Originally Posted by
tai4de2
One thing I don't know about eSIMs is what happens if one buys a new phone and tries to transfer eSIMs from old phone to new phone while roaming.
I've done eSIM transfer more than once between iPhone models -- but only with a single eSIM, and I was directly on that eSIM's native network (T-Mobile USA).
But I now also have a prepaid eSIM from Thailand, which I've been using for years, but I haven't bought a new phone since then. I have no idea if the Thailand eSIM would transfer over to a new phone if I tried to activate said new phone while in the USA. And if it doesn't, whether there's any way at all to keep that Thailand phone number.
From my point of view the biggest disadvantage of eSIM. While in theory one can transfer them from one phone to another, in practice it usually involves some form of authentification. That authentification might be easy for the SIM you have from your local carrier however all those other eSIM out there it's difficult to impossible. Someone wrote earlier that Roamless allows to transfer to another phone. It's definitely a bigger hassle than just take a physical card out and insert in the other phone.
I used to have an AIS (Thailand) SIM card for ages, once bought for me by my lady. Apparently it was registered under her name, I had no chance to move it to a new phone, not even in the AIS shop. They refused because it's not belonging to me. Same with the DTAC Tourist SIM you get through Airalo. It was asking for a passport number to move to another phone, which of course I did not have as I never gave one when purchasing. Maybe it would work if one has purchased a DTAC SIM directly from DTAC since they definitely ask for identification.