Most of us are familiar with SIM cards: a small, physical card that is inserted into our phones and ties your phone to a specific carrier. A SIM card gives your phone a verifiable identifier to phone carrier networks. In order to avoid outrageous roaming fees when you traveled, you’d switch out your SIM card for a local one and save some money.

Apple has hinted at getting rid of physical SIM cards in their phones for a while, and as of September 2022 they’ve done it with their new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro release. This is the biggest difference between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14. What does this mean for you and your future travels?

Why did Apple switch to eSim only?

SIM cards have gone through a couple of iterations. The current micro-SIM we have in our phones now used to be a larger, full-sized SIM card with more plastic around it. Micro-SIMs cut out the extra plastic and the next logical step was the eSIM because in a digital world, we don’t need a physical SIM card to connect a phone to a network or carrier. A lot of new phones can use eSIMs anyway, beginning with the iPhone 11, and most Android phones are already eSIM-compatible as well. Moving away from a physical SIM card in the phone opens up some physical space inside the phone and makes way for extra components, a bigger battery, a bigger screen, and any other way to optimize and make phones sleeker.

How do you get an eSIM?

Let’s say you’re signing up to a new phone service (AT&T, Mint Mobile, Verizon, take your pick)… most of the major carriers offer an eSIM version of their service, meaning you sign up online or in store, take a picture of a QR code from your new phone, and you’ll begin setting up your new eSIM card.

Is setting up an eSIM complicated? How do you set up an eSIM?

Despite the convenience of not having a physical SIM card, setting up an eSIM can get a little tricky. The process isn’t always intuitive if you’re doing it on your own and can be confusing. If you trade in your old iPhone for an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro, your eSIM will come already set up to use in the United States.

But if you’re an international traveler and setting up an eSIM to avoid international roaming fees, you’ll look to use a service like Airalo, for example. You’ll purchase the eSIM, which will come with data loaded, for the location to which you’re traveling. Make sure you follow set-up instructions carefully, as it’s possibly to mess up and nullify the eSIM. If that happens, you’ll have to purchase a new one and start over in the set up process.

Get caught up on how to use and set up eSIMs now!

If you’re planning to upgrade your iPhone and you have an iPhone 14 bought in the U.S. and you travel overseas, remember you won’t be able to insert a physical SIM card into your phone (physical SIMs are still prevalent around the world), so don’t go to a local shop asking for one without specifying that you can only use an eSIM. You can also find a service online and complete the process on your own. Look here for some information on how to use eSIMs for help.

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