Just thought I'd post this in case it helps inform anyone looking for a similar process.
I have recently bought a new iPhone and as part of that process it prompted me to convert my physical SIM to an eSIM. I ran through that process and it failed, advising me to contact O2.
I wanted to choose an eSIM as I thought that if my phone was stolen they could pop out the SIM and possibly receive security codes to my services from it, or even just use it outright.
When I went in the O2 store to try and get an eSIM via QR code or something, they were very, very clear in that they didnt recommend I convert to an eSIM. They listed a number of issues, which were along the lines of:
- eSIM Uses a different backend system, so could get downtime when physical SIM is fine
- The stores are limited in their support to recover your number when its tied to an eSIM, when they re-issue a new eSIM it requires some setting to happen on the old one first resulting in a delay before you can get up and running, sometime running into days.
- Issues with the eSIM picking up the data part of your account correctly so it can get up and running but without data
- Far more onus on the user to apply and manage the eSIM, meaning the store are limited in what they can do
- Something about the way MyO2 works meaning that it can be hard to access when phone lost
- Vast majority of stolen phone issues are to obtain the phone, not the SIM.
As soon as I mentioned eSIM you could see their faces drop, and they told me about the huge number of recent customers they had wrestling with converting, managing and using eSIMS.
In the end, they said if I wanted more peace of mind for SIM security, I should use a SIM PIN for the moment, so I've gone for that route, which seems fine.
In the store they were saying the backend systems arent quite mature enough for this at the moment, and there are numerous issues when a phone is stolen trying to cancel that and apply a new eSIM.
Anyway, thought I'd post that in case anyone thought maybe the store are overstating the issue.
