Years ago, phones had slots for SIM cards, tiny cards that contain all the necessary data to connect to your cellular carrier. You could take the SIM card out of the tray and insert it into another phone or swap the SIM card for another from a different country while traveling to use a different number. Lately, however, many carriers have been switching to eSIMs, electronic SIM cards, while some phones, like iPhones, are eliminating the physical SIM tray altogether. Instead, the SIM information is totally virtual.
This initially sounds like a downgrade, presumably making it more challenging to move your SIM from one phone to another, or switch devices if you have multiple phones. I always used eSIMs for travel purposes, but never for my primary connection. But once my carrier switched to eSIMs, I realized it’s so much better. Using an eSIM only phone was the best decision I made this year.
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No more airport SIM drama.
It’s easy to transfer
You can still swap phones
Not only can you still easily swap phones with an eSIM, the process is simple. There’s no more searching frantically for the little tool that came with the phone or a paperclip to pop open the tray. Then, you’d have to awkwardly remove the physical SIM, and isn’t it impossible to get out if you have no nails and thicker fingers? There’s no worry about dropping the tiny card either, then searching frantically for it under the couch. Plus, don’t worry that Grandma tried to shove her SIM card in the wrong way and broke it.
Instead, you can scan a QR code or use the carrier’s app to set things up. You can also visit your phone’s settings menu and choose the relevant option to transfer an eSIM from a nearby phone. This works with both Android and iPhone, and while it does take longer to go through settings, scan codes, and transfer, it’s not really that big a deal. Plus, if you’re using a travel eSIM, it’s a breeze to set up as soon as you land or even from the airport before you take off.
It affords a cleaner design
No more awkward SIM tray
Tashreef Shareef / MakeUseOfCredit: Tashreef Shareef / MakeUseOf
Smartphones are getting slimmer, sleeker, and more elegant in design. The fewer ports and buttons on the side, the better. A SIM card tray is small and almost tough to spot, but it’s built into the device, mounted on the side of a phone. Without one, the look is cleaner. The phone is also more durable since there are fewer openings where dust and debris can become lodged. While phones today are more durable than ever, the more they’re fully sealed, the better for longevity. Further, this eliminates worry of damaging the card or the port itself.
With an eSIM, you get cleaner edges, or room to integrate other side buttons like a special quick key. This also means you don’t have to remove your fitted smartphone case just to switch phones. You can leave everything intact and handle the switch from the touchscreen and menus without ever touching a physical card.
Bigger battery is possible
More room to roam
Credit: Rajesh Pandey / MakeUseOf
Not having a SIM tray leaves room to add a bigger battery since manufacturers have more internal space within which to work to build one. It appears that anecdotally, smartphones that are eSIM-only tend to boast battery improvements over their predecessors that are not. This is certainly the case with the latest iPhones. While these battery gains are the result of many other design and technology upgrades, they’re at least in part attributed to the removal of this tray and the extra internal space it affords.
The extra battery life you get may not be a huge difference, but every bit counts. And when choosing between a physical SIM card and a few extra minutes of battery life per day, the latter wins hands down.
More secure
There’s nothing to remove
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Since there’s no physical card to remove, eSIMs are safer than a physical SIM card. Someone can’t steal your phone and remove the SIM card to instantly deactivate your account from the device. This isn’t to say there aren’t other ways around wiping the phone and removing the eSIM information. But without a physical SIM, someone can’t remove it, slot it into another phone, and get your information by bypassing two-factor authentication (2FA) you may have set up.
Further, since there’s no physical card, it can’t be cloned. There are still risks associated with eSIMs, as noted, but the virtual nature of them makes it a bit more challenging for everyday hackers. And with 2FA and a secure screen lock, even a carrier PIN, it’s tougher for someone to get hold of your information when there’s no physical SIM to use.
eSIM represents the future
Go virtual
Pankil Shah / MakeUseOfCredit: Pankil Shah / MakeUseOf
When looking at eSIM vs. SIM, eSIMs might initially sound daunting: how can I get my account onto a phone without this handy little card I’ve used for decades? But it’s the way of the future. It makes switching phones easier and allows for nicer phone designs. This, in turn, gives manufacturers the opportunity to use more internal space to build bigger batteries. And it’s also more secure, one more defense against hackers. eSIMs aren’t just for travel: switch to eSim on your primary account, and you won’t look back.
8.5/10
SoC
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Display
6.9-inch Dynamic Super AMOLED 2X
RAM
12 or 16 GB
Storage
256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphone is not eSIM only, still containing a physical SIM tray. But you can choose to use eSIM only, depending on your carrier and country, and there are big advantages to doing so.
