In keeping with the prevailing trends in contemporary mobile devices, Google Pixel smartphones have long provided dual SIM functionality. Traditionally, this entailed one SIM being a physical nano-SIM card, while the other was an electronic SIM (eSIM), with the stipulation that only one eSIM could be active at any given moment.
The advent of the Google Pixel 8 brings with it an evolution in dual-SIM capability. It now supports the use of two eSIMs concurrently, rendering the requirement for a physical nano-SIM obsolete. It’s worth noting that if you possess a nano-SIM, the option to employ one remains open to you. Therefore, you can harness the dual-SIM potential by either employing a nano-SIM in conjunction with an eSIM or operating two active eSIMs.
Notably, the concept of multiple enabled profiles (MEP) was introduced with Android 13 for Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro, effectively conferring dual-eSIM functionality to these devices, provided they are running Android 13 or a later version.
Benefits of Dual-eSIM
Dual-SIM functionality is immensely versatile, permitting users to maintain multiple phone lines concurrently. Beyond this, a common application of dual-SIM capability is when traveling. Travelers can utilize a dedicated travel SIM while still remaining accessible via their primary phone number.
The Google Pixel 8’s support for dual-eSIM brings forth all the advantages of dual-SIM functionality but with a heightened level of flexibility. If your primary line is already configured as an eSIM, the need for a physical SIM card when traveling is eradicated. This means that you can easily acquire a travel eSIM and make use of dual-SIM capabilities during your journeys without needing to disable your primary eSIM.
The convenience of eSIMs becomes even more apparent in the context of dual-eSIM support. For those who use multiple phone lines, it becomes notably easier to switch between them. By simply installing your various eSIM profiles, you can seamlessly toggle between the lines you require, all without the need to physically swap out SIM cards. This means that at any given time, you can have two (e)SIMs actively operational, further obviating the necessity to deactivate or reactivate different lines.
