Every international student from every part of the world always wants to stay connected with their loved ones from time to time. Staying abroad on your own is a big task. However, making this connection from afar is always fraught with difficulties.

High roaming charges, searching for a sim tray ejector to eject your sim card and having no networks are a few of the problems faced by students in foreign countries. Being unable to communicate with family or loved ones, as well as connect to the internet in a foreign country, is always a challenge for anyone.

Today, we are here with the solutions in the form of eSIM to all these problems and how they benefit international students. So let’s go.

What is eSIM?

A SIM card is a tool that allows the customer to access a mobile phone network.

An eSIM is an abbreviation for an Embedded Subscriber Identity Module. An eSIM is a device that combines a programmable chip with a digital identity that stores subscriber-identifying information as well as network authorization data.

The hard and software comprise the entire eSIM, which performs just like the standard physical SIM card.

Let's go through the benefits of eSIM.

  1. No high roaming charges: A traditional or standard SIM card asks for hefty roaming charges whenever you make an international call. It is just a nightmare for all the international students struggling to keep their budget in good condition. In large parts of the world, eSIM cards have more affordable roaming charges as compared to traditional SIM cards. They can even save a lot of money on data plans while purchasing an eSIM card.

 

  1. No Physical SIM needed: To begin with, eSIM eliminates the need to purchase and switch SIM cards for multiple locations. The days of students leaving the airport and going to the first cellular network provider they see to get a new SIM card are long gone. Students can purchase an eSIM card directly online. eSIMs enable international students to stay connected at all times without the need to run out and purchase a physical SIM card.

 

  1. Multiple operators: Another prominent benefit of having an eSIM for international students is the ability to smooth transitions between your home and the host country’s cellular plans. Nowadays, most smartphones allow the user to use up to five eSIM cellular subscriptions on a single device. Another significant benefit of having multiple SIM cards is that some organisations will only deliver messages such as two-factor authentication if you have your home plan SIM inserted into your phone at the same time.

 

  1. No physical harm: In the current era, nano SIM cards are supported by all the new phones all over the world. You are required to reduce your SIM to nano size since that is the only thing your phone supports. Many people have suffered damage while seeking to trim SIM cards into micro or nano sizes. The damage caused during this can sometimes cause certain network problems in the coming months. However, users with eSIM cards on their smartphones no longer need to trim their SIM. It reduces this risk while increasing security and flexibility.

 

  1. Theft proof: As an eSIM is virtual, it can never be lost. But keep in mind that an eSIM is built into the phone. If you misplace or damage your phone, the eSIM cannot be simply removed and replaced on another device. If you are an international student, you can be rest assured that your phone numbers are virtually safe. However, you will not be able to restore your data from cloud storage if you repair or replace your smartphone. You must reinstall the eSIM from your operator exactly as you did the first time. It is also difficult to attack and steal your eSIM using virtual means. To access their phone data, cybercriminals must first navigate strong encryption and platform security. From your amber student accommodation, you can safely communicate with your family and friends. eSIM uses less physical phone space. One advantage of eSIM is that, in due time, they will negate the need for traditional SIM cards and their trays. Smartphone manufacturers can utilise this space to increase the phone’s battery size, or they could even add more features to a handset. eSIMs will also lead to fewer holes in a handset, which means more protection from dust, moisture, and dirt. Eventually, it will cause fewer breakdowns.

However, it has some drawbacks too, so let’s see the disadvantages of the eSIM.

  • Emergency: If your phone stops working, runs out of battery, or simply falls and cracks the screen, communication with your eSIM will be completely shut down. A traditional SIM card, on the other hand, can be quickly pulled from the affected phone and inserted into another backup device or a second phone.
  • Cannot be used in countries that do not support eSIM: eSIM phones cannot be used in countries where the carrier does not yet support the technology. It isn't a problem if your phone supports both an eSIM and a traditional SIM, but it does matter for devices like the US iPhone 14, which relies solely on eSIM.
  • In India, eSIM support is only available on more expensive devices such as the Apple iPhone, Google Pixel series, Samsung Galaxy S series, and Samsung Galaxy Z series phones. All of these are designed so that the average user can get expensive. Also, switching to an eSIM leaves users with fewer choices of devices that support that technology.

Conclusion

We hope that this article helps you to understand the benefits of eSIM cards for international students better. It entails no more plastic, no more fiddling with toothpicks to eject the SIM tray from your phone, and no more swapping your SIM cards when you are abroad.

 

 

October 29, 2022 — Gaurav Khanna