[negative_zero]

Calling it "eSIM" is BS marketing. Every time I've used them it's been painful. I don't know the details but it absolutely is not "SIM technology". "eSIM" is something completely different.

A regular SIM: you just pop a SIM card into your phone and it just God damn works.

But eSIMs? I've used eSIMs from five carriers in three different countries and every time there is some issue:

* "Oh you need our god awful app to install an eSIM" (of course I couldn't easily download it because Google play geo hides apps).

* "If your phone is stolen overseas you can simply use this QR barcode again to register an eSIM to a new phone" (I couldn't).

* "Works with all phones". (It didn't because phone manufacturers have to bake Telco specific data into your phones firmware. Not supported? You're shit out of luck).

I could go on..

The fact that there are now privacy and security issues is not surprisingly at all. This isn't teetching issues. The drafters of the eSIM standard should be publicly flogged.

[Y_Y]

It's an emulated sim card, it really does emulate that weird little Java processor and everything. It's totally "SIM technology" in that sense, even if it's not conventient because of the restrictions of the emulation device.

[negative_zero]

I did not know that. It's amazing how the usability and utility has taken such a big hit.

[ufmace]

Well, a regular SIM mostly just works, except for when it doesn't.

I haven't had any APN issues with regular SIMs in a while actually, but it used to be a common problem that would only sometimes auto-configure correctly. I've definitely had to google carrier APN settings and fiddle with them for a while to get text, MMS, and internet access working properly.

I also recently had an issue where I moved my US MVNO provider SIM to a new phone and it mostly worked, except for RCS. When I called them, they claimed my phone model wasn't compatible with their network, despite me already using it on their network for months. Apparently in their opinion SIMs should never actually be moved to a different phone. They offered to sell me a new phone, but I switched to a new carrier instead.

[negative_zero]

I've also had APN issues with physical SIMs, they are definitely not perfect. But I have never had an unusable "bricked" physical SIM. My eSIMs gripes are from being unable to use the eSIM at all. It's essentially a brick at that point.

[71bw]

RCS is a whole another kettle of fish indeed and the fact it only works with Play Integrity being on Device/Strong and the bootloader being locked is absolutely asinine to me.