Physical SIM cards have been around for decades now but that will soon change as more smartphones and gadgets out there adopt eSIM.
A SIM, which stands for “subscriber identity module,” basically contains the information that authenticates your identity to a Telco and normally comes in a physical form. eSIM does the same thing as well, but its a virtual SIM where the customer profile (eSIM Profile) is stored digitally inside the device.
Also called embedded-SIM (eSIM), it is embedded into smartphones/devices as a Virtual SIM Card. Technically, its a 5×5 mm chip embedded/soldered into the motherboard during production and this helps the manufacture to improve the design of a smartphone/device. It is said that eSIM takes up three times less space compared to nano-SIM cards and this helps manufacturers make thin devices.
With eSIM, you can continue to use the dual SIM feature on your smartphone as usual, with one eSIM and a physical SIM card at the same time but only one at a time for data connection. On some devices, you may store up to 10 eSIM profiles, but use only one eSIM provider at a time, allowing you to switch between different service providers when you experience poor mobile coverage or while roaming in another country.
The major downside of an eSIM is that you need to obtain a new eSIM profile from the Telco if your eSIM profile gets deleted or if you reset the smartphone/device. Depending on the Telco, you may also need to visit the service centre for a new eSIM profile every time you change your phone or if your phone goes missing as the eSIM profile is non-transferable once activated.
In Malaysia, switching from a physical SIM card to an eSIM is fairly easy although the major Telcos such as Maxis, Celcom Axiata, Digi and U Mobile requires that you walk in to their service centre despite this whole process could also be done online, but not for now. Meanwhile, customers of Yoodo, Tune Talk and XOX could easily switch to an eSIM via the respective Telco mobile app.
Once the eSIM QR code is obtained from the Telco, users can activate eSIM via the steps below:
For iPhone users:
Step 1 : Go to Settings and Tap on Cellular or Mobile Data
Step 2 : Tap on Add Cellular Plan or Add Data Plan
Step 3 : Scan the QR Code provided
Step 4 : Tap on Add Cellular Plan or Add Data Plan to download and install the profile
For Samsung/Android users:
Step 1 : Go to Settings and tap on Connections
Step 2 : Tap on SIM Card Manager
Step 3 : Select Add Mobile Plan
Step 4 : Select Add Using QR Code and Scan the QR Code provided
Step 5 : Once plan has been detected, tap on Add
Step 6 : When your plan has been downloaded and installed, select OK to turn on the plan
Note that the eSIM QR code can only be used once. Users are advised to use a stable Internet connection and follow the activation instruction step by step.
Some of the major eSIM smartphones that are supported by the Malaysia Telcos include: Apple iPhone X series (XR, XS and XS Max), Apple iPhone 11 series (11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max), Apple iPhone SE and Samsung Galaxy S20 Series (S20, S20+, S20 Ultra). Not all eSIM smartphones will work with a particular Telco.
More details below:
Maxis
Being one of the top Telco in Malaysia with majority of its customers on prepaid, Maxis eSIM is only available for postpaid customers including Hotlink Postpaid Flex and Corporate plans.
Maxis postpaid customers can now use the following eSIM enabled devices:
- Apple iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, XR, XS series with iOS 12.1.1 or later;
- Apple iPhone SE (2020);
- Apple Watch Series 5 GPS + Cellular (selected postpaid plan only);
- Apple iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Mini Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular;
- Huawei Watch 2;
- Huawei P40 & P40 Pro;
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip;
- Samsung Galaxy Fold and Galaxy S20 Series; and
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Series
To get a Maxis eSIM, postpaid customers need to visit a Maxis Centres or Maxis Exclusive Partners. SIM change fee may apply.
