Accelerating eSIM globally: state of the consumer market, user behaviour and adoption growth scenarios

2023 has been the strongest year ever for eSIM commercialisation. The launch of eSIM-only iPhones in the US in September 2022 has accelerated eSIM deployments and commercial launches globally. However, awareness and adoption of eSIM remains low outside of the US.

This report examines the state of eSIM in the consumer market including the latest trends on eSIM device and service commercialisation. It also provides insights into the consumer behaviour for eSIM while offering three scenarios for eSIM adoption through to 2030.

As we look to 2024, there will be three important things to watch. First is progress with consumer adoption of eSIM. Now that eSIM technology is widely available in flagship smartphones and the service is available in more than half of the world’s countries, turning availability into customer adoption will be key. The second is the transition to eSIM-only smartphones beyond the US, with eSIM vendors expecting Apple to make a similar move in select European countries in 2024. The third is the commercial push from MNOs. More and more mobile service providers are launching eSIM service (~400 at the end of June 2023) but the commercial push from MNOs remains low; we expect MNOs to start talking more about eSIM to their customers, especially in the context of digital-first or digital-only consumer propositions targeting digital native and tech-savvy customers.