Using physical SIM cards on mobile devices is a traditional way to start contacting people as well as browsing mobile data for ages. However, the inclusion of the eSIM is one of the convenient accessibilities did happen a few years ago. Though some of the smartphone OEMs are offering eSIM support on their specific device models with the help of mobile carriers across the globe, it’s not widely accepted yet by the users. Well, some reports are coming out that Google is working on Multiple Enabled Profiles (MEP) on Android 13 for eSIM support.
If you don’t know, an eSIM is a digital SIM that allows users to virtually using the mobile carrier services and active the cellular plan via the carrier on their eSIM-enabled devices without actually having a physical SIM card. That means neither you have to insert a Nano-SIM nor a Micro SIM card physically on your eSIM supported smartphone or tablet device if you want to use it. But that has few problems in daily life usage and in terms of accessibility.
Here Google is trying to implement the dual-SIM functionality with eSIM chips that might work on a device with a single subscriber line once at a time. It’s basically known as “Multiple Enabled Profiles” (MEP) to allow users to use multiple active SIM profiles on one eSIM. Esper’s Mishaal Rahman has mentioned it in detail which you can check out. That means that with a single eSIM, you can easily connect two different carriers simultaneously. It’s actually necessary for the users in the upcoming future because right now OEMs are only offering you one physical SIM slot and a secondary eSIM support on their devices.
Google’s MEP feature will only work at the software level which might gonna arrive on Android 13 or later and users don’t need to perform any additional method at their end. Google is adding API classes to AOSP (Android Open Source Project) that will allow carrier apps to get information about the logical and physical interfaces with the SIM profiles stored on them.
Meanwhile, eSIMs can store multiple profiles in one chip, and support switching between them. But there is a limitation that only one profile can be active once at a time depending on which one you’re using. All the eSIM enthusiasts and Android lovers are eagerly waiting for Google to introduce the supercharged eSIM support on Android 13. We’ll have to keep waiting further to get more info and hands-on. Cheers!
