Samsung has overtaken Google in changing bodily SIM to eSIM

Switching out of your previous machine to a shiny new Android cellphone is at all times a nerve-wracking expertise, however it’s a little bit smoother once you improve beneath the identical model. With eSIMs, this course of is about to turn into a lot simpler. Nonetheless, you continue to must deregister the eSIM on the previous machine earlier than you possibly can reactivate it on the brand new machine. Google is engaged on a handy course of for transferring eSIMs from one machine to a different, or changing an previous bodily SIM card (pSIM) into an eSIM. However we now notice that Samsung has overcome this downside with One UI 5.1.

Google has been growing the eSIM switch workflow since round February of this 12 months, when the Android 14 QPR beta generated embedded code to arrange for a SIM-less future. We have been eagerly awaiting the launch of the Pixel 7a and now the Pixel 8. In the meantime, Samsung dropped One UI 5.1 that very same month, making each of those options accessible to many fashions around the globe — a change that caught the eye of Android alpha geeks recently. Mishaal Rahman.

SIM card conversion on One UI

Within the US, Samsung already supported simple eSIM transfers on Verizon, however One UI 5.1 expanded provider assist considerably. Nonetheless, to switch eSIM playing cards, you want suitable Samsung gadgets, and each of them They have to be operating One UI 5.1 or later. The identical primary necessities apply in the event you plan to transform a pSIM to an eSIM. At present, the listing of suitable gadgets could be very quick, and consists of the Galaxy S21, S22, and S23 collection, together with the Z Fold 3, Flip 3, Fold 4, Flip 4, and Word 20 fashions.

There’s an choice to start out switch or switch beneath Settings → hyperlinks → SIM supervisorHowever earlier than you begin the method, there are downsides you need to know. For starters, the listing of suitable gadgets is brief as they have to assist no less than One UI 5.1. Hopefully, these OS necessities will not change sooner or later, as a result of it would make it troublesome for folks to modify to a brand new machine if the older one stops receiving software program updates.

Plus, no less than 1 user on X Notes You can not arrange one eSIM for calling and one solely for cellular knowledge. Samsung forces you to make use of one SIM card for each, as talked about on the SIM switch assist web page. Nonetheless, on the intense aspect, the identical person additionally claims that the automated knowledge switching function will not be obtainable within the US, however the assist documentation states that One UI mechanically makes use of the secondary SIM for knowledge if the popular eSIM can not hook up with the community.

Samsung doesn’t permit establishing one SIM card for calling and one for knowledge

When you can stay with these limitations, switching to an eSIM is a step in the best route. Whereas this can be a Samsung-exclusive function for now, we hope different OEMs will observe Google’s lead after launching Android 14 later this 12 months. The replace will convey assist for correct eSIM card switching and pSIM to eSIM conversion to the plenty. However with Samsung now one step forward, will probably be attention-grabbing to see if Google does something in another way.