Posted 6 February 2024
A Breakdown Of eSims, Who Offers Them, And The Advantages + Current Deals
Update 1
Thread updated with some current offers
As eSim are now getting more and more popular, this discussion aims to try and explain the advantages, disadvantages, and some networks / MVNO's who offer eSim.
How eSIMs Work:
eSIM Providers in the UK:
Advantages of eSIMs:
Disadvantages of eSim
What is an eSim?
Airalo also give a breakdown on working out if your phone supports eSim and how to find it
Providers who offer eSim and the respective plans for the EU and USA:
Airalo
BNESIM
Flexiroam
Maya Mobile
Nomad
Spusu
UBIGI
Yesim
Leveraging an eSIM for your travel needs provides immense convenience by removing the hassle of swapping physical SIM cards. However, it’s recommended to compare the rates offered by local providers in your travel destination, as they can often be more cost-effective than your eSIM tariff.
How eSIMs Work:
- An eSIM, short for “embedded SIM”, is a small chip embedded in your device.
- It performs the same function as a traditional SIM card but is not physically removable.
- The information on an eSIM is rewritable, meaning you can change your network without removing your SIM and inserting a new one.
- You can switch to a different network with a phone call or online, often just by scanning a QR code with your smartphone’s camera.
eSIM Providers in the UK:
- All four of the UK’s major mobile networks – EE, Vodafone, Three and O2 – offer eSIM support for compatible devices.
- Outside of the major networks, the likes of Giffgaff also support eSIMs. But there is a list below of some other mvno's who offer this service
- Some worldwide providers also support eSIM.
Advantages of eSIMs:
- Ease of Network Switching: An eSIM makes it much easier to switch mobile networks. Instead of needing to order a new SIM and waiting for it to arrive, you can switch to a different network with a phone call or online.
- Multiple Profiles: Up to five virtual SIM cards can be stored on one eSIM at a time, This means you can quickly switch between different networks if you find yourself in an area without a signal on your usual network.
- Ideal for Travel: It also makes it easier to switch to a local network while travelling, without needing to physically insert a local SIM Using a local mobile network while abroad can be much cheaper than paying roaming costs to your UK network.
- Environmentally Friendly: There are no plastic cards or shipping materials, which means less waste.
Disadvantages of eSim
- Limited Support: Not all smartphones support eSIM technology. While many newer models do, older or less expensive models may not.
- Limited Carrier Support: While eSIM technology is growing, not all carriers support it. This could limit your options if you want to switch networks.
- No Physical Transfer: Unlike a traditional SIM card, an eSIM cannot be physically transferred from one phone to another. This could be a disadvantage if you frequently switch phones or have a backup phone.
- Potential for Damage or Loss: While an eSIM is safe from physical damage, it could still be susceptible to data corruption or loss
What is an eSim?
Airalo also give a breakdown on working out if your phone supports eSim and how to find it
- What is an eSIM?
- How do I know if my phone supports eSIM?
- iPhones that support eSIM
- Android devices that support eSIM
- Google Pixel phones that support eSIM
- Samsung smartphones that support eSIM
- Huawei devices that support eSIM
- Advantages of using an Airalo eSIM
- Frequently asked questions about eSIMs
Providers who offer eSim and the respective plans for the EU and USA:
Airalo
- EU Plans start from £4 for 1GB data valid for 7 days
- USA plans start from £4 for 1GB data valid for 7 days
- 25% To 50% Off Certain Sims
BNESIM
Flexiroam
- EU Plans starting from £29 for 24 days for 7GB data
- USA plans starting from £2.10 for 500GB Data for 3 days
Maya Mobile
Nomad
Spusu
UBIGI
Yesim
Leveraging an eSIM for your travel needs provides immense convenience by removing the hassle of swapping physical SIM cards. However, it’s recommended to compare the rates offered by local providers in your travel destination, as they can often be more cost-effective than your eSIM tariff.
Community Updates
162 Comments
sorted byI will try to keep this list up to date, as much as possible. Thanks.
Updated 14/02/24
Airalo
BetterRoaming
BNESIM
Flexiroam
Gigsky
Maya Mobile
Montyesim
Nomad
Revolut
Spusu
Ubigi
Yesim (edited)
if someone steals your phone and it’s locked, they cannot transplant your SIM to their device to receive 2-step verification codes. So if they got your wallet and tried to go shopping online, they can’t authenticate that purchase easily.
It's easy to set one up, but be careful - if you forget it you can end up locking yourself out.
if your phone is stolen, they could simply put your simcard in another phone to access anything, reset any account linked to the phone number, gmail ect, then install apps via the playstore like whatsapp, Google Authenticator codes ect. It doesn't matter if you have an iphone with faceid, nothing protects you if they put your simcard in another phone. An esim fixes this.
birminghammail.co.uk/new…395
All Revolut customers in the UK will receive an offer of 100MB of mobile data for free until May 1. (edited)
Few months ago I remember reading article about eSims apparently you can up to five virtual SIM cards can be stored on one eSIM at a time. This means you can quickly switch between different networks if you find yourself in an area without a signal on your usual network.
One advantage of an eSIM is that your regular SIM still works for receiving SMS (handy for 2FA messages for logging into banking etc) and you can receive calls.
I don't need one anymore so have normal, but was a pain ... Often setup isn't as simple either you can tell they haven't got onboarding setup yet
What would I do in the future if I wanted the eSIM on a different phone as I have no details for the eSIM as Apple did everything for me.
That way i can have lots of priority offers by changing to different numbers with that same phone and esim in it?
:/ 🤪 😜🤷♂️😁
bought Spanish, Dominican Republic and Qatar eSIMs as well from them.
Plus all purchases, get you credit back in your account, which you use on your next purchase.
support is good/not brilliant. But they do acknowledge messages.
Not sure if this is a dumb qstn, but can i install this esim now and but then start using it from when I actually go on the trip which isn't for another few weeks?
With this sim I installed it around 2 weeks prior to the trip.
It doesn't start however until you activate it. At that time your data etc will begin and the clock will start ticking.
This is more for people who want to load a travel esim as most domestic carriers can just give you a sim for free anyway.
Keepgo.com if you want a cheap eSim that roams in the UK.
Lyca sent me an eSim without a QR code so I couldn't activate it. Took my money easily enough though. Avoid. (edited)
In the case of 3 Mobile, the physical SIM becomes inactive immediately - from the point they send out the email with the QR code to you, just something to be aware of about the switching process, may be different for other networks. (edited)