One thing you won't find on the new Razr is a SIM card slot. The eSIM is still young, and as such the process for things like activation and support from carriers and phone-makers will need to be streamlined (more on both of those aspects below), but one thing is clear: One day soon, we'll be able to instantly switch between carriers with just a few taps on our phone's display. Of course, no SIM card slot likely means no microSD card slot for adding additional storage, a change that phone-makers are also migrating toward. Without a removable SIM card tray and the precious space that it requires, phone-makers will be able to squeeze larger batteries inside a phone's housing or use the extra space for additional cameras or new features. Unlike carrier-locked SIM cards that restrict you from switching between carriers, an eSIM can be programmed and reprogrammed as needed, allowing you to hop between carriers or cancel and start service without having to get a new SIM card each time. Here's everything you need to know about eSIM technology and why it will start to matter. What exactly is an eSIM and why should you care? Glad you asked. Alongside technological advances when it comes to displays, the SIM card is changing - and it's for the better. Without a SIM card, our phones can't connect to our wireless carriers, and may as well be iPods. An eSIM does the same thing, but instead of a plastic chip you can remove from your phone, it's part of your phone's internal components.Īdmittedly, an eSIM isn't nearly as exciting as a foldable screen or a camera that can take pictures in the dark, but it's a vital part of our phones. For others, like the iPhone 11 and Galaxy S20, you can have two phone numbers assigned to one phone.Ī SIM card is the essential ingredient in connecting your phone to a cellular network, making calls and sending texts using your phone number.
For some, like the Razr, you can ditch your plastic SIM card altogether. Samsung's Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip are joining the iPhone 11, Pixel 4, Galaxy Fold and the new, foldable Motorola Razr as the small handful of phones that use a new technology called eSIM.
Plastic SIM cards will soon be a thing of the past.