ESims - Anyone used one?

[sbk1972]

Hi,

My son is going to Tanzania on one of this school camp trips for 4 weeks. Ive been looking at these eSims for his phone so that his mum and I can keep an eye on him, speak to him, etc. Reading about them I can buy one for Tanzania, 80 Euros for 30 days unlimited and I use a QR code.

All new to me, Im used to a small little sim that I slip in. My son has an Iphone 15 so I imagine its modern enough to use Esims.

So, anyone used one before ? Anyone used one in Tanzania ? Any advice ? Good makes / best provder to go with ?

Simon

[Time4another]

Have a mobile with my own physical sim card in it plus a works Esim on it. Never had any issues with it anywhere. Was super simple to setup, scanned a QR code and off it went doing it's thing.

[SP_]

Nomad / Airalo / Flexiroam are good

[Solocle]

I have one set up for an upcoming trip to Israel. Seemed super easy to set up (iPhone 12 Pro), yet to be seen that it actually works

[boxst]

I’ve used Airalo in Asia (regional eSIM ), Japan and it worked really well on my then iPhone 14.

[RizzoTheRat]

I used Airalo for a trip to South Africa a while back, really easy to install and configure. I have 2 physical SIMs in my phone so just had to set SIM2 to the e-sim instead of the physical SIM, and then set that as the primary for data.

[x5tuu]

I have a physical sim for my personal line (O2), an esim for my business line (O2), plus an esim for my US line too (TMobile) - the phone is an iPhone 15 Pro.

IIRC you can have upto 8 esims installed within an iPhone but only 2 lines can be active at any one time.

Im a massive convert as I thought they were a terrible idea initially!

[LRDefender]

I've used Airalo in Eastern Europe & Western Asia without issues on my iPhone 13. Good product IMO.

[sbk1972]

Thanks guys for replying so quickly.

So explaing the process. If I buy now do I install the esim but does the time tick down? My son goes in July for a month.

What do I need to configure on his phone? Or does scanning the qr code do it all?

Do you get a number with the esim or is it just data?

Simon

[RizzoTheRat]

It depends a bit on who you go with, and what package you chose.

For example with Airalo you install thier app on the phone, you can then buy a plan, and the time starts ticking down when you activate the plan. In my case I got a data only one but you can get ones with calls included, I just Whatsapp for any calls though.

[phil-sti]

Yep my works phone line is E-Sim so i dont have to carry 2 phones around. i've also used an E-sim in the USA for data and it worked really well, £16 for 10gb from airalo.

[Mojooo]

With Airalo the time starts from when it first connects to the foreign network so you can have it up and ready in advance and turn it on when you arrive

I've used it in Jordan and Egypt - it didn't stay connected in Jordan

[eein]

I use Airalo loads, I travel to somewhere almost every month, and many different places. Always works as well as roaming my UK sim - which means mostly, although sometimes it can struggle to connect and needs a restart or flight mode for 4 hours to help it re-register on the network.

As noted above, Airalo just has an app, you install that, buy a sim, download it (before leaving the UK while you still have data!). Remember to ensure in the settings for the new sim that the APN is set to what the app tells you (there's a guide in the app to do this with the correct setting when you buy the sim).

When in the other country I use the Airalo esim just for data (most of them are just data packages) and then I roam my UK sim (physical) so I still get calls. Android will offer to let you have the esim only for data and the other for calls. For you son it'd be best to just have the esim for data and calls area easy enough these days on whatsapp.

[essayer]

I’m really happy with Three apart from one place where I’m at quite a lot that has poor signal and no wifi

Is it possible to get a prepay Voda/O2 etc eSIM and use it alongside my Three physical SIM? Or is it only for roaming.. iPhone 15

[sahajesh]

Can recommend Holafly - used them in Morocco.

My iPad has an eSIM from Spusu - actually a phone plan but it works on the iPad. Great inclusive data and works in Europe with no roaming charges.

[eliot]

Airalo

[bodhi]

I'm another with a physical SIM for my phone (EE) and an eSIM for work and they are really easy to set up. I've got a Sony Xperia 1 IV, so Android based, and it couldn't have been easier to set up. On mine it's in "Network and Internet" and there is a "SIMs" option, you just go in there to add/remove to your hearts content.

My work SIM was with Vodafone then work stopped providing contracts and reimbursed us to get our own so I went with Sky as it was dirt cheap, and the migration was also really easy. Delete old SIM, add new one using the QR Code Sky sent me, add my PAC to transfer the number and the SIM was activiated in minutes whilst I lounged by the pool in Ibiza, with my number transferring next day.

Not tried them on an iPhone, however I can't see them being more complex than that....