E-SIM > Good idea, or bad ?? Thoughts appreciated....

[Projectionist]

Having just installed an E-Sim into my Pixel 4 to free up the physical SIM slot for a second SIM, it occurs to me that there are potential pros and cons to E-SIMs

Pro(s)

       *Usage of a second SIM - some dual SIM devices only accept one physical SIM, + one E-SIM

       *(very) slightly less plastic used??

       ...I can't think of any more pros... 

Con(s)

       *If the phone is damaged/waterlogged/smashed, a "real" SIM usually be removed and put into another phone, E-SIMs will only work in first device that they are used in (they can, however be re-installed into the same device) - so if you have an incident abroad, you're shafted, as replacement E-SIMs are only sent to your home address

Maybe fellow members can think of more pros and cons  because I can't help wondering if it wouldn't have been easier to just have two SIM card slots...

[Bambino]

@Projectionist Here's a couple of articles. By the way, if you damaged a physical sim while abroad, O2 will not send one to you. Sims are only sent to the address of the account holder.

What Is An eSIM | Pros And Cons Explained – Forbes Advisor UK

Pros and Cons of an eSIM - Communal News: Online Business, Wholesale & B2B Marketplace News

7 eSIM Advantages and Disadvantages - Pros | Cons - InventGEN (inventiongen.com)

eSIM Merits and Demerits Overview for Travelers (esimdb.com)

[Projectionist]

Interesting reading, @Bambino - thanks for taking the time to post.

I wouldn't think that damaging a SIM card was much of an issue, but losing one, especially whilst abroad, definitely is - at least with the e-sim you can get the replacement sent home, and have someone photograph it, to then be emailed to you. But wouldn't it be easier if O2 could email it directly, after appropriate security measures? (or let you download it from your account)