An eSIM is a small chip inside your phone that acts just like a SIM card. It’s not a physical SIM card, so you don’t have to worry about inserting it into your phone or swapping it with other SIMs.

Instead of having to get an actual SIM, your phone provides one for you instead. Your mobile phone network provides it virtually. It’s essentially an embedded SIM, which is updated as and when you need it to be. And because there’s no actual physical SIM, you can store more than one network.

To get your eSIM up and running, like in the case of purchasing an eSIM from alike, you will be receiving a QR code. Then what you have to do is you have to scan the QR code via your phone's camera, and you can follow the provided instructions to activate the eSIM. You can have plans from more than one network stored on your eSIM, but you’ll only be able to use one at a time.

eSIM technology is popping up in a few new phones. Apple had it onboard on iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and other future iPhones.

Samsung has introduced eSIM on their Galaxy S20, S21, and Note 20 series.

eSIM is available on the Google Pixel 2, 2 XL, 3, 3 XL, 3a, 3a XL, 4, 5, and their future models, as part of its Project Fi subscriber service, and other manufacturers are expected to join in soon.

There are many advantages of eSIM, not least with regards to switching phone networks. For example, if you are switching from one network to another, you don’t have to go out to a shop to get a new SIM card or wait for one to arrive in the post – you can switch there and then. There’s no actual SIM that you have to install.

Perhaps you’re thinking of switching to more than one network – that’s easy too. Because an eSIM lets you store more than one network in it, you’ll be able to switch quickly between them. This could come in handy if you find yourself with no signal, in an area that your network doesn’t cover. If this happens to you now, you’re stuck. But in the near future, you could simply switch to the network that offers the best coverage.

eSIMs take up less room on a phone than a SIM card and its tray. Phone makers could potentially use this extra space to add extra features to your phone, or a bigger battery perhaps - extra battery life is always welcome.

It could be good news for travellers, too, as you can switch to the local network/tariff wherever you are – therefore avoiding roaming charges.