer choice. However, cameras still have a lot of power that all kinds and types of devices can use. ESIM transfers work through identifiers of the receiving device, such as IMEI and EID, and the carrier that sends the eSIM profile to that device. That said, if the device is not on the vendor’s approved list, it may not allow the transfer. This limits what devices can be used on your cellular network.
I encountered this myself while testing the Nothing Phone 3a Pro last year on AT&T, which does not officially support this model. Although the Phone 3a Pro supports eSIM, it cannot be activated on the AT&T network due to a carrier-side limitation. Although there was no official support, I inserted a physical SIM card into the Phone 3a Pro and got full 5G compatible VoLTE. Many devices will still connect to your mobile network with a physical SIM even if the device is not fully authorized. If you were trying to use an eSIM, your carrier will not allow the transfer in the first place.
In addition, some foreign carriers do not support eSIM, so using physical SIMs gives you more flexibility in some areas.
You can get the benefits of eSIM while keeping the card
An eSIM is a nice feature for some people, but it’s not a necessity for everyone. Many of the benefits of an eSIM can be downloaded from a phone with a physical SIM card tray. Looking for the security benefits of an eSIM? Lock your real SIM card with a SIM PIN. Need to load a travel eSIM while on holiday abroad? You can keep your primary phone as a physical SIM, and add a travel eSIM whenever you want, as long as your phone supports both. You can get the benefits of an eSIM while keeping your original SIM as a physical card, that’s the solution I recommend.
If you know that your phone is supported by the network and you don’t need to switch your mobile phone between phones or tablets frequently, an eSIM will probably be the best fit for your application. However, having your phone suddenly broken is all you need to wish you had used a real SIM.
#phones #eSIM #physical #SIM #cards #reasons