A Mobile Misstep: Why I Regret Ditching My Physical SIM Card for an eSIM
For a long time, switching between mobile phones was as easy as swiping through your phonebook. But with the rise of embedded SIMs (eSIM), that convenience has come at a steep price – regret.
Once ubiquitous SIM cards, those small plastic slips of information are now on the verge of extinction. Phone manufacturers have started dropping the SIM slot, and Google has finally joined the fray with its Pixel 10 series. But I took the plunge far too soon, and boy, do I wish I hadn't.
The eSIM revolution began in 2016, slowly gaining traction as a secondary option in smartphones. Instead of holding your phone number on a removable card, an eSIM is a programmable, nonremovable component soldered to the circuit board. This allows you to store multiple SIMs and swap between them in software – but it also takes up less space.
Apple was the first major smartphone maker to force the use of eSIM with its iPhone 14, and now Google has followed suit. But while Apple's move made sense, switching to an eSIM for me was a costly mistake. The process of setting up my new phone was far more complicated than I expected, and it often left me feeling frustrated.
The biggest problem? Losing access to your phone number when you need it most. When I had to switch between phones on a daily basis – as I did during my time reviewing multiple devices each month – I never had a problem with my SIM card. But since switching to an eSIM, I've needed to move my number only occasionally, and even then, it's been a hassle.
Google's built-in tools have made things slightly easier, but carriers still bear the brunt of responsibility for fixing these issues. The experience is far more frustrating than using a physical SIM card, which is essentially foolproof. Swapping out a tiny piece of plastic takes seconds – and it never requires you to sit on hold with your carrier's support agents or drive to a store.
The implications go beyond just phone switching. Our reliance on SMS for multifactor authentication is flawed. Phone numbers are too important to be unguarded, but carriers' current approach guarantees bad experiences in the era of eSIMs.
So what's next? There needs to be a better way to confirm account ownership when an eSIM glitches – one that doesn't rely on outdated SMS technology. Google's Fi app comes close, offering secure downloads and setup via the same security settings as your Google account. But it's still not enough to make up for the hassle of switching to an eSIM.
In the end, it's hard to justify the 8% boost in battery life over a convenient SIM card swap. The convenience we've lost is too great a cost. We should be looking for ways to fix our broken system – not blindly adopting new technologies that make things more complicated.
For a long time, switching between mobile phones was as easy as swiping through your phonebook. But with the rise of embedded SIMs (eSIM), that convenience has come at a steep price – regret.
Once ubiquitous SIM cards, those small plastic slips of information are now on the verge of extinction. Phone manufacturers have started dropping the SIM slot, and Google has finally joined the fray with its Pixel 10 series. But I took the plunge far too soon, and boy, do I wish I hadn't.
The eSIM revolution began in 2016, slowly gaining traction as a secondary option in smartphones. Instead of holding your phone number on a removable card, an eSIM is a programmable, nonremovable component soldered to the circuit board. This allows you to store multiple SIMs and swap between them in software – but it also takes up less space.
Apple was the first major smartphone maker to force the use of eSIM with its iPhone 14, and now Google has followed suit. But while Apple's move made sense, switching to an eSIM for me was a costly mistake. The process of setting up my new phone was far more complicated than I expected, and it often left me feeling frustrated.
The biggest problem? Losing access to your phone number when you need it most. When I had to switch between phones on a daily basis – as I did during my time reviewing multiple devices each month – I never had a problem with my SIM card. But since switching to an eSIM, I've needed to move my number only occasionally, and even then, it's been a hassle.
Google's built-in tools have made things slightly easier, but carriers still bear the brunt of responsibility for fixing these issues. The experience is far more frustrating than using a physical SIM card, which is essentially foolproof. Swapping out a tiny piece of plastic takes seconds – and it never requires you to sit on hold with your carrier's support agents or drive to a store.
The implications go beyond just phone switching. Our reliance on SMS for multifactor authentication is flawed. Phone numbers are too important to be unguarded, but carriers' current approach guarantees bad experiences in the era of eSIMs.
So what's next? There needs to be a better way to confirm account ownership when an eSIM glitches – one that doesn't rely on outdated SMS technology. Google's Fi app comes close, offering secure downloads and setup via the same security settings as your Google account. But it's still not enough to make up for the hassle of switching to an eSIM.
In the end, it's hard to justify the 8% boost in battery life over a convenient SIM card swap. The convenience we've lost is too great a cost. We should be looking for ways to fix our broken system – not blindly adopting new technologies that make things more complicated.
they were supposed to make things easier but now I regret ditching my physical SIM card so much 
it's like the whole process is still super complicated and frustrating 
losing access to your phone number when you need it most? no thanks 
not worth the extra battery life for me 
at least with a physical SIM, I could just swap out my card in seconds 
no waiting on hold or dealing with carrier support 
we need a better way to confirm account ownership when eSIMs glitch 
I mean, who needs to deal with some complicated setup process and potential number issues when you can just pop in a new SIM card? 
. It's like they're trying to make things more complicated than they have to be 
#EsimBlues It's like they took away something easy and convenient and replaced it with a whole lot of hassle 
. And don't even get me started on the carriers not being able to support it properly 
. I'm still rocking my old SIM card and I'm not looking back 
#SIMCardForever
. We need to find a better way to confirm account ownership without relying on outdated tech. Google's Fi app is a step in the right direction, but it's just not enough 
. I miss my physical SIM card days - they were foolproof and didn't require me to sit on hold for hours with customer support 
. We need to go back to basics here and find a better way to do things 
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. We need to fix our broken system and find better ways to manage phone switching - otherwise, I'll be sticking with my old SIM card forever 
. I love how Google has made setting up my new phone so much easier, it's like they're trying to make the process as painless as possible! And let's be real, the extra 8% battery life is totally worth giving up on old-school sim cards 
. What's next, you're gonna tell me that paper bills are better than digital transactions? Give me a break! 
And now they're phasing out physical SIMs... it's so inconvenient 
Now, because of eSIM, I have to deal with all these complicated software updates and whatnot 
. The security thing is also super valid - phone numbers are way too important for SMS to be the solution! 
. Just stick with physical SIMs in my book – they may be old tech, but at least they're reliable 
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i think the problem is that carriers are not doing enough to support eSIMs yet 
. But at what cost? We're paying the price in convenience and frustration 
. We need reliable tools and processes in place so we don't have to sit on hold waiting for someone to fix the issue 
. Your Fi app is a great start, but it's not enough to make up for the hassle of switching to an eSIM.
. It's time to find a better way to confirm account ownership when an eSIM glitches without relying on outdated SMS technology 
. At least that way, I know what I'm getting 
Losing access to my phone number is such a hassle, especially when I need it most. And don't even get me started on having to sit on hold with my carrier's support agents every time something goes wrong 
. Like, who needs 8% boost in battery life when you can swap out your SIM card in seconds?