Physical SIM cards have been around since the dawn of the mobile phone, though that may not be the case for long. SIM cards are being replaced by eSIMs – slowly but surely. Here’s a list of every US carrier that supports eSIM on Android devices.
What is eSIM?
Simply put, eSIM is the next step in mobile carriers. Rather than relying on a physical SIM card, Android devices are capable of downloading a SIM profile, which is just a virtual version. This provides a number of benefits to the customer.
One big upside is the speed at which a SIM can be obtained. Rather than waiting for one to be shipped and then taking the time to insert and activate one, you can just download one from the carrier itself and have a new phone plan up and running within minutes.
Unfortunately, in its current state, eSIM is sort of a pain to get a hold of. Carriers are able to implement the new standard, though some face compatibility issues in being able to provide them. In my own experience with Visible, obtaining one is difficult and makes way for some other possible issues.
Of course, that’s the fun of implementing a new standard. There are a few bugs along the way, but once they’re worked out, it hopefully becomes commonplace later on down the road.
Carriers that make eSIM available to Android users
While eSIM is growing among certain carriers, it’s still a bit messy. Most carriers that do support the new standard only support it within iOS devices. If they do support Android devices, you may find that it’s limited to either Samsung-made Galaxy devices or Google’s Pixel series.
Here’s our list of every US carrier that supports eSIM for Android devices:
In order to check if your device is compatible, you’ll need to head to that carrier and likely do an IMEI check. Once you do that, the site will let you know if your Android device is compatible. As mentioned, most of these support Samsung devices.
Can I switch to another carrier with eSIM?
Remember how we said that most carriers’ eSIM setup on Android was a bit messy? Well, that may have been an understatement. In reality, eSIM is still very much a mess. Most carriers won’t let you switch with your current number and require you to activate a new one if you’re using an eSIM on their service. We’re not entirely sure why this is the protocol for some carriers, though it’s incredibly frustrating and can leave users such as myself stuck on a plan without a current way to switch my number.
The best-case scenario is if you plan on switching to a carrier from one plan to another with a physical SIM. In that case, removing the physical and activating an eSIM on the new carrier should – in theory – allow you to keep your old number and download your new eSIM profile into your device.
While some carriers do support eSIM, it isn’t nearly as widespread as we’d like to see. With the increasing demand for the new standard being implemented correctly, we’ll likely see more carriers expand support for Android devices. On top of that, we’ll be fortunate if the woes that come with the current eSIM protocol are fixed.
More on eSIM:
- I converted my Visible SIM card to an eSIM on Android: Here’s what happened
- Verizon’s Visible expands eSIM support on Android to Google Pixel and Samsung devices
- More carriers to support Pixel 3 eSIM as Google helping build more eSIM Android phones
Author: Andrew Romero
Source: 9TO5Google
