iPhone Duo only supports eSIM cards. What extra step do you need to take when switching to a new phone?

Undoubtedly, the iPhone Duo is the most anticipated iPhone model this year. Even with a starting price of 16,000 yuan, it sold out in seconds when veteran users snapped it up, with shipments scheduled for a month later. To get the first batch unit from scalpers, you have to pay an extra 2,000 yuan.

As Apple's first foldable screen device, we can also foresee the positive impact of iPhone Duo on the market, such as driving up the popularity of foldable phones. It is very likely that when people go back home for the Spring Festival next year, more relatives and friends will be holding foldable phones in their hands.

However, one important role may have been overlooked by most people: the iPhone Duo will most probably become the first pure eSIM model that achieves booming sales. Although the iPhone Air also only supports eSIM, its popularity and sales volume still lag behind other iPhone models.

eSIM will bring a lot of new experiences to our mobile phone usage. You no longer need to change the physical SIM card when switching to a new phone, nor do you need to keep the SIM ejector pin carefully, except that you need to spend some time going to the business hall to process related procedures.

So, is a pure eSIM phone an experience upgrade, or a frustrating configuration for users? Why are numerous mobile phone manufacturers including Apple launching eSIM-enabled phones? Is it necessary for new mobile phone users, especially iPhone users, to switch to eSIM?

What is eSIM

Let's start with the definition of eSIM. The so-called eSIM is a programmable SIM chip that is directly soldered to the device's motherboard. The "e" in front of SIM stands for "embedded".

*Infineon eSIM chip

Essentially, eSIM is still a form of SIM card. Behind the secure and complete eSIM service runs a set of new technology systems, including terminal security chips, remote card writing systems, real-name authentication channels, and number management platforms. These technical processes require the joint cooperation of mobile phone manufacturers and operators to promote.

In the past year or so, the number of eSIM-enabled models has grown rapidly. In 2025, there were only 3 eSIM-enabled models in the Chinese mainland, while in 2026, in addition to Xiaomi, high-end flagship bar phones, foldable phones and ultra-thin models of other brands have all started to support eSIM one after another.

It is imaginable that eSIM will become a common configuration option for mobile phones in the future, just like telephoto lenses and fast charging. When you buy a new phone, you can choose from multiple eSIM specifications.

For example, among the iPhone models currently on sale, the iPhone Duo only supports eSIM, the iPhone 18 Pro supports dual nano SIM + dual eSIM (that is, the p+e dual standard on one device), while the iPhone 17 only supports dual nano SIM.

With the popularization of eSIM, we will get a lot of new experiences in mobile phone usage. We will no longer need to bother keeping the SIM ejector pin, and one mobile phone can support more numbers, so you can switch between work number and personal number freely.

Your mobile phone and smartwatch can use the same number, answer the same call at any time, and share the same data plan.

When traveling abroad, you can directly activate the local eSIM service if conditions permit, without bothering to buy a local SIM card in advance, or specially going to a local business hall to process the card.

All users need to do extra is to spend 10 minutes at the business hall when changing the card. In addition, we can also expect more convenient online processing services to be launched soon.

Therefore, on the trend of eSIM popularization, mobile phone manufacturers have already laid a solid foundation, which can bring us real convenience, and it only depends on whether the operator's service can keep up with the pace.

China Mobile makes eSIM switching easier

In order to allow new iPhone Duo users, or users of other eSIM-enabled mobile phones to enjoy more convenient new card processing services, China Mobile has launched a number of measures to optimize the experience.

Aiming at the pain point that not all business halls support eSIM processing, which may lead users to make a wasted trip, all offline self-operated business halls of China Mobile have fully supported eSIM processing for iPhone Duo.

In the "Nearby Halls" section of the China Mobile App, they have also launched a dedicated eSIM zone, where users can check which nearby China Mobile business halls have the ability to process eSIM services.

For example, within 3km around the author's location, there are 4 China Mobile business halls that support eSIM processing, and 2 of them have 0 people queuing, so you can process the service as soon as you arrive at the store.

As for the documents required for processing, you only need your valid ID card and the new mobile phone. The specific process only has three steps: real-name verification, business processing, and eSIM activation. The whole process takes less than 10 minutes, which is about the time you spend picking up a cup of milk tea at the store.

It may sound a little troublesome, but food delivery and group-buying apps often make us do similar operations in our daily life.

Some people may wonder, what will happen to my original plan after switching to eSIM? My number is from another province, can I process eSIM locally? I also had these doubts, so I specially called 10086 to consult the customer service.

Processing an eSIM card does not require changing your current plan, which can be understood as replacing a broken physical SIM card with an eSIM card. If you switch back to a physical SIM card after changing to a new phone later, you only need to pay a 10-yuan card processing fee. And numbers from other provinces can also be processed locally.

In addition, in order to attract iPhone users to process eSIM services, China Mobile has also launched very attractive preferential policies.

By December 31, 2026, no matter you buy the Chinese mainland official version of iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, or iPhone Duo from China Mobile or other channels, and process China Mobile's eSIM service (including eSIM mobile phones and "p+e" dual standard mobile phones that support both physical SIM card insertion and one additional eSIM number), you can participate in the activity of selecting one from three exclusive benefits, the benefits include:

1. 10G data per month for 12 consecutive months, with a total of 120G data;

2. Annual membership package of China Mobile Cloud Diamond Member + Migu Video Diamond Member;

3. One-year broken screen protection service from Shoujiabao.

If you are a new iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone Duo user, you can get the above benefits just by visiting the business hall once. Even if you don't lack mobile data, the video membership or mobile phone broken screen insurance is still very cost-effective.

Final Notes

So is eSIM an experience upgrade? The author thinks the answer is yes. Just like the non-removable battery on smartphones, although you have to find a power bank or socket when the phone runs out of power, it allows the phone to be thinner and lighter and easier to carry even with a larger screen.

Now that non-removable batteries have been popular for many years, more and more public areas are equipped with charging services, and even wireless free charging is available on subways.

eSIM has become a major trend. It will go through the process of being popularized from high-end mobile phones to entry-level mobile phones, and eventually become a common optional configuration for mobile phones. Although there are still some inconvenient points in the current experience, all of these will be improved in the future.

If you are a new iPhone user, it is highly recommended to consider processing eSIM. iPhone Duo users have to process eSIM, while iPhone 18 Pro series users can consider processing it optionally.

From smartphones to mobile payments, and to the currently booming AI, these cases all prove that when a technology becomes a mainstream trend, people who experience it earlier can enjoy more convenience brought by the technology.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Tech Fox" (ID: kejihutv), written by Laohu, authorized for release by 36Kr.