Hey what’s up everyone, it’s Fisayo here,
again, and this video is about the newly launched MTN eSIM but first, Let’s talk about SIM
cards, Subscriber Identification Module as the full name, it’s
that small chip you have to put in your phone which identifies you as a subscriber of a
network and and enables you to make phone calls and send messages among other things. SIM cards have evolved from huge full credit
card size SIMs in 1991. This was the first form factor. 5 years later in 1996, we got the Mini SIM
aka the regular SIM which we had with our bulky Nokia 3310 back in the day, they were
usually cut from that big credit card sized card and this became the standard SIM and
2nd form factor. Infact this is where the next 2 were being
cut from. 2003 saw the introduction of the Micro SIM. Same thickness as the normal standard sim
but much smaller in footprint. It wasn’t until 2010 that it was widely
adopted. This was around the iPhone 4 era which in
fact was the first smartphone to use a microSIM, this was the 3rd form factor.. 2 Years later in 2012, the nano SIM, the 4th
form factor was introduced, on the 11th of October in 2012, It was a little bit less
as thick and it was so small it was almost just the chip. Well in 2016, the eSIM or embedded sim was
announced. It’s just a chip embedded directly inside
of your smartphone right from the manufacturing process. It doesn’t require any physical card and
you can add or remove operators at will. That is why we’re here today. The eSIM is in fact a substitute for an actual
physical plastic SIM card. If you smartphone supports it, you’ll only
need to just add your SIM profile to your phone and it’s the same as having a normal
sim just no card. The main differences between the eSIM and
the normal SIM card is that now you don’t have a physical sim to worry about, it only
a reprogrammable logical profile on your smartphone. A regular SIM card holds one profile for the
customer but an eSIM enables multiple profiles for the customer which is a better advantage. Also there’s the fact that technology is
evolving and now with an eSIM you have your SIM profile on things like smartwatches, cars,
your computer it’s just better and in fact with the same eSIM profile, you can enable
it to work on multiple devices, this is not the same for a regular plastic physical SIM. It’s just 1 sim and 1 device, a phone. So How do you get the MTN eSIM? First off today. To get a normal SIM, you have to to go and
physically buy a plastic card, in order to join the network, that card will of course
only work with your 1 device. With an eSIM, you’ll only need to get your
eSIM activation voucher linked with your existing profile or the new one you have created, scan
a QR code, download your profile and install on any of your supported devices and bam,
you’re done. Of course you’ll have to register. it. So what are the supported devices you may
ask, right now it’s available to Google’s Pixel 2 and 3, the newest iPhones from the
XR to the 11 Pro Max, of course the newer ones coming later in the year and the newest
Samsung S20 which I’ve recently reviewed. Of course there are many smartphones that
support it and if you bought a device which does, you can simply head to an MTN store
to get started. For smartwatches as well. Huawei’s Watch, Apple Watch and even my
Galaxy Watch, among many others….great times ahead ahead really in the mobile communications
space in Nigeria right now. I’m really looking forward to this. In terms of implementation, MTN is working
closely with the NCC on this, the Nigerian Communications Commission, they have jointly
agreed to a 1 year trial with a limited number of eSIMS. subject to either a review, an extension or
even an outright approval. What do you guys think about eSIMs, especially
MTN’s eSIM being launched first in Nigeria. Would you get one, let me know your thoughts
you can comment on my youtube or social media and I’ll be sure to engage with you. Thanks for watching and do have a lovely day.
