▲ The evolution of the sim card

From September 1st, the three mobile carriers (SK Telecom, KT, LG U+) will start the E-SIM service. E-SIM is an abbreviation for Embedded Sim. It is a sim that contains information necessary to render a mobile phone usable. It is a digital sim that is embedded in the mobile phone in the form of a chipset, rather than a form that requires a physical removable SIM card.

The iPhone supports E-SIM services beginning with iPhone XS, XS MAX, XR, and later models. The E-SIM service can be set up by scanning the QR code provided by the mobile carrier, using the carrier’s app, directly entering confirmation information, installing a designated plan, or sending the E-SIM of the previous iPhone. In the case of Galaxy, E-SIM service is supported from Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip 4. With your device connected to the Internet, you can set it up by selecting the following: Connection; SIM Card Manager; Add Mobile Plan; Search Plan, or you can scan and add the carrier QR code.

A service that mobile carriers advertised a lot when promoting E-SIM, is that you can use two phone numbers, with one smartphone. This is because there are many dual-SIM models that support E-SIM, as well as U-SIM smartphones. In addition, phones using an E-SIM do not need a SIM tray, so the weight of the cell phone can be reduced. It can be used by freely changing the plans of various carriers. Additionally, the issuance cost is low, and it has the advantage that it can be used after registering, simply through the app or QR code. In short, E-Sim can store multiple carrier profiles, so you can use the plan of the mobile carriers in multiple countries. In other words, it is possible to reduce the hassle in the roaming process when traveling to another country. It should be noted that download costs may be incurred because a new E-SIM must be issued every time the device is changed. Additionally, to use a dual sim to prevent the usage of burner phones, the name must be the same. The Kakao Talk app can’t be installed by phone number because the app can’t be duplicated on the iPhone. Besides, the dominant limitation is that current Samsung users must have a Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip 4 to use the E-SIM service.

The existing two-number service similar to E-SIM, is a service in which a carrier gives an arbitrary virtual number and provides two mobile phone numbers to the user. Like the E-SIM, having two numbers on one cell phone is the same, but there is a difference that it is not completely separated. Therefore, it is impossible to authenticate itself. Since it is not possible to separate apps that require personal authentication, such as Kakao Talk, from existing numbers, it is possible to simply make calls and text messages with virtual numbers. However, it is unclear which number the message was received from. Due to the fact that E-SIM can be completely separated, it is inevitably higher in price than the two-number models. In terms of cost, if you want to use two numbers, but you don't need additional services such as data, and you only want to make calls and texts, it would be better to use the two-number service.

If you want to separate your personal number from your external number for business purposes, or if you are a student working in a profession that exposes a lot of phone numbers such as delivery, check if the phone you are using is a model that supports E-SIM.

By Kim Na-young, cub-reporter  skdud2986@naver.com

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