An eSIM allows you to use two mobile accounts on one device, connects smartwatches and lets you quickly access a local mobile account while travelling.
On a holiday to Australia during the summer break, I was given the chance to use for the first time an electronic sim (eSIM) to activate an Australian mobile account for my three weeks across the ditch.
As I’m unwilling to pay exorbitant mobile roaming rates, I usually touch down in Aussie and head straight for the nearest mobile store to pick up a local SIM card to take advantage of much better calling and mobile data rates.
This time, I just went onto the Optus website and bought a $25 prepaid eSIM, which gave me 60GB (gigabytes) of data, unlimited calls and texting to other Australian numbers, and 400 minutes of international calling, enough to keep in touch with family back home during the trip. Not a bad deal.
I simply went to the Optus app and bought the eSIM account and activated it when I arrived in Australia. That involved scanning a QR code and my passport page to verify my identity, a requirement of the major mobile operators in Australia. That’s an important step, as the eSIM only becomes active once you’ve passed through immigration and Optus can verify that you are in the country.
Using the eSIM meant that I could still receive calls and texts from my New Zealand account throughout the trip, but use Optus mobile data to surf the web, research restaurant options and Google Maps to navigate my way around Melbourne, the Barossa Valley, and the Sunshine Coast. There was no scrambling around to find a pin so I could pop out my physical SIM and add an Optus one. This is the best way to stay connected while travelling and many countries’ mobile operators now support eSIM.
Bring your own device
A wide range of mobile phones are dual SIM, effectively allowing the same level of service, but requiring you to get your hands on SIM cards, the physical wafers of plastic and metal that make your account operate. The rise of the eSIM will gradually do away with that, offering a more convenient and sustainable (less packaging) way to activate SIM cards.
Our three big mobile network operators have introduced eSIM capability in the past couple of years. That’s a big win for Kiwi mobile users, given that telecom research company, GSMA Intelligence, indicates that mobile connections in New Zealand, as of January 2023, were the equivalent of 125.6% of the total population.
Many people carry two phones - one for personal use, the other for work use. But the bring-your-own-device movement allows many people to use their personal device for work, even if the boss isn’t willing to shell out for a mobile phone plan. With an eSIM you can accommodate your work and personal numbers on the same device.
A decent range of Alcatel, Apple, Huawei, Oppo and Samsung devices now support eSIM. Some devices allow two eSIMs to be active on the phone (rather than the physical SIM). Set-up is typically an easy process - we activated Optus eSIMs on the Apple iPhone 13 and the Oppo Find X5 Pro with little hassle.
For One NZ, Spark, and 2degrees, setting up an eSIM can be done via the device notification process, which requires you to be connected over a Wi-Fi hotspot if you don’t have existing network access. You simply buy your prepaid or postpaid plan and activate the eSIM account via your device.
If you want to move to a different mobile network operator, you can shift your eSIM number via the established mobile porting process. But if you want to transfer an eSIM to a new phone you will likely have to go into your mobile operator’s store and show some proof of identification.
Smartwatches and tablets
Being able to share your mobile account data, calling and texting allowance with a smartwatch or tablets is another big benefit of using an eSim. Numerous devices from Apple and Samsung are now compatible with eSIM and a subset of devices are supported by the three main mobile network operators. You’ll pay about $300 extra for an Apple Watch with cellular capability and mobile-compatible tablets also come at a premium.
I trialled one of the first Apple eSIM-compatible smartwatches just before the Covid pandemic and it was a revelation as it allowed me to ditch my phone and simply make or receive a quick call or send a text message via the watch. It’s not ideal for all-day use and making lengthy calls drains the watch battery quickly, but it’s great for when you are out walking and don’t want to carry a phone.
The cellphone ban in schools means eSIM-powered smartwatches could be the favoured new way for parents who want to keep in close contact with their kids.
One NZ has its OneNumber add-on, which lets Pay Monthly users with a compatible watch pay $5 a month to share their mobile calling, texting and data allowance with their smartwatch.
Spark’s One Number Wearable Plan costs $7 a month paired with an eligible pay monthly mobile plan.
Take your tablet
Several Apple and Samsung tablets have eSIM capability and some of the mobile operators offer dedicated data plans just for the tablet. For instance, One NZ offers a 40GB monthly tablet-only plan for $20. I don’t see the appeal in doing this. I’d rather just tether my tablet to a personal hotspot created by my smartphone and save some money in the process.
Only the big three mobile operators currently offer eSIM capability. Lower-cost operators such as Skinny and Mighty Mobile don’t yet support eSIM, so you will need to stick with physical SIM cards for the time being.
For travellers, a range of eSIM providers, Airalo and Get Nomad among them, offer eSIM accounts that you can buy before you fly and activate when you get to your destination. But equally, the major mobile operators support eSIM. Do your research ahead of time to make sure your device is compatible and to check whether you need to verify your identification to activate the service.
In the next few years, we’ll likely see physical SIM cards will be phased out altogether, leading to more flexibility around sharing a mobile account across multiple devices and easier transfer of eSIM accounts. That all adds up to less hassle activating mobile accounts, particularly when travelling, and more freedom to leave the phone behind as the wearables’ revolution gathers pace.
