Has any here used an e-sim card?

[justlikebike]

Just heard about this capability with newer phones. Are they worth it. We are heading to Europe for a few months, I was planning to move our phone numbers to ooma for that time and get regular European sims for data and WhatsApp for texting. This e-sim may or may not be worth it.
A) If someone calls my Canadian number do I pay roaming charges?
B) other than having access to my old sim card what value does the e-sim give me?

Thanks.

 

[explanade]

My main service from T-Mobile was provisioned as eSIM.

It took awhile to set it up in 2021, was on the line with them for like 15-30 minutes IIRC.

Then I upgraded my iPhone last year and the migration process automatically provisioned the account to my new iPhone.

As far as using overseas during trips, I checked the offerings and you're paying more for data than getting a physical local SIM.

Or you're paying the same price but getting a lot less data than you would get with a physical SIM.

What is unclear to me is if you can add an eSIM to a phone that may be locked to a carrier. You might check with your carrier if you got the phone through them, whether you can add a prepaid eSIM.

I know you can't add a prepaid physical SIM card if your device is locked to a carrier.

 

[Yipper]

I have eSIM because with the latest iPhones they don't have physical SIM support (no SIM tray/slot).

I like to keep it simple when traveling to Europe. We're on AT&T and their International Day Pass is a decent deal. $10/day for the same usage I have currently with a maximum of 10 days charged per month. Additional lines on the same account are $5/day with the same max 10 days per month. So for DW and me, it's a max of $150/month for both of us and we don't have to fiddle with different plans/numbers, etc. It all just works the same as being in the states.

Since you're in Canada none of this may matter but your carrier might have something similar.

Also, the newer iPhones can handle multiple eSIMs as well so the option to add an additional plan is possible and I see there are a bunch of eSIM plans available for travelers these days but we don't have experience with them.

 

[audreyh1]

When we upgraded our iPhones they automatically switched to eSIM. No problems- T-Mobile US. We already have international roaming included.

 

[Teacher Terry]

My kids turned me onto buying a esim when I go to Europe. Going to Ireland last year it cost me 9 and this year I was in 5 countries so I bought the one that covered 20 countries for 30 days and it cost 20. If I wanted to talk to someone in the states I used what’s app for free. Airilo is the company I used.

 

[braumeister]

My iPhone can handle up to eight e-SIMs at the same time.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

My current iPhone also only has eSim capabilities. I think eventually (quite soon) physical SIM cards will be a thing of the past. My model has support for 2 eSims. Meaning I can purchase one for my travel destination without unloading my primary one for home use. I can switch between the 2 if I want. Or make both of them active at the same time.

However, I now use T-Mobile and my plan supports use in 210 countries. So for most places, I won't even need to get a new eSim. My 3 week May trip in Europe worked fine with my T-Mobile plan.

 

[Sunset]

From my quick reading, an e-sim is mostly just like a physical sim, except it's always in the phone and can switch networks easily.

I'd like to get a low cost phone that has that ability, as it would save getting an actual sim delivered at times.

The big advantage I can see, is with multiple e-sims, I can have multiple phone numbers on 1 phone. Right now I carry 2 phones on some trips, so I have my old USA number for 2-factor things and emergencies, and my "new country" phone for the trip.

 

[Teacher Terry]

When I arrive in a foreign country I go into my phone settings and switch from my regular sim to the esim for Europe. It’s really easy to do.

 

[foxcreek9]

I have used Airalo multiple times since 2019, most recent this past may in central Europe. Has worked like a charm, no issues. Keep in mind it is data only, no phone or text service.

 

[audreyh1]

FWIW there is no “card”.

 

[explanade]

I have used Airalo multiple times since 2019, most recent this past may in central Europe. Has worked like a charm, no issues. Keep in mind it is data only, no phone or text service.

No an eSIM can have voice and text services as well

It's just that some prepaid offers only include data.

Of course if you put an eSIM in an iPad, it won't be able to access voice and text services.

 

[foxcreek9]

No an eSIM can have voice and text services as well

It's just that some prepaid offers only include data.

Of course if you put an eSIM in an iPad, it won't be able to access voice and text services.

Yes, I know, but Airalo does not. But phone and text service can be achieved with Airalo + WhatsApp and/or Skype and/or ooma and/or other services.

