Being a sailor myself, I know the limitations and perks of life at sea. Long sailing, limited resources and rest hours have always been major issues among many others for sailors. But beyond that, full access to high-speed internet at a cheap price is also one of the major requirements for all human lives in the world and sailors are no different.

In this blog, am going to highlight why an eSIM compatible mobile phone is a better choice for all sailors around the world.

First, let’s understand

What is eSIM?

The letter ‘e’ in eSIM means ‘embedded’. So, eSIM simply means embedded SIM card. It works the same way as a traditional sim card. The only difference is that it is embedded in the mobile device and cannot be removed physically like traditional sim cards. Moreover, the

eSIM has to be supported by the mobile network and not all networks support eSIM.

How does eSIM work?

What Are the Advantages Of eSIM?

The main advantage eSIM brings is that it can potentially eliminate roaming charges completely. So, it is a boon to frequent travelers like Sailors. You can connect to the local network by simply scanning a bar code for installing the local eSIM in your mobile phone while retaining your home number. Moreover, you can install it even before leaving your house for your destination.

One of the cheapest and best service providers around the globe is Airalo.

What is Airalo?

Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store for travelers to access over 190 eSIMs at the most affordable, local rates around the world, all via eSIM compatible smartphone, tablet, or PC. Airalo offers you both connectivity and freedom – you’ll never have to carry multiple SIM cards or change your number again, no matter where you are in the world.

To connect to your loved ones, all you need is the internet and Airalo brings you the cheapest data plans at local rates around the globe.

Sailors on container ships are often seen to have multiple SIM cards of the vessel’s port of call. But the stay in the port of the country is not very long due to which sometimes the data is also not consumed for what you have paid for.

Airalo comes with a range of data plans to accommodate all kinds of customers. For detailed information, check out this link here.

Why not 5G Smartphones?

5G is a global buzz now. True 5G is believed to be 100 times faster than 4G network speed. But, the problem with 5G smartphones is that most of the budget 5G smartphones are not configured for all 5G frequency bands of the world.

5G mobile frequency ranges from 3GHz- 39GHz. Different countries have allocated different bands in this range. But, mobile phone manufacturers are configuring their budget 5G devices for very limited frequency bands. So, the 5G smartphones working in one country may not connect to 5G network in other countries.

Moreover, there are plenty of issues with these budget 5G devices such as battery life, heating problems, low configuration hardware. The mobile phone manufacturers have to compromise on other features of the phone to accommodate 5G feature in their smartphones to compete in the market.

So, purchasing a high-end eSIM phone and waiting for the 5G technology to evolve a bit before jumping on the 5G devices will be a smart choice in all sense.

List of eSIM compatible mobile phones.

This is the list of all smartphones with eSIM compatibility.

Which Apple devices support eSIM?

• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Max
• iPhone 12 Max Pro
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone SE (2020)
• iPad Air (3rd Generation)
• iPad Pro (3rd Generation)
• iPad Mini (5th Generation)

Which Android devices support eSIM?

Samsung Devices that support eSIM

• Samsung Galaxy Fold
• Samsung Galaxy S20
• Samsung Galaxy S20+
• Samsung Galaxy S20 ultra
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
• Samsung Note  20+

Google devices that support eSIM

• Google Pixel 3 & 3 XL
• Google Pixel 3a & 3a XL
• Google Pixel 4 & 4 XL
• Google Pixel 4A 5G

Motorola devices that support eSIM

• Motorola Razr 2019

Huawei devices that support eSIM

• Huawei P40
• Huawei P40 Pro

Nuu devices that support eSIM

• Nuu Mobile X5

Other Android devices that support eSIM

• Gemini PDA

Laptops and tablets that support eSIM

ACER devices that support eSIM

• Acer Swift 3
• Acer Swift 7

ASUS devices that support eSIM

• ASUS Mini Transformer T103HAF
• ASUS NovaGo TP370QL
• ASUS Vivobook Flip 14 TP401NA

Dell devices that support eSIM

• Dell Latitude 7210 2-in-1
• Dell Latitude 9410
• Dell Latitude 7310
• Dell Latitude 7410
• Dell Latitude 9510

HP devices that support eSIM

• HP Elitebook G5
• HP Probook G5
• HP Zbook G5
• HP Spectre Folio 13

LENOVO devices that support eSIM

• Lenovo Yoga C630
• Lenovo Miix 630
• Lenovo Yoga 520
• Lenovo Yoga 720 convertible laptops

SAMSUNG tablets that support eSIM

• Samsung Galaxy Book 2

Microsoft devices that support eSIM

• Surface Go 2
• Surface Pro X
• Surface Pro 5 LTE Advanced

Devices that do not support eSIM

• iPhones from China and Hong Kong have dual physical sims but no eSIMs
• Pixel 3a from countries in South East Asia
• Samsung Galaxy S20 Hybrid Dual SIM – this is specifically the dual SIM version made for certain markets
• Oppo, LG, HTC, Xiaomi, Honor, RealMe, OnePlus, Vivo – no eSIM support yet

Conclusion:

5G technology is a new generation mobile technology that has a long distance to cover for its wide scale acceptability. Right now, it’s more about marketing than anything. But assuming a 5G phone purchase as to be future ready requires an awfully warped view of the realistic factors surrounding the technology right now.