{"id":13106,"date":"2023-07-25T14:31:45","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T14:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.planhub.ca\/blog\/?p=13106"},"modified":"2024-09-29T22:14:59","modified_gmt":"2024-09-29T22:14:59","slug":"esim-vs-physical-sim-vs-isim-for-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.planhub.ca\/blog\/en\/esim-vs-physical-sim-vs-isim-for-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"eSIM vs physical SIM vs iSIM: Which is best for your next trip?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"13106\" class=\"elementor elementor-13106\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f4a26b0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7f4a26b0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b70c989 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b70c989\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDon&#8217;t want to lose mobile connectivity when you travel out of the country? You need a SIM card issued by a provider that offers service in your destination. But how do you choose the right SIM card for international travel? We break down eSIM vs physical SIM vs iSIM cards to help you decide which option is right for your next adventure abroad.\r\n<h2>Quick facts: eSIM vs physical SIM vs iSIM<\/h2>\r\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-87\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-87\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">SIM type<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">How to get<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Installation<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Size<\/th><th class=\"column-5\">Device compatibility<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">eSIM (MFF2)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Buy online and use immediately<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Embedded in dedicated processor. Requires QR code from provider.<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">6mm x 5mm<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Most newer devices including the latest iPhones, Galaxy, and Google Pixel phones<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">iSIM<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Preinstalled on device use immediately<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Embedded in device&#8217;s main processor. Requires QR code from provider.<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Less than 1mm squared<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Only devices that use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform processor (announced in Nov 2022)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Physical SIM (2FF, 3FF, 4FF)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Buy in store and use immediately, or buy online wait and for shipping<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Must be physically inserted into device. Requires an activation key.<\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><u>2FF (Mini)<\/u>: 25mm x 15mm<br \/>\n<u>3FF (Micro)<\/u>: 15mm x 12mm<br \/>\n<u>4FF (Nano)<\/u>: 12.3mm x 8.8mm<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Most devices<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-87 from cache -->\r\n<h2>What is an eSIM?<\/h2>\r\nShort for <strong>Embedded Subscriber Identity Module<\/strong>, an <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.planhub.ca\/blog\/en\/esim-canada-everything-you-need-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\">eSIM is a digital SIM card<\/a> that&#8217;s built into a phone&#8217;s hardware and can be activated remotely. eSIM cards take up less space, allowing for compact device designs or higher-performing features.\r\n\r\nThe biggest advantage of using an eSIM instead of a physical SIM card is that you can buy an eSIM online and activate it using a QR code from your service provider. Some eSIM providers even support switching plans remotely. No more standing in a queue line to buy a new SIM card when you travel internationally.\r\n\r\nYou can buy postpaid and <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/simbud.com\/esim\/\" target=\"blank\">prepaid eSIM plans<\/a> to get service in just about any country for as little as a few Canadian dollars or as much as $100+ CAD. Data plans generally range from 100MB to 50GB.\r\n\r\n\u2705 <strong>Great SIM card for international travel.<\/strong> Buy eSIMs online, and activate anytime, anywhere. Some iPhones even support multiple eSIMS.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0f0f;\">\u26a0<\/span> <strong>Not all phones and carriers support eSIMs.<\/strong> You may have to upgrade to a newer, more expensive model.\r\n\r\n<strong>Use our search tool to find the perfect eSIM for your travels:<\/strong>\r\n<div class=\"simbud-esim-plans-widget\" data-country=\"usa\" data-currency=\"CAD\" data-offersdisplayed=\"6\" data-referal=\"simbud\" data-language=\"fr\"><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"simbud-esim-plans-widget\" data-country=\"usa\" data-currency=\"CAD\" data-offersdisplayed=\"6\" data-referal=\"simbud\" data-language=\"en\">\r\n\r\n<a style=\"display: block; text-align: center; padding: 5px 15px;\" title=\"Simbud\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simbud.