You Don’t Need a SIM Card for the New Google Pixel 2
Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are the company’s latest smartphones, but they certainly don’t break stereotypes. Both run Android 8.0 , no headphone jack in exchange for IP67 water and dust resistance, and have an aluminum body – everything you need for high-end Android smartphones. But one interesting feature inside the Pixel 2 is missing from all smartphones released so far: support for an embedded SIM (also known as eSIM).
What is eSIM?
Inside your smartphone is a Subscriber Identity Module or SIM card. A tiny card like the Nano SIM in your latest smartphone is responsible for linking your device to your wireless carrier’s cellular network, giving you access to whatever data plan you pay for. Unlike a regular SIM, which requires a paper clip or a little disassembly to install or remove, eSIM support is built into the device itself and allows you to choose between different carriers.
You don’t have to deal with the hassle of pulling out a SIM card, waiting for one in the mail, or worse, purchasing one from a retail store. This is a software change, not a hardware change, which you can do from your device’s settings page (assuming you are not bound by a carrier contract). Some eSIMs are carrier-specific, just like traditional SIM cards. Fortunately, if your device supports adding a physical SIM, you can change providers by adding a physical SIM to your device.
Do carriers support eSIM devices?
The Pixel 2’s eSIM support is limited to Google Project Fi’s own cellular network . This is the first smartphone with this feature, although other devices (such as the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch) also use eSIMs to support multiple wireless carriers. Apple has its own eSIM on select iPad Pro models, as well as Apple Watch Series 3 if you select cellular models. Apple devices with eSIM support a wide variety of national and international carriers, making it easy to purchase a data plan when traveling abroad.
If you don’t use Project Fi, you can still use the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL on your network of choice – smartphones support traditional SIM cards as well as eSIMs. When you land in a foreign country, you can buy a SIM card and data plan from your local carrier, insert it into your smartphone, and save yourself the headaches of international data charges.