Coles photo shows death of common item every Aussie used

If you look closely at the SIM packs in the supermarket, you’ll see some don’t even contain a SIM anymore - just a QR code. (Amaysim/Newswire)

All the hype this week has been about some major updates coming to the iPhone operating system in July. But, there’s another huge change that might be coming to iPhones this year: no more physical SIM cards.

In the US, iPhones have been eSIM-only for two years now. The latest iPads in Australia are eSIM-only too.

So could Apple bite the bullet when it releases the iPhone 16 in the spring and ditch the fiddly little plastic cards?

If not this year, then it won’t be long — and that’s a good thing for money-savers.

Even though mobile plans are one of the easiest household bills to switch, the plastic SIM has been one of the only things slowing us down.

When you decide to switch providers, you need to either go to a shop to buy a SIM for the new provider or wait for it to arrive by post.

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eSIM is a rewritable SIM card built into most high-end phones for the last five years. You simply download an app or use a QR code to download a "software SIM" from a provider.

In 2022 Apple made the iPhone 14 eSIM-only in the US, but back then Australia only had 4-5 telcos offering eSIM.

Physical SIM cards are going away, replaced by eSIMs which make switching cell carriers easier. (Source: AP Photo/Kelvin Chan) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Today, the telco comparison site Whistleout counts no less than 19 providers offering eSIM for mobile:

• Telstra

• Optus

• Vodafone

• Everyday Mobile

• Kogan Mobile

• amaysim

• Lebara

• felix Mobile

• Superloop

• Exetel

• TPG

• Boost Mobile

• Circles.Life

• Tangerine

• More

• SpinTel

• iiNet

• AGL

• MATE

Uptake is growing fast: Amaysim and Felix Mobile said 50 per cent of their online customers are now opting for an eSIM.

If you look closely at the SIM packs in the supermarket, you’ll see some don’t even contain a SIM anymore - just a QR code.

The ease of eSIM is good for savers because it makes switching easier.

There are a lot of “honeymoon deals” in the telco market offering six-month discounts at up to 50 per cent.

You could switch every six months or so and take up multiple offers if you wanted to - and eSIM makes that simpler.

The only downside for now is lack of choice. If you’ve got a new iPad, for example, Whistleout advises that only about 5 providers sell data-only eSIMs.

DATA-ONLY SIM PROVIDERS

eSIM	No eSIM
Telstra	Tangerine
Vodafone	Southern Phone
Optus	Spintel
Amaysim	Aldi Mobile
Lebara	Belong

So, don’t worry if you can’t find any of those tiny paperclip tools you need to insert or remove SIM cards.

You might not need them for much longer anyhow.

Joel Gibson is the author of EASY MONEY and a regular guest on TODAY, 2GB, 4BC & ABC Radio. He posts about money to over 25,000 followers on TikTok & Instagram and is a money-saving ambassador for One Big Switch, Cashrewards & Whistleout.