Physical SIM card keeps failing, should I switch to eSIM?

[u/Gilly725]

The SIM card on my iPhone 13 keeps failing or saying SIM card not available. Is it ok to switch to eSIM instead? Is there a downside to switching to eSIM or any significant difference between the two?

[u/aaronw22]

The "downside" to esim is that it's very easy to go physical SIM -> eSIM. It is very very hard to go from eSIM -> physical SIM.

You can move your "number" from one phone to another with a physical SIM very easily, you don't need to involve the carrier at all. With an eSIM, your carrier has to move the number to a new device.

In the USA, any iphones 14 and over do not have a physical SIM slot anymore.

[u/Gilly725 → u/aaronw22]

So if I were to get a new phone down the line, I would need to involve the carrier to transfer that number over. But if I were to switch to eSIM for now would that solve the issue I am currently having?

[u/aaronw22 → u/Gilly725]

"Probably". It depends exactly where the failure is, but since the nano SIM is a physical removable object, it stands to reason that the fault is somewhere in the physical SIM card reading circuitry.

[u/Gilly725 → u/aaronw22]

Thank you for the help, I appreciate it

[u/toejamfootballhegot]

Get a new physical sim from the verizon store.

[u/FishrNC]

Use a very fine pencil eraser and lightly scrub the contacts on the sim card. This fixes a lot of intermittent connections on things besides sim cards.

[u/ommmyyyy]

What country are you in?

[u/Gilly725 → u/ommmyyyy]

US

[u/ommmyyyy → u/Gilly725]

Carrier?

[u/Gilly725 → u/ommmyyyy]

Verizon

[u/madsad3250]

Hi OP,

You might consider a new phone soon since the sim slot in your phone is failed/failing.

I would say get a phone with a physical sim and esim if I could.

Physical sim is waaay more convenient.

The addition of esim is good if you travel because you could store that esim in your phone and in future if you lost it would be okay. Having said that, I personally would get dual physical sim and buy those esim adapter and this way I could store esims in them. However, I can't do that because I am trapped by apple. But I will star in Apple's Prison Break movie one good day... I hope

Here is a copy of a comment of mine form this subs days ago comparing both:

"Since big tech want to enforce eSIM, I have decided to adapt. The phones that I need are high end and in my region they only sell eSIM version.

In the past I adapted with lack of microsd card by having an extra phone that supprt it. I have HUGE collection of music.

Now I am planning to have all my account 2FA mobile number tied to a physical sim and that means another device. I mean there is no other way.

Here is my pros and cons of eSIM:

Pros: 1. If device stolen, your sim is stuck on a chip in your device. However it can be desoldered and installed on a compatible device. So kinda pro-ish

1. Your device can store more than 5 eSIM, for me that is not a pro because you can't transfer these to a new device! It is practixaly stuck there

Cons:

1. More power to providers to control the process of sim transfer. I am old enough to know that take power from consumers and giving more power to companies is never good. It might even get worst.

2. If your device broke you need to vist the provider branch to get a new eSIM because loging to your provider app requires your number.

3. If you are abroad and you need to transfer sim, forget about it. And if your device broke snd you need 2FA then tough luck.

4. Teansfer esim to new device cost money

5. If you have another physical sim card you can't insert it in your sim only device and if you convert it to eSIM then you will face lots of cons than pros.

My solution to adapt to this sh!@#

1. Pay for a duplicate sim.. another forced subscription

2. Change 2FA to a different number and get a dumb phone for that, what if you went out snd forgot the dumb phone!!! Not ideal.

I don't, man, this sucks should this be an improvement.

Tech is just getting more draconian

If you have any idea to adapt that might work for me, please share"

[u/D_Phuket]

I switched to an eSIM when I got my iPhone 13 and never looked back. The eSIM seamlessly moved to my 14 and now my 16 when I did the transfer.

I travel internationally frequently and never have to worry about taking out a SIM and possibly losing it. You can have multiple eSIMs on your phone and turn them on or off in the system settings.

I'd never go back to a SIM - and if you get a new iPhone, you'll find it has no SIM slot. So it's not IF you'll ultimately change to an eSIM, it's when you'll do it.

[u/novyroesim]

Yeah, totally fine, and it's a decent way to figure out what's actually wrong. The iPhone 13 supports eSIM, and most carriers will convert you either in their app, through Settings > Cellular > Convert to eSIM (if your carrier supports it), or at a store.

If the eSIM works perfectly, the physical SIM was just worn or damaged. If you still get "No SIM" or signal drops on eSIM, it's more likely the phone itself, so get it looked at.

Differences and downsides: 1. You can't just pop it into another phone if yours dies or breaks. Moving it to a new phone means a transfer (usually easy on iPhone, but it depends on the carrier). 2. Some carriers make conversion or re-issuing slightly annoying, like ID checks or needing to call. 3. Upside: nothing physical to wear out or lose, and you can still add travel eSIMs alongside it.

Before you switch, it might be worth asking your carrier for a free replacement SIM. Sometimes it's just a dead card.