eSIM adoption is on the rise thanks to travel and device compatibility

Summary

As a technology, eSIM has been around for a decade now. However, global eSIM adoption was around 3% last year and will only cross 5% this year. Despite these figures, analysts, eSIM-providing startups, and investors are bullish about eSIM’s upward trajectory, largely thanks to travel. Device compatibility One of the key factors for that is phone makers launching devices with eSIM features. The first batch of smartphones with eSIM arrived in 2017 and 2018, with the Pixel 2 and the iPhone XR among the most notable phones. In 2022, Apple ditched the physical SIM slot to go eSIM-only for the U.S. market, and Google followed suit with the Pixel 10 this year. Image Credits: GSMA This year, Apple upped the ante by releasing the eSIM-only iPhone Air and offering an eSIM-only model of the iPhone 17 series in more than 11 countries as an option. One key advantage of these eSIM-only phones is that they offer slightly larger battery life than the models with a physical SIM slot. Analytics firm Counterpoint said that in 2024, the penetration of smartphones with eSIM was just 23%. The U.S. is the strongest market for eSIM, with 41% of devices launched in 2024 having eSIM capabilities. Until recently, eSIM has been a feature of top-end devices, but that is changing slowly. GSMA said that just in the first half of 2025, brands have launched than 60 eSIM-enabled smartphones. Techcrunch event San Francisco | October 13-15, 2026 China can be a major factor in eSIM’s adoption. This October, after the launch of Apple’s eSIM-only phone and a few hiccups, China’s telecom providers began offering eSIM support. Pablo Iacopino, an analyst at GSMA, said local manufacturers like Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo will also likely launch more eSIM-native or supported devices. Image Credits: GSMA These manufacturers have a big share in economically sensitive markets in Asia and Africa. They can gradually include eSIM support across price ranges to support the domestic demand. “Chinese brands, when t...