The tyranny of small chips of plastic that slip into your smartphone is at an end. Vodacom has launched eSIM support for smartphones in this country, building on its previous launch of the tech for wearable devices. This isn’t wholly new but the introduction of the option for prepaid, hybrid, and regular contract users is.
If you remember, Apple’s latest iPhones launched a version that only supports an eSIM (embedded Subscriber Identity Module) identifier. That model was confined to specific countries at launch but since Vodacom intends to support “selected…smartphones” using the tech, perhaps we’ll be on the list next time around.
eSIMs for everyone
The stated reason for the change of allowing everyone on the network to access the glories of the embedded SIM is to save the planet. Because that’s a tactic that you have to take in order to secure additional investment in 2023, sure, but also because it’s kinda true. Vodacom’s Davide Tacchino explains that not having to distribute traditional SIM cards with their plastic-and-paper packages will result in less waste roaming the country.
“This in itself will help boost our Green Plan achievements, and further our vision of constantly making a positive difference in the future of our planet, while reducing carbon emissions,” he said.
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There’s also the device integrity aspect. If, as is likely, smartphone launch en masse without SIM trays built in, that’s one more avenue for phone failure closed. Water leakage, a stray nail file, and all those hazards will have to just abuse the screen and speaker ports instead. It’s an undeniable fact that eSIM-enabled devices are rising in popularity. Might as well offer the tech to users on your network.
There are, of course, some terms and conditions involved in getting an eSIM from Vodacom. A few of the processes change — for instance, if you lose a device with an embedded SIM, you’ll have to perform (and pay for) two SIM swaps in order to get your number back. You also shouldn’t download the new digital SIM during load shedding, as if we needed to be told that much. There are a few other important points that you should probably familiarise yourself with.