eSIM
Embedded SIM
An alternative to physical, removable SIM cards that instead embeds SIM functionality into the phone hardware.
See: SIM
Instead of swapping physical cards to associate a phone with a different account (and phone number), the change is made in software over the network.
eSIM uses far less physical space inside a phone than a SIM card slot, and enables cellular functionality in devices too small to accommodate physical SIM cards, such as smartwatches.
eSIM can also provide more functionality and flexibility, as it can be reprogrammed to support new network features that would require a whole new SIM card with a physical SIM card.
Last updated Oct 7, 2023 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
