As a relatively new technology, eSim is looking more and more promising as time goes on. As manufacturers continue to include eSim in both mobile phones and PC laptops, users are becoming more eager to try out the technology. Although it is still too early to tell, eSim has the potential to catch on and become a global phenomenon. Its convenience could become the new standard, and become an essential feature in all upcoming cell phones and laptops. You may want to start experiencing eSim technology for yourself, but there are some important things you’ll need. Before getting started you will need both a smartphone with eSim capability and an appropriate eSim plan. If you need to find a phone with eSim capability, look here for our listing of all current phones that support eSims. If you need help finding the right eSim plan for your device, do not worry. In this article, we will go over everything you need to know about eSim, as well as how to find an eSim plan.
What is eSim?
If you aren’t familiar with eSim technology, allow us to offer a simple explanation. An eSim functions much like a traditional SIM card. The key difference is that an eSim is an embedded SIM card, while SIM cards can be inserted and removed. So, an eSim is already embedded into a device upon purchasing it. Still, what does this accomplish? If you buy a cell phone with eSim, this means you could use two SIMs at the same time: Your eSim and your ordinary SIM card. As a result, you could switch between two different numbers seamlessly without having to swap out a physical card. This is incredibly useful for users that want to separate their work from their personal lives. They can do so from the comfort of one device, instead of spending more money on two different cell phones. If you’re still curious, our guide on eSim cell phones in Canada goes into far more detail.
In addition to mobile phones, eSim can also be embedded into PC laptops. However, it functions differently from mobile phones. eSim on PC laptops functions more like mobile data does on your cell phone. If your laptop comes with eSim, you can use it to connect to a mobile network of your choice when you lack access to WiFi. If you tend to constantly work on the road, a laptop with eSim could be very useful. However, it is important to note that Windows 10 or 11 is essential to run eSim, so it can only be done with PC laptops, and not a MacBook. Again, if you want to learn more about this, read our guide on using eSim on PC laptops.
What is an eSim Plan?
With both mobile phones and PC laptops, plans are necessary to enjoy the benefits of eSim. For mobile phone users, a plan is necessary to grant you your phone number, and determine how much calling, texting and data you can use. On the other hand, laptop users need an eSim plan to determine which mobile network they will connect to. Without a plan, it’s impossible to connect to one.
Fortunately, several Canadian providers offer eSim support. As of November 2021, users can purchase eSim plans from Bell, Rogers, Telus, Fido, Shaw, Virgin Plus, Koodo, Freedom Mobile and Lucky Mobile. Depending on which provider you choose, the activation process may be slightly different. Still, the process should only take a few minutes, and typically involves scanning a QR code or calling your provider in exchange for an activation code. Now that we’ve gone over everything you need to know about how eSims work, we are ready to take a closer look at some plans.
eSim Unlimited Data Plans
Depending on your personal preferences, you could greatly benefit from an unlimited data plan via eSim. This way, users can enjoy a more traditional plan for their personal lives, and an unlimited plan for work. This way, your unlimited data plan will always be tied to your work phone number, and you can easily switch between the two at your leisure. It is important to note that “unlimited” data plans are not fully unlimited. Yes, users will never go over their monthly usage, but there is always a limit for high speeds. For example, a 100GB unlimited data plan will operate at rapid speeds for the first 100GB, then slow down once this milestone is reached. With that in mind, here are some of the greatest eSim unlimited data plans available now:
Mobile Plan – $90 Per Month – 40GB of High-Speed Data (Reduced Speeds After) | Unlimited Calling & Texting
- Texting & Calling: Unlimited nationwide
- Data: 40GB High-speed shareable data – Reduced speeds afterwards
- Price: $90 / Month
Learn more about Rogers Infinite 40GB Plan
Mobile Plan – $105 Per Month – 60GB of High-Speed Data (Reduced Speeds After) | Unlimited Canada-US Calling & Texting
- Texting & Calling: Unlimited across Canada and the United States
- Data: 60GB High-speed shareable data – Reduced speeds afterwards
- Price: $105 / Month
Learn more about Telus Unlimited 60 CAN-US Plan
Mobile Plan – $160 Per Month – 100GB of High-Speed Data (Reduced Speeds After) | Unlimited Calling & Texting
- Texting & Calling: Unlimited nationwide
- Data: 100GB High-speed shareable data – Reduced speeds afterwards
- Price: $160 / Month
Learn more about Bell Unlimited Share 100 Plan
You may have noticed that all these unlimited data plans included “shareable” data. This means that users are invited to add their family members to the plan, so they can also use up the huge sum of data. Shareable data plans are a great idea for families that already have plans with the same provider. Even further, carriers offer discounts for adding more family members to a shareable data plan. For example, the Telus Unlimited plan we introduced costs $105 per month if one person is using the plan. However, if four people share it, the price is reduced to $90 per month. Similarly, Bell and Rogers reduce your monthly fee by $15 for every line added to your shareable plan. All in all, these are important factors to consider when looking for an unlimited eSim plan.
The Best eSim Data Plan
Lastly, we want to introduce some of the best, more all-around mobile plans. Rather than an unlimited data plan, these are a great choice for a more personal eSim data plan. These plans manage to offer fair amounts of data at affordable prices. Without any further delay, here are our picks for the best eSim data plans for Canadians:
Mobile Plan – $45 Per Month – 10GB | Unlimited Calling
- Texting & Calling: Unlimited nationwide
- Data: 10GB
- Price: $45 / Month
Learn more about Virgin Plus 10GB plan
Mobile Plan – $55 Per Month – 15GB | Unlimited Calling
- Texting & Calling: Unlimited nationwide
- Data: 15GB
- Price: $55 / Month
Lear more about Fido 15GB data plan
Mobile Plan – $70 Per Month – 20GB of High-Speed Data (Reduced Speeds After) | Unlimited Calling & Texting
- Texting & Calling : Unlimited nationwide
- Data: 20GB High-speed shareable data – reduced speeds afterwards
- Price: $70 / Month
Learn more about Bell’s Unlimited Share 20 Plan
Between our unlimited options and these more affordable data plans, you should feel more prepared about setting up eSim for your device. Users can subscribe to one unlimited plan and one “average” plan, allowing them to separate business from their personal lives. This way, customers can get the best of both worlds. Of course, all these plans are also great choices as eSim plans for your PC laptop. No matter how much you work on the go, any of these plans should provide sufficient data to allow you to remain productive when you can’t connect to WiFi.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have a much better understanding of eSim technology and plans at this point. If you’re excited about this new technology, you’re in luck. Now is a great time to sign up for an eSim plan. As long as you have a new cell phone, you can start searching for the right eSim plan right away. Overall, everyone should be able to find an appropriate eSim plan if they set their mind to it. Although there are only nine providers in Canada that support eSim, they offer tons of great options for all kinds of customers. If you’re interested in switching to eSim, there is no shortage of great plans waiting to be discovered.
Regardless, we understand how stressful searching for a new mobile plan can feel. Even if your options are limited, it is easy to feel as if you are constantly missing out on a better deal. Fortunately, PlanHub’s mobile plan searching tool makes the process much easier and eliminates all the stress that comes with it. All you need to do is fill out some basic information, as well as what you want out of your mobile plan. From there, our website will present you with a list of all the greatest and most affordable phone plans that are available in your region. Simply browse through our suggestions and find the perfect mobile plan, it’s as simple as that! After a few minutes, you’ll be able to find the perfect eSim plan.
