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Demystifying ESIM Technology [video]

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Re: Demystifying ESIM Technology [video]

#41

Post by notpushkin »

flotzam wrote: post #39
notpushkin wrote: post #25

Any idea how one can get hands on consumer-profile eUICC cards (or chips)? I've wanted to play around with eSIM (and perhaps use it for travel purposes), but don't want to upgrade my phone just yet. Found this one, but it's for testing only: https://www.smartjac.biz/esim-subscription-management/consum...

https://esim.me is selling an eUICC-on-a-physical-SIM card. The only part that sucks is that you have to provision eSIM profiles through their proprietary Android app. Someone please reverse engineer it?

After some research I've found this thread on XDA: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/a-tricky-way-to-use-esim-...

Seems like it should be possible to solder an eUICC chip to a SIM-card form factor board and use it with OpenEUICC. [1] Somebody is even selling those pre-soldered on Taobao: https://shop104192953.world.taobao.com/

Later in that thread, somebody also reported that OpenEUICC works with eSIM.me's cards, too. If you have one of these, can you give it a try perhaps?

[1]: https://gitea.angry.im/PeterCxy/OpenEUICC, https://github.com/AndroPlus-org/magisk-module-openeuicc

Re: Demystifying ESIM Technology [video]

#42

Post by HumblyTossed »

mrtksn wrote: post #40
HumblyTossed wrote: post #38

For those with multiple phones, how easy is switching back and forth?

Unfortunately, the support for transferring eSIM between devices is not universal and some operators choose not to support it and charge money for each transfer(i.e. charge money to generate a QR code). The tech is fine but the greedy telcos don't miss the opportunity to screw us over.

Well crap. I guess for the foreseeable future it’s an iPhone 13.

Re: Demystifying ESIM Technology [video]

#43

Post by flotzam »

notpushkin wrote: post #41
flotzam wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://esim.me is selling an eUICC-on-a-physical-SIM card. The only part that sucks is that you have to provision eSIM profiles through their proprietary Android app. Someone please reverse engineer it?

After some research I've found this thread on XDA: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/a-tricky-way-to-use-esim-... Seems like it should be possible to solder an eUICC chip to a SIM-card form factor board and use it with OpenEUICC. [1] Somebody is even selling those pre-soldered on Taobao: https://shop104192953.world.taobao.com/ Later in that thread, somebody also reported that OpenEUICC works with eSIM.me's cards, to…

Nice, thanks for the links! (I don't own one, sorry)

Re: Demystifying ESIM Technology [video]

#44

Post by costco »

notpushkin wrote: post #25

Any idea how one can get hands on consumer-profile eUICC cards (or chips)? I've wanted to play around with eSIM (and perhaps use it for travel purposes), but don't want to upgrade my phone just yet. Found this one, but it's for testing only: https://www.smartjac.biz/esim-subscription-management/consum...

Anyone know what the cost of starting a thin e-sim only "MVNO" would be? I've seen offerings like https://gigs.com but I assume due to NDAs there's no public pricing. Wondering what it would take to to offer something along the lines of Airalo or like the "me.ONE" plan offered on esim.me.

Re: Demystifying ESIM Technology [video]

#45

Post by yosito »

wkat4242 wrote: post #11
raincom wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People use Airalo app to buy eSIMs, wherever they travel to. One can buy eSIM even before you land in foreign lands. I don't have experience with Airalo, but many recommended that app on this site.

Ah ok, but that's only for temporary use, it's not intended for real permanent usage, right? I'll consider it if I ever travel outside of europe though (roaming inside EU was fixed several years ago luckily).

What makes you think it's for temporary use? I've been using it for over a year as my only data plan.

Re: Demystifying ESIM Technology [video]

#47

Post by SeriousM »

wkat4242 wrote: post #3

For who wonders about the waving cat: These are used a lot at hacker conferences to check if the cams are still working (and not frozen). Shenanigans on the network are of course common at these events :) So they are put on the stages while nothing is on. This was a big success and it turned out to be a bit of a mascotte :P They've become a permanent fixture now.