Celcom Axiata
Similar to Maxis, Celcom Axiata also does not offer its eSIM service for its prepaid customers, which makes up the majority of its subscriber base. At the moment, Celcom eSIM is supported on Apple devices only:
- Apple iPhone XR
- Apple iPhone XS
- Apple iPhone XS Max
- Apple iPhone 11 series and later
The following postpaid plans are eligible for Celcom eSIM:
- Celcom MEGA Postpaid plans (including Family)
- Celcom XPAX Postpaid plans (XP50, XP79, XP60, XP Lite)
- Celcom Legacy Mobile Postpaid plans (including Family)
- Celcom Corporate Individual plans
To get the Celcom eSIM, customers need walk in to a Blue Cube store. For customers who had been with Celcom for over a year will enjoy a free eSIM replacement. For others, the eSIM will cost RM5.
Digi
Digi eSIM is available to all customers on Digi Postpaid, Digi Prepaid, & Digi Broadband plans.
Currently, Digi eSIM supports the following devices:
- Apple iPhone XS
- Apple iPhone XR
- Apple iPhone XS Max
- Apple iPhone 11
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Samsung Galaxy Fold
- Samsung Galaxy S20
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Digi said more devices will be made available in the future.
Switching to a Digi eSIM is free for a limited time and the SIM replacement can be done at Digi Store/Digi Store Express.
U Mobile
Prepaid and Postpaid customers are eligible for U Mobile eSIM. Customers can walk into the nearest U Mobile Stores and request for an eSIM. The supported U Mobile eSIM devices are as below (updated list):
- Apple iPhone XR
- Apple iPhone XS
- Apple iPhone XS Max
- Apple iPhone 11
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone SE (2020)
- Samsung Galaxy S20
- Samsung Galaxy S20+
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G
- Huawei P40
- Huawei P40 Pro
U Mobile also said that the Samsung Galaxy Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip will also be compatible with their eSIM.
A SIM replacement fee may be applicable.
Yoodo, Tune Talk & XOX
While major Telcos require their customers to walk in to a service centre to get an eSIM, MNVOs such as Tune Talk and XOX and Yoodo (a digital prepaid service from Celcom Axiata) process the eSIM replacement request online.
Yoodo, Tune Talk & XOX all operates on the Celcom 4G/3G/2G network.
On Yoodo, the following eSIM devices are supported:
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iphone SE (2nd gen)
- 11-inch iPad Pro (1st gen & later)
- 12.9 inch iPad Pro (3rd gen & later)
- iPad Air (3rd gen)
- iPad mini (5th gen)
- Google Pixel 3, 3 XL, 3a & 3a XL
- Google Pixel 4 & 4XL
- Samsung Galaxy Fold & Fold 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 & S20 Ultra
List of eSIM smartphones supported by XOX eSIM:
- iPhone XR
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPad Pro (2018)
- iPad Air 2019 (3rd Generation)
- iPad 2019 (7th Generation)
- iPad Mini 5 (5th Generation)
- Google Pixel 3a
- Google Pixel 3a XL
- Google Pixel 3 XL
- Google Pixel 4
- Google Pixel 4a
- Google Pixel 4 XL
- Samsung Galaxy Fold
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S20
- Samsung Galaxy S20+
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
- Huawei P40
- Huawei P40 Pro
For Tune Talk eSIM, a RM10 fee applies for the SIM replacement and available to customers on the following prepaid plans: CUN VALUE and VALUE prepaid packs. Tune Talk eSIM are supported on the following devices:
- iPhone SE (2020)
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular
- iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular
- iPad Mini Wi-Fi + Cellular
- iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series
- Samsung Galaxy S20 series
- Samsung Galaxy Fold
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
- Huawei P40 Pro
- Huawei P40
For customers of Yoodo, Tune Talk & Xox, they could request for an eSIM via the respective Telco app. The QR code will be emailed to customers.
Unifi Mobile, Yes & redONE
At the time of writing, Telekom Malaysia’s Unifi Mobile and YTL’s Yes 4G service don’t offer any eSIM services yet. redONE told MalaysianWireless that it will offer the redONE eSIM by the end of this year.