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Powered by <strong>SimBud<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<noscript>Sorry, your browser does not support JavaScript! Please visit <a href=\"https:\/\/simbud.com\/esim\/\" title=\"Simbud\">Simbud.com<\/a><\/noscript>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/simbud.com\/scriptIframe\/esim-plans-en-Simbud-V1.0.js\"><\/script>\r\n<h3>Size<\/h3>\r\nThe size of an eSIM is about 6mm x 5mm x less than 1mm, which is more than 3X smaller than a Nano-SIM card.\r\n\r\nYou may see &#8220;<strong>MFF2<\/strong>&#8221; associated with eSIM cards. This references the size of the SIM and stands for &#8220;machine-to-machine form factor.&#8221; MFF2 SIMs must be embedded into devices, unlike physical SIM cards (2FF, 3FF, 4FF), which must be manually inserted into devices.\r\n<h2>What is an iSIM?<\/h2>\r\niSIM stands for <strong>Integrated Subscriber Identity Module<\/strong>. The main difference between iSIMs and eSIMs is that iSIMs are built into a phone&#8217;s processor, while eSIMS require a separate processor and use up more power. Besides this, iSIMS function the same as eSIMS.\r\n\r\nYou don&#8217;t need to go out and buy an iSIM. It&#8217;s built into devices that use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform processor, announced in late 2022. Such devices include the Galaxy S23\/S23+\/S23 Ultra, 2023 Motorola Edge+\/Edge 40 Pro, iQOO 11\/11 Pro\/11s, Vivo X Fold 2\/X90 Pro+, and other models.\r\n\r\n\u2705 <strong>Great SIM card for international travel.<\/strong> No need to buy online or in store. Compatible devices come pre-equipped with an iSIM.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0f0f;\">\u26a0<\/span> <strong>Most devices do not support iSIMs (yet).<\/strong> Only a limited number of models with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor support iSIMs.\r\n<h3>Size<\/h3>\r\niSIMs have an even smaller physical footprint than eSIMS, measuring less than 1mm<sup>2<\/sup>. iSIM technology runs on a device&#8217;s system-on-chip (SoC), a circuit that supports multiple high-level functions including processing images, video, and graphics (camera and user interface); converting digital data into wireless signals (modem); and running the Android operating system as well as many apps (CPU).\r\n<h2>What is a physical SIM card?<\/h2>\r\nThe grandfather of SIMs, physical <strong>Subscriber Identity Modules<\/strong> are larger than eSIMs and iSIMs and are <em>not<\/em> built into device hardware. Less convenient than its newer counterparts, physical SIM cards are often bought in stores but can also be purchased online.\r\n\r\nYou activate a SIM card by inserting it into your device and inputting the activation key provided with the card package. In Canada, physical SIM cards usually cost between $10 and $20.\r\n\r\n\u2705 <strong>Widely available.<\/strong> Most phones and mobile service providers support physical SIMs.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0f0f;\">\u26a0<\/span> <strong>Not the best SIM card for international travel.<\/strong> Must buy in store or wait for online shipping. Cannot switch plans on a physical SIM card, so you&#8217;ll need a new card for each country you visit.\r\n<h3>Size<\/h3>\r\nAll physical SIM cards must be manually inserted into devices, unlike MFF2 SIMs (eSIMs), which are already embedded. Physical SIMs come in 4 sizes:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>1FF SIMs<\/strong> are no longer used in modern devices, measuring a whopping 85.6mm x 53.98mm x 0.76mm\u2014the same as a credit card!<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>2FF (Mini) SIMs<\/strong> are 25mm X 15mm X 0.76mm.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>3FF (Micro) SIMs<\/strong> are 15mm X 12mm X 0.76mm.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>4FF (Nano) SIMs<\/strong> are 12.3mm X 8.8mm X 0.67mm.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>FAQs<\/h2>\r\n<h3>eSIM vs physical SIM vs iSIM: Which is the safest?<\/h3>\r\nThe harder it is to remove a SIM card from your phone, the harder it is to steal. That makes physical SIM cards less safe than eSIMs and iSIMs, both of which are embedded in the hardware of devices.\r\n\r\nAn iSIM is ultimately the safest sim card for international travel and at-home use, because it&#8217;s located in a device&#8217;s primary processor, its system-on-chip (SoC), which is more deeply embedded in a device than the separate processor required for an eSIM.\r\n<h3>Can I use an eSIM with any phone?<\/h3>\r\nAs of 2023, over 85 smartphone models support eSIMs including many of the latest iPhones, Galaxy devices, and Google Pixel phones. Check out a list of compatible devices <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/esimcard.com\/esim-compatible\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.