Telstra has offered eSIM plans for wearables and Windows 10 PCs for some time now, but the telco is now making the tech available to its phone plan customers from September 20.
For those not familiar with the term, eSIM - an electronic SIM or embedded SIM - is a rewritable SIM card that’s built into a cellular device like a smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch. There's no need to pop open a slot or pry off a case to put in a SIM; an eSIM never leaves your phone.
When you buy a new eSIM enabled phone from Telstra, you'll now have the choice to pick from a physical SIM card or an eSIM. If opt for an eSIM, this keeps your physical SIM slot free for a secondary SIM. This, for example, means you could have a work number and personal number on the same phone, or pick up a SIM while travelling overseas while still keeping your Australian SIM active.
Telstra's current range of eSIM smartphones includes the follow:
You can check out Telstra's range of iPhone plans here.
At this stage, you still need to receive a physical QR code to activate a Telstra eSIM plan. Hopefully this will change, given there's no reason Telstra can't just deliver a QR code online. Moving to a digital solution would also be a boon for consumers, as for example, it would mean you could theoretically sign up to a Telstra plan on your phone and be connected to the network almost instantly.
Telstra isn't alone in this however: Vodafone and Optus both have a similar approach to signing up for eSIM plans.
A Telstra spokesperson told us the company will "we’ll look to introduce an end to end digital experience in the near future if there is strong customer demand".
If you've already got a compatible device and want to switch to an eSIM plan, you can head into a Telstra store to swap over.
Telstra has two other eSIM products: One Number for wearables, and a second offering for Windows 10 PCs.
One Number allows Telstra postpaid customers to share their plan with their 4G Apple Watch Series 3, Apple Watch Series 4, Apple Watch Series 5, or Samsung Galaxy Watch. Telstra will bill you an extra $5 per month to use One Number.
Telstra also has eSIM plans available for 4G-enabled Windows 10 PCs. These plans are the same as Telstra's SIM-only postpaid and prepaid tablet plans, but are purchased directly through your device without the need for a physical SIM card. Until December 31, anyone with a compatible Windows 10 eSIM device can sign-up for a free 30-day trail that includes 30GB of data to use within Australia.
Alex Choros
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