After the iPhone Xs, Google also jumps on virtual SIM cards. From the next few days will be available in Great Britain and Germany Pixel 3 with eSIM
Even in Europe will soon come support for eSIM on Google Pixel 3 smartphones: it was announced by Google itself, with a post on its blog. The first European countries where it will be possible to use an eSIM on the Pixel 3 are Germany, thanks to the agreement with network operators Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone, and the United Kingdom, through the agreement with the operator EE.
Other countries outside of Europe will also soon see the Pixel 3 with eSIM: in India Google will work with Airtel and Reliance Jio, while Truphone and Gigsky have signed the agreement for other markets. In the U.S., however, carrier Sprint now also supports eSIM technology on Google's latest smartphones. No specific news on when virtual SIMs will be introduced in Italy and through which partners. Big G has been supporting eSIMs in the US since October 2017, having introduced this feature already on Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL devices. Soon, therefore, even the Pixel 3 and 3 XL sold in many countries outside the United States will be able to have an eSIM, that is, not having a SIM.
What are eSIMs
The eSIM, in fact, is a kind of virtual SIM: instead of the classic external plastic card with integrated chip that we all know by now for years, and that we carry from one smartphone to another or that we have to change every time we do the portability of the phone number by changing operator, with the eSIM the card will be directly integrated into the smartphone. Changing smartphone we will keep all our data and numbers stored in the card, which will be transferred to the new device.
The advantages of eSIM
This technology is considered the future because it allows the manufacturer of the smartphone (but also of the smartwatch or other device that requires a data connection) to save the space needed to integrate the SIM card reader and its slot. This also helps to make the device waterproof, because if you don't need a slot to insert the SIM all the electronics can be completely sealed.
On the other hand, however, to implement this functionality requires an agreement with each phone operator, which must recognize and accept the eSIM and manage it like a traditional SIM. The agreement between Google and Vodafone for eSIM support in Germany gives hope that Italy could be one of the next countries: from a technical point of view, in fact, there is no difference for Vodafone between talking to an eSIM in Germany or in any other European country.