\r\n<h3>Can I use an iSIM with any phone?<\/h3>\r\nNo, only phones that use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform processor support iSIMs. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor was announced in November 2022, and not many devices use this operating system. Those that do include the Galaxy S23\/S23+\/S23 Ultra, 2023 Motorola Edge+\/Edge 40 Pro, iQOO 11\/11 Pro\/11s, and Vivo X Fold 2\/X90 Pro+.\r\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\r\nIf you&#8217;re looking for a sim card for international travel, you have a lot of options. Physical SIM cards are not ideal for international travel as you need a new card for every destination country, and you&#8217;ll have to visit a retailer in person or wait for online shipping before you can start getting service.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.planhub.ca\/blog\/en\/esim-or-isim-everything-you-need-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\">eSIMs and iSIMs are digital SIM cards<\/a> that can be activated without visiting a store in person. iSIMs come pre-installed on a limited number of compatible devices, while eSIMs can be purchased online and activated remotely. Both are great options for travel, but iSIMs are more deeply embedded in the hardware of devices and are therefore the safest type of SIM card.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-41bcbde e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"41bcbde\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ed0163b elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"ed0163b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\r\n \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\r\n \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\r\n \"mainEntity\": [\r\n {\r\n \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n \"name\": \"Which SIM card type is the safest?\",\r\n \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n \"text\": \"iSIM is the safest SIM card for international travel and at-home use, as it is located in a device\u2019s primary processor, making it more secure than eSIMs and physical SIMs.\"\r\n }\r\n },\r\n {\r\n \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n \"name\": \"Can I use an eSIM with any phone?\",\r\n \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n \"text\": \"As of 2023, over 85 smartphone models support eSIMs, including many of the latest iPhones, Galaxy devices, and Google Pixel phones.\"\r\n }\r\n },\r\n {\r\n \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n \"name\": \"Can I use an iSIM with any phone?\",\r\n \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n \"text\": \"No, only phones that use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform processor support iSIMs.\"\r\n }\r\n }\r\n ]\r\n}<\/script>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Don&#8217;t want to lose mobile connectivity when you travel out of the country? You need a SIM card issued by a provider that offers service in your destination. But how do you choose the right SIM card for international travel? We break down eSIM vs physical SIM vs iSIM cards to help you decide which [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":13138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[823],"tags":[680,1287,212],"class_list":["post-13106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mobile-articles","tag-esim","tag-isim","tag-sim-card"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>eSIM vs Physical SIM vs iSIM: Which to Choose | PlanHub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What&#039;s the difference between an eSIM, physical SIM card, and iSIM? Here&#039;s how to choose the right SIM card for international travel.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.planhub.ca\/blog\/en\/esim-vs-physical-sim-vs-isim-for-travel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"eSIM vs. physical SIM vs. iSIM | PlanHub\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What are eSIMs, physical SIMs, and iSIMs? Find the best type of SIM card for international travel.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.planhub.ca\/blog\/en\/esim-vs-physical-sim-vs-isim-for-travel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PlanHub.ca The Blog - Promotions, Guides, News and more!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/planhub.ca\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-07-25T14:31:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-29T22:14:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.planhub.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/eSIMPhysicalSIMiSIMfortravelFacebook_simbud_1200x1200.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Stacie Hurst\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"eSIM vs. physical SIM vs. iSIM | PlanHub\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"What are eSIMs, physical SIMs, and iSIMs? 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