emnify eSIMs
emnify eSIMs are designed to work across multiple industries, use cases, and device types. All physical eSIMs come in a more durable quality grade than standard consumer-type SIMs.
emnify offers the following physical eSIM products with a pre-installed emnify profile:
- Advanced eSIM - IoT eSIM / SGP.32
- Classic eSIM - M2M eSIM / SGP.02
- Consumer eSIM - SGP.22
- Standard SIM - UICC
emnify also offers eSIM profiles that can be downloaded onto physical eSIMs:
- Advanced eSIM profiles - to be installed on IoT eSIM SGP.32
- Consumer eSIM profiles - to be installed on Consumer eSIM SGP.22
The main difference between standard SIM and eSIM variants is that eSIMs can be updated over the air (OTA) using remote SIM provisioning and come in different form factors.
Overview of different eSIM types
The following datasheet compares emnify SIM and eSIM product types across compliance standards, supported form factors, feature sets, and operational characteristics:
| Advanced eSIM | Consumer eSIM | Classic eSIM | Standard UICC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance to Remote SIM provisioning (RSP) standards | IoT eUICC GSMA SGP.32 | Consumer eUICC GSMA SGP.22 | M2M eUICC GSMA SGP.02 | — | |
| Available physical form factors and quality grades | Commercial grade |
| — |
|
|
| Industrial grade |
| MFF2 |
|
| |
| iSIM | — | — |
| — | |
| eSIM profiles available | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | |
| Feature support | |||||
| Profile Assistant | IoT Profile Assistant (iPA)
| Local Profile Assistant (LPA)
| N/A | N/A | |
| Fallback applet between eSIM profiles | Yes | — | — | — | |
| GSMA TS.48 test profile for MFF2/4 certification | Available on request with dedicated project initiative | — | |||
| Supported LPWAN features | Suspend and resume SIM state ETSI TS 102 221 Poll Interval Negotiation ETSI TS 102 221 | ||||
| Multi-IMSI applet | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Single IMSI option | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Radio Access Types supported | 2G, 3G, 4G, NB-IoT, LTE-M, NB-NTN, 5G NSA | ||||
| Compliances | |||||
| REACH | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| RoHs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Operating parameters physical eSIMs | |||||
| Operating temperature | Commercial grade | -25°C to 85°C | N/A | -25°C to 85°C | -25°C to 85°C |
| Industrial grade | -40°C to 105°C | ||||
| Memory / profiles | 180 KB | 300 KB | 704 KB | 128 KB | |
| RAM | 30 KB (including 2 KB of Crypto RAM) | 48 KB | 20 KB | 3.5 KB | |
| Supply voltage | Classes A/B/C (1.62-5.5 V) | ||||
| Data retention | 15 years at 85°C | 15 years at 85°C | 10 years |
| |
| Hardware characteristics | |||||
| Write Endurance | 2 M cycles on high-stress sectors | Up to 10 M cycles with OS High-Endurance | > 2 M write cycles | Up to 8 M updates | |
| Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) | MSL1 (J-STD-020) | ||||
| Humidity | HA as per ETSI TS 102 671 / JESD22-A101 | HA as per ETSI TS 102 671 | |||
| Corrosion | CX as per ETSI TS 102 671 / JESD22-A107 | ||||
| Vibration | VX per ETSI TS 102 671 / JESD22-B103/B644 | ||||
| Shock | SX per ETSI TS 102 671 / JESD22-B104 | ||||
Form factors
The physical dimensions of the different form factors are as follows:
MFF2 and MFF4 eSIMs can be soldered onto a device and aren’t readily removable.
Multi-IMSI applet
emnify SIM and eSIM cards are equipped with a multi-IMSI applet. This technology is similar to a mobile phone using dual-SIM technology or eSIM profiles in consumer phones. The main difference is that the emnify eSIM already includes cellular provider identities (IMSI) from multiple SIM cards and any network switching is done automatically.
The multi-IMSI applet on the eSIM uses a preferred IMSI list per country. This list defines the available IMSIs for that country and the order in which to try when connecting. If your device moves to a new country with a different preferred IMSI, the applet dynamically overwrites the previously active IMSI with the preferred one for this country.
The automatic switching by the multi-IMSI applet solves several connectivity challenges. For example:
- In Brazil, a local Brazilian IMSI must be used to be legally compliant with regulations.
- While emnify has over 400 direct roaming agreements, utilizing roaming agreements from partner operators (IMSI sponsors) provides you with even more coverage and better pricing.
- The applet detects any issues with the preferred IMSI and automatically switches to a fallback IMSI to regain connection.
emnify bootstrap eSIMs
emnify offers different bootstrap eSIMs to simplify device manufacturing and profile localization. With a bootstrap eSIM, device manufacturers can integrate connectivity directly in the factory without being locked in to a single provider. After manufacturing, other eSIM profiles can be downloaded based on the target market or customer preference.
Two types of bootstrap eSIMs are available:
- Consumer eSIM (SGP.22)
- IoT eSIM (SGP.32)
Both physical bootstrap eSIMs include an emnify profile that allows devices to connect globally and download additional eSIM profiles using the bootstrap connectivity.
The consumer bootstrap eSIM (SGP.22) is designed for user-facing devices (payment terminals, handhelds, or phones) and allows them to connect directly, eliminating the need for a Wi-Fi or serial connection to download another eSIM profile. Device manufacturers can then continue using emnify SuperNetwork connectivity, allow their end customers to switch to a different provider (for example, by scanning a QR code or using an MDM integration), or both.
The IoT bootstrap eSIM (SGP.32) is available for any device type and allows manufacturers to customize their connectivity provider after manufacturing. By integrating the eSIM APIs, device manufacturers can enable use cases where their end customers choose their own connectivity provider.
