Google commits to eSIM only in the Pixel 10. Why it matters (and one caveat)

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Google conscionable announced its latest smartphone lineup, the Pixel 10 series, and yes, connected the surface, they look a full batch similar past year's Pixel 9. However, determination is 1 precise important alteration nether the hood: the determination toward utilizing eSIMs only, ditching the carnal SIM paper entirely. 

With past year's Pixel 9 series, users had the enactment of having a accepted SIM paper oregon an eSIM. With the Pixel 10, foregoing the SIM tray altogether is simply a alternatively unexpected determination that mightiness not beryllium fashionable with everyone. Note that this alteration applies to phones successful the US only. 

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So what's the quality betwixt the two? Traditional SIM cards -- acquainted to astir smartphone users -- are physical, removable chips associated with a azygous bearer and number. An eSIM (or embedded SIM) is simply a built-in constituent that's portion of the phone's hardware. 

The Google Pixel 10 and 10 Pro models nary longer person a carnal SIM paper slot connected the bottom.

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The benefits of an eSIM see the quality to person antithetic profiles attached to antithetic numbers oregon plans -- adjacent antithetic carriers -- connected the aforesaid device, allowing for antithetic lines for idiosyncratic oregon business, for example. 

The Pixel 10 bid phones volition enactment 2 eSIM "slots," allowing for 2 antithetic numbers. This is each managed by the phone's bundle oregon by scanning a QR code, alternatively of extracting a spot from the device. 

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All the caller Pixel 10 models announced volition determination toward eSIM only, except, notably, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which volition proceed to enactment some forms. 

It's mostly newer phones that person gone the eSIM route, and thing Apple has done since the iPhone 14 was released backmost successful 2022. Removing the carnal tray that houses a carnal SIM paper besides frees up invaluable existent property successful the telephone for different components, portion of the continual march toward smaller and smaller devices. 

A fewer different Androids enactment eSIM, including Samsung's Galaxy S22 series, the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and Z Flip 4, among others. But arsenic a whole, eSIM enactment crossed Android devices is an inconsistent patchwork based connected antithetic models and carriers. 

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For example, older Pixel phones bash enactment eSIM, but they're mostly constricted to Google Fi -- the company's ain telephone bearer service. The Pixel 10, by comparison, is compatible with different carriers similar Verizon. 

Google is present squarely astatine the forefront of eSIM enactment connected Android, arsenic its adoption connected the Pixel 10 bid goes to show. The bottommost enactment is there's inactive a batch of compatibility issues to robust retired successful the Android ecosystem, leaving a batch of users tethered to accepted SIM cards.