Extended reality: Apple's entry holds promise but mainstream XR remains a long game

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on consumer digital services, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications. The report considers three major developments: AI deployments shifting increasingly from talk to action across digital services, powered by the rise of AI agents; the intensifying efforts by digital gaming providers to improve monetisation and expand access, strengthening the rise of cloud gaming; and falling barriers to content creation in extended reality, helping accelerate content development.

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on consumer eSIM, highlighting momentum behind travel eSIM; new players launching eSIM-only MVNO services; operator efforts to expand eSIM use cases beyond smartphones; and operators using eSIM to target inbound travellers, including enriching connectivity with benefits that improve the wider visitor experience.

With eSIM adoption finally accelerating, this tracker provides data that operators, OEMs, eSIM vendors and other companies involved in the eSIM value chain can use to formulate or adjust eSIM commercial strategies and offers. It covers three the commercialisation of eSIM consumer devices by OEM brand and type of device; countries and MNOs that have launched commercial eSIM service for smartphones; and a consumer adoption forecast for eSIM in the smartphone market to 2030.