The SIM card is dead. Long live the eSIM

In memoriam: The SIM card

It’s estimated that the number of people owning an eSIM-compatible smartphone will increase from 1.3 billion in 2025 to over 3 billion by the end of the decade. The exponential growth is fueled by device manufacturers — the sooner users and telecoms get used to eSIMs, the sooner the change to eSIM-only devices can happen.  

Manufacturers see many benefits in saying goodbye to SIM cards. Without SIM trays, for example, devices have more space to fit in a bigger battery — which makes for a better user experience and a longer time in between phone charges. And when you compare an eSIM vs. nano SIM directly, the embedded chip simply wins on convenience: no tray, no ejector tool, no tiny card to lose. This trend is already underway: In September, Apple announced that the iPhone 17 Air will be sold worldwide without a SIM tray. The newest Google Pixel phone is also being sold without a SIM card tray in the United States.

The change also opens some opportunities that were previously impossible: Device manufacturers can now start offering connectivity services. This maneuver — buying wholesale connectivity services from one telecom and selling devices with pre–installed eSIMs — would likely start some fires between the providers, so it’s worth keeping an eye on.

The eSIM revolution creates growth opportunities for all. Tech companies can become telco players, and Saily is one of them. At the same time, the owners of a corner shops selling SIM cards — like those helping travelers figure out where to buy a SIM card at a Philippines airport — could reskill and launch an eSIM resale website.

eSIMs also allow for truly global connectivity, automatically switching devices to local providers as you cross borders.

The travel eSIM market is just getting started

The ability of an eSIM to support multiple providers created the travel eSIM market. It may seem that travel eSIMs are booming, but in reality – it’s just the beginning. In a study published in January, Juniper Research forecasted that in 2030 the global travel eSIM market will reach $8.7bn (€7.54bn) — up from $1.8bn in 2025.

With travel eSIMs becoming more mainstream, traditional telecommunication providers are likely to push back and create their own travel eSIM plans. The profit margins in the telecommunications industry are slim, and roaming used to be the area where providers could earn the most.

A truly global telco

However, probably the most exciting opportunity in all of this is the possibility for a truly global telecommunications company. What seemed like a small change — swapping plastic for an eSIM chip — changed how users consume connectivity and how it’s distributed and managed.

With the possibility of remote provisioning, telecommunication companies no longer require users to visit stores to purchase their services. Users can also download their eSIM profiles from anywhere. Combined with the already-mentioned ability of eSIMs to support multiple providers, this opens up the exciting possibility of having a digital-only telco company that offers connectivity anywhere in the world.

A single company offering global services to users all over the world would be a true game changer. The simplicity and convenience of such a service have enormous potential to challenge even the most established telecom operators, taking over their customer relationships and leaving them as only utility providers.

It’s a sure possibility that a telco-tech company – aggregating connectivity from providers across dozens of countries and allowing its users to onboard, change plans remotely, and move the world freely – is already in the works in many offices around the world.

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For now, we’re only seeing the first signs of what the eSIM can do. It’s a small change with the power to move a gigantic industry, and it’s exciting to see who will come out on top. Only one thing is certain: get ready to say goodbye to your plastic SIM card. The journey continues with eSIMs.