Google Just Copied The Worst Feature Of Modern Iphones (but Not All Hope Is Lost)

2 weeks ago

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Google Pixel 10 bid successful nan US is losing nan beingness SIM paper slot and going eSIM only.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is nan only exception, pinch a later motorboat day successful October.
To accommodate nan networking change, Google is offering enhanced SIM-swap support.

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Google conscionable announced its latest smartphone lineup, nan Pixel 10 series, and yes, connected nan surface, they look a full batch for illustration past year's Pixel 9. However, location is 1 very important alteration nether nan hood: nan move toward utilizing eSIMs only, ditching nan beingness SIM paper entirely.

With past year's Pixel 9 series, users had nan action of having a accepted SIM paper aliases an eSIM. With nan Pixel 10, foregoing nan SIM tray altogether is simply a alternatively unexpected move that mightiness not beryllium celebrated pinch everyone. Note that this alteration applies to phones successful nan US only.

Also: Everything announced astatine Made by Google 2025: Pixel 10 Pro, Fold, Watch 4, and more

So what's nan quality betwixt nan two? Traditional SIM cards -- acquainted to astir smartphone users -- are physical, removable chips associated pinch a azygous bearer and number. An eSIM (or embedded SIM) is simply a built-in constituent that's portion of nan phone's hardware.

The benefits of an eSIM see nan expertise to person different profiles attached to different numbers aliases plans -- moreover different carriers -- connected nan aforesaid device, allowing for different lines for individual aliases business, for example.

The Pixel 10 bid phones will support 2 eSIM "slots," allowing for 2 different numbers. This is each managed by nan phone's package aliases by scanning a QR code, alternatively of extracting a spot from nan device.

Also: Finally, Pixel 10 ends Android's MagSafe envy pinch its caller PixelSnap feature

All nan caller Pixel 10 models announced will move toward eSIM only, except, notably, nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which will proceed to support some forms.

It's mostly newer phones that person gone nan eSIM route, and thing Apple has done since nan iPhone 14 was released backmost successful 2022. Removing nan beingness tray that houses a beingness SIM paper besides frees up valuable existent property successful nan telephone for different components, portion of nan continual march toward smaller and smaller devices.

A fewer different Androids support eSIM, including Samsung's Galaxy S22 series, nan Galaxy Z Fold 4, and Z Flip 4, among others. But arsenic a whole, eSIM support crossed Android devices is an inconsistent patchwork based connected different models and carriers.

Also: 5 caller AI features connected Pixel 10 that consciousness for illustration magic

For example, older Pixel phones do support eSIM, but they're mostly constricted to Google Fi -- nan company's ain telephone bearer service. The Pixel 10, by comparison, is compatible pinch different carriers for illustration Verizon.

Google is now squarely astatine nan forefront of eSIM support connected Android, arsenic its take connected nan Pixel 10 bid goes to show. The bottommost statement is there's still a batch of compatibility issues to robust retired successful nan Android ecosystem, leaving a batch of users tethered to accepted SIM cards.