Will Thales and Motorola help take eSIM mainstream?
Thales is supplying Thales embedded SIM (eSIM) for the new foldable Motorola razr which will rely exclusively on this solution.
eSIM technology tech is growing in popularity as it allows for dual-sim capabilities for traditional phones, as well as allowing for a greater range of devices to connect to mobile networks such as smartphones, wearables (like smartwatches), or PCs.
Embedded and soldered into the device during manufacturing, the eSIM enables users to remotely provision and update their mobile network subscriptions that are securely stored in the eSIM.
Thales' embedded SIM for Motorola is compliant with the GSMA's specifications for remote SIM provisioning.
This approach will allow manufacturers to offer new product classes for global deployment based on this common embedded SIM architecture.
To support this ecosystem, more than 200 mobile operators in almost 90 countries across all continents have launched or plan to launch eSIM consumer services.
"More than 2.8 billion eSIM-compliant smartphones are expected to be cumulatively shipped between 2018 and 2025," says Counterpoint Research research vice president Neil Shah.
"The trend towards eSIM-only smartphones is going to catalyse this market further as we see greater adoption across the price-tiers unlocking multiple benefits for smartphone OEMs, operators and end-smartphone users.
"Motorola's decision to go eSIM-only for their premium product reflects the company's confidence in this extremely space-efficient approach to secure mobile connectivity," says Thales mobile connectivity solutions executive vice president Emmanual Unguran.
"It also demonstrates deep trust in Thales, a world leader in eSIM technology and related subscription management services, and also an active participant in the development of the latest GSMA remote provisioning specifications.
The Motorola razr includes a 16MP camera with Night Vision, a 6.2" pOLED foldable display, and Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, octa-core, 2.2 GHz., running on Android 9 Pie.
It will also include 6GB of RAM and 128GB ROM.
Samsung has included eSIM tech in the latest flagship handset, the S20, and Apple has included the option in every device from the XS onward, including the 11 range and the new SE.
Combined, Apple and Samsung dominate the smartphone market which may signal good things for the eSIM market.
ABI Research says there is 'no question' that 2020 eSIM smartphone shipments will go over the 225 million milestone in 2020.
In fact, the technology research and consulting company projects 500 million eSIM-capable smartphones will ship globally in 2024, as other vendors get on the eSIM bandwagon.
