The future of eSIM in smartphones: are we at a turning point?

Earlier this month, Onomondo hosted the Made for IoT Summit 2025, bringing together a mix of IoT developers, device OEMs, module makers and adopters from across the IoT ecosystem, under the motto 'IoT connectivity should never be a bottleneck'. Key themes discussed included the latest GSMA eSIM SGP.32 and SGP.31 specifications, how the ecosystem is getting ready for commercial launches and the impact to connectivity service providers and device makers. Non-terrestrial networks IoT was a topic of focus as well, with the event’s participants taking note of progress being made and expressing high expectations for further advancements in the low Earth orbit space that will help drive greater adoption and lower costs. Finally, a new flagship private wireless project was unveiled in detail: Onomondo’s implementation with Maersk, Nokia and a suite of other partners that will bring private wireless to 450 ships at sea.

Digital transformation of vertical sectors is accelerating, with IoT being an important driver and enabler. GSMA Intelligence surveyed nearly 4,200 enterprises across 21 countries and 10 vertical sectors to gain relevant insights into their digital transformation across a range of technologies. This report analyses the key findings and implications for IoT and eSIM.

Over the last few years, there has been important progress on remote SIM provisioning (RSP) technology (eSIM and integrated eSIM) but adoption is still limited compared to its long-term potential. This report examines the outlook for RSP and provides a view on future developments that could help overcome some of the challenges that are currently hindering adoption of RSP.