Ask HN: What's Your Experience with eSIMs?
Recently, I decided to upgrade my SIM plan on O2, the UK's largest mobile network operator. At the time, I was using a physical SIM card but was intrigued by the idea of switching to an eSIM. eSIMs offer some great benefits, like the ability to use two numbers on a single-slot phone and the added security of not being physically removable, though the latter wasn’t my main concern.
I was using an Android device when I made the switch, and a few months later, I upgraded to a new Android phone. The O2 app allowed me to install the eSIM on my new device, but I quickly ran into trouble. Despite following the installation steps, my phone had no signal. The dreaded notification 'SIM 2 not provisioned' kept popping up. I tried everything—deleting and reinstalling the eSIM multiple times, leaving it overnight in hopes it would activate, and even turning off the old device to avoid conflicts. Nothing worked.
In a last-ditch effort, I deleted the eSIM from my old phone entirely, thinking that might solve the problem. But that only made things worse—now I couldn’t install the eSIM on any device. When I called O2 for help, they informed me that their system still registered my SIM as a physical one. To make matters worse, the system was stuck in a processing state, waiting for the eSIM installation to complete before moving forward. Their advice? Wait for 3-5 days for the process to time out because there was nothing else they could do—not even a visit to the store would help.
So here I am, stuck in a tech limbo, waiting for time to do what technology couldn’t. It’s a stark reminder that while new tech can be exciting, it’s not always smooth sailing.
What's your experience?
75 comments
[ 2.6 ms ] story [ 150 ms ] threadI use the esim for work. Works great transferred a real sim to it via online portal, cost me $120aud for whole year plan, unlimited calls and text.
Personally, I used them with great success traveling RTW. Being able to still use my home number (on rare occasions) while having a cheap local eSIM was great. Usually just for data (navigating) but sometimes having a local number was also useful. The apps generally sell overpriced eSIMs, unsurprisingly, but are very convenient. Don’t really have a reason for two sims in my home country though.
iPhone 15 fwiw
Sorry to hear you’re having issues.
https://redgreenrepeat.com/2024/05/12/traveling-and-your-int...
From your post and experience - I can see eSIM would be a rough experience - my main line at home is still a SIM and the eSIM is optional
For example they charge you $23 for 10 gig in Central Asia there but if you get a local eSIM it’s $5 for the same and $10 for unlimited. I just WiFi hopped because there was bugger all reception out there anyway.
I would also use eSIM for the main SIM, but the local monopolist telecom do not give this option yet.
I've also had eSIMs from FirstNet and AT&T, no problems there either. Running dual-sim hasn't been a problem either on any of my Galaxy or iPhones.
We've just switched mobile providers at work, and the eSIMs were a monumental headache. A lot of it was user error, but ultimately it's hard to cock-up taking a physical SIM out and putting a new one in.
As a secondary they're great. I had awful speeds on Lebara in Prague on my main SIM, so grabbed a 3-day one off Nomad just for data.
I experienced some, but to me https://etravelsim.com/ is good choice (europe and balcans)
support impressive (super responsive) plus you get a uk number, free calls to other their esim... just discovered this e-sim world thanks to HN: it is the future
Not sure if it's an eSIM issue or that the service (Ubigi in this case) that fronts the cellular network just can't operate it smoothly or what.
Or the bands supported by your phone. Could be any of these possibilities
It would be nice if there was a more hands-off approach when crossing a border, or some sort of "do whatever is going to cost me the least amount of money" approach to roaming and having two SIMs.
Also it was kinda cool having two lines for a day before I left.
IIRC the rates are not competitive compared to local plans though, so not sure if it's worth it for you.
I dumped my Pixel 6A and O2 a couple of years back after a roaming shit show in Iceland where they billed me £400 and went iOS and Giffgaff. Despite giffgaff being the same company in theory keeping a physical sim with them has been trouble free. And I just add an additional eSIM when travelling wherever and everything just works! Giffgaff gives you 5Gb of roaming a month as well in Europe which is good enough for the odd weekend here and there if you are careful and enable low data mode.
I don't travel internationally, these days, so I know that I'm not a "power user," but my experience has been great.
Does what it says on the tin.
From what I hear, Apple is considering going all eSIM, on future phones. There may be nations, where that won't wash, though.
Already there. My iPhone 15PM does not have a SIM slot, and I think that is true for the entire iPhone 15 lineup.
Anecdotally, I've used three eSIMs in my iPhone 15 (only two are allowed to be active at the same time, though), and my wife has a physical SIM and an eSIM on her older iPhone, and we've not experienced any weird behavior.
Nothing else changed in my usage, and eSIM only worked fine, it was just when the physical sim and the eSIM were both active that the battery drained super fast (like more than double the usual rate).
YMMhaveV of course.
I have a phone with dual physical SIM card slots. I can go to any country in the world, buy a SIM, put it in, and am up and running. eSIM provisioning at airports is barely available in few coubtries.
I broke the display of my phone? Easy, remove the SIM and put it in a spare phone and I can still make and receive calls.
We just did exactly this a couple weeks ago when we went to the UK & France. Super easy, as soon as the plane took off I toggled roaming off on my regular US line, and turned on the traveling eSIM when we landed. Bam, phone works as normal, still gets calls and texts, etc, but way cheaper than paying roaming charges.
Happy ending though, I switched to US Mobile with an eSIM and disputed the monthly charge by Total on my credit card since I paid for service not provided.
Especially around the turn down of 3g, some US carriers were picky about the phone you used (must support VoLTE on their network or not allowed on a phone plan), but to my knowledge they wouldn't ban your sim, maybe just the phone after some notifications.
Seriously, my Airbnb account has been broken for TWO MONTHS because Airbnb:
1. Uses SMS (only) for 2FA. For a fucking international travel company.
2. They don't support VOIP numbers for SMS 2FA. An issue I reported to them at least 4 times over the past 2 years.
I'm sorry, but what the fuck is wrong with people. Not everyone uses an iPhone, and even then, I'm pretty sure those iPhone carriers will NOT DELIVER SMS WHEN IM IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
If I could donate 10% of my salary to just sending boxes of dog shit to the AirBnb C-Suite, I would.