New for Samsung customers: Changing mobile phones will be easier

The new eSIMs are already practical. If you sign a new contract, you no longer have to wait for the post office to deliver the new SIM card. And if the cell phone is stolen, in the worst case scenario, the thief will not be able to remove the SIM card so easily. But there has been one drawback so far: if you change your smartphone, you will have to get a new eSIM. And this tends to cause problems, as I can tell from my own experience. The new technology should help.

Simply take your eSIM card with you to your new cell phone.

Switching from an old smartphone to a newly purchased model can be complicated. In the Android world, only Google Pixel and Samsung offer the right tools to actually control all the apps, including their arrangement on the home screen. And only if both smartphones are from the same manufacturer. In any case, you will have to re-order the eSIM for the new device.

Vodafone is now pioneering a new technology and is the first mobile phone provider in the world to offer what is called “eSIM profile reuse”. Your existing eSIM is transferred from one smartphone to another and is ready to use straight away. This means you no longer need to apply for and add a new eSIM manually.

Which mobile phones support the new technology?

Vodafone made the new technology available for iPhones in September 2023 with iOS 17. Now it's also available for Samsung smartphones. Currently only on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series. But all Samsung smartphones from recent years will soon receive this feature. These include the Galaxy S21 and later, the Galaxy Flip/Fold 3 and later, as well as all models in the Galaxy A series that support eSIM.

This is how changing eSIM works

If you switch from an older smartphone to a newer model, the eSIM will be transferred using Samsung Smart Switch along with all data and apps. But if you just want to “switch” the eSIM to another mobile phone, this is also possible. To do this, go to “Connections” and then “SIM Manager” in Settings. Here you will find the option “Transfer SIM from another device” and follow the on-screen instructions. In SIM Manager, it is also possible to convert a classic SIM card to an eSIM.