I thought it's a smart way to combat video cutting

Re: Demystifying ESIM Technology [video]

#48

Post by jdietrich »

vladvasiliu wrote: post #21
wkat4242 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in Europe and I've had very poor experiences with local carriers in getting an eSIM :( Most of them outright refuse unless you are on a mobile contract plan with them (I'm not, I hate contracts so I only use prepay). On prepay they don't want to support it here in Spain for whatever stupid reason even though I've had my prepay number for 10 years. They also levy much more restrictions on the whole ordeal: Usually…

> the whole idea of eSIM was to make things easier for the customer, not harder and more restrictive. I remember reading an article in a French newspaper about how carriers were "uncomfortable" with the eSIM because it severed "the last connection" between them and their customers. The latter would basically no longer have a reason to "interact" with the former. I don't quite see how that's a bad thing. The less you…

>I remember reading an article in a French newspaper about how carriers were "uncomfortable" with the eSIM because it severed "the last connection" between them and their customers.

That's a very delicate euphemism for "eSIM makes it easier to switch networks, which would increase churn and eat into our margins".

Re: Demystifying ESIM Technology [video]

#49

Post by musictubes »

housemusicfan wrote: post #35
gorbypark wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't have the time to look, but I saw a YouTube video where someone swapped the dual physical sim daughterboard from a Chinese iPhone into an American one. It fit and it worked. I'm about 80% sure it was a dual eSIM only American model (14), but it's possible it was a single SIM/single eSIM one (13 and below). Anyways, I am pretty sure the space is there and is just unused.

Amazing, just found a video where they add a SIM slot to a US iPhone 14. The space is there and the slot just plugs right in. It required removing some resistors (to reroute the data lines from the eSIM to the slot). They didn't even cut a hole in the chassis for the SIM tray; they inserted the card before closing the lid. This proves it was purely a marketing move which makes the decision even more insane.

As soon as a critical mass of carriers across the world adopt esim the space will absolutely be used for something else. Apple is forcing the issue, trying to force carriers to adopt it. No other phone company has the leverage that Apple does. They have a lock on the majority of high value customers. A carrier that does not support the latest iPhone will lose customers to one that does. I expect more countries to be esim only for the iPhone 15. I think China will be the big issue, don’t think any carriers there support it. And of course the carriers there aren’t exactly subject to competitive pressures.

As to why Apple is pushing esim I can imagine several reasons. Number 1 is just the space in the phone itself. I also think that Apple would love a world where people didn’t go the carrier stores. More people would buy directly from them and then get pitched all the Apple stuff instead of the carrier’s. Everything from accessories to insurance. I do think the world will much better once carriers are reduced to utilities and I think widespread esim usage would go a long ways towards that.

Re: Demystifying ESIM Technology [video]

#50

Post by TeMPOraL »

vladvasiliu wrote: post #21
wkat4242 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in Europe and I've had very poor experiences with local carriers in getting an eSIM :( Most of them outright refuse unless you are on a mobile contract plan with them (I'm not, I hate contracts so I only use prepay). On prepay they don't want to support it here in Spain for whatever stupid reason even though I've had my prepay number for 10 years. They also levy much more restrictions on the whole ordeal: Usually…

> the whole idea of eSIM was to make things easier for the customer, not harder and more restrictive. I remember reading an article in a French newspaper about how carriers were "uncomfortable" with the eSIM because it severed "the last connection" between them and their customers. The latter would basically no longer have a reason to "interact" with the former. I don't quite see how that's a bad thing. The less you…

> because it severed "the last connection" between them and their customers. The latter would basically no longer have a reason to "interact" with the former.

I love how they put this because it's exactly how I phrase my general objection to and avoidance of SaaS and other kinds of services. I do NOT want to have a relationship with every single vendor. Managing relationships is costly. Most of the time, those relationships are highly abusive towards the customer. And they're almost always artificial anyway; they exist entirely to let the vendor keep a sales channel open. That's exactly what I do not want as a customer.

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