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by kotaKat 850 days ago
I'll throw this in as well -- https://esim.me/

It's not an "eSIM" per se, but it's a physical SIM card that has the eSIM module onboard. This lets your physical devices use eSIM providers.

One weird thing they do though is a strange licensing model where you can buy the physical card locked to one specific phone, one specific brand of phones, or any phone, plus a set number of eSIM slots. The Omni/15 is the "best" of them all.

You DO need an Android device to be able to set the active carrier; however, once the active eSIM slot is set you can pull the SIM and put it in something else and use that selected carrier.

3 comments

It is just an standard eUICC card with an issuer certificate, which means you need issuer's app to access low-level eUICC functions on a rootless Android. This is how esim.me enforces the subscription.

This also means, you can use any LPA implementation to manage and install profiles on your own!

Some examples:

https://github.com/Truphone/LPAdesktop Needs a smart card reader and a pc to work

https://github.com/estkme-group/lpac Could either use a smart card reader or an actual modem with AT-support

https://gitea.angry.im/PeterCxy/OpenEUICC Needs a root on Android

Furthermore, I believe you could manage it via Windows settings if your window laptop has a WWAN card.

> https://gitea.angry.im/PeterCxy/OpenEUICC Needs a root on Android

It usually needs to be priv-app installed, which means you have to build it in with the rom or add it with a Magisk module (don't use the one on github though it's horribly out of date, if you must... make sure your device is in light theme mode or you won't see the QR code and confirm buttons).

What eUICC physical cards are people grabbing for this?
I can confirm esim.me works for it, it's just expensive for one of them. This service does not require an IMEI pairing to the EID because at least in the US it's using T-Mobile (at&t has a device whitelist and verizon requires a valid IMEI/EID in their database).
That's interesting cause on a a bigger german website we are trying to figure out how to get that firsty thing working with removable eUICCs since Feb the 16th. The only person that reported there that eSIM.me is working for them used a smartphone with a built-in eUICC for "looking at the app and receiving activation code" and after that put in the eSIM.me into a Galaxy S10.

Everybody else that wrote something about working or not working — no matter if they use products from eSIM.me, 5ber or sysmocom — wrote that it isn't working for them. Even when installing the profile with the static activation code from within the APK — that can be found when using apktool on the APK and a bit of grep — I wasn't able to get a data connection with the profile deployed to the sysmoEUICC1-C2G. Btw. firsty seems to use Vodafone here.

However, firsty support answered today that they "are looking into support for these use cases, so stay tuned!"

myDealz? :) You can spoof the app to "detect" a compatible device on a rooted phone by hooking bv.b class and returning true in frida or XPosed
Unfortunately it does not work with firsty, but it works like a charm with arbitrary esims while travelling. I last used it in Japan but also sometimes across Europe if I need extra data. I am super happy. Also with their support!
What's up with KYC "in accordance with German and European regulations" to use it?

A number of EU member states don't require any id/registration for prepaid (e)SIMs. How is that any of their concern if you're buying a profile from a 3rd party?