The SIM card, as we know it until now, has played a fundamental task in our mobiles. And, thanks to it, we are identified as users of a certain company and we are allowed to access its coverage network. As the years go by SIM cards have been shrinking in size, going through the mini, micro and nano SIM, until now, that the eSIM arrives to revolutionize the telephony market and occupy less space in the devices.
Next we are going to tell you everything you need to know about it: what it is, what it is for and what operators offer it.
What is an eSIM
You may have started to hear about the new eSIM or virtual SIM in recent months as this new virtual card is revolutionizing the telephony market.
An eSIM is considered the evolution of the SIM card that we all know. It is a SIM card to be found integrated into the smartphones themselves and that, in the future, it will also be included in laptops, smart watches, tablets, and any device that can be connected to a mobile phone network.
Thanks to the fact that the eSIM is going to be integrated into the device and that it occupies less than the nanoSIM we know now, manufacturers will have a little more space inside their products, although it will not be excessive either.
What is an eSIM for?
One of the biggest advantages offered by this new virtual card, is that now users are going to significantly reduce the time they spend trying change company, since it will not be necessary to wait to have the new SIM of the company to which we have made the portability.
Another advantage it offers is that it will also be easier to change the rate from your current company. In addition, if you travel abroad, you can hire a rate from the place you go to easily. With the eSIM you will be able to have your contracted rate on any device you have simply by activating the service on each of them.
all these advantages are not only for the user, which obviously makes life easier, but also saves operators time and money, who can focus on improving other services.
Operators that have eSIM
Of all the main operators that we know of in Spain, only Vodafone and Orange are the ones that have their own eSIM service. Everything indicates that Movistar's eSIM will not take long to be included in its product offering within a short time.
Orange eSIM
Orange was the first operator to launch eSIM in Spain, but, at the time, there was only one compatible device: the Huawei Watch 2 4G. Thanks to the eSIM, the Orange user could link his phone number and therefore the contracted rate to this smart watch.
As the company itself has announced, they are working to offer this virtual card service also in the new iPhone models: iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. All this with the sole objective of making life easier for its customers and offering them the latest technology.
If you want to get the Orange eSIM, first you will have to activate MultiSIM service which has a cost of 4 euros per month. Once this service is activated, for each eSIM you want to request, you will have to pay 5 euros.
Vodafone eSIM
Everything from Vodafone generates a great impact, and in this case, with its eSIM service called OneNumber it was not going to be different. The Vodafone eSIM has been announced very recently, just after the introduction of the new iPhone models that include eSIM.
As in the case of Orange, the Vodafone eSIM has a cost per issue:
- For those Vodafone customers with the L, XL, One L or One XL rate, this service will be free in the first device and will cost 5 euros from the second terminal in which it is incorporated.
- For customers who have any other Vodafone rate contracted, the activation cost will be 5 euros in the first and second device.
- For new OneNumber customers, the eSIM will have a cost of 5 euros for the activation of one or two devices.
Movistar eSIM
Although they have announced that at the moment there is no news regarding the eSIM by Movistar is concerned, the safest thing is that the blue operator will soon launch its own virtual card to join its competitors Vodafone and Orange.
We assume then that the blue operator will offer its users the new eSIM as soon as possible. Movistar's main objective is always to offer the best products to its customers and make their lives easier, as with its flagship product, Aura Movistar.
Aura is a virtual assistant that learns from users through the information offered every day. With this technology, you can ask Aura any information about your Movistar account through the company's app as well as send orders to television with Movistar Plus.
Seeing that for Movistar the first thing is its customers and their satisfaction, we are sure that its own eSIM will not be long in coming.