 

[gutterman]

I just got back from a two week trip to Scotland. Prior to leaving, I converted my physical sim card for my USA carrier to an e-sim, the purpose being so I would open up the physical sim card slot on my i-phone. When I arrived in Scotland I purchased a local sim card for $20 at the airport and installed it in the now empty physical sim card slot. The local sim card worked as soon as I put it in for calls and texts from the local Scotland phone number. After a day of playing around with the settings, I was able to get the local Scotland sim card to provide data for my USA e-sim. IN this manner I was able to text (i-message) and wifi call from my USA phone number. On the flight home I removed the local Scotland sim card, and my phone worked normal when the plane landed in the USA.


If your phone is locked by the carrier this will not work for you. I have an i-phone and do not know if this will work on an Android phone.

 

[braumeister]

I just got back from a two week trip to Scotland. Prior to leaving, I converted my physical sim card for my USA carrier to an e-sim, the purpose being so I would open up the physical sim card slot on my i-phone.

My phone only uses esims, no physical slot at all. I think that's the way things are moving.

 

[justlikebike]

Thanks everyone for the information,
I have an unlocked pixel 6.
So my understanding is:
1) my regular sim will work as normal and if I don't get extra travel coverage, I would be charged extra if someone calls that number.
2) An esim allows me to get set up quickly by already having it ahead of time.

As I get very few calls, have no parents or children, I don't see the value in multiple sims. Unless I am missing something, buying a regular sim card and using WhatsApp and the ooma app, let's me do everything I can think of for the least cost.

 

[oiseux]

You can split functions....

FYI, you can split functions between SIM cards as well. You can have one designated for voice and text and another for data. I buy an Airalo eSIM for multi-EU data when in Europe, and then use another for voice. It works seamlessly. (Often data roaming charges are exorbitant under a roaming plan)

 

[mn54]

When I arrive in a foreign country I go into my phone settings and switch from my regular sim to the esim for Europe. It’s really easy to do.

do you have an iphone? how current? where in settings do you switch from sim to esim? thanks

 

[braumeister]

do you have an iphone? how current? where in settings do you switch from sim to esim? thanks

Settings/Cellular/eSIMs

 

[explanade]

I think iPhone 11 or 12 or newer have eSIMs.

 

[Kroeran]

As a Canadian Snowbirding to Florida, I use physical sim for Public Mobile, and esim for Mint which uses T-Mobile network I think.

Very cheap to maintain both accounts year round.

I keep the sims live year round so that institutions such as medical and tax can reach me year round. Not being reachable can have consequences.

Also, we have some friends and family that will not convert to WhatsApp or other non cell services.

It’s also convenient to keep a home number active when popping in a European or Caribbean sim when travelling.

 

[naggz]

As a Canadian Snowbirding to Florida, I use physical sim for Public Mobile, and esim for Mint which uses T-Mobile network I think.

Very cheap to maintain both accounts year round.

I keep the sims live year round so that institutions such as medical and tax can reach me year round. Not being reachable can have consequences.

Also, we have some friends and family that will not convert to WhatsApp or other non cell services.

It’s also convenient to keep a home number active when popping in a European or Caribbean sim when travelling.

If you are in Ottawa, you may be interested in this...
https://forums.redflagdeals.com/fido-50-40gb-can-us-ottawa-only-freedom-match-2621508/

 

[Kroeran]

If you are in Ottawa, you may be interested in this...
https://forums.redflagdeals.com/fido-50-40gb-can-us-ottawa-only-freedom-match-2621508/

Thank you.

 

[justlikebike]

Things I have learned.
DW and I are spending 25 days in the US, so I decided to do a comparison. I bought an esim online (Airalo) and DW bought a T-Mobile sim card.
1) esim was a bit of a pain to install. At home it was prompting me to turn off my regular sim card. I didn't want to do this as I didn't want the esim active till I crossed the border. Once I crossed the border, the esim wouldn't install. It requires wifi to install apparently.
2) once installed, I found out I only had data. No texting or phone number. Didn't know that was even an option.
3) DW installed her normal sim and was going in 5 minutes for $10 cheaper.

 

[athena53]

I have an iPhone 8 and am not ready to spend whatever it costs to upgrade yet, so no, I haven't but am looking forward to that option.

I've done pretty well buying physical SIM cards wherever I went outside the US- some cover multiple countries, some don't. I bought my first, for Iceland, in 2017 via on-board duty-free shopping and was up and running when we landed. Wow.

The switching process is a little delicate, though. The physical card for mine is smaller than my fingernail. On my last trip I took the US one out, installed the one for Peru and then couldn't find the US one. Panic time. When we landed I found that my seatmate, who had been in the lav when I installed it, had unknowingly sat on it when he came back to his seat.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to the e-version.