eSIM vs. iSIM: What’s the Difference?

2023-02-27

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The concept of SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards has been around since 1991. Since then, SIM cards have been upgraded and modernized to fit the needs of today’s technology. As adaptations are made to our devices, the necessary technology is required to maintain seamless connectivity.

eSIM vs. iSIM

The eSIM (embedded SIM) was introduced to the market in the 2010s more notably established in 2017 when Apple launched eSIM with the Apple Watch Series 3, the first LTE-capable Apple Watch. Over the coming years, a substantial shift occurred toward eSIM adoption with GSMA Intelligence predicting 850 million eSIM smartphone connections globally by 2025 and growing to 6.7 billion by 2030.

However, there are a few types of SIM card solutions on the market, such as the iSIM, and it’s important to know the difference. So, what’s the difference between eSIM and iSIM?

What is eSIM?

A SIM card is a physical, removable chip that is used to connect a device to a mobile network. It’s what pairs that device to the specific carrier. eSIM leverages the SIM card into a universally compatible card that can connect to any cellular carrier or technology.

“A SIM card is a physical, removable chip that is used to connect a device to a mobile network.”
-KORE Wireless

Typically, SIM cards cannot be replaced remotely, and a physical switch is required to change network carriers. The device would need a different SIM card for each carrier it connects to – the carrier profile is unique to each SIM. With eSIM, you have a carrier-agnostic approach because profiles are downloadable, meaning when you switch from one carrier to another, it occurs digitally, instead of physically as is the case with traditional SIMs.

What is iSIM?

An iSIM (integrated SIM) is a small chip that can be embedded in a device to store the user’s SIM card data. The user’s SIM card is not required to be inserted into the device, but rather it transmits data via iSIM. Similar to eSIMs, iSIMs replace the need for a physical SIM card. iSIMs have been available since 2016 and have remained uncommon in the market; although, the iSIM is positioned to be the next step in the evolution of SIM cards.

Benefits of eSIM

iSIM offers great connectivity for specific solutions. However, it is not projected to take over the eSIM market. Some of the main benefits of iSIM can be seen in more consumer-facing products, such as small wearable devices.

Because eSIM technology can support multiple carrier profiles, the result is future-proofed and reliable. The impact of eSIM on IoT is comprehensive and the benefits can look like this:

Future-proof connectivity
No more swapping costs
Simplified logistics
Maximizing ROI
Global coverage

Cellular
SIM
Connectivity
eSIM
iSIM

Cellular
SIM
Connectivity
eSIM
iSIM

参考译文

eSIM和iSIM:有什么不同?

SIM(用户识别模块)卡的概念始于1991年。从那时起，SIM卡不断升级和现代化，以适应当今技术的需求。随着对我们的设备进行调整，需要必要的技术来保持无缝连接。eSIM(嵌入式SIM卡)于2010年代引入市场，尤其是在2017年，当时苹果公司推出了eSIM Apple Watch Series 3，这是第一款支持lte的Apple Watch。在未来几年，eSIM的采用发生了重大转变，GSMA Intelligence预测，到2025年，全球eSIM智能手机连接数将达到8.5亿，到2030年将增长到67亿。然而，市场上有一些类型的SIM卡解决方案，如iSIM，了解它们的区别很重要。那么，eSIM和iSIM有什么区别呢?SIM卡是一种物理的、可移动的芯片，用于将设备连接到移动网络。它是将设备与特定的运营商配对。eSIM利用SIM卡成为一个普遍兼容的卡，可以连接到任何蜂窝运营商或技术。“SIM卡是一种物理的、可移动的芯片，用于将设备连接到移动网络。”一般情况下，SIM卡不能远程更换，更换网络运营商需要物理交换机。设备需要为它连接的每个运营商提供不同的SIM卡——每个SIM卡的运营商配置文件都是唯一的。在eSIM中，你有一种与运营商无关的方法，因为配置文件是可下载的，这意味着当你从一个运营商切换到另一个运营商时，它以数字方式发生，而不是像传统模拟人生那样以物理方式发生。iSIM(集成SIM卡)是一种可以嵌入设备中的小芯片，用于存储用户的SIM卡数据。用户的SIM卡不需要插入设备，而是通过iSIM传输数据。与esim类似，isim取代了对物理SIM卡的需求。自2016年以来，isim已经上市，在市场上仍然不常见;尽管，iSIM被定位为SIM卡发展的下一步。iSIM为特定的解决方案提供了强大的连接性。但预计不会占领eSIM市场。iSIM的一些主要好处可以在更多面向消费者的产品中看到，比如小型可穿戴设备。由于eSIM技术可以支持多个载波配置文件，因此结果是经得起未来考验的和可靠的。eSIM对物联网的影响是全面的，其好处如下:

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