Adoption of eSIM in Indian Market
One of the first stage of digitalization that revolutionized and shaped this modern era is the invention of the smartphone. In this digital age, smartphones can be considered the lifeline of a modern person.
Smartphones are those friendly gadgets that have made everything reachable through a simple touch. They have become such an integral part of our daily lives that it is no wonder that for most of us, the smartphone is the first and the last thing we see before getting up and going to bed.
And the integration of various features like cellular connectivity, dual-SIM, Bluetooth, etc, has only enhanced its beauty in the long run. Since things move blazingly fast when we talk about technology and functionality related to smartphones, the new and emerging technology Replacing SIM with eSIM Technology has come up as the latest trend in this race.
When we talk about replacing traditional SIM with eSIM Technology, it simply means the end of a humble SIM card that has survived for quite a while but has exceeded its time limit in the ever-transforming digital world.
Normally, if we wanted to connect a phone to a cellular network, a physical SIM card would be required to do the task. But in today’s digital world, where things get delivered with a few taps in an app and time is money, this is not a feasible option.
Before going on the rant describing the benefits and challenges this market will be facing while replacing SIM with eSIM Technology, we should get a better look at the key difference between a regular SIM and an eSIM and what makes eSIM a better choice.
Replacing SIM with eSIM Technology
We are all too familiar with regular SIM features and looks that come in handy when dealing with them on regular basis. SIM or Subscriber Identity Module sits in a special tray and slides into a smartphone like a drawer.
It’s generally supplied by a carrier and programmed with a particular device’s unique serial number, IMEI, ICCID, authentication key, SMS messages, and so on. In its absence, the phone can’t make any standard calls outside emergency numbers across a wireless network. Since it’s removable, end-users can remove it from one device and insert it elsewhere anytime. So why does the market feel the need of replacing SIM with eSIM Technology?
eSIM technology allows its users to switch carriers easily. Instead of waiting for a new SIM card to ship when travelling internationally or having to visit a local store to have a new one created, users can make the switch right on their phone.
Some of the new settings devoted to their eSIM card allow switching between lines and carriers and manage accounts easier to handle. Also, if the user has a dual-SIM feature, eSIM technology can support multiple accounts and switch between them easily. Thus, giving an upper hand in replacing SIM with eSIM Technology.
Decoding eSIM Technology
The term “eSIM” stands for an embedded SIM card. Unlike normal SIM cards, there are no physical SIM cards involved in this new technology.
An eSIM is a small chip embedded inside a phone that works the same function a regular SIM does and more.
eSIM needs the support of a network and needs to be enabled by them since not many networks support eSIM as yet.
The data on an eSIM is rewritable that is users can decide to change their operator with a simple phone call. It’s also easy to add to a data plan and connecting devices with eSIMs to a mobile account can be done in a few minutes.
eSIM technology has the back-up of the GSMA, that is the association of mobile networks. All these features mentioned above are enough reasons for replacing SIM with eSIM Technology.
Indian Market Prospects for eSIM
With its growing popularity in international markets, eSIM Technology is all set to enter the Indian market. As many smartphone companies are coming forward in replacing SIM with eSIM Technology, like Samsung, Google and Apple have introduced eSIM based smartphones in the market, it is no surprise that the Indian mobile market has started to gear up for this new technology.
Replacing SIM with eSIM Technology based smartphones and its adoption majorly depends on the network provider’s assistance to enable its unique features. Airtel has become one of the first operators in the country to express its consent in supporting eSIM for premium phones like Google Pixel 3a, Pixel 3 series and the iPhone latest series.
As other telecom operators catch up in replacing SIM with eSIM Technology while providing their support for eSIMs, we can expect to see more phone models with this technology soon.
Challenges Ahead
Despite facing some privacy as well as portability issue regarding eSIMs, and seeing manufacturers trying to shed width and mass off smartphones to make them lighter and easier to carry, replacing SIM with eSIM Technology will come true in a few years.
