eSIM adoption is on the rise at Telstra, with the telco now activating as many as 1,000 new eSIMs every day, which is double the rate of last year. In addition, more than 600 Telstra customers are now swapping from a physical SIM to an eSIM each day.
Telstra Mobile Product Executive Juliet Tompkings told WhistleOut security concerns are a key reason customers are swapping from a physical SIM to an eSIM.
"We believe one of the leading drivers of this change is increased security, your eSIM is unique to you and it can’t be removed from your phone, helping to lower the risk of an identity hijack attempt," said Tompkins. "It’s also highly durable, there’s flexibility in allowing multiple numbers on the one device, and most importantly, it’s good for the planet."
Telstra revealed its new eSIM adoption figures ahead of the launch of the iPhone Air, which is the first major smartphone to launch in Australia without support for a physical SIM. The first foldable Motorola Razr from 2020 was also eSIM-only, but other devices sold in Australia still have still offered the choice of a physical SIM or an eSIM.
Australian iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models still have a physical SIM card on top of eSIM support.
eSIM (an electronic SIM or embedded SIM) is a rewritable SIM card that’s built directly into the phone. It never leaves your phone. Instead, you simply download a "software SIM" from your provider of choice.
Apple has been shipping phones with eSIM support since 2018, and telco support in Australia is pretty robust. Out of the 30 mobile providers in WhistleOut's database, 21 currently offer eSIM plans.
Telstra has one of the better options for converting a physical SIM to an eSIM, with customers able to do so via the My Telstra app. With some other telcos, customers may need to go contact support to move to eSIM or order a new plan.
Alex Choros
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