In recent years, with the advancement of technology, electronic SIM (eSIM) has gradually emerged as a new cardless mode. So, what is the difference between eSIM and traditional physical SIM card? First of all, we have to understand what is eSIM and SIM card first.

eSIM (Embedded Subscriber Identity Module), i.e. Embedded Subscriber Identity Module, is a digital identity authentication technology implemented by a built-in chip that stores the user's SIM card information, representing the digital evolution of the physical SIM card.

SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module), i.e. Subscriber Identification Module, is an ordinary chip card that stores and transmits the subscriber's mobile communication data and acts as a subscriber identification.

In the table below we list the differences between eSIM and SIM card in some aspects:

Can eSIM and SIM card be used at the same time?

Generally speaking, eSIM and SIM cards are independent of each other and cannot be used at the same time. On devices that support eSIM technology, users can switch between the built-in eSIM or physical SIM card as needed, but cannot use both at the same time.

It is important to note that most devices on the market today support only one mode, either eSIM or SIM. Only on select devices will you be able to use both eSIM and SIM at the same time. Click here to see if your device is compatible with eSIM.

Overall, although both eSIM and SIM cards are used to store the user's mobile communication data, there are differences in physical form, flexibility of use, security, and range of availability. Moreover, in most cases, eSIM and SIM card cannot be used at the same time.

With the continuous progress of technology and the gradual acceptance of the market, it is believed that the application of eSIM will become more and more widespread, but in the actual use of the process still need to make a choice according to individual needs and equipment support.