An iPhone without a physical SIM card or tray is rumored for 2022. While it has several benefits for the user, there is someone we haven’t counted in this equation: the carriers. In theory, eSIM makes it easy to switch from one telephone operator to another, reducing barriers to entry and exit.
However, not all are intended for the work of make the market more fluid. In Europe, operators charge a one-off fee of up to $ 14.50 to register an eSIM. An amount much higher than that of traditional physical SIM.
Up to 14.50 dollars for the registration of an eSIM
Operators are clear that eSIM is the future. It greatly simplifies the management of new registrations, eliminating the administrative and logistical component of sending a traditional SIM. But that doesn’t mean some don’t want to charge for it. As we have been able to verify in Applesfera, the different telephone operators have these rates for the registration of an eSIM like the iPhone:
These are all the companies that currently offer the eSIM service in Europe. As one can see, virtual operators are those who offer eSIM for free, while Movistar or Orange prefer to charge it. This is perhaps a reading on which operators view the reduction of barriers between telephone companies more favorably.
Apple allows the “transfer” or maintenance of eSIM data rates
From iPhone 11, Apple has integrated an eSIM in its terminals. This allows you to have two phone numbers on your iPhone or choose a single rate with eSIM. As it is a virtual SIM, already integrated into the device, we wonder what happens to it if we modify or restore it.
Fortunately, Apple has thought about it and has two tools:
- Restore the iPhone while keeping the data plan. By deleting all content from the iPhone, you can choose to keep the eSIM mobile plan.
- When setting up a new iPhone with Quick Start, it will ask you if you want to transfer the eSIM while keeping your number and your data plan.
The conditions for registering and withdrawing an eSIM may be changed in the future as this format becomes popular.
Unfortunately, if the iPhone is lost or stolen, we will have to go to the operator to get a new eSIM package for iPhone. Of course, we keep our phone number, the only downside is that we may have to go through the box, as we have seen.
Although Apple makes these two tools available to the user, the operator may have chosen to block them. There are cases in which the user has to pay for a new eSIM activation, as with Movistar.
