Etisalat joins global launch of eSIM services

In the UAE, only the latest Apple iPhones are eSIM compatible

Only the latest Apple iPhones are eSIM compatible with the service available on devices with iOS 12.1 |

eSIMs are now a reality in the UAE, or they will be as soon as the owners of the new Apple iPhones (Xs, Xs MAX, and the Xr) download iOS 12.1, which is being rolled out across the world today.

Etisalat becomes the first Middle East telecom to offer the eSIM services for smartphones. They first introduced eSIM technology in May this year for the Apple Watch.

An eSIM allows users to connect their smartphones to a telecom’s network without having to purchase a physical card, although the eSIM phones announced so far can also use SIMs you get from the store, essentially making them dual-sim phones.

eSIM services are also being rolled out in Austria, Canada. Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, UK, Hungary, India, Spain and the US.

In the UAE, the only phones that are eSIM compatible are the three latest iPhones. Two Google Android phones (Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2XL), which have not been released in the UAE, are also eSIM compatible.

Tariffs for the eSIM packages have not been announced yet.