Are physical SIM cards still necessary, or have eSIMs already won?

Question

Had a weird experience yesterday buying a new iPhone - sales guy looked at me like I was a caveman when I asked about the SIM tray. Said something like "that's ancient tech, modern people use eSIM now." Thing is, I've got this collection of 5-6 SIM cards from different carriers for different purposes - work, personal, travel, hotspot, etc. Got home, googled around and discovered many new models are ditching physical SIMs entirely in favor of eSIM-only. So now I'm wondering - is this actually the future or just a marketing ploy to lock us into specific devices and carriers? Has anyone fully switched to eSIM? What are the hidden pitfalls? And what am I supposed to do with all my physical SIMs...

Leo7777777 · Answer

Been using eSIM for 3 years now, can't remember the last time I poked my phone with a paperclip. Lost my phone once - restored my number in 15 minutes online without visiting a store. Physical SIMs are like floppy disks to me now - artifacts from the past

GEPGIIIIII · Answer

eSIM = traveler's trap, for now. Try activating a local eSIM somewhere in Thailand or Morocco without knowing the language or having stable internet. I always carry a set of physical SIMs from different countries specifically for this reason

ZEZE · Answer

Feels like carriers just twisting our arms. With physical sim i can just pop it into another phone. With eSIM - sorry, come to our office, pay for transfer, wait for activation, and we'll also check if your old phone isn't reported stolen

joq · Answer

Dual citizenship, living between countries, and eSIM has been a lifesaver. Now I just activate the right profile in each country instead of carrying a container with labeled SIMs and worrying about losing them. The future is definitely eSIM

tatta · Answer

Doesn't anyone find it concerning that switching between eSIM profiles is much easier to track than physically swapping SIMs? It's a field day for intelligence agencies - constantly knowing which number you're using. Call me paranoid, but better safe than sorry

saw222 · Answer

eSIM's main advantage lies in improved protection against cloning through asymmetric cryptography which is physically impossible with standard SIM cards. Yet carriers suspiciously stay quiet about eSIMs consuming more standby power in most implementations

Noksa · Answer

Tried switching to eSIM last week. Spent 3 hours at the store, then found out my phone model "isn't supported by their system" despite the website saying otherwise. Ended up frustrated and stuck with my regular SIM. This tech is for geeks, not regular folks

6373 · Answer

I'm against all this digitalization! First they removed headphones and chargers from the box, now SIM trays. Tomorrow they'll sell empty boxes and have you "download the contents through the cloud"? And people buy this nonsense about "environmental concerns"!

ma[c]ro. · Answer

Strange realization: my partner's phone with physical SIM survived full underwater dunking (rice method worked!), while my "more advanced" eSIM device required complete replacement after similar accident. Sometimes physical interfaces have unexpected durability advantages that specs don't show. Insurance didn't cover water damage either way

shooter 2 · Answer

Who said it has to be "either-or"? The best phones now support both physical SIM and eSIM simultaneously. Use whatever is more convenient in each situation. Why these religious wars over nothing?

GoideonRX · Answer

eSIM switching should be WAY easier than it is. Why can't I switch between carriers with a simple button press? Instead, it's QR codes, customer service calls, and activation waits. The technology exists to make this instant, but carriers deliberately make it difficult to prevent easy comparison shopping. Physical SIMs at least let me control when I switch